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The end of the year spells another plethora of nominees for the 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards. The best of the best around the poker world in the fans eyes are up on the showcase to see what the common favorite is. The categories do not disappoint either ranging from favorite female TV personality, poker tweeter, moments of the year, poker room, players to even favorite Web-based poker show.

The Lock-In: Lock Pros Take Over France | Paradise resorts and island getaways have become the norm for poker players so when Lock Poker decided to take their Lock family on a retreat they went a little medieval on them. A 13th century castle with guests checking out in tuxedos suddenly became home for a 3 day vacation of a group of mix and match poker pros checking in wearing street clothes. The surprises didn’t stop there Lock planned a full plate of festivities to mold the Lock team and Lock players into a united team. The results were just what Lock ordered, reviews from the Lock players portray the trip by saying words or pictures can’t fully describe the time they had with their new mutual friends no longer just their online friends.

The new Lock Star, Chris Moorman, will admit that black Friday in April felt like an April fool’s joke gone wrong however he has found some hidden success from it. The Brit star made himself known through the online felts now has showcased his skills on the actual felt and results have impressed. After the multiple live events he has played since the hiatus of online poker he has viewed live poker. Recently signed to be part of Lock Poker’s team he is very excited about direction Lock Poker is going for the future.

BLUFF’s 2011 Gift Guide | Christmas is around the corner and there will be those who wait to the last minute or have absolutely no idea what gift to give to a certain someone. BLUFF can help you out for any poker loving friend. BLUFF’s 2011 Gift Guide is packed with goodies that will fulfill any poker players dream. Premium poker tables, sunglasses, merchandise from poker shows, apparel, games, and the hottest poker books on the shelves.

The November Nine | The last nine survivors fill out the table for the WSOP Main Event with intriguing resumes with vast nationalities and age. A roller coaster ride of a tournament for chip leader Martin Staszko has him sitting high but in second place is the Irishman, Eohan O’Dea, son of Donnacha O’Dea which makes it the first time in poker history that a father and son have made it to the Main Event final table. Also filling out the final table is a surprise amateur 49-year-old native of Belize, a Ukrainian at the ripe age of 21, a 22-year-old German, and finally a native 22-year-old Brit who is trying to win the first WSOP Main Event for his country in nearly two decades.

The Birth of Online Poker | The boom of online poker in the last couple years showcases the polished product of the game on the internet but only the early poker players remember the early days of online poker. The first known ways to play the game involved internet relay chat that usually would take days to finish a game this also was where Chris “Jesus” Ferguson admits to learning how to play poker. As the 80’s turned into the late 90’s, a Canadian Randy Blumer launched PlanetPoker.com which got the ball rolling to eventually provide the advanced online poker you see today.

Full Tilt Ponzi | Full Tilt and ponzi scheme is not two words that the original 10 owners ever wanted to be uttered in the same sentence but that is exactly what happened and the Department of Justice isn’t folding. The infamous black and white photo of the ten founders is now getting compared to the scene from “Reservoir Dogs”. BLUFF takes a look at the start and fall of Full Tilt.

Online Poker Ban | Since Congress pulled the plug on online poker, the poker world has been in a twister but signs of improvement have been gradually made. The ban of online poker does not just affect the users at home; Atlantic City, casino and racetracks everywhere are seeing a great decline in revenue. The urge for members of the poker community to resolve this issue is increasing and they are waiting for congress to pull the trigger for poker to deal out the cards again.

Jean-Robert Bellande | Broke living situations and professional poker player usually don’t go hand in hand however for Jean-Robert Bellande it does and although it’s a struggle, he doesn’t worry. Bellande credits his mother, a former missionary in Taiwan, for instilling an attitude that he will be taken care of no matter what misfortunes he encounters in his poker career which has been many. Living at the Aria Hotel in Vegas and being their main sponsor provides him a paycheck and a roof over his head but his bankroll has been known to fluctuate between thousands and nothing. But that’s when the confident attitude kicks in and propels Bellande to ante up to every tournament in hopes to turn things around.

After Black Friday of the poker world hit, many players had to make some pressing decisions on how they were going to handle not being able to play online poker in the States. BLUFF runs through the actions taken by four players on their quest to find the answer to how they would alter their life in order to play poker online. The decisions made ranged from moving to Costa Rica, Vancover, or Europe, to even getting married, and to just go on the live circuit.

Epic Poker | Poker has gone through an assortment of failed television poker series’ leaving the most known ones to be the monopolies of television poker success. However with each failed attempt, another will rise in an attempt. The most recent challenger to try to get over the hump is Jeffrey Pollack presenting Epic Poker. The makers and some professionals think this effort will flourish due to the fact that they put players first and know that making it a hit is more than just inviting the big names. The production and setup for the show has been given much thought and the ones invested are trying to prove that it will survive.

David "The Maven" Chicotsky was put on the map due to online poker, so what was the young phenom going to do in the wake of online poker turmoil. Like many others he decided to jump ship on America but not far. He settled in Costa Rica and did well, real well. Aside from playing online poker in the tourist haven country that is a bright light on Central America, poker player turned entrepreneur. The Maven and a successful businessman created a company, Tico Tours, which offers a one-stop-shop of services for tourists or possible residents with English-speaking customer service 24/7.

Second Thoughts | Phil Hellmuth's 2011 World Series of Poker was one for the record books. The 11-time bracelet winner finished runner-up in three Championship events but more importantly he may have finally put the Poker Brat persona behind him.

The 2011 WSOP Top 10 | The 2011 WSOP featured some highs and lows. BLUFF breaks down the Top 10 stories including Brian Rast's double-bracelet win, Phil Ivey's no-show and the surging French players. But what story was the top story of the year?

Exclusive Interview | Viktor Blom. The one time mysterious Swedish online poker pro known as "Isildur1" has had quite the year since his arrival at the 2011 PCA as a member of Team PokerStars. Blom sat down with BLUFF to talk about his life as a member of Team PokerStars and the monumental swings he's gone through playing high stakes. Every few years a new superstar hits the poker world and takes it by storm. We've gone back in time to break down the 10 players who came from basically nowhere to become superstars. Stu Ungar. Gus Hansen. Tom Dwan. Where does your all-time favorite player rank?

Player of the Year | Eugene Katchalov continues to lead the race but there's a number of players closing in on him. We break down the race with highlights from the last month of action.

Maria Ho is Heating Up | Four years ago, you didn't know who Maria Ho was. That's when she went on an impressive run in the World Series of Poker Main Event to become Last Woman Standing. She parlayed that into a spot on CBS' The Amazing Race and in turn developed herself into one of the most recognizable female players on the planet. But don't kid yourself, she's not just some poker pro living off of her one big moment. She's earned the respect of the poker community by posting solid results at the table including a runner-up performance at the WSOP this past summer.

Don't Turn Your Back on Chris Moorman | Anybody who has closely followed the online poker scene the last few years is more than familiar with the screenname "Moorman1". A regular contender for BLUFF Online Player of the Year, Chris "Moorman1" Moorman is now taking on the live scene and making all the right moves. The British poker pro talks all about making the transition from the virtual felt to brick and mortar.

Poker Top 10 Breakout Performers | Every few years a new superstar hits the poker world and takes it by storm. We've gone back in time to break down the 10 players who came from basically nowhere to become superstars. Stu Ungar. Gus Hansen. Tom Dwan. Where does your all-time favorite player rank?

The Life of a Poker P.A. | You see your favorite superstar on TV every week and think they've got to have a great life. Most do. Travelling the world, eating great food, playing high stakes poker. It's got to be easy. Well, it can be, but only if you're one of the lucky few to have a Personal Assistant. Handling all of the details and keeping your boss happy isn't easy. We spent a day with Daniel Negreanu's P.A. Patty Landis to find out what it's all about.

Attending Babson College, a top business and entrepreneurship school, usually is enough for most individuals to seek but Michael Drummond, BLUFF’s Pro Challenge winner, has found enough success in the poker world to explore. Like most parents learning their child wants to move to Vegas to pursue poker, they were reluctant but as time went on Michael’s father actually significantly supported his son by teaching and implements proper bankroll management. Now with a sponsorship and a guaranteed seat at the WSOP, Michael will continue his poker career but with his education he has a nice safety net.

Hitting The Nuts | An Amish farmer, slutty waitress, underage gambler, crooked mayor set the lineup of characters as the movie setting resides in a rural Indiana town for a poker tournament in a funeral home. Not the average poker movie to say the least, but the bizarre story line and improv acting make this poker movie a comic hit that many since “Rounders” have failed to deliver. The low budget movie now a winner of awards at each film festival it has participated in is heading to the Las Vegas Film Festival this month.

When Eugene Katchalov informed his father that he was going into poker full time, the reaction was not like American parents, he was completely supportive and already his number one fan. This is partly because Eugene learned the gambling ethics from his father who was a regularly gambler in Ukraine. Eugene graduated college with a finance degree which channeled him into the business of a day trader, but when he started playing poker for extra money it accumulated into much more. Katchalov tore up his first trip to Vegas, won heads up to Negreanu in the PCA High Rollers event, owns a WPT Title and has massed millions in winnings which provokes players like Scott Seiver to marvel over his skills.

The poker world has heard all kinds of crazy ways players get their start but Andy Frankenberger has added another to the list of how he made it to the felt. Andy and many colleagues were invited to a poker tournament with brokers with the winner getting a free seat at the WSOP Main Event. Frankenberger, not much of a poker player hoped just to finish high up to impress his new boss who was a poker fanatic but Frankenberger overshot his expectations and won. The Vegas trip resulted in a deep run but just short of the money. Andy burnt out on the life of a broker took a year off to experience more things, along with piano and photography came poker and a new career.

Since the last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond aired in 2005, Ray Ramano and Brad Garrett still find time to laugh and roast on each other but this time it happens to be at the card tables. Brad Garrett, better known as Ray’s brother, Robert, on the show runs a comedy club at the Tropicana in Las Vegas and come September he will host the second annual All In for All Good event for charity. Poker is a way for the former TV brothers to have fun and support their charities; they both play in the WSOP Main Event each year, the one who gets knocked out first pays the charity of the other.

You are more than 9,000 times more likely to be beaten by a one-outer on the river than you are to be diagnosed with Liposarcoma , the cancer Chad Brown is currently battling. Diagnosed early in 2011, the 2006 BLUFF Player of the Year with family and doctors have been on the grind to develop the best way of treatment for this rare cancer. After surgery to remove the tumor, Chad had another health scare that landed him in the hospital with pulmonary embolism. Chad’s positive attitude about the road to recovery is magnificent; we can only hope Brown will beat the odds of Liposarcoma like his return to the tables raking in a top prize at an event.

Black Friday to people in poker no longer refers to the stock market crash in the Roaring Twenties; on April 15, 2011 the Department of Justice put a halt on the online poker world. In turn it has formed a tumbling snowball effect that is running down the poker mountain. BLUFF discusses the effects throughout the poker industry of how television, live tournaments, WSOP and more will get affected.

WSOP Preview | With the WSOP on the horizon, BLUFF supplies you with the must and most need to know material on everything for the biggest anticipated poker tournament of each year. Follow what is new this year, the rookies, players to watch, schedule of events, and even where to find grub or stay in the Sin City. BLUFF also catches up on several former players in their version of Sports Illustrated’s "Where Are They Now?"

Erik Seidel was contemplating retirement late last year but as the calendar turned, Seidel enjoyed a profitable new year at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and has been building on that ever since. Seidel has accumulated more money than anybody in a year since 2004 and the year of 2011 is not close to over with. The Poker Hall of Famer also reached the status of All-Time Money leader by overtaking Daniel Negreanu. Seidel, 51, despite the successful year says he may be trying to move towards a more relaxing schedule and focus on big games such as the new popular high roller games to ease the workload.

A tweet from a Poker Hall of Famer was all that it took to launch The Micros into a YouTube poker sensation. Poker entertainment since “Rounders” has been bargain bin material but Jay Rosenkrantz and John Wray have developed plenty of successful buzz from the poker world with their new creation. With degrees in screenwriting and animation, Jay and Wray provide a formidable combination to producing their online animation poker cartoon that has caught the attention of Full Tilt enough to offer sponsorship.

The worries of his sponsor Full Tilt and the disappointment from his family rush through John Racener’s mind while getting arrested for DUI in Tampa for the third time since 2005. Just a month after John Racener was riding the fast lane in his poker career while finishing runner up in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, John hit the wall once again. The latest run in with the law and rehab has opened his eyes that John wants to focus more on the poker than the poker lifestyle.

The invitation-only NBC Heads-Up Poker Tournament fields 64 including the top players with a sprinkle of rookies and fill-ins that proved to be misjudged. Emmitt Smith, former football player, takes a seat at the felt and upset David Williams but did not let him go home empty handed, giving him a signed jersey. As the competitors dwindled down to the last heads up matchups, the names were all too familiar with the eventual winner adding to his historic 2011 hot streak and adding to his Hall of Fame resumé.

New faces, new games, and new places; it’s no wonder that Poker After Dark’s executive producer, Mori Eskandani, has expectations of the show becoming poker’s version of “The Tonight Show” for years to come. With season seven at the starting gate, popularity is steadily anteing up each year which illustrates the success that the NBC show compared to its poker counterparts. The veterans that are often familiar faces at the nightly table are also excited about the new additions of inviting more up and coming young talent, sprinkling in different game types, and the viewers’ idea of more cash games. The flourishes added create more competition for the players while maintaining and building more interest among the poker fans watching.

The doctor told Sam Trickett that after injuring the Cruciate Ligament in his knee that his soccer dreams were over, leaving Sam in the dark on his next plans because all he knew was the game of football. Sam however contains a competitive nature that whatever he picks up he wants to dominate, first it was pool but once he realized the money was less than satisfying he moved on. Poker was the next hand dealt to him and it fit like a glove. The cavalier personality he displayed on the field reflects on the aggressive play on the felt along with risky bluffing that has proven to pay him pretty well on the other side of the pond.

We’ve seen your poker tournament, and we’ve raised it. That is what the Aussie Millions marketing motto preached but like they forecasted, the tournament was not short on action. A 68-year-old Australian grandfather outlasted the professional field to win the Main Event. Sam Trickett almost cashes in on a historic week of winnings but a Poker Hall of Fame member steals his spotlight. Three Macau businessmen created a buzz in the field while holding their own in the big $250,000 game.

With the Florida poker scene on the rise, so does a new batch of players from the Sunshine State. Ebony Kenney is the latest to catch recognition throughout the poker world. The single mother got her first knowledge of the game by reading a book and winning a friendly game with her boyfriend and the guys. As poker caught her attention, she played more and cashed in considerably in tournaments from Atlantic City to Florida. Aside from some part-time modeling, Ebony is fixed on making a splash at the upcoming WSOP.

Names compiled on Forbes List create a media buzz about the most powerful and influential, BLUFF’s Power 20 has evolved into poker’s version displaying the sport’s most significant role players. About a hundred voters, consisting of agents, media, online operators and more, received ballots and nearly two-hundred different people were voted to be in the select Power 20. Backers, CEOs, Editors, Directors, Owners, Players and even Politicians fill up the list of Poker’s most important people.

As the New Year begins, poker players trade their winter attire for bathing suits to flock to the Bahamas where the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure provides a little fun in the sun and a chance for players to achieve their New Year’s poker resolution. Despite the surroundings, the PCA proved to be no breeze and didn’t fall short on competiveness. With 48 events, action was plentiful but the Super High Roller, High Roller, and the Main Event is what drew most of the splashes.

The ballots are in! Votes tallied! The results from the BLUFF’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards do not disappoint, what started as numerous nominees in the December issue have now been dwindled down to the winner with the runners up either behind by a smidge or far in the distance. See if the categories of favorite announcer, TV show, hostess, funniest poker twitter, favorite moment, and more align with the ballot you penciled in.

Las Vegas and Atlantic City are known to be the gambling monopolies of North America but there is a light that is coming from the Sunshine State that has people wandering if the south can have a premier poker stop in the future. Jacksonville Greyhound Racing and Poker hosted their Second Annual Chad Brown No Limit Hold’em Tournament last month which attracted mostly Florida residents but also a handful of professionals from other states and across the pond. Florida natives Jason Mercier, John Racener, and Andrew Robl were among the big names in attendance and surely they can only hope their home state can continue to rise in the poker scene.

BLUFF takes a look at Sorel Mizzi’s year; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good illustrated a time he credited to being in a zone and shattering the BLUFF Player of the Year record for points. The bad highlighted that he didn’t have a major win, despite a close call in the Aussie Millions, which many past POY winners had achieved. The ugly reared its head by a controversy surfacing about Sorel which he denied but it adds to his not so clean reputation. With all that aside, the reigning POY forecasts a different 2011.

Bill Slaght is not the average online player that turned dollars to millions to become BLUFF’s 2010 Online Player of the Year. CrazyHorse76, is actually a 34-year-old married man that picked up online poker only after a friend suggested it to him instead of playing live tables. Bill’s poker obsession originated while playing Stud games at a nearby casino for college money and ordering WSOP VHS tapes to study. Instead of jumping all-in on the online poker career, Bill grinded out on his day job until realizing his true potential. Bill’s plan for 2011 is to start a family with his wife Abby, and make her a stay-at-home mother with his poker winnings.

Just as you thought the World Poker Tour was losing its lust, they provide a fresh coat of paint and a face lift. Coming into its ninth season of the popular poker show, the CEO didn’t settle for satisfied and decided to make some adjustments that provide more entertainment with the same amount of poker shown. Some additions include a scroll along the bottom of all participators that cashed in, more insider stories by Kimberly Lansing, Tony Dunst’s leash looses up for more bite on broadcasts and of course the new lovely Royal Flush Girls that will take fans behind the scenes.

Need to hit rewind on 2010? BLUFF has you covered, 2010 The Year in Review touches on each month and highlights all the need to know action that unfolded. Can’t miss headlines from; A Canadian Main Event winner, two new HOF inductees, Year of the Women, Sorel Mizzi’s winnings on the way to POY, and more.

Jonathan Dulhamel always dreamed of being able to hoist the Stanley Cup but he is more than satisfied to become the first Canadian-born player to win the WSOP Main Event. After his close friends and family horded him at the finish line, Jonathan traveled back North of the Border to a flurry of press conferences and media attention. Dulhamel sits down with BLUFF to share his strategy during the final table to win the WSOP Main Event and his plans on traveling to attend more tournaments.

The Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 welcomes Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington with guest speeches by Doyle Brunson and Nolan Dalla. Both Seidel and Harrington trace their playing days back to being regulars at the Mayfair Club in NYC, and both saw the poker industry grow up right in front of their eyes. Seidel shares how the WSOP was like a family business in 1988 while Harrington tells of a conversation him and Jack Binion had at a game that perfectly resembled his professional demeanor.

Harry Reid, Senator of Nevada, tries to gain support for a bill that would legalize online poker in the United States. The bill would provide strict regulatory environment, prevent underage gambling, and respect states that don’t allow gambling. But when phrases like blackout periods arise, the state of online poker is starting to get questioned; everyone invested in the industry starts to panic.

Is poker a sport? Travis Steffen thinks so and he will tell you how to prepare and train to get better on the table. Some say making goals in poker is not smart but they are referring to results-oriented goals however making task-orientated goals is how you can show improvement. Follow Travis’ plan to set a reachable goal to develop your game.