Purchase Back Issues

Days before Christmas, Jonathon Duhamel opened the door expecting a package delivery but instead he was greeted by two robbers who violently beat him and got away with a large sum of cash and valuables including his WSOP Main Event Bracelet from 2010. To recover emotionally and physically, Jonathon spend some time with family and friends while contemplating if he should play in the PCA’s, his sponsor’s main yearly tournament. Family and friends thought it was best if he used poker as a therapy, this motivated Jonathon to go into the PCA’s with a chip on his shoulder and amaze which he did. Four cashes at the PCA’s along with impressive finishes in a handful of other tournaments following and Duhamel is seated first on BLUFF’s POY race despite the turmoil of all that transpired in those late days of December.

2012 WSOP Preview | The one-stop everything you need to know about this year’s WSOP can be found in this month’s WSOP 2012 Preview. Information on rising rookies, players to watch, intriguing events to look at, expert’s opinions, a survival guide and lots more! The summer classic at the Rio is equivalent to the Super Bowl and October baseball; this is not an event you want to ill-prepared for.

Dan O’Brien snow-balled into poker just like many others did; starting out with friendly games, bigger games, saw “Rounders”, online games, struggled in school and then to leaving his job for the pursuit of being a poker pro. What is different is how Dan stumbled onto the set of being a successful partner to Tony Dunst on the World Poker Tour’s live feed. Dan’s interesting story from his days on Wall Street to now a poker player and commentator translates to his popularity in the booth showcasing his blunt opinions and in-depth strategy that is understandable for all level of players.

Bluff Mobile App | Apps and any word following the letter “i” has become household vocabulary and daily used devices across the globe. The constant search for handy Apps and fun games are never ending. Poker players and fans can now look no further with the introduction of BLUFF’s new Mobile App bringing you a plethora of information, on and off the felt in the poker world. The new App offers an almost endless amount of material that includes but not limited to full magazine content, up to date player rankings, magazine archives, player profiles, tournament information, and even a search engine you can use to find the closest tournament for you to play!

Jake Johnson | Actors and actresses have shown that Hollywood is not a stranger to the poker tables in Las Vegas. Another to add to this list is Jake Johnson, co-star in the hit FOX show "New Girl" who admitted during "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" that if it wasn't for acting he would be grinding it out like his cousin Frank Rusnak. Cards run in his blood to his parents who at one point helped pay for rent via poker before Jake was born which is also how Jake paid his bills while struggling to break through in Hollywood. Before acting, Jake worked at a handful of casinos and is comfortable at the table which leads to his cousin thinking he can be as good of a poker player as his blooming acting career.

Will Failla | New faces in the last years to emerge on the poker scene seem to be the newest successful online grinder who hit big however one of poker's newest personality, Will Failla, certainly did not follow that blueprint. Will brings a continuous chatter attitude that either penetrates a player's guard or gets under their skin, which can't be learned online. While owning a couple businesses, Will dabbled in poker as a hobby but with increasing success, the businesses got sold freeing up more time to focus on the poker tables. Mirroring his aggressive style, Will holds high standards for himself for the rest of the year including a two WSOP bracelet goal along with trying to win the triple crown of player of the year awards; BLUFF, Heartland, and World Poker Tour.

Sunshine State Boom | Two years ago Florida lawmakers let the training wheels off of poker in the casinos causing a massive boom similar to that of the original poker craze. Vegas will never be out-plateaued however gaining another poker hotspot is not out of the question with the spectacular beaches and other entertainment nearby. BLUFF showcases the emerging most popular top five poker rooms in the Sunshine State. In addition Florida is producing players that represent the growing poker state, BLUFF outlines the best players to materialize from Florida in recent years.

All In: Movie Review | Another poker movie is making an appearance however this will not be a replica of Rounders but rather a documentary of the history of poker mostly touching on four key important events. The stories that the movie delves on include Amarillo Slim's 1972 WSOP Main Event win, the invention of the hole-card camera, Moneymaker's 2003 WSOP Main Even win, and the events of Black Friday. The film proves to be a great overview on key elements of the history of poker for all not just poker players.

The WPT Turns 10 | Consistency is not a common word used with poker TV shows, seeing that a multitude of failed TV shows accumulate but among the fallen there is a survivor, the World Poker Tour. The success does not end there, not only did they hit their 10th year anniversary, they also have done it all with the same two voices. Now household names in the industry, Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten have proved to be a great duo of personality and teammates.

Online Poker's Third Age | As the battle for online poker continues into 2012 chances of being able to play a hand online is very unlikely. Nevada is in the process of being able to regulate online poker in the state however it would still be absent in the rest of the states. As the poker industry fights for the rights to play they have learned that congress is becoming more and more difficult and nip picky to work with to resolve this issue.

Jason Somerville winning his first WSOP bracelet last year was not his coming out party. On this past Valentine’s Day, Jason came out via his blog on his website that he was a homosexual. The announcement made Jason the first openly gay male poker player. Jason was expecting a mixture of responses however the reaction from the poker community and even the gay community was very warm and comforting that gave him a surprising comfort.

Epic FAIL | An abundance of poker TV shows have come proclaiming high potential and exciting new features never brought to you before but in the most cases they end up falling on their face. So how did the Epic Poker League demised from poker players themselves in up a failure? BLUFF details their every step and misstep of their demise.

Gus Hansen surely doesn’t mind the timing and location of the Aussie Millions after a successful run in Macau reportedly taking millions in cash games from Macau businessmen. After taking some time off after black Friday, Gus decided to get back on the grind and his start of the 2012 showed he might be coming by storm. A third place finish in the $250K challenge earned him an $800,000 payday to go along with his damage in the china gambling capital.

The 2012 Aussie Millions | The annual tournament in the land down under has become a no brainer to poker players around the world and after you hear all the events that transpire you would understand their desire to travel a great distance. First off, in January Australia is in the summer sitting around 100 degrees, which already feels like a vacation with not even talking about the tournament. The Australian Open tennis tournament also occurs at the same time, offering a great non-poker activity and a chance to see some great athletes. And last but definitely not least is the tournament’s willingness to bring the biggest game to the poker world, the $100,000 was the first ever six-figure buy-in but now they test trialed a $250K buy-in that flourished.

The largest sample of votes ever in Bluff’s Readers Choice Awards displays the overall consensus of what aspects of the game of poker are the most popular. With 10,103 votes, readers can see if their favorites matched up with their peer’s most trendy. Categories range from TV personalities, TV shows, web blogs, tweeters, favorite venues, and favorite players, to even their top “On the Felt” moment of the year.

The Power 20 | With the effects of Black Friday, the Power 20 has introduced a group of characters imperative to the industry of poker. Although six politicians dominate the Power 20 with their influence, many other interesting poker assets make a case for their poker in the game. With only one full-time poker player listed this group of individuals show their authority through new poker leagues, poker strategy sites, media platforms, and CEOs of entertainment heads.

Eugene Katchalov raced out of the gates to start off 2011 at the PCA by winning the Super High Roller event and the Ukrainian just never looked back in his year that resulted in a BLUFF Player of the Year Award. BLUFF sits down for some Q and A with Eugene on his thoughts of his remarkable year. Eugene talks about how the competition between first and second placer, Bertand Grospeller, was so close however they cheered for each other off the felt and frequently hung out together. Eugene’s plan for 2012 is simple, just start off good at the PCA events and see what happens.

The Top 10 Stories of 2011: A Wild, Wild Year | Relive the top stories of the past year that made 2011 unforgettable. BLUFF countdowns the top 10 headlines that will make you remember 2011. Storylines ranged from two additional Triple Crown Club winners, WSOP Europe finding a new successful home, A launch of a new poker league, a emerging new star, close calls for a well-known professional to even a hiatus of a card king and of course the events of Black Friday.

Matt Glantz Challenges the Status Quo | A challenge was sent out via a blog post by Matt Glantz to the poker world but it wasn’t the ordinary H2H faceoff he was looking for, it was an inquiry of responsibility to all poker professionals to the poker community. The intent of the blog was not to gossip or point blame but rather to voice his opinion of how he thinks the younger generation and even the veterans need to step up and respect poker because they are the future and image of poker. Glantz however did this in a remarkable way to not bash the young players but to show guidance which resulted in many poker peers to commend and support his post.

Greg Mueller: Cash game Nomad | Grind it out poker pros are not rare these days but they just fly under the radar. Most professional card throwers participate in tournaments however many primarily make their living at the cash games. This is exceptionally true for Greg Mueller but unlike others, Greg has proved he can win tournament style considering his two WSOP bracelets. BLUFF interviews the former hockey pro to configure why he prefers the cash games, what tournaments he does play, and his 2012 plan on balancing his diet with poker so he can get down to his hockey playing size.

BLUFF sits down for an interview with the player Wicked Chops Poker says has the most intense stare, Scott Clements. Scott explains how he has consistently had success on the poker felt without falling into bad money management and how having a baby and wife play into his decisions. After such an accomplished career, Scott experienced a career low year in 2011 but after putting more time into improving his game he is confident to rise for a big year in 2012.

The Poker Hall of Fame: Class of 2011 | Hours before Pius Heinz etched his name in the record books for the 2011 Main event win, poker took care of real history by inducting two more members into the Poker Hall of Fame. Class of 2011 includes Barry Greenstein who sits 30th on poker’s all-time money list and Linda Johnson who is regarded as the First Lady of Poker. Not only is Greenstein known for his card shark skills, he also is well known for donating over three million dollars to charities throughout his career. Linda has highlights on the felt including a WSOP bracelet but more known for the wonders she did to enhance the business of poker.

Benny Binion | Every sport, every country, every town has its legends whether it be a cowboy or ballplayer that is pictured as the immortal myth and poker is not an exception. The name Benny Binion arises numerous stories some completely false but some true as well. BLUFF’s Johnny Hughes first met Benny when he was 21 and growing up through a gambling family he knows the history of the time of the "gambling wars" throughout the 1900’s and FBI’s constant hunt for Binion. As Benny said, "Tough times make tough people."

Pius Heinz | The WSOP Main Event has seen its foreign winners before and 2011 was no different with a first time ever German Champion. Pius Heinz has the prototypical student to professional poker player storyline that originated playing nickel games over a few beverages with friends on the other side of the pond. As confidence drew so did trips to the states for live competition and his shot at the Main Event. BLUFF also breaks down over a dozen of critical final table hands that ultimately led to Pius’ Victory which he admits he does not know what to do with the money.