World Series of Poker Schedule

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Triggered at line # 1371 FeedWordPress version: 2010.0623 WordPress version: 3.0.1 PHP version: 5.2.11 SyndicatedPost::insert_new::_wp_id: array(3) { ["$this->_wp_id"]=> int(0) ["$dbpost"]=> array(17) { ["post_title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["post_content"]=> string(6108) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"World Series of Poker\" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"WSOP\" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Michael \"the grinder\" Mizrachi\" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Annie Duke\" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Howard Lederer\" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Barry Greenstein\" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"T.J. Cloutier\" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Johnny Chan\" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Joe Hachem\" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Huck Seed\" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Mike Matusow\" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Chris Moneymaker\" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Greg Raymer\" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Annette Obrestad\" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Erick Lindgren\" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Tournament Poker Professional\" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Josh Arieh\" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href=\"http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/\" class=\"alinks_links\" title=\"Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile\" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["post_excerpt"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["epoch"]=> array(3) { ["issued"]=> int(1283628168) ["created"]=> NULL ["modified"]=> int(1283628168) } ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2010-09-04 19:22:48" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2010-09-04 19:22:48" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-09-04 19:22:48" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-09-04 19:22:48" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["guid"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["meta"]=> array(8) { ["syndication_source"]=> string(16) "Poker News Daily" ["syndication_source_uri"]=> string(29) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com" ["rss:comments"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["wfw:commentRSS"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["syndication_feed"]=> string(44) "http://feeds2.feedburner.com/PokerNewsDaily/" ["syndication_feed_id"]=> string(2) "12" ["syndication_permalink"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["syndication_item_hash"]=> string(32) "6ce459f6fdbb63729973f08737c1a05e" } ["tags_input"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" } ["post_author"]=> int(1) ["post_category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> int(3) } ["post_pingback"]=> bool(false) } ["$this"]=> object(SyndicatedPost)#160 (12) { ["item"]=> array(24) { ["description"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["category"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["comments"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["link"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["title#"]=> int(1) ["link#"]=> int(1) ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["category#"]=> int(1) ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["description#"]=> int(1) ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" } ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["encoded#"]=> int(1) } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) } ["slash"]=> array(2) { ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" ["comments#"]=> int(1) } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1283628168) } ["entry"]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> object(SimplePie)#51 (45) { ["data"]=> array(7) { ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["rss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(3) " " ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["version"]=> string(3) "2.0" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["channel"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(50) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(4) { [""]=> array(8) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(16) "Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(34) "Your one stop shop for poker news." 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [1]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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charset=UTF-8" ["etag"]=> string(27) "mIYzhGsSUkTEn1AMyphkgUE0Ax4" ["last-modified"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:43:33 GMT" ["date"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["expires"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["cache-control"]=> string(18) "private, max-age=0" ["x-content-type-options"]=> string(7) "nosniff" ["x-xss-protection"]=> string(13) "1; mode=block" ["server"]=> string(3) "GSE" } ["build"]=> string(14) "20090627192103" ["items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> *RECURSION* [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> *RECURSION* [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> object(SimplePie)#51 (45) { ["data"]=> array(7) { ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["rss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(3) " " ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["version"]=> string(3) "2.0" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["channel"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(50) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(4) { [""]=> array(8) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(16) "Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(34) "Your one stop shop for poker news." 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [1]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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charset=UTF-8" ["etag"]=> string(27) "mIYzhGsSUkTEn1AMyphkgUE0Ax4" ["last-modified"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:43:33 GMT" ["date"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["expires"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["cache-control"]=> string(18) "private, max-age=0" ["x-content-type-options"]=> string(7) "nosniff" ["x-xss-protection"]=> string(13) "1; mode=block" ["server"]=> string(3) "GSE" } ["build"]=> string(14) "20090627192103" ["items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> object(SimplePie)#51 (45) { ["data"]=> array(7) { ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["rss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(3) " " ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["version"]=> string(3) "2.0" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["channel"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(50) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(4) { [""]=> array(8) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(16) "Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(34) "Your one stop shop for poker news." 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [1]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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charset=UTF-8" ["etag"]=> string(27) "mIYzhGsSUkTEn1AMyphkgUE0Ax4" ["last-modified"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:43:33 GMT" ["date"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["expires"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["cache-control"]=> string(18) "private, max-age=0" ["x-content-type-options"]=> string(7) "nosniff" ["x-xss-protection"]=> string(13) "1; mode=block" ["server"]=> string(3) "GSE" } ["build"]=> string(14) "20090627192103" ["items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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charset=UTF-8" ["etag"]=> string(27) "mIYzhGsSUkTEn1AMyphkgUE0Ax4" ["last-modified"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:43:33 GMT" ["date"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["expires"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["cache-control"]=> string(18) "private, max-age=0" ["x-content-type-options"]=> string(7) "nosniff" ["x-xss-protection"]=> string(13) "1; mode=block" ["server"]=> string(3) "GSE" } ["build"]=> string(14) "20090627192103" ["items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> object(SimplePie)#51 (45) { ["data"]=> array(7) { ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["rss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(3) " " ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["version"]=> string(3) "2.0" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["channel"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(50) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(4) { [""]=> array(8) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(16) "Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(34) "Your one stop shop for poker news." 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [1]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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charset=UTF-8" ["etag"]=> string(27) "mIYzhGsSUkTEn1AMyphkgUE0Ax4" ["last-modified"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:43:33 GMT" ["date"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["expires"]=> string(29) "Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:05:40 GMT" ["cache-control"]=> string(18) "private, max-age=0" ["x-content-type-options"]=> string(7) "nosniff" ["x-xss-protection"]=> string(13) "1; mode=block" ["server"]=> string(3) "GSE" } ["build"]=> string(14) "20090627192103" ["items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. 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Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. 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Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283617351) } } } [3]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#50 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283473685) } } } } ["ordered_items"]=> array(10) { [0]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#59 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(10) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(74) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(21) "World Series of Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15247" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(309) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283533530) } } } [8]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#156 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283527907) } } } [9]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#158 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. 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A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [2]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(88) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [3]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(42) "Full Tilt Poker Returns Fast $50 Promotion" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(78) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(87) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(12) "Online Poker" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15237" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(324) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to Full Tilt Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [4]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [5]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [6]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [7]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(76) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [8]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(29) "Toby Lewis Wins EPT Vilamoura" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(75) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:31:47 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Featured" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15219" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(336) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4456) "Twenty year-old Toby Lewis triumphed over the field in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) stop in Vilamoura, Portugal. Lewis banked a hearty €467,000 for his efforts in the €5,350 buy-in tournament, the largest ever held in the European nation. The final pot of the night was a dramatic one. Facing off against fellow young gun Martin Jacobson, who is just 23 years old, Lewis raised pre-flop and received a call to see the first three cards come A-9-10. The action slowed down and both players checked to a five on the turn. Jacobson bet out for 180,000 and Lewis made it 525,000. Not to be outdone, Jacobson 3bet to 1.025 million and Lewis added another million on top of that. Jacobson tanked before 5betting all-in and Lewis made the call. When the cards were revealed, Jacobson held 9-5 for bottom two pair, while Lewis held pocket fives for a turned set. Jacobson was drawing thin to a nine and whiffed on the river when another 10 came, as Lewis held a boat and took down the EPT Vilamoura title. Don’t feel sorry for Jacobson, however, who pulled down €298,000 for his runner-up performance in the record-breaking Portuguese poker tournament. American Jason Lee was EPT Vilamoura’s third place finisher. Lee shoved all-in pre-flop with A-5 of hearts, but ran into Jacobson’s A-10. No hearts came on the board and Jacobson turned a 10 to boot, bringing a 3:2 chip lead into heads-up play against Lewis. U.K. poker pro Sam Trickett, a past winner of the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour Luton Main Event, nabbed fourth place for €139,000. Following his title, Lewis told EPT officials, “I’m pretty happy at the moment. This title means a lot to me. I was disappointed not to win IPT Venice, but this means even more. It wasn’t easy – Martin was a very hard player to beat.” Lewis finished seventh in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>-backed Italian Poker Tour (IPT) stop in Venice in July. Italian Tamas Lendavi took down the €2,000 buy-in tournament to the tune of €235,000. World-renowned footballer Teddy Sheringham took fifth in EPT Vilamoura. The Friend of PokerStars 3bet all-in on a board of K-9-10-9 with K-Q for kings-up, but Jacobson tabled Q-J for the nut straight. No miracle card came on the river and Sheringham was sent into the streets of Vilamoura €93,000 richer for his wear. According to the HendonMob database, it was Sheringham’s largest live tournament cash ever. He finished 14th in the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Europe Main Event last year for £40,000. Others who made the money included Luca Pagano, J.P. Kelly, and Rob Hollink. Here’s how the final table shook out. Six nations were represented among its eight participants: 1. Toby Lewis (U.K.) – € 467,836 2. Martin Jacobson (Sweden) – €297,985 3. Jason Lee (USA) – €186,241 4. Sam Trickett (U.K.) – €139,681 5. Teddy Sheringham (U.K.) – €93,121 6. Frederik Jensen (Denmark) – €74,496 7. Rob Hollink (Netherlands) – €55,872 8. Sergio Coutinho (Portugal) – €37,248 The EPT is now on hiatus until September 28th, when EPT London kicks off. The London festival of poker plays out until October 4th at the Hilton London Metropole. The Main Event begins on September 29th with the first of two starting days and a massive crowd is expected for the £5,250 buy-in event. Last year, 730 players entered EPT London, forming the largest tournament ever held in the U.K. 2008 WSOP Main Event champ <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/peter-eastgate-166/" class="alinks_links" title="Peter Eastgate" >Peter Eastgate</a>, now on a self-proclaimed break from poker, finished second in the EPT London feature tournament. Visit PokerStars for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/toby-lewis-wins-ept-vilamoura-15219/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } } [9]=> array(6) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(28) "September 2nd – Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(61) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/september-2nd-daily-deal-15212/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:28:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Daily Deal" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15212" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(343) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, 888 reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the World Series of Poker Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6198) "On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, <a href="http://888poker.com/new-888poker.htm?sr=156950" class="alinks_links" title="888" rel="external">888</a> reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.” Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the <a href="http://www.theppa.org" class="alinks_links" title="Poker Players Alliance" rel="external">Poker Players Alliance</a>, which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance. Manion argued, “We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.” She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.” We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. 888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue. 888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million. The <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a> and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a> and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked. A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jeffrey-lisandro-poker-player-profiles-4081/" class="alinks_links" title="Jeffrey Lisandro" >Jeffrey Lisandro</a>. Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are: 1. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >CHRIS FERGUSON</a> 2. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >BARRY GREENSTEIN</a> 3. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >JENNIFER HARMAN</a>-TRANIELLO 4. DAN HARRINGTON 5. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >PHIL IVEY</a> 6. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/linda-johnson-leading-poker-ambassador-9932/" class="alinks_links" title="The First Lady of Poker" >LINDA JOHNSON</a> 7. TOM McEVOY 8. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/daniel-negreanu-48/" class="alinks_links" title="Daniel Negreanu" >DANIEL NEGREANU</a> 9. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/scotty-nguyen-poker-player-profile-515/" class="alinks_links" title="Scotty Nguyen" >SCOTTY NGUYEN</a> 10. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >ERIK SEIDEL</a> Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables! 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The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Earl Burton" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5998) "After the first six weeks of coverage of the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) on cable sports giant ESPN, the ratings are down slightly in comparison to last year’s numbers. The overall ratings for the first six weeks of WSOP coverage on ESPN have garnered a 0.67 rating, with a rating of 1.0 meaning that approximately 1.1 million viewers were watching a program. This would give the WSOP on ESPN an average of 737,000 viewers over the first six weeks of broadcasting. Compared to 2009, when the first six weeks pulled in a 0.79 rating (869,000 viewers), the ratings have dropped approximately 16%. Among the demographics, only one ratings group showed improvement over its 2009 numbers. For men above the age of 55, the ratings have gone up to 0.80 from their 2009 average of 0.74. All other demographics have either remained steady or fallen. After ESPN aired its special WSOP preview episode on July 20th, the Poker Player’s Championship drew two hours of coverage the next week. The battle, which featured brothers Robert and eventual champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/michael-mizrachi-–-poker-player-profile-488/" class="alinks_links" title="Michael "the grinder" Mizrachi" >Michael Mizrachi</a>, improved the first week ratings over 2009. Those numbers – 0.7 in 2010 versus the 0.6 average in 2009 – were a 15% increase year-over-year. The next week, the revival of the Tournament of Champions that included some of the top names in the game was featured. Players involved in this final table included former victor <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/barry-greenstein-172/" class="alinks_links" title="Barry Greenstein" >Barry Greenstein</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/tj-cloutier-121/" class="alinks_links" title="T.J. Cloutier" >T.J. Cloutier</a> alongside former World Champions <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/joe-hachem-104/" class="alinks_links" title="Joe Hachem" >Joe Hachem</a>. Former World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/huck-seed-poker-player-profile-462/" class="alinks_links" title="Huck Seed" >Huck Seed</a> would go on to take the title at one of the most star-studded final tables in recent WSOP history. The broadcasts of the 2010 WSOP Main Event began on August 10th featuring the second largest field in Main Event history. 7,319 players came to the tables to battle it out for an $8.9 million first place prize and one of the most cherished bracelets a player can earn. Over the last month, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-moneymaker-poker-player-profile-4107/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Moneymaker" >Chris Moneymaker</a>, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014/" class="alinks_links" title="Greg Raymer" >Greg Raymer</a>, inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/annette-obrestad-76/" class="alinks_links" title="Annette Obrestad" >Annette Obrestad</a>, and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erick-lindgren-65/" class="alinks_links" title="Erick Lindgren" >Erick Lindgren</a> have been featured as part of ESPN’s coverage. Last week’s of coverage of the WSOP on ESPN featured some of the most volatile action of the 2010 schedule. The two hours of coverage were from Day 2B of this year’s tournament, with much of that time spent on a feature table that included 1995 World Champion <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dan-harrington-tournament-poker-professional-10149/" class="alinks_links" title="Tournament Poker Professional" >Dan Harrington</a>, 2009 November Nine member Jeff Shulman, top poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/josh-arieh-122/" class="alinks_links" title="Josh Arieh" >Josh Arieh</a>. The real highlight of the latest coverage by ESPN, however, was a disputed hand on an outer table between Ted Bort and noted pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/prahlad-friedman-poker-player-profile-10875/" class="alinks_links" title="Prahlad Friedman Poker Player Profile" >Prahlad Friedman</a>. In one of the most memorable moments caught on a WSOP broadcast, Bort, who is the CEO of Allied Network Solutions, and Friedman were on the river in a hotly contested hand. After Bort pushed his stack to the center, Friedman pondered his decision while Bort annoyingly barked like a dog. The clock was called on Friedman and, once Rio staff announced the count of one, Friedman made the call. The floor, however, ruled the hand dead because Friedman didn’t make the call in time, saving him from elimination. Although several players protested the decision, it stood and Friedman stayed in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. The WSOP Main Event will continue to be the focus on ESPN over the next ten weeks. The broadcasts, which come in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Time, will continue to track the most prestigious tournament in poker to its end. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(70) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:22:48 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283628168) } ["title"]=> string(29) "WSOP on ESPN Ratings Down 16%" ["enclosures"]=> array(0) { } ["links"]=> array(2) { ["alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } ["http://www.iana.org/assignments/relation/alternate"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> string(65) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/wsop-on-espn-ratings-down-16-15247/" } } } } [1]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#55 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(44) "2010 Borgata Poker Open Begins September 8th" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(90) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15240" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(316) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4963) "On Wednesday, September 8th, the Borgata Poker Open will kick off from Atlantic City. A total of 21 poker tournaments are on tap, including the $3,500 buy-in <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Main Event. Day 1A of the WPT Borgata Poker Open begins on September 18th and the tournament will crown a winner five days later. Two starting days are planned. Event #1 of the Borgata Poker Open is a $400 buy-in Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament that issues its “Shuffle up and deal” command on September 18th at 11:00am ET. Day 2 of the event will be held the next day at Noon ET. Other Borgata Poker Open preliminary events include a $2,150 buy-in Heads-Up Double Elimination contest on September 14th and 15th and a $1,650 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament on September 16th. Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo commented in a press release distributed by the East Coast gaming establishment, “The Borgata Poker Open provides an incredible opportunity for amateurs as well as poker pros to participate in a unique tournament series, unmatched anywhere on the East Coast. With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy, championship money, and become a star.” Last year, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, which also featured a $3,500 buy-in, attracted 1,018 players. Olivier Busquet took down the title and claimed a $925,000 payday after defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. Busquet, who hails from New York, took second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo High Roller event in April for nearly $800,000, falling heads-up to Tobias Reinkemeier. Rounding out the final table of last year’s WPT Borgata Poker Open were Ivan Mamuzic (third place for $251,955), Yanick Brodeur (fourth place for $216,681), Keith Crowder (fifth place for $188,126), and Kenny Nguyen (sixth place for $156,212). Last year’s prize pool lapped $3.3 million and this year’s, as Lupo alluded to, is guaranteed to be at least $2 million. On-site reservations for any of the 21 Borgata Poker Open events will be available on Tuesday. Here’s the full schedule and all times are Eastern: Event 1: Wednesday, September 8th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 2: Thursday, September 9th at 11:00am $200 + $30 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 3: Friday, September 10th at 11:00am $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 4: Friday, September 10th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha High Event 5: Saturday, September 11th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold’em Event 6: Saturday, September 11th at 12:00pm $250 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Event 7: Sunday, September 12th at 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Event 8: Sunday, September 12th at 12:00pm $200 + $30 Ladies No Limit Hold’em Event 9: Monday, September 13 11:00am $350 + $50 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 10: Monday, September 13th at 1:00pm $350 + $50 Omaha High-Low Eight or Better Event 11: Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00am $2,000 + $150 Heads-Up Double Elimination Event 12: Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 13: Wednesday, September 15th at 11:00am $170 + $30 $100,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em (Two Re-Entries) Event 14: Thursday, September 16th at 11:00am $1,500 + $150 No Limit Hold’em Event 15: Thursday, September 16th at 12:00pm $300 + $50 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Event 16: Friday, September 17th at 11:00am $1,000 + $90 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Event 17: Saturday, September 18th at 11:00am $3,300 + $200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event Event 18: Sunday, September 19th at 12:00pm $500 + $60 No Limit Hold’em Event 19: Monday, September 20th at 12:00pm $350 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 20: Tuesday, September 21st at 12:00pm $300 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Event 21: Wednesday, September 22nd at 12:00pm $200 + $30 No Limit Hold’em " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(86) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/2010-borgata-poker-open-begins-september-8th-15240/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:03:05 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283619785) } } } [2]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#53 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(46) "Filippo Candio Interview with Poker News Daily" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(92) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-interview-with-poker-news-daily-15204/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:22:31 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(10) "Interviews" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15204" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(321) "When the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event resumes on November 6th, Filippo Candio will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(3853) "When the 2010 <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Main Event resumes on November 6th, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/filippo-candio-poker-player-profile-13360/" class="alinks_links" title="Filippo Candio Poker Player Profile" >Filippo Candio</a> will hold the sixth largest chip stack at the Rio at 16.4 million. The Italian is the lone European at the final table and sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the $10,000 buy-in tournament’s conclusion. Poker News Daily: Tell us what it feels like to be representing your home nation of Italy at the Main Event final table. Filippo Candio: It is a great honor to represent my country at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. It’s the stuff dreams are made of! PND: What preparations will you be making for the November 6th resumption of the final table? Studying your opponents? Tweaking your own game? Filippo Candio: Nothing more than usual. I will be planning on playing my A-game throughout the final table and hopefully bringing back the bracelet. If I continue the way I was playing, I don’t feel I need to change too much. PND: How hard do you anticipate it will be to get back into the groove of the Main Event come November after a 100-day break? Filippo Candio: Not hard at all. I’ve been playing a fair bit anyway, so it’s not like I haven’t been playing poker for four months, but I think I’ll need to sharpen up a bit. PND: Which poker players do you admire the most and why? Filippo Candio: <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-ivey-169/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Ivey" >Phil Ivey</a> and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/patrik-antonius-150/" class="alinks_links" title="Patrik Antonius" >Patrik Antonius</a> are my favorite players because they are simply the best in the world. I think everyone wants to be able to play like them. They have so much respect and deservedly so. PND: What’s the number one interview question you’ve been asked by the poker media since July and how have you responded? Filippo Candio: I think it would have to be, “How does it feel to be on the final table?” I usually respond with the same answer because it truly is an amazing feeling. PND: Would it be a major disappointment if you didn’t win or is making the WSOP Main Event November Nine an accomplishment in itself? Filippo Candio: Making the final table is the biggest accomplishment I have ever had. It’s a great honor to have just made it that far, but everybody wants to win in life and I’m the same. Winning would be great, but I’ve been lucky enough to make it this far, which for me is almost the same. PND: Are you planning to seek any coaching leading up to the final table? Filippo Candio: I highly doubt it. I’m pretty happy with my game at the moment, so I’m most likely just going to continue trying to improve any leaks by myself. PND: How did you get started in poker? Filippo Candio: I started when I was younger, probably about 18. I was playing a lot with friends before I realized I could make a fair amount of money from the game. PND: Who will you be bringing with you to support you in Las Vegas? Filippo Candio: Mainly just a few members of my family and a few friends. Filippo Candio is represented by <a href="http://www.pokericons.com" target="_blank">Poker Icons</a>. 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The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Tom Jenkins" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(4326) "If your weekend activities involve watching college football or otherwise lounging around in your pajamas, head to <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker and take advantage of the site’s Fast $50 bonus. The offer is good through September 12th on the world’s second largest online poker room. All you have to do is log into the Full Tilt client and accept your Fast $50 offer by 23:59 ET on September 12th. To do so, click on the “Requests” menu and then select “Check My Bonus Offer.” If you’ve followed our directions to a “t,” a window will pop up asking you to accept your Fast $50 bonus. Click on “Accept Offer” and start clearing it! Anyone who has made their first deposit on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and finished a bonus by 23:59 ET on September 1st is eligible to receive a Fast $50 immediately. If you haven’t yet signed up for and deposited on the USA-friendly site, you’re in luck. Not only can you take advantage of the Fast $50 promotion, but you can also claim a 100% deposit bonus. Text found on Full Tilt’s website explains, “If you have not made your initial deposit, you have until 23:59 ET on September 9th to make your first deposit and finish your 100% First Deposit Bonus. If you do so, you’ll receive a Fast $50 bonus offer by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept.” If you still have an active bonus pending, you have until the end of the day ET on September 9th to finish it. Then, you’ll get a Fast $50 bonus by September 10th and have until 23:59 ET on September 12th to accept it. You can click on the “Bonus Account” button in the Full Tilt Cashier to see where you stand on any active offers. The Fast $50 bonus expires 21 days after you accept it, so be sure to hit the virtual felts in earnest. It clears at a rate of $0.06 per Full Tilt Point, or FTP, and is paid out in increments of 10%. Players on the popular online poker forum PocketFives.com reported receiving Fast $50 bonuses between $50 and $500, with the majority receiving the former. Some players also claimed that no bonus was waiting for them when they logged in. Had enough of the red tape? So have we. If you’re looking for an easy way to clear your Fast $50 bonus, Full Tilt recommends hitting up its Rush Poker tables. Introduced in January, Rush Poker eliminates virtually all downtime in poker. As soon as your action in one hand ends, you’re whisked away to a brand new table with a brand new set of opponents where a new hand is immediately dealt. Both Rush Poker tournaments and cash games are available. On Wednesday, the Mini version of the 17th Full Tilt Online Poker Series, or MiniFTOPS, will begin. The 34-tournament series offers a colossal $6 million in guaranteed prize money and follows the same slate of events as its high-stakes counterpart. This time, however, the buy-ins are one-tenth as large, allowing players of all bankrolls to get in on the FTOPS fun. The kickoff event is a $22 No Limit Hold’em tournament that guarantees $200,000. The Main Event of MiniFTOPS XVII will take place on Sunday, September 19th at 17:00 ET. The $75 buy-in online poker tournament will dole out at least $1 million and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a>’s all-time money leader, will serve as its host. Remember, Full Tilt gladly accepts players from the United States and around the world. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" target="_blank">Visit Full Tilt</a> for more details. <hr /><a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/pokersource" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.pokernewsdaily.com/images/banners/PS-670x40-free-gift.jpg"></a><hr />" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(83) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/full-tilt-poker-returns-fast-50-promotion-15237/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:15:26 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283616926) } } } [4]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#54 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(45) "Blair Hinkle & Friends Corn Shucking Prop Bet" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(89) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Lifestyle" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15231" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(326) "Blair Hinkle, Dwyte Pilgrim and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the WSOP Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2153) "Blair Hinkle, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/dwyte-pilgrim-poker-player-profile-12091/" class="alinks_links" title="Dwyte Pilgrim Poker Player Profile" >Dwyte Pilgrim</a> and Doug “Rico” Carli are all no strangers to the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a> Circuit events around the country. All were playing at the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, which is right on the border of Iowa. To honor the cornfields of the heartland of America, the three engaged in a Corn Shucking Prop Bet to see who could shuck three corn stalks the quickest. The winner of this amazing prop bet wins the admiration of dozens, bragging rights over his poker peers in addition to the grand prize of an all expense paid dinner at the casino. Blair Hinkle is a young live tournament pro who has a WSOP bracelet to his name, in the 2008 WSOP $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event which won him over a half million dollars. He’s also won online, including the <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Online Poker Series (FTOPS) $216 No Limit Hold’em event for $146,288. At this particular circuit event he ended up winning the $1,600 Main Event which had 251 runners for a $88,000 payday. He also received a diamond and gold ring and $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event, in addition to a seat at the Circuit National Championship. Dwyte Pilgrim is the unofficial WSOP Circuit Master, with over $750,000 to his name in live tournament earnings. He is considered a rising star in the world of live tournament poker and someone to keep an eye out on at the 2011 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em events. Doug “Rico” Carli is an old-school poker player hailing from Ohio who has a degree in mathematics. In addition to poker he’s known to be found at the local golf course or bowling alley. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(85) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/blair-hinkle-friends-corn-shucking-prop-bet-15231/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:06 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283545326) } } } [5]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#61 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(41) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "World Team Poker Adds New Countries" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(72) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(81) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "Poker Tournaments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15228" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(341) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Dan Cypra" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(7847) "In preparation for its forthcoming Championship Event, World Team Poker has added 19 countries to its lineup, including Canada, Pakistan, and Spain. World Team Poker will even receive face time on Fox Sports Net when its tournaments begin debuting in January on Sunday nights for 13 weeks. Team Canada promises to be among the fiercest in the 30-team field. Shawn Buchanan, Kyle Wilson, Eric Cloutier, Owen “ocrowe” Crowe, Daniel Idema, and Terrence “Unassigned” Chan will comprise the group, which features two-time <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="World Series of Poker" >World Series of Poker</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/" class="alinks_links" title="WSOP" >WSOP</a>) Greg “FBT” Mueller as its captain. Buchanan finished as the runner-up to new <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="DoylesRoom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a> Brunson 10 member Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max event at the 2010 WSOP, banking $813,000. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/hasan-habib-poker-player-profile-13445/" class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external">Hasan Habib</a> and Faraz “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/faraz-jaka-internet-poker-pro-10260/" class="alinks_links" title="Faraz "The-Toilet" Jaka Poker Player Profile" rel="external">The-Toilet</a>” Jaka will co-captain Team Pakistan. A press release distributed by World Team Poker delicately explains, “Pakistan, which is known more for its cricket than poker players, has formed a formidable team of excellent poker talent.” Jaka is the reigning <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="World Poker Tour" >World Poker Tour</a> (<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wpt/" class="alinks_links" title="WPT" >WPT</a>) Player of the Year after recording two final tables and four top 20 finishes last season. Also on Team Pakistan are Ayaz Mahmood, Ozzy Sheikh, Owais Ahmed, Mohsin “chicagocards1” Charania, and former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="Ultimate Bet" rel="external">Ultimate Bet</a> Online Championship (UBOC) Main Event winner Hafiz Khan. <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/juan-carlos-mortensen-67/" class="alinks_links" title="Juan Carlos Mortensen" rel="external">Carlos Mortensen</a>, the WPT’s all-time money leader, will captain Team Spain. Mortensen was the only announced player for the Spanish World Team Poker contingent, but the former WSOP Main Event champ has four WPT final tables to his credit along with three titles. Mortensen has $5.7 million in career WPT earnings along with $2.4 million from the WSOP felts, where he’s a two-time bracelet winner. Team Caribbean Islands is also taking form, with three players having signed up to be part of the fun. Jean-Robert Bellande, a former <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/bodog" class="alinks_links" title="Bodog" rel="external">Bodog</a> pro and “Survivor: China” castaway, will compete for the island nation team alongside Jean “Prince” Gaspard and Amnon Filippi. Among their competition will be Team Germany, which consists of Dan Heimiller, John Galbraith, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kathy-liebert-poker-player-profile-464/" class="alinks_links" title="Kathy Liebert" >Kathy Liebert</a>, Jennifer “<a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-jennicide-leigh-206/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennicide" >Jennicide</a>” Leigh, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/cyndy-violette-poker-player-profile-713/" class="alinks_links" title="Cyndy Violette" >Cyndy Violette</a>. Liebert is being inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame this evening, while Violette is already a member. Victory Poker pro <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/antonio-esfandiari-poker-player-profile-516/" class="alinks_links" title="Antonio Esfandiari" >Antonio Esfandiari</a> will captain Team Iran. Backing him up is an eclectic group of players that includes Reza Golestani, Mojgan Stringham, Shawn “Sheiky” Sheikhan, and Soheil Shamseddin. Team USA has largely already been determined, with <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/doyle-brunson-57/" class="alinks_links" title="Doyle Brunson" >Doyle Brunson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/phil-hellmuth-66/" class="alinks_links" title="Phil Hellmuth" >Phil Hellmuth</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/mike-matusow-poker-player-profile-463/" class="alinks_links" title="Mike Matusow" >Mike Matusow</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/allen-cunningham-49/" class="alinks_links" title="Allen Cunningham" >Allen Cunningham</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/anny-duke-51/" class="alinks_links" title="Annie Duke" >Annie Duke</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/jennifer-harman-79/" class="alinks_links" title="Jennifer Harman" >Jennifer Harman</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chris-ferguson-47/" class="alinks_links" title="Chris Ferguson" >Chris Ferguson</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/howard-lederer-77/" class="alinks_links" title="Howard Lederer" >Howard Lederer</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/erik-seidel-poker-player-profile-454/" class="alinks_links" title="Erik Seidel" >Erik Seidel</a> taking the floor for the North American nation. Three online poker sites – <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/doyles" class="alinks_links" title="Doylesroom" rel="external">DoylesRoom</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/ub" class="alinks_links" title="UB.com" rel="external">UB.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker – will be represented. The 30-team Championship Event will likely occur next month from Las Vegas, although the dates, times, and a location have not yet been announced. The inaugural World Team Poker tournament took place at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas earlier this year and was won by Team China, whose impressive roster of pros includes former WPT Championship winner David Chiu, 10-time bracelet winner <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/johnny-chan-124/" class="alinks_links" title="Johnny Chan" >Johnny Chan</a>, Winfred Yu, former “Amazing Race” contestant <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/maria-ho-–-poker-player-profile-13518/" class="alinks_links" title="Maria Ho Poker Player Profile" >Maria Ho</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/chau-giang-poker-player-profile-10784/" class="alinks_links" title="Chau Giang Poker Player Profile" >Chau Giang</a>, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Here are the new team captains along with the countries they represent as announced by World Team Poker on Friday: Greg Mueller: Canada Hasan Habib and Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka: Pakistan Jean-Robert Bellande: Caribbean Islands Peter Costa: Cyprus Max Stern: Costa Rica Chris Bjorin: Sweden Martin Pollak: Austria Dan Heimiller: Germany Bruno Fitoussi: France Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar: India Toto Leonidas: Philippines Antonio Esfandiari: Iran Kevin Song: Korea Marco Traniello: Italy Lenny Martin: Russia Carlos Mortensen: Spain Roberto Rominelli: Wales Padraig Parkinson and Donnacha O’Dea: Ireland Vladimir Shchemelev: Ukraine Visit WorldTeamPoker.com for more details. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(77) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/world-team-poker-adds-new-countries-15228/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "1" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:53:42 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283540022) } } } [6]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#62 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(20) "Needless Fail League" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(57) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(66) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(9) "Editorial" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(6) "member" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15221" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(365) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(8) "Dan Katz" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(5273) "Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. This old saying darted through my mind every time I read about the National Football League (NFL) lobbying against Representative Barney Frank’s internet gambling bill, HR 2267. Fortunately, the league ended its opposition to the bill in August because an amendment was added that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators from offering sports betting. That doesn’t mean that the NFL’s stance on the whole issue is any less tilt-inducing to me, though. Before I get to my rant, I should say that given the NFL’s position on sports betting, I completely understand why the league, and other sports leagues for that matter, could care less about poker players. If a bill that legalizes and regulates online poker also does so for online sports betting, poker is unimportant collateral damage if the NFL manages to get the entire bill shot down. Guilt by association. I think most poker players feel the same way about sports betting. While we feel that people should be allowed to bet online, if throwing sports betting under the bus is the way for poker to come out on top, well… sorry sports bettors. Sucks to be you. So, while I get why poker players are not a concern of the NFL, the league’s hatred of sports betting just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, they hate it so much that they hired someone to lobby against Frank’s bill. They feel that sports betting hurts the integrity of the game. But as far as I know, there have never been any sports betting or game fixing scandals of note involving the NFL. Besides, while it’s of course possible, I find it extremely unlikely that an NFL player would be able to be influenced by criminal types to fix a game. Players get paid handsome sums of money for their skills, so the fee that someone would have to pay a player to, say, lose on purpose, would have to be pretty substantial. Plus, it would be quite difficult for a player to throw a game by himself without it being extremely obvious. I just don’t think it would realistically happen. Getting back to my opening sentence, what really gets me is that without sports betting, the NFL wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is today. Football season is like an extended Christmas shopping season for sports books and the Super Bowl is like Black Friday. Millions of people who either don’t have a strong rooting interest or whose team has no chance remain interested because they have money on the games. These people subscribe to DirecTV’s football package, make sure they get the NFL Network on cable, watch the commercials that feed the NFL’s coffers, and view the ads on the NFL’s website. And all that doesn’t include fantasy football, which the NFL loves. The hypocrisy of that should be obvious. Fantasy football is gambling. It’s just in different form. Yes, many, if not most, people play fantasy for free and put no money into their leagues. But millions of people bet at least a few bucks each season, hoping that their team will win the league for a nice payout. Of course it’s gambling. Fantasy players are betting on the performance of the players they draft rather than on the performance of an NFL team. And the payouts come at the end of the season instead of at the end of each game. One big thing that the NFL is ignoring in its loathing of online sports betting is that it’s easier to catch game fixing and the like online than it is offline. Online, all wagering history is recorded and suspicious trends are tracked. For example, in 2007, millions of dollars were bet on the European sports book <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/betfair" class="alinks_links" title="Betfair" rel="external">Betfair</a> against tennis player Nikolay Davydenko in a match in which he was a strong favorite and had already won the first set. He then withdrew from the match in the third set with an apparent injury. Betfair, in accordance with its agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), notified the ATP of this suspicious activity and cancelled all wagers on the match. What the NFL should do is partner with the online sports books to help fight sports betting crime. Over a dozen online sports books in Europe are members of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), which has a “mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation.” The ESSA members alert each other if any irregular betting patterns are detected, and in turn, alert the sports leagues and regulatory bodies. A system like this seems so obvious. In the meantime, the NFL and other professional sports leagues in the U.S. would apparently rather have online sports betting go underground with no protections, either for the bettors or the leagues, in place. I am pleased that the NFL has dropped its opposition to the Frank bill, but it still needs to get its head out of the sand and get with the times. It owes much of its popularity to sports betting. Accept it and embrace the technological advancements that will protect the game better than prohibition will. " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=> array(1) { ["commentRss"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(62) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/needless-fail-league-15221/feed/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(1) { ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(1) "0" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } } ["date"]=> array(2) { ["raw"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:40 +0000" ["parsed"]=> int(1283534080) } } } [7]=> object(SimplePie_Item)#155 (2) { ["feed"]=> *RECURSION* ["data"]=> array(7) { ["data"]=> string(44) " " ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" ["child"]=> array(5) { [""]=> array(7) { ["title"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(35) "$22 Rebuy Strategy with CardRunners" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["link"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(71) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["comments"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(80) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/22-rebuy-strategy-with-cardrunners-15224/#comments" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["pubDate"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:05:30 +0000" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(17) "CardRunners video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } [1]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Poker Video" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["guid"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(38) "http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/?p=15224" ["attribs"]=> array(1) { [""]=> array(1) { ["isPermaLink"]=> string(5) "false" } } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } ["description"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(342) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular [...]" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=> array(1) { ["creator"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(11) "Sean Gibson" ["attribs"]=> array(0) { } ["xml_base"]=> string(0) "" ["xml_base_explicit"]=> bool(false) ["xml_lang"]=> string(0) "" } } } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=> array(1) { ["encoded"]=> array(1) { [0]=> array(5) { ["data"]=> string(2297) "Ever want to improve your Multi-Table Tournament game to make more money? Obviously! Well never fear, CardRunners is here once again with another free training video exclusively for our loyal Poker News Daily readers. This time the video will take a look at playing $22 Rebuy tournaments that allow 1 add-on. These are extremely popular tournaments that run constantly on sites like <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt" rel="external">Full Tilt</a> Poker, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/stars" class="alinks_links" title="PokerStars" rel="external">PokerStars</a>, <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/party" class="alinks_links" title="PartyPoker" rel="external">PartyPoker</a> and more. The fields are fishy, but do you have all the knowledge necessary to maximize your ROI? Watching this video just might help you figure that out. The official CardRunners teaser: New CardRunners MTT pro Augie is here showing you how to manage the final table bubble and increase your bottom line. Tune in to this exciting 2 parter of a $22 1 Rebuy/1 Add-on. Here’s a comment from Augie about how to improve your game, which comes from the video response thread at CardRunners: Yes tough decisions suck and are no fun. that was one of the big things holding me back when i was not very good at tournaments…i was afraid to make big decisions so i ended up just playing way too tight and relying on picking up good hands and coolering people. sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the right play. sometimes i have to really talk myself into pulling the trigger. luckily we’re playing online so at least we don’t have to hide our tells when we’re bluffing Receive CardRunners for free through <a href="http://www.trulyfreepokertraining.com/" target="_blank">Truly Free Poker Training</a>. Earn 5,500 points in a month playing on <a href="http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/internet/tilt" class="alinks_links" title="Full Tilt Poker" rel="external">Full Tilt Poker</a> and you’ll receive a free month of CardRunners. Earn a free week for only 1,375 points. No points are deducted and there is no impact on rake. 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