In a nutshell, the key to winning money at Seven-Card Stud is to start with the best three-card starting hand. The most powerful starting hand in Seven-Card Stud is three aces, which I will be indicating as (A-A) A, followed by (K-K) K, (Q-Q) Q, (J-J) J, and so on; when you start with three of a kind in Stud, you are said, in poker slang, to be “rolled-up.â€

The next most powerful hand is a pair of concealed aces, such as (A-A) 5, followed by one concealed ace and one unconcealed ace, such as (A-5) A. The reason that the concealed aces (or indeed any concealed pairs) are more powerful than the unconcealed aces is that the concealed pair is more deceptive: No one will think you have a hand as powerful as aces.

Next on my list of powerful hands is a pair of kings — first concealed, followed by unconcealed. Then we have a pair of queens, pair of jacks, pair of tens, and (A-K) Q suited (“suited†means that all three of your cards are in the same suit). Poker legend John Bonetti ranks (A-K) Q suited ahead of (J-J) 10. So our list of powerful starting hands begins with rolled-up trips (three of a kind), moves on to high pairs, and then moves on to high-suited connections like J♦-Q♦-K♦. All these are premium starting hands in Seven-Card Stud.

The premium starting hands, then, are:

1. Three of a kind or “rolled-up†trips, beginning with (A-A) A

2. High pairs, concealed or unconcealed, starting with aces and moving down to jacks

3. High-suited connectors, such as (A♦-K♦) Q♦

Strong and medium strength starting hands are:

4. Medium-rank pairs like 8-8 through 10-10 and medium-suited connectors, such as 10â™ -Jâ™ -Qâ™ 

5. High suited semiconnectors, such as 10♥-J♥-K♥

Now that you understand what the most powerful Stud hands look like, let’s move on down the list and compare a couple of the more modest hands to help you think about which hands are more powerful. Which would you rather have, (10♣-J♣) Q♣ or (8♣-8♠) Q♦? That’s close, but give me (10♣-J♣) Q♣. If you understand why I prefer the first hand, you’ll have come a long way toward starting to think like a good Seven-Card Stud player, rather than remaining someone who has simply memorized a list of starting hands. The hand (10♣-J♣) Q♣ contains three overcards above the eights of the other hand. This means that if I hit a 10, jack or queen (and unless I see more sitting around the table), I will be a pretty strong favorite to win this hand. By contrast, the hand (8♣-8♠) Q♦ has an equal chance to catch one of three remaining queens, and a chance to catch one of the two remaining eights to make trips. But take note that I’m comparing these two hands “in a vacuum,†not taking into account the visible queen in the hand with the concealed eights.

The contrast between the two doesn’t end there, though. Although much of the strength of the hand (10♣-J♣) Q♣ does come from the high cards that make the high pairs, I could also catch cards that could make me a flush or a straight or even a straight flush. If I look around the table and don’t see many nines or kings (the cards that would give me an open-end straight draw), the hand’s potential grows stronger. It grows stronger still if I don’t see many eights or aces (the cards that would complete the straight if I caught a nine or a king). But what I’m really keeping my eyes open for are clubs (a flush beats a straight, after all). There are 10 clubs left in the deck after we take my three out of consideration. If no one else has a club for a door card, my chances of making a flush have improved. But if I see four other players who show a club, I can consider my chance of making a flush rather remote.

All this might seem tedious or technical, but if you’re not prepared to analyze hands to this extent, you won’t ever be serious about Stud. Besides, it will take only a dozen seconds to assimilate all this information.

Here’s another comparison for you. Which hand would you prefer — (5♥-6♥) 7♥ or (9♣-9♦) 10♠? If you’ve pondered categories 4 and 5 above, you already have your answer, because a medium pair like nines makes category four, but a low straight flush isn’t listed. I agree: Give me the pair of nines (9♣-9♦) 10♠, because the straight flush cards are all lower than the pair of nines. Most of the value in the hand (5♥-6♥) 7♥ comes from the potential for straight and flush, and although it looks pretty, the hand is still a long way from making a straight or a flush.

How about (10♥-J♠) Q♦ versus (2-2) 7? I’ll take (10♥-J♠) Q♦, even though it’s not suited, because I could make a straight or a pair of 10s, jacks or queens; and even if none of that happens, I could still beat a measly pair of twos with some random event like hitting a three on fourth street and then another three on fifth street.

Although you may feel that when it comes to getting good starting cards, you’re more or less at the mercy of Lady Luck, you should realize that you can make your starting hand seem a bit more powerful than it actually is through aggression, or weaken it through passivity. The hand that’s doing the betting always has the edge, because the other hand may fold rather than contest its bet.

For more free poker tips, visit www.southerngaming.com/poker

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Author Bio: Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an 11-time World Series of Poker Champion, leading all poker players in the world. His latest book, “Deal Me In,†is on the fast track for being another best-seller. His books, clothing line, blog, tips and more can be found at PhilHellmuth.com. This column is an excerpt from “Play Poker Like the Pros.â€

When you enter a poker tournament, do you ever look around to see how many women are playing? Do you wonder if there will be a “pro†at your table to cause you stress and grief? The truth is, both are a good probability with women’s success on the rise in the poker industry. Still, women make up less than 5 percent of most playing fields in tournaments.

The most untapped market today in poker is women. The online sites want them and are patiently waiting to scoop up the next winner to add to their promotable stable of professional players. One very possible venue for these ladies on the rise to emerge from is ladies-only poker tours. New women’s poker tours are popping up on an average of two a year, promoting events for women and providing environments for women to learn how to build their game and move into open events.

One of the most successful women poker tours traveling around the United States is the High Heels Poker Tour (HHPT). With founder Lauren Failla at the wheel, she plans to make the tour international and increase women’s interest in poker. “The only tour that existed prior to 2007 when the HHPT began was on the West Coast. With research in hand and realizing that women’s poker was virtually non-existent on the East Coast, I decided to create an outlet where women could make their mark,†she says. “Understanding the market is paramount as I continue through this journey to bring women’s poker to the next level. The High Heels Poker Tour now has events all over the United States and abroad. In looking toward the future, my efforts will continue to focus on this demographic while creating new and exciting opportunities for the HHPT and HHPT Academy for Women.†(more…)

The field for the WSOP Tournament of Champions has been announced and contains 20 of the worlds most prominent poker all stars. With $1 million dollars in prize money up for grabs, the play is sure to  of the highest caliber.

Poker’s very first fan-voted Tournament of Champions will feature 20 of the game’s most notable players, as 355,081 votes were cast to determine who will compete for $1 million in prize money in the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions on Sunday, June 27 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
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The 2010 World Series of Poker starts this Friday with the $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em event, and the much anticipated $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship.

The first four days of the $50,000 event will be played in an eight-game format (Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Stud Hi-Low, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw), and on the fifth day for the final table, the format will switch to just No Limit Hold’em. (more…)

2010 Derby Poker Championship was a huge success raising $40,000 for our beneficiary charities!!! We look forward to another great event in 2011 and hope to see you there!

Click here to check out pictures from the 2010 event!

What has two national basketball championships, 12 World Series of Poker bracelets, unprecedented world awareness and the drive to feed thousands of hungry children? If you guessed the third annual Derby Poker Championship presented by Jim Beam and Twinspires.com, you were right!

On April 29, legendary University of Louisville Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Denny Crum and poker professionals Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Robert Williamson III will host a pro-celebrity charity Texas Hold ’em poker tournament and VIP reception at the Palace Theatre in Louisville, Ky. The first two years of the event, each headlined by Hellmuth and Williamson, were hosted at Horseshoe Casino in Southern Indiana and collectively raised more than $60,000 for charity.

This year, the event is expected to draw many more celebrities and host a larger audience who are interested in not only seeing the stars play poker, but to compete for a $10,000 seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas courtesy of UltimateBet.com.

Proceeds will benefit Blessings in a Backpack and the Health & Climate Foundation. The event is expected to draw an array of celebrities from athletes to movie stars who will be in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby.

With the event held in Louisville for the first time, it is most fitting that Hellmuth and Williamson team up with Coach Crum, a local icon who will bring the city’s interest to a new level.

The Hosts

Professional Poker Player & 11-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner - Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Denny Crum

Professional Poker Player Robert "Mr. Omaha" Williamson III

The Event and it’s impact on the community

“This event could really turn into a huge fundraiser,†says Coach Crum. “There are so many people who play poker around the world that it just seems like a great fit. Today, churches run poker fundraisers, I run one for my scholarship foundation, and many other charities benefit from them, too. So with guys like Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson, and their involvement in the poker world, and some of my connections, we feel the sky is the limit on what we can do with this event.â€

In addition to Crum, Hellmuth, co-host of the tournament, is considered the face of poker and holds more World Series of Poker bracelets than anyone else in the world with 11. His international success and stardom has benefited him to the tune of millions of dollars in winnings and endorsements from an array of sponsors. Hellmuth has attended the Derby for the past five out of six years and is serving as the 2010 Honorary Chairperson of The Julep Ball Celebrity Black Tie Gala. “I have so much fun at the Kentucky Derby that I keep coming back year after year,†Hellmuth says. “The festive atmosphere, the world-class horses and the spirit of Louisville make this weekend an EVENT that no one should miss!â€

Robert Williamson III, known as Mr. Omaha in the poker circuits, has also played a large roll in making the event a success and has added his charisma and connections to insure a great event each year.

In addition to the Derby Poker Championship, the hosts strive to use their popularity to raise money and awareness for a variety of charities throughout the world. “Charities keep asking me to do events, so something seems to be working,†Crum says. “It isn’t always about the money but also about raising awareness for the charities. These charities both serve great causes so I am happy to be involved.â€

When asked about his charitable involvement, Hellmuth also sets his goals high. “It makes me happy and gives me some extra motivation in life when I host charity poker tournaments. My goal is to raise $5 million for charities in 2010 so I hope a lot of people will show up to support these worthy causes!â€

Guests can play in the tournament or watch the action and cheer on their favorite players, all in the name of charity. A portion of the tournament buy-ins and proceeds from donations, sponsorships and ticket sales will be donated to the charities. Players who finish in the top tier of the tournament will take home cash and prizes for their efforts including a $10,000 buy-in to the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas donated by UltimateBet.com. As is standard with charity-related poker tournaments and mandatory of Kentucky Charitable Gaming Laws, approximately half of the tournament buy-in will be paid out to the top finishers of the tournament, and the rest will be donated to charities.

“Some major companies have stepped up to the plate and delivered great value to the winners to make up for the cash that will be donated to the charity.†Commented G. Douglas Dreisbach of Southern Gaming Magazine, one of the organizers of the event. “UltimateBet.com donated a $10,000 seat to the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas plus $2,000 for travel expenses, Twinspires.com donated tickets to the Kentucky Derby and the World Series of Poker Academy donated a couple of seats to their instructional classes. Prizes keep getting added everyday so players will get a great value and a short field of just over 200 players.â€

The event is open to the public and offers three price levels to accommodate any budget. The VIP Player Ticket costs $550 and includes the tournament buy-in and access to various VIP sections around the facility to enjoy complimentary appetizers and cocktails. The tournament will also have $200 rebuys and add-ons for the first hour of play. Even if guests don’t play poker, they can still come and rub shoulders with the stars by purchasing VIP Tickets for $150 each where they will have access to the VIP sections as well as enjoy complimentary appetizers and cocktails. In addition, a General Admission Ticket is available for just $25 and will give guests ample viewing of the tournament as well as a cash bar. Guests who buy-in to the tournament will have the option to purchase additional VIP Tickets for half-price.

There are several celebrities who have already committed to playing or attending the event while others have indicated heavy interest. In addition to the hosts, a few other celebrity participants include Ron White from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour; PGA professional and 2010 Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin; reality TV star Bob Guiney; professional poker player and model Beth Shak and actress from hit shows such as The Bernie Mac show and NYPD Blue, Kellita Smith. As more celebrities are added, they will be posted to the event’s website.

Play Poker with the Stars! Find out the latest on the stars and players at www.DerbyPokerChampionship.com

(Pictures from left: Ron White, Beth Shak, Kellita Smith, Bob Guiney, CoreyPavin)

For more information on the Derby Poker Championship, beneficiary charities, celebrity attendees and tickets, visit www.DerbyPokerChampionship.com or call 1-877-582-9478.

The structure and initial setup are almost exactly the same in Omaha as in Texas Hold ’em (the strategy, as you will see, is very, very different). The differences are outlined below. If you’re skipping around among the chapters and are new to poker, I strongly suggest that you read Chapter 2 before reading this one, or else some of the commentary here won’t make sense.

The two big differences between Hold ’em and Omaha are, first, that in Omaha you receive four facedown (or “holeâ€) cards, instead of two, and second, that in Omaha you must use two and exactly two of the four cards in your hand, along with three and exactly three of the five board (community) cards. This distinction makes switching from Hold ’em to Omaha very difficult for some players, because in Hold ’em, you’re allowed to use one, both or neither of your hole cars in putting together your final hand.

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Do we sense a feud between two of the biggest poker pros in the world, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth?

It sure looks that way.

This week on Negreanu’s blog, the Canadian player called UB.com spokesperson “delusional”.

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One day after I was eliminated from a limit Hold ’em event, I sought out Jack Keller, who at the time was really hot in limit Hold ’em tournaments, and I watched him play for a couple of hours. It was obvious to me that Jack was doing a number of things I hadn’t been doing. He simply tried to win every pot that he played. Jack never just called someone else’s raise before the flop: He always either threw his hand away or three-bet it.

This was quite different from my old strategy. I used to just call when I had a small pair, hoping that others would call as well, and that I would win a big pot when I finally hit my set. Jack, however, always three-bet before the flop, even with only a small pair, and continued to play his hand aggressively from that point on in the hand. The percentage of pots that he won was much higher than the percentage of pots I had won, for three reasons.

First, Jack’s constant three-betting before the flop helped him win more pots by eliminating more opponents preflop. When you start with fewer opponents before the flop, you’ll win more pots.

Second, Jack would play his hand pretty hard on the flop and win a lot of pots if his opponents had, say, king-high when an ace hit the board.

Third, Jack would just plain try to bluff you out if he thought he could.

Once I began using this system, I couldn’t believe the results I achieved. I made five final tables in a row playing limit Hold ’em this way, and eventually, in the 1990s, I won two world championships in limit Hold ’em.

Tight Play Helps in Limit Hold ’em Events, Especially Early

Tight play is also an important factor in success at tournaments. The really tight plays tend to be around en masse fairly late in limit Hold ’em events. These players tend to play almost as tight as the “top 10 only†strategy. Notice that I said these players were around, and not that they were winning the events. Although there are usually a ton of super-tight players left late in a limit Hold ’em event, they usually don’t win the event or even make it to the final table. I believe that super-tight play helps you last in limit Hold ’em events, but you need to be able to change speeds at the right time if you’re going to win some of them.

The right strategy against a group of super-tight players differs from the right strategy against a group of average players. In fact, Jack Keller’s three-betting preflop with every hand that he plays is more successful against a super-tight player who will fold his hand right away if he misses it. Which tight player is going to win the pot when Jack three-bets his 5-5 into 7-7? For example, when the flop comes A-J-2, then Jack can win pretty easily with a bet on the flop. Although super-tight play will help you last, you will need to change your tactics at some point in order to win.

Therefore, I recommend playing the “top 10 only†strategy for the first five or six hours of any Hold ’em event while the weaker players is weeded out. After the first few hours of playing this strategy, it is time to switch tactics a bit.

Stealing the Blinds Helps You Survive Late in Limit Hold ’em Events

At some point after the first five or six hours, it’s time to start stealing the blinds from the super-tight players who are still alive in the tournament. But be wary of stealing the blinds from the looser players or the champion players, because they will probably defend with skill. Stay aware also of the person who keeps stealing your blinds, because at some point you will have to make a stand against that player.

If you take a close look around your table at about six hours into the event, every time you enter one of these events, after a while you will develop the ability to see into the future a little bit. For example, there will probably be someone at your table who is playing way too loose but nonetheless is still alive. You may worry that this player may continue to be lucky, but chances are that he will bust himself out sooner rather than later because of his reckless play. There will also be a player at your table whom you will recognize as being very tight, and you can figure that he or she will probably be around very late in the tournament, although probably low on chips.

You may even be able to see that the loose player is the one who may be your ticket to lasting another few hours yourself. Six or so hours into the event, with your blind-stealing working well, you need to make sure that you’re still in a very tight mode of play. Surviving at this point in the tournament is the name of the game. But make sure that you’re stealing blinds from the super-tight players. (Don’t worry; you will know who they are.)

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Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an 11-time World Series of Poker Champion leading all poker players in the world. His latest book, “Deal Me In,†is on the fast track to becoming another best-seller, and he has two existing New York Times best-seller books — “Play Poker Like the Pros†and “Bad Beats and Lucky Draws†— both of which can be found at Amazon.com. Phil’s books, blog, tips and more can also be found at hilHellmuth.com. Chat and play with him at UltimateBet.com and learn about his new cell phone game at HellmuthHoldem.com. This column is an excerpt from “Play Poker Like the Pros.â€

Thought you knew everything there is to know about your favorite poker players? Here are ten, fun facts about this month’s top poker players including: Darvin Moon, Steve Begleiter, Antoine Saout, Eric Buchman, James Akenhead, Jeff Shulman, Joe Cada, Kevin Schaffel and Phil Ivey.

10. Darvin Moon is a Luddite
Main Event chip leader Darvin Moon, who holds nearly a third of chips in play, isn’t part of the online poker generation. In fact, he’s not really party of the technology generation.

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(Press Release) Phil Hellmuth slated to host November’s Hold’em for Heroes charity poker tournament to benefit the TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers. The UltimateBet pro has also been invited to sit on the CEO Advisory Council of the organization.

UltimateBet today announced that poker legend and Team UB pro Phil Hellmuth will be hosting Hold’em for Heroes this November, a charity Texas Hold’em tournament to benefit the TASER Foundation for Fallen Officers. The organization is dedicated to providing financial support to the families of local, state/provincial, and federal law enforcement officials in the US and Canada who were lost in the line of duty.

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In “Play Poker Like the Pros,†poker master Phil Hellmuth Jr. demonstrates exactly how to play and win — even if you have never picked up a deck of cards. The following is an excerpt from the book’s “Limit Hold ’em: Intermediate Strategy†chapter.

Smooth-Calling

When you have A-x suited and you hit the nut flush on fourth street, you may want to smooth-call someone else’s bet in order to win the maximum with your hand. Let’s say there are four opponents in the hand against you. The first opponent bets out into you, and you decide to raise him in order to build the pot. Now the next opponents fold, and the original bettor looks you in the eye and says, “I know you wouldn’t raise me here unless you had a flush, so I fold.†How much money have you made after hitting your nut flush? One big bet! Why did you raise out the two opponents behind you?

If you were the last person to act and someone bet out into you, then I can understand the raise, because you would already have several people in for one bet, and people who have called one bet rarely drop out for one more. Now suppose that instead of raising, you smooth-call your opponents’ bets. Now one of the two other opponents behind you calls the bet as well. On the end, the first opponent bets into you again, but this time you raise (smooth-calling the river bet is rarely if ever a good move), and you get called by both of your remaining two opponents. How many bets have you won this time? Six big bets! All because you smooth-called the bet on fourth street, and, presumably, allowed your opponents to hit good cards for their hands on the last card. (Of course, it’s actually a bad card for them, because it didn’t improve them enough to win, only enough to lose more money!)

In 2001, in the $7,500 buy-in no-limit Hold ’em championship event at the U.S. Poker Championships at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, a smooth call worked for me to perfection. I called a $200 bet with A-A in the first position before the flop. Now Men “The Master†Nguyen, in the small blind, called with 5-6 off suit, and the big blind checked. The flop was A-7-3 and we all checked again; this was the second time this hand that I checked with the best possible hand in order to “trap†my opponents. The next card was a 7 for A-7-3-7, and I had made top full house (aces full of sevens).

My opponents both checked to me again, and now I bet out $200 into the $600 pot. Nguyen called the $200, trying to hit a four for a straight, which would have cost him thousands of dollars more if he had hit it, since I already had a full house. The big blind now raised me $500 (this hand was developing beautifully for me). I decided that I needed to re-raise right here in order to give the big blind the chance to give me all his chips (in case he had a seven in his hand), but I didn’t want to re-raise too much and lose him either. So I re-raised $1,000 more, Nguyen folded, and the big blind called me.

On the end, a harmless card came off the deck and my remaining opponent checked to me. I went ahead and bet $2,000, hoping for a call, and my opponent called me very quickly. If I had raised before the flop in this hand, all my opponents would have folded their hands then and there.

Tricky plays like smooth-calling and slow-playing generally offer bigger payoffs in pot-limit or no-limit than they do in limit, where you can’t grab one giant bet from someone on the end; but even in limit, these plays are an important part of the good player’s arsenal.

Jamming the Pot

This is the counterpart of the example of slow-playing given above. Sometimes, when you hold the nut hand, you just need to jam the pot on fourth street in order to make the pot as big as it possibly can be. But it’s hard to know the right time to jam the pot, rather than smooth-calling someone else’s bet. Generally, it depends on whether someone has bet right in front of you or not. But if someone has bet and several others have already called that bet, then it’s time to go ahead and raise it up.

Protecting Your Hand with a Raise

The principle of protecting your hand by way of a raise is also very important in Hold ’em. (“Protecting your hand†is all about making raises when you have a strong hand, so that you can eliminate players, thus giving yourself a better chance to win that hand.) It can mean that the difference between winning and losing a pot. Suppose that you have A♣-3♣ (A-x suited), and garner two pair with A♦-10♦-3♠ on the flop. Now on fourth street a 9♣ comes off the deck for A♦-10♦-3♠-9♣. Someone now bets into you, and you just call the bet. But because you just called the bet, you let a jackal in with K-Q, and he hit a J on the end to make a straight. Clearly, even the jackal would have folded his “belly buster†(inside-straight draw) for two big bets; but for just one, he was able to dream about a Jack and convince himself that hitting a King or Queen might win also. Because you didn’t protect your hand here by raising, you wound up paying the ultimate price in poker — you lost a pot that you should have won.

For more Free Poker tips…Southern Gaming’s Got it! Visit www.SouthernGaming.com/poker

 

Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an 11-time World Series of Poker Champion leading all poker players in the world. His latest book, “Deal Me In,†is on the fast track to becoming another bestseller, and he has two existing New York Times bestseller books — “Play Poker Like the Pros†and “Bad Beats and Lucky Draws†— both of which can be found at Amazon.com. Phil’s books, blog, tips and more can also be found at PhilHellmuth.com. Chat and play with him at UltimateBet.com and learn about his new cell phone game at HellmuthHoldem.com.

A new season of NBC’s Poker After Dark debuts late night on July 20 with the “Hellmuth Bash.†In this two week series of games, Phil Hellmuth goes head-to-head with some of professional pokers most notable players.  This list includes Tom Dwan, Kenny Tran, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari, along with amateur player Bob Safai. This week will mark the debut of Kenny “Sick Call†Tran and Bob Safai to the show.  Both are well-known for their cash game skills, especially in the Los Angeles area where they both reside.

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From celebrities to top-flight poker players, the World Series of Poker Main Event has traditionally been filled with weird characters, and the 2009 Main Event was no different. Some were dressed in weird costumes, while others were just weird. But the ten characters on this list don’t fall into the weird category. They were just plain interesting. And they were what made this year’s Main Event so much fun.

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1989 world champion and 11-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth made another grand entrance into the Main Event. 

Last year, Hellmuth came adorned as WW2 General George S. Patton.  He rolled into the Rio parking lot atop an army tank.  This year, the media-shy “Poker Brat†was carted into the Rio while sprawled out across a special platform carried by several centurions. 

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The down economy and tight regulations on Internet poker have certainly made it harder for poker players to make a living over the past few years, but players are speaking out about other factors that are contributing to their dwindling earnings.

Many amateurs flooded the felt and Internet poker sites when poker’s popularity boomed.  These amateurs were prey that wheted the appitite of the professional poker players and increases their bankrolls.  Poker professionals are having a tougher time winning because fewer players are surfacing, leaving the remaining players smarter than ever. 

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Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Charles Barkley, will be among the many celebrities to join poker greats for the 2009 World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E event.  This high-stakes $50,000 World Championship is considered to be the most challenging event, a title sought out by pokers most notable players.  The H.O.R.S.E World Champiionship will kick off on July 2.

Beginning the same date as the Poker Palooza, this event is will engage players in a 5 hour rotation of five forms of poker including Omaha High-Low, Hold’em and Seven Card Stud Eight or Better.

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The world’s most accomplished poker players will hit Las Vegas this summer to instruct participants for the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event tournaments.  Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, and Joe Navarro will be among the many to teach WSOP Academy’s Main Event Primer’s most advanced and challenging cirriculum.  

 Amateur poker players from all skill levels will participate in 3-day instructional sessions that focus on topics like Texas Hold’em, or special sessions like the Cash Academy.

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It seems there’s nothing that poker pro Brandon Cantu can’t do. After a series of impressive wins and strong finishes in the world’s biggest events, the rising star in poker has joined UltimateBet’s Team UB, finding himself in the company of Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke and the world’s most respected online poker players.

“This is an exhilarating time for Team UB,” stated Annie Duke, UltimateBet’s Cardroom Consultant. “We’re constantly on the lookout for poker players who have real integrity, unquestionable talent and an incredible passion for the game, and we’ve found it all in Brandon Cantu.”

Cantu quickly made his way onto the radars of the top online poker : sites immediately after winning a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event at the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Later that year, the rising star in poker took first place in an Ultimate Poker Challenge event, peaking the interest of the major card rooms even further.
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(As reported by LookToTheStars)  On Saturday, July 11, the Playboy Mansion and the Kardashians will host the ‘Aces & Angels Celebrity Poker Tournament’ to benefit Aces and Angels, an organization which raises money for families of Southern California firefighters who were either injured or killed in the line of duty.

Kim Kardashian will host the event alongside sisters Khloe and Kourtney, and their mother Kris, as dozens of Playboy bunnies, playmates, top models, Hollywood celebrities, and the poker stars attend the highly anticipated event being held at the Playboy Mansion.

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Southern Gaming Magazine has been hosting the world’s best poker players at the Kentucky Derby for years. The World Series of Poker is relevant to the Olympics for poker players and there are 57 events of which each a coveted bracelet is awarded along with a pile of cash!

Throughout the 2009 World Series of Poker, we will bring you updates on the “Derby Dozen” and how they are faring in this years events. Top pros include: Robert Williamson III, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., Phil Laak, Beth Shack, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Tilly, Layne Flack and more.

Be sure to check back regularly to see how our poker friends are doing! 

Derby Dozen Updates 

6/3/2009: Event 8: $2,500 buy-in No-limit 2-7 Draw Lowball: 35 of 147 remain with a first place prize of $96,367
Layne “Back to Back” Flack holds the chip lead after day one with $75,125. There are still a lot of top pros in the hunt including Phil Hellmuth in 7th place with $41,150. Action resumes at 2:00 pm on 6/3/2009..

6/1/2009
Phil Hellmuth: Made final table of WSOP Tournament of Champions…play begins at 3:00 PM and will consit of the most prestigous names at a single table in WSOP history. The event celebrates the 40-year history of the WSOP and consisted of  20 former WSOP Main Event winners. The winner will receive a fully restored 1970 Chevrolet Corvette honoring the year the WSOP began. Others at the final table and the years they won the main event are:

 5/29/2009:          

 

Event 2: Antonio Esfandiari: $40,000 buy-in Hold ‘em Event: Winner payout is $1.89 million!
After Day 1,  there are 89 of 201 players left and Antonio Esfandiari is 33rd after day 1…$292,000 in chips…leader has $812,000.