Gus Hansen Does Not Win WPT World Championship

After dominating final table play and at one time holding a 23,695,000 to 3,570,000 chip lead during heads-up action, Gus Hansen just missed out on his would-be record fourth WPT title.

Gus had eliminated Jeff King, Tommy "The Asian Tommy Lee" Le, Cory Carroll, and John Roveto (all pictured above, although not in the order that we just listed) in near record speed. With 84% of chips in play once they got to mano e mano, he only had to get past David Chiu for the title.

Chiu hung in while Hansen held the chip lead. But when Chiu eventually took the lead, it took only two hands to win the tournament.

On the final hand, Hansen flopped two-pair to Chiu's top-pair. The turn brought Chiu a flush draw and he and Hansen got all-in. The river brought Chiu trip Aces and the WPT World Championship title.

Read the drama of the final hands from the WPT's excellent tourney reporting site.

Final table payouts were: David Chiu - $3,389,140, Gus Hansen - $1,714,800, John Roveto - $923,355, Cory Carroll - $593,645, Tommy Le - $395,725, and Jeff King - $263,815.

Phil Ivey Makes David Blaine Eat Glass for $10,000

David Blaine creeps us the fuck out.

Sure, we may be a little jealous that he gets to bang super-models like Josie Moran (above), Mallory Snyder, Manon von Gerkan, Lonneke Engel, and even Fionna Apple, who is probably killer in the sack.

And his "magic" isn't so much "magic." It's more like an extreme version of Jackass.

But for whatever reason, magicians/illusionists seem to pull mad tail. And David Blaine is obviously no exception. Even though he's creepy and is friends with Michael Jackson.

Preamble out of the way, Blaine apparently is friends with none other than poker player Phil Ivey. As most of you know, Ivey loves to make extreme prop bets. So last night at TAO in New York, Ivey popped this one on the magician: eat some glass for 10 dimes.

And according to contactmusic.com:

"So Blaine broke a large glass and then ate every shard, much to the horror of fellow diners.
And the star's representative confirmed that the stunt was genuine..."

Read the full article here.

Photos of Josie Moran and one of Mallory Snyder (far right) that magically get bigger when you click them below . . .

Critics Love Shannon Elizabeth Poker Movie Deal, Which Hits Theaters Tonight

A month after Zak Penn's The Grand stormed the box office by banking just enough to buy-in to the WPT Championship, the poker movie Deal, which stars waxy-looking golden ager Burt Reynolds and features Dancing with the Stars' Shannon Elizabeth (at right) playing a Las Vegas hooker, hits movie screens tonight in select cities, and already critics are rushing to give it praise.

Just sample some of these rave reviews:

"Deal has to take the title of the worst film ever about the game and that includes the how-to videos with Joan Rivers impersonators you see in your Vegas hotel room." - Erik Childress, efilmcritic.com

"One of the most cliche-ridden and generally misguided films of not just the year, but the decade so far." - Brian Tallerico, Deadbolt.com

"Director/co-writer Gil Cates Jr. gives us a by-the-numbers execution of a by-the-numbers story, which would barely be movie-of-the-week material but for Reynolds's 'star power.'" - LA City Beat

"A poker movie that has the dubious honor of being even worse than Lucky You." - Gary Thompson (but not the Gary Thompson?), Philadelphia Daily News

In related news our highly acclaimed screenplay titled Sitting on the Can While Writing This Post just got greenlit. It's set to be filmed this morning, after our third cup of coffee kicks in. Drop us an email if you want to be an extra.

Below is a video of RawVegas.tv's Denise Pernula prettying up the red carpet at the Deal's premiere last night at the Palms in Las Vegas. Maybe it's us but it's like director Gil Cates Jr. and his producers know they made a piece of crap film. Like they were baked out of their minds when they shot it and now are trying to stop themselves from laughing as they try to talk serious about it. Also in the video, card-tossing couple Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak talk about their non-plans ahead of the 2008 WSOP, and in news sure to delight ex-WCP reader Carl, Dancing With the Stars' lovebirds Shannon Elizabeth and Ricky Schroder Derek Hough say they are getting married in Las Vegas. Burt Reynolds unfortunately couldn't get out of the Madame Tussaud museum he lives in to walk the red carpet.

Video on RawVegas.tv here.

Gus Hansen Guns for Record Fourth WPT Title

The 2008 WPT World Championship final table is set with a familiar face on top of the leaderboard.

Gun Hansen, winner of three WPT titles (and four if you count the Bad Boys tourney, which we don't) and maker of five final tables (and recent menu category addition), is positioned to take down his biggest poker payday to date. With only six remaining, Gus is big stacked with 8,570,000.

He's trailed by Cory Carroll (6,670,000) and David Chiu (6,050,000).

They're trailed by John Roveto (2,720,000), Tommy "The Asian Tommy Lee" Le (1,950,000), and Jeff King (1,305,000).

All return on Saturday to play for the $3.3M first place prize.

Just missing the final table were Amir Vahedi (7th), Tom "durrr" Dwan (9th), Kenny Tran (10th), and Michael Gracz (11th).

Yeah, that's all we got.

Poker News Looking 'Sexiest' with Megan Fox

Megan Fox, the tattooedly hot actress from Transformers who is bizarrely banging that dude who dated Donna on the show 90210 which your parents' parents used to watch back in the 20th century, has been voted FHM's Sexiest Woman of 2008. The perennially pretty Jessica Alba and our favorite top dropper Keeley Hazell finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. A bunch of other chicks you'd toss your girlfriend aside for round out the top 100. Check out the list here. Check out Fox looking stunningly hot in various states of undress below. One of the pics btw is of a short Mexican cop on the Sunsent Strip ... see if you can figure out which one it is.

Some sort of newsy poker links for you . . .

:: We aren't the only really goodlooking guys surprised that Doyle Brunson is a blogger (Click here and here)

:: Apparently Phil Hellmuth can't see too well into Guy Laliberte's soul (Click here)

:: We aren't the only poker news-ers who write about Shannon Elizabeth on Dancing with the Stars (Click here)

:: If you live wherever it is WTVY News 4 airs, you should play this poker tournament to support our troops (Click here)

:: License plate poker . . . genius! (Click here)

:: Who dunnit? Poker pro son is suspect in poker pro's father murder (Click here)

:: Friendly poker games won't be legal anytime soon in that state with the palmetto tree and Islamic-y looking crescent moon silhouette logo people annoyingly like to wear all around the south (Click here)

:: Maine's Governor John Baldacci hates charity poker games (Click here)

Next Year's Wicked Chops Poker Award Winner for Mother of the Year

The Entities who comprise Wicked Chops Poker are a little less than a year away from giving out our next batch of Wicked Chops Poker Awards. However, we have a really, really good idea who will be winning the "Mother of the Year."

It'll be this woman.

According to WWMT in Wyoming, a woman left her kids in a car to play a poker tourney:

Reports say police found the three kids in the parking lot of Woody's Press Box around 1:00 Wednesday morning.

In related news, one of the positive side effects of pregnancy is the natural breast enhancement it gives, and Christina Aguilera's kid is one lucky little dude.

WPT World Championship: Amir Vahedi, Gus Hansen, Tom "durrrr" Dwan Are Big Stacked

Only 17 remain in the $25k buy-in WPT World Championship. Leading the way is Amir Vahedi with 3,907,000.

Vahedi you may remember as the sixth place finisher in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. While it doesn't seem like we've heard much from the cigar chumping Vahedi over the years since, the dude does have $2.85 mill in tourney earnings.

Still hanging around the top of the leaderboard are both Gus Hansen (2,929,000) and Tom "durrrr" Dwan (2,874,000).

Some other big name big stacks include past WPT and WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gracz (1,674,000), our new pick to win it Kenny Tran (1,442,000), and Robert Mizrachi (1,079,000).

Defending champ Carlos Mortensen was knocked out in 38th place.

And f' us if we're wrong, but we think with all of the elminations today, Jonathan Little wraps up WPT POY honors. Well, found the link, it's true.

Get full chip counts here.

WPT Ceremony of Champions: Gavin Smith Injured; Jennifer Tilly to Quit Poker?

On Monday night the World Poker Tour hosted its Ceremony of Champions gala inside the O Theater at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The event brought together all past WPT winners, presenting them with newly designed Tiffany & Co. bracelets.

Before the actual awards ceremony was a cocktail party where Gavin Smith discussed the bad beats his body has been taking lately, Phil Gordon and Howard Lederer talk about settling their WPT lawsuit and rejoining the circuit, and Jennifer Tilly sounds as if she's about to give up poker.

This last one is particularly tragic, because who is going to be there now to mentor Lacey Jones, Liz Lieu, and Michele Lewis on how to stay smoking hot while pushing 50? Or give them the fountain of youth juice she's drinking or however the hell she's doing it?

WPT Ceremony of Champions video

Gus Hansen Leads WPT World Championship, Finally Gets His Own Menu Category

Looking at our Menu Categories (far right, under the Poker Helper ad), it's bordering on ridiculous that Andy Bloch and Blair Hinkle have their own links yet Gus Hansen is left out.

Well, not any longer he isn't.

With the money bubble bursted and only 55 remaining at the 2008 WPT World Championship, Hansen sits atop the leaderboard with 2,246,000. He's followed by Cory Carroll 1,900,000.*

A win here and Gus would earn a record fourth WPT championship title and boost his career tourney earnings to over $7 mill. Even more importantly, his performance today earned him a year's supply of almonds as the Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Player of the Day. Can't front on that.

Some other big name big stacks include Tom "durrr" Dwan, Mark Newhouse, Men "The Master" Nguyen, and Andy Black.

Last year's champ Carlos Mortensen is still alive as well.

Not alive but in the money is Daniel Negreanu, who was involved in the biggest hand of the night, a four-way all-in involving two sets, a flush, and two-pair. Read about the cold, soulless, unforgiving details of how poker can be sometimes here.

Speaking of soulless, Jordan Rich, a ginger, which means he has no soul, was the bubble boy.

* All chip counts "unofficial" until the WPT say so, so check back here for the "official" counts later in the morning.

Carl Doesn't Like Our Shannon Elizabeth Dancing with the Stars Coverage

When we started covering Dancing with the Stars' Shannon Elizabeth (who happens to be on Dancing with the Stars this season), we figured some readers wouldn't like it. But given we're first page Google on Shannon Elizabeth DwtS search terms, and that DwtS is one of the most searched shows on television, well, all we gotta say is Shannon Elizabeth Dancing with the Stars Dancing with the Stars Shannon Elizabeth.

Most readers pretty much "get" what we've been up to with this whole Shannon Elizabeth thing. No complaints. And that's why we love our readers.

But then on occassion you have a reader like Carl. Says Carl via email:

You guys have been deleted from my favorites list. Who did Shannon ElizaBITCH blow at your headquarters that convinced you she needs to be front and center on your opening page for months? Is it poker news or Shannon news? Rename your pitiful site to TMZwickedchops. Thanks for sukin, Your Welcome.

Can't make everyone happy all of the time. Unless you're a girl at a massage parlor.

In related news, Shannon Elizabeth, who plays poker, survived elimination again on Dancing with the Stars. So looks like there's at least one more week of Shannon Elizabeth on Dancing with the Stars.

Read more Dancing with the Stars Shannon Elizabeth news

This Guy's Brother Leading WPT World Championship

While donning a RawVegas.tv lid didn't do much for Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi's karma yesterday at the 2008 WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, his brother had a helluva day.

Robert Mizrachi stormed to a huge chip lead, ending the day stacked at 523,200. He's trailed by Jayde Tran, a woman, with 406,700.

Only 188 remain going into Day 3 play. Defending champ Carlos Mortensen is among the big stacks with 371,600. Some other big name big stacks include Kenny Tran (367,400), Michael Gracz (364,800), Marcel Luske (325,200), Tom Schneider (288,000), Joe Sebok (278,100), Gus Hansen (246,000), our favorite scarf-wearing Euro Dario Minieri (220,000), and the spectacularly breasted J.C. Tran (201,300). Our perennial pick to win it, Huck Seed, is still alive with 71,000.

Get full chip counts from the WPT here.

And look for video of last night's WPT Ceremony of Champions later today...

Shannon Elizabeth Not Dating Derek Hough...Or Is She???

Rumors were swirling all over the so-called "Internet" yesterday about some racy pictures of Dancing with the Stars' Shannon Elizabeth making out with her Mormon dancing partner Derek Hough on a Malibu beach.

However, although some contestants on the show revealed that Shannon is now single (for like two weeks, dumping her teacher boyfriend), it looks like those pictures were just part of her Dancing with the Stars intro segment. OR ARE THEY???

Whatever who cares. She's probably banging him though.

While we wouldn't know how to judge a dance routine from a Chinese spelling bee, poker playing Shannon looked pretty good this week from what we could tell, although her 24 score leaves her near the bottom.

Dancing with the Stars Shannon Elizabeth week 6 video

Lee Jones to Join CardRunners.com as Chief Operating Officer

Bluff Magazine has broken a story that Lee Jones (not at right), the ex-poker room manager for PokerStars.com, will join CardRunners.com as its new Chief Operating Officer.

Jones had been working as host and organizer for EPT events, as well as its lead broadcaster.

"Team Cardrunners"  (Taylor "Green Plastic" Caby, Cole "cts" South, Brian "sbrugby" Townsend, Eric "p3achy_keen" Liu, Brian "Stinger885" Hastings, Mike "Schneids" Schneider, and Andrew "muddywater" Wiggins) recently joined the Full Tilt Poker roster.

Read the full story at Bluff here.

* Special thanks to Vikki Blows for making this post a little sexier. Get more Vikki Blows at the Vikki Blows blog. Vikki Blows Vikki Blows Vikki Blows.

WPT World Championship: David Benyamine, Tom "durrr" Dwan Among Day 1B Leaders, Carlos Mortensen Off to Strong Start

UPDATE: Day 1b of the 2008 WPT World Championship is done, with David Benyamine (169,350) and Tom "durrr" Dwan (155,675) leading the way among the leaders.

Top overall is Jeff King with 211,575. Kenny Tran has 193,025 and last year's champ Carlos Mortensen is stacked at 172,075.

There were 335 runners who showed up today, pushing the total field for the 2008 championship to math math math...545. While short of last year's record of 639, it still guarantees first place a massive $3,389,140 pay day.

Only 35 were eliminated from today's field, and many big names are among the early big stacks, including Joe Tehan, whose name sounds too much like "Tehran" for our liking (143,275), the spectacularly breasted J.C. Tran (at right looking extra sultry on a bed of feathers grrrrrrrr, 138,350), Marcel Luske (117,225), Gus Hansen (110,325), and Daniel Negreanu (89,200).

Get full official chip counts from the WPT here.

Another Hustler Lingerie Photo Shoot, Which Took Place in Vegas, Which is Where the WPT World Championship is Being Played

In lieu of a Friday Night Parting Shot this week, we instead bring you the second in possibly the best trilogy to come along since the Godfather (Lord of the Rings was for dorks): RawVegas.tv's exclusive Hustler Lingerie video series. Filmed in a Las Vegas hotel room last week, it's 1:11 of semi-NSFW bliss.

In completely unrelated news, Rynie Campbell, Tom Dwan, and Marcel Luske are early Day 1b leaders at the 2008 WPT World Championship. Get chip counts here.

Hustler lingerie photo shoot video