Friday Night Parting Shot: Kirstie Alley*

A groundbreaking** actress, a dedicated mother*** and most recently one of People's "Top 100 Beautiful People,"**** Kirstie Alley is proof that when there's more of you to love, then, well, you're a very large woman. Ok, that was mean and totally uncalled for . . . and of course so is having Kirstie Alley as this week's Parting Shot.

You see, after last week's Parting Shot Girl, Jen Graham, we've been stumped. Utterly. Where do we go from there? The pressure is almost too much; kind of like the pressure poker blogger Pauly spoke about when he had just 12 hours -- 12 HOURS! -- to finish an article about the WPT Championship. Wait 12 hours? The only thing we spend 12 hours on is our beds. I mean, our self-aggrandizing WPT Championship wrap-up (a genius piece we must say) was done in 7 minutes and 37 seconds while seated on a crapper (peanut gallery: "How fitting"). Anyway, that's another story (or mental image). The reality is that the girls we want to feature as Parting Shot girls just don't grow on trees. They're few and far between. So while we'll continue to leave you every Friday with a photo of exceptional viewing quality (not Kirstie, see after the jump), we'll be spacing out our features of girls like Jen, who are as real as they come, deserve the recognition and may not be as famous yet as the Brazilians we adore (yes, seen after the jump), but we certainly love them just the same. And maybe even more.

* You kidding? Real Friday Night Parting Shot after the jump.
** Literally.
*** No idea if she's dedicated. But she is a mother.
**** WTF?

The TOKE: Ungar Gets a Foundation, Hu Gets a Wicked Chops Prediction, + That Whole "Is Poker a Sport?" Argument Gets More Ink

:: People get addicted to gambling?  Like global warming and heterosexual AIDS, the myth of gambling addiction remains prevalent in American society.  For people allegedly addicted to gambling, the daughter and the former wife of Stu Ungar have established the appropriately named, "Stu Ungar Foundation."  Ungar, widely-recognized as the world's most talented Gin and hold'em player when he was alive, allegedly had a gambling problem.  Now we don't want to get all Tom Cruise on you, but we say Ungar "allegedly" had a gambling problem because any issues Ungar may have had with gambling were not rooted in some deep-seeded psychological addiction--it was because he did not perform the necessary auditing to rid himself of the body thetans adversely affecting him. In related new, Wicked Chops Poker has just been sued by the Church of Scientology and will be shutting down our site for good in 10 seconds.  Poker News

:: Ayre's Wild Card to Air Again this Saturday.  Wicked Chops Poker was the first to bring you Bodog's latest statement on the (seemingly baseless) lawsuit filed against Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker.  Now, Wicked Chops Poker will be the first to offer our prediction (something we're crazy-good at) on who will NOT win tomorrow night's episode of Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker...and our prediction is...CSI: NY's Kelly Hu!!!  Watch tomorrow evening, from 11:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. EST on FSN, as Kelly (at right) does not win against the likes of Josh Arieh, Josh Malina, and others.  Bodog Beat

:: If NASCAR is a sport... Like global warming, heterosexual AIDS, and gambling addiction, the myth of poker being a sport remains prevalent in American society.  USA Today tackles this important subject in today's issue of USA Today, today.  USA Today

Breaking News: Bodog Releases New Statement Concerning Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker Lawsuit

Bodog has just issued a new statement* in response to recent statements in the media attributed to Calvin Ayre and Bluemoon's newly Amended Complaint in the Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker lawsuit:

"The original statement issued by our group of companies in connection with this lawsuit was entirely correct. Calvin was misquoted in a number of media sources as he had indicated only that the request for an injunction had been dismissed by the Court.

Fox was always a party to the lawsuit. Initially, the only relief being sought as against Fox was an injunction to prevent the show from airing. The Plaintiffs went to Court the week before the airing of the initial show to request an injunction. After hearing their argument a Justice of the Superior Court in California dismissed their application for an injunction and allowed the show to go to air.

Since that time the plaintiffs have elected to bring an additional claim as against Fox. We take the same view of this new claim as we do of all the plaintiffs' claims; that is it is completely without merit.

Other than amending their claim the plaintiffs have taken no further steps to move the matter forward and as of this date none of the named defendants have even been served with a copy of any claim.

The show will continue to air as scheduled and we are seeing a steady increase in viewership as we build towards the climatic final table."

Bodog has also responded today to news that Calvin Ayre has a step brother named Cooter. See the much talked about Cooter Ayre and the Cracker Pack photos here and read Bodog's blog on the matter here.

UPDATE: To respond to a comment to this post asking "where/how" did we get this statement, Wicked Chops Poker received the statement last evening from Bodog's media relations manager Susan Mainzer, who issued the statement on behalf of Bodog in direct response to our questions about previous statements in the media attributed to Calvin Ayre and the newly amended complaint filed by Bluemoon.

The Blogfiles: Kid Dynamite's Friday In Vegas

"Famke 'Petra' Janssen lives in my 'hood, and I finally saw her at the dog run yesterday.  I tried to get Oscar to hump either, a) her dog, or b) her leg, but he wasn't cooperating.  She kept to herself, and never looked up from her blackberry.. I was just waiting to go up to her and say, 'Thanks for making this easy Mike.'" - Kid Dynamite

Kid Dynamite's Friday In Vegas blog is funny.  Very funny.  Think TBS, but funnier.  It's one of our daily reads, and not just because we hope KD will somehow take and post a few good pics of his neighbor, Famke Janssen.  So in our continuing effort to showcase the best and brightest of the poker blogging community, we present to you on this fine Thursday afternoon Kid Dynamite's Friday In Vegas.

WCP: When and why did you launch Kid Dynamite's Friday in Vegas?

KD: I have a core group of poker friends who I'd always email my game recaps and trip reports to.  We'd talk theory, analyze hands, etc.  Eventually, it got to the point where I was sending so many emails I just decided to throw it online and see what came of it.  I think it was about a year ago - which turned out to be about 150 posts on FridayInVegas.blogspot.com.  With a full time job, its hard to maintain a place in the "real world" and the "blog world."  I'm not really part of the blogger cool crew who play together on Party or Stars every night, and play in all their own blogger events and hang out in Vegas together (I did take 14th out of 2000+ in the Pokerstars Blogger Freeroll though - RESPECT).  I basically write for my own amusement, and the enjoyment of whomever wants to read my ramblings. And when I go to Vegas - I go with my own crew.  And it's ALWAYS blog-worthy.

I'm usually pretty amused by my own writing, and my handful of readers who have actually been on these Vegas trips with me know exactly where I'm coming from.

WCP: Don't you know that by sheer nature of the word, a "blogger" can never really be cool? 

KD: Yeah. that's true.  I was cool once, then I started blogging...

WCP: Please, explain the genesis of the name Kid Dynamite...

KD: The first time I played a live NL Hold'em tourney (I think this was back in 2002), at the legendary Playstation (now defunct) on 14th street in NYC, I ended up taking down $1900+ when we chopped the prize money at the final table.  My poker skill back then was a mere shadow of what it is today, but my table presence was explosive. I'd lie in wait, and occasionally spring to life with an aggressive play.  No one knew me there, it was "Who is this Kid?"  And in my trip recap, I became "Kid Dynamite."

WCP: If you had to apply the name Kid Dynamite to a field other than poker, do you think it best suits being: a) a super-hero, b) a professional wrestler, c) a roller derbyier, d) an actuary, or e) a TNT
blast specialist...

Poker Player Snoop Dogg Has Tourney Postponed, Starts Riot in Heathrow Airport

A few months ago Wicked Chops Poker told you that poker player/promoter/music impresario/thug Snoop Dogg was hosting a poker tournament on Cinco de Mayo down in Playa de Cuba Norte featuring a bunch of rappers aboard some death trap on water named the Big Easy Casino Ship and that some serious mad cake was on the line. At the same time, we also reported that Snoop Dogg will probably have to cancel his poker tourney or find another boat because the Big Easy casino ship was, as we just said, a death trap on water and had lost its certification.

Well, today we looked at the official site for Snoop's poker tournament and saw this statement:

Due to circumstances out of our control, the Rapper's Challenge tournament will be re-schedule (sic) to a date in November 2006 and the location will be in the Bahamas. The Big Easy ship lost it's certification.

So if you were planning on going, well, you'll have to wait until this winter to get on a small ship far from land with a bunch of Snoop's rapper friends with nowhere to go while they drink and party and get rowdy and start a riot 'cause someone disrespected someone somehow in some way and next thing you know you have a cap in your ass and you're wondering why the hell you ever got on a death trap boat for a poker tourney held by Snoop Dogg called "The Rappers' Challenge."

Exclusive BoDawg.com "Cracker Pack" Photos

Be it Calvin Ayre's appearance on the cover of Forbes, the raid of the Bodog compound, the (questionable) lawsuit over Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker, or the David Williams' porn "scandal," Bodog is getting more ink lately than Lucky Diamond Rich.  And, as we promised last week, we have yet another breaking Bodog story.  The above photo and the ones after the jump were emailed exclusively to Wicked Chops Poker by someone claiming to be named Cooter Ayre, the alleged step-brother of Calvin Ayre.  Cooter, who hails from Coweta County, Georgia, says he is starting a new online site called BoDawg.com and that he has picked up three of the best, undiscovered talents in poker: Cleetus Pornson, Skeeter Rea, and Amos Mu, known collectively as "The Cracker Pack." When Wicked Chops Poker asked for an official BoDawg statement, Cooter faxed a letter to our office, saying, "The Cracker Pack is the most cracker party pack in the poker universe. No party in the poker universe is cracker enough unless the BoDawg Cracker Pack is crackering it up." While we find troubling BoDawg's use of the Wicked Chops Poker Brand™ in these photos taken at Cooter's Coweta County compound, and feel that it is exploiting our good name as well as Bodog's, we have chosen to publish them to show just how "Ayre"-ily similar they are to the Bodog "Rat Pack" photos taken by Gambling911.com's Christopher Costigan, or at least they're close enough, considering it was hot as balls when they were taken and we, uh, they, or whoever, were understaffed after firing off all the interns. Those bastards finished off the company's cheese puffs without replacing them. Please go visit Gambling911.com. Frequently. Or else they may sue us. All of the Cracker Pack photos showing us just how cracker they are after the jump...

Cindy Margolis of CindyMargolisPoker.com to Pose Nude For Playboy

CindyMargolisPoker.com's Cindy Margolis, the 40-year-old "Mother I'd Like to . . . Understand How She's the Most Downloaded Woman on the Internet Because Big Breasted Blondes In Hiked-Up Bikinis are a Dime a Dozen and She Surely Isn't The Cream of the Crop" (or "MILTUWSTMDWOTIBBBHUBDADSSICOC" for short, give or take a few letters), has announced that she will bare all for Playboy.

Commenting on why she waited all these years before deciding to get naked for Hef, Margolis said something stupid.

Oh sorry, did you want to read what she said? Ok, she said, "Thank goodness for 'Desperate Housewives.' You're not dead just because you are married and have children."

See. Stupid.

Margolis then went on to say something even more stupid, or as stupid people say, stupider, "It will be fun to go up against the 20-year-olds and show them that they don't have anything on me."

Uh, Margolis, meet 25-year-old Joanna Krupa, the Official Wicked Chops Poker Girl of 2006 (and every year after until God outdoes Himself again), after the jump.

Which Magician Will Break Through in 2006?

Magic fucking rules.

If you didn’t believe it before today, then surely, surely you do now, with the news that David Copperfield (technically an “Illusionist” but let’s not get tripped up on semantics) escaped robbery by using his magical powers.  We shit you not.

According to the news reports, after being approached by some young thug robbers and (idly standing by while) watching two female friends get pinched, “Copperfield says he turned his pockets inside out to reveal nothing in them, even though he was carrying his passport, wallet and cell phone.”

The young hoodlums fled, clearly baffled by Copperfield’s Merlin-esque magical prowess...not to mention the fact that Copperfield probably creeped the fuck out of them.  Dude is creepy.  Copperfield then got the robbers' license plate number, called 911 (using the cell phone he made magically disappear), and soon the young thugs found themselves behind bars. 

Tying this back to poker, we’ve witnessed dozens (or two) examples of how the amazing powers of David Copperfield and other magicians translates extraordinarily well to the poker table.  Long-time readers of our site are familiar with the so-called “Magician Invasion.”  The Magician Invasion (a phenomenon further developed by one of our favorite bloggers, Kid Dynamite, who will be the subject of our latest Blogfile, dropping tomorrow) detailed the influx (or two total players) that gave up their top hat and cape for sunglasses and ball caps.

To recap, in 2003-2004, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari captivated the poker world with his aggressive stylings and “supernatural” ability to read people and catch cards.  Last year, Deal producer Scott Lazar’s death-defying ascension to the WSOP ME final table was no illusion.  Lazar went from pulling rabbits out of his hat to pulling cards out of his ass. 

It should come as no surprise to anyone anymore that magicians are natural born poker players.  As FOWPC and magic aficionado Bones once told us, magicians are “…good poker players because they’re fucking magical.” 

With that in mind, it's time for Wicked Chops Poker to get pro-active on you, as we search for the next magician who will shock the poker world and make “the leap” this year. 

Here’s our top choices:

Wicked Chops Poker Provides You Valuable Info -For Instance, Here is the 2006 WSOP FAQs

We here at Wicked Chops Poker are all about providing helpful, useful, and timely poker-relevant information to our readers so you are fully equipped with the knowledge you need to best take advantage of all aspects of the poker industry. 

Now replace, "...providing helpful, useful, and timely poker-relevant information to our reader's so you are fully equipped with the knowledge you need to best take advantage of all aspects of the poker industry." with, "...providing acid-tongued commentary and pictures of half-naked women to our deviant horny reader-base" and you'll be getting warmer...warmer...HOT HOT HOT...there's the truth!

But today, we actually do want to provide those of you who are not yet aware of some basic 2006 WSOP info with [scratching head]...that info. Thanks to FOWCP Bull, who will be playing in some of the events, for passing the info along to us.

Linked here and downloadable here is the 2006 WSOP FAQs, telling you how to register for events, conduct wire transfers, and get good room rates, among other questions that are frequently asked.  Very useful info. Now you officially can never say that we haven't ever done anything for you, you ingrates.

As Predicted, Joe Bartholdi Wins WPT Championship -Beats Guy Whose First Name is a Last Name and Whose Last Name is a First

As predicted on this very Web site yesterday, Joe Bartholdi won the WPT Championship, banking an obscene $3,760,165.

You may be asking yourself right now, "I wonder if Wicked Chops Poker will make this story about themselves now instead of Joe Bartholdi's impressive win?"  Well fret not, we will.

Wicked Chops Poker are sooth-sayers cut from the same cloth as Nostradamus and other famous prognosticators whose names escape us right now.  But don't worry, we predict we'll remember what their names are later in the day.

Need evidence of our wicked prediction chops?  Ok.  Chops has an uncanny ability to call out when a home-run is about to be hit at a baseball game, knows when a hand he is heavily-favored to win will be cracked, and knew that drunk sorority girls in college would always grab his 80's CD that had "Come on Eileen" on it, screetch, and dance around at parties.  Back in 1982, Snake predicted the outsourcing of IT jobs to India and the Monica Lewinsky scandal (although ala Nostradamus's famous "Hister" prediction, Snake wrote the Clinton groupie's last name would be, "Blewinsky").  Addict has successfully predicted every celebrity break-up of the past 15 years, including the Lisa Marie Presley-Michael Jackson divorce, which even the most jaded romantics didn't see coming.

So back to the WPT Championship...Bartholdi beat Davidson Matthew, the guy who has a first name for a last and whose last name is a first, for the title.  $1,903,950 banks Matthew Davidson ,efforts his For.   

The rest of the final table results include: 3) Roland de Wolfe - $1,025,205, 4) Claus Nielsen - $659,120, 5) James Van Alstyne - $439,375, 6) Men 'The Master' Nguyen $292,915.

The Toke :: PartyPoker Pimps Paris, DiCaprio Dating a Bar + Wall Street Shows its Poker Face

:: PartyPoker.com Offers Paris her Bentley Back . After claiming to be obsessed with poker and telling Bluff Magazine she always wins, party/poker ho Paris Hilton reportedly lost a $200,000 Bentley in a poker game. Now, PartyPoker.com, the porn to riches online gaming giant started by a phone sex princess and A. Dikshit, is offering Paris the chance to win a Bentley by going heads-up against Mike Sexton (someone should probably explain to Paris that "heads up" is a poker term). "We're aware that her parents have banned her from gambling at their casino. This online challenge solves all her problems - she can cover her losses without stepping foot in there," said PartyPoker spokesperson Warren Lush. Somehow this all makes sense: PartyPoker was started by a porn biz princess, it has some of the easiest players online, the site looks cheap but is worth millions and the spokesperson's last name is Lush. In more breaking Paris news, Wicked Chops Poker says that Paris has just a tid bit more class than a $10 hooker begging for money at a bus stop so she can get herself some Church's fried chicken to eat, which is just a tad bit classier than the chick who's letting David Williams toss her salad. Digital Spy

:: DiCaprio now Bar-hopping. People Magazine reports actor/poker player Leo DiCaprio is dating 20-year-old Israeli swimsuit model Bar Refaeli (photo at right and another after the jump). If Bar is looking for a long voyage with Leo, rather than have the relationship sink like it did with Gisele, she better get on board the poker fad because if she doesn't well that's just the tip of the iceberg of problems for her and it won't be long before her heart won't go on (chicks dig subtle Titanic references, we hear). Anyway, Bar's unbelievably hot and like her name, there should be one on every corner. People

:: Wall Street = Las Vegas Blvd. Morgan Stanely director and avid poker player, Aaron Brown, has written a book called The Poker Face of Wall Street. Wicked Chops Poker hasn't read it yet. One, we don't read so good, and two, we've been too busy breaking news and vomiting in our mouths after watching David Williams do the backdoor swirl (aka "tossing salad") on some trashy porno mom (aka 'Mother I'd Like to Spray with Disinfectant"), among other things. But word on "the Street" is that it joins the rank of Michael Lewis's 1990 best seller Liar's Poker, a favorite of ours. Apparently, Poker Face illustrates the correlation between the finance world and the game of poker, and no doubt this book will help further the bull market on poker metaphors so we'll categorize it as a "strong buy." Amazon.com

* Don't forget, there's another pic of Leo's new girl after the jump, and if you missed our last Friday Night Parting Shot girl Jen Graham, well, we can only guess you have that Celine Dion Titanic song stuck in your head right now, you spend your days folding chinos at The Gap and you pre-ordered the Brokeback Mountain DVD (Strong Buy).

Van Alstyne Still Leads, Ramdin Won't V-Peat, Men the Master Short-Stacked at WPT Championship Final Table

The WPT Championship final table is set, and James Van Alstyne remains the chip leader. 

With the exception of Men "the Master" Ngyuen, all of the other "name" pros who were in contention have been KO'd, making the final table a little less intriguing than it could've been.  Further ruining the party was when James Van Alstyne, in leveling the rule of thumb, busted Vanessa Roussa--a woman--meaning the WPT will have to wait a bit longer to crown its first female victor.

Speaking of Victors, Victor "Victory!!!" Ramdin will not V-peat, meaning that maybe you can perhaps spell Victory without Victor^TM, bitches.  Even worse, there aren't many good "back-to-back" nicknames to give Van Alstyne, unless you consider "Always Van Alstyne" or "You're in good hands with Van Alstyne" options, which we certainly do not.

Of the remaining final table-ists, Joe Bartholdi of San Diego, our pick (for absolutely no scientific reason whatsoever) to win it all, has over $270k in career tournament earnings since 2003.  Claus Nielson has taken a little over $13k in career tourney earnings.  Davidson Matthew, who has a first name that's a last name and whose last name is a first, has no major tournament experience.  Roland De Wolfe of London actually has a WPT win under his belt, but it was in Paris, making it easy to overlook and hard to truly recognize.  And finally, Men Ngyuen is the fucking master.

Final table chip counts: 1) James Van Alstyne - 8,070,000, 2) Joe Bartholdi - 7,135,000, 3) Claus Nielsen - 5,875,000, 4) Davidson Matthew - 5,765,000, 5) Roland De Wolfe - 1,860,000, 6) Men 'The Master' Nguyen - 1,490,000.

Van Alstyne Chip Leader at WPT Championship - Ramdin, Josephy, Brown, Antonius, Men the Master Among 19 Remaining

Really, that headline pretty much sums it up.  Not much more to add to it than that.

James Van Alystne, well shit you've read it already.  He's the big stack.  4,235,000.  He's pictured at right.  We grabbed that photo from Poker Pages.  He's banked more than $600,000 in career tournament earnings. 

Victor Ramdin is still alive in his quest to "V-peat.", because you can't spell "Victory" without "Victor" ^TM, bitches.   Patrik Antonius has been up and down but he's still in.  Same with Men the Master and everyone else we mentioned in our headline, along with Day 1 chip leader Simon Moussa and 12 others. 

Full chip counts at Poker Wire.

Ramdin Rises to Chip Leader at WPT Championship

Victor Ramdin, yes, the very same Victor Ramdin who just over a week ago won the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic, is the chip leader at the WPT Championship.

With 71 players remaining, Ramdin is working on creating his own "Back-to-Back Flack"-esque nickname. Potential options are: Victor, Victoria-y, or, um, Back-to-Back Ramdin. But if he pulls this out, clearly you wouldn't be able to spell, "Victory" without "Victor." We're trademarking that too, bitches.

There are so many big names left it's sick.  Seriously.  We're going to throw-up.  Some notables include: 3) Freddy Deeb - 1,005,000, 4) Chad Brown - 893,000, 6) Bodog Babe Evelyn Ng - 873,000, 7) Patrik Antonius - 865,000, 8) David Williams - 865,000, 9) Men the Master - 847,000, 11) Johnny Chan - 782,000, 12) James Van Alstyne - 746,000, 14) Phil Hellmuth - 604,000, and 43) Doyle Brunson - 322,000. 

Friday Night Parting Shot: Jen Graham

The South. It's the land of funny-sounding accents, deep-fried food and super-fine girls. And while Southern accents are mostly charming (as long as you don’t wander too far into Deliverance country) and much of the food is to die for (or possibly will lead to a dietary-induced death), it is the sheer number of perfectly gorgeous girls here that makes the South a great place to live.

Yes, heavenly blessed, unpretentious as can be, and pure-as-the-sun sweethearts with just enough of a wild side, Southern girls are the crème de la crème--whatever those fancy words mean--of beautiful girls anywhere and everywhere.

And there's no better example of this than today's Wicked Chops Poker Parting Shot Girl and FOWCP, Jen Graham.

A talented and rising young actress who is both seductively striking (uh, see her pics) and smarter than you (she’s currently a second-year law student at the Univ. of Alabama), Jen Graham is a blonde-hair, blue-eyed, natural-born Southern-stunner who could run circles around most Bodog Girls in a "good looks" race (sorry Calvin) while outwitting them with half her brain tied behind her back.

Jen was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, with a brief stint in the Bahamas, and she went on to do her undergrad studies at Vanderbilt University, where she 'brought it on' as a Vandy cheerleader (and if you're a "friend" of Wicked Chops Poker, you know cheerleaders are second only to firemen in our "heroes" category).

After college, Jen made her way to LA to pursue acting, and she most recently starred as a 'teen gone missing' in the feature-length "film noir" thriller, Dark World, due out this summer. Currently Jen is back South in Tuscaloosa for law school and will spend this summer acting alongside funny man Mo Rocca in a short film called Piece of Cake.

(more photos of Jen and a WCP interview after the jump)

Louisiana State Legislator Supports Pro-Poker Legislation Out of Spite

We here at Wicked Chops Poker love spite.

So we're pleased to see a Louisiana House committee quickly passing pro-poker legislation almost purely out of spite.

The recipient of this spite is Louisiana Governess Kathleen Blanco (pictured at right, telling us all to "suck it"). The "spiter" is state Rep. Warren Triche. Blanco has been beating her chest (or breast, maybe, in this case), vowing on the opening day of this year's legislative session to veto any bill that expands gambling.  In response, a house committee has unanimously passed Triche's legislation (House Bill 1149) that declares that, “Texas Hold ‘Em” poker tournaments, popular with some bars, are legal gambling."

Like most states, bars in Louisiana have been running hold'em tournaments, and bar owners are seeing profits spike because of it. But Louisiana law enforcement believes that any profiting off a form of gambling is illegal--although bar owners are not taking a house "rake" from these games.

Sound familiar?

According to the Advocate, "Triche’s bill would allow the businesses to hold poker tournaments once a week for people at least 21 years old as long as the owner doesn’t get a part of the proceeds and doesn’t charge an entrance fee."  Sounds reasonable enough, right?

So here comes a segue for ya...if you think the veto'ing of this bill sounds ridiculous, then why don't you read our interview with Michael Bolcerek, visit the PPA Web site, and sign up to lend your support to keeping poker legal.  Seriously.  Go do it now. 

Friday Night Parting Shot coming soon...

Antonius, Williams, Lindgren Lead WPT Championship After Day 2

We're beginning to think this Patrik Antonius guy (at right) "gets" this whole no limit hold'em fad.  Lately, if he's in a tournament, he always seems to be at or near the chip lead at some stage.  He currently leads everyone at the WPT Championship with 554,500.  Chops may even add Antonius to his ESPN/Bluff fantasy poker team, where he currently trails ESPN Poker Club guru Andrew Feldman (fixed!) but is way ahead of Seif, Furst, and Chip Jett (13th overall), among others.

And maybe, just maybe, we've been too hard on James Woods after he declared that his goal was to become the best poker player in the world.  Woods continues to post impressive tournament runs, and is currently 15th overall with 341,700.

And maybe, just maybe, we've been too hard on David Williams...well, we'll leave that one alone.  But Williams does find himself stacked third overall with 497,500.

Too many big names to mention remain (but we'll throw out Harmon, Men the Master, both Brunsons, Hellmuth, and Steve Dannenmann to name a few), and 204 are still around.  Check out Poker Wire for the counts.

*Antonius image from Poker Pages.

David Williams a Poke-Her Star? Bodog's Ayre Has a Step Bro Named Cooter?

While Bodog pro David Williams has been wielding his big stack impressively at the WPT Championship, sticking it good to whoever tosses it his way and most recently broke-backing Hoyt Corkins to the rail like he was some light-in-his-loafers cowboy who spends his days folding chinos at The Gap . . .

Ok, we can't continue disrespecting DW (and Hoyt) and talking dirty at the same time, but wagering news site Gambling911.com apparently can.

In response to Wicked Chops Poker's recent commentary on the Bodog Rat Pack photo shoot, in which we said, among other things, that DW was too good of a kid to live up to the Rat Pack hype, Gambling911.com is claiming otherwise with 'breaking news' that David Williams recently starred in a porno called "Young Black *** Worship."

Seriously. Go read the story.

Going to great lengths to give good kid Williams a bad boy image, Gambling911.com has even produced an explicit, NSFW photo of 'Williams' giving a backdoor swirl to some trashy trailer park porn chick. Definitely not a Bodog Girl in the looks department. Although it is hard to see her face.

After thoroughly dissecting our commentary with all too easy/sleazy innuendos, Gambling911.com states, "Alas this tape appears to have been made....well....yesterday... maybe even last night."

Yes, apparently in between hands at the WPT Championship, where Williams currently sits among the chip leaders after Day Two.

Heads-Up With PPA President Michael Bolcerek

“…that’s what gets me up in the morning, going out and stopping this.” – Michael Bolcerek, President of the Poker Player’s Alliance, regarding the latest US legislation to ban online poker

Two weeks ago, as Congressional leaders gathered to discuss the latest legislative efforts to ban online poker in the United States, Michael Bolcerek (at left) made his first major public appearance as the new president of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

Along with Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer, Bolcerek began laying the foundation of a grassroots effort to keep online poker legal for us all.

In a series of emails and phone calls, Wicked Chops Poker discussed with Bolcerek, an avid poker player for the past five years, what the PPA is doing to keep online poker legal, and why we should all be concerned about Congress’s latest legislation.

Chops: First, what is some of your professional background?

Bolcerek: I have over 20 years of experience in the high-tech industry. I’ve run small businesses and have been the CFO for public companies [including Oracle and Nokia].

Chops: How’d you get hooked up with the PPA?

Bolcerek: I was introduced to the PPA by a friend from a weekly home poker game. The PPA was looking for someone with a track record of running small businesses and making them successful. My friend told me to submit a resume, so I submitted one to the [PPA Board of Directors] and they gave me a call back.

I’ve been in the role since February, and I’m loving it. We’re building good momentum and a strong membership base. We’re getting our voice heard. I think the last event we did in D.C. added a lot of visibility to our issues.

But still, we’ve gotta be more even aggressive on the issues. If not, you know, things will happen on Capitol Hill that most people won't even know about. Howard [Lederer] summed it up when he said at our Washington panel discussion, “One day we’ll wake up and it’ll be a like bad hangover. We’ll wake up and find out that we can’t play online poker anymore.”

Chops: To me, I think there are three major issues that should hold the most weight with Congress...

Antonius, Ng, D'Agostino, Seed Among Day 1b Chip Leaders

Day 1b play at the 2006 WPT Championship is complete with some big names leading the way.

Finishing his flight as chip leader is Patrik Antonius, stacked at 200,375. New Bodog Babe Evelyn Ng is right behind at 184,100. Other notable notable big stacks include: John D'Agostino (150,675 ), Huck Seed (134,225), Blair Rodman (123,700), Scott Fischman (108,025), Jennifer Harman (107,300), Kathy Liebert (105,125), and Men 'The Master' Nguyen (104,625).

Check Poker Wire for complete chip counts and live blogging.

Wicked Chops Poker Sponsors Double A's "Casino Mystery Picture Challenge"

Wicked Chops Poker is proud to be a sponsor of Double A's "Casino Mystery Picture Challege" this week. The winner gets to rename Double A's blog for a week and can pick between two prizes (one of which requires you to beat Double A's heads up . . . no easy feat). Check out all the details over at his blog, where you'll also get a special sneak peak of our next WCP Friday Night Parting Shot Girl. This one's a special one, a true FOWCP and a southern girl, so be sure to check back here this Friday afternoon to learn more about her, and yes, see more of her.

The Blogfiles: Póquer-Red

For our next edition of the Blogfiles, Wicked Chops Poker profiles our favorite Spanish-language blog, Póquer-Red.  In fact, we'll go as far to say that Póquer-Red is the Wicked Chops Poker of Spanish poker blogs.  So in tribute to them, we present this Blogfile to you in all Spanish.  Enjoy.

WCP: Primeramente ponnos en situación con Póquer Red. ¿Cuándo empezaste y por qué?

PR: Inauguramos Póquer Red hace menos de un año. He estado envuelto en la web y sus tendencias por más de 6 años, y cuando descubrí la explosión del poker al otro lado del atlántico, vi una excelente oportunidad de introducirlo en el mercado español.

WCP: ¿Cuál es la sede de Póquer Red?

PR: El corazón de Póquer Red es un grupo de jugadores españoles de Valencia, una bella ciudad mediaterránea, pero en este momento tenemos a gente colaborando desde todas partes del país.

WCP: ¿Cuales piensas que son las mayores diferencias entre la forma en la que los americanos juegan a poker (No Limit en particular) y la gente de otros países?

PR: Realmente no puedo comentar mucho acerca de este tema, ya que soy principalmente un jugador de fixed limit. Desde ese punto de vista suelo preferir un oponente norteamericano antes que un europeo, ya que hay más posibilidades de que el americano juegue por diversión.

Moussa, Bloom, Jett, Seif Lead WPT Championship

Day 1a of the WPT Championship at the Bellagio has wrapped, with 225 of the original 295 remaining. 

Leading the way is Simon Moussa.  Who?  Exactly.  Simon is stacked 269,925.  Third overall is Tony Bloom of London (England, not Kentucky) with 244,575.  Chip Jett is fifth overall, stacked at 208,400.  And FOWCP Mark Seif is 12th overall at the end of Day 1a with 167,050.

Lots of big names remain, which is the way it should be when only 70 people are eliminated.  Some notables include Josh Arieh (140,800), Hoyt Corkins (123,725), Erick Lindgren (100,250), TJ Cloutier (86,350), Todd Brunson (82,725),  Phil Hellmuth (81,875), Barry Greenstein(67,050), David Williams (66,050), Dan Harrington (64,900), James Woods (61,050), Carmel Petresco (41,975), and Phil Ivey (22,000).

Get all of the notable chip counts (there's plenty more) at Poker Wire and watch for Day 1b recaps later this afternoon.

UPDATE (4:54PM): Day 1b play is underway.  Prize information has just been announced, with the overall prize pool totaling $14,695,500. 100 places will get paid, with first place banking a WPT record $3,766,350.

People Love Party In Record Numbers: PartyGaming Records More Records

PartyGaming, the porn to riches online gaming giant started by a phone sex princess and A. Dikshit, has had yet another record setting quarter.  With a record amount of new poker sign-ups, first quarter revenues jumped 54% to a record $342.6M. In total, the site increased its active poker player base by 20% to a new record of 263,254. 

An even stronger indicator of PartyGaming's continued record-setting financial strength is that 39% of these new users were from outside the US.  And the addition of its PartyCasino platform at the beginning of the year has increased overall net casino sales to more than a mil a day.

PartyGaming is also now available in a record number of languages, including English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Aramaic*.

In a statement, PartyGaming said future plans include, "breaking every record conceived by man, starting with that big-headed Barry Bonds single-season home run record.**"

*Not true.  **Also not true.

Rich Heiress, Royal Highness Prove Poker's Still Hot

For some reason, Wicked Chops Poker has always thought that Paris Hilton has gotten the shaft.

Maybe that's not the best phrase-ology there. Let's try again.

For some reason, Wicked Chops Poker has always thought that the mass public has come too hard on...ah forget it: We like Paris Hilton.  And Paris Hilton plays poker.   

Taking after her little sis Nicky, who, along with boyfriend Kevin Connolly of Entourage, is sponsored by Doyle's Room, Paris says that she's, "...obsessed with poker. It's my favorite game now."  Now she's playing in tournaments, chasing back-door straights and hoping to see some nuts flopped right in front of her.

Paris isn't the only person born into fame and fortune that's soaking in poker's addictive glow, though.

Prince Henry, a "royal" as we like to call him, has also caught the poker bug.  Apparently, “Harry didn’t have a clue how to play at first, but he’s taken to it like a duck to water. He is part of a card school that get together most nights and is an absolute whizz." 

British people talk funny.

This Week on Wicked Chops Poker...

Should be a post-filled week here at Wicked Chops Poker. So maniacally and rapidly refresh your browser all week for some of these gems:

:: An interview with PPA president Michael Bolcerek.  Michael (at right with Raymer, Lederer, and Ferguson two weeks ago on the hill) is leading the charge to keep online poker legal, so each and every single last one of ya should intently listen to (or read) what he's got to say. 

:: Commentary (if that's what you want to call it) on the latest Bodog fashion shoot.

:: A blogfile with our favorite Spanish-speaking poker brethren, Poquer-Red.

:: Coverage of the WPT Championship at the Bellagio.  Pretty much every big name in poker (save Gordon, Duke, Lederer, and Ferguson) will be playing.  Tuan Le was the winner last year.  Chips start flying tomorrow...

:: A girl who will in all likely-hood be very attractive on our now "World Famous" Friday Night Parting Shot.

Persian Poker Revisited: Iranian Government a Bunch of Crazy Bitches

A couple of months back, Wicked Chops Poker first reported on a new game sweeping the Middle East: Persian Poker. 

It appears that in Persian Poker’s founding country, Persia (now called “Iran” or something, home of the world's most under-ratedly attractive women, like Nadia Bjorlin, at left), the craze for this game is reaching atomic proportions. 

The Manilla Times today published an in-depth editorial on the state of Persian Poker. 

Of course, as we all know, with news this week that Iran has enriched uranium, the stakes in this poker game have greatly escalated. 

As Iran beats its chests, challenging any country to a “heads-up” match, war hawks the United States are starting to lick their wicked Persian Poker chops.  Unfortunately for the U.S., while we may be (and by “may be” we mean “are so fucking much”) better than anyone at winning heads-up matches in all poker battles, we don’t have much of an idea of what to do once we win.  We’re like Stu Ungar or the old Mike Matusow in that regard. 

Since the U.S. causes so much rage on foreign soil (a price you pay for being that much fucking better than everyone else, especially France), the countries we beat at these high-stakes games tend to go on mega-tilt, and next thing you know, they’re stuck taking shot after shot at our stack (and oddly enough, their own as well sometimes...are you listening Iraq??? Civil wars were so 1860's...).  And since the U.S. can only seem to focus on the big tourneys and not these little sit n’ go battles, we just start bleeding chips. 

Unfortunately for us, the Iranians are particularly difficult to play Persian Poker against.  As inventors of the game, they obviously have the most experience.  Plus, their leader is certifiably fucking crazy.

The TOKE: Poker Zombies, A Bunch of Wild Cards, + Will Pokerdome Save Televised Poker?

:: Poker zombies claim writer's husband.  Wicked Chops Poker are the lucky ones.  Our wives not only never complain about us playing poker, they actually encourage it (probably because they benefit from the fruits of our winnings).  So we feel sorry for the husband of poor LA Daily News columnists Jillian O'Conner.  She's so over the poker fad, she's written an article claiming that poker zombies have snatched her husband.  Let this be a warning to all of you young lads who think your current girlfriend is "the one."  If she ain't into poker, it ain't gonna work.  LA Daily Zombies

:: Cards Gone Wild.  Calvin Ayre's Wild Card Poker debuted last night with an interesting (and mostly entertaining) mix of cards, babes, partying, and over-indulgent self-promotional grandeur (would you expect anything less from Ayre?).  At the table, Cheryl Hines (at right) rode a timely flopped Ac-Kc nut flush against Humberto Brenes (among other hands) to victory, besting Erick Lindgren and then some other people you probably don't care about.  The vibe of the show did much more accurately capture the "Rat Pack" vibe Ayre is aiming for with the Bodog brand than, say, the Arieh-Williams-Ng photoshoot.  And on that note, check back within the next few days for more of our thoughts on the infamous shoot. Gambling 911

:: Pokerdome to save sagging ratings?  Some rag called The New York Times has a fantastic article detailing the peaks and valleys from the past few years in the world of poker.  From the rise and fall of ratings for television shows (like the soon-to-premiere Pokerdome), to the rapid expansion (that will be much less rapid in the next few years) of online poker site profits, the recap is definitely worth a read.  The New York Times

Friday Night Parting Shot: Erica

Tell this dark-haired, poker-lovin', 28-year-old Southern Californian that blondes have more fun, and we bet she'd stick her tongue out at you.

Not that you'd mind.

We first introduced you to Erica here a few weeks ago when we announced our little venture onto MySpace, and when we asked her about poker, she declared, "I LOVE poker! I've been debating quiting my job to become a poker dealer. How funny is that?"

Uh, not as funny as the photo where your sitting next to celeb card tosser Dave Navarro, in which he's apparently either doing some sort of yoga pose or has been waxed.

Still waiting for an explanation on that one.

So besides Erica's rocker girl good looks, striking black hair and penchant for posing with her tongue out, what else is it that we like about her? Well, she's got a pretty good ear for music--she counts Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Portishead and Arcade Fire among her favorites--and she says she never gets sick of watching True Romance or Heathers. Ditto that.

And did we already mention she loves poker?

By the way, Erica now joins Lauren, Marissa and our hometown girl Savannah in this Parting Shot series of ours, and based on the response so far, we're thinking we may have to keep this up. Girls, if you're interested in being featured here, drop us an email, and guys, if you know a girl who fits the bill, definitely give us a heads up. Thanks.

Poker Player DJ AM Wins Back Nicole

File this under "there's no reason we should be reporting this but we have this photo we took at last year's WSOP of Nicole Richie where it looks like she's sitting there bare nekkid, and we want to purge ourselves of it."

Poker player Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, who moonlights/makes money in the PM as a DJ, and Nicole Richie, who was once famous for being on the plus side of size and doing nothing and now is famous for being on the give-her-a-sammich side of size and doing nothing, have reportedly mended ways and are "unofficially engaged," again.

OK, we're done with this story.

Below is the one photo, and next to it is Nicole railbirding (with emphasis on "rail") her beau poker player DJ AM at the 2005 WSOP.

Yo, BoDawg, Rat Pack Bit Started A Little Pitchy

We've been biting our tongues on this one all week, this whole Bodog "Rat Pack" photo shoot, as reported and photographed firsthand by Gambling 911.

So much to comment on, but in simplest terms, as Randy Jackson might say, "BoDawg, you know dude, we just ain't feeling it, yo."

Who knows, perhaps they'll "work it out" by the time this campaign actually runs.

But we're not holding our breaths and biting our tongues at the same time. While we have much love for DW, Evy and Josh, trying to package them as Dean, Sammy and Frank just seems, in Randy Jackson terms, a little "pitchy."  Plus, Josh is happily hitched, David is a good kid, and Evy, well, she's a broad.  We want our Rat Pack boozin', fightin', and pullin' more tail than a two-year-old at a puppy farm.

Be sure to check out all of the behind the scene shots at Gambling 911 and marvel at DW's dapper white shoes and poorly hemmed slacks, appreciate that Josh would rather be at a Falcons game than in a suit on Hollywood Hills (although, to his credit, he's looking more svelte than recently), and understand why we love our women better with their hair down in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt than dressed to the nines.

Also, stay tuned soon for more of our Wicked Chops 'take' on this Rat Pack shoot. You won't want to miss it.

Puggy Pearson: 1929 - 2006

Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson died on Wednesday at the age of 77. 

One of the old-school colorful characters of the game, Puggy is credited for first introducing the "Freeze-Out" style of tournament play.  He brought the idea to Nick the Greek, who brought it to Benny Binion.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Puggy, who got the nickname from a childhood accident that fucked up his nose, was one of the seven people invited by Benny Binion to participate in the first World Series of Poker.  Puggy won the Main Event in 1973, has three total WSOP bracelets, and was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1987.

There's a great chapter in Aces & Kings about Pearson, detailing his rise from poverty in Tennessee to being one of the recognized poker great.  Wicked Chops Poker interviewed the authors of the book last year, when they told us that Puggy:

"...ruled Las Vegas when it was just emerging as the poker mecca."

"Puggy made millions the old-fashioned way - at the tables. He probably never collected a dime that he didn’t have to hustle out of someone who was trying to hustle him right back, but I don’t think he would want it any other way. Sure, Puggy now plays “cheap poker,” as he calls it, but there’s no shame in that for a man in his late 70s. Puggy owns a couple of Johnny Moss’s old World Series bracelets, so he’s seen first-hand the cost of letting pride get the better of common sense."

Get a copy of the book and give it a read. 

Rest in peace, Puggy.

'Story' We Missed: Eva Longoria Is Big

File this under "this isn't a poker story but somehow relates to poker, albeit tenuously, yet it does involve Eva Longoria, and by all standards, she's hot" kind of story. Wicked Chops Poker came across a news bit (via dogpile.com) about Maxim magazine celebrating its 100th issue of soft core porn, sports, gear and stuff with a 75-by-110-foot desert display of Eva Longoria. The Maxim cover girl is seen bikini clad and above her it reads, "THE ONLY MAGAZINE BIG ENOUGH TO BE SEEN FROM SPACE — AND ONLY IN VEGAS!"*

Apparently you can zoom in on this via Google Earth (as seen in the photo). For those unfamiliar with Google Earth, well, Google is now the title sponsor for the planet we inhabit; kind of like the FedEx Orange Bowl, but bigger.

And to get to the poker part, Maxim also celebrated its 100th issue with some poker "tournament" at Steve's new hotel/casino, the Wynn.

And speaking of Maxim, be sure to check out FOWCP and our favorite Hometown Hottie Jen Graham. She's a young actress you'll be hearing more about, both here at Wicked Chops Poker and, if there's any justice in the world, everywhere else.

The actual Eva Longoria Maxim photo without the satellite strain after the jump...

* Also 'Only in Vegas' will be a few WCPers this May 5 thru 9; more on that another time.

Review: ESPNRadio's The Poker Edge

Ok, maybe it's no Mike & Mike yet, but it's got potential.

ESPNRadio debuted The Poker Edge this past Monday.  Hosted by Phil Gordon and Andrew Feldman, the show covered the week that was in poker, as well as some strategy and insight from Gordon and special guest Phil Hellmuth. 

Informationally, the show hit the big stories of the week, from Victor Ramdin's WPT Foxwood's win, to the push on Capital Hill to keep online poker legal.  Gordon provided some "expert insight" into both topics. 

For the WPT Foxwoods event, he mentioned how, "Victor [Ramdin] is one of those guys that's fallen below the radar," and how Ramdin reminds him of "John Juanda, as far as approach to the game." 

On the inside-the-beltway buzz concerning new legislation to outlaw online poker, Phil commented how these types of bills "come up every single year." and that he does believe that, "the bill will be defeated."  Feldman chimed in with some solid info on how there are "23 million online poker players" in the U.S, "yet there's still concerns these bills will go through."  Gordon believes, "99 out of 100 people are playing [online poker] for social reasons, not a living." and that, "the government does not need to protect us from social poker."

While it's great to continue raising awareness on the topic of poker legalization, an opportunity to discuss alternative solutions, like the Government legalizing, regulating, and taxing online poker in the States, was missed. 

From there, it was on to a lengthy discussion on the art of bluffing.  Phil Hellmuth dropped in to throw his two cents in on the topic (Hellmuth is known for his ability to read bluffs).  He also discussed how the taping of Celebrity Poker Showdown is going (there's "really high level poker from some people here," he says) and the new book by Blair Rodman, Kill Phil. 

While informationally the show covered all of the key, timely topics, there are clearly some format improvements that could be made.  The show does come off more "interviewy" than interactive at times.  To keep the flow and momentum moving along, more topics, and particularly, more guests (or listener feedback) could add new life and dimension to segments.

However, Feldman (seen here with Johnny Chan) and Gordon do interact well.  Gordon is about as trusted of a "brand name" you can have hosting a poker show, and he comes across consistently solid as usual.  Feldman also seems like a natural at this, more than holding his own.  With these two at the helm, the "cheese factor" common with some poker shows is non-existent.  The elements are in place for the show to grow into more of a cool and edgy format...something that truly stands out and is still surprisingly lacking in the poker entertainment arena.

If you haven't already, listen to (or download) The Poker Edge on ESPNRadio.  And hit up ESPN.com today at 1pm for a chat with both Gordon and Feldman. 

Bill v. Phil: the 'Worldwide' Champ takes on the FORMER World Champ

FORMER World Champion Phil Hellmuth and his arch-ego-nemesis Bill Fillmaff are set to battle it out in what is being billed by UltimateBet.com as "the greatest competition in the history of everything."

If you aren't familiar with Fillmaff, he's the hilarious Phil Hellmuth parody and one-time, undisputed Worldwide Poker Champion (although it was a year all the players were on strike in a league that doesn't exist). Apparently, Hellmuth has had enough of Fillmaff's claims of being the world's greatest, or at the least, saw the chance to pimp his UltimateBet.com with this clever promotion.

We first came across this bit of news as well as the must-see official Bill vs. Phil website over at CardSquad.com, courtesy of Derek McGuire, who in turn credited Mr. CantHang for the info. Be sure to watch the accompanying video at BillvsPhil.com to see Hellmuth try to lay down some rhymes and Fillmaff do his thing. Funny stuff.

Also, if you haven't visited Bill Fillmaff's website and watched some of his classic "Secret System" videos or see his bit on how anyone who wins a tournament with his signature K-Jo owes him 15%, you're missing out on some good humor

In related Bill v. Phil news, it's always worth it to see what perpetual Hellmuth hater Paul Phillips has to say on the rivalry. Check out some of Paul's posts, including this one in which Paul tells how Chad Layne busted Hellmuth at the Rio and the FORMER World Champion went ballistic calling Layne a "motherfucker," among other things. Classic Hellmuth. Sadly.

In unrelated Bill v. Phil news, the other major heads-up saga between Jeff Sealey and Spek seems to be at a standstill.

UPDATE: Somehow we neglected to include this link of Hellmuth hate over at Paul Phillips' blog, posted yesterday. Phillips quotes a recent article on Hellmuth that tells how the FORMER World Champ vowed to remain celibate in preparation for the 1989 WSOP, to which Phillips remarks:

Every night he kicked supermodels and their crackers out of his bed so as not to blow his wad before winning the wsop. Try to imagine what it was like for the first woman he did sleep with after that... no, stop, stop, it's more horrifying than the assworms.

See what others, including Bill Fillmaff himself, had to say about Hellmuth, Fillmaff and assworms.

Bodog Gets Sued Over "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker," Series Starts this Saturday on FSN

A Wicked Chops Poker Exclusive*

In a lawsuit filed in a California state court last Tuesday, an L.A. television and film producer named Babette Pepaj claims she created and pitched online gaming giant Bodog an "original poker style reality television" concept entitled "Poker Showdown" and that with the upcoming airing of "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker" on Fox Sports Net, Calvin Ayre and gang have "used, exploited and utilized"** Pepaj's reality show concept.

Pepaj, who you may or (more likely) may not know for producing such "landmark" small screen programming as "He's a Lady," "Classmates," "For Better or for Worse," "Love Shack" and "Livin' Large," is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

According to a Bodog spokesperson, an injunction sought against the airing of the show has already been denied by the Los Angeles Superior Court, so for those who already have their TiVo set for "Wild Card Poker" this Saturday night, 11 p.m.-1 a.m., the party is on.

Pepaj's filed complaint is attached as a pdf here. We unfortunately don't have Bodog's Defense and Counterclaim to the suit to share with you, but they say too much legal reading "may" cause blindness, erectile dysfunction, and premature balding, so unless you already have those conditions and have nothing to lose, you shouldn't read that stuff anyway.

But to sum up Pepaj's claims for you, basically she's saying she created a reality tv show idea that "would for the first time infuse the high tension of poker tournament play with the 'in your face' drama of reality television," and "included numerous novel aspects such as.... experiences of the participants living within the Bodog Mansion, and various other excursions exposing the audience and participants to the Bodog lifestyle."

The parties involved in the suit met on several occasions at swanky LA hotels, agreements were or weren't made and the end result is that Bodog begins airing its reality poker series this Saturday and Pepaj is saying she got screwed. Her suit claims breach of written contract, breach of implied contract, breach of confidence and misappropriation of ideas.

We have no opinion on any of these allegations except that Pepaj's previous work blows and that the planned show called "Poker Showdown" sounds neither "unique" nor "original," and even appears to infringe, in name alone, on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown." We also have the opinion that "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker" will be watched more for its poolside action than the action on the felt and that Ayre is a rich dude who is getting tons of exposure these days and no doubt this won't be the last of allegations made against him (nor the first).

But our opinions are our opinions so instead we're just going to share a link with you of the commercial for 'Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker" (you can also click the image above). It features various footage from the series' shindigs/tournament and Ayre at the end saying "Welcome to My World," which depending on how this lawsuit and potentially others turnout, may or may not be a world you wish for.

Related reads:

:: Bodog Press Release for "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker" TV Series

:: A Time Magazine article on women poker players, in which the 30-something year old Babette Pepaj was interviewed.

:: Wicked Chops Poker stories on the filming of "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker," including the raid by Costa Rican police - here and here.

* As far as we know.
** Leave it to a lawyer to use the word "used" and "utilized" in the same sentence.

The Poker Edge Premieres On ESPN Radio Today at 4pm -- Gordon and Feldman to Host

ESPNRadio.com is set to debut The Poker Edge today at 4pm. 

Hosting the show is 2008 presidential front-runner Phil Gordon and FOWCP Andrew Feldman.  New Celebrity Poker Showdown color-man Phil Hellmuth will also be stopping by.  The "Expert Insight" topic of the week will be on bluffing.  As Feldman simply put it to us, it's "Gonna be a lot of fun."

You can submit questions to the show by emailing [email protected], and tune in at 4pm (EST) on ESPNRadio to hear the goods.

El Blanco Pelé Sucks at Poker

At 16, footballer Wayne Rooney was the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premiership. At 17, he became the youngest player to ever play for England, and when Rooney signed with Manchester United he became the world's richest teenage athlete in a £30 million deal. The man they refer to as El Blanco Pelé (which translates to "Cracker Pelé" or something) has since racked up numerous titles including the "Golden Boy" prize as Europe's best young player, FIFPro's young player of the year and a bounty of "man of the match" accolades. Now in 2006, football fans are saying that it's time for "Wayne's World Cup" as he leads England's charge this summer for its first Cup title in 40 years.

But when it comes to gambling and poker, apparently the 20-year-old star striker is quite the loser.

Victor Ramdin Captures WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic

In what you will likely hear another 20-odd times this year...the WPT has crowned yet another new millionaire!!!

Victor Ramdin, the most experienced tournament player remaining at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic, out-dueled the final table to capture the crown.

For the victory, Ramdin banks $1,331,889.  Other final table payouts include: 2) Alex Jacob - 655,507, 3) Edward Jordan - 417,520, 4) Larry Klur - 292,264, 5) John Russell - 208,760, 6) Bruce Kater - 167,008.

Poker Player Rocco Mediate Finishes 36th at Masters

After being at or near the top of the leaderboard for three days, well known poker player Rocco Mediate finished in a tie for 36th at the Masters today.

Wicked Chops Poker first saw Mediate in action at last year's WSOP ME, where he eventually outlasted over 80% of the field.  While we could instantly tell that Rocco was good with diamonds, hearts, and spades, it turns out that Mediate is particularly skilled with clubs. 

Unfortunately, Mediate has a history of back problems that may prevent him for pursuing this golf hobby of his full-time. 

But fortunately for Mediate, poker requires absolutely zero physical conditioning, as Joe Stillman (at left) and countless others (let's not name names, but Tomer Benvenisti and Russell Salzer do come to mind) can attest. 

Even though Mediate tilted by shooting a final round 80 (8 over par), we're still impressed.  Making the transition from poker to golf can't be easy.  So let's all hope that Mediate's skill on the green grass at Augusta makes its way back to the green felt at Rio for this year's World Series.

Rocco at the 2005 WSOP after the jump...

Jordan Leads Lackluster Foxwoods Final Table

With most of poker's heavy hitters converging on the Bellagio for the WPT Five-Star World Poker Classic, Foxwoods is set to wrap it's very own WPT event today.

Leading the way at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic final table is Ed "EBJ" Jordan, stacked at 2,875,000. Ed's other cashing in a live tournament was at the Borgata Winter Open where he finished 15th in Event #8 ($2,500 NLH).

"Some" may say the man to beat though is Victor Ramdin.  Victor is the most experienced tourney player of the final table-ists, with over a half a mil in career tournament earnings.  Ramdin starts final table play with 1,793,000.

The rest of the final table includes: 3) Larry Klur - 1,687,000, 4) Alex Jacob - 1,066,000, 5) John Russell - 639,000, 6) Bruce Kater - 564,000.

Day 1 and 2 chip leader, Greg Monaldi, was eliminated in 12th place.

WPT Foxwoods: Can Monaldi Go Wire-to-Wire?

Day 3 play is underway at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic and only 22 rounders remain.  Greg Monaldi, the Day 1 leader, maintained the top stack.  He was the only player to start the day with over 1,000,000 in chips.  Monaldi (pictured at right) finished 4th in an earlier Foxwoods Poker Classic event ($1850 NLH), banking $32,536.  Not a bad week for the amateur.

No one else you've likely ever heard of remains in the top 22.  Although there is yet another Nguyen (first name, Van) in contention.

Get full chip counts and live blogging at Poker Wire and/or Card Player.

*Photo from The Hendon Mob database.

Friday Night Parting Shot: Savannah

If 20-year-old Savannah H. from McDonough, Georgia was any cuter she'd be a fluffy little bunny named Peaches, which is ironic because Savannah has a fluffy little bunny named Peaches. This self-described country girl loves her cowboy boots and is currently a college student while part-timing at her Grandpa's hardware store. Yes, you heard right. She's a 20-year-old, blonde-hair, brown-eyed, cowboy boot wearin' Georgia girl named Savannah who has a bunny named Peaches, goes to college and works part-time in her gramp's hardware store.

Where do we find these girls? Just sounds too good to be true?

In a way it is. You see, before you make plans to hop on the next plane down to Atlanta and roll on over to McDonough, you should know that sweet Savannah is, as they like to say down here, already spoken for. And since we're nice guys we'll even pimp her beau, Danny Moore, who's a singer/songwriter down in these here neck o' the woods. You can see where he's playing and check out a tune or two over at www.dannymooremusic.com.

But enough about lucky Danny. When we asked Savannah if she plays poker, she said, "I hardly ever have time to play poker, but I love it!"

And while her love of poker is certainly a plus, let's just say she had us at "a fluffy little bunny named Peaches."

If you're looking for Savannah over at MySpace, be warned that she's set her profile on private, and probably for good reason, 'cause as Chops likes to say "MySpace is creepy." And if you go there and it says her age is 14, don't worry we haven't lost our minds. On MySpace that is the only way to make your profile private (and again for good reason), and we do know for a fact that Savannah is 20 as she lives just down the way from the WCP office and we were lucky enough to meet her before this whole "Parting Shot" series got underway. So while you may not be able to see her full profile online or photos like the one where she's dressed as a pirate for Halloween, we will share with you a Jeff Foxworthy-like tidbit (this is Georgia now) she has up on her blog entitled "Ya Might be from Georgia If"....it's posted after the jump, along with a pic of Peaches.

Foxwoods, Godsmack and Tony Bennett

The 2006 Foxwoods Poker Classic got underway yesterday with 431 players in the field and a WPT title and $1,331,889 first-place cash at stake. While a number of pros stayed behind in Vegas getting ready for the Five-Star Classic, many familiar names were in the field including some of the new youngin's finding success over the past year like 24-year-old Brad Kondracki (8th - 2005 WSOP ME), 21-year-old Josh "Sdouble" Schlein (2nd - WPT Aruba Poker Classic) and '12-year-old' Nick Schulman, who's back at Foxwoods after becoming the WPT's youngest champion there at last November's World Poker Finals.

Bombshell Poker, Why Not...

With our weekly parting shot, Friday has turned somewhat into a female appreciation day here at Wicked Chops Poker, so let's give a story from earlier in the week. Its' just due.

Briefly mentioned on Tuesday in our Evelyn Ng goes to Bodog post, believe it or not, another new online site has launched and...wait wait!!!...don't go!!!...before you stop reading we promise it'll be worth your while...wait!!!...waaaiiit!!!...ok...another new online site has launched and this one promises to be the "sexiest" around.

Meet the girls of Bombshell Poker.

A press release from the company claims that, "Bombshell Poker offers an endless supply of 'models by day, professional poker players by night.'"

So please, play Bombshell Poker. Because if Bombshell ends up being a bomb, then these girls may end up being professional- something-elses by night if you catch our drift.

You just couldn't do that to the Costello twins, could you?

Although with promotions like, "Win-a- Date with a Bombshell" and giving users the ability to "email the girls directly," maybe they're moving in that direction already.  If Trischelle ends up as a "babe" over the next few months we may just know for sure.

More Bombshell babes at the jump...

The Grinder Chats + People Still Think Online Poker is Rigged

Two-time WPT title winner Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi chatted up ESPN.com readers yesterday.  Mizrachi revealed that "The Grinder" nickname actually started as his online handle years ago.  Also revealing was that people still think online poker sites are rigged.  Grinder was late for the chat (a ghost in the machine?), so FOWCP Andrew Feldman held down the fort and was barraged with conspiracy theories on online poker (something tells us Jeremy from Birmingham has had to make more than a few Firepay deposits in his account recently), to which we had some thoughts on as well. Excerpts below:

Jeremy (Birmingham, AL): Andrew - Have you ever heard the term "pot-building" in regards to online sites dealing out drawing cards at the same time as strong hands on purpose in order to encourage the players to bet and call all the way down, thus increasing the size of the pot and subsequently the size of the rake? And if so, do you think that it is true?

Jeremy (Birmingham, AL): Andrew- Have you ever noticed that the number of bad beats online seems to be much greater than in real game play? Do you believe that online sites increase the number of bad beats so they get a bigger rake?

Chops (Wicked Chops Poker): Have you heard that online poker sites killed JFK and hid the aliens that crashed in Roswell, NM?

Andrew Feldman: Good old chops. Check out their poker site, usually has some good information, and if not information, maybe something else..: http://www.wickedchopspoker.com

Check out the full chat transcript on ESPN's Poker Club.

New Bond Attracts Gay Men, Knows Jack Squat About Poker

(editorial note: If you'd rather just see photos of Sienna Miller, Eva Green and Caterina Murino than read about how the new James Bond is a 'wuss,' 'poof' and 'skirt,' scroll down and click 'continue reading...')

Remember when Wicked Chops Poker almost changed it's name to Wicked Chops Baccarat after hearing that the new Bond film was going to be Casino Royale, which, at least in the book by the same name, had James Bond saving the world in a game of Baccarat?

As we said back then, "Seriously, think of all the teens around the world who will dream of one day becoming the world champ in baccarat after they see the new Bond flick."

Alright, maybe that doesn't ring a bell.

Oh wait, remember that post that had like 5 photos of Brit hottie Sienna Miller, who was also reportedly shagging the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, when she wasn't off bonking Jude Law?

OK, as we were saying, we learned back then that the new Bond film was actually scrapping Baccarat for some funny sounding card game called Texas Hold'em (Why Texas? Hold what? Why the use of an apostrophe?). Well, ever since that announcement, Craig has run into some heavy criticism from Bond fans who think he's just not 007 material. First, word got out that he chipped a tooth during a fight scene (wuss) and then rumors circulated that he suffered heat rash in the Bahamas (poof) and finally we heard that he could only drive automatic cars (skirt).

But most damningly, the British tabloids now report that the new Bond doesn't know how to play poker?

Seriously. No joke.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Daniel could not play cards - it was so funny. It is a critical part of the film, where Bond shows how cool a customer he is. But it was frustratingly ridiculous how long it took to teach the cast how to play or behave at a poker table."

"Everyone at the hotel has been laughing about a Bond who can't play cards."

Or drive a stick. Or take a punch. Or knows that in warm, humid weather you're suppose to wear loose-fitting, light clothing, such as natural fabrics like cotton that allow the skin to sweat more efficiently than synthetics.

And to make things worse, Craig also just admitted that he's more of a gay magnet than chick draw.

"I was out recently and all these gay guys were over me like a rash, but they never ask about the Bond plot," said Craig.

Kind of like that heat rash you got down in the Bahamas, wasn't it?

But things aren't so bad for Craig. His two co-stars are Eva Green and Caterina Murino. Eva, in case you don't know, is the French temptress who starred in the movie The Dreamers, in which she played a young naked girl who was naked for two hours, as far as we can remember. If you didn't see it, you can watch clips here and here but be warned they're the kind of clips you don't view at work, in front of children or in the presence of your wife, girlfriend or pet.

And if you don't know Caterina Murino, she's that Italian girl who's hot and is co-starring in the new James Bond film with Eva Green. See above.

Pics of all girls mentioned in this post after jump. For our gay reader(s) or the "curious," go here.

PokerStars.com is Sticky

PokerStars.com, where poker players become world champions (or lose a SNG after flopping a set of jacks only to have another flop a set of fives and river a fourth), is February's stickiest web site in America according to Nielsen//NetRatings. With the average user spending 18 1/2 hours on PokerStars.com per month, the poker site has out-stickied AOL by more than 3-to-1 and Yahoo! and Friendster by 6-to-1.

MySpace.com surprisingly didn't even make the top 10 cut (considering some of the photos you come across there, you'd think it would be the stickiest . . . in one way or another).

We first came across this tidbit over at our Spanish amigos (spanish for "friends") site, Póquer-Red, who pointed out that the commenters over at 2+2 were theorizing on how PokerStars.com could be so sticky considering most people don't waste their time on an actual poker sites' web pages.

"Badgerpoo" smartly suggests, "It looks like the pokerstars client actually acts like a web browser when it displays the pictures along the bottom. This has probably skewed the results wildly as no one using the client is actually viewing."

"ImsaKidd" ponders, "It probably counds (sic) idle time. Lots of people leave the client open w/o playing."

But we here at Wicked Chops Poker think "Sciolist" and "tomdemaine" have the answer.

"Sciolist" claims, "They are looking at pictures of Lee Jones. I know that's what I do in my spare time," to which "tomdemaine" simply responded with the image we share above.

Ah, Lee Jones. So, so dreamy. Like an everyman's Calvin Ayre. If only he had a MySpace page, we could be friends.

Jesus Defends Online Poker's Legality

As mentioned in The TOKE earlier this week, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer are inside the beltway this week speaking out against three bills that aim to make online poker illegal.  In a press conference yesterday, the three pros, along with Michael Bolcerek of the PPA and Radly Balko of the Cato Institute, detailed key points of their stance:

:: If poker is legal in U.S. casinos, then it should be legal online.

:: Rep. Bob Goodlatte's Internet Gambling Prohibition Act (Goodlatte (R-VA), pictured at right) would essentially censor the Internet "by allowing courts to order ISPs to shut down access to offshore gambling sites." PPA prez Bolcerek compares this censorship to that of the Chinese government, which also blocks Internet content from its people.  Fucking commies.  Balko, a policy analyst for the libertarian Cato Institute, adds that, "Monitoring what American citizens do in their own homes, with their own money and in their own time, just isn't the federal government's responsibility...The government is not our babysitter."

:: Goodlatte's bill would require banks and ISPs to intrude on U.S. resident's privacy.

:: Other games significantly rely on a greater chance element than poker, like horse racing or state lotteries, can be played legally online. Poker is a much more skilled game. As Jesus said yesterday, "Once you sit down at that table, you're all equal."

:: The vast majority of the American public (ranging from 75% to 85%, depending on the poll) want online poker to be legal.

While all issues raised by the opposition group are potent, the point on public polling may prove most compelling, as policymakers tend to listen to their people.  The public's desire for legalized online poker may push the Fed to make the right call in the end: regulate it, tax it, and reap the financial benefits.

Love DOES Exist!!! Anna Benson of GoldDiggerPoker.com Wants Kris Back!!!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!

Yes!

Yes!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss!!!

(Publicity) Whore Anna Benson of golddiggerpoker.com is showing the world that true love may exist afterall.

Like the Cyndi Lauper song "Change of Heart,"(lyrics at the jump) Anna Benson of golddiggerpoker.com has had a, uh, change of heart, withdrawing her petition for divorce. 

While Wicked Chops Poker will sleep soundly tonight, knowing that love, commitment, and goodness always prevails in the end, even happier are the rest of the Benson's Orioles teammates, as they now anxiously await Kris to crack and cheat on Anna so they can all bang her senseless.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com