Day Dream Pool at M Brings You Today's Poker Link Dump

Watch Grand Opening of Day Dream at M Resort and Spa on RawVegas.tv

One thing not in recession due to The Economy^TM right now are hot girls in bikinis at Las Vegas pools. The newest pool at the newest casino, Day Dream at M, opened this week. While we don't think that looking hot in a bikini should be your top professional goal if you're a girl, it's right up there jockeying for first position along with administrative assistant skills, flight attending, and sewing (hello 1909!).

:: The NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship begins airing on the aforementioned NBC this Sunday at noon (relive this year's excitement here). [link]

:: Apparently there was a rumor circulating that Clonie Gowen's lawsuit was being dismissed, but that's not so much "true" as it is "untrue." [link]

:: Apparently the Durrrr Challenge is still going on. After a number of short sessions, durrrr and Patrik Antonius logged their longest heads-up battle to date. Antonius banked a $110,000 lead when the dust cleared. [link]

:: For the first time in his life, Barney Frank plans to play it straight...with anti-UIGEA legislation, that is. [link]

:: Hey, buy Dr. Pauly's book, "Lost Vegas," when it comes out. It's got a 1000000% chance to be a better read than "Take Me to the River." [link]

:: The SCOOP is in full swing, with Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi taking a Seven-Card Stud title. [link]

:: Finally, meet MookNam, the latest to give "making the great poker song" the old college try. [link]

:: Finally finally, we're huge South Park fans, and this week's "Fish Sticks" episode is an insta-classic. While Kayne West may be a "gay fish," good to see that Ray J is not (zoom to the very end). [link]

Lee Watkinson/Markholt to Team Up For Doyle Brunson Beer Pong Challenge II

We just got the so far confirmed list of players for the Doyle Brunson Beer Pong Challenge II to take place next Monday--and one team particularly stood out: Lee Watkinson/Markholt.

What? How can this be?

Seriously, how exactly is this feat going to be accomplished? Trick mirrors? CGI? Some hocus pocus or slight of hand from Antonio Esfandiari or... heaven forbid... Scott Lazar?

Anyway, below is a partial list of confirmed players that will be competing along with Team Markinsonholt^TM. RawVegas.tv will be there filming as well. Below below is last year's event. Should be fun.

Todd Brunson and Brett Jungblunt / Hoyt Corkins and Doyle Brunson / Erica Schoenberg and Dave Stann / Scott Ian and Mike Murray / Marshall Reign-Jason and Corey (a country band) / Brandon Cantu and Jeff Madsen / Joe Sebok and [partner not yet confirmed] / Bryan Micon and [partner not yet confirmed]

Watch Beer Pong with Doyle and Todd Brunson on RawVegas.tv

Vadim Trincher Wins WPT Foxwoods Poker Classiczzzzzzz

Vadim Trincher a 48 year-old ex-commie from the Soviet Union Russia took down the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic, defeating Amnon Fillipi heads-up for the title.

With the win (banking $731,079), the uber-aggressive Trincher, who now lives in NYC, pushes his career tournament earnings to over $1M.  

Fillipi takes $409,405 for second.

Get full final table payouts here.

We're Done Watching Annie Duke on Celebrity Apprentice

A few days late getting to this, practically a week, but better later than never, so after giving the Celebrity Apprentice with Annie Duke (who is clearly pwning the show) a good month of run, we're done with it.

Until next week. Then we're officially done with it. More on that in a minute.

This past week's episode had Donald Trump making two inexplicable eliminations when there were way more deserving people (total douche Clint Black, either of the creepy as fuck Rivers's). While the two people he axed (Khloe Kardashian and T-Boz) we could care less about, his reasoning/rationale was totally arbitrary, and it kind of ruined the show for us.

So we're done.

Until next week.

In the preview, it showed Joan Rivers (pictured here) and Annie getting into some all out argument, which probably is the base cause for Joan (pictured here) to call Annie "a piece of garbage" a few weeks back. So we're gonna at least watch that one.

Then we're done. Unless Herschel Walker makes it to the final, because the fucking DAWGS rule.

Below is Trump's firing of Khloe.

Lacey Jones Featured In The Grouch and Eligh's Video For "All In"

Screen grab from The Grouch and Eligh's new single "All In" starring Lacey Jones.

If underground hip hop act The Grouch and Eligh's new single "All In" was actually about poker it would rank right up there as one of the best poker songs ever. But besides it's title, the song really has nothing to do with poker. Instead it's all about, well, who knows. Hard to understand what they're saying.

Regardless, none of that stopped them from getting Lacey Jones, the hottest girl in poker, to star in their video wearing nothing but lingerie while playing poker. And if you know Lacey like we do, and you don't, that's her favorite way to play poker. So good move there The Grouch and Eligh. Not a good move though: not showing Lacey for the full 4:53. Way too much random rapper guy staring at the camera rapping the whole time and not nearly enough Lacey Jones standing there looking hot.

Check out the full video here. For a video of Lacey in lingerie sans dudes rapping, go here.

More of Lacey Jones here.

PartyGaming to Pay U.S. Government $105 Million

PartyGaming Plc, the parent company to the much missed daily donkfest known as Party Poker, has agreed to pay the U.S. American government $105M "to settle charges that it illegally offered gambling to players in the United States," according to the Washington Post.

How PartyGaming the company got off with only having to pay $105M while one of its founders, the unfortunately named Anurag Dikshit, had to pay $300M, is beyond us. But this development does raise two important points: 1) with Dikshit having to pay $300M and with Anoop Desai's possibly elmination from American Idol either this week or one of the next two, it's maybe not the Year of the Indian after all, and 2) with the state of The Economy^TM today, we'll take a collective $405M any way we can get it.

The news sent online gaming stocks soaring internationally. Analysts believe PartyGaming's actions will lead to other settlements and industry consolidation (increasing profits for all). And the settlement could ease the way for Party Poker's reentry to the U.S. market when the murky laws sort of making online poker kind of illegal are eventually lifted.

Read the full Washington Post story here.

Chip Reese's Son Casey Died

Chip Reese's son, Casey, has passed away.

Rumors are swirling on forums that Casey was battling drug issues and his death was related to that, and given that he was only 20 and presumably in good shape as he was a talented baseball, it could make sense, but we have no idea if that's true or not. Of course, a toxicology report is being conducted.

Regardless, more sad news for the Reese family. Well wishes to them for sure.

UltimateBet Inks Chuck Liddell to Sponsorship for UFC 97

Whether or not UltimateBet has any staying power in sponsoring major MMA fighters/events after this month remains to be seen (we say "no,"), however, Bluff Magazine is reporting that they did just finish a deal to patch up Chuck Liddell for UFC 97.

Liddell wore Poker Stars at the 2008 WSOP Main Event and is one of the few fighters not to have a big Full Tilt sticker on his ass during a fight in recent months.

Unlike Full Tilt Poker, who slapped patches on just about every fighter in the octagon, UltimateBet seems to be taking a cheaper more targeted approach.

Tilt may still end up as a UFC sponsor after this month though, as UB has nothing guaranteed past 97. And Bluff notes they are still carrying on promotions:

"Full Tilt has been running a series of freerolls for Canadian players that would see them travel by train with Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren and Gavin Smith to see UFC 97. Given the relatively quick notice it is unlikely that Full Tilt would cancel their promotion."

Read more here and here.

In completely unrelated and way sexier news, below is a vid from last year of UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste doing a Maxim photo shoot.

Lee Markholt/Watkinson Gunning for Second WPT Title

It'll be a short day at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic. Only 10 remain, with play starting at noon EST and wrapping when the six-man TV final table is set.

Among those still alive is Lee Markholt/Watkinson, who is second overall in chips with 1,314,000. He only trails Lenny Cortellino with 1,520,000. In related news, has anybody born after 2000 been named Lenny? That name has pretty much been retired, right?

Amnon Filipi (1,248,000) and Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler (394,000) are also still alive.

Get full chip counts and recaps here.

Hot Girls Pillow Fighting Brings You Today's Not Necessarily Just Poker News

Apparently this weekend there was an International Pillow Fighting Day (awesome idea, whoever made that one up). So in honor, view pics of hot girls pillow fighting here and watch the below vid for more...

:: Big story the past few days is Nolan Dalla's excellent two part interview with Amarillo Slim. The poker legend makes a compelling case for his innocence against child molestation charges and explains why he plea bargained. Maybe that feature film about him (Nic Cage was once attached) will get kicking again. [link & link]

:: Heard about this but just got around to reading it (thanks Pauly); Jay Newnum writes about twitter's impact on poker. [link]

:: The 10 Hottest Stripper Mugshots. [link]

:: For some reason, people care that Johnny Chan thinks Stu Ungar would beat Phil Ivey heads-up at no limit hold'em. [link]

:: Whatever you do, DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK. [link]

:: Looks like the Big Game is rolling again in Bobby's Room (but with lower limits...damn you, The Economy^TM). [link]

:: Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Patrik Antonius killed it on Full Tilt last month and are neck-and-neck in their heads-up challenge match. [link]

:: Finally, Borat was funny but a bit overrated. Hopefully Bruno is funny and sufficiently rated. [link]

Watch Vegas Pin-Ups Pillowfight Ep. 2 on RawVegas.tv