Gavin Smith Wins FTOPS Event #7; FTOPS Missing Many Guarantees

 

As you know, we typically don't report on online tournaments or live prelims unless something noteworthy happens.

So when FTP pro Gavin Smith, who is notably and admittedly not much of an online tourney player, wins a FTOPS event, it warrants mention.

Smith took down FTOPS Event #7 ($100 no-limit hold'em with rebuys), beating a field of 1,806 to bank $123,600.

Also warranting a mention is that this edition of the FTOPS is seriously missing its guaranteed marks. Whether it's The Economy^TM, poor marketing, over-saturation, or some other factor, it seems like the FTOPS has lost some of its luster.

Read a good breakdown of the FTOPS missing its mark at the Poker-King here.

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.

BREAKING: Poker Stars Pulling Its Sponsored Players From Poker After Dark

Poker Stars is no longer allowing its players to participate on Poker After Dark.

We received an email to the site today detailing how earlier this week Stars told its sponsored players that they will not be able to play on the popular late night show. The reason: the way Full Tilt Poker, who underwrites the production of Po ker After Dark, markets the show internationally.

While U.S. American broadcasts aren't overtly distinguishable as a Full Tilt production, foreign markets receive a more branded version of the program.

An initial request for a quote from Poker Stars was not returned in time for this post, however we will keep you posted if they do.

Hopefully this doesn't begin a Biggie/Tupac, East Coast/West Coast style fued between the two online poker giants, who have more or less co-existed comfortably for years. Last thing we want is Stars getting capped on the Vegas strip followed by Tilt pumped with a lead salad in LA. Nobody wins in that scenario, guys.

Nobody.

Phil Ivey Killed It on Full Tilt Poker in 2008

Phil Ivey's wallet got a lot fatter on Full Tilt last year...

Despite supposedly busting his bankroll back in February, Phil Ivey ended the year as the biggest cash game winner on Full Tilt in 2008, banking over $7.4M.

He's followed by Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond(seems like he should get a NBC Heads-Up invite this year) with $6.97M. Also clocking in the top 10 were Tom "durrrr" Dwan($5.36M), David Benyamine($2.93M), and another rumored busto player, Patrik Antonius($1.90M).

Padding everyone's bankroll was the biggest loser, lady marmelade, bleeding $6.6M. Others in the top 10 cash game losers were Steve Sung(-$1.01M) and John Juanda (-$988,000).

View the full list here.

Full Tilt Poker Branding All Over UFC Stars' Behinds

Full Tilt Poker is really getting behind MMA fighters...

When we were first introduced to mixed martial arts we didn't quite get it as it just seemed like a bunch of half-naked sweaty dudes pinning each other in positions with their junk in each other's faces.

But once you get past that, it blows boxing away and it satisfies the occasional bloodlust. So while watching fights, we've been interested to see the likes of Randy Couture, Mike Swick, and Josh Koscheck donning Full Tilt Poker logos lately.

We were on-hand to speak with Forrest Griffin the day after he won the UFC Light Heavyweight title and was put in the WSOP Main Event by FTP. So there is some precedent for getting involved with MMA stars.

Since the Entities are all about judging books by their covers, not giving the benefit of the doubt, and drawing conclusions, we can only surmise this trend will continue as Poker Stars markets heavily to people who don't speak U.S. American while Tilt shores up the base by targeting the "like" demographic that MMA represents to poker.

Or maybe FTP management just likes fighting and has some extra bones to throw around. Whatever. Hey look over there! It's Danielle Lloyd only wearing a Santa cap and stockings!

Get more MMA news.

Erick Lindgren Hosting Charity Fundraiser on FTP Wednesday

FOWCP Erick Lindgren is hosting an online fundraiser for the the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society/Southern Nevada in memory of Mindy Trinidad.

Trinidad final tabled the 2007 World Series of Poker Ladies event and won the Reno Hilton's Pot of Gold. The mother of two recently passed due to complications associated with Leukemia. 

To enter the fundraiser, go to the FullTilt Tournament Lobby and click on the PRIVATE tab. The tourney is listed as "Dec 3 19:00 Hold'em NL $5 + $5" with the password "charity."

The winner banks a first place cash prize and a "WORLD" model Curtis & Co. watch valued at $2,200.

And that concludes the nicest post we've done all yea--ever.

WCP Interview with FTOPS Main Event Champ dubbeemin

dubbeemin with his grandpop--who won enough money playing poker while serving in WWII to put a down payment on a house. All while kicking German ass. America f'ing rules!

This past weekend, online poker player 'dubbeemin' took down Full Tilt Poker's FTOPS Main Event for a monster cash of $432,400. Or as we like to call it, "some serious Internet money^TM." Here's what dub has to say on the win, what he was listening to while playing, and what's up with that pot-sounding handle.

WCP: What's up with the handle? Where'd you get the name?
dub: Most people think it's a pot reference but it's not. A friend of mine abbreviated my given name and called me B-Min for short. There is a character in Any Given Sunday named Willy Beemin. He started calling me that and eventually shortened it to Dub (short for W) Beemin. It wasnt a nickname that stuck but when it came time for a handle, I liked it.

WCP: How long you been playing online?
dub: I'm a product of Moneymaker. I started right around that time.

WCP: What was your biggest cash before this?
dub: Around 13k. I believe it was an FTOP PLH final table that imperium ended up winning.

WCP: How ape shit were you going as you got down to final table play?
dub: Surprisingly not that ape shit. I am an emotional person but truthfully I was just so focused at that point. I had been having some end game issues and botched same deep runs due to what amounted to a lack of concentration. I was just really focused on what was happening in front of me. My brother and his friends were literally behind me at that point so there were a couple of coin flips that had me out of my seat.

WCP: What'd you have on the TV/music playing in the background during the tournament?

dubbeemin Wins FTOPS Main Event

For all we know dubbeemin is pictured lower left with shaved head. To revist our Girls on the Rail go here.

Full Tilt Poker wrapped the FTOPS yesterday with their $2.5 mil guarenteed Main Event. The tourney drew 4,880 runners people online players for a first place pull of $432,400.

Without Harrah's and ESPN in the way, the final table played down to a winner without a four-month break in between. And just missing out on that final table was a member of The November 9^TM, short-stacked and big-boned Kelly Kim. He punched out in 16th place, banking $12,375.

While we're sure Ace-King ran into Aces and some other stuff happened, eventually dubbeemin took down valleyho for the title. dubbeemin banks $432,400 for the win and snags a gold FTOPS jersey and avatar. Although if dubbeemin is at all like us, he'd be requesting a Cookier avatar cause that's just gotta happen.

If you're dubbeemin and reading this and want a WCP interview, hit us up at [email protected].

New Full Tilt Poker Avatars Targeting... Um...Younger Demographic; Still No T.J. Cookier

Editor's Note: So it's come to this. There is such a void of good poker news right now that we're talking about fucking avatars. Can any of you pros reading this stab someone in a poker room please?

Apparently Full Tilt Poker ignored our recent advice suggesting that they add a T.J. Cookier avatar to their roster. It's not like they don't already have Jerry Buss, Sammy Sosa, and stupid sexy Helen Mirren. Not asking for too much there.

Instead, we get the above. These avatars would've been awesome when we were 10 and dreaming of owning a Lamborghini one day while watching Cannonball Run. Not so cool when north of 30 though. Or north of 10.

Regardless, we've seen some penguins popping up, which maybe is acceptable if you're from Canada since you've got penguins in your backyard like we have squirrels, but that's about it. Haven't seen any cops. Very few leprechauns and Merlins...probably cause that demo is too busy playing Dungeons & Dragons.

To FTP's credit, that panda one will definitely appeal to the Chinese market if and when they open to their doors to online poker. Steve Lipscomb probably just commissioned his graphic design department to come up with a rickshaw for ClubWPT.com.

In related news, 2+2'ers everywhere creamed their pants with the release of Patrik Antonius' new avatar (below). However, and we never thought we'd say this, but looking at that juxtaposition, see how it lacks the sheer sexual magnetism of Cookier. That Cookier pulls more ass than a toilet seat.

Read more about the avatars if you truly hate yourself here.

Can Somebody at Full Tilt Poker Please Make This Happen?

Typically if you wait long enough, something that was once funny but got old gets funny again. Like with us Entities, we never stopped saying "Waaazzzzuuuup" cause it never ceased being funny just started saying "Waaazzzuuup" again because it's been long enough that it's funny.

So hopefully the last couple of weeks the T.J. Cookier stuff (in case you missed it, here) saw it's shelf-life revived a bit.

With that said, even if it's not funny again just yet, could anyone at Full Tilt Poker please make a Cookier avatar? Or would it crash the servers because every player on the site would simultaneously select Cookier as their avatar?

Not sure why they don't. They already have a Jerry Buss (left of Cookier) and a stupid sexy Helen Mirren looking one that for some reason all the Scandinavians seem to pick.

Editor's Note: For 3 1/2 years every time we type Scandinavians we've spelled it wrong and it's been corrected by spell check. So thank you spell check.

2008 WSOP Update: Erick Lindgren Leads $50k H.O.R.S.E. Final Table; Ryan Hughes Wins Second Bracelet

Right now, we'd say it's a coin flip as to whether the 2008 WSOP will end up earning it's The Year of the Pro^TM moniker that we trademarked when all is said and done.

Some of this argument simply hinges on this: when exactly do you qualify as a "pro?" We're certainly not willing to play the role of God and make that assessment for people. But then again, how else will we know for sure? It's so daunting.

:: Event #47 ($1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo) - Case in point. Ryan Hughes, who won a Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event last year, took down this one, earning his second WSOP bracelet. Even though only 7 people in the poker world have heard of Hughes before and only 3 would recognize him walking down the street, Hughes is a pro, right? We say an emphatic "yes" to that question, btw. For the win, Hughes banks $183,368. Get full results here.

:: Event #45 ($50,000 H.O.R.S.E.) - Here's a chance for the pros to put a stake in the ground and say, "Dammit, this is the year of us!" Full Tilt Poker pro Erick Lindgren will bring the chip lead to the final table, stacked at 3,680,000. A win here would all but cement Lindgren as the 2008 WSOP POY. The same could be said for the man in third, Barry Greenstein, who is stacked at 1,955,000. Scotty Nguyen is second overall with 3,535,000. And our perennial pick to win it, Huck Seed, is sixth overall with 1,200,000. Get full final table chip counts here.

:: Event #48 ($2,000 No Limit Hold'em) - Lots of collective WSOP cashes in this group but no one that you'd really look at and say, "Yeah, he's a pro." Get final table chip counts here.

:: Event #49 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em) - This one had 2,718 entrants, playing down to 215 early this morning. First place pays $631,053. A surprising number of big named pros remain, although chip leader Micah Raskin (175,000), is not one of them. However, some big named big stacks do include Young Phan (128,000), Greg "FBT" Mueller (120,000), the spectacularly-breasted J.C. Tran (above, 93,000), and David "The Dragon" Pham* (90,000). Get a more complete list of chip counts here.

Get J.C.'s full photo after the jump and check out the entire spread here.

* Not a real dragon.

Patrik Antonius Wants to Play Really High Stakes Online Poker

Patrik Antonius, who just signed with Full Tilt Poker (view press conference here), was given a sick number of tables on the site. As expected, the tables are big limits and he's said he'll play anyone in the world at these levels.

The tables include:

• $200/400 PLO ($40k minimum and $200k max)
• $500/1000 NL (6 max 50k min and 200k max)
• $2000/4000 H.O.R.S.E.
• $2000/4000 Omaha H/L (this is now the highest table at this level)

View Patrik Antonius' 2008 WSOP video blog

2008 WSOP Update: David Benyamine Livin' Large, Wins First Bracelet

David Benyamine (above, front center) battled a stacked final table to win his first bracelet earlier today.

Working off some general fog from the Gnarls Barkley concert at Mandalay Bay beach so we're light on the preamble for this WSOP update. However, of note, the sitarist for opening act Thievery Corporation is a dead ringer for Dutch Boyd. Seriously could've been him. Dutch, do you have wicked sitar chops that we're unaware of?

::  Event #35 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em) - Here's a final table that would've been infinitely more interesting if Bryan Micon out lasted another six eliminations to join the remaining nine (get Micon's latest Degenerate Report here). Aaron Kanter, he of 2005 WSOP final table fame, made a run from short-stack to finish third, which pretty much constitutes the "big story" on this one.  Jesper Hougaard started the day as chip leader and ended the day as chip leader, winning his first bracelet and banking $610,304. Get full results here.

:: Event #35 ($10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo) - David Benyamine is having a helluva month. Aside from waking up next to Erica Schoenberg every morning, Benyamine banked almost $1.5M on Full Tilt Poker last month. Today he added another $535,687 to his bankroll after taking down the World Championship of Omaha Hi/Lo. Benyamine defeated Greg Jamison heads-up for the title. The win vaults Benyamine to second overall in the 2008 World Series of Poker Player of the Year standings, trailing Jacobo Fernadez by two points. Toto Leonidas finished fourth, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow fifth. Get full payouts here.

:: Event #36 ($2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em) - Michael Binger will have to wait a little longer for his first WSOP bracelet. After holding the chip lead for most of Event #36, the cashing machine just missed another final table, bowing out in 11th. Instead the exceedingly pretentiously named Jan Christoph Von Halle will start final table play with the chip lead, stacked at 485,000. He's followed by 2007 WSOP Main Event final table-ist Lee Watkinson-Markholt with 357,000. Watkinson-Markholt is going for his second bracelet. In fourth overall is Ayaz Mahmood, who let's just say we'd watch his every move like a fucking hawk if he sat next to us on a flight. Why doesn't he have any carry-on luggage? Why only a book? He's been in the bathroom an awfully long time. Whew ok he sat back down and is now buckling his seat belt. First pays out $$244,583. Get full chip counts here.

:: Event #37 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em) - Another mega-field, with 2,720 entrants paying out a first place prize of $631,656. Only 218 survived to Day 2. Michael Polcari takes the chip lead into action today with 130,000. Making his own push for 2008 WSOP Player of the Year honors is Barry Greenstein, who started off strong and is stacked at 89,600. Get full chip counts here.

Get live World Series of Poker coverage and more in-depth WSOP blogs at Poker Listings.

2008 WSOP Update: Blair Hinkle Looks to Be Second Hinkle to Win Bracelet; Allen Cunningham Goes for Sixth

While we already covered some of the current 2008 World Series of Poker events going on here and here, below are a few more recaps.

:: Event #23 ($2,000 NLH) - We own Blair Hinkle SEO, so hopefully he'll keep up the stellar 2008 he's having by joining his bro and capturing his first bracelet today. Hinkle is stacked second overall with 1,030,000. He slightly trails Andrew Jeffreys with 1,051,000. The most anonymous two-time-bracelet-winner-40-time-WSOP-casher ever Chris Bjorin is stacked seventh overall with 247,000. Get full chip counts here.

:: Event #24 ($2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha) - Full Tilt Poker pro Allen Cunningham looks to make history by winning a bracelet in 47 consecutive years today (as Dr. Pauly would say, that's "redunkulous"). Cunningham is currently stacked second going into the Event #24 final table with 484,000. He's a blind behind Kyle Kloeckner (494,000). Also at the final table is Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori and Ming Ly. Get full final table chip counts here.

2008 WSOP Band of Bloggers: Get full recaps and payouts from WorldSeriesofPoker.com here. Get Dr. Pauly's take on WSOP happenings here. Gary Wise has some thoughts here. Please please don't forget Pokerati here. And get Poker Prof's recap and more photos here.

Guy Who Forwarded Howard Lederer 'Freak' Email Wins WSOPC Prelim Event

We're not big on reporting on prelim tournaments at WSOP-Circuit events, but when they're won by the "errand monkey" at Full Tilt Poker who forwarded Howard Lederer's freak/weird dude email about Jimmy “gobboboy” Fricke, it's worth the mention.

If you don't recall, gobboboy sent an email to FTP last November asking to be sponsored at the Aussie Millions, and in replying to gobboboy, FTP's jack-of-all-trades Jason "J.D." Newitt (at right) accidentally attached an internal email from Howard Lederer in which the professor called gobboboy "a freak and a very weird dude." (Read our post on the "Fricke is a Freak" email here).

Well, we think Newitt was shit canned after that unfortunate mishap, but if you felt bad for him, you can can feel better as Newitt just pocketed $71,439 by winning the $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em event at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, which is part of the World Series of Poker Circuit.

In the press release announcing Newitt's win, the WSOP's go-to man Nola Dalla points out that Newitt was a "consultant and public relations specialist," and before that, he was an editor on "That 70's Show'" where he set up regular poker games with the show's stars like Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, and Laura Prepon, who all went on to play in the 2004 WSOP Main Event.

While we've seen Danny and Laura at the WSOP since then, we haven't seen the Ukrainian-born Mila around the poker tables much which is sad considering her photos below. Hopefully one of the poker sites is considering adding Mila to their celebrity team this year. Howabout it Howard?

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.

ePassporte No Longer Accepting Online Poker Transfers

ePassporte is officially out as an option to deposit and withdraw funds for online poker players.

In a letter to Pitbull Poker and published on Compatible Poker, they state:

"We have been advised that the United State's Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting a widespread investigation of internet gambling, including poker. All though [sic] we do not believe we have done anything illegal, we do not wish to be associated with anything that might be considered illegal by the United States government."

In the meantime, Full Tilt Poker has issued a letter to all of its users with the following option:

"As an alternative to ePassporte, we are pleased to offer you our newest, most efficient payment processing option yet - Instant eChecks."

Poker Stars offers eCheck as well, which directly withdraws and deposits money into your bank account.

See the full ePassporte letter here.

* Thanks to reader DrewOnTilt for the link.