PokerListings.com - Blog

Watch Poker2Nite Ep. 1 Right Here

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:59:03 +0100

The first episode of UB-sponsored, Huff and Seebz-hosted Poker2Nite went up a few nights ago and we have it embedded right here for you to watch.

Our first impressions of this show are good. Things will take some time to really come together but the foundation is there.

The show's looks great, Scott Huff comes off natural and once everything else settles in Poker2Nite will become a regular stop for poker fans.

We've got the first episode below so let us know what you think in the comment section below.

Make sure you're on the post page to watch parts two and three.

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Watch Joe Cada on CNN's American Morning

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:45:57 +0100

Joe Cada's been putting in work with the mainstream media appearances. Most recently he showed up on CNN's American Morning.

It's a big step up from what we've seen from WSOP Main Event champions before and whatever you may think of Joe Cada's victory it's good to see him doing so much since.

Letterman, CNBC, WWE Raw and now the most trusted name in news: CNN.

Check out the clip below and let us know what you think of Cada in the comments below.

-- Matthew Showell

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Watch Joe Cada on Letterman Right Here

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:36:48 +0100

As we reported a few days ago current youngest-ever WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada was on David Letterman last night.

As far as we're concerned this falls squarely into the "Good for Poker" category. Just talking about the main event and how much money is up for grabs in the mainstream media is a great thing.

Cada managed to pull off his four minutes without using any made up words and on the whole came off as a relatively responsible poker professional.

Check out the clip here while it's still available on Youtube. We'll try to find a version that won't be taken down but unfortunately the rest of world can't watch the official video on CBS.com.

-- Matthew Showell

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Sebok and Huff's New Show on Fox Tonight

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:55:33 +0100

The main geezers from PokerRoad, Joe Sebok and Scott Huff, have gotten themselves a for-real TV show on Fox Sports and it airs tonight at 11 p.m.

We've been fans of their radio shows since the start, and we've even been on them a few times, so we're happy they're bringing their own special brand of idiocy to the television box.

Sponsored by UB, Poker2Nite is an entertainment/news format show that will cover everything that's going down in the poker world.

Poker news shows are notoriously difficult to make interesting, even to poker nerds, so we're interested to see what the PokerRoad guys have up their sleeves.

Tune in to Fox Sports tonight and tell us what you think in the comments below.

-- Matthew Showell

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Joe Cada on Letterman Tonight

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:48:14 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34797.jpg# It's only been a week since Joe Cada became the youngest player ever to win the WSOP Main Event and already he's doing more than some have done in an entire year of being champ.

Cada made a brief appearance at the announcer's table on WWE Raw last night and he's rumored to be showing up on David Letterman tonight.

Cada's a clean cut kid and it can't hurt to see someone like that promoting the game on a big-time TV show like Letterman.

The episode airs at 11:35 p.m. on CBS so check it out to see Cada in action.

-- Matt Showell

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Lake Tahoe: Room with a View

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:59:50 +0100

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PokerListings touched down in Lake Tahoe yesterday for the World Series of Poker Circuit main event that starts tomorrow.

Since getting here we haven't spent a whole lot of time in the casino. Given what's right outside that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

We understand that not everyone in the poker world likes going outside, however, and we think Tahoe might be just the place for them.

The photo above was taken from my hotel room, you can even see me in the window's reflection.

That means if you're an online player with a serious aversion to fresh air and normal human activity, you'll still have a chance at seeing some sights.

The WSOP Circuit $5k starts tomorrow at noon and you can follow all the action by checking out our Live Coverage page.

-- Matthew Showell

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Jeffrey Pollack In-Depth Video Interview

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:17:24 +0100

Just 72 hours after the conclusion of this year's WSOP Main Event final table WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced his resignation.

It came as a bit of a surprise but by all accounts there are no nefarious secrets behind this situation.

While Pollack's resignation is probably more interesting to people in the media and the industry, fans of the WSOP should recognize that Pollack has played a big part in the improvements we've seen at the Series over the last few years.

The November Nine concept and huge increases in the player fields and prize pools are two of the most visible results of Pollack's tenure as WSOP Commish.

Pollack had a vlog on RawVegas.tv so it's only fitting that he sat down with them to talk about it all.

We've got the three-part video interview embedded right here for you to watch so check it out.

For parts 2 and 3 make sure you're on the post page!

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WSOP Main Event Heads-Up Photo Blog

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:59:18 +0100

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Joe Cada's win at the 2009 WSOP Main Event has had time to sink in and we're ready to bring you the heads-up installment of our November Nine photo blog.

Taking photos is my favorite part of the job and that goes double for the Main Event. This year our hats are off to the WSOP staff for making it so easy to get great pictures of all the action.

We were all over that stage and we have the photos to prove it. Here's a visual account of the heads-up match with a few words for context. But don't worry; you won't have to do much reading.

Mano a Man; Moon a Cada

Any time studio lights are set up you can bet the photos are going to be good. It's a hell of a lot easier than shooting in the murky gloom of, say, the Foxwoods tournament room.

Hence we got some great shots of the two heads-up competitors.

Darvin Moon matched Joe Cada's seriousness with an unchanging lack of concern. Moon's expression barely changed and there were only a few instances where he broke character and got up from the table.

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He Got By with a Little Help From His Friends

Joe Cada had the loudest cheering section from the beginning of this final table. They cheered when he was in a hand. They cheered when he wasn't in a hand. They cheered pretty much every time he took a breath.

When it really counted though, it wasn't their cheering that mattered. It was just having them there.

Check out that photo above. This was taken during the final hand of the tournament. Even better, it was taken as they waited for the final river card, the one that would either make Cada a champion, or give Darvin Moon a second chance.

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Gracious in Victory; Gracious in Defeat

Darvin Moon handled himself extremely well during the entire final table, despite saying repeatedly how uncomfortable he felt about the spectacle that is the November Nine.

When he lost that final race, officially finishing second, he walked straight to Joe Cada, shook his hand and raised the champion's arm in congratulations.

I was standing directly behind him and managed to get a shot, as you see above (talk about behind the scenes ammirite?).

Cada was blown away by the whole thing but the first thing he did when he was handed the mic was congratulate Moon on his finish.

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A Handshake Makes it Official

When all was said and done, when the champion had hugged his family and said a few words to the crowd, it was time to make it official.

WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack handed over the bracelet and shook the hand of the 2009 world champion of poker.

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Best <i>Simpsons</i> Poker Scenes Ever

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:08:11 +0100

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Poker and The Simpsons: two of the greatest things to come out of modern civilization.

While some bloggers might spend their time doing things like raising awareness for the world's social problems we prefer to look at all the times our favorite game has been showcased on our favorite TV show.

Everyone has priorities.

Over the years there have been a ton of poker scenes in The Simpsons. Whether it's Homer's deficient intelligence or Fat Tony's unabashed dishonesty, poker has made some of the most hilarious Simpsons moments possible.

Here are our favorites.

Homer the Luckbox (1F20)

Homer's not the sharpest knife in the drawer so it's no wonder he's going to need some luck to win at poker. What Homer lacks in intelligence, however, he makes up for in rungood.

The only clip we could find of this scene is in German but if you're like me you already know it line for line.

This scene is a perfect illustration of why it can be hard to play against someone who has no idea what they're doing. Homer draws three cards and "D'ohs" at each one, following up the last with a sly "Woo-hoo" to throw off his opponents.

Moe reads Homer's tell and comes to the conclusion he must be weak. When called Homer throws down his cards face-up, thinking he's lost. It takes Moe to realize that in fact Homer had a straight flush.

Homer's Home Game (2F21)

Marge has become a cop and Homer is basking in the freedom of being a cop's husband by hosting an illegal home game and smoking Cuban cigars in his kitchen.

All in all a nice evening of poker and smoking with the boys, until Marge comes home and ruins Homer's fun.

Fox is pretty tight on their copyrights and we couldn't find a clip of this one.

Krusty's Kwads (BABF17)

Here we see Krusty square off against Fat Tony in a game of 5-Card Draw. We also learn an important lesson, quad aces are not an unbeatable hand.

Krusty's first mistake is getting into a game against Fat Tony in the first place.

Krusty can't cover the bet and makes his second mistake, wagering his daughter's beloved violin.

The Chosen Hand (2F09)

As you all know Homer is embraced as "The Chosen One" after joining the secret Stonecutters organization and discovering he has a birthmark that matches the group's ancient prophecy.

After becoming their ruler it seems Homer cannot fail at anything, including poker. When he shows down 3-6-T-J-K unsuited he's told it's actually the "Royal Sampler" which wins him the pot.

This victory sparks Homer's increasingly disturbing spiritual emptiness, caused by his power making him feel isolated (ated ... ated ... ated.)

Again, no clip of this exists that we can find.

Bonus Blackjack Clips!

Because blackjack is near and dear to the heart of every self-respecting degen we had to include these two scenes.

This first one features Homer as a dealer, inept as always. James Bond may never lose but he hasn't had to deal with such colossal incompetence from a croupier.

We couldn't find a clip for this next one but you should be able to replay it in your head.

When Bart gets a big brother, who turns out to be a super-cool motorcycle driving role model, Bart describes Homer as a blackjack playing degen who bets their life savings on a single hand.

In the flashback Homer hits on 19, 20 and 21.

There are a few other poker scenes in The Simpsons. Tell us about your favorites in the comment section below.

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Biggest Suck-Outs at the 2009 WSOP ME Final Table

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:55:22 +0100

Skill and luck play parts in any poker tournament victory. It's just that sometimes one seems a lot more important than the other.

That was the case at the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event as both Darvin Moon and Joe Cada were bailed out repeatedly by the generosity of Lady Luck.

We're not here to make judgment calls on how these two played but one thing is for sure, a few big bad beats stand out in the minds of those that watched the playdown yesterday.

And so, we bring you the four biggest suckouts that helped pave the way to the heads-up match for Darvin Moon and Joe Cada. These weren't the only ones at the final table, but they were the most memorable.

Moon Busts Ivey with a Dominated Ace

Phil Ivey managed to chip up to around 50 per cent more than his starting stack before finding a great spot to score a big double.

He got it in with AK against Darvin Moon's AQ but couldn't make it hold up. A queen on the flop was all it took to send the formidable Ivey home in seventh place, putting an end to his dreams of being a bona fide world champion.

Moon Rivers Ace to Bust Begs

It was five-handed and Steven Begleiter was in decent shape with around 22 million. He opened a pot to 1.6 million holding pocket queens and when action got to Darvin Moon he moved all-in, a big overbet.

Begs had no trouble calling and saw he was in good shape against AQ.

The flop was safe. The turn was safe. The river wasn't safe. An ace spiked on fifth street, cruelly eliminating Begleiter and shipping Moon more than 20 million.

Cada's Two-Outer

At this point Joe Cada was on just over 10 million, with blinds of 300k/600k, and three-bet shoved over the top of a Jeff Shulman opening raise.

Cada's pocket treys were snap-called by Shulman's pocket jacks, but a trey on the flop gave Cada the lead, and the double.

Cada's Second Two-Outer

Minutes into the three-handed match Joe Cada once again jammed with a small pocket pair, this time running his deuces into Antoine Saout's pocket queens.

Cada's tournament life was on the line and he needed a deuce to score a big double up. A deuce landed on the flop.

Saout took a big hit and busted after losing a flip to Cada shortly after.

The heads-up match begins tomorrow night at 10 p.m. so hit up the Live 2009 WSOP Main Event Coverage for all the action as it happens.

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November Nine Final Table Photo Blog #1

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:30:01 +0100

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As you're (hopefully) aware the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event went from nine players to two yesterday in a long-winded 17-hour session.

We were there for every second of it, camera in hand, and we managed to get some good shots of the action.

Instead of making you sort through them all to find the best ones we're going to put them all in one place. Luckily for you that place is right here.

Welcome to the first installment of the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table photo blog.

Click on the thumbnails to make them big and easy to see!

The final table was held in the Penn and Teller Theater, a big space with two big balconies and plenty of orchestra level seating.

The table itself was on the stage, flanked by two giant projection screens.

The WSOP staff was very accommodating this year in terms of photo access. The whole show ran really smoothly and they had it set up in such a way that having photographers on the stage didn't pose much of a problem.

Each of the final able players was introduced separately, with short bios read by tournament director Jack Effel, and each had their own cheering section voicing their support.

It seemed like everyone there was pro-Ivey, and even if he didn't have as vocal a group of supporters as some, he did have rapper Ja Rule there to sweat him.

The whole introduction took about an hour. The first hand was dealt at 12:57 p.m.

Obviously Norman Chad and Lon McEachern were in attendance, doing their trademark ex-wife jokes and straight guy routine, respectively.

Lacey Jones also did interviews with Dennis Phillips and Peter Eastate of last year's November Nine as we got ready to play.

By the time play actually began the energy level was high, more akin to a football match than a card contest.

Darvin Moon and Joe Cada, who will be playing heads-up for the title tomorrow night, were sitting at opposite ends of the table.

Both players ended up playing pretty loose, and thanks to a cooperative deck they both ended up reaping the rewards.

Even Phil Ivey was smiling for much of the day. Although when he was busted with AK all-in preflop against Moon's AQ he wasn't smiling quite as much.

The money shot on the right shows what we understand to be millions and millions of dollars, but we're just a little skeptical about the color of that currency, so to speak.

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Penn and Teller theater for the heads-up match, taking more photos and bringing you all the action live.

For the full photo gallery from yesterday click through here.

Click through to our 2009 WSOP section for leads to live updates, news and more WSOP blog posts. Check back 10 p.m. Monday for the conclusion.

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Phil Ivey Busts WSOP Main Event Final Table

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:33:07 +0100

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The poker world just had a knife plunged into its heart and that knife came in the form of a bad beat laid on Phil Ivey at the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Ivey was the fan favorite, the best player not only at this table but at any table anywhere where poker is played.

We wanted him to win the Main Event and, chances are if you're reading this, you did too.

It wasn't to be however. He played well and despite losing a few key pots he put himself in a great spot to make a run at the title.

In the end he went out like so many of us have, holding the best hand and watching helplessly as the dealer laid his demise down on the felt.

A-K for Ivey against Darvin Moon's A-Q. A queen on the flop and it was all over.

Ivey gets seventh place and $1.4 million and change but the poker world gets nothing but a pervading sense of disappointment.

Ivey, our hats are off to you. You're still the man. Even if we now know for sure that you're mortal.

-- Matthew Showell

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Ja Rule is Phil Ivey's Homey

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:27:55 +0100

There are plenty of poker pros in the seats at the 2009 WSOP Main Event but the only real celebrity we've seen is Ja Rule, and he's here to support Phil Ivey.

Other players might have gangloads of supporters cheering every time they're in a pot but Ivey has Ja Rule.

We're big fans of the lifestyle Ja Rule portrays in his videos. Jet skis, amazingly beautiful women, popping bottles of expensive drink, all good things.

We think Ivey's down with that stuff too so it's no wonder these two hit it off. Anyway, one thing's for sure, if Ivey wins and Ja Rule's still around it's going to be a sick afterparty.

-- Matthew Showell

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Phil Ivey Full Video Interview

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:59:59 +0100

In the past when we've done a feature interview with a high-stakes player we run the entire transcript here in the blog. Because this one is Phil Ivey we did you one better and videotaped the entire interview for you to watch.

This is 13 minutes of pure and uncut Ivey and it's worth watching. Ivey is one bad dude and anything he says is worth listening to. This is our very own Martin Derbyshire kicking it with Ivey and talking about a ton of different stuff.

Ivey opens up and has a frank discussion which is great to see. There are some epic quotes in there so check out the video below. Click through here for the feature news story.

If you're on the main blog page click through to the post page to see the embedded video.

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Watch Phil Ivey on ESPN E:60

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:32:58 +0100

The E:60 Episode featuring Phil Ivey aired on ESPN and we've got it right here for you to watch.

The media attention is really ramping up with the November Nine final table just a few days away and this is a great addition to the array of Ivey-oriented content on offer.

And goddam is Ivey a baller. ESPN gets access that is unheard of in the poker media. On the jet, in the suite, at the high-stakes pit games. Check this video out. You won't be disappointed.

-- Matthew Showell

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The WSOP Main Event is Big Time

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:47:21 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34536.jpg# We just got the media guide for the 2009 ((WSOP)) Main Event final table from our good friends at the ((World Series of Poker)), and they had an interesting stat buried deep in the 26-page document.

As you can see from the graphic above the winner of the Main Event will receive more than the winners of the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, the US Open of golf and the US Open of tennis combined.

Including the ninth-place money paid out to all the final table players, and the interest the remainder has accrued since July, there's an astounding $27,220,989 in prize money on the table.

Of course, there's one major difference between poker and those other sports. Golfers and race car drivers don't put up their own cash to play.

Any way you cut it though, that's a lot of clams.

PokerListings.com is flying down to Vegas in just a few days to bring you all the action live so check out our Live 2009 Main Event final table coverage starting noon November 7th.

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The Main Event Final Table Drinking Game

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:55:07 +0100

If you're anything like us you're going to be enjoying a few adult beverages as you watch this year's ESPN broadcast of the WSOP Main Event final table.

To help you make the drinking part a bit more entertaining we've developed a drinking game based around televised poker.

The game will work with any televised poker but for best results use it for final tables, since they show all full hands.

The rules are simple and, if followed to the letter, will guarantee a drunkening to remember (or not remember).

The Rules

Each participant in the game must draw a card from a standard 52-card deck. This card will determine each player's suit and rank. For example, if I draw the ten of clubs my rank is ten and my suit is clubs.

The drinking revolves around three main parts of the poker being played on the TV and your suit and rank determine when you must drink.

The Board Cards

Each time a card appears on the board those with matching ranks and suits must drink, one drink for each matching rank or suit.

For example, if the flop comes down A T 2 (and I still have the T) I will have to drink twice, once for the club and once for the ten. If the ten had been the T it would mean a total of three drinks, two for the two clubs and one for the ten.

This applies to the flop, turn and river.

The Hole Cards

Matching your rank to the hole cards allows you to give out drinks to anyone you choose.

When a player has your card in the hole you can give away one drink.

For hole cards to play in the drinking game they must be involved in a hand. That means the player holding them must make any action except a fold before the flop.

So, using my T as an example, if someone raises or calls with A T I get to give out one drink to any of the other participants.

As a special bonus if a player has a pocket pair that matches your rank everyone must drink!

Suits have no bearing on this part of the game.

Made Hands

The third component of the game has to do with the five-card hands players on the television are making.

Whenever a player makes a flush in your suit, or a straight with your rank in it, you get to make a traditional drinking game rule.

So, just to be clear, if I have the T and some makes a club flush or a straight with a ten in it I get to make a rule.

The best rules are those that penalize participants for doing common things. Our favorites are:

No swearing
No saying the word "drink"

After coming up with the idea for this game we thought it only prudent to test it out with the last episode of the 2009 WSOP broadcast.

Here's a few quick clips with both of the above rules in effect.

We urge you to enjoy this game responsibly and in moderation!

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Christopher Walken Reads Poker Face!

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:31:09 +0100

Last week it was Eric Cartman singing Lady Gaga's Poker Face, but this time it's someone so much better.

On BBC 1's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Christopher Walken did a dramatic reading of the pop hit. Second to only Morgan Freeman in the talking game, Walken is simply brilliant.

We're hoping this sparks a new fad of great actors doing dramatic readings of crappy pop music lyrics.

Kenneth Branagh doing Flo Rida's Low? Ian McKellen reading Soldia Boy?

So, check it out below in all its glory and tell us how much you like Christopher Walken in the comment section below.

-- Matthew Showell

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Go There Now: Halloween Picks Jewish Bench Press

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:55:56 +0100

#fullimg: pic_34486.jpg# It's November 1st and we've got the inside dirt on everything you might have missed this week. We do our best to report on every little thing but, sadly, a few things always slip through undetected.

Luckily for you we take the time to recap it all. Go there now!

TD extraordinaire Matt Savage was featured on LAtimes.com. It's always good to see poker features in mainstream media and Savage is certainly a deserving candidate for a profile.

You can check that out here.
The Jewish Daily Forward examines why four of the nine November Niners are Jewish. Could it be that poker has a lot to do with money and you need to be smart to succeed? Who knows.

Read that here.
The new crew at wsop.com has gotten a bunch of quick quotes from pros on who they think will win the Main Event. TJ Cloutier is there. Conspicuously absent, however, is TJ Cookier.

Click through here for that.
There's a thread on 2p2 claiming JR Bellande has made a bet whereby he will have to bench-press 365 lbs ten times. He's getting 8 to 1 on his money. The thing is, there's nothing about where the bet came from, if it's for real or who it's with.

In classic NVG style there's already 11 pages of people arguing the logistics of him actually completing the challenge but not one confirming the bet.

Go here now.
The guys at RawVegas.tv understand that the best thing about Halloween is girls in costumes.

Check out their Top 5 Sexiest Costumes video right here.

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Ivey 78% Favorite; Online Polls Not Accurate

info@www.Pokerlistings.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:28:45 +0100

78% of people who filled out an online poll on www.wsop.com believe Phil Ivey will win the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

This confirms to us that people are generally dumb and that online polls are in no way accurate.

Ivey is the greatest, no question, but he's still fallible and it's not like he's won every final table he's ever been at.

Lest we forget, he made seven WPT final tables before winning his eighth. There are only six players at WPT final tables.

The funny thing is, part of me can't argue with backing Ivey in something as big as the Main Event. This is the biggest opportunity in Phil Ivey's life and he has a way of pulling it out when he needs to.

Anyway, the rest of the November Nine can't be too happy seeing how low they're rated by the public (or at least that part of the public that votes in online polls about poker).

Here's how the rest stack up.

- Phil Ivey 78.05%

- Darvin Moon 6.57%

- Jeff Shulman 5.62%

- Eric Buchman 2.34%

- Joe Cada 2.18%

- James Akenhead 2.1%

- Antoine Saout 1.11 %

- Steven Begleiter 1.1%

- Kevin Schaffel 0.75%

-- Matthew Showell

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