Aussie Rookie Wins World Series of Poker

Saturday, July 16th, 2005

By ADAM GOLDMAN
Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS - Australian Joseph Hachem prevailed in his first World Series of Poker Saturday, winning $7.5 million and snatching the game's greatest crown in the longest final table in the tournament's history.

Only six hands into the two-man showdown at the end, Hachem eliminated Steven Dannenmann of Severn, Md., when he flopped a seven-high straight.

When it was clear Hachem had won, his fans in the room erupted into "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Hachem immediately embraced Dannenmann, wrapped himself in an Australian flag and shouted: "Thank you, America."

Hachem's victory was astonishing because he had been nursing a short stack of chips for 11 1/2 hours through the night, waiting for the right moment and avoiding confrontations that could cost him a chance at the 36th annual no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event title.

"I never gave up," he said.

The 39-year-old gambler from Melbourne moved with his family from his native Lebanon in 1972 and gave up a 13-year chiropractic career three years ago to play poker for a living.

Nearly 14 hours into the final round of seemingly interminable poker, Hachem pounced, bringing the tournament to a decisive end about an hour after sunrise.

The final play unfolded slowly as Dannenmann raised before the flop — three community cards — was turned over. Hachem called and the dealer revealed a six-five-four flop. Hachem checked, Dannenmann bet another $700,000 and then Hachem raised to $1.7 million.

The turn, or fourth card, was an ace and Hachem threw another $2 million into the pot. Dannenmann raised to $5 million and Hachem went "all-in" with more than $30 million, moving into a high-stakes gear that can either save or break a gambler.

Dannenmann called instantly and then Hachem produced a seven and three, giving him a seven-high straight. Dannenmann showed an ace-three, and needed a seven on the river — the last card — to match Hachem's straight. It didn't happen.

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In Poker, a Mouth Says a Lot, Even When Closed

By JOE DRAPE
Published: July 15, 2005

LAS VEGAS - His nickname is "The Mouth," and for six days at the World Series of Poker, Mike Matusow has shown it is well earned. Last Saturday, less than an hour into his opening round, he was banished from the table for 40 minutes for violating the tournament's rule against profanity. It hardly quieted him.

Still, with more than $5.1 million in chips, Matusow topped the 27 players remaining in the tournament's main event, no-limit Texas Hold'em. He was expected to be among the nine players who reached the final table late Friday or early Saturday morning at Binion's Horseshoe Casino.

His antics at the table help keep him entertained during marathon rounds. "I hate poker, it's such a grind," said Matusow, who has won two lesser World Series of Poker tournaments. "So I try to make it fun, to entertain myself. Besides, for television you got to have something going."

While television has fueled poker's runaway popularity, it also has turned card sharks into showmen, sometimes at the expense of etiquette. It is no longer enough to wear mirrored or wraparound sunglasses - perhaps half of the more than 5,600 players who started the tournament donned the accessory. It is even less fashionable to wear the proverbial poker face.

Among the game's breakout stars are Phil "The Poker Brat" Hellmuth, whose bad behavior makes Matusow look tame; Men "The Master" Nguyen, who often sips beer at the table in a pose of nonchalance; and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, whose long locks and dark beard help him resemble the popular depiction of Christ.

Matusow has proclaimed himself a superstar, branded players he deemed weak as "donkeys" and jokingly ordered a vanquished player to kneel this week.

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Young Men Play for Poker Stardom

Thursday, July 14th, 2005

By J. Michael Kennedy
Times Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS — The young guns of poker elbowed their way onto most every table of the Mirage casino.

They were easy to spot, with their fresh faces in sharp contrast to the gray-haired veterans who had cut their teeth in smoky backrooms. Their quarry that May day: a cool $1.1 million, and a seat in the World Series of Poker, being played this week at the Rio.

Raised on electronic games, this generation of the young and the ruthless has discovered America's oldest game and mastered it with almost frightening speed. Because of the Internet, they have crammed years of playing time into months. Some have eschewed mainstream careers and college educations for the lure of quick money. Casinos all over the country have added poker tables just to keep up with the demand.

"It's a whole new clientele for us and they take their games very seriously. It's a very intelligent crowd," said Tim Gustin, manager of the Commerce casino, south of downtown Los Angeles, which is to the World Series of Poker what Triple-A ball is to Major League Baseball.

"There are many very young players today," said longtime poker pro Linda Johnson, who puts together gambling cruises. "In fact, of all new players entering poker rooms these days for the first time, I would say 60% of them are under 28."

The young guns include players such as David Williams, 25, who dropped out of Southern Methodist University two semesters shy of a degree in economics, with a minor in math. There is Tuan Le, the 26-year-old son of Vietnamese immigrants, who dropped out of college before the end of his first semester.

Phil Laak, known as the Unabomber because of his sweatshirt hood and aviator glasses that evoke the wanted sketch for mail bomber Theodore Kaczynski, gave up mechanical engineering and tossed a high-risk Wall Street trading gig before opting for Texas Hold 'em.

Antonio Esfandiari (ThePokerCamp) was 25 when he became the youngest person to win more than $1 million on the tour. He's also a skilled magician who once made his living with the art of illusion before turning to cards.

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Round four of World Series of Poker ends; "Fossilman" last remaining WSOP former Champion sitting

Wednesday, July 13th, 2005

By ADAM GOLDMAN
Associated Press
Last updated: 5:35 a.m.

LAS VEGAS -- With the fourth round of the no-limit Texas Hold 'em event completed at the World Series of Poker, defending champion Greg Raymer found himself losing ground after a series of big hits. Once in the lead, Raymer saw a stack of more than $1.5 million get reduced to about $700,000.

To be crowned poker king again and claim the $7.5 million top prize, Raymer will have to find a way to get more chips if he wants to get through 57 other gamblers and the fifth round that begins Wednesday.

Some of the remaining players that Raymer could face on his way to the nine-person final table that begins Friday are among the most feared in the game. Tim Phan was first with $3.2 million, followed by Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, with $2.6 million. Both Phil Ivey and Farzad Bonyadi had formidable stacks and remained on the leaderboard.

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World Series of Poker leader honed skills using CryptoLogic-developed software

Monday, July 11th, 2005

TORONTO, July 11 /CNW/ - Going into Monday's action, the leader at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) - the game's premier event - was an Internet poker player who honed his skills using software developed by CryptoLogic, a leading software developer for the global Internet gaming market.

Haakon Waerstad of Oslo, Norway, was the chip leader going into today's action in Las Vegas. Waerstad had an impressive chip count of $169,200, a lead of almost $13,000 over his closest competitor. He led an impressive list that includes a record number of Internet poker players competing at this year's WSOP.

Waerstad qualified for the tournament through Betfair.com, a leading poker site that uses software developed by CryptoLogic and licensed by WagerLogic, the company's software licensing subsidiary. Of the 102 players who qualified online at WagerLogic licensees' sites, 35 were still in the tournament this morning.

"For an Internet poker player, leading the World Series of Poker is the dream of a lifetime," said Andy Goetsch, CryptoLogic's Vice President of Poker Software Development, himself a world-class player. "For CryptoLogic, this is an exciting validation of our investment in our Internet poker software. Whether it's playing for fun or playing for real, players like Haakon Waerstad know that CryptoLogic software delivers the game you want, when you want it."

Betfair launched its Internet poker site in 2004, following an agreement with WagerLogic. Since then, Betfair has become one of the world's most popular Internet poker sites.

"At the World Series of Poker, you need the right cards, but you also need the right experience," said A.J. Slivinski, WagerLogic's Managing Director. "It's clear that our software enables customers like Betfair to offer both the entertainment and the experience that turns Internet poker players into some of the best competitors in the world."

About CryptoLogic(R) (www.cryptologic.com)

Focused on integrity and innovation, CryptoLogic Inc. is the world's leading public developer and supplier of Internet gaming software. Its leadership in regulatory compliance makes it one of the very few companies with gaming software that is certified to strict standards similar to land-based gaming. WagerLogic Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CryptoLogic, is responsible for the licensing of the company's gaming software and services to a blue-chip customer base worldwide. For information on WagerLogic(R), visit www.wagerlogic.com.

CryptoLogic's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: CRY), on the Nasdaq National Market (symbol: CRYP), and on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (symbol: CRP).

For further information

please contact: CryptoLogic, (416) 545-1455, Nancy Chan-Palmateer, Director of Communications
Argyle Rowland Communications, (416) 968-7311 (media only)
Daniel Tisch, ext. 223, dtisch@argylerowland.com
Karen Passmore, ext. 228, kpassmore@argylerowland.com

Millions at stake in huge Vegas poker tournament

Online novices take on casino veterans as world's biggest card game gets under way

Jamie Wilson in Las Vegas
The Guardian

For Tony Figliolo the dream ended at 4:59pm when he was dealt a pair of aces. If the other guy hadn't been holding a straight flush it could all have been so different.

But the car parts salesman from Phoenix, Arizona, thought his opponent was bluffing and bet all his remaining chips on the cards lying face down on the table in front of him. As the dealer swept the pretty little pile of multicoloured discs towards his opponent Mr Figliolo's participation in the biggest card game the world has ever seen was well and truly over.

The 48-year-old was among the 6,000 players who have descended on the glass and neon edifice that is the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this week to play in the World Series of Poker, all of them dreaming that when the final card is dealt next Saturday they will be the one holding all the chips.

With an estimated prize pot of about $60m (£35m), this is - depending on your definition of the word sport - the richest sporting event in the world. And men like Mr Figliolo, who dream of becoming instant millionaires on the turn of a single card, are the living, breathing embodiment of the poker boom sweeping Europe and the USA.

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Is Poker a Shooting Star, or a New Sport and Solid Investment?

By: Patrick Smyth

Monday, July 11th, 2005

Living in Beverly Hills accords that you are bound to see movie and television stars on a daily basis. It’s not uncommon for me to go to the Sports club LA and see the likes of Jessica Simpson on the treadmill or David Spade in the weight area. Yes, the little guy works his sets very seriously. In general, the public recognize ‘stars’ as those who are actively involved in television, film and music.

Last week I went to an invite-only party at the Wynn Casino sponsored by Full Tilt and witnessed a brand new type of ‘star’ emerge - the Professional Poker Player.

The well-heeled soiree featured a charity poker game in which the common person was able to play against the likes of Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, and Erick Lindgren. There were even some other celebrities including Penn Jillette and Omarosa of the Apprentice fame.

And of course, there was Jennifer Tilly, the winner of the Ladies-Only No Limit Texas Hold 'Em event at the World Series of Poker, becoming the first celebrity to win an open (as opposed to celebrity-only) WSOP tournament and earn a World Series bracelet. She beat out exactly 600 other women to take the championship.

Now is she a ‘movie star’ or a ‘poker star’?

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