Genius Poker

Ted Forrest - The National Heads-Up Poker Champion

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship was clinched by Ted Forrest, who beat an impressive field of professional players and defeated Chris Ferguson a second time, in two years. Forrest is the winner of five World Series of Poker bracelets. Pahrumpvalleytimes.com reports:

Forrest the winner, of five World Series of Poker bracelets who hones his play at cash games in Las Vegas, defeated five professionals in the unique one-on-one, bracket style event to reach the last table. Then he came from behind in the best-of-three final, beating Ferguson with three kings to take home $500,000 and first place.

Read More: Forrest Wins Heads-Up Poker Title

Phil Hellmuth Jr.

One of the most successful poker players of all times is Phil Hellmuth. He hods a record for nine gold bracelets. This record is second only to that of Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan's. Both these players have 10 bracelets each to their credit. Phil has won a place in over 35 events and in the top money makers of all times in poker tournaments. He won one of these 9 bracelets when he was just about 24 years old. However for all his achievements, he is known as the player who throws major temper tantrums at the table. Phil currently lives in Palo Alto, California and is spokesman for the online card room, Ultimate Bet. Poker-babes.com reports:

When people see poker, people see Phil. He is also featured in Travel Channel commercials promoting the World Poker Tour.

Read More: Phil Hellmuth Jr.

Berry Johnston - Legend of Poker

In the early 1980s Berry Johnson made Las Vegas his home and hit big time poker. He wasn't a very known name in the poker circle, when he took part in the Main event at the 1982 WSOP. Included in the final table of 9 players were Buster Jackson, Carl Cannon, Sailor Roberts, Doyle Brunson, Dody Roach, Berry Johnston, Dewey Tomko, A.J. Myers and Jack Straus. The odds on Johnson's winning at this time were 8-1. This showed his lack of experience in playing with the world's top-rankers. Along the tournament, Johnston finally got all-in against Straus and busted out in third place. This prize money of $104,000 gave Berry's career a great start. The next year, he won the $2500 Match Play Tournament and won his first gold bracelet. Pokernews.com reports:

In 1985 Berry reached the final table again in the main event, and once again ran into expert company. This time, it was T.J. Cloutier who Berry got to commit his whole stack of chips with A-J Johnston's A-K.

Read More: Legends of Poker: Berry Johnston

Hoyt Corkins - Poker Player

Hoyt Corkins won the World Series of of Poker Pot Limit, Omaha, in 1992. He then held back from playing poker, for sometime. Corkins resumed playing big tournaments once more in 2003. He has decided to concentrate on the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker, now. He prefers playing No Limit Texas Hold'em due to the action. It is also a very glamorous game. He resurfaced on the poker circuit in November 2003, when he won the Foxwoods World Poker Finals No Limit Hold'em World Poker Tour Event. Third place in the same event was taken by Phil Hellmuth who gave him a memorable name to put him down: "Mr. All-In". Poker-babes.com reports:

He said he doesn't mind if people think he is "Mr. All-In". Hoyt lives with his girlfriend and has two residences, one in Las Vegas and the other in Alabama.

Read More: Hoyt Corkins

Annie Duke Pics - Poker Bio

Annie Duke was initiated into the game of poker, at a very young age. She dropped out from a PhD candidate program in cognitive psychology. It was then that her elder brother suggested that she should play tournament poker. She went on to take lessons from Howard and read every book available on the subject. She than began playing tournament poker and has improved consistently. At the WSOP Invitational Championship, she defeated nine male champions. Annie took home the $2 million dollar winner-take-all prize. She is the leading WSOP money winner for women and has more WSOP money finishes than any other woman. Lasvegasvegas.com reports:

Born: Concord, Connecticut. Residence: Portland, Oregon. Annie is the mother of four children and finished 10th in the  2000 WSOP Championship event while nine months pregnant.

Read More: Annie Duke

David Williams - Poker Player

Until 2004 World Series of Poker, no one in the poker circle knew much about David Williams. He had made a name as one of the top ranking players in the card game: Magic: The Gathering. David began to play poker since 1997. That has not stopped him from making million in a short period of time. In the 2004 World Series of Poker, he procured the second rank, after Greg Fossilman Raymer. Like Greg and Chris Moneymaker, he too got into the event from playing at Pokerstars. Even though he won his way to the tournament, through the internet, he prefers live poker. He was initiated into poker by some Magic players. Poker-babes.com reports:

David currently resides in Dallas, Texas where he attends Southern Methodist University. He decided on SMU after he was accepted into Princeton and Harvard and went to Princeton in 1998, but was so homesick he eventually went back to Texas.

Read More: David Williams

Mike Matusow - $1 Million Winner in WSOP Tournament of Champions

Mike Matusow won $1 million at the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. Several other pro's, including Hoyt Corkins and Phil Hellmuth were at the final table. Matusow beat a field of 114 players. Doyle Brunson is another poker notable who placed high in the tournament, finishing in 10th place.

The Top 3 Finishers for the WSOP Tournament of Champions:

1. Mike "The Mouth" Matusow $1 million
2. Hoyt Corkins $325,000
3. Phil Hellmuth $250,000

Greg Fossilman Raymer - Poker Bio

Greg Raymer is none other than the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion. He is a patent attorney by profession. He gets the nickname "Fossilman" from the fossils he uses at his tables, as card protectors. He shares a common feature with David Williams and Chris Moneymaker in that he also won his entry through Pokerstars. He defeated a field of over two and a half thousand players. Greg went on to win five million dollars for clinching the first place. This prize amount is the single largest cast amount won for a poker tournament, till date. He followed up his victory in 2005 by achieving an impossible feat wherein he procured the 25th place in a field of more than 5600 players, at the WSOP Main Event. Poker-babes.com reports:

Greg Raymer is an active participant on the rec.gambling.poker (RPG) newsgroup. His active participation in the poker forums on twoplustwo.com has also been extremely helpful.

Read More: Greg Fossilman Raymer

Now Hear Your Favorite Poker Pros - As They Lend Their Voices to Cellular Ringtones, Voicemail Greetings and Ringbacks

Two fast-paced, rapidly growing industries will be coming together soon. Sports-Stuff.com will offer ringtones on cell phones, featuring three popular poker players. Sports-Stuff will get exclusive rights with the players to produce the voice ringtones. It will also publish voicemails greetings, ringbacks and WAP (wireless web) sites with these players. A three time player of the year who has won more than 75 major tournaments is Men "The Master" Nguyen. He holds 6 World Series of Poker bracelets too. Along with David Williams and Evelyn Ng, he will be giving his voice to poker fans for their cells, in the near future. Poker is all set to make its presence felt in all aspects of our daily lives - Truly creating an indelible mark for itself everywhere. Launchpoker.com reports:

The Director of Business Development for Sports-Stuff.com is very positive about the new ides; "Given the meteoric rise in the popularity of poker in the last few years, coupled with the growing demand for exciting wireless content, we felt that creating voice ringtones that featured the stars of the game was an excellent opportunity to capitalize on two growing markets," said Alex Murdoch.

Read More: Poker Pro Ringtones

Chris Moneymaker - Poker Bio

Chris Moneymaker is the winner of the 2003 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold'em Championship. His story has a fairytale like quality to it. It all began with his winning an entry into the series, through the PokerStars online card room. With an all in all investment of forty dollars, he went on to win $2,500,000. It may be not known to many, but after winning an entry into the tournament, Chris being short of money for airfare and hotel expenses; actually borrowed money from his father and from his friend, to cover up for his trip expenses. He took this loan in exchange for a portion of his winnings. In addition he also went on to donate 25,000 out of his prize money, for cancer research. Many people insist that it was luck that helped Chris reach where he did, this may be true but he also demonstrated a basic skill while playing with pros. Poker-babes.com reports:

The first day had Johnny Chan sitting on his right and Phil Ivey on his left. He said that he got outplayed and that night he decided to not be afraid anymore.

Read More: http://www.poker-babes.com/bio/chris-moneymaker/

Sartori - New Kid on the Block. a Rare combination of Music and Poker

Thirty year old Tom Sartori is a maverick musician from Buffalo, N.Y. He has been traveling the countryside singing his songs and also playing poker and raking in money and moolah. This gives him publicity and boosts his singing career. He was competing with 450 other players in Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship last week, at Bellagio. Although he lost out half way, he managed to win $20,000 from side games. Out of more than 5,600 entries he had the 26th rank in Harrah's World Series of Poker at Rio. He took a huge prize sum of $300,000. He then used the money to get himself a producer, Geza X; a latin Grammy-winning mixed Charles Dy along with a publicist. Lasvegassun.com reports:

"The title is a poker reference, since all of my poker winnings are being dumped into my music career," Sartori said. The album is being produced by his own independent label, Ace High.

Read More: Poker Whiz Sartori hopes to deal an ace in music

Celebrity Actors Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore Come Together at Las Vegas Aution, and Bid For Katrina Relief

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore made their first public appearance since marriage. They came together for a charitable cause, at a Las Vegas, Nevada auction. Ashton got a poker lesson with top player Annie Duke. The actor made a bid of $14,000. He gave this for the private poker session at uBid.com online celebrity auction. The auction was made at the Empire Ballroom. The stars attended the event once they got to know that all the proceeds will go to the ongoing Katrina relief effort. A Noble endorsement by celebrities for a charitable cause! Contactmusic.com reports:

Ashton's girlfriend, Britney Murphy, also attended the Sin City party, as well as 'N SYNC star LANCE BASS, who bid 430,000(GBP 16,600) to snowboard with pal Justin Timberlake.

Read More:

KUTHCHER BIDS FOR POKER LESSON AT AUCTION

Meet the Poker Pro - Arnold Spee

It takes commitment to be a successful poker player. Arnold Spee has that in abundance. Spee has worn the 2005 World Poker Challenge in Reno and has got a great start by collecting $663,880 as the first prize. Spee says he always loved playing cards. Earlier he played Canasta with his parents, while on holiday. At Las Vegas he would play poker while his friends gambled in other things. The poker bug caught him and got him hooked on, only once it became very visible on the television, in  the U.S. With WPT airing its tournaments it brought him closer to the game. Pokernews.com reports:

After catching the poker action on the tube, it wasn't long before Spee was knee-deep into the world of poker, cutting his teeth at the Commerce Casino in L.A. It took about three months for Spee to find his way tot the WPT main events.

Read More: Arnold Spee: Poker Player

Meet Poker Pro and Host of "Live At The Bike" - Shirley Rosario

Her face may be familiar to many viewers if have been watching "Live At the Bike" on Wednesdays and Saturdays. They must surely be wondering who the host of the program really was. The lady in question is Shirley Rosario who is more than just a pretty face in the poker community. Shirley is a successful poker player from LA. She has an excellent record in tournaments at casinos in California. Shirley has the distinction of finishing at a final table on the LIPS Tour at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop in San Diego. She has taken part in many World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker events. She can be seen playing the online version of the game or working as a proposition player at the Bicycle Casino. Pokernews.com reports:

She is one of the women who, while many may not know it, is truly immersed in the game of poker and is working to improve the sport in many ways. Be sure to take a look at the Los Angeles poker scene (and Shirley) during "Live At The Bike" from 6-10PM (Pacific Time) Wednesdays through Saturdays at thebike.com

Read More: Shirley Rosario - More Than Just 'The Poker Babe'

Second Book on Poker Written by Phil Gordon Discusses the Importance of Thought Process in Poker

Phil Gordon is the well-known co-host of Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and World Poker Tour Champion. He has just published his second book named "Phil Gordon's Little Green Book" this month. There are very many books today  telling about  correct play. They show the moves and what to do. But what most leave out is the thinking that is an important in any game of poker. According to Gordon, getting into the thought process behind a particular move, is more important. Gordon says that he has studied almost every book on poker, ever written. He felt that a gap was left despite the many books and a lot about the game was left unexplained. Mndaily.com reports:

"Understanding the differences in mental thought process is what this book is really about. I'd rather give you a thought process and let you make up your own decision."

Read More: Phil Gordon's poker pointers

Who's the Fairest of Them All - In Poker?

What is the hottest topic of discussion today in the poker circuit? Who is the best Poker player in the world? This question is being raised all over. From home games in small cities to big time casinos, the debate continues. Internet poker sites have come up with different answers. Poker magazines have come with their opinions on the topic. One magazine claims that Californian John Phan is the leader. Another one names John Juanda as the best. Yet another magazine believes that the best player is none other than Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Pokernews.com reports:

Poker players and poker organizations also are getting into the conflict. The International Poker Federation looks at Michael Gracz, the WPT and WSOP champion, as the best player in the world. Pokernews.com reports:

Read More: Rankings, Rankings, Rankings: Who's the Best Poker Player?

Superstar Mariah Carey Gets Lucky In Poker

On Friday, Mariah Carey, won $27,000. The superstar won this amount while playing poker in Las Vegas, Nevada. This singer was present along with Usher, Janet Jackson and Nelly. They had come together for the 33rd birthday bash of producer Jermaine Dupri. The party was held at the Tao restaurant at the Venetian Hotel. While there, Mariah went to the nearby casino. She won this huge prize money after just three rounds of poker. It could be pure luck or probably, the other players got overwhelmed by her sheer presence. Pokermag.com reports:

Carry enthuses, "I used to play poker with my sister. But I think my low-cut dress put some of the other guys off."

Read More: Carry Wins Poker Contest

European Player of the Month Award Goes to Tony G

The Top European Player of the Month award goes to Tony G. This award is adjudged by a committee at William Hill Poker. This month the competition was very high. Winning in the European Championship, pushed Tony G. towards winning this award. Giving him a very close competition was Tony Bloom and Iwan Jones. Bloom had earlier won the Victor cup while Jones had won the London open. Tony G. said after his win that he appreciated the acknowledgment from  William Hill and felt that it was good to be recognized by peers. He also said that he had been enjoying the game and had been playing very well lately. Pokernews.com reports:

As for the European Championship, Tony had this to say 'I played really well at European Championship, and as with any win, I had a bit of luck as well. I look forward to playing a lot more poker in 2005, and in fact I am playing both the Speed Poker Championships, and the London EPT event this week.'

Read More: Tony G. wins European Poker Player of the Month Award

What Sets Poker Pros Apart From the Rest

One common thread that connects most top ranking poker players is their very similar profiles. Most of them love to compete and are well educated. However, the most distinguishing characteristics of all is that these poker pros is that they have a strange knack or ability of being able to identify the weakness of their opponents and cash in on this weakness. The best poker players in the world do not play good poker purely because they are lucky. They do so because they have developed a strategy. They are able to read the thoughts of their opponents in a very uncanny manner. The minute they have deciphered the flaw in the oppnonents' strategy or move, they use it to their advantage. Ray Zee is a great player whose moves are as well calculate, as in a game of chess and he says that he spends all his energy trying to find out what his opponent is thinking about him; before he makes a move. Pokernews.com reports:

Billy Baxter is one of those players. Like Bobby Baldwin and Amarillo Slim, Baxter began his gaming career in pool halls.

Read More: Legends of Poker: Billy Baxter

Poker Pros Join in The California State Poker Championship

For the past two weeks, the Commerce Casino has been hosting the California State Poker Championship. The Buy-in's have stand between $300-$2000. The event which is scheduled for Sept. 23 will be $5,000 buy-in no limit hold'em event. Many top poker players in the world belong to California. They are proving their mettle at this tournament. According to recent reports, Men "The Master" Nguyen of Bell Gardens and Young Phan of Irvine, made it to the final table in the $2,000 no-limit hold'em event. Touring professional player Amir Vahedi reached the final table in the $500 no-limit hold'em event. He made $2,250 for finishing ninth in the tournament. Cliff Cantor of Hollywood and Frank Mariani, the Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president are other notable players who have been playing in this tournament. Cardplayer.com reports:

With the California talent pool as stacked as it is, the main event should have a tough field regardless of the poker community's attention being focused on upcoming World Poker Tour (WPT) events. Last year's champion, actor Ben Affleck, took home $356,400 and a $25,000 seat in the WPT championship.

Read More: Golden State Pros Hold Court at the Commerce

Hollywood Star James Wood's Team and Poker Pro Phil Laak's Team Get Ready to Batlle it Out in 'THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS IN POKER ROYALE'

Hollywood superstar James Wood's team and the team of Phil Laak, the poker pro, come together for a combat in the James Woods Gang VS. The UNABOMBERS in Poker Royale. This show will premier on Friday, the 7th of October at 10. p.m. From October, Poker lovers will be able to see the best poker players in action, every night on GSN. Veteran actor James Wood has acted in "Pretty Persuasion", "Rudy", "Casino" etc. Phil is ranked first in the 2004 World Poker Tour Main Event. He is also the host of E!'s Hollywood Hold 'Em. The two celebrities choose their own teams and come together for combat, over seven episodes. The highpoint of this series is the prize-pot of $75,000. The show will be shot at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Terecula, California. Prnewswire.com reports:

In recent years Woods has taken the world of poker by storm, and is a force to be reckoned with not only on the big screen. He plays regularly in Hollywood home games and has respect among his poker peers.

Read More: James Woods Takes on the Pros in GSN's New Poker Royale Series 'THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS'

Dave Scharf - A Prominent Figure on the Canadian Poker Circuit

Off late there has been an influx of reputed poker players, belonging to Canada. Gavin Smith, Haralabos Voulgaris, Doug Lee are among some of the prominent Canadian poker players. Dave Scharf is Canada's foremost authority in poker and has been the driving force of the game, in the country. He has been playing the game from a young age. As a child he found that he could make a quick buck by playing blackjack, way back in the eighties. Dave developed a passion for poker later as poker made its presence in the Canadian casinos only in the nineties. Dave has been an outstanding figure in the Canadian Poker Tour. He has also published Canada's first poker magazine called Canadian Poker Monthly, since 1997. Pokernews.com reports:

He has consulted with many casinos in Canada as to their poker arrangements. He has contributed his writings to such publications as CardPlayer Magazine, Poker Digest and others too numerous to mention.

Read More: Talking Poker With Canada's Dave Scharf

Isabell Mercier: The Lady Who Gave Up Law to Become a World Class Poker Champ

Meet Isabel Mercier, the woman who had the guts and the conviction, to walk away from an established law practice, and went on to become a world class poker champion. According to Isabel, her law practice made her feel bound by schedules which is something she could not put up with, for long. She needed a lot of freedom in her life and hence the decision! It sure is a brave move considering that after invesing a fair amount of years in education and work in a profession, one fine day, a person is able to give it all up. This because the lifestyle accompanying the profession seems unsuitable. This clearly speaks a lot for Mercier, whom the WPT Tour host last year renamed "no mercy" Mercier. Isabell Mercier is a fearless player and being a risk taker made a fast impact as a "money player", in cash games and came into focus once she won the WPT Ladies Night II. Casinocity.com reprots:

Mercier also had the advantage of working full time as a casino dealer while putting herself through law school. She decided to deal from casino to casino all around the world.

Read More: Exclusive: In Celebration of WPT Ladies Night Casino City Talks to Isabelle Mercier

Phil Hellmuth - Master of the Game or Master of Publicity

1989 World Series of Poker saw one name make headlines all over. It was that of Phil Hellmuth who has quite a public persona. He has continuously showcased himself and poker in order to forge ahead and earn money in poker related events and deals rather than in actual poker games. Due to his hunger for publicity and because it is felt that he markets himself he has been put by many, among the the small group of 'bad boys" of poker. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the image of a player goes a long way in putting a particular game into the limelight. Players with an attractive personality contribute to the coverage of the game in the media. Phil began playing poker when he was hardly 23 years old - a face totally unknown and with nothing to his credit. Today besides making a name for himself in the game, Phil is the author of several books, writes articles for Card Player and has made several instructional videos on the poker. Pokernews.com reports:

Hellmuth's WSOP record is simply amazing. He has won bracelets in limit, no-limit, and pot-limit hod'em, and made the final table in nearly all forms of poker.

Read More: Legends of Poker: Phil Hellmuth

Annie Duke to Play in the Chicago Poker Championships

Eagle Games reports that well-known professional poker player Annie Duke will play in the DD Poker event of Chicago Poker Championships that will be held on August 12th. Among women in World Series of Poker history, Annie Duke has been the main money winner. She had challenged the bigwigs of poker in August 2004 to win the ESPN World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions(R). Glenn Drover, president and founder of Eagle Games said that Annie was one of the main factors that had contributed towards making DD Tournament Poker 2005, the market leader in poker software over the last one year. He also said that DD Tournament Poker was a great game as it initiated players to the world of Texas Hold'em poker. Besides, it allowed new players to learn the game without the risk of losing money. Drover further said, that this product was extremely popular as it gave the players a sound foundation and built a basic understanding of the game before they made forays into actual cash games. Eagle games announced that it was pleased to continue its alliance with Annie and was looking forward to the launch of DD Poker 2006. home.businesswire.com reports:

We are delighted to have Annie Duke in Chicago. The last time she was here she participated in an event that raised over $5000 for local charities.

Read More: Annie Duke Returns to Chicago for the Chicago Poker Championships