Russia vs US Superpower Match in 2014 WSOP Event 34

We are in for a superpower match in a few hours, with only Russian and U.S. players left at the final table in Event 34. Two Russians went down earlier - @Sergey Rybachenko (12th) and @Vladimir Schemelev (27th), but another two are still up for the final six-way poker game in #wsop34 7 Card Stud.

Photos: PokerNews Joe Giron, Jayne Furman, Melissa Haerati

There is no record of any tournament cash for Nabih Helmi but between them, the five other finalists have $12,336,755 in live winnings. 

@Alexander Kravchenko is a true veteran (first recorded ITM finish in 2000) with an amazing 107 cashes and 47 final tables in his tournament history. In 2007 he became the first Russian citizen with a WSOP bracelet and that same year finished 4th in the WSOP Main Event.

@Aleksandr Denisov has won the bulk of his $578,974 in EPT events this year. He has 11 ITM finishes in EPT since January 2014, among which the biggest one - $295,920 - from his 6th place in the  2014 PCA High-Roller.

@Eric Buchman won his bracelet in 2010 WSOP and his biggest cash to date - $2,502,890 - with his 4th place finish in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

@Bryn Kenney may not have a bracelet or main event title in his history but does have a more balanced 'portfolio' when it comes to his impressive $3,525,418 total live winnings - slightly more than a million from WSOP events and the rest mostly from the European Poker Tour, including his biggest cash ($643,000) in the 2011 PCA $100,000 buy-in High Roller. He's already had two ITM finishes in #WSOP2014 - 4th in Event 24 for $160,927 and 41st place in Event 15.

@William Thompson has won $246,508 in 28 recorded cashes in live tournaments since 2007. If he wins the #wsop34 for $118,785 it will be the biggest cash in his tournament career.

Nabih Helmi will start the final table as the shortest stack, with barely two BB, but even if he is eliminated sixth, he is assured a prize of $18,802, a player profile on RankingHero, and the satisfaction that he has bested 339 other players in this event (345 total entries).

European Backgammon Champion Finishes Third in UKIPT/ESPT Main Event

It would have been great to see the first female UKIPT Main Event champion and @Katja Svendsen came very, very close. She started the final table at the @Casino Marbella as chip leader and never dropped below third in chips until that decisive hand with the ultimate winner, @Rodrigo Espinosa .

Holding 8♦ 6♦  on a 10♠  9♦ 3♦ flop, Katja ran into Espinosa's pocket kings and since no other diamond came up on the board and all her chips were in, she finished in third place for $79,551.

The Norwegian born Katja lives in Kent, England and mainly plays online though she has tournament cashes dating as far back as 2006. Interestingly enough, Katja also plays backgammon professionally and was the 2002 European Champion!

 At the First Million Dollar Backgammon Championship, 2007

WSOP Crimes & Punishments

The recent controversy regarding @Mike Matusow’s severe one-round penalty for “excessive celebration” at the table continues to draw attention and provoke reactions from players and commentators. In case you've missed it, here is the PokerNews account of the hand:

Stud Hi-Low
Cameron Tahmasebi raised to 12,000 and Jeet Sketty clicked it to 18,000. Mike Matusow called and so did Fu Wong. Tahmasebi was now all in for 13,500 on third and the three players proceeded to fourth. Matusow bet 6,000, Wong called, Sketty made it 12,000 and Matusow three bet to 18,000. Wong was skeptical and folded.
Matusow said, "If I win this pot, everybody will be playing for second."
Until sixth, Matusow was betting and had another 4,500 behind, Sketty put him to the test and all turned over their cards.
Wong: / muck
Tahmasebi: 8♥ 8♠ /9♥ 3♣ 6♠  4♦ / 6♣ 
Sketty:Q♦ 10♥ / 10♣ J♦ 2♣ J♠ / 5♥ 
Matusow: 5♠ 7♣ /6♥ 8♦ 4♥ J♥ / K♥ 
"Come on, I deserve this," yelled Matusow, almost losing his voice. The dealer delivered seventh and Matusow started cheering loudly, running away from the tournament area and everybody in the rather silent Amazon room could hear him. Matusow pounded the table in celebration as he continued to laud the hand. He raked in the massive pot with the straight and low and was then given a one round penalty for his "outrageous behavior."
"Is this for real? I didn't do anything. You get a penalty for getting excited? I didn't even swear." The tournament staff claimed they were only doing their job.
Matusow was visibly upset by the ruling almost to the point of tears. Some players, such as Joe Tehan and Owais Ahmed came to his defense, while others like Robert Mizrachi and Matt Lefkowitz tried their best to calm Matusow down and get him refocused.
In the meanwhile, Tahmasebi went to the payout desk to collect $7,784 for his 24th place finish.

Upset by the unjust ruling, Mike was eliminated (19th) shortly after resuming his place at the table in #WSOP25.

The poker community seems unusually unanimous that the decision was unfair and the most outspoken and active champion of the Matusow defense has been @Daniel Negreanu:

“Ruling made by TD Dave Lamb on @themouthmatusow is atrocious disgusting and represents what's wrong with poker.Showing emotion is a penalty?”

“The mouth is one of pokers most colorful characters and has been for over a decade. To mute him in this fashion is detrimental to poker.”

While Matusow still expects an apology, it might be a good idea for all WSOP players to take a look at the 2014 WSOP Official Tournament Rules (and especially Section IV, 39 and Section VI, 107, on penalties).

One person who didn’t check the WSOP rules and got himself a penalty on that count was @Henry Tran:

Others have been rightfully penalized for not betting the nuts in position on the river:

Finally, there are penalties for 'abuse and disruptive behavior' and hardly anyone will be surprised to see @Phil Hellmuth's name come up in such a context :) In 2008, he got a highly deserved one-round penalty for calling another player (@Cristian Dragomir) an idiot at the WSOP Main Event:

Few of us need Official Rules to know better than call people 'idiots'. Yet, to be on the safe side, before your next visit to the Rio, check the #WSOPrules so you don't end up penalized like these guys :)

http://www.wsop.com/2014/2014-WSOP-Rules.pdf 

Weekly RankingHero Highlights

Even with the WSOP in full swing and the FIFA World Cup kicking off, to the poker community, no news can compete with the sale of the largest poker business in the world - the biggest live poker event producer and online operator, with 85 MILLION registered players worldwide. Amaya Gaming is acquiring the Rational Group, owner of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, for $ 4.9 billion. 

This week we have @Davidi Kitai to thank for some of the best poker moments in quite a while - he won his third bracelet with a series of stunning reads and is an inspiration for all who love the game of poker.

Dominik Nitsche was in the spotlight with a third bracelet at only 23 years of age and a second one for Germany in #WSOP2014.

We have been watching the performance of @Bruno Fitoussi @David Benyamine and @Bertrand Grospellier in their WSOP bracelet hunting. And, as always, we have been following closely all the ladies playing in Vegas this summer.

Featured ranking: the Canada all-time WSOP earnings and the Canadian bracelet hopefuls.

Special welcome to @Ellie Biessek who joined us right after winning the Grosvenor 25/25 Luton NLHE, as well as to @Eldar Moldobek Uulu @Michael Cadet @Ferran Esteller Valen and all of our new members!

Thanks to @G.i. Joff  @Matthieu Herve  @Tony Chopin  (et bien sûr, @sylverphenix ;) and everyone else for sharing and posting on RankingHero. Visit us on Facebook to check out the great new addition to our page - Live Ranking! Now all players with live tournament cashes can post their RankingHero results page on their Facebook profile :)

Take care and watch your bankrolls :)

Yours truly,

@Annie RKH 

 #RKHweekly 

PokerStars with New Owner and a Step Closer to U.S. Market

The poker industry is reverberating with the news that Amaya Gaming has acquired Rational Group, owner of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, in a $4.9 billion deal. Analysts unanimously point out one crucial implication of the transaction - the new owner may make it possible for PokerStars to re-enter the U.S. Market, as implied in the Amaya Gaming communication on the acquisition:

Amaya believes the Transaction will expedite the entry of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker into regulated markets in which Amaya already holds a footprint, particularly the U.S.A. Additionally, Amaya will provide an extensive selection of its online casino games to expand the nascent Full Tilt Poker casino platform. Amaya intends to strongly support Rational Group’s growth initiatives in new gaming verticals, including casino, sportsbook and social gaming, and new geographies. 

 Mark and @Isai Scheinberg 

Rational Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheinberg:“I am incredibly proud of the business Isai (PokerStars founder and Mark’s father) and I have built over the last 14 years, creating the world’s biggest poker company and a leader in the iGaming space. Our achievements and this transaction are an affirmation of the hard work, expertise and dedication of our staff, which I am confident will continue to drive the company’s success. The values and integrity which have shaped this company are deeply ingrained in its DNA. David Baazov (the Chief Executive Officer for Amaya Gaming) has a strong vision for the future of the Rational Group which will lead the company to new heights.”

About Amaya:

“This is a transformative acquisition for Amaya, strengthening our core B2B operations with a consumer online powerhouse that creates a scalable global platform for growth,” said David Baazov, CEO of Amaya. “Mark Scheinberg pioneered the online poker industry, building a remarkable business and earning the trust of millions of poker players by delivering the industry’s best game experiences, customer service and online security. Working with the experienced executive team at Rational Group, Amaya will continue that tradition of excellence and accelerate growth into new markets and verticals.”

The WSOP and the FIFA World Cup Together - Poker-Soccer Mania Summer

We keep calling the WSOP the 'poker olympics' because of the gathering of the very best on the planet and the enormous symbolic value of the WSOP bracelet, comparable to the rare and precious Olympic medal in an athlete's trophy cabinet. Another sports event of unequaled popular appeal will hold the world in trance in the coming weeks - the FIFA World Cup in Brazil :) The poker community has a stake in this fascinating competition as well since there are many soccer players with a passion for poker (and quite a few who have transitioned to professional poker after soccer). 

#GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL  ‎

Today Spain and the Netherlands are playing and poker fans can cheer for one of their own: Barcelona star and Spain national team member @Gerard Pique. He has two live tournament cashes to his name - both times from EPT Barcelona (2011 and 2013). 

Pique made an appearance at last year's WSOP Main Event:

He was one of a field of 6,352 players and left without cashing. We now wish him lots of luck and a good run in another field - the Arena Fonte Nova :)

Expect more #PokerSoccer updates on RankingHero!

Ladies in 2014 WSOP - Cashes for Allyn Jaffrey Shulman and Amanda Musumeci

US pro @Amanda Musumeci just won her third cash at the #WSOP2014 She previously scored in Events 3 and 4 and now finished 12th in the #wsop24 for $31,504. Amanda and @Jamie Kerstetter now both have 3 ITM finishes and lead the WSOP #womenINpoker stats by number of ITM.

Even though she plays a lot online, Amanda has accumulated a million dollars in live winnings. Her biggest live tournament cash - $481,643 - came in 2012 when she finished runner-up in Event 9 of the 43rd Annual World Series of Poker.

Here's a 2013 interview, in which Amanda discusses fold equity in tournaments:

Meanwhile, Women in Poker Hall of Fame 2014 Inductee  @Allyn Jaffrey Shulman finished 14th in #WSOP25  Omaha & 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo.

Allyn also won her biggest cash in 2012 WSOP when she topped a huge field of 4,128 entrants in the largest WSOP Seniors Event in history for $603,713 and a bracelet. 

Read on:

Women in Poker Hall of Fame Finalists - Allyn Jaffrey Shulman

Lady Survivors in WSOP Event 24

2014 WSOP: Team Canada Still Far From Last Year's Record 10 Bracelets

In WSOP stats Canada traditionally dominates all other countries (discounting the U.S.) by earnings and cashes, and in 2013 the country boasted a record 10 bracelets. 

So far this year, Canadian players have achieved 207 cashes, and in this respect the country is way ahead of the UK (73) or Germany (45). However, Canada still lags behind in #braceletHunting (especially since @Dominik Nitsche won a second bracelet for Germany in #WSOP21). Here are some of star members of the Team Canada hoping to bridge the gap:

@Matt Jarvis already cashed in Event 15 and ends Day 2 of the 5K Hold'em 6 Max  #wsop24 with 1,373,000 in chips and a huge lead over the remaining 17 players, among whom two other Canadians: @Griffin Benger and @Jay Dragland.

@Mike Leah is the Canadian hopeful in #WSOP25 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better. He is second in chips (374,000) of 18 remaining players after Day 2 (and not too far from chip leader @Erik Seidel's  444,000).

@Daniel Negreanu is Canada's champion by all-time WSOP cashes (72) and bracelets (six!). He has repeatedly tweeted about his 3-bracelet target this summer but so far has had to make do with three ITM finishes: in events 13, 18, and 22.

@Greg Mueller has cashed in the exact same three events as Daniel: #WSOP13 #wsop18 and #WSOP22. 

@Sorel Mizzi is another player to watch out for, up to now with two ITM finishes in #wsop15 and #WSOP20 and so is @Mike Watson (13th in Event 13)

Yet to make an appearance in  WSOP results reports are @Mike McDonald and the 888poker ambassador @Xuan Liu  who recently joined the poker olympics in Vegas but have not made it to an ITM finish.

Lady Survivors in WSOP Event 24

The #WSOP2014 started promisingly for #womenINpoker with a third bracelet for @Vanessa Selbst in the Mixed Max yet since then there have been no other breakthroughs for the ladies.

There were quite a few notable women players in the field on Day 1 in the 5K 6 Max Hold'em Event. @Jackie Glazier was one of the ladies who busted early: "Busto $5K 6 Max. Was feeling great until Elky got me!" She had QQ when she came up against @Bertrand Grospellier with a set of 3s (that became quads on the river).  After a few ups and downs, @Jennifer Tilly barely survived the day with a stack of 11,500 chips - 125th of 129 and a long way from the Day 1 chip leader, @Christopher Hunichen with 177,200 in chips. The only one who did better was @Amanda Musumeci. She will be returning on Day 2 with 50,000 in chips, 73rd out of a total of 129 who will be playing for 60 paid places and a prizepool of  $2,542,700. 

Sole survivors:

Some of the notable ladies who left the tournament on Day 1:

Three-Way Action in Event 21 Final Table

Final table in #WSOP21 moves on to heads-up between @Dominik Nitsche and @David D'Alesandro after @Bob Bounahra was eliminated in three-way action:

Bob moved all in with a pair of 7s, Dave went all in with a pair of queens, and Dominik called with TTs. 

D'Alesandro's queens held up and he enters heads-up with a 2:1 chip advantage. Bob Bounahra finished third, adding $145,229 to his live earnings.