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europa n ° 12 summe r is sue 2013
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WSOP-E Aria Poker Room Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open WPT Grand Prix de Paris Dakar Poker Tour WPT Cyprus Bellagio’s Festa Al Lago EPT Barcelona
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editorial Dear Readers, The WSOP in Las Vegas is not over yet, but it seems that there are no holidays for poker lovers! Before the usual late-August/earlySeptember rush, starting with EPT Barcelona — which won a GPI European Poker Award last year for being 2012’s most successful
In September, all of planet poker’s players will surely rush to Paris, which will become the world capital of poker for a few weeks.
series — there are a lot of other tournaments everywhere in the world, with Cyprus’s WPT stop, to Dakar’s great Terrou-Bi resort, to the American Festa Al Lago at the Bellagio, or Florida’s Hard Rock Seminole Poker Open, hosted by celebrated tournament director Matt Savage. In September, all of planet poker’s players will surely rush to Paris, which will become the world capital of poker for a few weeks. First, the WSOPEurope which has moved from Cannes to Enghien-les-bains, a luxury resort very close to Paris and the Champs-Élysées, followed by the WPT Grand Prix de Paris, the Main Event of the Rendez-vous festival. American and European players will gather to the “city of light” to enjoy excellent French food, great sightseeing… not to mention tons of poker action! Be sure to get a few weeks’ rest this summer, as there will soon be plenty of reasons to hit the poker tables! Bruno Benveniste
summer issue 2013
5
OCTOBER 12TH TO 25TH, 2013
PARIS, ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS BARRIERE CASINO FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH
14:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
1 2 3 4
TURBO SAT TO LADIES EVENT LADIES EVENT DAY 1 SAT TO T5 1K 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT
SATURDAY OCTOBER 12TH
12:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
5 2 6 7 8
WSOPE BRACELET 1. 1K NLH DAY 1A LADIES EVENT DAY 2 FINAL TABLE CASH NLH TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT TURBO SAT TO 1K DAY 1B
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON
€700 + €70 €500 + €60 €130 + €20
SUNDAY OCTOBER 13TH
12:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
5 9 10 11
WSOPE BRACELET 1. 1K NLH DAY 1B SAT TO 5K TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
RE ENTRY* (A TO B) 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT
€1 000 + €100 €300 + €40 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
MONDAY OCTOBER 14TH
12:00 15:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
5 12 13 14 15
WSOPE BRACELET 1. 1K DAY 2 WSOPE BRACELET 2. 5K MIXED MAX DAY 1 SAT TO 1500 PLO TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT
€5 000 + €300 €200 + €30 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
12:00 13:00 15:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
5 12 16 17 18 19
WSOPE BRACELET 1. 1K FINAL TABLE WSOPE BRACELET 2. 5K MIXED MAX DAY 2 (6MAX) WSOPE BRACELET 3. 1500 PLO DAY 1 FREEZEOUT SAT TO 2K FREEZEOUT TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
€1 500 + €150 €270 + €30 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
13:00 13:00 15:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
12 16 20 21 22 23
WSOPE BRACELET 2. 5K MIXED MAX DAY 3 (HU) WSOPE BRACELET 3. 1500 PLO DAY 2 WSOPE BRACELET 4. 2K NLH DAY 1 FREEZEOUT SAT TO 3K PLO FREEZEOUT TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
€2 000 + €200 €360 + €40 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16TH
+ + + +
€20 €50 €20 €50
€1 000 + €100 Access is reserved to persons over 18 not prohibited from gaming upon presentation of proof of identity.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 15TH
€80 €500 €130 €400
The best Players of the Planet will try to win one of the seven World Series of Poker Bracelets !
AND NOW, PLAY ON !
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18TH
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19TH
SUNDAY OCTOBER 20TH
MONDAY OCTOBER 21ST
TUESDAY OCTOBER 22ND
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23RD
THURSDAY OCTOBER 24TH
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25TH
13:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
20 12 24 16 25 26 27
WSOPE BRACELET 4. 2K NLH DAY 2 WSOPE BRACELET 2. 5K MIXED MAX FINAL TABLE WSOPE BRACELET 5. 3K PLO MIXED MAX DAY 1 FREEZEOUT WSOPE BRACELET 3. 1500 PLO FINAL TABLE SAT TO 1K SUPER SAT WSOPE MAIN EVENT 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
13:00 13:00 16:00 20:00 22:00
24 20 28 29 30
WSOPE BRACELET 5. 3K PLO MIXED MAX DAY 2 (6MAX) WSOPE BRACELET 4. 2K NLH FINAL TABLE SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT FREEZEOUT TURBO SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT 1 REBUY + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
12:00 13:00 16:00 20:00 22:00
31 24 32 33 34
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT DAY 1A FREEZEOUT WSOPE BRACELET 5. 3K PLO MIXED MAX FINAL TABLE SAT TO WSOPE MAIN EVENT DAY 1B FREEZEOUT STEP 1 SAT TO SUPERSAT HIGHROLLER FREEZEOUT 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
€10 000 + €450
12:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
31 35 36 37 38
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT DAY 1B CASH NLH STEP 1 SAT TO SUPER SAT HIGHROLLER SAT TO CASH 880 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT
€10 000 + €450 €800 + €80 €175 + €25 €80 + €20 €400 + €50
12:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
31 39 40 41 42
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT DAY 2 CASH PLO SAT TO CASH 880 SUPER SAT TO HIGHROLLER 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT
€800 + €80 €80 + €20 €1 500 + €150 €400 + €50
12:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
31 43 44 45 46
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT DAY 3 CASH NLH WSOPE BRACELET 7. HIGHROLLER SAT TO CASH NLH DEEPSTACK 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT 2 REBUYS + 1 DOUBLE ADD ON FREEZEOUT
€800 + €80 €25 000 + €600 €80 + €20 €400 + €50
12:00 15:00 16:00 20:00 22:00
31 44 47 48 49
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT DAY 4 WSOPE BRACELET 7. HIGHROLLER DAY 2 CASH DEEPSTACK DAY 1 SAT TO 1500 NLH 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO
FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT FREEZEOUT
€1 000 + €100 €200 + €30 €400 + €50
14:00 15:00 16:00 20:00 22:00
50 44 47 51 52
CASH NLH FREEZEOUT WSOPE BRACELET 7. HIGHROLLER FINAL TABLE CASH DEEPSTACK DAY 2 SAT TO BPT ENGHIEN NOV. 2013 FREEZEOUT 10 O’ CLOCK TURBO FREEZEOUT
€1 500 + €150
12:00 14:00 17:00
31 53 54
WSOPE BRACELET 6. MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE LAST DAY TURBO FREEZEOUT MEGA TURBO DEEPSTACK KO UNLIMITED REBUYS
■■ QUALIFICATIONS ■ BRACELETS EVENTS ■ SIDE EVENTS
€3 000 + €250 €130 + €20 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
€1 000 + €100 €500 + €60 €400 + €50
€1 000 + €100 €175 + €25 €400 + €50
€225 + €25 €400 + €50 €300 + €30 €100 + €50 + €50 + €30
* Only players eliminated from Day 1A can reenter into Day 1B.
Informations & Registrations : www.barrierepoker.fr enghienpoker@lucienbarriere.com
Series of Poker, WSOP and their related logos are registered trademarks of Caesars Interactive Entertainment Inc. Used with its permission.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 17TH
THE BIGGER THE STAR, THE BETTER THE STAGE.
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contents 12 news
upcoming tournaments
28
28 world series of poker – europe 34 European Poker Tour Barcelona 40 World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013 46 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open 48 Las Vegas Poker Scene 54 Merit World Poker Cup Final & WPT Merit Cyprus Classic 56 Dakar Poker Tour VI
22 poker business Winamax opens to the European market 08 rankings 60 hendon mob 60 from 1st Jan to 28th june 2013 62 All time money list — europe 64 gpi top100 66 tournament schedule
is published by Game Prod 11 rue de Berri 75008 PARIS / France +33 (0)1 53 89 14 00 www.poker52europa.com Directed by: Bruno Benveniste +33 (0)1 53 89 14 08 - brunobenveniste@poker52europa.com Assisted by: Samantha Delmas - samantha@poker52europa.com Chief editor: Jérôme Schmidt - jerome@poker52europa.com Writers: Julien Morello, Antoine Salvi, Philippe Lemaire, Philippe Aronson Cover picture: Jules Pochy Inside pictures: Jules Pochy, Neil Stoddart, XDR Re-writing and translation: Alexander JE Bradley Advertisement: Martin Garagnon +33 (0)1 53 89 14 04 - martin@poker52europa.com Founder: Bruno Fitoussi Artistic Director: Frédéric Hallier Layout: Jennifer Bouvard Print: Imprimerie du Canal
EPT BARCELONA
GPI EUROPEAN POKER AWARDS BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR 2012
28 AUGUST 2013
ESTRELLAS POKER TOUR
1 SEPTEMBER 2013 BARCELONA
EPT
pokerstars.es
26 August - 7 septeMber 2013 enJoy the best poKer FestiVAL With More thAn 35 tournAMents!
Poker Casino Barcelona
www.casino-barcelona.com · pokercasinobarcelona@grupperalada.com PORT OLÍMPIC · Marina, 19.21 · Barcelona . T. +34 93 225 78 78 Identity card, driving licence or passport must be shown. Passport only in the case of non-EU citizens. Over 18s only.
BesT POkeR-CasInO BaRCeLOna-BesT suMMeR 26 August - 7 septeMber
August 26 - MondAy 19:00h · #A · NL - Super Satellite to Estrellas Main Event Buy.in: €150+€15 · Stack 8,000 / 20 min. August 27 - tuesdAy 18:00h · #B · NL - Holdem. Buy.in: €200+€20 · Stack 8,000 / 20 min. 20:00h · #C · NL - Unl. Rebuy + Addon Super Sat to Estrellas Main Event (€50 RB) Buy.in: €100+€10 · Stack 3,000 / 3,000 / 6,000 / 20 min. August 28 - WednesdAy 12:00h · #D · Estrellas Main Event - Day 1A Buy.in: €1,000+€100 · Stack 20,000 / 60 min. 17:00h · #E · NL - Unlimited Rebuy + Addon Super Satellite to EPT Main Event Three Seats Guaranteed (€50 RB & AO). Buy.in: €100+€10 · Stack 3,000 / 3,000 / 6,000 / 20 min. 21:00h · #F · NL - Super Satellite to Estrellas Main Event Day 1B - Three Seats Guaranteed Buy.in: €150+€15 · Stack 8,000 / 20 min. August 29 - thursdAy 12:00h · #D · Estrellas Main Event - Day 1B Buy.in: €1,000+€100 · Stack 20,000 / 60 min. 20:00h · #G · NL - Turbo. Buy.in: €200 + €20 · Stack 8,000 / 15 min. August 30 - FridAy 12:00h · #D · Estrellas Main Event - Day 2 12:00h · #1 · EPT10 Super High Roller - Unlimited Re-Entry - “8 Handed” - Day 1 - TV Buy.in: €48,000+€2,000 · Stack 250,000 / 60 min. 16:00h · #H · NL - Estrellas Mini Event - (Re-entry). Buy.in: €300+€30 Stack 10,000 / 30 - 40 min. 21:15h · #J · NL - Unlimited Rebuy + Addon Super Satellite to EPT Main Event One Seat Guaranteed (€50 RB & AO). Buy.in: €100+€10 · Stack 3,000 / 3,000 / 6,000 / 20 min. August 31 - sAturdAy 12:00h · #D · Estrellas Main Event - Day 3 12:00h · #1 · EPT10 Super High Roller - Unlimited Re-Entry - “8 Handed” - Day 2 - TV 12:00h · #K · NL - Estrellas High Roller - Day 1. Buy.in: €1,850+€150 Stack 20,000 / 45 - 60 min. 12:00h · #H · NL - Estrellas Mini Event - Day 2 13:00h · #2 · NL - Holdem - Women’s Event. Buy.in: €300+€30 · Stack 8,000 / 40 min. 18:00h · #L · PLO - Double Chance. Buy.in: €250+€25 · Stack 7,000 / 7,000 / 30-40 min. 19:00h · #3 · NL - One Rebuy/One Add on Super Satellite to EPT Main Event Buy.in: €500+€50 · Stack 3,000-3,000-6,000 / 20 min. 22:00h · #3 · NL - Turbo. Buy.in: €1,000+€100 · Stack 20,000 / 15 min. septeMber 1 - sundAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 1A. Buy.in: €5,000+€300 Stack 30,000 / 75 min. 12:30h · #D · Estrellas Main Event - Final Table 12:30h · #K · NL - Estrellas High Roller - Final Day 12:30h · #L · PLO -Double Chance - Final Day 13:00h · #L · EPT10 Super High Roller - Unlimited Re-Entry - “8 Handed” - Final Table - TV 18:00h · #6 · NL - One Rebuy/One Add on Super Satellite to EPT Main Event. Buy.in: €500+€50 Stack 3,000 / 3,000 / 6,000 / 20 min. 21:00h · #7 · NL - Last Chance Turbo Super Satellite to EPT Main Event Day 1B Buy.in: €1,050+€50 · Stack 10,000 / 15 min. septeMber 2 - MondAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 1B - TV. 75 min. 20:00h · #8 · NL - Turbo - “8 Handed”. Buy.in: €2,000+€150 · Stack 30,000 / 15 min.
septeMber 3 - tuesdAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 2 - TV 16:00h · #9 · NL - Holdem - Day 1. Buy.in: €2,000+€200 · Stack 12,000 / 50 min. 20:30h · #10 · PLO - Turbo. Buy.in: €500+€50 · Stack 10,000 / 15 min. 21:30h · #11 · NL - Turbo. Buy.in: €300+€30 · Stack 5,000 / 15 min. septeMber 4 - WednesdAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 3 - TV 12:00h · #9 · NL - Holdem - Final Day 13:00h · #12 · EPT10 Heads Up Championships - 32 Cap - Day 1 Buy.in: €10,000+€300 · Stack 15,000 / 20 min. 15:00h · #13 · NL - Holdem - Single Re-Entry - Day 1A Buy.in: €1,000+€100 · Stack 10,000 / 50 min. 19:00h · #14 · PLO - Day 1. Buy.in: €1,500+€150 · Stack 15,000 / 50 min. 21:00h · #15 · NL - Turbo - Win the Button!. Buy.in: €300+€30 · Stack 5,000 / 15 min. septeMber 5 - thursdAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 4 - TV 12:00h · #12 · EPT10 Heads Up Championships - 32 Cap - Day 2 12:00h · #14 · PLO - Final Day 12:00h · #16 · NL - Holdem - High Roller - Single Re-Entry - “8 Handed” - Day 1 Buy.in: €10,000+€300 · Stack 50,000 / 60 min. 13:00h · #13 · NL - Holdem - Single Re-Entry - Day 1B. Buy.in: €1,000+€100 Stack 10,000 / 50 min. 15:00h · #17 · NLO8 - Turbo Deepstack. Buy.in: €300+€30 · Stack 15,000 / 15 min. 19:00h · #18 · NL - Turbo Bounty. Buy.in: €1000+€1000+€150 · Stack 30,000 / 15 min. 21:00h · #19 · NL - Turbo Bounty. Buy.in: €300+€100+€30 · Stack 5,000 / 15 min. septeMber 6 - FridAy 12:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event - Day 5 - TV 12:00h · #13 · NL - Holdem - Single Re-Entry - Final Day 12:00h · #16 · NL - Holdem - High Roller - Single Re-Entry - “8 handed” - Day 2 12:00h · #20 · NL - Holdem - 30 Minute Levels. Buy.in: €1,000+€100 Stack 10,000 / 30 min. 13:00h · #21 · NL - Heads Up - 64 Cap - Day 1. Buy.in: €1,000+€100 · Stack 5,000 / 15 min. 18:00h · #22 · NL - Holdem - Deepstack - Day 1. Buy.in: €500+€50 · Stack 15,000 / 30 min. 21:00h · #23 · NL - Turbo. Buy.in: €300+€30 · Stack 5,000 / 15 min. septeMber 7 - sAturdAy 12:00h · #16 · NL - Holdem - High Roller - Single Re-Entry - “8 handed” - Final Day 12:00h · #21 · NL - Heads Up - 64 Cap - Final Day 12:00h · #22 · NL - Holdem - Deepstack - Final Day 12:00h · #24 · NL - Turbo - “6 Handed”. Buy.in: €5,000+€300 · Stack 50,000 / 15 min. 13:00h · #5 · EPT Main Event Day 6 - Final Table - TV 13:00h · #25 · NL - Summer Deepstack Turbo - €30K GTD - Stack 30K / 15 Min levels. Buy.in: €300+€30 16:00h · #26 · NL - Turbo - “6 Handed”. Buy.in: €2,000+€150 · Stack 30,000 / 15 min. 17:00h · #27 · NL - Hyper Turbo - €10K GTD. Buy.in: €100+€10 · Stack 10,000 / 10 min.
All tournaments will have 3% of the tournament prize pool withheld to cover the costs of floor staff and dealers with the exception of Events 1, 12 and 16. Event 1 has a 1% withholding and events 12 and 16 have a 2% withholding. We reserve the right to change, amend or alter any portion of the above schedule. Lettered Events are part of Estrellas Barcelona and may qualify for Estrellas Player of the Year Awards. Numbered Events are part of EPT Barcelona and may qualify for EPT Player of the Year Awards. All tournaments may have a day added or subtracted at Tournament Director discretion.
news
i LIVE EVENT RESULTS i
Alexandre Chieng dominates the APPT Macau
F
rom June 12 to 16, the City of Dreams Casino, in Macau, held the HK$25,000 (€2,400) Main Event of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau, the third event of Season VII of the APPT, which attracted a total of 388 players, generating a HK$ 8,656,280 prize pool. After 4 days of competition, they were only 9 players still on the race, and among them figured some of the region’s best known players, such as Kenneth Leong, the first ever Macau Poker Cup Red Dragon champion in 2009. Khac-Trung Tran, Jenette Tan and Hao Tian were busted in the first thirty minutes of the final, and at this point, Leong and Dinesh Alt, from Switzerland, were the two chip leaders. Alt ended 4th, busted by French-Chinese player Alexandre Chieng, who reached the heads-up against Leong after Ling Tong’s elimination. The two competitors began this last confrontation with approximately equal chips, but Chieng succeeded to take the lead and to finally grab the title, cracking Leong’s aces with 6-7 which turned trips on a 5-7-T-7 board. Chieng, a 33-year-old CEO of a cosmetics company from Shanghai, became the first Chinese champion on APPT and took down Hao Tian for his huge achievement. “I feel great, it is like a dream come true,” the champion said as he received the APPT silver trophy.” “For me, poker is a sport. It is not about money. I hope that more people start playing tournaments, more than just cash. It’s great to win over people and it’s great to win in a healthy way; too many people in China play too big, which is not healthy. I wish to tell them that you can be just as happy when you
Final Table Results 1st Alexandre Chieng (France-China) HK$2,165,000 (€209,057) nd 2 Kenneth Leong Yuen Kiong (China) HK$1,390,000 (€134,221) rd 3 Ling Tong (China) HK$779,000 (€75,222) 4th Dinesh Alt (Switzerland) HK$606,000 (€58,516) 5th Nan Hong (China) HK$476,000 (€45,963) 6th Shuyang Yu (China) HK$389,000 (€37,562) 7th Hao Tian (China) HK$303,000 (€29,258) 8th Jenette Tan (Hong Kong) HK$238,000 (€22,981) th 9 Khac-Trung Tran (Australia) HK$173,180 (€16,722) win this kind of tournament than any other game,” declared Chieng, before concluding: “The tournament is all about competition. You have to believe until the end.” The APPT reconvenes in Queenstown, New Zealand, with a NZ$ 3,000 Main Event running from July 30 to August 4.
I LIVE EVENT SCHEDULE I
Unibet Open and France Poker Series in Cannes C
Then, from September 24 to 29, the France Poker Series will come to the South of France for a €1,000 + €100 3-Day Main Event held in the Cannes Mandelieu Royal Casino, only a few kilometers from Cannes’ city center. The third leg of the popular French poker circuit will also host a 2-Day €2,700 + €300 High Roller event, a €200 + €20 Win the Button tournament, a €400 + €40 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Max event, and a €450 + €50 Deepstack tournament. The full schedule of these two festivals is still pending. For more information, go to see www.unibetopen.com and www.francepokerseries.fr/en/.
12
summer issue 2013
annes will be the place to play poker in late September, as two huge festivals will be running in the city of the film festival. First, from September 19 to 22, the Unibet Open will make a stop at the Casino Le Croisette, with a €1,500 + €150 3-Day Main Event (two Day 1) which will surely attract hundreds of players, struggling for the biggest part of the prize pool. It will be the first time the Unibet Open reaches the South of France, but after the success of its first French edition last year, the sold-out Unibet Open Paris, there is no doubt that this second French outing will be a blast.
Design : www.thomasoak.fr
Date
time
event
xof
eURoS
Monday September 9
9.00 pm
Satellite Main Event
50 000
75
Tuesday September 10th
6.00 pm
Deepstack Re-entry Day 1
6.00 pm
Deepstack Re-entry Day 2
325 000 + 30 000 Re-entry 130 000
500 + 50 Re-entry 200
9.00 pm
Satellite Main Event
50 000
75
Thursday September 12th
6.00 pm
Main EvEnt Day 1
Friday September 13
6.00 pm
Main EvEnt Day 2
650 000 +100 000 Re-entry 650 000
1 000 + 150 Re-entry 1 000
3.00 pm
Main EvEnt Day 3
9.00 pm
Satellite HigH RoLLER
100 000 – 5 Times
4.00 pm
HigH RoLLER
2 000 000 + 100 000
th
Wednesday September 11th
th
Saturday September 14th Sunday September 15th
chipS
LeveL
15 30 000
30 15
50 000
60
150 - 5 Times
5 000
20
3 000 + 150
40 000
30
FinaLE
news
i LIVE TOUR SCHEDULE i The World Poker Tour has
announced the first half of its Season XII schedule
A
*Televised Event.
fter the Grand Final of its Season XI, held in Las Vegas and won by Chino Rheem for $1,150,297, the World Poker Tour has announced the first part of its Season XII schedule, which will start on August 16 in Cyprus. In total, the biggest international poker circuit will reach 11 destinations over four continents until December 2013, with legs held in Sint Maarten, South Africa and South Korea. This year, the number of European legs will decrease, with only three stops selected by the WPT: Cyprus (August), Paris (October) and Prague (December). For the WPT National Series’ part, Marrakech (October), Barcelona (October) and Gruissan (November) will be the closest events for European players. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done to grow the World Poker Tour over the past few seasons,” affirmed WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage. “With our new schedule and expanded global presence, it’s more important than ever to provide our partners and players with the best experience possible at every
14
stop the WPT makes. I’m looking forward to working with both constituencies to make this happen and to continue our worldwide growth.”
WPT Season XII Main circuit schedule
WPT Regional and National Events schedule
• bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic (Merit Crystal Cove Casino Cyprus) Aug. 16 – Aug. 21: $4,400 • WPT Legends of Poker*; Bicycle Casino Bell Gardens, CA) Aug. 29 – Sept. 4: $3,700 • WPT Borgata Poker Open* (Borgata Atlantic City, NJ) Sept. 15 – Sept. 20: $3,500 • bwin.fr WPT Grand Prix de Paris (Aviation Club de France Paris, France) Oct. 25 – Oct. 30: €7,500 • WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic (Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Johannesburg, SA) Nov. 7 – Nov. 11: $3,600 • WPT Jacksonville bestbet Fall Poker Scramble (bestbet Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL) Nov. 15 – Nov. 19: $3,500 • WPT Caribbean (Casino Royale Maho Bay, St. Maarten) Nov. 19 – Nov. 24: $3,500 • PartyPoker.net WPT Montreal* (Playground Poker Club Quebec, CA) Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: C$3,850 • WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Poker Classic* (Bellagio Las Vegas, NV) Dec. 6 – Dec. 11: $10,300 • bwin WPT Prague (Card Casino Prague, CZ) Dec. 15 – Dec. 21: €3,300 • WPT South Korea (Ramada Plaza Jeju, South Korea) Dec. 16 – Dec. 19: $3,500
• WPT Regional Florida: WPT Fall Tampa Bay Open (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, FL) Sept. 12 – Sept. 15: $1,500 • WPT Regional Nevada: WPT Western Poker Challenge (Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Reno, NV) Sept. 20 – Sept. 23: $1,650 • PMU.fr WPT National Marrakech (Casino de Marrakech Morocco) Oct. 3 – Oct. 6: €1,500 • bwin.es WPT National Barcelona (Casino Barcelona Barcelona, Spain) Oct. 10 – Oct. 14: €1,650 • WPT Regional Florida: Stax Poker Lounge Fall Poker Classic (Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Coconut Creek, FL) Oct. 30 – Nov. 4: $500 • WPT National China (MGM Grand Sanya Hainan, China) Nov. 5 – Nov. 10: Invitation Only • Bwin.fr WPT National Gruissan (Casino Le Phoebus Gruissan, France) Nov. 7 – Nov. 10: €1,550 • WPT Regional Florida: Seminole Hark Rock & Roll Poker Open (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, FL) Nov. 29 – Dec. 2: $1,650 • WPT Regional Florida: Seminole Hard Rock WPT Tampa Bay Open (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Bay, FL) Dec. 12 – Dec. 15: $1,500 summer issue 2013
news
I LIVE EVENT RESULTS I
Dmitry Varlamov wins Unibet Open Troia
C
asino Troia, in Portugal, held from June 6 to 9 its first international event, with the second leg of the Unibet Open 2013. The €1,650 Re-entry Main Event attracted 108 players on Day 1A and 134 participants on Day 1B, generating a €362,995 prize pool. Unibet regulars, such as Tomasz Kozub, Ruggiero Scommegna, Steven Razab, Giorgio La Iacona, Paul Valkenburg and Dan Murariu were among the field, but the chip leader at the end of Day 1B was local player Diogo Cardoso, followed by his fellow countryman Fernando Rocha and Mateusz Moolhuizen, from Netherlands. 94 survivors entered Day 2, and only 36 of them could reach the money. Ruggiero Scommegna was the bubble boy of the event, and this second day ended with the elimination of Dutchmen Dylan Gessel and Josephus Leenaerts, respectively 11th and 10th, both for €5,844. Frenchman Pierre De Almeida entered the final table as the chip leader, joined by Dmitry Varlamov, from Russia, Krzysztof Stuchlik, Michal Karbowski and Zbigniew Wieczorek, from Poland, Auke Attena and Mateusz Moolhuizen from Netherlands,
Final Table Results 1st Dmitry Varlamov (Russia) €80,187 2nd Mateusz Moolhuizen (Netherlands) €56,265 3rd Zbigniew Wiezorek (Poland) €36,191 4th Pierre De Almeida (France) €26,789 5th Krysztof Stuchlik (Czech Republic) €20,110 6th Michal Karowski (Poland) €16,081 7th Auke Attena (Netherlands) €13,358 8th Laurens De Smet (Belgium) €10,709 9th Fernando Rocha (Portugal) €8,022 as well as Laurens De Smet from Belgium, and Fernando Rocha, the last Portuguese player standing. Rocha was the first player to bust from the final table, with As-King vs. Q-Q for Wieczorek. He was followed by De Smet, outed by Varlamov (King-6 vs. King-7), while Moolhuizen eliminated Attena, Karbowski and Stuchlik. De Almeida’s tournament ended at the 4th place, and after Wieczorek left the table in 3rd position, Moolhuizen began his heads-up against Varlamov well ahead. Unibet Open Malta champion in 2011, Moolhuizen was hoping to grab his second title, but his Russian opponent managed to take back the lead and to win the trophy, along with the €80,187 first prize. For his part, Moolhuizen left Troia with €56,265.
I LIVE TOUR SCHEDULE I
European Poker Tour Season X Program R
ight after its Grand Finale in Monte-Carlo last May, the European Poker Tour has announced the schedule of its tenth season, an 8-leg circuit which will start from August 28 to September 7 in Barcelona and will end in Monaco, from April 23 to May 2, 2014. In meantime, the EPT will reach the traditional stops of London, Prague, the Bahamas, Deauville, Berlin and Sanremo, and the main modification of this program concerns London and Sanremo stops, which will be held on their original dates, in October and April. For the last season, the EPT board has decided to decrease its schedule from 13 to 8 stops in order to propose longer festivals, with much more tournaments. A good choice, according to Edgar Stuchly, EPT President: “During a successful Season 9 where we decided to host fewer and bigger events incorporating the national tours, we listened to an enormous amount of player feedback who valued less time spent travelling, and more time spent playing. Since the Sanremo tournament will be held immediately before the EPT Grand Final in April, it will mean players can spend the whole month of April on the beautiful Riviera,” said Stuchly. The collaboration with national circuits, likes the Estrellas Poker Tour, the UK & Ireland Poker Tour or the France Poker Series, will continue during the Season X, as well as the High Roller events, with €/£10,000 during each European leg and €/£50,000 in Barcelona and London. The
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PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final will propose, for their parts, €/$25,000 High Roller and $/€100,000 Super High Roller events. “I’m really excited to see all of the top EPT stops back for Season 10,” Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu said. “I think this is the best schedule yet with several festivals planned, which is great for those making the trip overseas. It really gives players bang for their buck with all of the side events available at each stops.”
EPT Season X Schedule • EPT Barcelona (Spain) Aug. 28 – Sep. 7 (ME: Sep. 1 -7): €5,000 + €300 • EPT London (England) Oct. 2 – 12 (ME: Oct. 6 – 12): £5,000 + £250 • EPT Prague (Czech Republic) Dec. 8 – 18 (ME: Dec. 12 – 18): €5,000 + €300 • 2014 PCA (Bahamas) Jan. 4 -13 (ME: Jan. 6 – 12): $10,000 + $300 • EPT Deauville (France) Jan. 22 – Feb 1 (ME: Jan. 26 – Feb 1): €5,000 + €300 • EPT Berlin (Germany) Mar. 12 – 22 (ME: 16 – 22): €5,000 + €300 • EPT Sanremo (Italy) Apr. 6 – 16 (ME: Apr. 10 – 16): €5,300 + €300 • PokerStars And Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final (Monaco) Apr. 23 – May 2 (ME: Apr. 26 – May 2): €10,000 + €600 summer issue 2013
news
Martin Finger, benny chen, davidi kitai, Erick Lindgren and Michael Gathy.
I LIVE FESTIVAL RESULTS I
North American players crush the 44th WSOP The 44th edition of the World Series of Poker started on May 29 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and 39 events have crowned their champions so far. North American players took the biggest part of the bracelets put at stack, as no less than 34 winners come from the United States (25) and Canada (9), leaving only four titles to European players, and one for Australia. Here are the main results of the biggest poker festival in the world.
U
S players are at home at the Rio, and they prove it every year; for the 44th edition of the WSOP they mark their territory in a big way, as they took down around 65% of the 39 bracelets offered by the time we are publishing this issue. Some of them made their first appearance in the WSOP record list, likes Daniel Fuhs, who overcame his 240 opponents in the $5,000 Omaha Hi/Low event for $277,519 after years of close calls, Matt Waxman, winner of the Event #7 ($1,000 NLHE) after besting 1,836 players ($305,952) - among them bracelet owner Eric Baldwin (runner-up, for $189,220) -, or Lev Rofman, who defeated five-time bracelet winner Allen Cunningham heads-up in the $1,500 PLO tournament, for $166,136.
prize thanks to his victory in the Event #3 ($1,000 NLHE), which attracted a huge field of 3,164 players, but his fellow countryman Benny Chen took the lead in the winner list soon after, becoming the first millionaire of the series ($1,199,104), dominating the “Millionaire Maker” tournament over 6,342 players (a new record of participation for a WSOP tournament beside the Main Event). Michael Malm, Levi Berger, Calen McNeil, Jason Duval and Justin Oliver also succeeded for the first time in the WSOP, while Mark Radoja and Daniel Idema grabbed their second bracelet, winning respectively $336,190 in the $10,000 NLHE Heads-Up event and $184,590 in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Low tournament.
Huge comeback for Mike Matusow and Erick Lindgren
… as European players lag behind
Others are regulars of the winner list, such as Cliff Josephy, Jeff Madsen and David Chiu, who won respectively their second, third and fifth bracelet this season, sometimes after years of dearth. And among the US champions, two famous players made an incredible comeback, after years of disgrace: Mike Matusow and Erick Lindgren. Indeed, after his first place on the NBC Heads-Up Championship in January, Matusow proved that his return was not a lucky phase, as he grabbed his fourth WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Low event ($266,503), dominating Matthew Ashton heads-up. Same story for Lindgren: the poker pro continued his good run after his second place in the $25,000 WPT World Championship 2013, and took down his second WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 NLHE 6-Handed event, for a massive $606,317 cash prize.
Canadian players make their way to the top…
But US players had to make place to their neighbors to the North, as Canadian players came strong this year, succeeding 9 times so far. Charles Sylvestre won a massive $491,360 cash 18
This 44th edition of the WSOP was far from a piece of cake for European players, as only four of them managed to put their names on the record list. If Scottish player David Vamplew, German competitors Manig Loeser and Manuel Mutke, Frenchman Gabriel Nassif and Englishmen Matthew Ashton, Mathew Moore and Daniel Cascado reached a second place this year, Europe had to wait until the Event #19 to celebrate a victory, thanks to Belgium poker pro and Triple Crown owner Davidi Kitai, who caught his second WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 Pot Limit Hold’em event, for $224,560. His fellow countryman Michael Gathy did the same in the Event #34 ($1,000 NLHE), cashing $278,613 for his second success in the World Series. German player Martin Finger received $506,764 for his achievement in the $3,000 NLHE 6-Handed tournament, while Simeon Naydenov, from Bulgaria, pocketed $326,440 after besting 1,193 opponents in the $1,500 NLHE Shootout. The competition is rough, but the World Series of Poker 2013 is not yet finished, and the whole European community is hoping for a better performance in the second half of the festival and, why not, some amazing long runs during the Main Event… summer issue 2013
www.merrtpoker.com | +90 (392) 650 32 00 | +90 (533) 873 89 71
FROM
OCTOBER 21sT
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Rendez-vous à Paris
TO
NOVEMBER 3RD
Monday October 21st
Tuesday October 22nd
Wednesday October 23rd
Thursday October 24th
Friday October 25th
2:30pm Feeder WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite 1000
NLH
€ 150
Freezeout
8pm
NLH
€ 1,000
Re-entry
2:30pm Feeder WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite 1000
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€ 150
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€ 1,000
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2:30pm Feeder High Roller Satellite 1000
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€ 150
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4pm
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OFC
€ 5,000
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8pm
High Roller Satellite
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€ 1,000
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2:30pm Feeder WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite 1000
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€ 150
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4pm
High Roller Day 1 (2-day event)
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€ 15,000 1 Re-entry
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WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite
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€ 1,000
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2:30pm WPT Grand Prix de Paris Day 1A (5-day event) Televised
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€ 7,500
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€ 7,500
4pm Saturday October 26th
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Satellite
High Roller Day 2 / Final
WPT Grand Prix de Paris 2:30pm Day 1B (5-day event) Televised
Sunday October 27 th
2:30pm
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Day 2 - Televised
Monday October 28th
2:30pm
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Day 3 - Televised
Tuesday October 29th
2:30pm WPT Grand Prix de Paris Day 4 - Televised
Wednesday October 30th
8pm
Omaha Cup Satellite
4pm
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Day 5 / Final
6pm
Omaha Cup Triple Chance Day 1 (2-day event)
4pm
Omaha Cup Triple Chance Day 2 / Final
8pm
Late registrations at the start of Day 2
PLO
€ 500
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ACFPoker Tour Final Satellite
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€ 200
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2:30pm ACFPoker Tour Final Satellite
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Saturday November 2nd
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Thursday October 31st
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poker business
Winamax opens to the European market
French number one poker brand has decided to accelerate things and to widely open its tables to European players. The seriousness and effectiveness of their teams has not to be proved, and its software is a total blast. Being already the 7th largest poker room in the world, Winamax has much bigger ambitions. Canel Frichet, its Managing Director, explains it. By Jerome Schmidt Could you please provide us with information about Winamax and its evolution? Canel Frichet: I’m the Managing Director of Winamax, working aside famous serial web entrepreneurs. Since July 2010, when the French market officially regulates, we invest a lot in developing a strong offer for French players on a proprietary world class poker platform. Since then the company was many time rewarded for its role in the French poker market, event on a European level (Winner of “Best Online Poker Operator 2013”); Winamax is today the number-one poker brand in France and support loads of initiates within the poker communities. Winamax is currently ranked by PokerScout.com as the 7th largest poker room worldwide, with an average of 1,500 cash game players connected at any time. What offer Winamax provides to European players? We propose a tournament offer on par with the largest poker sites in the world, and can match guarantees that are often only seen by the likes of the top 3 ranked rooms. And all of this with mainly French players! What makes Winamax attractive is that European players on Winamax have access to all the same games, tournaments and guarantees as French players: – Over €10 million guaranteed each month in multi-table tournaments – €90,000 in cash distributed each month in our leaderboard challenges – The same great software available on PC, Mac, Linux and mobile devices 22
summer issue 2013
winamax
Davidi Kitai, Triple Crown. Gaelle Baumann, 10th at WSOP Main Event 2012. Ludovic Lacay, EPT San Remo winner
– All the advantages of our VIP program Players may also take part in the award-winning games and promotions found only on Winamax: Guns & Glory and The Revolution* (Awarded “Innovation in Poker” at the EGR Innovation Awards in June 2013), The Sunday Surprise** (Winner of the French Poker Award for the “Best Online Tournament”), Kill the Fish, the €200,000 Main Event, and much more! In others words, European players will find a best in class, pure poker offer on a proven, regulated technology. (Winner of “Best Online Poker Operator 2013” ICE Totally Gaming Awards) What is the current percentage of European poker players on Winamax? Because of our strong position in France, the majority of the more than 1 million real-money players on Winamax are French. However, we estimate that at any time over 5% of connected players come from across Europe. This proportion is growing as more and more European players discover poker on Winamax! What are the strengths of your software and of your team? Winamax’s technology is on par with the 3 top poker summer issue 2013
Because of our strong position in France, the majority of the more than 1 million real-money players on Winamax are French. However, we estimate that at any time over 5% of connected players come from across Europe. This proportion is growing as more and more European players discover poker on Winamax! 23
poker business
Winamax’s technology is on par with the 3 top poker software currently on the market. We are a pure poker operator, and our software is not skinned, so players play only against other Winamax users.
software currently on the market. We are a pure poker operator, and our software is not skinned, so players play only against other Winamax users. Also, Winamax’s technology offers all of the key features classically found in poker software, including some innovations found only at Winamax, such as our hot-swap function for our mobile apps. What makes our software unique is its availability. Winamax is available without download from your web browser and for download on PC, Mac and Linux. We were also the first operator to launch a real-money iPhone and iPad poker application, still recognized as the most user-friendly poker app out there. We are also accessible on Android smartphones and tablets. Availability does not just stop at the device. We have implemented a system that allows users to seamlessly switch from one device to another. To put it simply, start a poker tournament on your Android smart phone, grind through the bubble on your PC, and play the final table from your bed on your iPad. Our team consists of an in-house technology department where a core group of experienced programmers work around the clock to improve our software and games. We also have an operations team made up of many passionate poker players who constantly dream-up new and fun promotions and games. Who are the Team Winamax players? We are very proud to have the most titled team in Europe that represent Winamax around the world. Most of them has been discovered from their online skill an Winamax tables. Between David Kitai who has just won his second bracelet at the event 19th of the WSOP 2013 and who is one of the few player in the world to win poker’s Triple Crown; Gaelle Baumann who has finished in tenth place of $10K NLHE World Championship Main Event last year; Ludovic Lacay who took down EPT San Remo 2012… The list is long and keeps growing! 24
What could be the future of online poker? The markets depend a lot on regulation, law and fiscal issues. For example, what type of poker can an operator provide to its players ? Will they be able to share liquidity from other countries? How high are the taxes which must be paid by the online operator to the states? Would there still remain money to invest in software and communication? How is French market? There is a strong poker culture now in France, with a huge follow-up. For example, we are in partnership with more than 120 amateur clubs all over the country! But the number of online operators diminish and investments are shrinking… What should be changed in the European online poker market? If pools could be shared, then players would be able to play for more money and operators could provide them with a more interesting offer, and reinvest the money saved in communication — which would greatly help all the markets.
Play Mobile with Winamax You can play poker for iPhone and iPad for free by downloading from the App Store. You can also play poker on your Android smart phone for free. The software offers players all of the key features, tables, games and poker tournaments of our regular software for a seamless mobile gaming experience. You can start a game on your iPhone while on the move and then easily transfer to another device or to your PC without losing any data or wasting time logging-out and logging-in again. To put it simply, start a poker tournament on your Android smart phone, grind through the bubble on your PC, and play the final table from your bed on your iPad. We pooled our mobile applications with our global liquidity. Therefore, you will be sure to find plenty of ring games and tournaments and not miss out on any action. Furthermore, veteran multi-tablers will be happy, as our applications allow you to play several tables at a time. For example, play poker on your iPad and you can easily view up to four tables at a time without having to jump from screen to screen. Our applications are easy to use, fast and optimized to exchange minimum amounts of information so that you won’t bust your data limits with your provider. Our software is free of charge and is available for iPhone and iPad and Android smartphones. summer issue 2013
tournament
world series of poker – europe
WSOP-E MOVE TO PARIS
In the historic settings of the Casino Barrière d’Enghien-les-Bains, a 100-yearold lakeside casino, the WSOP-E will be for the first time ever moving to Paris. Just a short cab ride from the Champs Elysées, the WSOP-E venue is a magnificent casino with wonderful hotels, perfect for all the European and American players who will be delighted by the scenic aspect and the professionalism of the teams involved. By Julien Morello
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world series of poker – europe
T
The World Series of Poker Europe Presented by BarrierePoker. fr has solidified its tournament schedule for the 7th Annual World Series of Poker Europe in Paris, France. In addition to a new locale and new venue, several exciting fresh events have been added, including a €25,600 buy-in High Rollers No-Limit Hold’em sanctioned WSOP gold bracelet event. The 7th Annual WSOPE will be held from October 12 through October 25, 2013 in Enghien-les-Bains, France, in the suburbs of the world renowned French capital of Paris. (8 km from Paris)
a 100-year-old lakeside casino
Players will be welcomed into the historic settings of the Casino Barrière d’Enghien-les-Bains, a 100-year-old lakeside casino. In addition to the casino setting, the majority of play will take place across the street at the Convention Center known as “Pergola Nova” which will allow for all regular tournament play to be in the same room for the very first time at a WSOP Europe event. summer issue 2013
“New tournament dates and 12 million Parisians have us aiming for the largest Main Event in Europe,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “Baguettes and Bracelets; Champagne and Cash; we think is a winning recipe for the 2013 WSOP Europe.” 29
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“We look forward to this new edition of the WSOP Europe for the first time will be held near Paris in France in the first French casino in Enghienles-Bains,” said Dominique Desseigne, Groupe Lucien Barriere SAS chief executive officer. “We have reserved some nice surprises for players!”
Two main hotels surround the casino and convention center, the Grand Hotel Barrière and the Barrière Hotel du Lac, which is where we encourage players to make their room reservations to be walking distance from the playing areas. The two-week slate of events will feature seven bracelet tournaments this year – the same amount offered in 2012 and 2011.
the tournaments
“New tournament dates and 12 million Parisians have us aiming for the largest Main Event in Europe,” said WSOP
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Executive Director Ty Stewart. “Baguettes and Bracelets; Champagne and Cash; we think is a winning recipe for the 2013 WSOP Europe.” The entire WSOP gold bracelet schedule will complement more than four dozen side events included during the twoweek poker series. A No Limit Hold’em re-entry event will kick off the tournament at 12 noon on Saturday, October 12 and feature two starting flights with a €1,000 + €100 buy-in. “We look forward to this new edition of the WSOP Europe for the first time will be held near Paris in France in the first French casino in Enghien-les-Bains,” said Dominique Desseigne, Groupe Lucien Barriere SAS chief executive officer. “We have reserved some nice surprises for players!” Other events include a Mixed-Max No-Limit event and a new Mixed-Max Pot-Limit Omaha event, plus standard Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Hold’em events, and of course, the €10,000 + €450 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event. (Note: French law only allows Hold’em and Omaha games). These seven tournaments will be sanctioned gold bracelet events. Non-stop cash games and other events will also be scheduled during the tournament, as well as a bevy of satellite tournaments. Players will receive special room rates for their stay in Enghien-les-Bains. There are two different hotels we have arranged special rates, the Barriere Hotel du Lac with and the Grand Hotel Barrière with a special €180 rate. Room reservation details will be available by July 1, 2013. The 2013 World Series of Poker Europe will be televised broadly around the world, including ESPN and Eurosport. In 2012, WSOPE programs were broadcast on Eurosport around Europe, and ESPN networks around the world. WSOPE remains the only European poker tournament to be televised in the United States.
summer issue 2013
world series of poker – europe
Meet the men behind WSOP-E
Ty Stewart, WSOP Exexcutive Director, and Gregory Chochon, Head of Poker at LBPoker on the line. Having a High-Roller bracelet should pique some new interest in the event. Could you describe to our readers the venue in Enghien-les-bains ? The hotels? The tournament rooms ? Gregory Chochon: The Barriere Casino of Enghien-lesBains is the number one in France. It’s located in the the suburbs of the world renowned French capital of Paris. (8 km from Paris) We also have 2 amazing hotels (Le Grand Hotel and Hotel du Lac) directly connected to the tournament area. There’s also one of the best Spa in France, the Spark, where players can relax between tournaments. For the poker room, there will be only one spacious room “Pergola Nova” with a view on the lake where all the tournaments are going to take place. And for the Cash Game, it’s going to be at the Casino Barrière d’Enghien-Les-Bains. Ty Stewart: To Team WSOP, this is the first time we’ve had Las Vegas like facilities for WSOPE. This is going to
Gregory chochon
What are the novelties in this year’s WSOPE tournaments? Gregory Chochon: The strength of the WSOP is to propose a tournament to all the players. We have for 2013, 7 bracelet events, including a 1K€ re-entry for passionate players who dream to fight for a world champion bracelet. We will also have a 25K€ bracelet event for the best players in the world. Ty Stewart: I think all events will be strong there will be two big stories. The first is the realistic chance for the Main Event to overtake EPT Monte Carlo in achieving the largest prize pool in all of Europe. Avoiding conflict with WCOOP, picking up the population in the Vegas market, and expanded qualifiers from both Barriere and 888 Poker have us drawing very live to exceed 531 players. This has always been my goal for WSOPE and this is the year I think we can do it. The second major story will be the High Roller. Last year we saw a wonderful turn-out, including some big-name Asian Players who rarely play in Europe. And with the success of the One Drop High Roller, we just saw how powerful it is to have a bracelet summer issue 2013
The Barriere Casino of Enghien-lesBains is the number one in France. It’s located in the the suburbs of the world renowned French capital of Paris. We also have 2 amazing hotels (Le Grand Hotel and Hotel du Lac) directly connected to the tournament area. There’s also one of the best Spa in France, the Spark, where players can relax between tournaments. 31
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Cannes helped mold the future of WSOPE and re-calibrate our expectations to stage a truly first class-event. The staff and facilities in Cannes were and are marvelous. In 2012, we had exceptional turn-out and it was Europe’s Poker Event of the Year. But Enghien allows us to tap a bigger player base, allow for easier transport, and schedule an event in ideal times that won’t conflict with Pan-European online tournaments.
allow players to see a presentation similar to what we do in Vegas. We are now in a proper convention facility, where all the games can be under one roof. We have a true theatre to glamourize the Final Tables, very similar to using the Penn & Teller theatre in Las Vegas. The hotels are right on site. This will be a destination event, with one of the worlds most vibrant cities only a short train ride away. What conclusions would you draw from the WSOP-E Cannes these previous years? Gregory Chochon: The move from London to Cannes has been a great success. We have improved all the figures of the tournaments. It was also an opportunity to welcome players
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summer issue 2013
world series of poker – europe We have sent to Las Vegas more than 200 French players! I have to say we have a great experiment to work with the WSOP staff. As you know, Ty and his team have developed the “Olympic Games” of Poker. The WSOP has become the most famous and prestigious brand in the world. Beyond to be partners, they are humanly amazing.
ty stewart
from all over Europe. I think this is in the spirit of WSOP Europe to move from London to Cannes and now to Paris. Ty Stewart: Cannes helped mold the future of WSOPE and re-calibrate our expectations to stage a truly first class-event. The staff and facilities in Cannes were and are marvelous. In 2012, we had exceptional turn-out and it was Europe’s Poker Event of the Year. But Enghien allows us to tap a bigger player base, allow for easier transport, and schedule an event in ideal times that won’t conflict with Pan-European online tournaments. I am personally quite sad to say goodbye to good friends in Cannes, but I know this move was in the best interest of the event. What is for you the best moment/remembrance you’ll have from Cannes’ WSOPE ? Gregory Chochon: I would say the 1st bracelet ceremony because it was a great honor for Lucien Barriere Group to be the 1st Casino Group in Europe outside Caesars Properties to offer a world champion bracelet. I have also to say that the 13th bracelet of “Mr Phil Hellmuth” for the 2012 Main Event was an amazing poker moment. Ty Stewart: Seeing Tony Parker walk through the hallways in the Hotel Majestic was a highlight. But for me, it had to be the first party we had on La Croisette, champagne flowing, yachts pulled up at the dock, a stones throw from where all the film stars walk the red carper. This was a long way from the humble beginnings in 2007, when the tournament was spread across three small spaces in London and the final table was in a disco. WSOPE was truly born in Cannes. And now in Enghien it will be taken to the next level. What is the interaction between LB Poker and WSOP? Gregory Chochon: It’s not only an event partnership! As you know, we have also signed a technology deal regarding the development of common poker software, which is unanimously recognized as one of the best in the world. LB Poker has also the exclusive rights on the WSOP brand in France. summer issue 2013
Ty Stewart: It’s fun to work with Barriere and even playful now. Eric Cavilion does a Jack Effel impersonation in his best Texas twang. We have come to trust each other. Who says the French and the Americans don’t get along? Sometimes there is a language barrier, but we are always on the same page about wanting to make the event special. We know we’re building something together, and there is a lot of pride in the result. What media/TV coverage is to be expected for this WSOPE ? Gregory Chochon: We will have again the best TV coverage for a European event. We will broadcast the final on Eurosport and ESPN. We will also provide a live webcast for the online poker community. Ty Stewart: We are proud to be the only European Poker Event with true worldwide distribution. I think Eurosport provides excellent reach across all of Europe, but our vision is global. It will be prime time in the United States, Canada, Australia, you name it. We should exceed 150 total countries for distribution. Could you unveil one of the “nice surprises” you prepare to players ? Gregory Chochon: I am sure Ty and I will speak about the same surprise…! We will have an amazing party in a very “special” place in Paris. It’s going to be spectacular and unforgettable for the people who will have the chance to be there… Ty Stewart: We are finalizing an agreement to hold a function at the most beloved landmark in all of France, if not all of Europe. That will be special. We are planning fireworks over the lake. A temporary sports bar to broadcast European and American Football. We plan to pull out all the stops.
we have a great experiment to work with the WSOP staff. Ty and his team have developed the “Olympic Games” of Poker. 33
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European Poker Tour Barcelona
Here comes Season 10!
After Season 9’s Grand Final in Monte-Carlo last May, in which Steve O’Dwyer overcame a 531-player field, pocketing €1,224,000, the European Poker Tour is gearing up for a new season of competition. Spain will be the starting point of the 10th Season of the European Poker Tour, as the Casino Barcelona will host the famous international circuit from August 28 to September 7, for ten days of intense poker struggle. The 6-Day €5,300 Main Event will run from September 1 to 7, and other big events will highlight this series, such as the €50,000 3-Day Special Televised Event, the €10,300 3-Day Heads Up Championship and the €10,300 2-Day NLHE 8-Handed Event. This Spanish poker festival will also host the 2-Day €2,000 Estrellas High Roller Event and the 4-Day €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event, from August 28 to September 1, for more action, and more cash money. Welcome to EPT Barcelona, which has been named by GPI European Poker Awards 2012 the best tournament series of the year! By Adam Stalzman
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European Poker Tour Barcelona
how to get there
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With the big improvements made to the schedule of its 9th Season, the EPT choose to pull down its number of stops from 13 to 8, and to increase its number of tournaments. This decision was a good call, as last season’s biggest European circuit was a huge success, with thousands of players reaching all of its legs, in San Remo, Prague, Deauville, London, Berlin, Monte-Carlo, and, of course, Barcelona, home of the EPT since its creation. As usual, the Casino Barcelona will open this new season with more than 10 days of thrill, providing more than 30 EPT events.
Barcelona, pleasure for all senses
Barcelona is one of the most exciting cities in Western Europe. It has everything to please the eyes: fantastic architecture, with monuments from the Gothic period and the Catalan art nouveau to ultra-modern, audacious buildings from the 90’s; colorful streets full of life and history; an amazing blue sky with a sun that never stops shining over the Mediterranean Sea. But the Ciutat Comtal also has a lot to offer to the other senses. There, the food is one of the best in the world, with some of the best international chefs mixing the local art of tapas to the most inventive techniques. Those fantastic meals can be appreciated in luxurious establishments as well as little restaurants on the pittoresque Ramblas, along with a glass of wine that rivals the best Italian and French vintages. Barcelona is a city to smell, see, hear, taste; it’s also a great place to play poker, as it has one of the first and one of the latest casinos built in Latin Europe.
A modern gambling paradise
Located at the heart of the modern complex of the Olympic Port, the Casino Barcelona attracts every year crowds of players in the summertime. It is the perfect place to spend time at poker tables: host to some of the biggest tournaments in Europe, it provides a large number of leisure activities, such as Roulette, Black-Jack, La Boule, Baccarat and summer issue 2013
By air: Barcelona El Prat International Airport is located 12 km from the city center and is serves many European and world destinations via most major airlines. Train service connects the airport with Sants railway station every 30 minutes and the Aerobús leaves for the Plaza de Catalunya every 15 minutes. Bus N17 operates all night. A taxi ride to the city center costs approximately €25. By train: La Estacion de Sants has rail connections to French cities Montpellier and Paris daily, Zurich 4 times a week and Milan 3 times a week. By car: From France, take the highway AP-7 to Barcelona-La Jonquera.
Mini-Baccarat, as well as several poker cash-games tables and regular tournaments (see call out box). You will find everything a great casino can offer. And with its four local or international restaurants, its two bars, its café and its night-club, there’s no doubt that the Casino Barcelona will be your head quarter during your stay in Spain. Like in 2012, the EPT and Estrellas Poker Tour will be held in the Gran Casino annex at the Hotel Arts, providing to the players a wonderful setting and the entire place they need to enjoy these great events.
Estrellas Poker Tour
The Estrellas Poker Tour has been criss-crossing Spain since 2010, and it will reach Barcelona for the second time in its history, for two amazing events which will open this wonderful Spanish series. The €1,100 4-Day Main Event will start on August 28, and the €2,000 2-Day High Roller Event will kick off two days later, both having their final table on September 1. Last year, the first edition of the Estrellas Poker Tour in Barcelona was a blast, as 1,036 players reached the tables of the Main Event, generating a €1,004,940 prize pool. Italian player Lorenzo Sabato 35
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Estrellas Poker Tour Season 4 (2013) List of Winners madrid field: 632 players Prize pool: €606,720 1st A. Mateos Diaz (Spain) €103,053 2nd Jose Alvarez (Spain) €81,856 3rd Richard Milne (Scotland) €89,116 valencia field: 483 players Prize pool: €463,680 1st Daniel Boender (Netherland) €104,550 2nd Marciano Cortés (Spain) €68,550 3rd Javier Miguel (Spain) €42,890 hr field: 13 players Prize pool: €23,088 1st Andre Wagner (Germany) €11,544 2nd Fedor Holz (Germany) €6,926 3rd Vicente Zamorano (Spain) €4,618 marbella field: 763 players Prize pool: €732,480 1st Ludovic Geilich (Germany) €158,200 2nd Pablo Rojas (Spain) €102,550 3rd Kamil Hrabia (Poland) €62,250 hr field: 89 players Prize pool: €172,270 1st Jose Devesa (Spain) €43,780 2nd Darcy Wright €30,510 3rd Cayetano Garcia Ayala (Spain) €30,710
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Sylvie Belanger, head of poker operations, wins a GPI European Poker Awards for EPT Barcelona
took down the title and the €200,000 first prize, besting Russian player Andrey Demidov (runner-up, for €122,500) and Swedish player Niclas Svensson (3rd, for €76,500) on the final table. The High Roller event was also a big success, as 215 participants entered the tournament, won by Russian competitor Dmitry Grishin, for €77,210. This year, the Estrellas Poker Tour stopped in Madrid, Valencia and Marbella, where the Main Event attracted respectively 632, 483 and 763 players. So, get ready for an even bigger field in Barcelona for the season final!
Incredible side events for the EPT
For the second year in a row, the EPT Barcelona will host some of the greatest tournaments ever organized in Spain. Indeed, the €50,000 Special Televised Event, running over three days, will bring to the Casino Barcelona tables some of the best players of the world, running for the biggest share of its massive prize pool. Last year, American pro Dan Smith overcame a field of 64 players, and took down €962,926 for his achievement. But this High Roller event is not the sole that high stakes lovers will enjoy, as two other €10,300 events will be played in Barcelona. The first will be the Heads Up Championship, where 64 players will struggle during 3 days. Then, the 2-Day Single Reload 8-Handed Event will animate tables full of poker pros. Several mid-range and low-range events will also be played during this Barcelonan festival. Starting from €110 to €5,200, all kinds of tournaments will be on offer, for any budget and any game. For example, among its 30 + tournaments, the EPT will host a 2-Day €330 NLHE event, a 2-Day €440 PLO event, a 2-Day €550 PLO-Unlimited Rebuys event, a 2-Day €550 Deepstack event, as well as a €330 Women’s championship. For higher buy-ins, you will find a €2,100 PLO Turbo 8-Handed event, a 2-Day €1,100 PLO summer issue 2013
European Poker Tour Barcelona
event, a 2-Day €1,100 NLHE event, a €1,100 6-Handed Win the Button event and a 2-Day €1,100 Heads Up 64 Cap event. Last but not least, two huge NLHE Turbo 6-Handed events will close the series, one with a €2,100 buy-in, the second with a €5,300 NLHE Turbo 6-Handed tournament, and a NLHE Turbo 6-Handed event.
Here comes the Main Event
The €5,300 Main Event will be the peak of this new season’s first stop. Televised from its Day 1B, the biggest event will start on September 1, and run until September 7, where the 8 finalists will struggle for the title. We are waiting for crowds of poker pros, as EPT Barcelone Main Event has always been one of the biggest tournaments in the European circuit, with 759 players in 2010, 811 in 2011, and 1,082 last year, for a new record of participation. The list of winners features some of poker’s biggest stars, such as, like Luca Pagano (3rd in 2004), Patrik Antonius (3rd in 2005), Phil Ivey (runner-up in 2006), Davidi Kitai (3rd in 2008), Carter Phillips (2009 champion), and Eugene Katchalov (3rd in 2011). In 2011, German player Martin Schleich took the biggest share of the €4,055,000 prize pool, besting Spanish Dragan Kostic for €850,000 in cash money. During the last edition, Mikalai Pobal, from Belarus, cashed €1,007,550 after a great heads-up against the Finnish pro Ilari Sahamies, who grabbed €629,700 for his performance. This year again, action will get intense within the field as the world best players will play their A-Game to reach the bubble, the final table and the title! Blue-chips events, crazy high stakes poker to low-range tournaments, any kind of games, lengths and structures, this new European Poker Tour Barcelona will start with a flourish this 2013-2014 Season. summer issue 2013
hotel Hotel Arts
When playing at the casino de Barcelona, you won’t have to look very far to find the most prestigious hotel in town: the hotel Arts is right next door. The building itself is a treasure of contemporary achitecture, with its 44 stories of blue glass and exposed steel soaring high above the seafront. The 483 elegant apartments, suites and bedrooms all have fantastic bathrooms and state-of-the-art entertainment some of them even offer a stunning fireplace. This is definitey the place to relax in perfect luxury. Special rates for EPT participants. Address: Marina 19–21 08005 Barcelona Web: http://www.hotelartsbarcelona.com Tel: +34 93 221 10 00
Hotel W
Conveniently located on the breakwater at the very end of Passeig Joan de Borbó, just a stone’s throw from the casino, this brand-new 5-star hotel has the most stunning views on the sea and the city and its 473 rooms are all equiped with a telescope. The décor is a perfect balance of modernity and simplicity for an exquisite stylish atmoshere. Rooms from €150. Address: 1 Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents 08039 Barceloneta Web: http://www.whotels.com/barcelona Tel: +34 93 295 28 00 37
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get ready for an even bigger field in Barcelona for the season final!
restaurant Dos Palillos
The most inspired fusion of Asian cuisine and Spanish tapas brought to you by chef Albert Raurich, ex-head chef at the mythical El Bulli. Gorgeous Japanese burgers, sweet cherry tomato tempura, srimp and foie gras shiu mai will make you want to come back for more. Also the wine selection is fantastic. Degustation menus €55 and €75, lunchtime menu €20 Address: 9 C/ Elisabets 08001 Barcelona Web: http://www.dospalillos.com/ Tel: +34 93 304 05 13
Enoteca
Discover the heart and soul of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine at the hotel Arts’ Michelinstarred flagship restaurant: inspired by the food and produce of the region, this innovative cuisine brings out the best of Spanish products, with an emphasis on fish and seafood. The cellar features more than 500 wines. Tasting menu €65 Addess: Hotel Arts Barcelona Marina 19–21 08005 Barcelona Web: http://www.hotelartsbarcelona.com/ en/Dining/Enoteca Tel: +34 93 483 81 08
Arola
The tapas restaurant of the hotel Arts is also a pure gem. Disciple of French genius Pierre Gagnaire, chef Sergi Arola offers here a fine “menú degustación pica-pica » that is a selection of tapas mixing the best of Catalogna, France and the Far-East. Be prepared for a meal full of surpises. Testing menu of tapas €50 Address: Hotel Arts Barcelona Marina 19–21 08005 Barcelona Web: http://www.hotelartsbarcelona.com/ en/Dining/Arola Tel: +34 93 483 80 90 38
Bar opium mar
Close to the hotel Arts, this trendy establishment is one of the hottest hang outs in Barcelona for dancing and drinking, with the best international DJs rocking the biggest seafront terrace in town. The club has a license until 6 am. A d d r e s s: 2 5 P a s e o M a r í t i m o d e l a Barceloneta 08003 Barcelona Web: http://www.opiummar.com/ Tel: +34 90 226 74 86
marmalade
One of Raval’s more sophisticated sipping stops, Marmalade offers an elegant but unpretentious ambiance that appeal to a diverse crowd. Original cocktails are served in a stunning contemporary décor, and the splendid matte-black billiard table is a great place to socialize with locals. Address: 4-6 Riera Alta 08001 Barcelona Web: http://www.marmaladebarcelona. com/ Tel: +34 93 442 39 66 summer issue 2013
European Poker Tour Barcelona
Casino Barcelona Regular Tournaments Here are the regular poker tournaments you would find anytime in Casino Barcelona: • Weekend Poker. € 50 + €10. With a low price and a turbo s truc ture (15 min levels), this is the per fec t tournament to have a good time on Sunday afternoon without having to stay up all night long as it ends early. • (3:00 pm.): €500 Showdown Am Wörthersee Day 1B (2-Day Tournament) • Poker In. €100 + €15. Very popular among the confirmed players, this tournament attracts each week between 100 and 170 participants. The first 3 of the payouts automatically classify fir the monthly tournament of Casino Barcelona, the “Mes Poker Barcelona”.
an overall ranking. The culmination of this tournament is the Barcelona Christmas Poker in December. • Campeonato de España de Poker. €600 + €60. First Spanish Poker Tour, this tournament is played every month in a different casino of Spain since 7 years. This year it has a new structure with one-hour levels and 20,000 points for 3 days of real poker. A 6% is withheld from the prize pool for an overall ranking that will decide who is the Poker Champion of Spain. • Catalunya Poker Tour. €200 + €20. A Catalan national tour played each month in Barcelona, Peralada and Tarragona, except in August. A super satellite classification at each stage and an overall ranking to decide the Champion of Catalonia. €40 + €10 Satellite the Day prior to the tournament. • Cum Laude Poker School. Advanced Texas course taught at Casino Barcelona by 3 professionals: Raul Horta “Rayu” Javier Piazuelo “Pizu” and Jordi Martínez “Alekhine” professional players and champions of Spain. The courses are the first 3 Wednesday of the month, from 6 pm to 8 pm (€100) and there is a free seminar on the fourth Wednesday. Following the classes the Casino offers a Sit’n go to the students! • Pack Poker BCN. Held every Friday, this tournament offers 5,000 starting stacks and 20 minutes levels, for a €100 + €15 buy-in. • Poker Sin Pausa. Every Wednesday at 8 pm. This €50 + €10 event provides a great poker experience, without any break!
• Steps. €40 + €10. For jwust €50 you can qualify, step by step, to an EPT of €5,300 buy-in! The steps 1 are satellites for direct qualification to Steps 2 or tournament of buy-in €170, such as the Bounty Fever on Saturday, satellite to the Catalunya Poker Tour. Playing a step 2, you can qualify for tournaments with buy-in lower than €1,000 (the EMOP, the Christmas Tournament) or to Steps 3 (buy-in between €500 and €950) that are qualifiers for major tournaments like the WPT or the EPT. • Weekend Poker. €50 + €10. With a low price and a turbo structure (15 min levels), this is the perfect tournament to have a good time on Sunday afternoon without having to stay up all night long as it ends early. • DJ. Every Thursday from 8 pm, a huge amount of players rush down to the poker room to live a night devoted to Sit’n go. All kind of game are waiting for you, from €25, €35 and €50, to €100 and €200. • Bounty fever. €100 + €50 (Bounty) + €20. Reasonable buy-in and attractive Bounty option, a very nice structure with 10,000 points: this is the perfect Saturday night. • Mes Poker Barcelona. €300 + €30 (Bounty) + €10. The Casino’ monthly tournament with a qualifying satellite on Friday evening; the main event starts on Saturday at 5 pm, with a bounty of €30 and 30,000 points. 4% from the prize pool are withheld for summer issue 2013
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World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013
WPT Grand Prix de Paris Rendez-vous à Paris 2013
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World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013 Right after the WSOP-Europe, held this year in the nearby city of Enghien-leBains, Paris will attract worldwide poker attention as the World Poker Tour will reach the Aviation Club de France from October 21, for a two-week series full of great events. The well-renowned French card room, the main place to play poker in Paris, was the first European establishment to host a WPT event, in 2003, and has been since the host of some of the biggest French poker series for a decade, such as the Euro Finals of Poker, the WPT National Series Paris and the Paris Open of Poker. This 2013 stop of the largest poker circuit in the world will bring its share of great moments, with the 5-Day €7,500 WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris Main Event and its televised final table, the 2-Day €5,000 Omaha Cup Triple Chance, the 2-Day €15,000 High Roller event, and the brand new Open Face Chinese tournament. Numerous satellites and side events will run during the series, closed by the ACFPoker Tour Grand Final, a 3-Day €1,500 tournament which will close the second season of the card room’s international circuit. Here’s the full program of the Paris’s biggest annual series.
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By Adam Stalzman
In October, France will definitely be the place to compete against the best players in the world, as the Parisian region will host two of the hugest poker European festivals in the same month, with their crowds of superstars reaching the French capital for an incredible month entirely devoted to poker. Indeed, perfectly scheduled after the European leg of the World Series of Poker in Enghien-les-Bains, the World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013 will run from October 21 to November 3 in the classy and exciting atmosphere of the Aviation Club de France. A prestigious club on the “most beautiful street in the world” The Aviation Club de France is an institution in the gambling world, and for more than a decade, the Champs-Elysées avenue gaming room has offered some of the greatest poker tournament series in Europe. Created more than 100 years ago, and redesigned in 2007 with a modern and sumptuous touch, the venue is a genuine temple of poker, as hundreds of members come every day, 24/7, to enjoy a large variety of cash games and daily tournaments in a magical effervescence. Extensive facilities, great service, high-class restaurant, there’s no reason to leave! The ACF gained its international reputation with the well-known Euro Finals of Poker, the Paris Open of Poker, the WPT National Series and of course the WPT Grand Prix de Paris/Rendez-Vous à Paris, the oldest WPT stop in Europe, organized since 2003 in the prestigious club.
5 days for a title
This year, the 5-Day €7,500 WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris Main Event will start on Friday October 25, and the two Day 1 won’t necessarily be enough to welcome the international huge field of players. David Benyamine, Surinder Sunar, Roland De Wolfe, Roger Hairabedian and Matt Waxman summer issue 2013
have already written their names on the WPT Paris list of winners, but we will have to wait until October 30 and the broadcasted final table to know who will succeed to Matt Salsberg, who bested his 227 opponents for a €380,000 cash prize last year, dominating famous players such as Fabian Quoss, Mohsin Charania, Philipp Gruissem and Theo Jørgensen on the final table. And with a WPT title at stake, there is no doubt that the action will be intense around the purple tables of the ACF.
€5,000 Omaha Cup, €15,000 High Roller and €5,000 Open Face Chinese
Poker superstars will not only compete for the Main Event crown, as three other massive events will animate this
The Aviation Club de France is an institution in the gambling world, and for more than a decade, the ChampsElysées avenue gaming room has offered some of the greatest poker tournament series in Europe. 41
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For its Grand Final, the ACFPoker Tour will conclude with a €1,500 tournament, played from November 1st to 3. Last year, the final of the first season was a great success, as 153 players entered the competition.
WPT series, the 2-Day €5,000 Omaha Cup Triple Chance, the 2-Day €15,000 High Roller Event, and the brand new €5,000 Open Face Chinese Challenge. Starting on the same day than the Main Event final table, the Pot Limit Omaha event, with one of the highest buy-ins in Europe, will attract some of the best experts of the game, like David Benyamine, Elias Damouni and Theo Jørgensen, respectively champion
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(€94,050), runner-up (€52,250) and third (€31,350) of the 2012 edition. The High Roller Event, for its part, will run on October 24 and 25, and German player Fabian Quoss will surely be there to try to keep his title, grabbed last year after dominating Igor Kurganov heads-up for €86,400. Besides these two traditional events, the WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris festival will also welcome a new competition on October 23: the €5,000 Open Face Chinese Challenge. This great event will without any doubt be a huge success, as the Aviation Club de France regularly hosts cash games tables of this variant, which is more and more popular among the international poker scene.
11 satellites and side events
Beside these major events, the WPT Paris will host no less than 11 satellites and side events, with buy-ins ranging from €150 to €1,000. Three €1,000 Satellites to the Main Event will open the series on October 21, 22 and 24, as well as three €150 Super Satellites to the Main Event held on the same days. A €150 Super Satellite and a €1,000 Satellite will offer tickets to the €15,000 High Roller Event on October 23, and tickets to the €5,000 PLO tournament will be at stack on October 29th during the €500 Satellite Event. Then, during the last week of these Parisian series, two Satellites to the ACFPoker Tour Grand Final will be
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World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013 offered, with a €200 tournament on Oct 31, and a €100 event on November 1.
Back to the ACF for a perfect final
This year, the Aviation Club de France will also host the final event of the second season of ACFPoker.fr’s poker circuit, the ACFPoker Tour, which started at the Casino Le Phoebus in Gruissan on November 2012 and reached during 2013 no less than three continents, with a leg in Mauritius, a leg in the ARIA Casino in Las Vegas in June, and several stops in European cities such as Brussels, Cannes, Paris and Annecy. For its Grand Final, the ACFPoker Tour will conclude with a €1,500 tournament, played over three days, from November 1st to 3. Last year, the final of the first season was a great success, as 153 players entered the competition and generated a €215,730 prize pool. After 3 days of struggle, Frenchman Pierre Marquès bested Frenchwoman Carole Segoura heads-up, and took down the title, along with €51,700. Right after the WSOP-Europe, those two weeks of poker will be a great Parisian conclusion during your stay in France, the sole country where you can play daily high-level games with top pros all along October. So don’t forget to plan a stop in the French capital for an unforgettable poker adventure in the fall!
2010 field: 247 players Prize pool: €2,347,797 (€10,000 Buy-in) 1st Theo Jørgensen (Denmark) €638,377 2nd Antoine Amourette (France) €328,690 3rd Per Linde (Sweden) €234,780 2011 field: 312 players Prize pool: €€2,252,650 (€7,500 Buy-in) 1st Matt Waxman (United States) €500,000 2nd Hugo Lemaire (France) €311,100 3rd Frédéric Magen (France) €211,100 2012 field: 228 players Prize pool: €1,624,500 1st Matt Salsberg (United States) €380,000 2nd Theo Jørgensen (Norway) €264,600 3rd Philipp Gruissem (Germany) €170,065 summer issue 2013
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Schedule Mon 21 Oct • (12:30 pm.): €150 Super Satellite to the Main Event • (8:00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the Main Event Tue 22 Oct • (12:30 pm): €150 Super Satellite to the Main Event • (8:00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the Main Event Wed 23 Oct • (12:30 pm): €150 Satellite to the High Roller • (4:00 pm): €5,000 Open Face Chinese • (8:00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the High Roller Thu 24 Oct • (2:30 pm): €150 Super Satellite to the Main Event • (4:00 pm): €15,000 High Roller Day 1 (2-Day Event) • (8:00 pm): €1,000 Satellite to the Main Event Fri 25 Oct • (2:30 pm): €7,500 WPT Main Event Day 1A (5-Day Event) • (4:00 pm): High Roller Day 2 Sat 26 Oct • (2:30 pm): €7,500 WPT Main Event Day 1B (5-Day Event)
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Sun 27 Oct • (2:30 pm): Main Event Day 2 Mon 28 Oct • (2:30 pm): Main Event Day 3 Tue 29 Oct • (2:30 pm): Main Event Day 4 • (8:00 pm): €500 Satellite to the Omaha Event Wed 30 Oct • (4:00 pm): Main Event Day 5 • (6:00 pm): €5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Triple Chance Day 1 (2-Day Event) Thu 31 Oct • (4:00 pm): Pot Limit Omaha Final • (8:00 pm): €200 Satellite to the ACFPoker Tour Final Fri 1st Nov • (5:15 pm.): (2:30 pm): €100 Satellite to the ACFPoker Tour Final • (8:00 pm): €1,500 ACFPoker Tour Final Day 1 (3-Day Event) Sat 2 Nov • (6:00 pm): ACFPoker Tour Day 2 Sun 3 Nov • (4:00 pm): ACFPoker Tour Day 3
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World Poker Tour Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013
hotel
Four Seasons Hotel George V
Just off the Champs Elysées, this mythical palace is the place to spend the most luxurious stay possible in Paris. Its gorgeous 1928 building offers 244 rooms and suites, many of them having a terrace overlooking the lively streets of the French capital, a fantastic spa, a pool in a very « Versailles » décor, a two-star Michelin restaurant and high-end technologic facilities. Rooms from €900. Address: 31, avenue George V 75008 Paris Reservations: +331 49 52 71 00 Web: http://www.fourseasons.com
Hotel Marriott
When playing at the ACF, what place could be better to stay than the Champs-Elysées themselves? The 5-star Hotel Marriott is the best located in the area, and it has great service and facilities, with 167 rooms and 25 suites decorated in a simple style. Rooms from €500. Address: 70 Avenue des Champs-Elysees Paris, 75008 France Reservations: +331 53 93 55 00 Web: http://www.marriott.com
restaurant Le Cinq
2 Michelin stars and an exquisite dining room, Le Cinq is a culinary experience not to miss if you want to fully enjoy the French art de vivre. All the great classics are served here with a touch of modernity, paired with an amazing wine selection and perfect service. C’est magnifique. Menus from €90. Address: 31, avenue George V 75008 Paris Reservations: +331 49 52 71 00 Web: http://www.fourseasons.com
Chiberta
Less famous than Le Cinq, this fantastic restaurant offers a series of black and white dining rooms, an oenothèque lined with bottles, and a bar section. One-star chef Guy Savoy will make your tastebuds come alive with his pigeon with risotto and foie gras or his truffle and artichoke soup. Lunch menu from €49. Address: 3 rue Arsène-Houssaye 75008 Paris Reservations: +331 53 53 42 00 chiberta@guysavoy.com
Nightlife Le Baron
A very exclusive club looks like a mini-cabaret, with red velvet and pearls, soft light, but most of all great music. This former hostess bar off the ChampsElysées might be one of the hardest places to get in in the French capital, it’s definitely worth it. Open 11PM-dawn every day. Address: 6 Avenue Marceau 75008 Paris contact@clublebaron.com
Culture Bière
The name of this classy establishment sums it up: it’s heaven for beer lovers. Hundreds of kinds are available here, coming from all parts of the world. 1,100 square meters are dedicated to the sparkling beverage: 3 bars, a restaurant and a lounge, to ake your enjoy varied experiences as you let your curiosity run free. Open every day until midnight, 2:00 AM on Fridays and 5:00 AM on Saturdays. Address: 65 Avenue des Champs-Elysées 75008 Paris Web: http://www.culturebiere.com/ summer issue 2013
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Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open
$10,000,000 guaranteed in Florida
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s upcoming Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) will host a series of poker tournaments from August 8 – 29, 2013. The highlight of the SHRPO will be the $10 Million Guarantee Championship Event – the largest guaranteed payout in the world – from August 22 – 28, 2013. Meet the man behind the organization of it all: the famous TDA founder, Matt Savage, one of poker’s most popular talent. By Jerome Schmidt
Matt Savage, can you tell us more about the Hollywood Poker Open? Matt Savage: It will take place from August 8th to 29th, in the wonderful Seminole Hard Rock resort in Hollywood Florida, near Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The venue is 46
great, the ballroom is as big as Amazon Room with 87 tables of poker, the teams are top-notch, and I only had good experiences with this place since I know them, especially thanks to the WPT stops which have been organized there. The Main Event will start on 22nd, $5,300 entry, summer issue 2013
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and we have an incredible guarantee of $10,000,000. So we would need 2,000 entrance to match the prizepool but there is re-entry and if it’s not matched, then it’s a super deal for all the players! There are Day 1A, Day 1B and Day 1C, and you can re-enter during the nine first levels. It’ll be a great tournament either ways… It is an exciting event as there will a lot of qualified players and amateurs. How big is the poker scene in Florida? Matt Savage: It seems to grow every day! Four years ago, the law changed and allowed bigger bets and then No Limit came… Seminole Hard Rock have other properties in Florida, like in Tampa, and they run a lot of satellites to feed the poker open… There is now a large culture of poker in Florida, thanks to their work. The festival will also host a $560 tournament with a $1,000,000 guarantee, which is great. More than fifty events will be organized during this month. Which famous names of poker will attend the Main Event? matt savage
Matt Savage: Obviously, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and some of his brothers will attend it, as they live nearby. Noah Schwartz, Jason Mercier, and a lot of big guns will make the trip as well. A high-roller will also be organized and surely televised, a $100,000 tournament which will target all the big players from the American poker scene. Such tournaments are good for TV as all the stars are on screen and people like it. What has been your career in poker? Matt Savage: I started as a bad poker player, I have to admit, in San Jose! (laughs) And then I had all the roles you can imagine in poker: I sold chips, I was a dealer, a floor, an assistant, and then a tournament director. But the biggest thing for me was founding the Tournament Director Association, the TDA, to set international rules in poker tournaments. I am also excited to be part of the World Poker Tour adventure, which has become even more global, beginning in Asia this year. The growth and excitement in Macau and Mainland China are just amazing. What is the best moment you ever had in poker? Matt Savage: No doubt that it is… meeting my wife! (laughs) But also working at WSOP at the Binion’s Horseshoe because I have been part of history. Of course the Rio Casino is really great and professional, but the rusty escalators at Binion’s, the crowd there… it was something! And there, I saw Chris Moneymaker changing the history of poker. To be honest, I never thought he’d beat Sam Farha, as all the other people there. A guy who comes from nowhere and does such a big bluff on Farha, he must be someone! summer issue 2013
Welcome to the Main Event! The $5,300 buy-in Championship Event offers players the chance to cash-in one of the guaranteed top 300 places in order to share in the $10 million prize pool. At the minimum, the winner of the SHRPO Championship Event will receive $1.5 million, and another $1 million is guaranteed for the second place finisher. A total of $5.15 million of the total is guaranteed for the nine final table players. “The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open is so unique that it demands a unique pay structure,” says Matt Savage, tournament coordinator. “Fifteen percent of the entries will be paid based on 2,000 players or less, so it gives local and novice players alike, the chance to cash-in and enjoy the full experience of this historic event.” Satellites will be running at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, as well as Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Casino Immokalee. Players can gain satellite entry for as little as $115 and become part of poker history. “With many players winning seats to the Main Event through satellites and promotions, the minimum cash of $7,500 is quite substantial,” adds Savage. “Seminole Hard Rock choosing to pay 15% of the field, in contrast to most series paying 10% or less, gives the first-time player confidence to try another bigger buy-in in the future.” Registered poker players will also receive 20% off the regular Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino room rate. 47
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Las Vegas Poker Scene
Aria and Bellagio offer the best of poker in Las Vegas If you want to experience the real thrill of poker in Las Vegas, there are only two places any player will dream of: Bellagio and Aria. We met the two directors of poker operations in those two mythical places, in Las Vegas. Craig Lumpp (31) is the brand new head of poker at Bellagio, after Mr. Doug Dalton retired, whereas Adam Altwies (39) runs poker at Aria since its launch in 2009. Both have two things in common: they truly love poker and Vegas and… they were born in the same little town in Ohio, being neighbors. Years after, they are reunited in Las Vegas, running some of the most beautiful poker rooms in the world. By Jerome Schmidt / pictures by Yann Stofer
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Las Vegas Poker Scene Since how long do both of you know each other and did you discover poker altogether? Adam Altwies: I was 17 when I discovered poker, back home in Ohio where we had this charity casino, in Cuyahoga. After 18, I went there regularly and understood that I could make money on the operation side of it. It snowballed to a real passion for poker. Craig Lumpp: For my 18th birthday, my dad took me to the same casino and it was the first time I was allowed to go! And in fact, Adam encouraged my own dad to let me go there. Adam Altwies: And when I moved out to Las Vegas, 12 years ago, his dad told me that Craig was looking for a job in finance. As I used to work for a bank, and did not like at all this previous job, I asked him if Craig liked poker at all. He said : “Yes!” So I advised him to get his son to Las Vegas and start a career here. I talked to the guy who hired people here, and I assured him Craig was a great person and that he would know for sure how to work perfectly. Even if he had almost no idea ! (laughs) But he is such a smart guy, he learnt very quickly. Craig Lumpp: Adam showed me everything here at the beginning. I just came with my car from Ohio with everything I could put in it and came to Las Vegas… Adam and I worked on the same shift at the beginning so that he could look after me… I followed his path, and we worked side by side, especially during the big boom of poker in 2005-2006. Why did you choose to make your career in the casino business? Adam Altwies: The casino business is so much fun! Any job can have stress, but banking is extremely high-stress and very boring. I made money, yes, but I was not happy. I have no passion for banking but 1000% passion for poker. When I got to Las Vegas, I had no friend and no money, I lived in a Budget Suite behind the old Stardust and walked to Bellagio everyday but I felt so happy. Craig Lumpp: Same as Adam, here you feel passion everyday when you take your car to work, it does feel like a burden, but a true delight. It is very rare to have such a kind of job. What do you like in Las Vegas? Adam Altwies: Las Vegas is a destination city, where you can meet so many great persons. Every day is different. Everyone comes to Las Vegas, all the celebrities, some great people for all over the word… I feel privileged and honored to be able to have this job. Poker draws me, because it’s intriguing, fun and thrilling. It has a community aspect to it. Craig Lumpp: It is so exciting to drive every day through Las Vegas Strip and I tell myself : “This is my office!” It summer issue 2013
adam altwies
the casino business is so much fun! Any job can have stress, but banking is extremely high-stress and very boring. I made money, yes, but I was not happy. I have no passion for banking but 1000% passion for poker. 49
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We want to do something together in the near future, in 2014 if possible. We want to use our resources to offer the best product ever to our players.
gives you such energy… You’d never get that in Ohio or in a cubicle in a bank. Poker has its own media, its own community and even if the poker industry is big, we can build some relationships. It seems that this area of the Strip is dedicated to poker: Bellagio was built on the ashes of the famous Dunes, and Aria is not far away… Craig Lumpp: Both our properties have great success in poker, and it is linked to high limit games. This corner of the Las Vegas Strip has a high history in high limit poker, from Dunes to Bellagio, as well as Mirage. The “host” spirit is still alive in our casinos, and people can speak directly to their hosts, or to director of operations. Adam Altwies: The MGM group has always had the best poker rooms in Las Vegas: Mirage, then Bellagio and Aria. And it is because of our top-level executives. Because of Bobby Baldwin and all the people working everyday in the poker rooms. We understand what is going on in our casinos, and we love it. We do our best to take care of poker players. My favorite part of the job is to connect with people. I love making friends, discovering new personalities and cultures, talking to people. This business is more about relationship, especially in the poker industry. I love to deal with people every days, it’s the most important part. How do you mix all the different limits in your poker rooms so that everyone feels at ease? Craig Lumpp: That is exactly the beauty of our poker rooms: every player at every level sits in the same room, mostly, and enjoys the same experience, from low-stakes to high limits. That creates energy and action, because the amateur who plays $1-3 just sits a couple tables away from Doyle Brunson or Billy Baxter! It inspires them to become better and to work their way up. Adam Altwies: People like to be in the mix, to be in the heart of action. These rooms do offer action, in any limit you want to play. They are destination rooms, people from all over the world come every day. What games are played in Bobby’s Room, in Bellagio, or in Ivey’s Room in Aria?
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Craig Lumpp: In those rooms, it’s up to the players: we won’t dictate what they want to play. We will only provide the best service and the best games for them. Both rooms are the best places in the world to play high-limit. We have the best staff and supervisors, as well as customer service. We are truly dedicated to players, and they can enjoy the whole comfort. The money played is big, it can go up to $5,000-$10,000 No Limit Hold’Em games and I’ve seen once a PLO pot up to $1,800,000 played in Bobby’s Room. july – august 2013
Las Vegas Poker Scene Adam Altwies: There are only four places in the world who can really handle high-limit games. I know three of them: Bellagio, Aria and Aviation Club de France in Paris. Macau is the fourth, but I have never been there. Here in Las Vegas, the two places where the staff really knows how to take care of high-limit is Bellagio and Aria. Could Aria and Bellagio’s poker rooms collaborate in the near future? Craig Lumpp and Adam Altwies: We want to do something together in the near future, in 2014 if possible.
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We want to use our resources to offer the best product ever to our players. We want people to come massively from all over the world to get more and more action. Our company has opened some doors for us so that we can work more hand in hand. The employees in each poker rooms are very important to us and we want them to be very happy as well. We really take care of our employees and if they are smiling every day when coming to work, like we do, players will smile as well. Pursuit of happiness is very important. When you walk into or out a poker room, it is so important to feel welcomed, it is simple but essential.
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Bellagio’s wonderful Festa al Lago poker festival
From August 30th to September 13th, the wonderful Bellagio’s poker room will host the Festa al Lago Classic, a series of tournament which célébrâtes all types of poker at Bellagio. Between Stud, Stud/8, Omaha, Omaha/8, Limit Hold’Em and NLHE, there is a tournament for everyone’s taste ! The festival culminates with the Main Event, a $5,000 championship lasting four days, starting Sept. 9th, with a lot of satellites running for qualification before its start. A tournament noone can miss in Las Vegas! • Fri. Aug 30, 2013 • Event #1 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $500 + $40 Sat Aug 31, 2013 • Event #2 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1000 + $80 • Event #3 – 7 Card Stud 8/b – 2pm – $500 + $40 Sun Sept 1, 2013 • Event #4 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1000 + $80 • Event #5 – Limit Hold’em – 2pm – $500 + $40 Mon Sept 2, 2013 • Event #6 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1,000 + $80 • Event #7 – Limit Omaha 8/b – 2pm – $500 + $40 Tues Sept 3, 2013 • Event #8 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1000 +$80 • Event #9 – 7 Card Stud – 2pm – $500 + $40 Wed Sept 4, 2013 • Event #10 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1000 + $80 • Event #11 – Pot Limit Omaha 8/b – 2pm – $500 + $40 Thur Sept 5, 2013 • Event #12 – Seniors No Limit Hold’em – 10am – $1,000 + $80 • Event #13 – Pot Limit Omaha – 12pm – $1500 + $90 • Event #14 – Super Satellite – 2pm – $500 + $40* Fri Sept 6, 2013 • Event #15 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $1500 + $90 • Event #16 – Super Satellite – 2pm – $500 + $40*
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Sat Sept 7, 2013 • Event #17 – No Limit Hold’em – 12pm – $2500 + $120 • Event #18 – Super Satellite – 2pm – $500 + $40* Sun Sept 8, 2013 • Event #19 – Super Satellite – 12pm – $500 +40* • Event #20 – Super Satellite – 2pm – $1000 + $80* Mon Sept 9, 2013 • Event #21 – Festa al Lago Championship – 12pm – $5000 + $180** Tues Sept 10, 2013 • Festa al Lago Championship Day 2 – 12pm Wed Sept 11, 2013 • Festa al Lago Championship Day 3 – 12pm • Event #22 – No Limit Hold’em – 2pm – $1000 + $80 Thur Sept 12, 2013 • Festa al Lago Championship Day 4 – 12pm • Event #23 – No Limit Hold’em – 2pm – $1000 + $80 Fri Sept 13, 2013 • Festa Al Lago Final Table – 12pm * Super Satellites will award as many entries as possible in the championship event ** Players start w $25k in starting stacks. Players may register or re-enter through the first 8 levels (approx. 3pm on Day 2, Sept. 10th).
summer issue 2013
Las Vegas Poker Scene
Aria’s poker room: a perfect gem Inaugurated in December 2009, the Aria Resort & Casino is the brand-new face of the Las Vegas renaissance — a masterpiece brought to you by MGM Resorts International CityCenter. Located off of the Strip between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo, this luxurious complex and its two 51- and 61-story towers are an ode to excess, with 4,004 guestrooms and suites, 16 restaurants catering to all manner of tastes, 10 bars and nightclubs, a 14,000-square-meter casino and a 1,800-seat theater. Providing some of the world’s best poker, Aria features some of Sin City’s greatest cash games in the Ivey Room. Here, everything is set up to offer an extraordinary experience to every kind of poker player and all sorts of budgets. Headed by Director of Poker Operations Adam Altwies and Poker Host Kathleen Paculan, the room’s staff works hard every day to ensure perfect service and to make certain that all your wishes — poker-related or not — be met. Ideally situated on the east side of the casino floor between the Zarkana Casino Floor Box Office and the convenient entrance to the self-parking garage, the Aria Poker Room features a cozy atmosphere, with shades of dark brown, purple and deep reds, high-definition flat-screen televisions, and a large metal playing
july – august 2013
card sculpture framing the entire venue. Since the day it opened in 2009, it has been considered by Las Vegas regulars and professional players as one of the greatest places in the world to play poker. Within its three distinct areas (the main floor, the elevated top section and the world-famous high-stakes room), the Aria Poker Room contains a total of 24 tables — all equipped with automatic shufflers and Genesis Gaming Bravo tableside management system — and offers a great variety of games in a wide range of limits, as well as daily poker tournaments. Aria’s cash games include No Limit and Limit Hold’em (starting $1/$3 and $2/$4 blinds), Pot Limit Omaha (starting $1/$3 blinds), Omaha 8 or Better (starting $4/$8 with ½ Kill), as well as Mixed Games and Draw Games (starting $4/$8). The most popular games spread at the Aria’s tables are $1/$3, $2/$5 and $5/$10 No Limit Hold-em, $12/$24 Mix Games, $1/$3 and $2/$5 Pot Limit Omaha, as well as $4/$8 Limit Hold-em, and the room also spreads high and very high limit poker most nights. For tournament lovers, Aria holds two $100 + $25 tournaments daily, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with one re-entry option, 10,000 starting chips and 30-minute levels
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Merit World Poker Cup Final & WPT Merit Cyprus Classic
Two huge poker events in lovely Cyprus
Cyprus is the place to be this summer, with two great poker festivals gathering huge crowds of international players on the warm and beautiful island. From July 18 to 29, the Merit World Poker Cup Final will make its debut, and this first edition is expected to be a great practice for good players, from affordable buyins up to $10,000 events. And if you feel confident enough to face the best pros in Europe, such as last year’s winner, the implacable Marvin Rettenmaier, the show will go on from August 14 to 26 with the World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic, in the exact same luxurious surroundings of the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino. After the most incredible 2012 season, Cyprus is considered a tricky spot of the WPT, so, will you be brave? Here’s your chance to take on Cyprus. By Adam Stalzman
A high-class establishment
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Cyprus is a fantastic place to spend the summer: it’s warm, but never too hot, thanks to the refreshing Zephyr wind; it has beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, mountains and cedar trees, it’s gorgeous really. And for poker players, it has something more that makes it a true paradise. Indeed, the Northern part of the island is crazy about poker and it has a fantastic 5-star hotel and casino, the Merit Crystal Cove, which offers great poker tournaments all year-long.
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The 5-star Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino is the perfect setting for amazing poker events as it has everything you can expect from such a high-class establishment, combined to a very Oriental approach to comfort, with fantastic sofas, Turkish baths, and the great Nargile Cafe, where you can smoke traditional water pipe at the pool side. Indulge on a fantastic retreat the Crystal Spa and discover the benefits of a real Oriental massage, or enjoy the other great options such as the Ice Cave, the saunas, the steam rooms, the relaxing pool with Jacuzzi... Unless you’re up for sports, in which case you can head to the beach and try water sports like jet-skiing, hop on a canoe, or play volley-ball. When you have your fair share of sunlight, get in the casino, where 164 slot machines and 37 tables offering all kinds of games are waiting for you! Next summer will be the perfect opportunity to discover it as two major events will take place in July and August: first the Merit World Poker Cup Final, and second, the World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic. These will be two totally different kinds of tournaments, as the MWPCF will be an excellent training for good players, with chances to bet big and win big in some events, whereas the WPT is expected to be a ruthless, A-class competition for the brave who want to play against some of the best pros in the world.
The Merit World Poker Cup Final
The Merit World Poker Cup Final will propose no less than 23 events, starting on July 18 with the 3-Day $600 + $60 Warm-Up tournament. The highlight of this series will be summer issue 2013
Merit World Poker Cup Final & WPT Merit Cyprus Classic the 3-Day $3,000 + $300 Main Event, starting on July 26 and offering 30,000 starting stakes, for 60 minutes levels (three $200 + $25 satellites will be held on July 22, 23 and 25). The 2-Day $10,000 Super High Roller (on July 20 and 21) will also be one of the biggest moments of this Cypriot series, as two $950 + $50 Mega Satellites and three $200 + $25 Turbo Satellites will distribute tickets to this tournament on July 18, 19 and 20. Among the numerous scheduled side events, players will get the chance to play a $1,000 + $100 PLO 6 Max tournament on July 22 (with Re-Entry), a $1,000 + $100 NL K.O. Bounty event on July 23, a $1,380 + $120 High Roller Heads-Up championships on July 24, as well as a $1,000 + $100 NL Deepstack Turbo on July 25 (with Re-Entry). The buy-ins of the side events start as low as $100 + $15, and players willing to enter middle budget tournaments will find everything they expect with the $500 + $50 Re-Entry NL Event on July 22, the $500 + $60 NL 6 Max Hyper Turbo on July 24 and the $600 + $60 NL Deepstack 6 Max tournament, which will close this intense series on July 29.
how to get there The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino is located in the Northern part of Cyprus, 10 km to the city center of Kyrenia and 45 km to Ercan Airport. The airport is serviced by most Turkish airlines, including low-cost, such as Freebird Airlines and Pegasus Airlines (daily flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Brussels, London Stansted, Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich). You can hire a cab at the airport or arrange a transfer from the airport to the hotel with the Merit staff (+90 392 650 02 00).
The WPT Merit Cyprus Classic
One huge festival is not enough for the Cypriot casino! Indeed, only two weeks after the end of the Merit WPC, the island will receive the World Poker Tour, from August 14 to 26, providing 24 perfectly shaped tournaments. Right after the start of the 3-Day $800 + $80 WPT Warm-Up event (from August 14, with three Day 1), high stakes lovers will get a new occasion to win big, with the $10,000 WPT Super High Roller players, on August 16 and 17 ($950 + $50 and $200 + $25 Satellites on August 14, 15 and 16). Very interesting side events will animate this WPT festival, such as the $1,000 + $100 PLO 6 Max and the $1,000 + $100 NL (both with Re-Entry) on August 18, the $1,500 + $100 NL K.O. Bounty on August 19, the $1,380 + $120 Heads-Up Championships on August 20, as well as the $1,000 + $100 NL 6 Max Deepstack on August 22. For its part, the $4,000 + $400 WPT Main Event will start with two Day 1 (on August 21 and 22), and will run over 5 days, for a final TV table set on August 26. Last year, while the WPT came back to Cyprus after a three year long break, 329 players participated to the event, generating a $1,316,000 prize pool. Players from all over the world made the trip to the Mediterranean island, and German prodigy Marvin Rettenmaier took down his second WPT title after besting Russian player Artur Voskanyan heads-up, for a massive first prize of $287,784. This year again, you can be sure to find some of the best poker players on your way if you intend to be part of this incredible event. With perfect natural settings, a warm and hospitable atmosphere and a luxurious venue for two major poker events, Cyprus will definitely be the most enchanting place to gamble this summer. Whether you choose to join the Merit WPC Final in July or the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic in August, you’re guaranteed to have a great time. And who knows, maybe a title? july – august 2013
hotel
Nestled in one of the most beautiful bays of Cyprus, the 5-star Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino is facing the sea, offering a fantastic view to its guests. It has a great selection of accommodation with 2 king suits, 24 junior suits, and a total of 307 deluxe rooms. The Merit Crystal Cove offers activities and service for all kinds of players, whether they like to relax on the tennis court, on a jet-ski, diving in the Mediterranean waters... or getting an Oriental massage, if you’re not the hyper sporty type. Enjoy the sauna, the wellness center, the swimming pool, the great restaurants serving local cuisine or simply the beach, but don’t forget, the poker tables are waiting for you! Special rates for MWPCF and WPT participants. Address: Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino Alsancak Mevkii Kyrenia, Cyprus Bookings: +90 392 821 87 73 55
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Dakar Poker Tour VI
Terrou-Bi 5***** Hotel Casino Marina, the new Eldorado of poker From September 9 to 6, the wonderful Terrou-Bi resort, a 5***** Hotel Casino Marina located in the choicest area of Dakar, Senegal, will hold the 6th edition of its own festival, the Dakar Poker Tour, highlighted by an amazing €1,000 + €150 Main Event with a re-entry option, running from September 12 to 14. Several interesting side events will also be proposed in this idyllic seaside complex, where poker, fishing, and relaxation join together for a perfect stay in West Africa. By Giovanni Stratti
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Dakar Poker Tour VI
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Morocco and South Africa are not the only places in the African continent where poker lovers can find high level tournaments in a comfortable atmosphere. Home of the Dakar Poker Tour since 2010, the Terrou-Bi 5***** Hotel Casino Marina has become for a couple of years a new Eldorado of poker in West Africa, where players from Europe, Maghreb and Middle East enjoy the games in the most luxurious resorts of the Senegalese capital.
The gem of Dakar, in front of the Ocean
Located on the Western end of Africa, on the peninsula of Cape Verde, Dakar is bounded by the Pointe des Almadies on the North-West and by the Cape Manuel on the South. This vivid city is full of cultural attractions, likes the IFAN Museum of African Arts and the Grand Mosque, and within a 15-minutes trip by boat to the stunning Island of Gorée. Ideally set in the Dakar bay, offering a wonderful view over the Atlantic Ocean, Terrou-Bi is a unique complex, the gem of the city, shaped for leisure and entertainment. This jewel offers 106 garden or sea view rooms, with their balconies overlooking the Ocean and the marina, and 6 suites, from 85 to 130 m2, combining comfort, charm, and voluptuousness.
A heaven of peace and leisure
Terrou-Bi offers everything a 5***** resort should dispose of: 24 hours room service, heated pool, private beach, solarium, fitness service, kids pool and playground; it’s a heaven of peace and leisure where you can refresh and relax. The complex includes 5 bars and restaurants, for all kinds of taste and budget. Among them, the Côte Ouest Food & Bar, with its panoramic view over the sea, proposes delicious light meals, every day from 7 a.m. to midnight, and an “After-work” ambiance from 4 p.m. to midnight. The Gastro, opened in 1986 by Mr. Rahal, whose sons Kamil and Samir developed a cuisine combining local flavors and French gastronomy, has become the prime location for official meals hosted by the Senegalese government, as well as international celebrities such as Nelson Mandela, Jessica Alba or Zinedine Zidane. La Terrasse Restaurant, opened in 1996, is the ideal place to eat lunch and dinner, thanks to a rich and varied menu for both food and drinks, and Le Grain de Sel, the latest creation of Terrou-Bi, welcomes guests all day from morning to evening. For its part, the GAAL GUI night club is the perfect place for party lovers, where they can spend magical moments on the terrace, in front of the Ocean.
A perfect spot for fishing amateurs
Given to its exceptional geographical situation on the West coast of Dakar, opposite to the Madeleine Islands, the Terrou-Bi is within a 15-minutes trip by boat from the best fishing spots of the area. Leaving directly from the Terrou-Bi with a team of professionals available 7/7, you can enjoy fishing blue and white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna and dorados, for an unforgettable experience. july – august 2013
how to get there Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport (DKR) serves many European and world destinations via most major airlines. The airport is less than a 15-minute drive from the Terrou-Bi (free shuttle to the hotel). Terrou-Bi 5***** contact and information: Address: Boulevard Martin Luther King, B.P. 1179 Dakar, Senegal Tel: (221) 33 839 90 39 Website: www.terroubi.com
Terrou-Bi also hosts every year the Marlin Open, where anglers from all over the world compete during four days, in a very sporting and courteous atmosphere.
Discover a 250 m2 colorful casino
But sea-fishing is not the sole entertainment proposed by the Terrou-Bi Hotel, as it’s also comprise a 250 m2 Casino exclusively dedicated to gambling in a magical and colorful setting. The Terrou-Bi Casino is the largest game room in West Africa, and since over 10 years it offers traditional games to its guests, likes English Roulette, Black Jack, Stud Poker and Electronic Roulette. The team of professionals, concerned with the application of international games standards, welcomes players every day, except on Wednesdays, from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. The Casino also hosts a slot room with more than 100 slots machines among the latest models of the international market. The room is open daily from 12 p.m. to 4 a.m., and until 5 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holiday’s eve, and its lounge bar is equipped with a giant screen to follow major sport events. Poker is not to be forgotten, as the Texas Hold’em poker space provides cash games tables for high stacks amateurs, along with regular tournaments, every week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, such as the Ladies Poker tournament, the first freeroll exclusively reserved to the women in Senegal. The room is home of the Dakar Poker Tour, the largest international festival in West Africa, which will come back for its sixth edition from September 9 to 16.
Here comes the Dakar Poker Tour
This new edition will be a great experience for poker amateurs, as no less than 6 events will animate the tables of the Terrou-Bi Resort. The Senegalese festival will kick off with a €75 Satellite to the Main Event on September 9 (another €75 Satellite on September 11), followed by the 2-Day €500 + €50 Deepstack event, with 30,000 starting stacks for 30-minutes levels, and a re-entry option up to Day 2. The €1,000 + €150 Main Event will start on September 12 with a comfortable structure (50,000 starting stacks and 60-minutes levels), and a re-entry option up to the 57
tournament Day 2. Last January, 149 participants entered the tournament, generating a €160,000 prize pool, and local player Mehidine Fares left Terrou-Bi with a €25,091 cash prize, after a deal with French runner-up Sébastien Compte (€25,091) and his fellow countryman Mahmoud Chahrour (€25,091). Then, on September 15, the €3,000 + €150 High Roller event will close this wonderful series, attracting some of the best players of the region, coming to grab the biggest part of the 6 figure prize pool. Luxurious atmosphere and high standard poker tournaments, everything is set at the Terrou-Bi 5***** Hotel Casino Marina to give you the best experience in Dakar next September.
Dakar Poker Tour VI Schedule Mon 9 Sept • (9:00 pm): €75 Satellite to the Main Event Tue 10 Sep • (6:00 pm): €500 + €50 Deepstack Re-entry Day 1 (Re-entry: €200) Wed 11 Sep • (6:00 pm): Deepstack Re-entry Day 2 • (9:00 pm): €75 Satellite to the Main Event Thu 12 Sept • (6:00 pm): €1,000 + €150 Main Event Re-entry Day 1 (Re-entry: €1,000) Fri 13 Sept • (6:00 pm): Main Event Re-entry Day 2 Sat 14 Sept • (3:00 pm): Main Event Finale • (9:00 pm): €150 Satellite to the High Roller (5 times) Sun 15 Sept • (4:00 pm): €3,000 + €150 High Roller
Packages
offer
All packages include: VIP arriving at the airport; prepaid phone, dinner and soft drink at the Terrou-Bi 5***** Casino, a reserved place at the Terrou-Bi 5***** pool and private beach, discount fare for a sport fishing excursion, and free shuttle between the Ibis Hotel and the Terrou-Bi. €10/night supplement for a second guest in double room, with breakfast; €21/night supplement for a second guest in double room, with breakfast, dinner, and access to the pool and to the private beach.
Satellite Package (€800)
€250 for Satellite events; 7 nights in B&B at the Ibis Hotel (€550)
Deepstack Package (€1,100)
€550 ticket to the Deepstack Event; 7 nights in B&B at the Ibis Hotel (€550)
Silver Package (€2,250)
€1,150 ticket to the Main Event + €550 ticket to the Deepstack Event; 7 nights in B&B at the Ibis Hotel (€550)
Gold Package (€2,900)
€1,150 ticket to the Main Event + €550 ticket to the Deepstack Event; 7 nights in B&B at the Ibis Hotel (€1,200)
58
summer issue 2013
Dakar Poker Tour VI
Dakar Poker Tour List of Winners 2013 ME Field: 149 players Prize pool: €160,000 (€1,150 Buy-in) 1st Mehidine Fares (Senegal) €25,091 2nd Sébastien Compte (France) €25,091 3rd Mahmoud Chahrour (Senegal) €25,091 HR Field: 31 players Prize pool: €93,000 (€3,150 Buy-in) 1st Sébastien Compte (France) €34,000 2nd Kamel Tafer (France) €30,000 3rd Bernard Guigon (France) €14,500 2012 ME Field: 79 players Prize pool: €118,500 (€1,650 Buy-in) 1st Haje Nadim (Senegal) €39,802 2nd Riad Dagher (France) €23,278 3rd Anis Cassis (Senegal) €12,511 HR Field: 32 players Prize pool: €96,000 (€3,150 Buy-in) 1st Fayez Bourgi (France) €38,168 2nd Imad Aboukhalil (France) €27,481 3rd Michel Anthonioz (France) €18,231
july – august 2013
2011 ME Field: 108 players Prize pool: €149,788 (€1,500 Buy-in) 1st Roger Hairabedian (France) €36,557 2nd Basile Nemer (France) €23,846 3rd Ali Baalbaki (France) €14,077 HR Field: 21 players Prize pool: €56,700 (€3,000 Buy-in) 1st Roger Hairabedian (France) €28,350 2nd Robin Nachif (Malaysia) €17,010 3rd Christophe Jadoun (France) €11,340 2010 ME Field: 107 players Prize pool: Fcfa107,000,000 (Fcfa1,000,000 Buy-in) 1st Anas Tasini (Morocco) Fcfa30,495,000 2nd Michael Murra (Germany) Fcfa17,655,000 3rd Thierry Journot (France) Fcfa10,700,000 HR Field: 33 players Prize pool: Fcfa62,700,000 (Fcfa2,000,000 Buy-in) 1st Roger Hairabedian Fcfa29,700,000 2nd Thierry Journot Fcfa16,500,000 3rd Alain Roy (France) Fcfa9,900,000
59
from 1 Jan to 28 june 2013 st
th
Bulgarian player Dimitar Danchev began 2013 with mind-blowing results: few iTMs and the win at PCA in Bahamas. The previous runner-up of EPT San Remo in 2011 signs his best year in 2013, far above German player Daniel-Gai Pidun and French amateur Remi Castaignon, who won EPT Deauville. Eastern countries and Germany’s players are above the pack mostly, even if players from the North come back strongly, like Antonius, Lodden or Haglund. The WSOP will surely change it all, despite the big victories by Americans and Canadians!
Dimitar Danchev
Ranking
60
Country
Daniel-Gai Pidun
Rémi Castaignon
Player
Winnings (USD)
Ranking
Country
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Dimitar Danchev
1,949,089
16
Lasse Frost
427,673
2
Daniel-Gai Pidun
1,153,523
17
David Vamplew
419,099
3
Rémi Castaignon
1,050,220
18
Jake Cody
400,857
4
Ruben Visser
901,925
19
Ole Schemion
391,759
5
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
806,674
20
Ian Simpson
380,707
6
Martin Finger
754,800
21
Alban Juen
376,618
7
Robert Haigh
715,899
22
Roberto Romeo
375,078
8
Olof Haglund
643,408
23
Simeon Naydenov
358,157
9
Patrik Antonius
633,419
24
Norbert Szecsi
356,707
10
Johnny Lodden
626,235
25
Rupert Elder
344,906
11
Mantas Visockis
613,549
26
Pascal Vos
334,260
12
Jakub Michalak
573,646
27
Nichiei Hicks
329,866
13
Andrey Shatilov
523,930
28
Manuel Mutke
328,464
14
Pete Linton
487,007
29
Manig Loeser
317,653
15
Niall Farrell
440,432
30
Gwendoline Janot
315,580
summer issue 2013
Ranking
Country
Player
Winnings (USD)
Ranking
Country
Player
Winnings (USD)
31
Davidi Kitai
312,648
66
Rocco Palumbo
186,073
32
Dinesh Alt
309,622
67
Kevin Allen
183,733
33
Enrico Rudelitz
301,632
68
Roman Korenev
183,409
34
Matthew Ashton
297,595
69
Thomas Ward
181,965
35
Daniel Cascado
293,054
70
Yunoz Tuguz
180,368
36
Theo Jørgensen
291,113
71
Gabriele Lepore
175,766
37
Michael Gathy
283,568
72
Tobias Reinkemeier
174,940
38
Alexandre Chieng
282,925
73
John Eames
174,257
39
Alexander Helbig
278,812
74
Dominik Nitsche
172,839
40
Jonas Lauck
272,869
75
Daniel Otto
171,718
41
Dejan Divkovic
265,628
76
Andrew King
171,178
42
Xavier El Fassy
264,932
77
Ravil Khamatgareev
168,745
43
Christopher Robin Frank
260,951
78
Bart Lybaert
167,804
44
Chris Moorman
250,337
79
Yngve Steen
167,064
45
Vladimir Bozinovic
249,616
80
Joao Nogueira
165,900
46
Martin Hanowski
247,704
81
Anatoly Filatov
165,164
47
Nicola Sasso
240,889
82
Mickey Petersen
165,066
48
Luca Moschitta
237,451
83
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
164,494
49
Benjamin Pollak
236,967
84
Gianbattista Sacchella
161,471
50
Toby Lewis
233,548
85
Rhys Jones
159,107
51
Sergio Aido Espina
233,190
86
Christopher Day
154,478
52
Franck Kalfon
230,631
87
Michal Maryska
154,312
53
Mathew Moore
227,801
88
Marc Daubach
153,417
54
Andoni Larrabe Sanchez
219,691
89
Benjamin Spindler
153,008
55
Timo Pfutzenreuter
218,544
90
Tamer Kamel
152,106
56
Jan Bendik
209,195
91
Adrian Mateos Diaz
151,533
57
Ludovic Geilich
209,055
92
Najib Kamand
151,041
58
Slavik Ortynskiy
203,365
93
Dario Sammartino
148,948
59
Roman Herold
203,177
94
Max Lykov
146,019
60
Robert Auer
202,576
95
Julian Thomas
144,190
61
Paul Berende
200,164
96
Ismael Bojang
144,060
62
Pieter De-Korver
195,622
97
Yury Gulyy
139,524
63
Jon Spinks
193,742
98
Gabriel Nassif
138,090
64
Alexej Lakhov
191,317
99
Pablo Rojas Martinez Del Marmol
135,516
65
Michael Farrelly
187,364
100
Hicham Hilmi
134,750
july – august 2013
61
All time money list — europe Who can beat British player Sam Trickett? With his recent Super High Roller wins, the former soccer pro seems unbeatable, despite focusing mostly on high-stakes cash-games in London or Macau... Even Gus Hansen (second) seems not to be able to win some more money to try to approach the Brit score, as he, Peter Eastgate and Carlos Mortensen are absent from the tournament circuit. Contrary to the 2013 rolling ranking, the All Time Money List includes any wins in tournaments, including ones with a buy-in superior to $25,000.
sam trickett
Ranking
gus hansen
Country
Player
Winnings (USD)
peter eastgate
Ranking
Country
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Sam Trickett
19,839,576
16
Roland de Wolfe
5,330,556
2
Gus Hansen
11,218,598
17
Jeff Lisandro
5,180,183
3
Peter Eastgate
11,131,450
18
Philipp Gruissem
5,070,374
4
Carlos Mortensen
10,896,306
19
Juha Helppi
4,843,109
5
Bertrand Grospellier
10,629,384
20
Niklas Heinecker
4,773,583
6
Pius Heinz
8,971,109
21
Yevgeniy Timoshenko
4,669,958
7
Eugene Katchalov
7,399,351
22
Surinder Sunar
4,667,668
8
Ivan Demidov
6,785,824
23
Andy Black
4,432,368
9
David Benyamine
6,496,243
24
Vitaly Lunkin
4,278,639
10
Dave Ulliott
6,035,582
25
Marcel Luske
4,175,082
11
Patrik Antonius
5,963,534
26
Fabrice Soulier
4,144,848
12
Tobias Reinkemeier
5,941,896
27
Roger Hairabedian
4,081,393
13
Martin Staszko
5,664,451
28
Marvin Rettenmaier
4,070,203
14
Igor Kurganov
5,531,712
29
Antoine Saout
4,055,905
15
Chris Bjorin
5,526,062
30
Alexander Kravchenko
3,915,016
Available at www.poker52europa.com 62
summer issue 2013
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Jeff Lisandro
5,180,183
2
Filippo Candio
3,478,653
3
Max Pescatori
3,320,701
England
Ranking
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Sam Trickett
2
Dave Ulliott
19,839,576 6,035,582
3
Roland de Wolfe
5,330,556
David Steicke
2,952,441
4
Surinder Sunar
4,667,668
Salvatore Bonavena
2,587,184
5
Jake Cody
3,591,093
6
Alessio Isaia
2,078,362
6
Ram Vaswani
3,477,240
7
Luca Pagano
2,065,787
7
Neil Channing
3,379,744
8
Dario Minieri
1,894,868
8
Tony Bloom
3,308,051
9
Dario Alioto
1,526,841
9
John Gale
3,306,889
10
Rocco Palumbo
1,267,372
10
James Akenhead
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Carlos Mortensen
10,896,306
2
Raul Paez Corral
1,758,408
3
Juan Maceiras Lapido Jr.
1,082,049
4
Dragan Kostic
Germany
4 5
932,595
Ranking
Player
3,117,925
Winnings (USD)
1
Pius Heinz
8,971,109
2
Tobias Reinkemeier
5,941,896
3
Philipp Gruissem
5,070,374
4
Niklas Heinecker
4,773,583
5
Raul Mestre
916,089
5
Marvin Guido Rettenmaier
4,070,203
6
Tomeu Gomila
880,893
6
Benjamin Spindler
3,855,871
7
Jesús Cortes
828,203
7
Sebastian Ruthenberg
3,457,185
8
Leo Margets
782,312
8
Ole Schemion
3,090,071
Juan Manuel Pastor
753,947
9
Fabian Quoss
3,068,501
Adria Maria Balaguer
713,664
10
Moritz Kranich
2,932,396
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Ivan Demidov
6,785,824
2
Igor Kurganov
5,531,712
3
Vitaly Lunkin
4,278,639
4
Alexander Kravchenko
3,915,016
Denmark
9 10
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Gus Hansen
11,218,598
2
Peter Eastgate
11,131,450
3
Theo Jørgensen
3,530,875
4
Rehne Pedersen
2,302,466
Max Lykov
3,084,103
5
Frederik Brink Jensen
2,205,263
Alexander Kostritsyn
2,935,244
6
Jan Sorensen
2,180,586
7
Kirill Gerasimov
2,568,566
7
Søren Kongsgaard Nielsen
1,988,594
8
Andrey Pateychuk
2,250,146
8
Lars Bonding
1,864,887
9
Leonid Bilokur
2,241,286
9
Sander Lyloff
1,713,253
10
Konstantin Puchkov
2,068,262
10
Rasmus Nielsen
1,424,028
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
Norway
5 6
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Annette Obrestad
2
Jan Olav Sjavik
1,906,181
3
Johnny Lodden
1,862,853
4
Andreas Hoivold
1,704,853
5
Trond Eidsvig
1,623,879
2,821,785
6
Dag Martin Mikkelsen
1,499,148
Erik Marcus Friberg
2,764,371
9
Andreas Walnum
1,197,518
8
Ramzi Jelassi
2,394,035
7
Bjorn-Erik Glenne
1,092,588
9
Christer Johansson
2,161,275
8
Kristian Kjondal
1,057,150
10
Kent Lundmark
1,843,635
10
Marcel Bjerkmann
1
Chris Bjorin
5,526,062
2
Martin De Knijff
3,419,490
3
William Thorson
3,372,326
4
Martin Jacobson
3,063,221
5
Johan Storakers
3,006,611
6
Michael Tureniec
7
Ranking
Player
Winnings (USD)
1
Andy Black
4,432,368
2
Marty Smyth
3,878,676
3
Eoghan O'Dea
4
France
Ireland
Sweden
Russia
Spain
Italy
top ten - all time money list
Ranking
Player
3,839,625
977,333
Winnings (USD)
1
Bertrand Grospellier
10,629,384
2
David Benyamine
6,496,243
2,561,384
3
Fabrice Soulier
4,144,848
Padraig Parkinson
1,657,436
4
Roger Hairabedian
4,081,393
5
Fintan Gavin
1,410,413
5
Antoine Saout
4,055,905
6
Dermot Blain
1,347,072
6
Ludovic Lacay
2,984,853
7
John Magill
1,209,798
7
Bruno Fitoussi
2,687,190
8
Donnacha O'Dea
1,204,428
8
Jean-Paul Pasqualini
2,660,096
9
Liam Flood
1,148,854
9
Antony Lellouche
2,551,175
10
Noel Furlong
1,145,807
10
Alain Roy
2,510,590
july – august 2013
63
GPI top100
Germany still leads the pack of GPI ranking, with Gruissem and Rettenmaier fighting hard for the title. The reigning champion is now second, and their compatriots Ole Schemion (4th) and Martin Finger (6th) come back very strongly! ElkY, though, has not won much recently and should be out of the podium in a few weeks... Kitai enters the Top 10, and will surely be one to watch, as he dreams to be number one of this ranking!
philipp gruissem
Ranking
64
marvin rettenmaier
Country
Player
Score
bertrand “elky” grospellier
Ranking
Country
Player
Score
1
Philipp Gruissem
3143.53
16
Mickey Petersen
1951.95
2
Marvin Rettenmaier
2940.67
17
Paul Berende
1947.82
3
Bertrand Grospellier
2849.57
18
Fabian Quoss
1911.64
4
Ole Schemion
2820.59
19
Ana Laura Marquez Esteban
1895.88
5
Toby Lewis
2529.60
20
Christopher Brammer
1879.42
6
Martin Finger
2254.04
21
Dominik Nitsche
1873.84
7
Dimitar Danchev
2184.66
22
Ismael Bojang
1872.42
8
Roger Hairabedian
2139.07
23
Chris Moorman
1850.17
9
Joni Jouhkimainen
2122.45
24
Jan Bendik
1784.60
10
Davidi Kitai
2050.66
25
Manig Loeser
1783.24
11
Juha Helppi
2044.57
26
Kristijonas Andrulis
1766.52
12
Philippe Ktorza
2017.21
27
Mihai Manole
1722.13
13
Jonathan Aguiar
2011.81
28
Martin Jacobson
1688.58
14
David Vamplew
2007.74
29
Dario Sammartino
1684.37
15
Roberto Romanello
1991.13
30
Giacomo Fundaro
1653.14
summer issue 2013
Ranking
Country
Player
Score
Ranking
Country
Player
Score
31
Zimnan Ziyard
1644.00
66
Alain Roy
1345.49
32
Rocco Palumbo
1639.08
67
Ramzi Jelassi
1341.45
33
Govert Metaal
1610.10
68
Paul Tedeschi
1335.41
34
Salvatore Bonavena
1584.18
69
Stéphane Benadiba
1335.22
35
Pierre Neuville
1571.26
70
Kent Lundmark
1305.38
36
John Paul Kelly
1570.09
71
Danyel Boyaciyan
1294.24
37
Stephen Chidwick
1567.94
72
Dermot Blain
1291.59
38
Niall Farrell
1561.29
73
Marco Leonzio
1273.52
39
Jeff Lisandro
1555.93
74
Tobias Peters
1269.76
40
David Benyamine
1552.71
75
Nicolas Cardyn
1268.63
41
Jake Cody
1540.80
76
Guy Goossens
1255.25
42
Anton Wigg
1522.05
77
Dan Murariu
1253.88
43
Mihails Morozovs
1518.57
78
Kenny Hallaert
1248.42
44
Heinz Kamutzki
1514.03
79
Benjamin Pollak
1244.92
45
Maxi Lehmanski
1494.27
80
Ondrej Vinklarek
1242.54
46
Alessandro Longobardi
1488.24
81
Paul Vas Nunes
1229.70
47
Benjamin Spindler
1483.78
82
Jonas Lauck
1228.29
48
Tobias Reinkemeier
1476.87
83
Simeon Naydenov
1212.54
49
Fabrice Soulier
1452.60
84
Manuel Bevand
1203.97
50
Kevin Vandersmissen
1448.83
85
Martin Staszko
1202.98
51
Samad Razavi
1446.87
86
Christopher Robin Frank
1202.11
52
Andrea Dato
1435.24
87
Éric Sfez
1198.10
53
Anaras Alekberovas
1434.13
88
Simon Ravnsbaek
1180.78
54
James Mitchell
1425.77
89
Theo Jørgensen
1175.75
55
Liv Boeree
1410.14
90
Jan Peter Jachtmann
1165.76
56
Craig McCorkell
1407.45
91
Daniel Erlandsson
1161.30
57
Vojtech Ruzicka
1406.14
92
Jean-Noël Thorel
1155.92
58
Robert Haigh
1405.64
93
Khiem Nguyen
1155.57
59
Rhys Jones
1404.65
94
Aubin Cazals
1154.40
60
Ruben Visser
1399.31
95
Rasmus Agerskov Larsen
1153.08
61
John Eames
1398.80
96
Casey Kastle
1151.67
62
Matthias De Meulder
1390.63
97
Daniel Reijmer
1140.06
63
Tom Alner
1377.66
98
Rumen Nanev
1139.92
64
Matthew Ashton
1370.86
99
George Danzer
1134.38
65
Michel Abécassis
1355.60
100
Grzegorz Derkowski
1128.10
july – august 2013
★ ★★
65
tournament schedule july 2013 1 Jul 2013 Genting Poker Big Game, London 3 - 7 Jul 2013 CNP - La Toja 5 - 7 Jul 2013 2013 Super Stack Series - Leg 14, Madrid 7 - 14 Jul 2013 2013 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 6, Walsall 12 - 21 Jul 2013 CAPT Velden - Alps Poker Tour, Velden 18 - 29 Jul 2013 Gold Strike World Poker Open, Tunica 19 - 21 Jul 2013 Barrière Poker Tour 2013, Enghien 19 - 30 Jul 2013 Merit World Cup of Poker, Kyrenia 21 - 28 Jul 2013 2013 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour - Leg 7, Brighton 24 - 28 Jul 2013 Eureka Bulgaria, Varna 24 - 31 Jul 2013 Asian Poker Tour Macau, Macau 25 Jul 2013 Fitzwilliam End of Month Event, Dublin 25 - 28 Jul 2013 2013 Super Stack Series - Leg 15, London 27 Jul - 4 Aug 2013 Wallonie Series Of Poker III, Namur 27 Jul - 12 Aug 2013 UK & Ireland Poker Tour - Galway, Galway 28 Jul - 3 Aug 2013 Ante Up Poker Tour World Championship, Punta Cana
66
30 Jul - 4 Aug 2013 APPT ANZPT Queenstown Snowfest, Queenstown 31 Jul - 4 Aug 2013 Latin America Poker Tour VI - Peru, Lima
august 2013
3 - 4 Aug 2013 APAT - Welsh Amateur Poker Championship, Cardiff 8 - 29 Aug 2013 Seminole Hard Rock 2013 Poker Open, Hollywood 12 - 18 Aug 2013 Poker Belgique Festival, Namur 12 - 25 Aug 2013 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, Kyrenia 16 - 19 Aug 2013 WPPT - North Sydney, Sydney 17 Aug 2013 The Summer Sizzler, Dublin 18 - 23 Aug 2013 Asian Poker Tour Korea, Jeju 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2013 DSO Arcachon, Gujian Mestras 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2013 Estrellas Poker Tour Barcelona, Barcelona 28 Aug - 7 Sep 2013 EPT Barcelona, Barcelona
september 2013
2 - 8 Sep 2013 Pokerfest Romania Season 3 Mamaia, Mamaia 5 - 9 Sep 2013 APPT Melbourne, Melbourne 5 - 12 Sep 2013 2013 Irish Classic Poker Festival, Cork
6 - 8 Sep 2013 Barrière Poker Tour, Lille 8 - 29 Sep 2013 PPC - Maryland Live! Satellite Series, Hanover 9 - 13 Sep 2013 Festa Al Lago, Bellagio Casino, Las Vegas 9 - 16 Sep 2013 Dakar Poker Tour, Casino Terrou-bi, Senegal 17 - 21 Sep 2013 CAPT Linz - Alps Poker Tour, Linz 19 - 22 Sep 2013 Unibet Open Cannes 2013 24 - 29 Sep 2013 France Poker Series - Cannes, Mandelieu 28 - 29 Sep 2013 APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship, Dublin
october 2013 1 - 8 Oct 2013 WPT National Marrakech Casino Es Saadi, Morocco 2 - 12 Oct 2013 EPT London, London 12 - 25 Oct 2013 2013 World Series of Poker - Europe, Enghien-les-bains 21 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 WPT Grand Prix de Paris - Rendez-Vous à Paris 2013, Aviation Club de France 24 Oct - 2 Nov 2013 Poker EM CAPT Baden - Alps Poker Tour, Baden 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2013 DSO Gruissan, France
summer issue 2013
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