Pictured: Daniel Negreanu not at the PPPL4, cause we haven't been there yet.
Ok, we still haven’t had a chance to head down to the M Resort in Las Vegas to watch the PartyPoker Premier League IV. That’s on us. Our bad. We want to, but as Hootie once sang, “Tiiiiiime, why you punish me.”
No time.
Anyway, needing a win and a win only to stay alive for the final table, Daniel Negreanu won the final heat of the PPPL4TM on Wednesday. However, he’s still not guaranteed a spot at the final table (seems like if you win a heat you should be allowed in, but whatever). Instead, he now has to play the spectacularly-breasted J.C. Tran in a best two-out-of-three heads-up match, winner advancing to the final table.
Wtf, right?
Roland de Wolfe and Ian Frazier have to play the same heads-up match format with the winner advancing as well.
Ok, we just don’t get it. But if they’re happy, we’re happy. Locked into the final table and not requiring a sudden-death heads-up match are Phil Laak, David Benyamine, Giovanni Safina, and Luke Schwartz. They’ll be competing for a first place prize of we have no idea.
The 2010 EPT Deauville event (which is in the Normandie region of France, in case you were wondering) turned out an impressive field of 768 for a first place prize of € 847,000.
With both Day 1’s done, Robert Cezarescu holds the chip lead, stacked at 216,900.
Notable big stacks still in the field include but are certainly not limited to Ludovic Lacay (185,000), Peter Eastgate (125,000), Shane Schleger (115,000), Dario Minieri (98,000), Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier (45,000), half-man, half-amazing Freddy Deeb (45,000), double-sized-man, somewhat amazing Greg Raymer (36,000), and Jean Robert-Bellande (34,000).
More coming later tonight, but Poker Royalty held their PoRo $5k FFL draft today. Here’s a quick iPhone vlog from Daniel Negreanu during the draft. This was right after he turned down $147,000 from Erick Lindgren to eat an In-n-Out burger.
It’s been about two years since Mark Seif last publicly discussed the Absolute Poker scandal (view his RawVegas.tv interview here), but he joined ESPN’s Inside Dealto revisit it again. Watch the above video around 13:00 minutes in.
In somewhat related news, Poker Stars has gotta be happier than pigs in shit that the first non-Poker Stars guest on Inside Deal is talking about a cheating scandal on his site. Can’t script it better than that.
:: Layne Flack is taking his lumps, getting about as much venom as Russ is. Great post on Pocket 5's detailing some of Russ and Layne's ties (remember, Layne was once a UB sponsored player). [link]
:: Whoever signed up a "Russ Hamilton" account on 2+2 and posted on this thread, way to bring the funny. [link]
:: You know the Neverwin Poker Forum will do a good job capturing the general ID and rage most in the online poker community feel towards Russ. [link]
:: Just really like the "GoHabsGo" pic on Full Contact Poker. Oh yeah, for those asking, Daniel didn't provide the "tip" that Russ was golfing that day. Info came the old-fashioned way: some good sleuthing. [link]
:: Some awesome commentary over at Pokerati. Wish we had 10% as much interest in continuing commentary on stories as they do. Nice work. [link]
:: And for the 1% of people out there that don't view getting the one and only individual specifically implicated in the biggest online poker cheating scandal in history on camera for the first time since he was singularly named in the KGC report as newsworthy, there's always the Poker Road forum. [link]
We're working on a pretty amazing follow-up to this video that we hope to have completed by the first of next week. Stay tuned…
Below is exclusive footage of "alleged" UltimateBet super-user Russ Hamilton after completing a round of golf at a course he frequents (second to last paragraph) yesterday in Las Vegas.
One thing from this video is very clear: Russ Hamilton absolutely does not want to discuss his alleged involvement in the UltimateBet super-user cheating scandal.
Like, not even a word. And if you're innocent, even if your lawyers tell you not to talk, really, don't you just have to talk? How do you not?
Hamilton (wearing his clubUBT.com visor) teed off yesterday around 12:30pm with his playing partner Layne Flack and two other men. After completing his round right before 5pm, the foursome decided to drive their carts back out to the first hole for a little more golf action. They went inside after that to presumably have a drink and settle their bets, and walked out of the clubhouse with our camera crew waiting.
Special side note, notice how quickly Layne Flack bails out of the camera's view.
robertcarroll: Discussion with the @wickedchops guys about my wsop cinnobun bet. 4 full size buns in 25 minutes. /via @JoeUgly I'll go 15 minutes! Easy!
Joseph Reitman: Discussion with the @wickedchops guys about my wsop cinnobun bet. 4 full size buns in 25 minutes. I think I can but the debate continues.
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