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Daniel Negreanu Wins 2013 WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event


'I just came in my pants.' 'Me too.'

‘I just came in my pants.’ ‘Me too.’

If dude’s in their upper 30′s still had wet dreams, WSOP commish Ty Stewart just blasted a massive load in his jammies.

In just over six months, the game’s two biggest names–Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu–have won the WSOP “expansion” Main Events.  Solid shot in the arm for those event’s credibility.

In related news if you haven’t figured it out yet, Daniel Negreanu dominated final table play on route to the inaugural WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event crown. This marks Negreanu’s fifth bracelet. For the win, he banked just over $1M AUD.

Sure to be discussed at length within the poker community is Negreanu’s involvement with the Choice Center for his recent surge. To that point, Negreanu credited the aforementioned Choice Center for a role in the victory, telling WSOP.com:

“I went to do these personal growth courses and the biggest thing I got out of that was confidence and self-trust. I trust myself and I trust myself to make the right decisions. Antonio [Esfandiari] also went to the same thing and he won a couple bracelets, made a couple of final tables, and came ninth here. I just graduated myself and I’ve come fourth and first. People can hate all they want. I’m not in a cult, they’re nuts, and I would never be in one. I went through a course, I’ve done the course, and I am so happy I did it.”

Australia’s Daniel Morton finished second for $637,911 AUD. Macau big game leader Winfred Yu came in third for $423,225 AUD. Benny Spindler, who held the chip leader at the start of final table play, flamed out in sixth for $146,205 AUD.

Get a full recap and results here.

Hear what Gavin Smith said about Choice on our podcast here.

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Daniel Negreanu Goes for WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event Title


Is it Negreau's time THIS time?

Is it Negreau’s time THIS time?

The final table is set for the inaugural WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event.

Among the big stacks is poker’s biggest name.

Daniel Negreanu enters final table play as the second big stack with 2,437,000. Negreanu missed out on bracelet #5 earlier in the week to Phil Ivey. He only trails Germany’s Benny Spindler, who is the big stack with 2,931,000.

Joining them at the final table is last year’s November Niner Russell Thomas with 490,000.

Also making the final table as short-stack is the man responsible for putting together some of Macau’s highest stake games, Winfred Yu, with 367,000.

Just bubbling the TV final table was Antonio Esfandiari. He banks $65,408 for his ninth place finish.

Somewhere, deep within the bowels of Choice Center, their cabalish leadership is going, “Wassup, bitches!”*

Follow the final table action starting at 12am ET on Monday here.

* Kidding kidding don’t exercise us from the poker community. 

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Ray Bitar Will Plead Guilty, Ironically Needs A New Heart


Ray Bitar needs a new heart. Wait, Ray Bitar had a heart?

Ray Bitar needs a new heart. Wait, Ray Bitar had a heart?

Ok ok ok. We won’t make light of this. The man doesn’t deserve physical harm or misery. But seriously.

On Monday it was announced that former Full Tilt stooge CEO Ray Bitar would plead guilty to his criminal charges after striking a deal with the U.S. government.

In an odd twist, Bitar, who many believe at a minimum had no soul, needs a new heart. Say Bitar’s lawyer to the WSJ:

“It’s a very unusual situation. We’ve been able to work out something with the government that takes into account the unique circumstances. We appreciate the government’s courtesy in this regard.”

Additionally, Bitar asked for no “incarceration” as part of the deal, because, well, why the fuck wouldn’t he.

As we argued on Rich Muny’s Poker Advocacy podcast on Monday (here), assuming Bitar survives the transplant (he’s supposedly 50/50 to do so), then the man needs to serve jail time. No way around it. No matter if he cedes over $40M in assets (as has been vaguely reported) or not.

While Bitar hasn’t quite yet entered the Tyson Zone, he’s getting close.

Read more about Bitar’s guilty plea here.

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Phil Ivey Wins 9th Bracelet at 2013 WSOP Asia Pacific


Phil Ivey is back to being Phil Ivey.

Phil Ivey is back to being Phil Ivey.

And he’s done it again.

Phil Ivey has won WSOP bracelet #9.

Ivey captured WSOP Asia Pacific Event #3 ($2,200 Mixed), earning $51,840 and that aforementioned ninth bracelet which, despite making five 2012 regular WSOP final tables, eluded him all last summer.

In fact, the only thing that Ivey racks up more than bracelets are pros that you’ve never heard of for his Team Ivey site.

Ivey defeated Brandon Wong ($32,039) heads-up for the title.

With nine bracelets, Ivey ties Johnny Moss and only trails Johnny Chan (10), Doyle Brunson (10), and Phil Hellmuth (13).

Missing out on bracelet number five was Daniel Negreanu, who bowed out in fourth for $16,336.

Get full results and payouts here.

* Photo courtesy WSOP.com.

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Ivey, Negreanu Battle for WSOP Asia Pacific Bracelet


Let's just say Barry Greenstein has been waiting for the WSOP to add an Asian Pacific event to the calendar since he learned how to talk.

Let’s just say Barry Greenstein has been waiting for the WSOP to add an Asian Pacific event to the calendar since he learned how to talk.

The first WSOP Asia Pacific has netted its first marquee final table.

Event #3 ($2,200 Mixed Event) sees 2/3 of the Holy TriumvirateTM as the two big stacks. Phil Ivey leads the six-handed final table, stacked at 144,300. Ivey is going for his ninth all-time bracelet.* He’s closely followed by Daniel Negreanu with 129,000. This would be Negreanu’s fifth bracelet and first since 2008.

First will bank just over $51,000.

Some other guys you care significantly less about round out the final table. Follow the action here.

In related WSOP AP news, U.S. American Bryan Piccioli won Event #1 ($1,110 Hold’em Accumulator), earning $211,575. Jonathan Duhamel (ahem) finished fourth ($71,870) and Jeremy Ausmus came in fifth ($54,337). Get full results here.

Event #2 ($1,650 PLO) was captured by U.S. American Jim Collopy ($69,662). Get full results here.

* Ivey is the all-time bracelet leader among African-Americans. He currently has 8 more bracelets than Elix Powers. 

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