Vegas Syndicate

Monday, November 30, 2009

Nautica Luggage Collection

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Jeffrey Pollack's Resignation Leaves Questions for the World Series of Poker

World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said he wanted to explore new challenges when he resigned this month after four successful years at the helm of the tournament.

Some wondered whether a high-stakes bluff was being played out.

It seemed strange that Pollack, 45, would depart following the World Series of Poker's second-most lucrative event in its 40-year history. Even in the recession, Pollack delivered a successful tournament for his bosses at Harrah's Entertainment, which has owned the World Series of Poker since 2003.

Earlier this year, Harrah's placed the World Series of Poker under the purview of Harrah's Interactive Entertainment, a division created to expand the tournament overseas and online. Former PartyGaming Chief Executive Officer Mitch Garber was named CEO of Harrah's Interactive, taking control of the tournament's future growth. He also gained authority over Pollack.

Therein lies the rub.

Pollack departed Nov. 13 with only compliments toward Harrah's. He didn't have any comments about the new structure.

Harrah's Interactive released a statement thanking Pollack for his efforts but saying there weren't plans to fill the commissioner's role.

During Pollack's run, World Series of Poker participation grew annually, hitting a record 60,875 entries in 2009. The number of events grew and the prize pool for players was a combined $675 million in his four years, nearly double the total prize from the first 36 tournaments combined.

Harrah's averages a 6 percent rake on World Series of Poker's event entry fees. The 55-day tournament attracts throngs of players and spectators into the Rio during June and July. The tournament is one of the few profitable ventures for the casino operator, which reported a $1.62 billion net loss in the third quarter.

Pollack took the World Series of Poker mainstream. A survey firm rated it the seventh-most admired sports brand. Corporate sponsorships deals with Miller Brewing Co. and Jack Link's Beef Jerky were signed. A new deal with ESPN was inked, assuring the tournament will be televised through 2018.

Some in the poker community complained that players were secondary and the tournament was more about Harrah's increasing its bottom line. Card Player magazine editor Jeff Shulman was the most public critic, saying Harrah's made poor decisions that kept 500 players from participating in the Main Event.

Pollack created a players advisory council and he and Shulman seemed to patch up their differences.

Questions now surround the 2010 World Series of Poker. Pollack left a solid foundation. But has Harrah's allowed permanent cracks to invade the concrete?

Thanks to Howard Stutz

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

15% Off The Mirage Resort and Casino!

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PokerStars Depositor Freerolls

PokerStars Depositor Freerolls are back and bigger than before! Simply make your first real money deposit between now and December 13 using the code FIRST500K and you will be credited with a ticket to play in a freeroll tourney series with a combined $500K prize pool! You will also receive our regular $600 first deposit bonus (conditions apply).

Don't forget, the minimum deposit at PokerStars for most deposit options is just $10!

The freerolls will take place from November 28 to December 13 and there will be eight per day, each with a prize pool of $2,500. If you reach the money in any of these tourneys, you will qualify for one of the eight huge $25K Depositor Freeroll Finals on December 13.

You can find all of the Depositor Freeroll tourneys located under the ‘Tourney’ > ‘Freeroll’ tab in your PokerStars lobby.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Phil Hellmuth's More Lessons for Jeff Shulman

Last week I wrote that Jeff Shulman had asked me to coach him in preparation for the World Series of Poker November Nine final table.

To recap: I advised Jeff to play super-tight poker at the beginning of the final table, come in before the flop by raising about five times the big blind, and play low-risk poker because with $20 million in chips and blinds at $125,000/$250,000, there was ample time for him to sit back and let other players bust out of the tournament.

I built an advisory team comprised of Diego Cordovez, a WSOP bracelet winner in No Limit Hold'em, Barry Shulman, Jeff's father and winner of this year's WSOPE Main Event, Cy Young award-winning pitcher Orel Hershisher to sharpen Jeff's mental edge, and a few others to allow us to simulate final table action.

We played for dozens of hours. We reviewed every single hand that had been played by the other members of the November Nine. We watched every Main Event episode on ESPN, rewound and reviewed every bluff and every super-strong hand while looking for physical tells and discernible betting patterns.

All this so Jeff Shulman would have a great feel for his opponents once final table play began.

We set up chip stacks at a poker table in accordance with the seat order of the final players, including a picture of each player in front of his respective stack. We played countless hours of seven-handed, six-handed, five-handed, four-handed, and three-handed poker, with each of us assuming the identity of one of Jeff's competitors.

Whenever Jeff entered a pot, action paused while we dissected his tactics in detail. Was he playing tight enough? Was he moving his chips well? Were there alternative plays that better suited the particular situation?

I even pulled a new tactic out of my bag of tricks. I advised Jeff to make big pre-flop raises in order to keep the other players out of the pot with their small pairs and suited connectors. I wanted to deter other players from bluffing Jeff pre-flop. The plan was correctly based on the fact that it is next to impossible to bluff a guy like Jeff who is playing super-tight poker and raising big whenever he does enter a pot.

We wanted to keep Jeff in the game for as long as possible by winning small uncontested pots and keep him away from major catastrophes.

By the time Jeff sat down at the Main Event final table, with ESPN cameras rolling and thousands of spectators observing in the Rio's Penn and Teller Theatre, he was remarkably calm and confident.

Jeff stuck to the game plan. He pushed all-in only once in the first ten hours of play, with A-K against Joe Cada's A-J. When his hand held up, it appeared that the rest of the field was in real trouble.

Only fifty minutes later, however, Cada moved all-in with pocket threes and was called by Jeff with pocket jacks in a pot worth over $22million. Win this one and Jeff would have $30million at the start of four-handed play!

It didn't happen. Cada hit a miracle three on the flop and Jeff was left crippled with about $7 million chips and five players remaining. Then, Shulman lost a race with 7-7 against A-9 and was out in fifth place.

Would I have changed a single tactic regarding how I coached Jeff Shulman? No way.

If not for an unlikely three to hit on the flop for Cada, Jeff may very well have won the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Well played, Jeff!

Harrah's Contemplates Purchase of Planet Hollywood

Harrah's Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Loveman says his company is trying to buy the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas.

In an e-mail to employees obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Loveman said his company's interest stems from the fact that Planet Hollywood sits at the end of a line of Harrah's-owned casinos in Las Vegas.

The operator also owns Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.

The acquisition of the 35-acre Planet Hollywood would add about 2,500 hotel rooms to Harrah's inventory of 20,370 rooms on or near the Strip.

It also would give Harrah's control of all 126 acres between Flamingo Road and Harmon Avenue.