
The WSOPE Main Event and the Team PokerStars Shake-Up | ||
October 6, 2021
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After getting back from the World Series in July I suffered a pretty nice case of poker burnout. I went to a couple of local tournaments and would find myself a level or two into play and not wanting to so much as look at a chip. I needed a break from live poker and took one. Of course, I've got the itch again. Perhaps that can be credited to the start of the football season, which has resurrected my appetite for gambling (by the way, I'm 20-9 with the NFL through week 3 /brag). Either way, I had the opportunity to sign up for a local heads-up tournament. It's set to take place tonight and it can't come soon enough. It's a crowd I've played with a few times in the past, always with some success. It's mostly older guys who drink a lot and won't open with anything worse than jacks. Mixed in are a few guys in their mid to late twenties who play a bit more aggressively and understand the value of position. I'm curious to see how they adapt to heads-up play. Recreational players - guys who play tournaments in garages every couple of weeks - don't have a lot of experience in heads-up play. Mind you, what's likely to happen is that I'll get there and find out that those players weren't interested in playing a heads-up tournament and that it'll be filled with other people who were looking to exploit the inexperience of the regulars. Either way, I'll let you know how it worked out next week. Anyone who pays attention to the tournament circuit knows that the poker world moved to London, England for the last month. With stops from the WPT and EPT as well as the WSOPE, there was a ton of money to be won, and a lot of players were looking to grab it. For a while it looked as though the WSOPE Main Event was going to have one of the most exciting final tables in recent memory. Viktor Blom and Phil Ivey were amongst the event's chip leaders for much of the tournament, but they both exited before the final table was set. That's not to say that it won't be exciting television (the five-hour delay streamed by ESPN was great), but it could have been huge had Ivey once again made a final table with Isildur1 right there with him. Liv Boeree was the source of one of the month's other big stories after leaving the Ultimate Bet team and signing on with PokerStars as a Team Pro. There's been a lot of shuffling in the PokerStars roster as of late. Gavin Griffin and Hevad Khan recently had their contracts expire without renewal while David Williams joined the team this summer. Boeree might not have as strong a resume as some of her peers, but it would be hard to argue that it was a poor business decision for either party. Boeree gets to shed the Ultimate Bet patches she had to wear in her previous sponsorship agreement, along with any of the negative publicity that comes with it. Meanwhile, PokerStars gets a young, attractive, English-speaking pro to add to the roster. Now all Boeree has to do is chalk up some wins so she can get that contract renewed when the time comes. |
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2010
- October
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August
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Aug. 19 7:01 am
Does the Durrrr Challenge Prove Anything?
Ben Conoley breaks down the relevance of the Durrrr Challenge
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Aug. 10 12:47 pm
Post-WSOP Update
Ben Conoley fills us in on the goings-on in the poker world since the end of the WSOP
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Aug. 4 6:21 am
The Best of the Worst in Poker TV - Celebrity Poker Showdown
Ben Conoley hightlights the finer points of the now-cancelled Celebrity Poker Showdown
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Aug. 19 7:01 am
Does the Durrrr Challenge Prove Anything?
- July
- June
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May
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May. 28 6:57 am
WSOP Diary - The Calm Before the World Series of Poker
Ben Conoley talks about his first three days in Vegas, which included a stop by the Doyle Brunson Beer Pong Challenge
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May. 27 6:48 am
World Series of Poker Pre-Game
Ben Conoley gives you reasons to be pumped up on the eve of the 2010 WSOP
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May. 24 8:56 am
A Poker Players Guide to Vegas Summer 2010
Ben Conoley breaks down all the WSOP action and more this summer in Vegas
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May. 17 7:29 pm
Home Game Killers Pt 3
Ben Conoley continues his list of players who can make any home game suck
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May. 11 7:44 am
Setting Long Term Goals
Ben Conoley sets his sights on some long term poker goals
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May. 3 9:43 am
Setting Short Term Goals
Ben Conoley sees the PokerStars SCOOP as a great opportunity to achieve some short term poker goals
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May. 28 6:57 am
WSOP Diary - The Calm Before the World Series of Poker
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April
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Apr. 26 11:04 am
The PokerStars SCOOP Series
Ben Conoley explains why the SCOOP is a great value for low limit online poker players
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Apr. 19 6:06 am
Who is Isildur1...Who Cares!
Ben dissects the interest surrounding Internet poker phenom Isildur1 and explains why you shouldn't even care
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Apr. 13 8:20 am
Ways to Play at the 2010 WSOP
Ben gives you the low down on the most cost-effective ways to get in on the action of the 2010 World Series of Poker
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Apr. 6 10:51 am
Rush Poker
The Small Stakes takes at look at the pros and cons of Full Tilt Poker's new Rush Poker
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Apr. 26 11:04 am
The PokerStars SCOOP Series
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March
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Mar. 29 2:46 pm
My Top Four Favorite Poker Prop Bets
The Small Stakes lists the best prop bets in poker history
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Mar. 22 8:11 am
Home Game Killers Pt 2
The Small Stakes break down the players that can ruin any home game
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Mar. 15 5:58 am
Home Game Killers Pt 1
The Small Stakes break down the players that can ruin any home game
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Mar. 12 10:36 am
My WSOP Invitational Wish List
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Mar. 29 2:46 pm
My Top Four Favorite Poker Prop Bets
- February
