Isn’t the world in a global financial crisis? Banks are failing, International companies are filing for Bankruptcy and Governments are shelling out Billions in stimulus packages to save their citizens. However, The economic crisis doesn’t seem to have affected some of poker elite players, as the largest televised cash game in history took place last night.

The Aussie Millions Invitational Heads-Up Cash Game has booked it’s place in poker history by providing the world with the never before seen spectacle of a Million Dollar Heads-Up Cash Game. The two brave souls who took on the challenge were known other than Tom ‘DURRRR’ Dwan and Patrik Antonius.

Dwan took on Antonius heads-up with each player buying in for well over 1 million Australian dollars,AUD. Antonius bought in for $1.5 million AUD, while Dwan bought in for $2 million AUD. With $3.5 million on the table and two of the world’s best poker players squaring off, I don’t think many could predict who would walk out on top.

Antonius eventually got that better of Dwan in this monumental showdown, winning over $500,000 from the young Internet phenom. According to reports, Antonius simply won all of the big pots throughout the night. Antonius won two back to back pots worth over $100,000, with Dwan mucking his cards to the final bet each time. It looked like there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel for Dwan, when he flopped the nuts straight. However, Antonius managed to keep running hot turning a gutshot straight draw on the turn to split the pot with Dwan. In the end it was just Antonius’ day.





When asked how he felt about the match, Antonius replied in his typical relaxed fashion, “I was getting some cards. I booked a Nice win, mentally it feels good.” I guess that’s the normal casual response after raking in over $500,000!?

Dwan, who was asked the same question, simply replied “It was fun.” Again, I guess that’s the normal casual response after losing over $500,000 in one night!? The interview with the two players post-match was so casual that you wouldn’t have known they had played any poker at all, let alone that the match was for the most money in Televised history.

Watching this interview put me into the tank. How much money do these players actually have? As I was calculating how much they have in their bankroll if that $2 million was 2% of their roll, $100 million in case you were curious, I realized that even though I couldn’t imagine having that amount, let alone playing heads-up for that amount, their demeanor is an example for all players. Obviously, Dwan doesn’t want to lose to Antonius or lose $500,000 but he keeps his emotions controlled at all times. This seems to be a common theme amongst most top-level players and can serve as an example for us all, whether we lose $2 on a bad beat or $1,000 in a coin flip situation.

So next time you are at the casino, online, or playing in the next million-dollar cash game on TV, take an example from these two great players!

Poker has been ruled a game of skill in Pennsylvania. A case against a small-stakes home game was recently dismissed when the judge ruled that poker is a game of skill. Columbia County Judge Thomas James stated that, “The Court finds that Texas hold’em poker is a game where skill predominates over chance. Thus, is it not ‘unlawful gambling’ under the Pennsylvania Code.” This ruling only applied to Columbia and Montour counties, which is the jurisdiction of Judge James.

The original case charged two people with unlawful gaming for running a $1-$2 NL Holdem game in their garage. Rake was not taken, but tipping the dealer was encouraged. State police investigated the game by sending undercover officers to the game approximately 20 times.

The attorney for the two defendants, Pete Campana, stated “I’ve seen poker players of all calibers; there’s no question in my mind that skill controls poker more than luck of the draw.” John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance stated, “The judge in this case issued a well-researched and reasoned decision which supports arguments the PPA and others have made about poker being a game of predominant skill. The decision does not have legal precedent outside the two rural counties in Pennsylvania, however, it is a significant victory in the overall battle to demonstrate that poker is not pure chance gambling. The PPA hopes to leverage this win in other trials in other states where we have an opportunity to argue the skill of poker.”

This case is being viewed as a potential stepping stone for getting online poker ruled as a game of skill. A ruling of poker being a game of skill would go a long way in getting the UIGEA overturned or an exclusion to online poker granted to exclude it from the UIGEA.

PokerStars has recently singed actor Jason Alexander to represent the site as a celebrity spokesman. His job will be to promote PokerStars at various tournaments around the world, including the 2009 World Series of Poker.

About the signing, Alexander said, “PokerStars has very graciously asked me to sign on as one of their official players. I am very flattered and happy to be playing for a real quality site and with the kind of professionals that remind me every day how truly mediocre I am at this game. But I’m learning. And now I can learn from some of the best.”

Alexander is not the only celebrity to play for PokerStars. Former L.A. Dodger Orel Hershiser, NHL Star Mats Sundin, and former tennis star Boris Becker are all members of what has been touted PokerStars’ team of “international celebrity ambassadors.”

J. Alexander will be the moniker to look for on the website. Alexander is probably most well known to fans of televised poker via his many appearances on the now defunct Celebrity Poker Showdown.

Playboy Gaming will cease operations as of January 29th according to emails issued by the company on Wednesday. The email stated that “Playboy Gaming will no longer have a poker site and will not be moving to another network.”

Playboy Poker is a member of the CryptoLogic Network. CryptoLogic has confirmed that Playboy Poker will be shutting down and is not planning on moving to another network.

Playboy Gaming opened its online casino in 2007, but the brand just did not resonate with the worldwide population in the same way that the brand does in the U.S. While the site provided many unique experience that could be purchased with player points, this did not prove enough to keep patrons interested or to drive players to the site in mass.

Playboy Poker is just another casualty of the UIGEA. After the passage of the law, many sites left the U.S. market and in effect crippled their marketability. It follows in the long list of poker sites to close in 2008 and early 2009. There are hopes that the Obama administration will introduce legislation to overturn the UIGEA, but until then, this trend will likely continue.

John Phan has had a monster year. First, he won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker. Then he made two WPT final tables in little over a month, including winning his first WPT title at the Legends of Poker. Now he is the Bluff Magazine 2008 Player of the Year.

Phan edged out Michael Binger for the award, which is the first for Phan. He started the year off with a 6th place finish at the Bay 101 WPT event. He then went on a historic run at the World Series of Poker that netted him two championship bracelets. The first of his bracelets came in the $3,000 No Limit Holdem event. This event saw an epic heads-up match between Phan and Johnny Neckar. After several hours of play and a private chopping of the prize money, the two decided that they would go all-in blind for three straight hands. This provided some of the best entertainment of the WSOP, with Neckar taking two out of the three hands. In the end, Phan came out on top for the top prize and his first bracelet.

He then made the final table of the 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event. Both Michael Mizrachi and David Sklansky made the table with Phan. In the end, Phan emerged from this table victorious as well to claim his 2nd WSOP bracelet. Phan was the only multi-bracelet winner of the WSOP.

Next, Phan made the final table of the Bellagio Cup IV, where he finished in 5th place. He then a little over a month later made the final table of the Legends of Poker event in Los Angeles. This time, Phan was able to take down the event, the WPT championship bracelet, and the $1.1 Million top prize.

For the year, Phan earned over $2.1 Million.

Season five of High Stakes Poker will debut on GSN Sunday March, 1st. The show will be part of GSN”s new “Poker Night.” GSN also will be airing episodes of the World Poker Tour this season. The WPT is currently in its 6th season.

Filming is currently underway in downtown Las Vegas at the Golden Nugget casino. This season, the minimum buy-in has been increased to $200,000. Some of the players that will appear during this season of High Stakes Poker include David Benyamine, Daniel Negreanu. Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, and Victor Ramdin, Paul Wasicka, David Williams, Doyle Brunson, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari. The current World Champion of Poker, Peter Eastgate, will also appear during the fifth season of High Stakes Poker.

High Stakes Poker is known for not only it’s high stakes cash game format but also for bringing out some of the biggest names in the world to play high stakes poker. Unlike a tournament, players put up their own money to play in the event. Players are compensated by the network for their appearance, but the fee is very small in comparison to the stakes that they play at.

The cash game format on High Stakes Poker mimics actual cash game action, complete with little neiances such as straddles, running hands twice, and even prop betting. Many of these things are banned in tournament play but are used to spice up cash games.

Hosts A.J. Benza and Gabe Kaplan return this season to provide their insight. Kaplan is a regular player on both the tournament circuit and high stakes cash game action.

High Stakes Poker will kick off its 5th season Sunday March 1st at 9 P.M. EST.

Proceeds to benefit Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital

paddypowerpoker.com today announces details of the full schedule for the upcoming Irish Open 2009 in Dublin, Ireland.  In addition to the €3,200 + €300 Irish Open Main Event, the festival includes a 2-day €1,500 + €150 No Limit Holdem freezeout event and an ever-popular Pot Limit Omaha €300 + €30 rebuy tournament.  Given the success of last year’s Ladies Event, this No Limit Holdem freezeout tournament makes a welcome return on Sunday, April 12th.

To bring the festival to a close, paddy power poker is proud to announce a No Limit Holdem Charity Event to benefit Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin.  This tournament will cost €300 + €30 to play, with paddy power poker donating the entire registration fee to charity, along with €100 from each player’s buy-in.  With the help of everyone involved, it is hoped that this will raise in excess of €50,000 for the hospital.

Irish Open 2009 Schedule:

The Irish Open 2009, Europe’s longest-running tournament, will take place on the 9th to 13th April, 2009.  Online qualifiers to the Main Event are running daily on Paddy Power Poker, with the full schedule of feeders and super satellites outlined here: Irish Open 2009

paddypowerpoker.com reserve the right to alter the times and structures of events at its sole discretion in the best interest of the tournament or its players.