Here is the first interview with Eric Lindgren discussing the Final Table fiasco with Scotty Nguyen. I thought Eric was very kind and classy in how he handled the situation when it happened and he does the same in the interview.

Take a listen:

Eric Lindgren interview.

Brian “SBrugby” Townsend, a well respected Full Tilt red pro, has admitted to using multiple accounts on both PokerStars and Full Tilt. Full Tilt has already suspended Brian from Red Pro status over the next six months. PokerStars has yet to make a decision as to what course of action to take.

This is really starting to get under my skin. First, it seems that people, no matter what the profession, seem to always want to win at any cost. That is simply not part of my make up. If I cannot win fair and square I want no part of spoils of victory. There is no pride in winning something when you violate the rules. In this case the rules are clear.

Second, I happen to like Brian Townsend and respect his game. He has done well both online and in high stakes live cash games. A player of his caliber has no business cheating to begin with. It cheapens his brand and only brings more scrutiny to an already tedious situation with online poker.

Multi-accounting is clearly outlawed in the terms of service for all of the major sites. It’s puzzling that he would even attempt this considering he has a lot more to lose than to gain from making such a dumb decision. To his credit Townsend did come out with an apology and alleges that he never used the accounts for collusion. Obviously that is up to those that play with him whether that is true or not. The following is a brief excerpt from Brians public apology:

“I hope that people can not only look to me for poker education but also for the way to live their lives. I made a mistake and I am willing to take responsibility for it. I am willing to stand up and face the music. I apologize to entire the online community. I will never partake in this type of activity in the future. This post should act as a full admission of my guilt, and I sincerely apologize to anyone that I’ve wronged.”

Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo was busted by PokerStars last year for the same offense. Justin is now with Bodog.

If you are like me you enjoy reading and watching some of the high stakes online poker action. Players like Phil Ivey, Tom Durr, David Benyamine, and many others are frequently online playing big pot after big pot. Well, I have found a site where you can keep track of the high stakes online action.

It’s called High Stakes DB.

Here you will find the latest online reports, interviews,  and hand replays. There is also a forum for members to participate in. High Stakes DB also gives you daily reports on the biggest online losers and winners along with hand replays that allow you to see the action and how it played out. The link is posted below.

High Stakes DB

I know that this entire UIGEA thing has been bounced around for two years now with no resolution in site. However, I wonder if the Poker Players Alliance is really making progress or are we just seeing a move being made for the sake of getting more constituents? Therein lies the key to this entire deal to me. I want to see some action on both sides to get rid of this foolish law and allow US poker players to play wherever they like.

It will be some time after the election before we can determine if this is real or not in my opinion. At this point it is all rhetoric with very little substance until word comes down from the PPA that a change in the law for US players is pending. In the mean time I suppose we can at least consider it a small victory that we have come this far. Therefor, I believe we must commend the PPA and Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, current PPA Chairman, for their on-going efforts to get this situation corrected post haste. Kudos to the PPA for keeping it’s eye on the prize.

Hoyt Corkins, one of my favorite poker players, home was robbed this past weekend. Many of his prized possessions were stolen in this robbery but no one was hurt. Corkins was on vacation at the time. Read the entire story below courtesy of PokerNews.

Hoyt Corkins Las Vegas Home Robbed.

I posted a few days ago about the entire Scotty Nguyen fiasco at the 2008 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. final table but I really needed to get this information to Do or Die Poker readers. This is a response to the antics of Scotty Nguyen from none other than respected tournament director Matt Savage.

Thoughts on Scotty Nguyen’s HORSE Final Table.

I know it may sound harsh but I am still in shock. Yesterday I was reading a post from my good friend at Poker Room Hustle and I clicked play on the video of Scotty winning the 50K H.O.R.S.E. event. Boy was I disappointed in Scotty. He was clearly drunk and extremely obnoxious. Not only that but he managed to hurl insults at Eric Lindgren whom I have never witnessed getting into it with anyone – at least not on TV.

Scotty is charming and indeed entertaining at the table but he crossed the line. The same goes for Layne Flack who also appeared to be drunk as well from the rail. If you have not seen the footage I have posted the link for you to view.

Remember, be good to the game and the game will be good to you. Conduct yourself with class at the tables for all of our sakes.

Scotty if you are reading this please get some help. I believe you have demonstrated for the entire world to see that you clearly have a drinking problem.

Scotty Nguyen Drunk at Final Table

I just got off of the phone with one of our faithful readers Ray Brito. I have known Ray for about 3 years now and have seen his game improve little by little over that time. I have been receiving e-mails from him periodically letting me know how he has progressed. Well I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am for this guy. He literally started playing in the freerolls and ten cent PokerStars tournaments and won a whopping five dollars. Since August 3rd, 2008 Ray has turned that five dollars into $261 bucks!

He did this by playing small 9 and 45 player Turbo Sit N Go’s. His biggest win was a 1st place score for $157 bucks when he played a $38 buy-in single table Turbo SnG.

Thanks for letting us know how you are doing Ray.

If you have a success story you would like to share with Do or Die Poker readers feel free to drop us an e-mail. We would be glad to post your success story and inspire other players with your results.

Kudos to Ray Brito and good luck in future tournaments!

Apparently Johnny Chan couldn’t avoid this bad beat. After launching his new site in 2006 it never really got off the ground. Now, two years later, Chan Poker has announced as of August 21st it will be closing its doors. Most likely the new legislation that was passed for US poker players spelled its demise along with other sites like it.

The complete notice as published by Chan Poker follows:

We are sad to inform you that Chan Poker will be ceasing operation effective this Thursday, August 21, 2008. Effective immediately we will no longer be accepting deposits. On August 21 our poker clients will be disabled.

If you have a cash balance with us rest assured that all withdrawal requests will be honored and promptly processed. To facilitate timely withdrawals, limits for certain withdrawal methods have been increased. We will make every effort to accept withdrawal requests through our website for as long as necessary however we strongly advise submitting your request as soon as possible. To initiate a withdrawal now please follow this link to go to your account. Please note that once final withdrawals are processed your account will be automatically closed, no further action is necessary.

The final $50 daily freeroll will be held Tuesday, August 19, 2008. We will not be holding any additional weekly Red Orange Freerolls.

We are actively seeking a partner to provide poker software and honor all Chan Poker player point balances for those that wish to continue playing online poker. We will keep you informed of developments on this front.

As always, if you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@chanpoker.com.

Warm regards,
Chan Poker Customer Support

Apparently the Excalibur has fired all of it’s dealers in a move to save dollars and overhaul it’s poker room. The dealers are being replaced with automated dealer machines. Their have been a few poker rooms that have been testing this out in California but this is the first whole sale change I am aware of in Las Vegas. I have played poker at the Excalibur before and I had a great experience there. I was relatively new to the game then but I would always recommend newer players to go there to get their feet wet.

It’s really unfortunate that it has come to this. I really do not believe automated dealers is the way to go. You just do not have any control over the game other than the rote process of dealing cards. Who will settle disputes? Who will inform players when they are out of line? The list of questions goes on and on and on.

Very poor decision making all in the name of saving a few bucks. What used to be a croweded thriving poker room will surely see a considerable decrease in action from now on.

We all love to get into the poker room and jump right into the action. That is what the cash game is all about. However, table selection and being capable of choosing the right one for your game will affect your bankroll one way or another. So many times I have gone to the poker room with my buddy and when we are not playing in a tournament he jumps right into the first cash game he sees.

Nothing inherently wrong with that I suppose but I tend to be an extremely patient person by nature. Very little gets me upset or rattles me unless it is family related. Anyhow, I was chatting with my buddy over the weekend and he was telling me about how this guy with a ton of chips kept raising and re-raising people out of the pot. He was convinced the guy had small pocket pairs at the most in several situations but he had never seen him before so he backed off.

Well, had my buddy taken just a few minutes to observe the table his pockets likely would not have been $300 lighter at the end of his $1/$2 No Limit session. All he had to do was simply take fifteen to twenty minutes to observe the table he wanted to play and he would have quickly realized he had a maniac at the table. At that point he could have made a clear and conscious decision to take a pass if he didn’t like his seat position.

Remember, when you are going to play in a cash game you do not have to take the first seat assigned to you and you can ask to be moved down on the waiting list. You can also change seats if someone gets up if you simply speak with the dealer or poker room manager. Choosing your table and seat is an art form worth getting acquainted with.

Playing small and middle pairs does not have to be as dangerous as some make it out to be. For my game small pairs are [9][9] to [2][2]. There are a few things I like to consider when I am playing these kinds of hands.

First, I want to play these kinds of hands for cheap. That means I am going to play them from the blinds or in positions 7,8, or 9. The reason for this is fairly straight forward. I do not want to play these kinds of hands with large raises in front of me which likely indicates I am already beat.

Second, I need to be aware of my chip count because this changes the dynamics of how I play the hand. Chip count is an extremely important factor. Knowing how many chips your opponent has is more for betting purposes and we should know where they are at especially when we are playing heads-up. However, I also need to be keen on how many chips I have. The reason is simple. If I have a large stack I am now going to be limping and raising with just about any reasonable hand from any position. I can even call a reasonable raise without damaging my stack too.

You have now introduced the eliment of surprise when your opponent raises from the button and you are calling with your middle pair. It is very likely that your opponent will put you on a big hand like {A][K] or a large pocket pair. Now when you hit the set on a low board like [8][2][2] and you are holding [8][8] and bet out your opponent holding [K][K] [Q][Q] or [J][J] will not be able to put you on the hand and will likely call at the very least. Now you are making money and have disguised your hand well.

Getting paid off is a wonderful thing. Vary your game with small and medium pairs and you will reap the benefits.

This is a tough one as there has been a bit of an onslaught of really good female poker players lately. However, we do need to take recent success and longevity into the equation as well. Obviously, as with any best of list we will likely miss a few that rightfully belong.

1. Jennifer Harmon – Jennifer plays in the $8000 / $4000 big game on a regular basis and more than holds here own. That feet in and of itself ranks her amongst the best in the world as far as cash games go. Jennifer has also done well in tournaments as well and has a WSOP bracelet.
2. Kathy Liebert- Kathy, is one of the best tournament poker players around male or female and has been a regular at World Poker Tour final tables.
3. Annie Duke – Annie took down her first WSOP bracelet in Pot-Limit Omaha and then stormed on to win the Tournament of Champions for a cool million with a table full of poker elite.
4. Annette Obrestad – The European sensation has shown no signs of slowing down since winning the Euro World Series of Poker last year. She is still one of the best online players and remains a force to be reckoned with live too.
5. Vanessa Rousso – This brainy and drop dead gorgeous young lady dispels all of the myths about women and poker. She uses her high level intellect to help her make the correct decisions in crucial hands. Rousso is also engaged to former Hollywood hunk Chad Brown.

There is a new sherrif in town and it may just be a female.

Washington, D.C. (August 13, 2008) – Over 160 poker players from across the nation have posted comments urging the Republican Party to protect individuals’ freedom to play poker online. Members of the Poker Players Alliance, the leading poker grassroots advocacy group of over one million members, believe any language in the Republican Platform restricting an individual’s right to play poker online violates these principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility – long held tenets of the Republican Party.

The Republican Platform Committee’s website (www.gopplatform2008.com) continues to be open for public comment on what should and should not be included in the 2008 GOP Platform. Poker players nationwide have posted their comments, unanimously urging the Republican Party to protect their rights to play poker online. There have been no calls by the public for including language banning the game.

“My point is simple. Is the Republican Party no longer the party of personal freedom and individual responsibility? Why has this party, that used to protect my rights, now become the party that wants to create a Nanny-state? Stay away from issues of personal liberty, except to remove old laws that restrict these liberties,” posted professional poker player and 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer.

Other comments include:

“As a lifelong republican I believe in personal responsibility. Choosing to gamble on the internet should be a personal choice not a decision the government makes for us. In 2004 the party platform took the position that government should ban internet gambling. I enjoy playing poker on the internet and if the party platform were to advocate banning internet gambling this election season I would seriously consider voting for Obama.” – Gerald, Jacksonville, FL

“I am a long time supporter of conservative views. I support the right of mature adult citizens to continue my freedoms to exercise free choice in how I spend my time and recreational moneys [sic]. I support the right to participate in and play poker. I object to the reduction in my personal freedoms so someone can push his/her morale agenda. My country asked me to participate in the struggle to protect our freedoms so I became a part of the military service and fought in Viet Nam and was honorably discharged. Why are the few pushing so hard to reduce the freedoms of so many adults who want to play poker.” – Marion, Greenville, MS

“I have been a Reagan Republican since 1980 because I believed in the platform of the Republican Party. However, the party of Ronald Reagan is no longer the party that I believe in for the following reason. Let me say first, I believe in family values, protecting the unborn, religious freedom, etc…. However I have been quite unhappy with the Republican Party since the passage of UIGEA in 2006. It is another infringement upon our personal freedoms which we have enjoyed for 200 plus years.” – James, Parma, OH

“I have never been a single issue voter but if the Republican Party continues its opposition to the regulation of online gambling, I will vote for someone other than Senator McCain. Clearly regulation and taxation is the correct position on this issue.” – Tim, Dexter, MI

The PPA encourages all who want their right to play poker online protected to make their voices heard by commenting on the Republican Platform.

To learn more about the PPA, please visit www.pokerplayersalliance.org.

Since this was my birthday weekend I will try and keep this relatively brief. I decided to take a little bit of a vacation from the every day grind and play poker over my five days off. This entailed various tournaments both live and online.

I must say I had a tremendous time playing hand after hand and out foxing my opponents at the table. Rarely have I not cashed over the past month or so. I have had hot streaks like this before but usually you come back down to earth a little sooner. That’s really where my quandary is right now. Has my game improved that much or am I simply seeing variance swing my way? There is a good argument that could be made on both sides. I have definitely tried to improve my game and tweak a few key aspects of my game that I believe I was not taking advantage of.

The one big change to my game is that I have decided to take more risk early in the tournament when I have a big stack. I am now playing to double that big stack and then slow down. Usually I would slow down after amassing lots of chips. That would also account for my placing in the top 5 in three of the final tables I made over the past week. This includes a first and second place finish.

Is it luck?

Well, I did catch a really big hand when my [J][J] ran into [K][K] to triple up against [Q][Q]. I went on to win that tournament. I also caught a big pot when I had [T][T] vs. [A][K] and I hit the straight on the river. Either way I am putting myself in position to win and my ITM (In The Money) percentage is now at a whopping 24% in Multi-Table tournaments of 180 players or more.

Now if I can just win the big one.