Poker software called Polaris will play a rematch against human players during the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Developed by an artificial intelligence group at the University of Alberta in Canada, Polaris will be pitted against several professionals at the Rio Hotel between July 3rd and 6th. ‘It’s possible, given enough computing power, for computers to play “perfectly,” where over a long enough match, the program cannot lose money,”‘ said associate professor Michael Bowling.

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Gus Hansen has a reputation as someone who will play any two cards. He knows it and has milked that image to win four World Poker Tour titles. He bets fearlessly at a lot of pots with nothing, which gets him a lot of action. It’s a style that can pay off when he actually has something big, as with this hand from the $15,000-buy-in Doyle Brunson World Poker Classic at Las Vegas’ Bellagio in 2007.

With blinds at $1,500-$3,000 plus a $400 ante, Hansen drew king-8 of clubs in the big blind.

“An older gentleman that I played the day before who gave me the impression that he played tight but was playing a lot of hands raised to $10,600 in middle position,” Hansen said. “I’m in the big blind and have K-8 suited, a reasonable hand. I decided to take a flop (getting about 3-1 on his money by calling the extra $7,600).”

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Even for those who know the lingo, the rounders who can tell you that Big Slick suited is a slight ‘dog to pocket 10s, the Main Event of the 2008 World Series of Poker presents an enigma.

How can it be that the 12-day event, which began Thursday, will take more than four months to complete?

Answer: Because ESPN has dictated a new format. After the Final Table is determined July 14, the lucky nine will take the world’s longest coffee break. They will reconvene in Las Vegas Nov. 9-10, and ESPN will edit down the final chapter for a Nov. 11 telecast.

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BIG NEWS: Play opened in the 39th World Series of Poker main event Thursday, with nearly 1,300 players putting down $10,000 each in hopes of making it through a 10-hour day of no-limit Texas Hold ‘em.

Flanked by 10 showgirls, Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton delivered the famous order — “Shuffle up and deal!” The UNLV marching band played Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas,” and some players showed up in costumes. One wore a full wizard’s outfit complete with a white, Merlin-esque beard

Famous faces playing on Day 1 included comedian Ray Romano, actors Jason Alexander and Mekhi Phifer and poker pros Scotty Nguyen, Barry Greenstein, Joe Hachem and Dan Harrington.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The marathon grind toward the richest pot in poker is under way.

Play opened in the 39th World Series of Poker main event Thursday, with nearly 1,300 players hoping to make it through a 10-hour day of no-limit Texas Hold ‘em against high-profile players and unknowns who could come out of nowhere to win millions of dollars and the game’s ultimate crown.

“Finally, we are here,” said 59-year-old Serge Grenier of Montreal, who won his entry into the tournament through online poker site PokerStars.net.

“It’s the dream of every real poker player to come here and play.”

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Professional poker player Marty Smyth played his cards right to win almost $900,000 at the World Series tournament in Las Vegas.

The Belfast man, who now lives in Greenisland, was flushed with success after scooping the prize in the Pot Limit Omaha World Championship at the world-famous Rio Casino.

The 32-year-old beat around 380 people to pick up a cool $860,000 — his biggest win to date.

But he won’t be resting on his laurels for he intends to take part in the Main Event which takes place as part of the World Series competition today.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Celebrities turned out Wednesday to donate to Darfur charities — and to show their fellow stars just who the real card sharks were.

“I’m looking forward to whipping a lot of celebrity rear end,” talk show host Montel Williams said before beginning play in a charity Texas Hold ‘em tournament at the World Series of Poker. “I tweaked my game, and my game is really solid.”

Williams and 87 others, including such Hollywood heavy hitters as Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Alexander, George Lopez, Adam Sandler and Ray Romano, played in the no-limit tournament to raise money and have a good time.

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It’s easily the biggest spectacle in all of poker, with thousands of amateurs and pros happily forking over $10,000 apiece for a shot at poker immortality. It has literally made the poker careers of Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, Jerry Yang and countless others, and will do the same for this year’s miracle worker. It’s the World Series of Poker* Main Event, and all eyes in the poker world now turn to the Rio in Las Vegas as PokerListings.com caps its 2008 WSOP* coverage with two weeks of daily updates, blogs, interviews and more from the legendary Main Event.
I never gave up when I was low. The whole way I didn’t really think about the money. It’s about the bracelet. I don’t even know what first-place money is, I just wanted the bracelet

Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles (PRWEB) July 3, 2008 — It is, simply, the biggest spectacle in all of poker, with thousands of amateurs and pros happily forking over $10,000 apiece for a shot at poker immortality. It has literally made the poker careers of Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, Jerry Yang and countless others, and will do the same for this year’s miracle worker.

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DUBLIN, IRELAND, Jul 3, 2008 (Marketwire via COMTEX) —-CryptoLogic Limited. (TSX:CRY)(TSX:CXY)(NASDAQ:CRYP)(LSE:CRP), a leading software developer to the global Internet gaming market, today introduced two unique features to its Internet poker software line-up: the ability for players to host their own tournaments, and a new advanced sorting and filtering tool that allows players to customize their own settings for cash games and tournaments. Starting today, the new features will enhance the gaming experience of poker players all over the world.

“For CryptoLogic, everything starts with the customer experience - and today we introduce a tool that will let players take their poker game to a whole new level,” said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic’s President and CEO. “It’s all about making the poker player’s experience with CryptoLogic software more flexible and more entertaining than ever before.”

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He is a convicted rapist and former heavy weight boxing champion who once bit an opponent’s ear off in the ring.

Now Mike Tyson wants to come to Australia to try his hand at poker.

A News Limited paper has reported that the American plans to attend Crown Casino’s poker championships in Melbourne early next year, but Crown says it is not aware of it.

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