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Digital UK Jan SAMPLETRANSCRIPT
SECCIÓN
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POKER BETTING LIFESTYLE www.gx-world.com
JaNuaRY 2011UK £1.00
mEdIa PaRTNER
CLASH OF THE TITANSThe Australian Open
LIvINg THE drEAmLiv Boeree Exclusive
THE vENTurI FETISHDriving In The Fast Lane
FORESEEING POKER'S FUTURE
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FIRST UP08 EDITORIAL
12 NEWS
SPORTS BETTING18 TENNIS: CLASH OF
THE TITANS?The Australian Open 2011
22 PULLING OFF A SNOOKERBarry Hearn Exclusive Interview: Part 2
28 FOOTBALL: FINNIGAN’SFOOTBALL PICKSTalking Tactics
32 GUNS BUNGS ANDFOREVER YOUNG Tony Cascarino Exclusive Interview
38 THE INSIDE MANTrading Resolutions For The New Year
POKER40 FORESEEING
POKER’S FUTURELooking Into The Crystal Ball For 2011
46 LIVING THE DREAMLiv Boeree Exclusive Interview
50 ARCHIE SHARKThe Ramblings of A Hapless Gambler
52 THE ROAD TO AUSSIEGLORYAli Masterman Strikes Gold Down Under
58 FROM A TO ZIMBLER AND BACK AGAIN…A Decade Of Poker
GX JANUARY 2011
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Tony Cascarino Interview
The Australian Open 2011
Trading Resolutions
COVERFEATURE
60 WORLD POKER TOUR ZONEWPT Season IX Results And Schedule
62 THE INSIDE MANPerformance Coaching For Poker Pros
64 PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHTShuffles Members Club And Fox Poker Club Reviews
66 THE UKPPL SECOND COMING Season 2 On The Horizon
STRATEGY68 THE BEAUTY AND
THE BEAST The Perils Of Playing With Anna Kournikova
70 LOW STAKESTOURNAMENT PLAY Is It All About The Cards?
72 DIFFERENT LEVELS OF POKER THINKING Moves That Mould Champions
LIFESTYLE74 COMPETITION
Pick A Winner With PKR
76 DRIVING IN THE FAST LANEThe Venturi Fetish
80 WHAT’S ON THIS MONTHJanuary’s Top Sporting Events
82 THE FOX’S DENBlow Your Whistle
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CONTENTS
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52Liv Boeree Exclusive
The Road To Aussie Glory
The Venturi Fetish
Livening Up The Depression
January. A fresh leaf, a new challenge, a look to the future. Or in most cases, a terribly depressing month where everyone’s skint and wants to be on holiday. I find January a peculiar time of year for people to be
making plans for the twelve months ahead as aside from needing to buy a new Girls Aloud calendar, there’s almost no significance attached to the month other than date alone.
It also happens to host the most depressing day of the year, which in 2011 will be Monday 17th. The discovery of this dark day was made known by ‘happiness guru’ Cliff Arnal who calculated the levels of happiness, or lack of them, based on weather, debt, motivational levels and time elapsed since Christmas.
So instead of making any New Year’s resolutions this January, which no one other than myself (and even that is stretching it by one) cares about, I’m going to pen a list of targets I want to achieve in the coming months. There are five in all, some of them doable and others maybe not so. But at least it’ll give me a reason to wake up on Monday 17th.
And in no particular order they are:1. Discover a new species of animal. Not necessarily a dangerous one, in fact definitely not a dangerous one, I’m scared enough of cats as it is, but one which if ever I stumble across whilst in the company of others can allow me to say: “I discovered that.”
2. Find a £20 note in the back of a taxi. I’ve found several phones before, all of which I’ve handed over to the taxi driver. What good is a phone when you go through the contacts list and don’t know anyone on it? A £20 note meanwhile could be used for many great things, like swapping it for two tens.
3. Go through a football season without ever hearing or reading the phrase ‘scoring goals for fun’. Anyone who has ever played or watched a game of football will know that scoring a goal is always fun. End of discussion.
4. Have a local shopkeeper or barman remember who I am when I walk in. I’ve seen it in films and read about it in books, but if I can get to the stage where the barman asks if I want ‘the usual’ before handing me over a large glass of milk and a packet of mini cheddars then that’ll do me fine.
5. Learn how to ice skate. Every winter I have to avoid countless trips to the ice rink, which I see as little more than a detour from going straight to A&E. So if I can finally learn how to skate then by the time next winter comes along I may just be able to say yes to one of the zero dates I got asked on last year.
May all your profits be large ones.Fred Palley
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EDITORIal
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EditorFred Palley
Art DirectorIsabel Ferrer Magnusson
ContributorsMichael GalesNathan Chilcott
Steve WardPeter SharkeyPaul Zimbler
Chris EdwardsPeter JacobsMatt FinniganAli Masterman
Garry DavisMickey May
Christian ZetzchePokerBankRollBlog
Web EditorMichael Gales
Commercial DirectorNatalie Kenneally
Web DeveloperJohn DavisonCarlos Pérez
Business DevelopmentAlejandro Soro
Marketing ManagerAndrew Capel
Online MarketingAlbert Vellvé
PrinterPrinterman
DistributionGOLD KEY MEDIA
ISSN 2042-342X
Runners & Writers
NEWS
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The Betfred Ladies Poker Tour came to an end shortly before the turn of the year and it was 31-year-old Helena Brett who won the Grand
Final to secure a £20,000 sponsorship package. Brett had bagged her seat at the 10-woman final table after winning the Northampton leg of the tour back in July, and took on the tour’s best ladies at London’s Western Club in the Grand Final. The Staffordshire charity worker was joined by the tour’s six other heat winners as well as overall tour leaderboard winner Teresa Kitson, online qualifier Debbie Heard and playoff winner Karen Walton. The tough table also saw Lorraine Firth - mother-in-law of last year’s winner Helen Firth - compete for the top prize after winning the Leeds leg of the tour. Brett went into the
Whenever big name poker players sign up as team members or ambassadors with the major online
poker sites, asides from a few lines here and there in various media outlets, it doesn’t really cause much fuss in the poker world. There are hundreds of sponsored players and hundreds of sites after all. But when a player comes along and smashes the nosebleed stakes so hard that it makes the previous stakes look like a snotty drivel in its place, people take notice. And so when that player, who has hidden his true identity for more than 14 months, joins the world’s largest poker site, it’s fair to say the story deserves every single column inch it gets. In case you hadn’t heard, Isildur1 became a Team PokerStars Pro in December after agreeing a deal to join the site; something that in football terms was the equivalent of Newcastle United snapping up Jose Mourinho for the previously vacant
managerial position at St James’ Park.The move has unsurprisingly delighted PokerStars Daniel Negreanu, who said: “It’s not every day that a player like Isildur1 comes along. If you look up the definition of the term ‘phenom’ you’ll see a picture of his face.” Yet it will have come as a major blow to Full Tilt who have been host to the super high stakes action that Isildur1 has been part of. As part of his new sponsorship the mysterious high roller will be playing the ‘high stakes heads-up SuperStar Showdown matches’ but it remains to be seen if any of the action hungry Full Tilt players will cross the divide to compete with Isildur1 on the PokerStars felts. Isildur1 will also be looking to play a number of live events over the coming months, meaning his identity will not be able to stay under wraps for much longer. In the meantime, check out our cover feature for a heads-up on who we think he really is.
Helena BreTT Crowned BeTfred Queen
IsIldur1 sIgns WIth Pokerstars
snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan took to the baize in an effort to break his own 147 challenge last month as brand new betting
outfit Bettor.com launched their flagship store in London. O’Sullivan targeted his own record breaking 147 of 5 minutes and 20 seconds which he set against Mick Price in the 1997 World Championships, yet was unable to deliver the killer blow in front of a rampant audience in the betting shop. The store is the first of its kind to be launched by a betting exchange and the company has already made its presence known by launching the First Northern Irish Greyhound Derby which will take place in June 2011 at Drumbo Park.While the London store is sure to pull in the punters, the most appealing aspect of Bettor.com is its social aspect as punters can create personal profiles, blog for the site and join in discussions with other members on the betting exchange. They can also follow each other and become fans of specific sports and markets.Pr manager Jayne Clarke said: “We’ve listened to sports fans and come up with some new ideas to be able to offer them exactly what they’ve asked for. This is a very exciting time for us as we now offer customers a brand new betting experience both live and online. Just like with our website we felt that on the high street there was a gap in the market to offer something different than the norm.”
Bettor.com launch BettIng store
final as the 9/2 second favourite and lived up to her billing as she proved too much for her fellow finalists while negotiating her way to a heads-up fight with Maidenhead leg winner, Raine Hilson. The battle didn’t last long however as Brett’s two pair overcame Hilson’s missed flush draw to decimate her opponent’s stack early on in the duel. And the very next hand it was all over as Raine’s all-in with 10-3 failed to catch up with Brett’s K-10. As 2010 champion, Brett wins a £20,000 sponsorship package with Betfred and has her eyes on some of Europe and the UK’s top events in the coming months: “I’d really like to play in the Irish Open and the Women’s World Open. I also want to play in some events on the continent to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.”
NEWS
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kind of thing all poker players dream of and was what Risk was dealt on the heads-up bubble. The Aces helped Risk first regain the chip lead from Maurice Silke, and then knock him out a few hands later when down in the dirt. And once up against Trish Mallin it wasn’t
long before Risk had his second UKIPT title in the bag when his paired tens proved too much for Mallin’s flush draw. Risk will be looking to make it three wins out of four when the UKIPT heads to Nottingham next month, and will certainly be the one to beat.
danish superstar Gus Hansen wrapped up an excellent year in December even by his own high standards when he took down
the Poker Million in a keenly contested battle with a table of the game’s top pros. Hansen fended off the challenges of fellow Full Tilt
nick Abou Risk became the first player to win two UKIPT’s by winning the opening event of Season 2 in
Galway last month. The Canadian beat local Irish player Trish Mallin heads-up to claim the €67,100 first place prize money, adding to the £50,000 he won at UKIPT Edinburgh last summer.The 25-year-old held the chip lead going into the final table and looked set to go all the way when his King and Jack of spades managed to crack Aonghus Farrell’s pocket Aces early on. Things didn’t pan out entirely smoothly for Risk though as he found himself second in the chip counts with just three players left. Back to back pocket Aces however are the
pros Patrik Antonius and Howard Lederer as well as Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman and WSOPE champion James Bord to win the $1,000,000 winner takes all first place prize.Hansen was quick out of the blocks in the live televised final but was edged out of pots early as his opponents took advantage of his loose play, and it was only a double up off the chip leader Bord that saw Hansen get back into contention before slowing down and recuperating.Patrik Antonius was the first man out of the final when he walked into James Bord’s flopped straight with top pair and was followed out the door by Lederer and South African Seth Webber – both of whom were sent packing by Hansen. Internet qualifier Gary Peniket from Birmingham looked to be in good stead and in with a decent chance of going all the way yet was denied going any further than 5th when James Bord
hit a flush, and once Barny Boatman was eliminated the very next hand, Bloom Bord and Hansen were left to battle it out.Recent form suggested it would be Bord who would be going home with the million dollars in tow yet fell at the wayside when his open ended straight draw failed to materialise against Bloom’s top two pair. And just a short while later it was the Great Dane who was victorious when his A, 8 proved too much for Bloom’s A, 6.Matchroom Sport’s managing director Eddie Hearn praised the players and the show’s format before promising exciting changes for the Poker Million X in 2011: “Poker Million is one of the few remaining poker majors that has truly stood the test of time. It has remained Europe’s most prestigious title and 2011 will see the event reach its tenth year. We plan something very special for Poker Million X and want to give the poker playing public a real shot at the million.”
Hansen wins Poker Million
ukIPt season 2 schedule:
City Main Event Dates Venue Buy-In Cap Guarantee Nottingham February 11th-14th Dusk Till Dawn £500 + 60 800 £200k Manchester March 10th-14th G Casino £500 + 50 500 £200k Cork May 19th-22nd Rochestown Park €500 + 60 600 €100k Newcastle June 16th-20th Aspers Casino £500 + 50 500 £100k Brighton July 14th-18th Rendezvous Casino £500 + 50 400 £100k Edinburgh August 11th-15th Corn Exchange £500 + 60 500 £200k Dublin September 8th-11th Burlington Hotel €500 + 60 700 €250k London EPT Grand Final TBC
risk douBles uP aT ukiPT Galway
NEWS
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a ntonio the Magician Esfandiari became only the 15th player to win two WPT titles when he took down
the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas last month for over $870,000. The Iranian born player was celebrating his 32nd birthday on the day of his triumph and was given extra reason to cheer after besting a final table that included Vanessa Rousso and November Niner John Racener.
esfandiari wins seCond world Poker Tour TiTle
Ted Lawson was the first of the six players to bust after Vanessa Roussso showed him the door in only the second hand of the final, with Kirk Morrison and John Racener the next two to go. Esfandiari was down in third at this point and looked to be on his way out of the tournament when he plummeted to just 10 big blinds. Yet a couple of double ups off Rousso catapulted him back into the lead from where he eventually defeated Andrew Robyl heads-up.After besting a 438-man field, Esfandiari did his best to come out in sound bites and
claimed: “It was legendary. It was tough. It was fun. It was exciting. It was all of the above and I’m so glad to come out ahead.”He now joins the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Michael Mizrachi and Hoyt Crokins on two WPT titles while only Carlos Mortensen and Gus Hansen are ahead of him with three. The $870,000, delivered in style by the Royal Flush Girls (pictured above) has taken the Magician’s WPT career earnings to $2,422,248 and up to 15th in the WPT rankings.
SPORTS BETTING
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The AusTrAliAn Open 2011Clash Of The Titans: nadal vs. Murray
SPORTS BETTING
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SPORTS BETTING
The 99th Australian Open will ignite the 2011 tennis season as the planet’s best players vie for the staggering AUS $2,100,000 prize money on offer and the prestigious title. Yet two of the names set to compete on the synthetic hard courts of the Rod Laver Arena have met several times before. Peter Jacobs tracks the ever increasing battle between Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray.
SPORTS BETTING
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Comparisons. They give sports fans around the world something to argue about. They can incense or flatter even the most tranquil of athletes and
are something every top modern tennis player must endure or embrace.
There are many similarities between world number one Rafael Nadal and world number four Andy Murray. Both grew through the junior ranks together (Nadal is only 11 months older than Murray) and both learnt their trade on the courts of Spain. It was in fact a racquetball match with Nadal which inspired Murray at the tender age of 15 to move to Barcelona and train on the prestigious clay courts of the Sánchez-Casal Academy; a move which almost brought the pair together at a very early stage.
Nadal was only 14 when his father refused the offer from the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) for him to also move to the Catalonia capital. The RFET wanted to help sculpture and mould Nadal’s incredible talent, but it was a decision to stay in Majorca and grow as an athlete at home which stood Nadal in good stead. This family mentality has become deep rooted into Nadal and evident throughout his professional career.
As professionals, Murray and Nadal both shared a similar goal: to break the imperious Roger Federer’s monopoly on men’s tennis. And in recent years, the two have performed admirably in the Australian Open; Nadal
winning the tournament in 2009 and Murray reaching the final in 2010 (albeit losing at the hands of Federer). Nadal will go in to this year’s tournament as a 2/1 favourite with Murray third in the pecking order at 6/1 behind reigning champ Federer.
Head To Head
Nadal can lay claim to being ‘The King of Clay’ but Murray has earned himself a reputation for being strong on his favoured hard courts. The two have clashed nine times on the surface with Nadal winning five, yet the two most recent Grand Slam clashes have seen Murray walk away with two victories (2010 Australian Open and 2008 US Open).
The comparisons continue when considering their talents as players; both boast gifts of athletic nature: speed, talent, agility and power. Yet there is one startling difference between Nadal and Murray however, and that is Grand Slams.
Nadal - still just 24 years old - has won every Grand Slam event on the calendar. He is a double winner at Wimbledon, five-time French Open winner and an Olympic gold medallist. In total he has won nine Grand Slams and 43 ATP events. He currently sits third in the all-time earnings list with a considerable $34,895,832 in prize winnings since turning professional in 2001, compared to Murray who has amassed $12,271,001 in the five years he has been a professional since 2005.
Nadal’s ever growing CV doesn’t end there however, he was involved with the Spanish Davis Cup team that won the finals in 2004, 2008 and 2009. By winning the 2010 US Open, he became only the seventh player in history - and the youngest in the Open Era - to complete the career Grand Slam, not to mention being only the second male in history to complete the Career Golden Slam (all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold medal), an achievement only matched by Andre Agassi. Nadal is surrounded by triumphs and is listed next to the legendary players of past decades.
Murray on the other hand has stumbled in the past at the most crucial hurdle. He has twice fallen victim to Federer in Grand Slam finals, first at the US Open in Flushing Meadows in 2008 and most recently last January at the 2010 Australian Open. Murray went down in straight sets that day but what makes it interesting is that Murray holds the upper hand outside of Grand Slams with eight victories compared to Federer’s four.
And despite his 16 ATP tournament wins, the history books of matches between Nadal and Murray do not fall into the Scot’s favour either. The Spaniard has the edge in Grand Slams with three wins to Murray’s two, and in ATP events Nadal is even more dominant with six victories in head to heads compared to Murray’s two.