It’s one of the those great Vegas mornings that makes you feel great to be alive – sunny, warm, no much traffic. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing much more of it after a long night proudly representing the Bluff brand at Ultimate Bet’s WSOP party.

As dedicated and diligent members of the poker media, these are the sort of sacrifices that we sometimes have to make – politely speaking with promo models wearing only body paint and a smile; ensuring that the hosts do not feel insulted by consuming the contents of their open bar; declaring our unwavering love and support for their product – you get the idea.



UB celebrates its 10th birthday in style!

While the dollars aren’t being thrown at swanky parties like the halcyon days of 2006, this WSOP party season is off and running and started with UB’s 10th birthday bash at Studio 54 at the MGM.

It was great to see and chat with many of UB’s biggest names – Phil Hellmuth assured us that his Main Event entry would go beyond the smashed NASCAR of 2006 and General Patton-esque arrival of 2007. He did mention elephants.
We also caught up with “Hollywood” Dave Stann (who’d easily get a ride in the Melbourne Cup), Annie Duke’s better half Joe Reitman (weird dancer; good guy) and Layne Flack. As my Bluff radio colleague James Potter would say, “one of the world’s top blokes”.

Sticking manfully to our party policy of ‘one night on, one night off’, we’ll be suiting up for the PKR party at Hugh Hefner’s Sky Villa atop the Palms Resort and Casino. Oh dear …

  YES, there is some poker being played at the Rio today. It’s actually one of the biggest days of the WSOP with six events underway.

Focus remains on the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E., which cantered through day four to leave a final table comprising Swede Erik Sagstrom (3,675,000), $40k No Limit Hold’em winner Vitaly Lunkin from Moscow, David Bach (2,345,000), John Hanson (1,700,000), 1996 WSOP Main Event winner Huck Seed (1,380,000), Chau Giang (1,075,000), eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel (965,000) and Finland’s Ville Wahlbeck (645,000).

Monday’s action began with 19 players. Todd Brunson, Brett Richey and Frank Kassela were all eliminated before the money kicked at position 16. The final eight eliminations to get down to the final table took just over five hours. Gus Hansen was the final table bubble boy walking away with $123,895 and is still to win his first WSOP bracelet. Mike Wattel, Ray Dehkharghani, David Chiu, Tony G, Freddy Deeb, Steve Billirakis and John Kabbaj all made the money but fell short of the final table.

Past $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. final tables have had a habit of going way into the early hours of the following morning, and we suspect this one won’t be any different.

  CONGRATULATIONS to Sydney’s Tim luckyshades Horan, who scored his first WSOP cash with 27th (worth $14,967) in the $3000 Triple Chance No Limit Hold’em. The remaining 16 players in that event are due back to decide the winner today, with Indiana’s Jason DeWitt leading on 1,599,000.

Event 53, the $1500 Seven-card Stud Hi-Lo – Eight-or-Better event is also nearing conclusion with Brian Swinford leading the final 14 players, although the chips are very evenly spread. Great to see renowned tournament director Matt Savage also still in contention for this bracelet.

The final of seven $1500 No Limit Hold’em events featured the same day one carnage to which we’ve become accustomed, with the starting field of 2818 slashed to just 376 – only 79 spots away from the money. Lily Bui and Paul Birman will be waving the Aussie flag on day two.

The other event underway today is the $2500 Deuce-to-Seven Limit Triple Draw Lowball. There were 257 entrants, with 73 scheduled to return for today’s second session of play.

  TODAY'S Only in America offering pays tribute to the sort of ingenuity and free-thinking that will help the USA survive the economic crisis sweeping the nation:

“Police said a man broke into a Cincinnati home and proceeded to stay there for a week, watching television and sleeping in the master bedroom while the family was on vacation. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department arrested 19-year-old Nicholas Truesdell on Friday and charged him with burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle. An affadavit said he broke into the four-bedroom home through a rear window on June 16. Authorities said he also used the computer and drove the family’s 2007 Nissan Altima around for more than 48 hours.”

• Remember, you can keep up to date with the latest happening from the 2009 World Series of Poker by following twitter.com/bluffaussie.