Featured Articles Archive - Page 320

Three players to compete for World Series of Poker title and $8.53 million payday

LAS VEGAS -- Greg Merson had a feeling one his five opponents would make a critical mistake.On the 109th hand late Monday night of the World Series of Poker's Main Event at the Rio's Penn & Teller Theater, Andras Koroknai gave Merson an opening.For much of the final table of the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em World Championship, Merson, 24, of Laurel, Md., had been changing the chip lead with Jesse Sylvia, 24, who splits his time between Las Vegas and Martha's Vineyard, Mass.Merson thought Koroknai was his target...read more

Final table of three set; Thomas out in fourth place at WSOP Main Event

LAS VEGAS -- Russell Thomas of Hartford, Conn., was eliminated in fourth place in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker and earned $2,851,537.The action on the 136th hand early Tuesday morning sealed the final three players in the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em World Championship.Greg Merson...read more

Final table at World Series of Poker starts slow, heats up

LAS VEGAS -- Jesse Sylvia got a quick lesson on his opponents, and he used it to his advantage Monday evening at the Rio.Sylvia, 26, who lives in both Las Vegas and Martha's Vineyard, extended his lead early at the World Series of Poker's Main Event, hoping to land one of three coveted spots in today's final table action.Play in the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em World Championship resumed after a 103-day layoff when the remaining nine players out of the starting field of 6,598 began a marathon night, with the winner seeking an $8.53 million payout.Play was slogging along early."It's slower than I expected," Sylvia said during a break in play.Sylvia did take time to check with his supporters who were monitoring the ESPN broadcast, which showed the action on a 15-minute delay...read more

Merson seizes chip lead at WSOP Main Event final table

LAS VEGAS -- Greg Merson, Jesse Sylvia and Jake Balsiger are the last three players standing at the World Series of Poker Main Event, and they will play for $8.53 million Tuesday.Sylvia knocked out Russell Thomas with four players remaining more than seven hours after play began Monday evening at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino...read more

World Series of Poker: Poker player strong at table, home

LAS VEGAS -- Panic set in back in July for Jeremy Ausmus.Immediately after qualifying for a seat at the final table of the World Series of Poker's Main Event, the professional player from Las Vegas realized he might have a conflict.The due date of his second child coincided with the days set aside for determining the winner of the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em World Championship.The conflict was averted, however, when Kai Ausmus arrived six weeks early, though the event brought about a new set of complications...read more

The WSOP final nine: Player profiles

LAS VEGAS -- Profiles of the nine World Series of Poker finalists:Jesse SylviaAge 24Las Vegas43.875 million in chipsSylvia was down his last 4 million chips on Day 7 when he rallied back into contention. By the time the field was cut from 27 to the final nine, Sylvia, who is originally from Martha's Vineyard, Mass., jumped into the chip lead...read more

Pro poker player, 57, seeks to step up intensity in WSOP

LAS VEGAS -- Steve Gee hasn't played much poker since the end of July.What poker he has played hasn't been very profitable.These revelations might seem surprising.Gee, a 57-year-old professional poker player from Sacramento, Calif., is about to embark on his biggest and most high-profile card game since he dedicated his efforts to the activity full time four years ago.After a near four-month break, the World Series of Poker's Main Event resumes Monday afternoon at the Rio's Penn & Teller Theater...read more

Nevadan at work: Online gaming company keeps it clean, cashes in

LAS VEGAS -- It wasn't easy for CyberArts founder Chris Derossi to watch rival Internet gaming technology companies provide products to websites that accepted wagers from American gamblers.Derossi concluded in 2003 his Oakland, Calif.-based online poker software development company would not get into any predicaments that could jeopardize its future.At the time, there was still question about the legality of Internet gaming in the U.S."It wasn't a tough decision to stay 100 percent clean, but it was tough watching competitors operate illegally and be so successful," Derossi said.That business move paid off last year.Derossi sold CyberArts to Fertitta Interactive in October 2011 for an undisclosed price.The company, an Internet gaming startup controlled by Station Casinos owners Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta and former Golden Nugget owners Tom Breitling and Tim Poster, is close to launching an online poker website in Nevada.Fertitta Interactive was licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission on Oct...read more

Jackie Gaughan, on his 92nd birthday, offers link to days of old Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- Alexandra Epstein gently held Jackie Gaughan's hand Wednesday and slowly walked the 92-year-old casino legend a short distance from the El Cortez Hotel & Casino's Parlour lounge to a seat in the downtown casino's poker room.Once there, as he does almost every afternoon, Gaughan sat down to a game of low-limit Texas Hold'em...read more

Fitch takes a "circumspect view" of Caesars' plans to remodel Bill's Gamblin' Hall

LAS VEGAS -- Fitch Ratings Service weighed in on Caesars Entertainment Inc.'s plans to spend $146 million to remodel Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon, saying Friday it had a "circumspect view" of the project.Caesars, which owns 10 casinos on or near the Strip, wants to remodel Bill's, located at the corner of the Strip and Flamingo Boulevard, which includes adding a pool and nightclub - operated by Drai Management Group - on the roof of the casino."The Drai's financing is consistent with Caesars' more recent transactions of carving out assets or selling assets from Caesars Entertainment to fund (capital expenditures) aimed at revitalizing the company's Las Vegas portfolio of assets," Fitch gaming analyst Michael Paladino said in a report to investors.Caesars plans to remodel the 198 hotel rooms and the 17,200-square-foot casino at Bill's...read more