Saturday, September 1st, 2007

Thursday was the last full day for Team PokerRoom.com in Los Angeles, as everyone was flying out of town on Friday to their respective homes and scattering to the winds. While some players left early to get in more shopping (shopping, always with the shopping), the rest of the team mostly took it easy during the day and relaxing by the pool. After a week of non-stop action, a little rest and relaxation was more than welcome.

After finally rounding up the entire team, it was off to Arnie Morton's for an excellent steak dinner, and then back to the Commerce for one last game at the electronic tables. After swapping photos that various players had taken during the week, it was time for goodbyes, with everyone leaving to pack and prepare for flying back home the next day.

As always, it was a great trip for all involved and another huge success. Not only did a team member cash in a WPT event, but everyone had an excellent time throughout the week, both at the tables and away from them. It was a great group of people, which definitely made the week fly by. Congrats to all the players who qualified and best of luck to you in the future. Hopefully we'll be seeing you again at another one of these in the future after you win a qualifier at PokerRoom.com!

In closing, we'd like to share one last video with you, which was our favorite from all the photos and movies taken by players throughout the week:

borys11111 describing a big hand he won with a full house

Friday, August 31st, 2007

The Commerce Casino, which is the hotel/casino Team PokerRoom.com stayed at this week.

Team PokerRoom.com's sweet ride the first day here in Los Angeles.

The inside of the limo.

A pit stop for lunch.

Checking out the sights in Santa Monica.

The Bicycle Casino, where the WPT Legends event was held.

Team PokerRoom.com before starting action on Day 1a.

Team PokerRoom.com relaxing at the beach.

Silly prop bets made on arm wrestling matches.

The smiling face of someone who just won $25,150.

Enjoying a burger at a LA Dodgers baseball game.

Friday, August 31st, 2007

It took more than two hours of heads-up play to decide the outcome, but Dan Harrington just secured the title of 2007 WPT Legends of Poker champion by defeating David Pham. The final hand started meekly enough, with no raises pre-flop, but Harrington flopped two pair with his 10 5 when the board came 10 5 4 and Pham made one bluff too many when an A came on the turn. Pham had only 7 5, so he was drawing completely dead when he bluffed all-in on the turn and Harrington called.

Harrington's first WPT title earned him $1,634,865, as well as a seat in the Season 6 WPT World Championship next April and a seat in next year's Legends of Poker event. He also becomes just the fifth player to win both a Main Event title as well as a WPT title.

Friday, August 31st, 2007 Thu Nguyen hit the rails not too long after Tom Schneider, finishing in third when he moved all-in preflop with A5h but ran into David Pham's AQ. No help came for Nguyen and his tournament run ended with a third place finish and a payday of $388,660.

Friday, August 31st, 2007 Tom Schneider was knocked out in 4th place when his A9o couldn't take down David Pham' KK, with all of the money going in pre-flop. Schneider's 4th place finish is worth $228,625 and extends his current hot streak that began at the 2007 WSOP, where he took player of the year honors.

Thursday, August 30th, 2007 Michael McClain and Thu Nguyen got all of their chips in pre-flop, with McClain holding AQc and Nguyen JJ. The classic race situation turned into much less of a race when the flop came K J 2, and McClain needed a ten for a gutshot straight to stay alive. He didn't hit his miracle card, though, and was knocked out in 5th place, collecting $182,900 in prize money.

Thursday, August 30th, 2007 Jack Liu was the first casualty of the WPT Legends final table, eliminated by Dan Harrington after getting in all of his chips preflop with AJo versus Harrington's QQ. Liu couldn't hit his A and was eliminated in sixth place, taking home $137,175 for his efforts.

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

It's been interesting to watch the path that our Team PokerRoom.com players have taken in the last few events, especially in regard to the strategies and playing styles of our team members who have cashed and made the money.

At the 2007 WSOP Main Event, moo- adopted a tight, aggressive style, with a healthy dose of patience. He didn't get involved in many pots with marginal hands and didn't find himself making many big bluffs or speculative plays. He was fortunate to get action and paid off on some his big hands (doubling up with AA versus KK, etc.), but once he got chips, he put them to use, stealing blinds enough to not let his stack dwindle and eventually coasting to the money, taking home more than $50,000 for his efforts.

Team PokerRoom.com member moo- at the 2007 WSOP Main Event

monze1's path to tournament success was much different, as he was involved in many pots, often with less than spectacular hands. Getting his opponents to lay down hands when he was bluffing with next to nothing was a huge part of his successful run, as were great calls he'd make on the river after inducing opponents to bluff into him, when he might just be holding middle or bottom pair. Because he was willing to open up his starting hand selection (and either show it down and win or show the table his bluff on later streets) he not only got a lot of action on his big hands, but his opponents were always guessing when they tried to put him on a hand.

Team PokerRoom.com member monze1 at the 2007 WPT Legends of Poker

As shown by our players, either style can be successful. While monze1's aggressive stance helped him overcome long droughts with no big starting pairs, he also was often right there on the cliff's edge, making some big bluffs that could have seriously crippled him if his opponent called. moo-'s more deliberate approach depended more on getting dealt some big hands (and more importantly, getting action when he was dealt them), but it also virtually guaranteed him a big cash when he managed to accumulate a lot of chips heading towards the money bubble.

For all you poker players out there in the audience, the lesson here is that many different paths lead to tournament success, so you shouldn't feel as if you suddenly have to change your usual style, if you're lucky enough to qualify for a major tournament through PokerRoom.com and find yourself playing in the big leagues.

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

monze1 impressed lots of folks with his poker skills this last week at the WPT Legends event, but his shopping skills could apparently use a little work. He spent a good part of yesterday shopping at local outlet malls, spending some of his hard earned cash shown below, and bought many shirts, jeans, belts, and a new pair of shoes.

He decided to wear his new wardrobe when meeting up with the team later that night here at the Commerce Casino, so he got dressed in his snazzy new shirt, jeans, and belt. When he went to put his new shoes on, though, he discovered that he'd bought two right shoes, and was missing the left one!

Better pay a bit more attention next time, monze1, and bring some of that focus at the poker tables with you when you're shopping.

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

Seat 1 - Shi jia Liu - 1,305,000
Seat 2 - Dan Harrington - 2,230,000
Seat 3 - Tom Schneider - 3,495,000
Seat 4 - Thu Nguyen - 1,475,000
Seat 5 - David "monze1's Nemesis" Pham - 470,000
Seat 6 - Michael McClain - 725,000

Collectively these six players have many televised final tables, six WSOP bracelets, and total tournament earnings of more than $12 million in cold, hard cash between them, so the action should be pretty intense when the final table actions gets started today at about 5 PM.

We'll have to wait and see once action starts, but you'd have to imagine that the crowd will be rooting for Dan Harrington. Not only has he boosted the bankroll of many a player with his Harrington on Hold'em series of books that focuses on NL Hold'em tournament play, bu the elder statesman of the tournament circuit is almost always a fan favorite wherever he goes.

As far as what's at stake, here are the money payouts for the six remaining spots:

1st place - $1,600,365
2nd place - $800,185
3rd place - $388,660
4th place - $228,625
5th place - $182,900
6th place - $137,175