PokerWorks

Poker News Nuggets are presented on PokerWorks each week to give readers a glance at some of the big news stories in and around the poker industry. From international poker tournaments to player prop bets, from political happenings to sponsorship deals, game enthusiasts can stay informed with these weekly tidbits of information.

What They’re Playing

WPT London:  Many poker tours land in London in the late summer months, but 2010 was the first year for the World Poker Tour to do it. The London Poker Classic was the third stop on its new-and-improved Season 9, and the Palm Beach Casino at the Mayfair Hotel was the place for all of the action. There were 171 players in the field, which made for a £820,800 prize pool, and it played out over the course of five full days. The final table had eight players instead of the usual six on the WPT, and though Giovanni Safina led the pack initially, he exited in fifth, making way for Jake Cody and Nichlas Mattsson to battle in heads-up format. Finally, Cody emerged victorious, taking home the title and £273,783 to go with his EPT Deauville title he earned earlier in the year.

WCOOP:  On an annual basis, PokerStars hosts its famous World Championship of Online Poker, and it grows in popularity each year. This year, the site set out to make it an epic series with 62 events and $50 million in guarantees, with 17 more events and $10 million more in guaranteed cash than the previous year. The action got underway on Sunday, September 5 with three events, a no-limit hold’em, a NLHE short-handed, and a high-roller NLHE tournament, all of which eclipsed their guarantees with massive prize pools. Several tournaments each day will highlight the series that runs through September 27, and satellites for cheap seats are running around the clock.

Who’s Playing

Devilfish:  The book was talked about for some time, and the September 9th release date was finally near for the publication date of “Devilfish - The Life & Times of a Poker Legend.” The autobiography of David “Devilfish” Ulliott tells the story of the UK professional poker player who lived a tumultuous life, spending years in prison, backroom poker games, and the final tables of some of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. Early reviews report that the book is insightful and honest, and the general public will have the chance to read the Penguin-published book after its official launch at the Poker in the Park celebration in London.

Sorel Mizzi:  The newest scandal allegations surrounding Sorel Mizzi have received much press in the past days, but it was his own very lengthy post on a poker forum that drew the most criticism. He explained some of his previous cheating occurrences and noted that the penalties he’s paid should be enough and he should be able to play going forward without constant speculation about the legitimacy of his activities. “I’ve been punished enough,” he told ESPN. However, some in the industry feel that Mizzi does not fully comprehend the ramifications of his actions, and they believe that he hasn’t been punished severely enough to discourage him from trying to defy the rules in the future.

Where They’re Playing

Choctaw:  Players seeking more from the World Series of Poker Circuit schedule will now have one more option, as the WSOP-C just announced that a new January stop was added. The Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma will host a series of events from January 6 - 25, 2011, 10 of which will award WSOP-C rings. There will be a total of 54 tournaments from which the players can choose. The most significant note about the choice of casinos is that all of the others on the Circuit are Harrah’s properties, but Choctaw is not. The Circuit did, however, want to get in on the market that is growing in the southernmost regions of the United States, and they felt that Choctaw was the most ideal place to cater to those players.