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September 26: Party Poker Beta-tests Mac software
Party Poker is in the beta-testing phase of rolling out Mac computer
compatible versions of its software. Since the completed software is not
available yet, some features are disabled, including access to tournaments,
player notes, and hand histories.
September 26: WCOOP Event #12
The World Championship of Online Poker rolled on at Poker Stars, with the
$300+20 Pot-Limit Omaha High-Low tournament. The 1303 players enrolled crushed
the $200,000 guarantee.
The longest part of this tournament was the final table bubble, which lasted
more than thirty hands. With five players at each table, players fought back
from the brink of elimination several times. When this final table bubble
finally burst, it took out two players, so the last table started with only
eight.
The final five players chopped the remaining prize money based on chip counts,
leaving $10,000 and the championship bracelet on the table. Mr. Shhhhhhh ended
up facing kdhspyder heads-up. The spyder had a 2-1 chip lead, but a big hand
reversed that. Two hands later, spyder’s chips all went in on a 2
7 8
flop. Mr. Shhhhhh called, and turned over A
4 5
6 to spyder’s A
7 K
Q. Mr. Shhhhhh
had a wraparound straight draw and an unbeatable low to his opponent’s middle
pair and flush draw. The turn J helped nobody, and the 6
on the river gave Mr. Shhhhhh the straight, the win, and $56,080.
September 27: WCOOP Event #13
This tournament was played in Pot-Limit holdem, with shorthanded tables
(maximum six players). The $300+20 buy-in drew 1741 players.
For the second straight day, the final table bubble seemed to last forever.
Seven players fought at the final two tables for a long time before being
brought to the final table of six.
After battling for over forty hands at the final table with little movement,
the six remaining players decided to do a chip count deal and leave $10,000
for first place.
The two heads-up players were dnKid and spaceMe. “dnKid” added steadily to a
3-2 chip advantage until it was more than 3-1. Still, it took three pot-sized
raises to get all-in preflop on the final hand, when dnKid’s AQ went to
showdown against A9. Neither player got any help, and the queen kicker was
good for an $87,560 win.
September 28: Italy moves to de-regulate certain online gaming
The Italian government has had a stormy relationship with online gaming
providers. First, the country attempted to block internet access of all online
gaming sites. When that effort failed (primarily through use of anonymous
proxy servers), the government then turned to an online poker site, promising
exclusive access to the Italian market in exchange for a percentage of the
take.
After this period of doubt, Italy is now making its position completely clear:
all “ability-based and fixed betting activities” are legal online effective
January 1, 2007. In exchange for this access, companies will return a three
per cent tax on net revenue from Italian players to the government.
September 28: WCOOP Event #14
The smallest field of this year’s WCOOP field lined up for the $500+30 Limit
Stud High-Low Split, but it still took almost twelve hours to end the
581-player tournament.
The heads-up battle featured kwob20 (winner of this year’s Event #5) against
TroppoBravo, with kwob20 holding a 5-2 advantage. Troppo earned some of that
back before the momentum turned back to kwob. Troppo broke the cardinal Stud
rule of not playing when you can’t beat your opponent’s board. “kwob” had a 99
showing that beat Troppo’s hidden 88, yet Troppo represented more. When
seventh street brought Troppo a third eight, the fact that kwob’s concealed
third nine made the cardinal rule even more pertinent.
TroppoBravo started a later hand with (27) 43 and pushed hard on the low draw,
hoping to get a lucky high hand to scoop the pot. The AJ showing in kwob’s
hand didn’t deter him. Troppo’s final three cards were KQK, so the low never
materialized. His pair of kings lost when kwob revealed the ace in the hole he
had held all along. The $68,267 prize went to the first-ever multiple-bracelet
winner (in a single calendar year).
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