2010 Deep Stack Extravaganza I Running Thru February 24

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

2010 Deep Stack Extravaganza (DSE) series is currently running the first installment through February 24 at the Venetian Poker Room. Stop by on Friday before the High Noon start time with your $340 buy-in and play in the most popular (and copied) Las Vegas poker tournaments especially designed to give the average bankrolled players the same experience as the high dollar events. More starting chips and longer play at limit levels ensure your poker skills will definitely become a factor.

Registration begins at 9 PM the day before for each daily Noon event. Accumulate points that count towards the four Best Overall Player Awards. Satellites, Super Satellites, and 7 pm second chance tournaments run daily. DSE Tournament players are eligible for a special reduced room rate by calling 1-877-444-5777 for reservations with Group Code CP02L1. Complete details are available by calling The Venetian Poker Room direct at 702.414.7657 or visit www.venetian.com.

Homeland Poker at the Redrock Resort Las Vegas

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Homeland Poker Tour is kicking off its sixth season this week at the Redrock Resort in Las Vegas. Following their format of playing qualifers that sends players to the next levels, the Homeland Poker Tour appeals to the lower limit players that make up the bulk of America's poker players.

The Heartland Series of Tournaments are staged for TV and provide an affordable opportunity to get some facetime on the tube.The Redrock main event will be played over Saturday and Sunday. The $1,000 buy-in main will play two Day 1 flights on Saturday at 10AM and 6PM. Survivors will return on Sunday for the Day 2 start time of 11AM. The final table (approx. 5PM) will be televised live from the Rocks Lounge.

A Celebrity Charity Event benefiting Disabled American Veterans. The event has a $300 Buy-In with $100 Rebuys and a $200 Add-On. The event will be televised. Take the drive to the west side if Las Vegas and play some poker.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Daniel Alaei Wins Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Daniel Christopher Alaei outlasted a poker pro rich field of 328 players to claim his first World Poker Tour title. The high-stakes poker player has won two WSOP bracelets, 2006 and 2009. His best WSOP Main Event finish was 25th in 2007.

The tournament got down to heads-up with Daniel Alaei facing Josh Arieh for the championship, but it was all Alaei on this night. Daniel Alaei received $1,428,430 while Josh Arieh left with $952,290. WSOP Main Event champion Scotty Nguyen finished 5th and pocketed $249,976 for his efforts.

CityCenter’s Aria Poker Room is Now Open

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

After four years of waiting the Aria Hotel and Casino is finally open to the public. We headed over to the property and made for the poker room to check out the latest option for poker players. The 24 table room appears to be designed with the poker player's comfort and convenience in mind. Located close to self parking and valet makes this room easy to get into and out. Restrooms are a few short steps down a side corridor.

The color scheme is pleasing and room lighting is subdued while the playing surface is brightly illuminated for ease of following the action. An enclosed high limit room is located within the poker room. Even in the Aria's poker room there is artwork in the form of oversize playing card cascading down from the ceiling to the floor.

The Aria poker room offers $1-3, $2-5, and $5-10 No-Limit Hold'em. Other limits and games will be spread depending on demand. While we were there a lively $100-200 Pot-Limit Omaha game was in progress in the high-limit room. Poker professional Thor Hansen was seen hanging out at the room. Stop in and try the all new, luxurious Aria poker room.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

WSOP Champion Scotty Nguyen at Five Diamond Poker Classic

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Scotty Nguyen, 1998 WSOP World Champion, was seen playing in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic Tuesday afternoon at the Bellagio Resort. A number of other poker professionals was in the crowd of 63 entrance for the $1,500 Limit Omaha Eight or Better event.

Stop by the Bellagio and try your luck in the daily satellites for a cheap seat into one of the Five Diamond tournament events.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The Bellagio's holiday poker tournament, Five Diamond World Poker Classic, is up and running at the luxurious Bellagio Resort on the Las Vegas strip. Satellites and the first event begin Friday, November 27, and continues with daily events through the final table of the Doyle Brunson Classic championship event on December 19.

This is the big holiday tournament that stages daily events with buy-ins ranging from a low $500 + $40 to the $15,000 + $400 Championship Event hosted by poker legend, Doyle Brunson. Super Satellites for the $15K championship go with a $1,500 + $90 buy-in beginning December 12. While most of the events are No-Limit Hold'em, players will also have Pot-Limit Omaha nwith and without rebuys and Limit Omaha Eight or Better. Seniors 50-years-old or better will have their own $1,500 + $90 three day event on December 6.

Stop by the Bellagio and enjoy the holiday spirit flowing throughout the resort and then put a little poker into your festivities. What better gift for yourself than to win one of the events and cart away a huge pile of cash.

Venetian Daily Poker Tournament Schedule Update

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

An all new Venetian daily poker tournament schedule will go into effect November 24th. The new schedule follows:

A 12:00 PM event Sunday through Friday with a $130 + $15 buy-in and an optional $5 bonus buy for an additional 1,500 chips. Players begin with 6,000 (7,500 with the $5 option) and blind levels last 30 minutes.

A 7:00 PM event Sunday through Saturday with a $100 + $15 buy-in and an optional $5 bonus buy for an additional 2,500 chips. Players begin with 5,000 (7,500 with the option) and blind levels last 20 minutes.

A 12:00 PM event on Saturdays with a $300 + $30 buy-in and an optional $10 bonus buy for an additional 2,000 chips. Players begin with 10,000 (12,000 with the option) and blind levels last 40 minutes.

Satellites for the Noon event on Saturday run 8:00 AM through 11:00 AM with a $80 buy-in for 2,000 in chips and 15 minute blind levels.

Check out all the poker tournaments in Las Vegas using the Pokerprof's Poker Tournament Schedule. The most accurate and up-to-date tournament directory on the Internet is easily searched to help you plan your play for any day and time. Best of all it's totally free.

Venetian Deep Stack IV players treated to free buffet

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The Venetian Deep Stack Tournament IV continues through Nov. 25.

And now, all tournament players in the Deep Stack Extravaganza will get access to a free buffet. That's pretty impressive, as The Venetian doesn't have a regular buffet. Chow down between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and show your tournament entry receipt.

Remaining no-limit tourneys (all begin at noon):

Tuesday, 11/17 $340
Wednesday, 11/18 $340
Thursday, 11/19 $340
Friday, 11/20 $340
Saturday, 11/21 $550
Sunday, 11/22 $275 (super satellite)
Monday, 11/23 $2500 (main event, day 1)
Tuesday, 11/24 $2500 (main event, day 2)
Wednesday, 11/25 $2500 (main event, day 3)

Sit-n-go satellites run throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m., with lammers awarded that can be used for any tournament, even for the next Deep Stack.

Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho on The Amazing Race

Taking a page out of Annie Duke on "Celebrity Apprentice," professional poker players (and Best Friends Forever) Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle team up to compete in the 15th season of "The Amazing Race."

Ho came in 38/6358 in the 2007 World Series of Poker main event, while Michelle came in 17/6844 in 2008's WSOP.

Ho and Michelle will use their poker skills to outwit fellow contestants on the race-around-the-world show to claim the ultimate prize $1 million.

"The Amazing Race" premieres Sept. 27 on CBS.

Planet Hollywood poker room managers arrested for embezzling funds

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

LasVegasvegas reporter RC Clark posted the following article.

The latest poker scandal involves a long-term scam that four supervisors at the Planet Hollywood poker room were involved in.

The four skimmed money out of high hand jackpots, where poker players win an amount of money if receiving 4-of-a-kind or higher. If no one received that hand that day, jackpot rake from all hands would increase the amount for the next day.

Some supervisors and managers in the poker room worked together to intercept and keep that extra money, which belonged to the players. They were also falsifying payouts to nonexistent players who received nonexistent high hands.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board had been investigating the past few months and last month arrested Thomas Kordick, Scott Marshall, Jason Peterson, and Jonathan Sanner. They were led out of the poker room in handcuffs and charged with forgery, embezzlement, and conspiracy.