The day started well for me, at home, looking for a book to read on the long busride to The Bike, and found the latest Robin Paige mystery that I have yet to read, and at the same time, noticed that I hadn't finished the previous one, so, I picked that up too.

I finished that one about the time the bus dropped me at the corner of Eastern and Florence, which is a short block away from the main entrance of The Bicycle Casino located in Bell Gardens California, and the site of the Legends of Poker WPT tour event every year. This tournament was named after Doyle Brunson, who won the event two years ago, and I was hoping to see him there, as all past Legends winners were invited to attend as well. The part I missed was the fact that it was all past winners of any Legends event, so, the only face I recognized in the tourney itself was Mel Judah, whom I spied in the high roller section earlier.

When I arrived, I walked around, got my bearings, and found out I was an hour early for check in, so, I picked up the latest issue of Card Player with Jamie Gold on the cover, as well as the latest issue of Poker Player.

I read this newspaper cover to cover, starting with Mike Caro's current strategy article, and finishing up with John Vorhaus' column, which usually appears on the last page before the full page ads on the inside and outside back cover. It was an interesting read, as always, made even more interesting, when he sat down at my table at the start of the event. We got to talking about it, and he even asked me for contact info, which was cool.

As for the tournament itself, it did not go well for me. In addition to John, Jennifer Newell of American Poker Player magazine was seated two seats to his left. Two other media types were at our table as well, along with five no name winners of previous Legends events over the past ten years, filling out our table of ten.

The first hand, I was deal AQo, and mentioned that I never liked playing the first hand, although, after John and another called, and a really blank flop, my continuation bet took down the pot. If only they were all that easy.

I played a few more pots before the hand that took me out of the tournament. I say took me out, as I didn't bust out, however, this left me shortstacked, which is never a good place to be. In those previous pots, I picked up a straight on the river in one of them. I was head to head with one of the aforementioned Legends, so I felt pretty good at that point. Had another pot that I took down with a 'check in the dark,' a play I use on occasion. John remarked that it's the most powerful play in poker, although, I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not.

So, I'm under the gun, and after my usual remark of, 'I'm first to act? I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!!!' I look down and find pocket Kings. I come in for my standard raise, and Jennifer calls. Three folds to the Big Blind, who promptly moves all in.

'Time.' I call, and immediately go into the tank. I put Jennifer on AK, which I find out she indeed had after the hand played out. It's at this point that I got myself into trouble, and over thought the situation. Knowing the odds that if she has an Ace, there's no other player at the ten handed table with one Ace is 25% much less two, I call.

And immediately regret my decision. Mr no name Legend Big Blind did indeed have pocket Aces. Fortunately, I had him covered, but unfortunately, not by much. This put me on the short stack at the table, and I found out after the break, that I was the short stack in the tournament as well. I did manage to win another pot that got me back to around what I started with, but with the blinds at 200/400, that didn't last too long. Found a hand that I liked, and even got two pair on the turn, however, that filled out the guy's straight, and I busted out around 60th out of an original field of over 120.

You can decide whether or not I didn't embarass myself too severely. I did manage to last longer than John, who had busted out several hands before

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Mike "Matches" Malone

Editor's note: Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and you can read his blog notes at PokerAllStar.com

All News and Press Release information on the pages of PokerAllStar.com is cited from public sources on the internet. Articles appearing on PokerAllStar.com are written by contributing authors, and the views and opinions expressed are those of the author only.

LOS ANGELES -- Back in 1996, Entertainment Weekly magazine proclaimed that Price is Right model Cindy Margolis was getting her 15 minutes of fame after she set a record for downloads of her picture on the internet. Now, with the 10 year anniversary of that article coming up Margolis is still being downloaded and turning heads wherever she goes. From her corporate offices in Los Angeles Margolis takes it all in with a grain of salt. "It's all about the fans", says the WagerWeb.com diva.

"The fans have always come first with me and they have responded by being very loyal to me". Margolis, who has had the number one rated celebrity site for years has kept the site free to her fans and has never charged to access any information or pictures from it.

2006 looks to be a huge year for the cyber star. She represents the hottest online gaming site on the internet, and will be soon shooting her first ever appearance in Playboy magazine. Add to this the fact that Margolis will be authoring a book on Infertility and producing a documentary on the same subject and the sky seems to be the limit for this timeless beauty. And speaking of books Margolis still holds a place not only in the Guinness Book of Records for her internet feats but is also portrayed in the Guinness Museum in Florida.

From America's Number One Pinup to The Most Downloaded Woman on the Internet, Cindy Margolis is definitley is a woman for the ages.

Smart, beautiful and blessed with a p.r. savvy that most Hollywood publicists only dream about, Cindy Margolis is a true Hollywood success story.

With 611 participants in the Ladies' Event at this year's WSOP, and with 3% of the 8,773 entrants into the Main Event being women, with another 20% of the spectators looking on being female, I figured it was time to write something about this phenomenon.

That was until I met up with Melissa Roller, of Bombshell Poker fame, through one of the magazines for which I write. That's when I decided after a little research, I should interview her.

When I called her to arrange to meet for an interview, she was very friendly and more than happy to meet me at a quiet coffee house she knew of where we could talk in privacy. After a little get-acquainted talk and halfway through my favorite blend coffee, we began the interview.

Matches Malone: How long have you been modeling, and how'd that lead to playing poker?
Melissa Roller: I've been modeling about 5 years now. I started to play poker for fun with family and friends and then I came across a girls of poker casting. I researched different companies and found Bombshell to be my favorite, so I submitted and they called me in.

MM: How long have you been playing?
MR: 2 years.

MM: Online or off, or both, and why?
MR: Both - I prefer live tourneys, because the intimidation factor can be played live.

MM: Do you play in any home games?
MR: Sometimes - but not on a regular basis.

MM: From my perspective with a woman at the table, guys turn into two types: Either they want to flirt with you, and go easy on you, with the false impression that you'll sleep with them later, OR, they don't want to admit they've been beaten by a girl. Either scenario sets you up for making poor decisions. What's been your experience?
MR: Hmm.... well I've had a few guys bail not wanting to see me leave the table. It's fine with me if they want to go easy, but I can hang with the big boys and I certainly won't give them a break. They may not want to admit to be beaten by a girl, but when I'm done with them, all their friends will be standing around watching as they walk away and I'm still standing!!!

MM: What if there's another woman at the table, won't your advantage be neutralized?
MR: Another woman doesn't matter. it may actually provide double the advantage!!!

MM: Has poker been an overall enjoyable experience, and has it led to any other opportunities?
MR: I love it. it's taught me a lot about reading people, and anticipating their moves.

MM: Do you have any goals at the poker table?
MR: To win in the 5 digit money mark!!

MM: What are your life's goals?
MR: Right now-to continue the launch of me and my best friend's clothing line -- Lolo & The Peach, to host my own show, to buy a house on the beach, to buy my dad a lake cottage, and give back as much as possible.

MM: Do you think you'll be playing the rest of your life?
MR: For sure!! It's a great game that won't die and I won't quit until I do!!

MM: Would you give up the game if a guy asked you to?
MR: I won't do anything for a guy!!!

MM: Where can we see you???
MR: www.Bombshellpoker.com/thepeach, www.soakmag.com/melissaroller, www.melissaroller.com, www.myspace.com/melissaroller

MM: Where have we seen you???
MR: A bikini shoot for playboy.com, Lingerie Bowl 06, Blitz magazine 8-06, Ezine mag 7/8-06, Transworld Skateboarding 1-06, SOAK Mag 10-06, Grind TV, and in a supporting role in the upcoming film "Braindead."

MM: What do you feel is your greatest advantage at the table??
MR: When I play for Bombshell we wear really short skirts with sexy wife beaters and fishnets. People usually can't help but to look -- it helps us throw off their focus. My favorite is when someone thinks we are just dumb models. We love to take these types for a ride. It's the Marilyn Monroe strategy!!

MM: Are you going to be playing at Hot Import Nights on the 19th at the Los Angeles Convention Center for Bombshell Poker?
MR: I'm scheduled to play.

MM: How good a player were you before you started playing for Bombshell, and has the additional exposure helped your game?
MR: I was a novice- bombshell has groomed me into a smart calculated player.

MM: Have you developed a specific playing style?
MR: I have a style all my own based on playing smart and women's intuition.

MM: If you had to put a label to your playing style, what would it be?
MR: I guess you could say tight aggressive.

MM: What players on the circuit do you follow, if any?
MR: I like to check out Jennifer Harman and Annie Duke.

MM: Do you attempt to match their style?
MR: I really don't. Right now -- I just play smart and to win!!

MM: Any final words you have for our readers?
MR: The words I live by: The harder you work, the luckier you get, and Keep the Faith.

So, there you have it. Is she a model that plays poker, or a poker player that models? From the above, I'd say she's both. And she has goals like any other poker player, be they male or female. I will hopefully have the pleasure of seeing her at the event she mentions. And if she manages to bluff me out of a big pot, I'll make sure that you never hear about it. Oh, and guys, she's single. But you might want to brush up on your poker skills before you ask her out.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, we’ll talk about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Mike "Matches" Malone

Editor's note: Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and you can read his blog notes at @ PokerAllStar.com

The timing for the WSOP this year was impacted by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) when they arrested David Carruthers, CEO of BETonSPORTS, in Dallas, Texas, while changing planes on his return to Costa Rica from the Company’s AGM in the UK.

Other online gaming company executives like Calvin Ayre, CEO of BoDog.com, were compelled to change their plans of attending the WSOP, and supporting events, as a precautionary measure to avoid being possibly arrested themselves; eventhough unrelated to the BoS situation. As I mentioned in the first part of this article yesterday, that was also a compelling reason why I was in Las Vegas; to explore possibilities of moving to Nevada from Washington state.

Why would I want to move from the beautiful mountains of Washington to the vast desert of Nevada you ask? Well, you see, not only had the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill onto the U.S. Senate called the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act (IGPEA), but my own state of Washington’s governor, Christine Gregoire, has signed into law a bill proposed by State Senator Margarita Prentice that makes Washington the first state to outlaw online gaming. The irony in all this is scuttlebutt has it, per an internet website, that Senator Prentice is said to have received numerous campaign contributions from land based casinos in Washington that may’ve had an influence on the introduction of the bill in the first place. Make sense to you? Gambling houses wanting gambling illegal?

Now here’s the kicker – I operate a network of poker and gaming investment information websites just outside the Seattle area. My websites are deemed illegal by this new law, and I could be prosecuted with a felony, punishable up to 5/years in prison.

Not only does the law ban online gambling, but it also bans even talking about online gambling; poker, sportsbooks, etc. Specifically the law outlaws the passing of ‘gambling information’, and gambling information is defined in the law as: “information as to wagers, betting odds and changes in betting odds shall be presumed to be intended for use in professional gambling.” Finally, the law prohibits websites such as mine from providing links to online poker sites, or sportsbooks, for my readers to enjoy in their spare time.

So you see my dilemma, and why I’m in the process of moving to Nevada? The fair state of Washington, named after our first president, George Washington, is trampling with their goose-stepping boots through the living rooms of honest, hard-working Americans who simply want to play a game of poker online.

This, my friends, was one of the main topics of discussion among the many operators I spoke with at the WSOP. Basically, people were stymied how the U.S. House of Representatives could pass legislation that banned online gaming, ‘to protect the morals of our children’, and yet they would allow people to bet on horse racing online. Perhaps if we all agreed to wear top hats and frilly Kentucky Derby bonnets they would allow us to play poker online?

When I left the exhibition hall however, and began mingling with the poker players themselves, the topic of discussion was entirely different. Politics was the furthest thing from their minds, and they were more concerned with how an amateur online poker player, for example, could go all-in with J-10 offsuit, and hit a J-10 on the flop, making the pocket Kings of the traditional poker player counterfeit, all the way to the River.

Along with pro & semi-pro players being 'off balance' playing against amateurs who'd never played in a professional poker tournament before, there was also frustration over the sheer number of players entered into this year's WSOP. To give you an insight into how much the field has grown over the past 10/years I have listed 4/years below:

1996 WSOP Championship Main Event - 295 entrants.
2000 WSOP Championship Main Event - 512 entrants.
2004 WSOP Championship Main Event - 2,576 entrants.
2006 WSOP Championship Main Event - 8,773 entrants.

This years event was roughly 50% larger than last year's number of 5,619 entrants, and we can only anticipate we'll see the same growth next year. Having spoken with several amateur players who'd been eliminated, and by their own admission, they were astounded by the number of players, and the event itself, because they'd only played online up until the WSOP.

A professional poker player will tell you that they're uncomfortable playing againt the amateur poker players because you never know whether they're following the conventional guidelines of poker, or not. If the pre-flop betting is heavy, a pro may muck an A-4, but the amateur may go all-in with a K-5, hoping to get lucky on the flop.

So, needless to say, different new methods of holding the WSOP in the future were bantered about, and even Daniel Negreanu proposed a unique, and apropos concept, on his blog.

Essentially, there would be separate tournaments for bracelet and non-bracelet winners (or pros, and non-pros). Therein lies the problem - a boatload of seats were given away to online poker players with little to no experience in professional poker tournaments. Perhaps, if there's an online WSOP event for amateurs, and a Brick & Mortar (B&M) WSOP event for professionals, and the best of both fields then compete in a smaller showdown, we would see more of the pros we all enjoy watching?

Where will I be moving you ask? Just outside of Reno, Nevada, where I will be covering the action of WPT & WSOP Circuit Events for our PokerAllstar site, so stayed tuned, and also be watching PokerNewsweb this fall as we will be offering freerolls for our loyal members & readers.

We'd also like to give our congratulations to all the players who finally worked their way through 8,773 competitors to make it to the Final Table of the 2006 WSOP. Wondering when you can watch ESPN's coverage of the 2006 World Series of Poker? Well, ESPN will begin airing this year's main event coverage on Tuesday August 22nd, and will air the final table of the $10,000 No-limit Hold'em main event on September 26th. After that, they will air another two WSOP tournaments' final tables each Tuesday until November 15th.

Good luck, and happy gaming.

Kurt

Editors Note: I’m Kurt, the publisher and editor of the ComKings network, which includes: PokerNewsweb, PokerAllstar, and GamingInvesting.

This year's World Series of Poker is the grandest yet with 8,773 players in the field, and an astounding 1st place prize of $12 million. At this moment, 85 players are left, with Joseph Hachem being the last WSOP Champion eliminated, just prior to Daniel Negreanu, each winning $42,882.

The women poker players accounted for 3% of the field this year, while about 30% of the spectators, by my count, were women. Susan "Sabyl" Cohen is the last woman remaining with a little over $1 million in chips, and Annie Duke was eliminated in 88th place, in the money at $51,129. Debra Lalor was bumped out at 117th, also winning $51,129.

ESPN provided coverage of the WSOP this year, and those of you who don’t want to wait for the WSOP to be released in the fall line-up, take heart! ESPN will be airing the Final Table of the 2006 WSOP on “pay-for-view” TV this August 10th, so pay close attention to your TV guide if you don’t want to miss it.

There were three reasons I went to the WSOP this year, first and foremost being the WSOP, of course. Secondly, due to all the personal health problems with my family and friends, I simply needed to unplug as a support line. Thirdly, and probably most pressing, I needed to check out towns in Nevada where I could move to. You see, where I live in Washington State, it’s now illegal to not only bet & play poker online, it is also illegal to even write about poker online; talk about a major violation of our 1st Amendment right to free speech, but I’ll touch on that later on in this article.

Meeting the poker players was actually allot easier than I had anticipated, as most of them are very approachable; somewhat like running into Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones on Park Avenue in New York City? I say ‘somewhat’ in that if you run into Keith, you’re likely to be able to chat & walk a bit with him, whereas at the WSOP, time is crunched into playing & very short breaks, so the players don’t really have a whole lot of time for socializing with their fans.

While attending a press conference for the new poker movie, “Lucky You”, starring Drew Barrymore, and poker greats Doyle Brunson and Jennifer Harman, I had the good fortune to sit next to, and speak with Joseph Hachem, who was there in the capacity of reigning WSOP Champion.

During the press conference, hosted by the new WSOP VP Jeffery Pollack, poker legends T.J. Cloutier and Billy Baxter were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, and along with Joseph Hachem, took questions from the audience. The big question, who felt they would win the WSOP, and both TJ & Joseph replied that they’d be happy just to make it past day 1.

One reporter errantly ‘accused’ Joseph Hachem of having made it to last year’s WSOP via an online satellite, and was quickly rebuffed by Joseph as needing to “get your facts straight”. Actually, Joseph has been a professional poker player for over 10/years, and put up the $10,000 entry fee himself last year.

While briefly walking and talking with Joseph while heading to the Amazon Room I asked him how his two handsome sons were dealing with his being rich overnight. He smiled and said they were taking it in stride, and basically “just being kids”. I said it sounded to me like he raised them right then, and he said, “Exactly!” We were then separated by the many fans wanting to get snapshots with the WSOP World Champion.

After that I met the new WSOP Tournament Manager, Robert Daily, had a brief chat with Doyle Brunson, and while talking with newfound friends from Sun Poker at the Cryptologic lounge, I was able to interact, again briefly, with Scotty Nguyen. Great guy Scotty, and he definitely has a super attitude, “Just have fun, baby!”

That’s exactly what I was doing too, having fun, that is if you don’t count the technical difficulties I had attempting to update my sites (unsuccessfully) and losing a full disk of great photographs; my bad.

Concluded next article ....

Kurt


Editors Note: I’m Kurt, the publisher and editor of the ComKings network, which includes: PokerNewsweb, PokerAllstar, and GamingInvesting.