The greatest season of poker is here, as with every summer in Las Vegas, Canadians and other poker players chase their dreams of winning a World Series of Poker bracelet.  Canadian poker players will try and follow the footsteps of their poker heroes, WSOP champions such as Jonathan Duhamel, Daniel Negreanu, and possibly the next wsop main event winner, YOU.

Care to make a wager?  Bodog has several 2012 WSOP Main Event Props that may interest you.  Prop bets such as:

2012 WSOP* Main Event – Which of these past champions will last longer in the 2012 WSOP Main Event?

Jonathan Duhamel      3/1

Pius Heinz                   3/1

Joe Cada                     7/2

Peter Eastgate             7/2

Jerry Yang                   4/1

2012 WSOP* Main Event – Who will last longer in the 2012 WSOP Main Event?

Howard Lederer                     3/2

Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson            7/4

Russ Hamilton                                    2/1

 – Bet on the 2012 WSOP at Bodog –

Here are the Final Table Results of Canadians playing the 2012 WSOP.  Note Canadian citizens only, and nohttps://www.canadapokernews.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=702&action=editt Americans who have moved to Canada to play online poker!

Ashkan Razavi has started it off, winning Canada’s first bracelet of the 2012 WSOP.  With a boisterous crowd wearing “Ash Can Do It” shirts, Ashkan took down Event #9 the $1500 No Limit Holdem Re-Entry event and $781,000.  Also on the final table at this event was fellow Canadian and friend Greg “FBT” Mueller

Simon Charette becomes Canada’s 2nd bracelet winner after winning event#23, a $3,000 6max event.  By winning his first bracelet, not only does he take home a nice sum of $567,624, he makes up for all his near misses at the 2011 WSOP after a couple final tables including a heads up.

Timothy Adams is Canada’s newest bracelet winner after topping all in a fun event#28, a $2,500 4max event. Tim from Burlington ON, takes home $392,476.

Canadian Final Tables at the 2012 WSOP

Event #4 $1,500 7 Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better: Xuan Liu 6th for $29,985
Event #5 $1,500 Pot Limit Holdem: Daniel Negreanu 5th for $41,683
Event #7 $1,500 7 Card Stud: Caroline Hermesh 7th for $15,135
Event #9 $1,500 No Limit Holdem Re-Entry: Ashkan Razavi 1st for $781,398
Event #9 $1,500 No Limit Holdem Re-Entry: Greg Mueller 7th for $103,258
Event #11 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha: Brian Garbe 7th for $31,375
Event #16 $1,500 No Limit Holdem 6max: Mark Radoja 2nd for $281,502
Event #16 $1,500 No Limit Holdem 6max: Robert Muzzatti 5th for $81,202
Event #17 $10,000 Pot Limit Holdem: Matt Marafioti 7th for $65,840
Event #21 $1,000 No Limit Holdem: Jason Manggunio 8th for $42,749
Event #22 $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Limit: Jason Lavallee 5th for $28,585
Event #22 $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Limit: Shawn Buchanan 6th for $20,322
Event #23 $3,000 No Limit 6 max: Simon Charette 1st for $567,624
Event #28 $2,500 No Limit 4 max: Timothy Adams 1st for $392,476
Event #29 $1,000 Seniors No Limit Holdem: William Thomson 7th for $83,332
Event #32 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E: Paul Sokoloff 3rd for $183,784
Event #33 $1,000 No Limit Holdem: Joseph Marzicola 5th for $101,802
Event #35 $2,500 Mixed Holdem: Erik Cajelias 2nd for $129,766
Event #37 $2,500 Eight Game Mix: Greg Mueller 2nd for $167,637
Event #40 $2,500 Limit Holdem 6 max: Sorel Mizzi 5th for $33,541
Event #46 $2,500 No Limit Holdem: Joe Gaultieri 6th for $110,775
Event #47 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 8b: Roch Cousineau 3rd for $103,538
Event #47 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 8b: Sonu Sharma 6th for $41,589
Event #49 $1,500 No Limit Holdem Ante Only: Mike McDonald 6th for $39,931
Event #51 $1,000 Ladies No Limit Holdem: Leslie Amos 7th for $20,184
Event #51 $1,000 Ladies No Limit Holdem: Freda Lawrence 8th for $15,559

Photo credit: Steve Quinn

When you’re trying to hide more than tells – Disabilities in Poker

Player Profile

-You may have not heard of Mike Wiseman but this local pro has been crushing the Vancouver cash game scene since 2008.  Until recently he has mainly been focusing on cash games all over Canada and Las Vegas. He has started to take his skills into the tournament world and has shown signs of success, he made a deep run and placed 21^st out 256 players at the Venetian Deep stacks last year in November. He has cashed in some local tournaments and is starting to develop his tournament skill. Another thing you may not know about Mike is that he has a speech impediment that he has been dealing with all of his life. He still has to fight little battles on the felt that any regular poker player would not think twice about. His Stutter has also made him a better player and a more cautious one, in poker patience pays off and when you’re dealing with a stutter; you need all the patience you can muster.

Q&A

How did you get into poker?  When did you first start playing?

“I got into poker in 2007 because I was looking for a hobby or activity where I could make a second income without having to talk a lot. What better activity then poker? When one of my close friends introduced me to the game, I instantly fell in love.  I try to become a better player after every session and learn from the mistakes I make.  You can always keep learning that is what makes this game so great.”

How has your speech impediment affected your poker game?

“Most of the betting in poker is verbal, so you have to be very careful about what you say when you are placing a bet. I have to tweak my betting routine so it is non-verbal.  Most players can verbalize their bet and move their chips across the line without worrying about string bets. I don’t have the luxury of doing that so I have to be very careful when I make my bets. Another situation most players don’t have to worry about is their chip denominations when they start a tournament.  When I played in a Venetian Deep Stack event last year in Las Vegas, I asked one of the tournament directors if I could get a good variety of chip denominations at the beginning of the tournament. The reason is because I would have a very difficult time verbalizing my bets when the action is on me. When most players throw in a 5000 chip and say “1750” they don’t even think about it, for me that would take forever. Not to mention all of the eyes on me and everyone would be mad I am stealing precious blind level time trying to speak.  My stutter could give really observant players a read on me, which could be crucial to make the money in a tournament.  If I have a wide variety of chips to begin with, I won’t run into that problem.  Instead of having just one $5000 chip, I split the chips into denominations of 2 $1000, 2 $500 and 20 $100 chips. By doing this it makes my tournament experience so much easier and stress free because I can just put the chips in and not say a word to place my bet.”

“Poker is a social activity, when I am sitting down at a cash game at a local casino I would like to have the freedom of making friendly conversation with the players sitting beside me.  My stutter sometimes hinders me in making “table buddies” which can cost me money.  The more liked you are at a poker table, the more money you make! That is a fact! Nobody wants to pay off the mute grinder in seat 10 with his headphones on who has not said one word to the table.”

“Even the simple things for your regular poker player can be difficult for me. When I want to order food or a drink when the server comes by, people stare at me if I have a hard time saying what I want. It can get embarrassing.”

Has your Stutter had any positive effects on your poker game?

“My stutter has made me a better player though, it is not all negative. I would say my game is more methodical and patient due to my speech. I have to take my time and think things through before I make a bet or a call. I never rush anything. I tend to analyze hands deeper than most people do”

Who do you credit for helping your development? Who are you favorite poker players?

Brad Booth helped me when I first started playing poker; he gave me a lot of advice and helped me improve my game.  I am saddened about the recent events in Brad’s life, I am happy that he came clean in that video he posted online. That is not enough though, he needs to do right and pay back what he owes to people. He owes it to himself and the poker community; his actions have to speak louder than his words.  I really hope he can turn his life around; we all need to learn from his mistakes and make sure we are making the right choices in life.  Another player who I respect is Daniel Negreanu.  I really love his recent video blog’s, he is being so honest and just speaking his mind.  Not only is he a talent but he such a great Canadian ambassador for poker and a world class player”

What do you think of the Vancouver Poker scene?

“I am proud to be from Vancouver, there is so much well-known local talent, players such as Brad Booth and Matt Jarvis are some of the elite players. Matt won his 1^st WSOP Bracelet last year and is just crushing tournaments.  Ashkan  Razavi just won his 1^st WSOP bracelet this year in event #9 at the 2012 WSOP, this is a guy that has put in so much work and deserves what he has accomplished. Not many people knew about him but now they will know what he is capable of. There are many other local players who are not as well-known that I respect like Jonas Mackoff, Chris Back, John Agelakis, Mark-Daniel Hughes, Jip Roc and Adam Young. These guys are grinding it out every day and just working hard to achieve their goals. Edgewater Casino is where I learned the ropes and I must say that room is probably one of the toughest rooms in the country.  Vancouver should be proud of the poker players that it produces; we are truly a force to be reckoned with!”

The Playground Poker Classic 2012 will feature 15 bracelet events, with winners receiving a beautiful bracelet for being the champ.  There will be a $2200 main event where the winner will take home a championship belt.  There will also be a $10k High Rollers event, where another championship belt will be given away.

Here is the 2012 PPC schedule:

No location has been announced yet but the usual list of potential locations for the Toronto Casino include; Canadian National Exhibition (CNE where current temporary casino is held), Woodbine Racetracks, Man-made island in Lake Ontario (Harbourfront), Richmond Hill, Markham, Mississauga.

In 5 years GTA poker players will no longer have to travel to Port Perry, Niagara Falls, Brantford, Sarnia, Orillia, Windsor, or Thousand Islands to play poker in Ontario.  With a megacity like Toronto with a casino, it will be just a matter of time before the biggest of online poker tournaments such as the WPT, WSOP, or even smaller ones such as the CPT, HPT or DSPT come to the Tdot for a mega Toronto Poker Tournament.

The first major tournament of 2012 was the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).

Xuan Liu of Toronto finished 4th in the main event and took home $600,000, the biggest of her career. On the same final table, Mark Drover of St.John’s NF finished 5th for $468,000 and David Bernstein finished 7th for $260,000.

Jonathan Duhamel finished 2nd in the $25k 8max NLHE event for $634,550, 4th in the $100k super high roller for $300k+, and a 5th in a $5k turbo event.  Plus he also won a $5k NLHE event for $239,830.  Also Quebec police have also recovered over half of his stolen money back.  Not a bad PCA and January in general for Mr. Duhamel.

Other Canadians with great showings at the 2012 PCA include Shawn Buchanan with a win, Andrew Chen, and Daniel Negreanu.

At the WSOP circuit event at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Gregory Hartwick of Bolton, and a member of the Orangeville Poker Tour, finished 1st in event #3 the $560 NLHE.  He took home $26,106 and a gold WSOP ring for that win.

At the 2012 Aussie Millions, Yann Dion of Quebec City, final tabled the main event and finished in 7th for $175,000

Good job to all Canadian Poker Players and lets continue the winning ways in February. Remember one of the biggest tournament series in Canada occurs in February, the Fallsview Poker Classic. With 3 events and big prize pools, this is Ontario’s premier event. It should be fun, good luck and post if you will be playing. Canada Poker News will be there to post the results.

On December 24, a 20 year old female was arrested, along with 2 other men, and one other man was arrested on Dec 29.  The 20 year old female, Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, was in fact Duhamel’s ex-girlfriend!  Since everything was targeted, and the beating of Jonathan made it look personal, it makes absolute sense.  She must have been scorned with his recent wealth, and probably left her with what she deserves, nothing.

It is not known if Dumahel’s reward of up to $10,000 played a part in the arrests.  His Rolex watch was recovered, but the WSOP bracelet is still MIA.

Grinders - World Broadcast Premiere
Wednesday November 2, 2011 at 9 pm ET
75 minutes
Produced by Border City Pictures in Association with TVO

Here is a quick synopsis about the poker film Grinders:

With a new baby and wife to support, out-of-work filmmaker Matt Gallagher (The Rise and Fall of Grumpy Burger) tries his hand – and some would say “luck” – at playing poker for a living. Grinders is the director’s inside journey into the unconventional, often bizarre, underground world of illegal poker clubs. It’s a world populated by colourful characters, straight out of central casting. A world where the workday starts at midnight, runs strictly on cash, and can change forever with the simple flip of a card.

Playing poker to pay the bills means living side by side with risk. But, as Matt soon discovers, the real meaning of risk lies far outside the poker room – and can strike in the most personal way. Matt’s intimate, first-person narrative is joined by the voices of other grinders with stories that range from tales of ultimate success to personal disaster.

 Free Download

Also for those that can’t wait and want to download it now, Grinders is also available today for iPad users who subscribe to TVO’s free Doc Studio app.

About TVO
TVO is Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to Find TVO

Stay tuned for a Canada Poker New Grinders Poker documentary review. Also post if you have any questions for director Matt Gallagher, we will direct them to him and hopefully here can answer your inquiries.

Here is the final table payout of Epic Poker League Event #2

1. Mike McDonald $782,410
2. David Steicke $506,260
3. Fabrice Soulier $299,160
4. Erik Seidel $184,100
5. Nam Le $126,570
6. Isaac Baron $92,050
7. Sean Getzville $69,040
8. Dutch Boyd $57,530

The next event will take place on Dec 9 and will be a heads up tournament.  Congrats and way to represent Canada Mike!

October 23 – November 9, 2011

This year there will be 4 events at the 2011 BC Poker Championships, which is double from that of 2010.  The BCPC will once again be held at the River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond B.C.

Tentative 2011 BCPC Schedule

Oct 25-28, $550 Bounty event
Oct 30-31 $1,100 event
Nov 2-5 $3,000 main event
Nov 7-9 $5,000 high rollers event

The main event will likely include 2x day 1s, followed by day 2, and the day 3 final table or so.   4 events is a much better improvement over 2010 as players now have a couple additional options, and visitors do not feel wasted traveling for just 1 or 2 events.  The schedule dates have also been revised so they no longer fall on U.S. thanksgiving though this was partially done as the BC Lions are also hosting the Grey Cup during the same period late November.

The BCPC annually hosts one of the biggest prize pools for a poker tournament in Canada.  It is often played by many famous and popular professional poker players, including Canadian superstar Daniel Negreanu who won it all in 2008.  Last year’s winner was another Canadian by the name of Eric Place from Halifax NS.  There were also some scandalous winners in the past.  Sophon Sek who won the 2009 main event was arrested shortly after in connection with manslaughter charges from 2007.

As these dates and events are still tentative (according to the River Rock July tournament schedule), the confirmed information will be posted on the 2011 BC Poker Championship page.

Canadians will once again try to dominate the WSOP, headed last year by main event winner Jonathon Duhamel.

Tyler Bonkowski of Regina Saskatchewan has lead the charge becoming the first Canadian to win a WSOP bracelet in 2011.  By taking down event #14 the $3000 Limit Hold’em event, Tyler took home a hard earned $220,817, the largest cash of his career.

Mark Radoja of Guelph Ontario has won Canada’s second bracelet in Event #24, the $5000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout.  Mark bested 386 opponents to take home $436,538, also the biggest cash in his career, and his 9th career WSOP cash.

Daniel Idema from British Columbia has just made it back to back bracelet wins for Canadians by shipping Event #27, the $10,000 Limit Hold’em event for a $378,472 earning.  This is definately his marquee event as he narrowly missed winning a bracelet in the same event last year losing headsup.

Kirk Caldwell from Orangeville Ontario became the biggest Canadian winner so far taking home $668,276 for his win in event #32, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. With 2,828 entries and an overall prizepool of $3,817,800 this was a huge event. Not too bad for a guy who won a private home game satellite in the Orangeville Poker Tour for $150. Event #32 was special for Canada Poker as 4 Canadians made the final table! Canadians came 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 10th.

Shawn Buchanan just missed out on Canada’s 5th bracelet, losing heads-up to Frenchman Fabrice Soulier in the $10k H.O.R.S.E Championship.

Matt Jarvis has gone from November Nine member to bracelet winner! Matt beat out a strong field to win Event #40 the $5,000 NLHE 6max event and becomes the first Canadian to win over a million dollars in the 2011 WSOP by shipping $1,045,743 and the bracelet.

A bracelet near miss for Simon Charette finishing 2nd in Event #48, the $1,500 NLHE event. No WSOP for Simon but $404,235 should cheer him up.

Another near bracelet miss, this time Michael Yee places 2nd in Event #51 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better game. He took home $165,346 as a consolation prize.

Canadian Final Tables at the 2011 WSOP
Event #54 $1,000 NLHE: Ren Ho Zhang 4th for $213,539
Event #54 $1,000 NLHE: Sebastien Roy 9th for $53,333
Event #53 $1,000 Ladies NLHE Championship: Gloutnez Genevine 8th for $17,537
Event #51 $1,500 PLO 8B: Michael Yee 2nd for $165,346
Event #49 $2,500 2-7 Triple Lowball: Shawn Buchanan 9th for $13,897
Event #49 $2,500 2-7 Triple Lowball: Nicholas Verkaik 10th for $13,897
Event #48 $1,500 NLHE: Simon Charette 2nd for $404,235
Event #40 $5,000 NLHE 6 Max: Matthew Jarvis 1st for $1,045,743
Event #39 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha: Jonas Mackoff 8th for $30,040
Event #37 $10,000 Horse Championship: Shawn Buchanan 2nd for $376,458
Event #35 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha: Michael McDonald 5th for $73,965
Event #32 $1,500 NLHE: Kirk Caldwell 1st for $668,276
Event #32 $1,500 NLHE: Marc Mclaughlin 3rd for $292,634
Event #32 $1,500 NLHE: Gabriel Houle 4th for $211,353
Event #32 $1,500 NLHE: Michael Whitfield 10th for $38,445
Event #28 $1,500 NLHE: Owen Crowe 4th for $190,147
Event #27 $10,000 LHE: Daniel Idema 1st for $378,472
Event #24 $5,000 NLHE Shootout: Mark Radoja 1st for $436,568
Event #14 $3,000 LHE: Tyler Bonkowski 1st for $220,817
Event #13 $1,500 NLHE Shootout: Erik Cajelais 5th for $79,315
Event #11 $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8+: Guillaume Rivet 6th for $92,908
Event #8 $1,000 NLHE: Jonathan Driscoll 10th for $38,128
Event #7 $10,000 PLHE: Eric Cloutier 7th for $87,702
Event #4 $5,000 NLHE: Sean LeFort 3rd for $348,128
Event #1 Employees $500 NLHE: Jason Baker 2nd for $50,807

Congratulations go out to all Canadians who have cashed in the 2011 WSOP. Unfortunately there is too many to list here. For those who have cashed in the WSOP or any other poker tournament in Vegas and need help reclaiming the 30% withholding tax that has been stripped from your winnings, contact RMS it is the easiest and most painless way to get your money back.