Our father, who art in gm place hallow be thy name, thy kingdom come gold will be won on ice as well as in the stands! Give us this day our hockey sticks and forgive us our penalties as we forgive those who crosscheck against us! Lead us not to elimination but deliver us to victory! In the name of our fans CANADA AND HOLY PUCK- amen!

Tom Marchese
Image Source: Poker News

Sam Stein came to the NAPT Venetian’s final table with a healthy chip lead. He proceeded to use those to bully the table and ultimately obliterated the first 6 players to get heads-up with Tom Marchese. This, however, is where Stein’s dominance ended and Marchese’s begun.

Stein entered the final pair with a over 3:2 chip lead and it looked as if he’d finish off Marchese quickly. One observer even said it looked as though Marchese was “just trying to hang on”. In the end, that’s exactly what Marchese did. The tide turned when Stein called an all-in on the river from Marchese with just 5th pair. Marchese turned over top pair. A loose call indeed, but to make things worse it put Marchese in the chip lead and the dominance Stein had held for a day and a half was gone and over 4-million chips were shipped his opponent’s way.

The tournament ended less than ten minutes later, as Marchese turned top set with Stein rivering bottom two pair. A raise by Stein was followed by an all-in from Marchese. Stein went into the tank for a minute or so before making the call. When Marchese showed his set of 10′s, Stein’s dream of the title was over and Tom Marchese was the first ever NAPT winner taking home the $827K first prize.

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com

We live in a bountiful technological age, and with the booming platform of social media connecting people the world over moment to moment, it is no wonder that this technology be addressed by the poker powers that be.

With sites like GR88.COM on the cutting edge of online poker and casino game technology, it is no wonder that even the greatest pros are tech savvy at the tables.

The 2010 WSOP Tournament Rule Book addresses the usage of technology at the table – mainly smart phones that enable Internet access. Surprisingly, rather than squashing devices at the table, the WSOP say that players will be allowed to use Twitter and make emails, as long as they do so in a hand they are not a part of, and as long as they aren’t communicating with other players at the table.

This is surprising, considering how concerned with etiquette poker is. Thou shall not reveal your cards while a hand is going on. Thou shall not react to cards on the board once you are out. Thou shall not splash the pot, act out of turn, talk about a hand you’re not in. Thou shall treat fellow players with respect (I’m looking at you, Hellmuth).

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that things are changing. Allowing Twitter, Facebook and blogging at WSOP events certainly is exciting for fans as it offers a real-time sharing of the experience from the pros. Not all players, especially veterans, will probably be too happy with the ruling, but the game continues to evolve, both on the felt and online.

What do you think of the WSOP rules? Sound off in the comments!

Ryan Smith is a contributing writing @ GR88.com

The Canadian slogan for the Winter Olympic Games is “Do you believe?” As a nation, our goal was simple: win our first gold medal on home soil, after being unsuccessful in Montreal (1976) and Calgary (1988).

We found that gold on the second day of competition, but as the host nation, we have also found something more important: A patriotic pride, the intensity of which we have never seen before.

Downtown Vancouver is a patriotic frenzy, a sea of red and white. The young and old bear the colors and symbols of our country with pride, and we are not as quiet as we are assumed to be by the world. Cheers of “Go Canada Go” and renditions of ‘Oh Canada’ fill the streets of Vancouver, the Olympic Venues, and our homes from coast to coast.

We are a yelling, cheering, chest-thumping mass of national pride, and it is reflected in our athletes. Alexandre Bilodeau, the winner of our first of five gold medals so far (see, even I have to get it out!), said that his gold was Canada’s medal. On the flip side, medal favorite Melissa Hollingsworth said she let her country down by finishing fifth.

The stereotype of the genial neighbor to the North is being replaced by this new patriotic identity, forged by competition.

Why has this happened? We are generous hosts, yes, but I think we want to be seen as more. We’re hosting the world in Vancouver, and we welcome everyone with open arms, but that is not to mean they can walk all over us. Perhaps in the past we may have had the attitude of “We’d like to win some medals if that’s OK with you.” But here and now, we welcome the world to show them what we’ve got.

Look no further for an example than hockey. It means everything to us. The Canada vs. USA game drew the biggest Canadian television ratings ever for a sporting event. One in three people in the country watched it – and it was a preliminary round match-up! We are, however, standing up and cheering not just for our hockey players, but for anyone who represents the Red and White. This vast expanse of a country has never felt closer.

Globe and Mail Columnist Stephen Brunt illuminated this new proud energy, but worried that it was just “dress-up patriotism.” Perhaps for some, but just maybe this is the beginning of a new age for Canada, to hold its head high on the world stage and say “we belong.”

So, do we believe?

Yes, we do.

‘Miami’ John Cernuto
Image Source: pokerica

Amongst all the young pros that littered the Venetian during the inaugural NAPT stop, there sat ‘Miami’ John Cernuto. The wily vet showed the kids a thing or two and now stands just 7 more eliminations from the title and the $827K first place prize. It won’t be easy for the Vegas resident as he’ll begin the final table on the short stack. Those joining him to battle for the first ever NAPT title are:

Seat 1: Daniel Clemente (1,345,000)
Seat 2: Sam Stein (6,145,000)
Seat 3: Tom Fuller (4,735,000)
Seat 4: “Miami” John Cernuto (1,300,000)
Seat 5: Yunus Jamal (3,940,000)
Seat 6: David Paredes (4,700,000)
Seat 7: Tom Marchese (2,370,000)
Seat 8: Eric Blair (1,690,000)

Eric Blair could certainly be a force at the final table if he’s able to double up early. The 24-year old has been playing poker for just four years and has over $2-million in online tournament winnings. Both Blair and Cernuto will have to get things going early, as will fellow shortstack Daniel Clemente, as the blinds will be at 40K/80K to start the final table. Action should be fast and furious. Will Sam Stein use his chip lead to carry himself to the title? Swing by the GR88 blog tomorrow and I’ll give you the rundown as the NAPT Venetian Main Event comes to a close.

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com

With NBC announcing the full field for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, many things have stayed the same, but some have changed. Going down the list of entrants, much of it reads like an all-star cast of poker greats. The Phils, Hellmuth and Ivey, are joined by the likes of Gus Hansen, Greg Raymer, Mike Matusow and Antonio Esfandiari.

There will, however, be some notable players making their first appearance at the Heads-Up Championship. WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada will take to the felt less than 4 months after being crowned the newest world champion, as will runner-up Darvin Moon. Also making her first appearance is Annette Obrestad, the winner of the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event and the online tournament sensation known as Annette15. She recently turned 21 and is now allowed to take her skills to Vegas and the Heads-Up Championship.

A number of players who participated in last year’s Championship will not be returning for another shot at the title. Layne Flack, Chad Brown and JC Tran are among those who either turned down an invite for 2010 or didn’t qualify for this year’s tournament.

As in past years, the Heads-Up Championsip will have a select number of celebrities going head-to-head with some of the game’s best. Actor Don Cheadle and hall of fame pitcher Orel Hersheiser will be heading to Caesar’s Palace, as will actors turned poker players Gabe Kaplan and Jennifer Tilly.

For the full list of entrants, CLICK HERE.

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com

Patrik Antonius
Eric Baldwin
Andy Bloch
Doyle Brunson
Joe Cada
Johnny Chan
Don Cheadle
Allen Cunningham
Pieter de Korver
Annie Duke
Tom Dwan
Peter Eastgate
Eli Elezra
Antonio Esfandiari
Sam Farha
Chris Ferguson
Ted Forrest
Jamie Gold
Phil Gordon
Barry Greenstein
Bertrand Grospellier
Joe Hachem
Gus Hansen
Jennifer Harman
Phil Hellmuth
Orel Hershiser
Jesper Hougaard
Phil Ivey
John Juanda
Gabe Kaplan
John Paul Kelly
Phil Laak
Howard Lederer
Erick Lindgren
Mike Matusow
Jason Mercier
Dario Minieri
Chris Moneymaker
Darvin Moon
Greg Mueller
Daniel Negreanu
Scotty Nguyen
Annette Obrestad
Brock Parker
Dennis Phillips
Greg Raymer
Vanessa Rousso
Kara Scott
Huck Seed
Erik Seidel
Mike Sexton
Gavin Smith
Jennifer Tilly
Paul Wasicka
David Williams
Leo Wolpert
Jerry Yang
Plus: Seven Online Qualifiers

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com

Tom Dwan & Phil Hellmuth
Image Sources: Wam Poker, Best Poker Site Review

Nets vs. Vets. Old School vs. New School. Young Punks vs. the Old Timers. However you want to bill it, the battle lines seem to be drawn as an ever increasing number of online poker players are emerging to play live poker – and are faring very well against the veterans of the felt.

GR88.COM is a great place to learn the game online before jumping into the “live” poker world, whether against friends or the pros. You might just be the next big thing.

Online players that have carved names for themselves on poker’s grandest stages – like Tom “Durrr’ Dwan – have done so against some of the biggest names in poker. Many other online players, however, have tried the transition, and have left with their tail between their legs and their bankrolls empty.

So how has this feud developed? Ego.

The veteran players see the onliners as young kids sitting in their parent’s basement playing hands online in between handfuls of Doritos and gulps of Mountain Dew. The reality is that these players see a dazzling amount of hands. Dwan, for example, in just a few years time has seen more hands than Doyle Brunson, a veteran of over 50 years.

The onliners see themselves as the new wave of poker; ahead of the game, and ahead of the veterans. They feel empowered by their online experience and number of hands played, and take to the felt to conquer the pros.

Easier said than done.

There is a lot to be said for experience at a “live” table rather than looking at a computer screen. Picking up tells – and hiding your own – is a skill that many onliners do not have when they venture into live play.

The clashes that have come from these confrontations have been epic. Take, for instance, Phil Hellmuth vs. Tom Dwan. Hellmuth looks to smite the “cocky kids” from the online world and show them “how different it is in the real world.” Tom Dwan doesn’t have a problem in the real world. He has consistently given Hellmuth fits, beating him in high stakes, heads-up and tournament play. Hellmuth has exacted a measure of revenge, but Dwan seems to have Hellmuth’s number. The Poker Brat’s ego cannot allow this, and Dwan’s ego cannot help but rub it in, and so the two egos seem destined to forever clash.

Where do you sit on this debate, Nets vs. Vets? Give your two cents in the comments!

Anton Wigg
Image Source: poker.se

It was an up and down battle for Anton Wigg, but in the end he mounted a monumental comeback to take the title from Francesco de Vivo. At one point during their heads-up dual, de Vivo had a 12:1 chip lead on the 22-year old from Stockholm, but Wigg used some timely double-ups to chip away at de Vivo’s lead. The Italian just couldn’t knock Wigg out despite numerous opportunities.

The heads-up match rolled on and on eventually turning into a marathon dual. At one point, the EPT Live commentators posed the question that was probably on many people’s minds at Casino Copenhagen, “What if this never ends? I mean seriously, what if this never, ever ends?”

Eventually, it did come to an end. On the final hand, Wigg went all in over the top of de Vivo’s initial raise which the Italian promptly called. Wigg showed Ah Jd to de Vivo’s Kd Ts and the board came Qh 9 h Qd 2d 8h giving the 22-year old the win. Apparently, their epic dual ended right before the bar closed and both players were able to get some well deserved refreshment. Even more refreshing for Wigg, he now has an EPT title and 3,676,00 Danish kroners.

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com

David Benyamine
Image Source: Bankroll Mob

David Benyamine topped a final table that included notable pros Daniel Negreanu, Phil Laak and Roland De Wolfe to take down this year’s Premier League. Eventually, it came down to Benyamine and the Englishman, Luke Schwartz, after Negreanu, Laak, De Wolfe and Giovanni Safina all hit the rail.

Schwartz entered heads-up play with a formidable chip lead, but Benyamine quickly went to work on his opponents stack. Benyamine first managed to double up running out a flush as Schwartz open shoved and had only king high on the river. Schwartz got considerably more irritated on the very next hand as he pondered an all-in call on the river after turning a 7 high straight. After concluding his opponent couldn’t have hit the flush on the river he made the call. Instead, Benyamine showed a 10 high straight and Schwartz threw his cards to the table in disgust.

With Schwartz now the short stack, the two played what ended up as the final hand of the Premier League. The pair both took Q’s to the flop as it came out 5s 3c Qs and Benyamine took the lead with his Qs 8d dominating Schwartz’s Qd 2s. After a raise then reraise all-in from Schwartz, Benyamine deliberated briefly then made the call. The turn was the 7h followed by the 6h and the match was decided leaving the $476K first prize for Benyamine to claim.

Final Standings
1. David Benyamine $476,000
2. Luke Schwartz $258,000
3. Giovanni Safina $158,000
4. Phil Laak $146,000
5. Daniel Negreanu $132,000
6. Roland De Wolfe $114,000
7. Ian Frazer $52,000
8. JC Tran $40,000
9. Phil Hellmuth $38,000
10. Yevgeniy Timoshenko $32,000
11. Vanessa Rousso $32,000
12. Tony G $22,000

Dorian Netolicky is a Social Media Strategist and Contributing Writer @ GR88.com