By Brad "Otis" Willis...
In 2005, I was in the back of a London television studio, cramped into a sound booth, and watching the World Cup of Poker II play out on a closed stage. A few feet away, I saw the back of a blonde head from which was coming one of the smoothest voices I'd heard in ten years of broadcasting.
"I could listen to that voice read the phone book," I said.
"She's quite a player, too," someone responded.
Before the day was complete, I learned the voice belonged to one Victoria Coren, TV broadcaster, writer, and top poker player. People who had the pleasure of watching Late Night Poker in its heyday will remember Coren from the tables there. Since that time, the already-famous Coren has become one of, if not the most famous women in British poker. That has been helped in no small part by her crowning achievement: Coren was and remains the only woman to ever win a PokerStars.com European Poker Tour title. Coren won EPT London in Season 3 for £500,000.
Today, PokerStars announced Coren is joining the ranks of
Team PokerStars Pro, an elite stable of some of the world's top poker professionals. You'll be able to find Coren on PokerStars playing under the likely name "Vicky Coren."
So, next time you're sitting at the tables and you hear a voice that makes you turn your head, check to see if it's coming from underneath a PokerStars hat. If it's Coren, be careful. Her voice may be just hypnotizing enough to distract you from the fact she's taking all your chips.
You’ve probably noticed the notices in the tournament lobby of the Weekly Round 2 events on PokerStars. It’s a freeroll tournament open to the final eleven tables of the daily astronomer freeroll tournaments on PokerStars.net. They gives you the opportunity to win real cash prizes whilst being free to enter.
Last weekend the Saturday and Sunday Weekly Round 2 events brought together starting fields in the thousands. On Saturday it was ‘noahsuncle’ from the United States taking first place and $287.60. Whilst back in 702nd ‘crsunguy’ didn’t go away empty handed, making a quick $0.80 for having fun at the tables.
Weekly Round 2 result (Saturday 19 April)
1. noahsuncle (United States) -- $287.60
2. diajlm2 (United States) -- $166.00
3. BabbléFish (United States) -- $100.00
4. ghost60b (United States) -- $80.00
5. SnowmanTony (Belgium) -- $62.00
6. Reichi (Germany) -- $50.00
7. timofck1 (Germany) -- $39.00
8. ricmp (Portugal) -- $30.00
9. SUPERFISH35 (Canada) -- $22.20
702nd crsunguy (Canada) -- $0.80
In keeping with the usual way of things the Sunday event found an event bigger field making for more places finishing in the money after a long stretch at the virtual baize. It was a mostly north American final table where ‘chiefofchips’ of the United States won through, collecting $305.00 for first place whilst 'Opa-Klaus' of Germany avoided the bubble, finishing in 800th place for a worthy $0.60.
Weekly Round 2 result (Sunday 20 April)
1. chiefofchips (United States) -- $305.00
2. TexasMud (United States) -- $180.00
3. birddog50 (United States) -- $103.80
4. rjjerseyguy (United States) --$86.00
5. Gr8Witchking (Canada) -- $72.00
6. bbcoach1 cam (Canada) -- $60.00
7. 1rowdy101 (United States) -- $48.00
8. Nogaplayer (Germany) -- $38.00
9. Cheeseman67 (United States) -- $17.60
800th Opa-Klaus (Germany) -- $0.60
Think you can do better? Simply play in one of the astronomer freerolls in the PokerStars.net lobby and take it from there. The freerolls run several times a day and you can enter as many times as you want. If you want any more information you can drop me a line at the email address at the top right of this page.
It’s the highlight reel that could keep you captivated for hours. Just in to PokerStars Central...a brand new internet TV station dedicated completely to PokerStars live and online events.
PokerStars.tv currently available as a BETA product, is a TV poker portal offering a huge collection of top poker action from events such as the EPT, APPT and the World Cup of Poker, as well as other televised poker footage.
PokerStars.tv will also showcase 'cards up' versions of the biggest tournaments on PokerStars, such as the Sunday Million, the $5 million Freezeout and the WCOOP (the World Championship of Online Poker).
Still having the edges polished before the final version is complete, for now, PokerStars.tv has archived every single televised hand from the PokerStars EPT Grand Final, covering seasons 1,2 & 3. You can see them all now.
Here are a few links to get you started.
The PokerStars.tv introductory video by Daniel NegreanuA great hand from the very first EPT, in Barcelona, Season 1A great hand from EPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo, featuring Marcel Luske:There you have it.
PokerStars.tv is currently in BETA testing so take this chance to get a sneak preview.
The Weekly Round 2 is a freeroll tournament open to the final eleven tables of the daily astronomer freeroll tournaments on PokerStars.net. the Saturday 12 April event found 4,020 for a poker jamboree lasting nearly seven hours from which ‘Aerobe’ emerged triumphant, winning $276.00. A total of 801 places were paid with ‘bradhotte’ in that spot picking up $0.60. Not much, but something for nothing. Here are the results...
Weekly Round 2 result (Saturday)
1. Aerobe (Brazil) -- $276.00
2. zecke79 (Germany) -- $164.00
3. max258 (Israel) -- $100.00
4. mitchz85 (Canada) -- $80.00
5. ronald333 (Canada) -- $62.00
6. Jesse D.P (Canada) -- $50.00
7. Abbik (Russian Federation) -- $39.00
8. LOHOLD (Canada) -- $30.00
9. nevrrevrrr (Germany) -- $22.20
801st bradhotte (Canada) $0.60
Sunday’s event ran with a higher starting field than the day before with 5,490, and took longer too, all done a shade under eight hours – that’s nearly a day at the office. ‘ehand87’ was ultimately last to clock out, winning $276.00 before doing so, whilst 801st in this event went to ‘TxRose50’ good for over half a buck.
Weekly Round 2 result (Sunday)
1. ehand87 (United States) -- $276.00
2. YphoenixY (Germany) -- $164.00
3. sbaynar2 (United States) -- $100.00
4. KausinKhaos (United States) -- $80.00
5. JBinNC (United States) -- $62.00
6. kevin0311 (United States) --$50.00
7. yukon999 (Canada) --$39.00
8. mlwperson (United States) --$30.00
9. old_fish1 (Canada) -- $22.20
801st TxRose50 (United States) $0.60
So how do you get your ticket to next week’s Weekly Round 2 event? Simply play in one of the astronomer freerolls in the PokerStars.net lobby and take it from there. They run several times a day and you can enter as many times as you want. And if you want any more information you can drop me a line at the email above.
For the past several years, there has been no easier or cheaper way to get into the World Series Main Event than play an online qualifier at PokerStars. Nothing about that has changed...except, it's just gotten cheaper. How much cheaper?
Free.
PokerStars announced today, it will give away $1 million in free World Series Main Event packages. That is just about as cheap as it gets.
PokerStars' biggest
World Series giveaway ever will give 80 winners:
• $10,000 buy-in to the World Series 2008 Main Event
• Hotel accommodation at the Palms in Las Vegas
• $2,500 for expenses
Starting tonight at midnight, the Million Dollar Giveaway will run a freeroll tournament every hour of every day until June 27. All PokerStars players can enter one Round 1 event per week. The top 50 players in each of those Round 1 events will get a ticket to the weekly final.
For full details, visit the
Million Dollar Giveway web page at PokerStars.
Good luck. We'll see you at the World Series.
The Weekly Round 2 is a freeroll tournament open to the final eleven tables of the daily astronomer freeroll tournaments on PokerStars.net. Saturday 5 April saw 3,534 runners while away the hours with ‘Flood-WDF’ of the United States triumphing and picking up $287.60 whilst way down in 702nd place 'Papa Geno8' got a little something, collecting 80c for surviving the bubble.
Weekly Round 2 result (Saturday)
1. Flood-WDF (United States) -- $287.60
2. Jamee999 (United Kingdom) --$166.00
3. m4815162342 (United States) -- $100.00
4. martin_RKO (Austria) -- $80.00
5. dave52922 (Brazil) -- $62.00
6. CiaoMarco80 (Germany) -- $50.00
7. jhf123456789 (Finland) -- $39.00
8. lexicon (Canada) -- $30.00
9. Oh_rattie (Australia) -- $22.20
702nd – Papa Geno8 (United States) -- $0.80
For Sunday’s round two event the numbers almost doubled from the day before with 6,292 entrants looking for a share of the $2,000 on offer. After a long day in the saddle American ‘blooter’ collected $276.00 whilst way back on the horizon 'BigEM82' finished in 801st place, picking up 60c in consolation.
Weekly Round 2 (Sunday)
1. blooter (United States) -- $276.00
2. charmosito (France) -- $164.00
3. Raptorfan2 (Canada) -- $100.00
4. rach'sdad (United States) -- $80.00
5. ace_air_99 (Canada) -- $62.00
6. babybubba39 (United States) -- $50.00
7. Xandercage29 (Germany) -- $39.00
8. mreim1 (United States) -- $30.00
9. MarcellusRS (Brazil) -- $22.20
801st – BigEM82 (Sweden) -- $0.60
You can get your seat to next weekend’s Weekly Round 2 events by playing in one of the astronomer freerolls on the PokerStars.net lobby which run several times a day. If you want any more information check out the lobby or drop me a line at the email above.
They say ‘a picture says a thousand words’. A bit of a cliché perhaps but it can sometimes make all the difference. ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ is another image-based saying. ‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch’ is another but for our purposes totally unrelated.
Back to pictures though, and you may or may not have noticed that some players on PokerStars have what’s called an Avatar – a picture that representing them (as opposed the blank circle) at the tables.
It can be a picture of anything (well, nearly anything) that can say a thousand words about you. It might be the image of a favourite team’s crest, a family member, a pet dog, whatever you like. You could even make yourself seem harmless and fluffy at the table (a photo of poodle maybe) whilst secretly harbouring the intention to dominate the table like a terrier from the get go. It’s up to you.
So, want to add a personal touch to your poker account? For more details about loading up an avatar email PokerStars at support@pokerstars.net for details how.
