Make way in Valencia, because Sergio Garcia has a tee time. In this case, however, you won't find him on the first tee or sipping a cocktail at the 19th Hole. No, this week, Garcia is going caddy-less to Valencia for the Estrellas Poker Tour. While he may not have anyone there advising him on how many yards it is to the pin, he is not going into this round blind.
As you might remember, Garcia is a keen enough poker player that he made a very deep run in this year's PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The pro golfer outlasted hundreds of players to finish in the top 5% of runners in the PCA main event. His adventure only ended after his ace-jack couldn't outrun pocket queens.
Despite that disappointment, Garcia's competitive spirit turned the experience into something he wanted to repeat.
Hoping for a favorable river, or thinking, "When can I do this again?"
At the time, Team PokerStars Pro Juan Manuel Pastor said of his friend, "This is entertainment for him and he has enjoyed himself a great deal. It's like a dream for him."
The good thing about being Sergio Garcia (apart form the prowess at golf and, apparently, poker) is that people actually like to have you around. As such, Garcia has decided to accept an invitation to Day 1B of the Estrellas Poker Tour main event in Valencia, Spain this week.
As you probably already know, Estrellas is the hottest poker tour in Spain and has been drawing people from al over the world to the fantastic games on the Iberian Peninsula.
Tomorrow, the Valencia main event kicks off. A day later, Señor Garcia will be teeing up.
Seats are still available to the event if you're looking for a chance to play with Garcia. You may never get the opportunity to get in 18 with him, but you could check-raise him all you want this week.
For more information on the tour, visit the Estrellas Poker website.
The France Poker Series has found its latest winner, and she is Veronika Pavlikova. On Sunday, Pavlikova, an 18-year-old, finished atop the 296-player field. Her take? The FPS trophy and €70,000.
The PokerStars qualifier scored her first major victory in an event featured many seasoned players, including Guillaume Darcourt, Thibaud Guenegou, and Team PokerStars Pro Matthias de Meulder.
Veronika Pavlikova, FPS Snowfest winner
Here are the final results from this year's FPS Snowfest final table.
So, the PokerStars Blog didn't blow up this weekend, and as near as I can tell, that's a win. By all accounts, it should've been in shards all over the ethereal floors of the intertubes. That's how big the action was this weekend was. Not only did we have live coverage from LAPT Viña del Mar and ANZPT Sydney, but we also had full wrap-ups of every MicroMillions tournament including the $1 million main event. And then PokerStars leaked the 2012 SCOOP schedule.
So, yes, all of that happened.
But it couldn't stop there, because the blog needed to be at warp speed for a couple straight days. Call it a stress test. Not only did we have all the big live and series events going on, but we also had to cover the end-of-the-month action on PokerStars.
So, today we can be happy. Just a month short of the PokerStars Blog's seventh anniversary, we can feel comfortable in knowing the blog can still hold up to the stress.
I am no theorist. I am no tactician. I'm a blogger who could better tell you how to make a great gumbo. That said, I know smart people. Lots of them. People who are good at boiling down the basics of a problem and turning it into something understandable for people (like me) who might need a little help adjusting to something new. Like, say, Zoom Poker.
Now, as you know, Zoom Poker hit PokerStars in beta a few days ago and has already become a massive hit. Pokerstars has been adding some higher limits, and the games almost always have waits. That will get better as PokerStars rolls out more games. It's best you're prepared in advance.
With that in mind, I've cobbled together a few thoughts from the smart people out there. This is not an in-depth strategy guide, but if you're a beginner and just hearing of the Zoom Poker format, it might do you well to have a quick-read-through.
Getting to know Zoom
Zoom is fast. It's for people who don't like to wait. If you're finished playing a hand and don't want to wait around to see how it turns out for your opponents, the Fast Fold button will move you on to a different hand. Some estimates say you can increase your hands-per-hour by 400%.
You have a choice between three different kinds of animation as the old table disappears and the new one emerges. But, the important part is that you get a new hand as quickly as you want one. What's more, you can do this on more than one table at a time. It takes some focus to multi-table so quickly, but there are people out there who are good at it. You can be, too.
Forming a strategy
If you're used to the game in which you have been sitting with the same opponents for the past 200 hands, here are some things to remember:
1) It's not anonymous, but it's closer. The simple fact is, in an old game, if you raised three times in a row, your opponents would start to notice. In Zoom Poker, in a player pool of 2,000 people, as you jump from table to table, it's not nearly as likely that people will pick-up on that short-term information you've been providing. That is not to say a keen player won't start to recognize your style over time, but in the short-term, you're protected.
2) What's good for the goose is also good for the Zoom Poker player. Or, put another way, just as you run rampant through the tables raising willy-nilly and feeling fantastic in your near anonymity, so do your opponents. Unless you click the "control" key as you fold (which keeps you around at a table to see how things turn out), you will have no way to know whether that four-bet was a bluff or designed to get you moving on to the next table. Some people will count on your inattention, so keep your eyes open.
3) Nitting it up is just fine, but you're still paying blinds, and with Zoom Poker, you're liable to be paying them even faster than before. If you sit all day folding and waiting for aces, you're going to be paying a lot of blinds. There are more playable hands out there, so play them.
A few tips
1) Play fewer tables than normal when you start playing Zoom Poker. You can only do so many things at once.
2) Check the lay of the land at every new table. Your position, the number of players at the table, and the the stack-sizes will be changing every few seconds. Train yourself to look for this data as soon as the tables move.
3) Remember: most players will be playing much tighter in Zoom Poker than they would in a normal ring game. Most estimates say players will play 5% fewer hands in full ring games and up to 7% fewer hands in six-max games. Adjust accordingly.
4) Beware the waiter in late position or the blinds. The player who didn't hit Fast Fold immediately and then decides to three- bet your early position raise should be watched carefully. He or she liked their hand enough to stick around and see what happened in early and middle positions.
5) File away everything you know about table selection for when you play other games. It's irrelevant in Zoom Poker. You're not searching out the fish. You're learning to beat the average style of Zoom Poker play.
6) Be prepared to endure some bankroll swings. You're playing a high-volume, action-packed game. If you don't have 45 buy-ins to a game, you're better off going down in limits. A good benchmark for playing Zoom Poker is 70 buy-ins. It's important to remember variance can be just as tough an opponent as the other players at the table.
The big blind anomaly
The only person who doesn't have the option to Fast Fold in Zoom poker is the big blind. He or she has to stick around until it's actually his or her turn. That tends to make a lot of players play the big blind a lot more loosely than players in normal ring games might. Keep that in mind.
The VIP benefit
Playing more hands per table means you will be earning more VIP Player Points. That means, you will climb though the PokerStars VIP ranks even faster. Freeroll tickets, bonuses, and free merchandise await you at the higher levels.
Finally, here's a video from Poker School Online that explains a few things you might not have picked up here.
Listen, PokerStars. We only have so many fingers. There are only so many stories we can cover at one time. We even recruited more than 100 more fingers to help us this week just to keep up with the action you're throwing at us. It's starting to get a little silly.
As the MicroMillion continued awarding big prizes to the low-limit grinders on PokerStars, the world's biggest weekly tournament came back for another big show. More than 7,700 players signed up for this weekend's Sunday Million. When it was over, Germany's SpeckBasu had won $231,214. For a full recap of the action, see: Germany's SpeckBasu wins $231K in March 18 Sunday Million.
For the longtime PokerStars player, there is a familiar feeling that occurs when the "updates to install" notice appears upon launch of the software. For some people, there exists the mild annoyance of having to wait an additional 30 seconds before playing poker. For many others, there is a flutter of anticipation as they wonder, "What new updates does PokerStars have today?" Today's update should satisfy both the impatient and the excited. Moments ago, PokerStars released a real money beta version of its brand new Zoom poker.
Patience, Grasshopper
The format is as simple as it is fast. You can play up to four tables of poker at a time As soon as you fold a hand on one table, you are taken to another table for a new hand. With three different animation options and a chance to hang around and see how the hand plays out after your departure, Zoom poker is the answer to anyone who hates to wait.
Now, I'll give you this: it is a lot to be excited about at once. It is my duty to warn you, however, that this is only a beta release. As of right now, there are only four games of Hold'em and four games of Omaha running (two micro stakes and two play money of each). There might still be a few little bugs and things to work out before the higher stakes get here.
Zoom Poker lobby, ready for business
As you might be able to see, this is something for which a lot of people have been waiting. Zoom currently allows for player pools as large as 1,500 players. Those real money games are as full as full can be and likely will be around the clock for some time.
Fear not, however, because if all goes well, you will see more limits, more tables, and more rooms in the coming weeks.
If you can't get in quite yet to see what it looks like, here's a screen shot of the play money games in action right now (borrowed from elsewhere, because there is no way I'll ever get into a Zoom game today).
As of right now, we have no specific timeline on when more is coming, but rest assured: MORE IS COMING.
We expect to see bigger stakes, other game types, and maybe Zoom tournaments in the future.
Again, please note, this release is still in beta, so if you get a chance to play and spot any bugs, please shoot the folks at PokerStars a note to beta@pokerstars.com with any reports.
Whew. That was a weekend and a half, wasn't it? One of those where you wake up on Monday and wonder if it was all real or if you contracted malaria and suffered fever dreams for 48 hours. In this case, it was real. A Sunday Million anniversary celebration worth more than $6 million, a huge heads-up match between two high stakes titans. At some point there might have been a monkey wearing a hat made of marshmallow Peeps. That part might have actually been a dream.
In any case, I'm here to confirm that the sixth anniversary Sunday Million celebration went off in a big way. When registration closed, 33,732 players had signed up to fight for a prize pool worth $6,746,400. When it was all said and done, most of the final table players cut a big deal. Want further confirmation it was all real? Kristin Bihr has the story right here: Sunday Million 6th Anniversary Special: slyfox151 ships the title, toode takes top dollar.
Bihr had a little extra time to cover that final table because the SuperStar Showdown between Viktor "Isildur1" Blom and Isaac Haxton had some unexpected issues. Haxton's new digs in Malta suffered some recent thunderstorms that screwed up his internet connection. The problem for Haxton? He started disconnecting when he was down almost six figures. Word is the match will pick back up this week. In the meantime, read Bihr's account of the early action here: Stormy weather strands Haxton, suspends match.
After a 36-week hiatus, the SuperStar Showdown was set to return with a bang this afternoon. Isaac "philivey2694" Haxton, Viktor Blom's very first challenger (and the only net winner against him in Showdown matches) was back for another 2,500 hands at double the stakes. Only this time, rather than playing from a Las Vegas high-rise, Haxton was at his new home in Malta, where storms have pounded the area for the last few days. About 75 minutes after cards went in the air, Haxton began experiencing connectivity issues and despite everyone's best attempts to troubleshoot, the problem persisted. With 692 of 2,500 hands completed, there was no choice but to suspend the match and resume later this week, once Haxton's internet connection has been fixed. As Haxton wrote himself on the 2+2 forums:
"I'm really sorry about all this. I know it's ruining the flow of the match for spectators.
To clarify the weather stuff: There was a really bad storm 2 days ago. My internet was completely down for 2 hours and has been a little unstable ever since. I think something between the ISP and my apartment must have been damaged."
That's some pretty remarkable poise coming from a man on the worst kind of tech tilt. And as if gnawing through red tape to get a Maltese internet connection repaired isn't bad enough, when the match does resume, Haxton will start off $99,886 in the hole.
Isaac "philivey2694" Haxton
Since it's been a while, let's refresh our memories on the rules of the SuperStar Showdown. A match lasts 2,500 hands spread across four tables. Blom and his challenger each escrow 15 buy-ins to use as their bankroll. Blinds are typically $50/$100, although for today's match, Blom and Haxton upped the stakes to $100/$200 NLHE. Buy-ins are 100 BB apiece and stacks are automatically topped up any time they dip below that mark. Should either player lay claim to the other's 15 buy-ins before the end of the 2,500 hands, the match is over.
Man vs. nature. Nature wins
Cards were in the air at 12:03pm EDT, the first significant pot unfolding only three minutes later. On a [7d][6s][3d] board in a raised pot, Blom flopped an open-ended straight draw with [5c][8c]. Haxton check-called $1,000 on the flop, then checked again when the [9s] fell on the turn. Blom bet $2,800 with his nine-high straight and Haxton called. The [Jd] on the river put a potential flush on board but it did not deter either player, Haxton check-calling an additional $7,600 only to see the bad news. Blom raked in the $24,000 pot and moved out to a $7,300 overall lead after only 50 hands.
Minutes later, Blom flopped bottom two pair and turned a full house, getting in a nice value-raise on the river when the board read [Qs][Jd][8s][8c][9h]. Haxton paid him off and Blom dragged the $19,200 pot, taking his lead up to more than $15,000. Haxton at last picked up a five-figure pot when he check-called three streets on a [3h][2d][7h][Qd][2h] board, his [Qs][Jd] outkicking Blom's [Qc][9h]. With that pot, Haxton erased his deficit and took a slight lead-- the only one he'd see all day.
The first all-in of the match occurred on a [9c][8d][7d] flop. Holding [Kc][Kh], Haxton three-bet shoved and Blom called off his remaining $9,300, having flopped the nuts with [Jc][Ts]. No miraculous running cards for Haxton on the turn or river, and the $40,000 pot was shipped to Sweden. Although Haxton picked up a $13,700 pot when he rivered two pair, he gave most of those chips back after calling two streets then folding to Blom's river shove on a [8s][2c][Jd][Ah][3c] board. Blom kept barreling and Haxton kept calling him down only to be shown monsters, as evidenced in this $24,000 pot where Blom rivered his flush:
With 351 hands in the books, Blom led by $45,732 and had double his starting stack on three of the four tables. Only now it was time for Haxton to hit a river card. In a setup that would have likely seen him felted, Haxton's dominated ace caught two pair on the river, just in time for Blom to pull his signature overbet-shove. Haxton called off his remaining $12,620 and nabbed the $40,840 pot:
Although Haxton managed to cut Blom's lead to $35,676 over the next hundred hands, Blom nabbed the monsterpotten of the day when he picked up pocket jacks. Blom opened for $600 and Haxton called from the big blind, the flop falling [Qs][Jd][Td]. Haxton checked, Blom bet $1,000 with his set and Haxton called. The [Th] on the turn filled Blom up, but Haxton did his bidding for him, leading out for $2,400. Blom smooth-called. Haxton led again when the [9c] hit the river, betting $5,280. Blom raised to $23,600 and Haxton called, mucking his hand as Blom raked in the $55,200 pot. With 501 hands completed, Blom's lead stood at $71,376.
The wheels really started coming off the wagon a few minutes later, when Blom picked up pocket eights and opened for $600. Haxton three-bet to $2,100 with [Jd][Td] and Blom called. Haxton led out for $2,400 on the [Js][4s][2h] flop and Blom called. The [2s] on the turn put a potential flush on board and earned checks from both players. Blom hit gin on the river, though, the [8d] falling to make him an extremely well-disguised full house. Haxton checked, Blom shoved and Haxton called all-in for $15,700, his top pair up in flames. With 553 hands complete, Blom was up $94,954.
Moments later, Haxton's internet connection began acting up. The match went on a five-minute break while he restarted his router, but it took more than thirty minutes for Haxton to reconnect. Three minutes after cards went back in the air, Haxton disconnected again, and it was another half-hour before the match could resume. Haxton's connection held for only 15 minutes before going out again, and this time the decision was made to suspend the match and resume action at a later time once Haxton's connection was repaired.
Hopefully that will happen sometime later this week. With 1,808 hands to play, Haxton trails Blom by $99,886. While that might seem steep, fortunes can change quickly at these stakes, even more so when you're up against the "King of Swing."
Meanwhile, tune in one week from today for another SuperStar Showdown as Viktor Blom takes on a new challenger-- English high-stakes NLHE star Alexander "Kanu7" Millar. Action begins Sunday, March 18 at 12pm EDT. Let's hope for dry weather.
Anyone starting out in poker may feel a little daunted; there's a lot to take in and a seemingly steep learning curve to climb. Even players who know the basics may feel they have no place to go to get tips and strategies without fuss. As ever, PokerStars has the answer, launching EverythingPoker.com.
This new site hosts a series of 13 superb videos featuring tips from the Pros and live event footage to walk you through key areas that will improve your game. Split into two levels, the high-quality shows can be enjoyed from the start by novices, and also by more experienced players who may prefer to dive straight in to the latest episodes.
Rather than me going on about it, I thought it wiser to get all the details straight from the horse's mouth. And while Neil Morris, PokerStars' Head of TV Editorial and Production, probably does not like being called a horse, he did jump at the chance of telling you more about EverythingPoker.com.
He said: "Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts but the taking part', probably lost. Poker may be an enjoyable game but at the end of the day it's all about competition and profitability.
"We care about our players, so we set out on a mission to create a TV show that would give new players confidence and old players a chance to eradicate bad habits whilst entertaining all those who watched. The end result was 'Everything you wanted to Know about Poker, But Were Afraid To Ask.'
"As with any tutorial/self help series, people will join at different stages, so we created a website that allows players to chose where they watch from. A new player would start at show 1 (The Basics) but a casual player may decide they join at show 7 (Betting Tips) where we move from beginner to intermediate.
The EverythingPoker.com website
"The series is split into two levels and spread over 13 half-hour episodes. Each show is designed to take you to next stage, honing your skills and boosting your confidence. There are tips from the pros and stories from the rail as we take the viewer on a personal journey to unleash their poker potential, together with homework assignments to get that all important practice in.
"The show was devised by the PokerStars TV Team in June 2010 and then a lengthy research process began as we sought to write the perfect 'How to Play Poker' show. We brought in the experts of Sunset&Vine to oversee the TV production and worked very closely with their producers to create a show that not only flowed but had just the right tone to keep new players interested without bamboozling them with information. Focus groups helped mould the show to the finished product you see today.
"The show was designed in bite-sized chunks so elements could be re-purposed for TV, online, mobile and Social. It is also being repackaged in over 15 languages for international distribution."
So there you have it. If you want to learn the basics or brush up on your poker skills, head over to EverythingPoker.com.
The chatter in Italy yesterday was all about Carla Solinas and her monster lead heading into the final table of the Italian Poker Tour Nova Gorica event. Solinas had more than twice as many chips as second-placed Dubravko Bagic. As it turned out, Solinas finished runner-up, but not to Bagic. Instead, it was Slovakian Anton Karasinsky who came through and walked away with the title and €140,000.
Karasinsky topped a strong field of 286 players at the Perla Casino, where the IPT had generated a €554,840 prize pool.
Anton Karasinsky
The final action saw Solinas all-in with [5s][6s], behind Karasinsky's [9d][9s]. But the board of [Jd][2c][Jc][Ad][Qh] failed to help and she went home with €74,000 for second place. PokerStars qualifier Carlo Andreoli had finished in third for €46,000.
If, like me, you are clever and can read Italian, then be sure to catch up with all the final table action on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog. *
The next stop on the popular Italian Poker Tour will be San Remo from May 3-7 for the Season 3 Grand Final. It's at this event that the IPT Leaderboard winner will be determined. This player will win sponsorship from PokerStars for the whole Season 4.
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Make way in Valencia, because Sergio Garcia has a tee time. In this case, however, you won't find him on the first tee or sipping a cocktail at the 19th Hole. No, this week, Garcia is going caddy-less to Valencia for the Estrellas Poker Tour. While he may not have anyone there advising him on how many yards it is to the pin, he is not going into this round blind. 
