WSOP TV schedule released

The WSOP Main Event final table is being delayed until November, and ESPN is sorting out all its television coverage to culminate in the (almost) live final table on November 11th.

Basically, players can enjoy all the fun of the World Series and win boatloads of cash, then watch the TV coverage soon after the events come to a close. The Main Event will start at the usual date, but conclude when the final table is set and break for over three months. During this time, regular WSOP coverage will air, including the first several days of the Main Event.

The final table will then be played, with a quick edit job for airing the very next day. Stay away from live updates to watch the action as it happens!

Here's the tentative programming schedule:

• July 22 - Event 1: $10,000 pot-limit hold 'em
• July 29 - Event 2: $1,500 no-limit hold 'em
• Aug. 5 - Event 3: $1,500 pot-limit hold 'em or Event 4: $5,000 mixed hold 'em
• Aug. 12 - Event 5: $1,000 no-limit hold 'em with rebuys
• Aug. 19 - Event 45: $50,000 HORSE
• Aug. 26 - Event 50: $10,000 pot-limit Omaha
• Sept. 2 to Oct. 28 - Event 55: $10,000 no-limit hold 'em main event
• Nov. 4 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table preview show
• Nov. 11 - Event 55: WSOP main event final table

Early shot at some WSOP success

One of our affable players, James "DADuhWEEwah" Darnaby, decided to try his hand at a WSOP Circuit Event at Caeser's in Las Vegas. As a $5000 buy-in event, this was no chump change, and Jim tried a few $550 satellites for a seat, with no luck.

Eventually deciding to just buy in to the event outright, Jim picked up a tough table, including pro Bertrand "Elky" Grosspellier.

The starting stack was 10,000 chips, with blinds at 25/50 and 75 minute levels. The first two levels were fairly uneventful, although Jim ended up at around 12k.

Picking up JJ, the button made it 275 to go and had one caller, and Jim re-popped it to 1025. Both players mucked.

On the critical hand of his tournament, Jim held KK on the button and again made it 1025. A player behind makes it 2700, and Jim goes ahead to push all-in for 11,800. After a snap call, he knew he was in big trouble. His opponents turned over AA, and that was that!

However, Jim had him covered by 525. He doubled up with 67 against K10, and then managed to get AA under the gun all in with an opponent holding AJ. It's a premium position to be in, but the board ran out 10 8 7 9 2. The Aces were cracked with a straight, and Jim said goodbye to his first major live tournament.

Good game Jim - he made all the right moves, but nobody could control the cards. We hope to see him at another WSOP event in the very near future.

-- Phil @ CarbonPoker

Mayday approaches, save our souls

Mayday means several things for Carbon Poker. This month is the launch of a new event, which is similar to our highly successful Christmas Scavenger Hunt. Players will be able to check out their admin to find a list of tasks to be completed and their corresponding prizes. There's thousands of dollars of prizes to be won, all with a stylish theme of impending airborne action!

The origins of our Mayday promo lend from the distress signal of the same name. Here's a few fun facts about Mayday usage:

- The signal is universal - any personnel capable of receiving such a message over a radio broadcast will understand its meaning. This means you won't be entirely lost for words while adventuring in Machu Piccu or something.

- When a Mayday broadcast is being transmitted, it is forbidden to take up radio traffic for any other non-emergency communication. That handy radio-based deep sea pizza delivery network you set up with the chaps on dry land will have to wait until Johnny Nautical gets out of his sinking vessel alive.

- Don't name your aeroplane "Mayday". The air traffic controllers will have a hard time figuring out what you're going on about when calling for help. "Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is mayday in mayday!"

- May Day also happens to be the name of a holiday which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. YAWN. Mayday is at its best when used in a daring action-hero situation, preferably one involving Sam Jackson.

-- Phil @ CarbonPoker

A new WPT champion is crowned

Much to the chagrin of the spectators at the Bellagio, Tom "Durrrr" Dwan didn't make the televised final table of the WPT Championship, where he would have been sporting yet another wacky hat.

On the plus side, the final table included Gus Hansen, 2007 Aussie Millions champion and poker legend. He was also set to take out the title, coming into the final table as the chip leader.

Afetr knocking out Cory Carroll, the second in chip counts, Gus rocketed to an almost unstoppable lead. In heads-up play, David Chiu held approximately 4 million chips, where Gus was sitting pretty on 23 million. The title was all but his.

Well, after a lengthy heads-up match including several double-ups, David Chiu came back to win the title and over $3,300,000. On the final hand, Gus had a ten and eight for two pair, where David held a pair of Aces with a flush draw. Gus moved all in on the turn, and David called. The river was another Ace, and David eliminated Gus Hansen in second place!

Congratulations David and Gus!

-- Phil @ CarbonPoker

A tropical time at the WPT Championship

Heh. Apparently online pro Tom "Durrrr" Dwan lost a prop bet to a friend of his, Alan Sass, and was obligated to wear a funny hat throughout the entire WPT Championship, running right now at the Bellagio.

The final hat was chosen to be this nifty number, complete with a giant purple feather and fruit. How can he be nervous when he looks as stupid as that!

He won't be going home anytime soon, either - at the conclusion of Day 1B, Durrrr sits near the top of the chip counts with 120,000. Good luck!

-- Phil @ CarbonPoker

Our biggest Caribbean Stud jackpot ever!

After only recently reporting that our Caribbean Stud jackpot has been paying out thousands of dollars left right and center, along comes a player to win the whole thing! We're defying all odds to pay out as much cash as possible, and ureadmnweepagain has won a grand total of $72,025.47!

Donna was ecstatic with her massive win, as you can plainly see! For a jackpot bet of just $0.20, a win of 72k is not a bad profit at all.

As a forum and poker room regular, there couldn't be a more deserving winner. It shows that dedication and the right choices at the right time can certainly pay off, and for Donna this means winning the biggest jackpot in Carbon Poker history.

You can play Caribbean Stud at Carbon Poker for as low as $1 per hand, with a $0.20 jackpot bet. You need to make sure you put that jackpot bet in every hand, because you don't want any Royal Flush hands being unpaid!

Congratulations again, and may all your hands be Royals!

-- Phil @ Carbon Poker

The Bluff League comes to a close!

After several months of tough competition, the Carbon Bluff League has now come to a close. We teamed up with Bluff Magazine to organize this league, to award three WSOP seats for 2008! First place was to receive a $10,000 Main Event buy-in, and second and third picked up a $1500 seat each.

The Bluff League ran from October until April, with a $10 buy-in tournament running every Wednesday night. With points being awarded for placing in each tournament, the player with the highest points at the end of the league would win a $10,000 Main Event seat.

Over 400 players played at least one Bluff League tournament, with the added incentive of receiving $25 instant cash for eliminating the current first-place leaderboard player. All the points were adding up each and every week, and the stars of the Bluff League began to emerge.

Although it was a close race in the early beginning, Jazzer12 took the top of the leaderboard and maintained his momentum throughout. Points were awarded based on number of participants in each tournament, and Jazzer12 finished the series with a grand total of 2833 points. A number of players were within reach of catching up, but couldn't pull off a last minute win to snare the first place prize.

Each winning player over the course of the league was awarded a Bluff League Champion accolade, so these players are not to be underestimated if you see them at your table. The Bluff League brought some incredibly tough players to the field, as evidenced by the very last land of the final Bluff League tournament:

With blinds at 1500/3000, SirYangZi completed from the small blind and Gobleracin89 checked his option in the big blind. The flop came down 5d Tc 9h, and SirYangZi instantly moved all in. Amazingly, Gobleracin89 made the call with 5h Jd, holding nothing but bottom pair with a mediocre kicker! Worst of all, SirYangZi was on a stone cold bluff, with nothing but a seven or eight for a gutshot straight able to save him. The turn and river bricked, and Golberacin89 became the final Bluff League Champion with an amazing call.

With the points now awarded, we have out top ten on the leaderboard. Jazzer12 stayed on top of his game the whole way, and we wish him and our other two $1500 tournament winners best of luck at the 2008 World Series of Poker!

FINAL LEADERBOARD

1 Jazzer12 2833
2 BluffMagJeff 2451
3 Prolific1 2061
4 TheOmen111 17
5 quesswho 168
6 OldDogNewTrick 1687
7 Bud0518 1677
8 UM9xnc 1670
9 ScottE51 158
10 etalons 1583