There are plenty of live and online poker players who will argue that they’re the best player alive. But few of these people can back up their argument with the kind of credentials that Phil Ivey can. Ivey has won numerous tournaments in his career and is often referred to as the best all-around poker player in the world. His accomplishments have gained him a celebrity status that has transcended the game of poker. In fact, Ivey has become such a big celebrity that ESPN decided to prominently feature him on both the cover of ESPN the Magazine and in an E:60 segment.
The article, which landed Ivey on the ESPN the Magazine cover, focuses on a trip with him around the world during the filming of the E:60 segment. Written by Chad Millman, this feature article discusses how big of a star the 7-time WSOP bracelet winner has become. From hanging out with Jay-Z backstage at concerts to playing golf with Michael Jordan, it is apparent that Ivey fits in well with the A-list celebrities.
The article also discusses how difficult it is for Ivey to keep his personal life private these days too. Ivey has long been known as someone who enjoys his privacy, but the celebrity status he has gained is making this preference a lot more difficult to maintain. Reporters and other media players now hound Phil a lot more when he is out and about.
Ivey did admit that he is enjoying parts of his celebrity status, but he is much more focused on winning the WSOP Main Event above all. Ivey currently sits in 7th place in the final table chip count and is looking to make some big moves when Main Event play resumes on November 7th.
Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho have been on the bubble in almost every episode, but have still avoided elimination through the first four weeks of the competition.
2009 was a very interesting year as far as the Poker Hall of Fame selection process went. This year, fans were allowed to nominate their favorite players via the Internet which definitely added a twist to the process. And this twist was most likely the main reason why online sensation Tom “durrrr” Dwan found himself as one of the 10 players nominated for the 2009 Poker Hall of Fame class.
Over the weekend, CarbonPoker had the pleasure of being a sponsor for Blogs With Balls 2.0.
Of all the poker shows that have been created in the past couple of years, High Stakes Poker has definitely got to be considered one of the most successful. High Stakes has used the cash game format during its successful run along with the broadcasting skills of A.J. Benza and Gabe Kaplan to survive for five eventful seasons. The show has been so successful that the Game Show Network has decided to bring it back for a 6th season.
As I told you earlier, I’ll be heading out to Vegas next week for Blogs With Balls 2.0.
In the newest issue of ESPN Magazine, athletes are baring it all in the “Body Issue”.
There have been several noted bad boys in poker over the years. People like Phil Hellmuth, Tony G, and Mike Matusow have made just as big of a name for themselves on the felt as they have with their mouths and crazy antics. But these are of course well noted live tournament players who’ve gained most of their fame from being on TV and winning huge tourneys. However, one player is proving that being a poker bad boy is no longer limited to live play.
Next week in Vegas, BlogsWithBalls 2.0 will be conference-ing the face off of Sin City and CarbonPoker is going to be there.
As a further sign that poker is experiencing a big boom in Hungary, the nation is now considering legalizing the game so they can regulate it. The Wall Street Journal reported this story over the weekend, and they believe that Hungary is looking to capitalize off of poker since an estimated 250,000 of the country’s 10 million residents currently play online and live.
