Here’s the Deal - November Niners at WSOP and Duke on Capitol Hill

Here’s the Deal presents a week’s worth of poker news - the good, bad, and sometimes ugly - in one place. Between the poker tournaments, player happenings, and political updates, there is a little something for every poker enthusiast.

The World Series of Poker has wrapped up in Las Vegas, the tables and chairs have been stored away, and the poker players and fans have departed the Rio Convention Center. In the very early morning hours of Sunday, July 18, the $10K No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, better known as the Main Event, saw Brandon Steven eliminated in tenth place and the November Nine set. Among the players set to return to the Rio in November to play the semi-live final table of the tournament for the top prize of nearly $9 million, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and John Racener are perhaps the best known of the group, though it will be Jonathan Duhamel who goes into action with a sizable chip lead. For now, the nine are on a hiatus of nearly four months.

The World Poker Tour put its Season 9 into motion on July 11 with the Bellagio Cup VI in Las Vegas, grabbing players as they busted from the WSOP Main Event and attracting them to the new-and-improved WPT at the Bellagio. The final table was set for July 15 and included names like Phil Ivey, who made his ninth WPT final table, and Justin “BoostedJ” Smith, who made his second consecutive Bellagio Cup final table. In the end, Smith lost to former EPT Deauville winner Moritz Kranich of Germany, who grabbed more than $875K for the title, along with a watch, a bracelet, and a trophy.

The PokerStars UK & Ireland Poker Tour recently wrapped its latest stop of the inaugural season in Brighton, England (http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ukipt/2010/ukipt-brighton-jamie-burland-wins-the-uk-071644.html). After a solid turnout for the regional tour stop, it was Jamie Burland who came out on top by defeating Tomas Cibak to grab the title and £65,400 in first place prize money. The next location for the tour will be Edinburgh, Scotland on August 19.

PokerStars is also moving and grooving with its Australia New Zealand Poker Tour with its current stop in Queenstown, Australia. The action for the second season brought players to the tables in Queenstown, though players from a satellite-type of event held in Auckland will be joining the action on Day 3. The total number of players was reported to be 119, which made for a $267,750 prize pool. Play is still pressing forward in search of the newest ANZPT champion.

Poker Players:

Everyone in poker knows about the November Nine, the final table players from the WSOP Main Event who will be returning to Las Vegas to compete for $9 million and the title of world champion in November. But many people don’t know a lot about the players themselves, with the likeliest exception being Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi. But the basic bios of the players have been made known, and more will be revealed through interviews in the coming months.

One of the biggest stories of the WSOP Main Event was the run of all four Mizrachi brothers in the tournament. Not only did Michael make the final table, but all four brothers - Eric, Danny, Robert, and Michael - all cashed in the WSOP Main Event, an unprecedented feat for family members. Robert also had a stellar World Series in general, and the family has been well-represented in Las Vegas this summer, so much so that many have dubbed the 2010 Series the “Year of the Mizrachis.”

A player who has not been forgotten is Brandon Steven, the player who ultimately bubbled the WSOP Main Event final table, taking tenth place for $635,011 but missing the opportunity to play with the November Nine. Steven fought hard for the opportunity to take a seat at that coveted table, and it took six hours after the 11th place elimination to find Brandon in such a position. At the hands of Matthew Jarvis, Steven was ousted painfully, especially as he attempted to exit amidst the celebration of the nine remaining players. A more in-depth look at Steven is being posted at ESPN.

Poker in Politics

The latest news from Washington D.C. is positive, as a hearing for the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act just took place on Wednesday, July 21 in the Financial Services Committee. Chairman and author of the bill, Barney Frank, put his online gaming legislation on the table for debate, and the bill, best known as H.R. 2267 around the hall of Congress, was supported by several Representatives at the hearing, as well as by testimony from Annie Duke, who was there representing the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). A Commerce Casino representative was among those in opposition of the bill, but the balance between pros and cons seemed fairly even during the hearing. And at the end, Rep. Campbell let it slip that the bill is scheduled for the mark-up process on July 27, meaning it will be prepared for possible introduction to the floor of the House of Representatives and a possible vote in the coming months.