Archive for March, 2010

Hi Poker friends!

It’s time for another update on my Most Famous Poker Player top-100 list. It’s been a while, I know but I was very busy. First I had a student internship for two weeks. Besides that I was beaten up once I came back from a drink and stayed in the hospital for 4 days with two broken ribs, a tough concussion and face fracture. As that was not enough my girlfriend decided to leave me for my best friend after four happy years and my dog died, when he commited suicide by jumping of the bridge right on the railway. But the most important and time-consuming reason for my absence is that I was occupied every day by playing an Online Poker Tournament.

For now, let’s meat the following two players of my list, which are two old school rocks, being regulars at the High Stakes Cash Games

(18)   =>   ELI   ELEZRA

> Eliahu Ilan Elezra

> born 24/12/1960, Jerusalem (ISR)

> resides now in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) with wife and 5 kids.

> Nickname: ‘ Mr. Vegas ‘ or ‘ Wizard ‘

> won 1 Bracelet (’07 WC Seven Card Stud Hi-Low)

> won 1 WPT-title (’04 Mirage Poker Showdown)

> plays online at Full Tilt Poker

> has Live Tournament Winnings of almost $ 2,000,000 (until 2009)

Eli is a former lieutenant in the Golani Brigade of the Israelian Army. He began playing poker after a leg injury. He also worked in Alaska for several years. He says he’s more a family man than a poker pro. He owns the successful Vegas nightclub Seven and several retail stores. Eli is very well-known for many years as a Regular in ” The Big Game” in Vegas. He also appeared during different seasons of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and GSN’s High Stakes Poker, sometimes together with his good, old friends Barry Greenstein and Doyle Brunson. Mr. Elezra won his first Bracelet after beating Scotty Nguyen heads-up in the World Championship Seven card Stud Hi-Low. He won even more, $250,000, in a side bet with Barry after he made a $25,000 bet laying 10:1 that Eli couldn’t win a WSOP Bracelet in 2007. Eli’s appearance is always recognizable because of his Maffia look and accent, which makes him a perfect and fearless poker character.

(17)   =>   BARRY   GREENSTEIN

> born 30/12/1954 in Chicago, Illinois (USA)

> resides now in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

> has 2 children and 4 stepchildren, incl. Joe Sebok

> Nickname: ‘ The Robin Hood of Poker ‘ or ‘ The Bear ‘

> won 3 Bracelets (’04 NL 2-7 Draw/ ‘05 PLO/ ‘08 Razz)

> won 2 WPT-titles ( Fifth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open/ ‘06 WPT Invitational at Commerce Casino)

> plays online at PokerStars as member of TeamPokerStars.

> has Live Tournament Winnings of almost $7,000,000 (until 2009)

Barry earned a bachelor degree in computer science from the University of Illinois and studied for a PhD in Mathematics. He started to play poker then but he took a job for Symantec because of it would improve his chances for adoption, in stead of playing poker. He retired there at the age of 36. He also started PokerRoad, a poker website, with his stepson Joe Sebok, who’s also a very good and respected professional poker player. Barry is a well-known and respected Big Gun who’s one of the most successfull and fearless high stakes cash game players. He showed that with his appearances during different series and seasons of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and High Stakes Poker. But he also showed he can be a great tournament player. He won 2 other special events at the WPT, besides his Bracelets and WPT-titles. Mr. Greenstein is the author of the 2005 book: ‘ Ace on the River ‘, which is one of the most successful and best poker books out there. He gives a copy to every player that busts him out of a tournament. Another famous fact about him is that he taught former girlfriend Mimi Tran how to play poker in exchange for her learning him to speak Vietnamese. Barry has some famous oneliners such as ” LOL, Donkaments“, which gave him $10,000 after a bet from 2+2 Poker Forums, and ” Math is idiotic” after his well-known 550k suckout win against Tom Durr Dwan during High Stakes Poker. But as of 2008, Barry began to donate his net winnings to charities, primarily Children;Incorporated.

So we’re yet a step closer to the top Ten. I’ll make a quicker update this time, regardless any set-backs. Btw If you’re looking for fish, come play at Everest. I’m just playing there for a month and I’ve already doubled up my stack. Just by playing in the lowest PLO Cash Game, waiting for the hand and the moment and the fish will donate you easy money. Hehe, Life is good !

Cheers,

J.M.

Hi poker madness,

Something really strange happened to me the other day…

I was playing in a big cash game, blinds $50/$100, with some of the best players of this country. It was in a dark , underground room where only the greatest may play and the hottest girls can look. The whisky and cigar smoke was as natural as the blue sky outside before I got a suited Queen-Ten in the cut off and raised three times the big blind with only folding people in front of me. I only got a call from the big blind who was well-known as a fearless, dangerous and agressive player. I nipped a little whisky before the flop came J-9-4 rainbow and he checked. I bet small and he instantly raised me as I expected, and I called. The turn was the Ace of spades and he made a big bet and I called, hoping for a 8 or King. The pot was already over $5000. The tension was high with every stare at the table. Before the river came, I saw here. She was gorgeous as hell, long curly red hair, a black dress which suited her voluptuous perfectly. She really took my breath away as she nodded secretly towards me as I was stunned and not even noticed the 8 of clubs on the river. He went all-in for another $8000 and I immediately shipped my stack in and turned over the absolute nuts. She came to me and gave me the most perfect kiss ever as I don’t even cared about the money. Which is why playing poker is clearly a game of skill !

I’ve never had a better sleep for a whole week ! But there was work to do as we are down to the last twenty players in my list. From now on I’m going to present them with only two at the time. So it’ll get more exciting and I’ve the opportunity to say more about each player. Let’s meet them…

(20)   =>   ERICK   LINDGREN

> Erick A. Lindgren

> born 11/08/1976 in Burney, California (USA).

> resides now in Las Vegas, Nevada.

> Nickname : ‘ E-dog ‘

> won 1 Bracelet (’08 Mixed Hold’em)

> won 2 WPT-titles (’03 Ultimate Poker Classic/ ‘04 Party Poker Million III)

> was named season 2 WPT Player of the Year and 2008 WSOP Player of the Year.

> plays online at Full Tilt Poker as a member of TeamFullTilt.

> has  almost $7,400,000 in Live Tournament Winnings (until 2009).

Erick was a excellent football and basketball star in high school and he’s a former blackjack dealer at the casino. He has Swedish ancestry, regarding both his first and last name. Erick is well-known as one of the best tournament players alive. He has already 23 cashes in the WSOP and 16 cashes in the WPT with 5 WPT final tables and as I’ve mentioned earlier 2 World Poker Tour titles. He also won Professional Poker Tour in 2005, the Full Tilt Poker.net Poker Pro Showdown event in 2006 and the big hold’em event at the Aussie Millions in 2007. Erick wrote his own book on poker : ‘ World Poker Tour, Making the Final Table ‘ . Besides playing live, he’s a very good online player which he proved as being the first Full Tilt Pro who won a FTOPS event. Mr. Lindgren is a very friendly, sportive, funny and calm person following the words of his peers.

(19)   =>   SAM   FARHA

> Ihsan Farha

> born 1959, Beirut (LIB).

> resides now in Houston, Texas (USA).

> Nickname : ‘ Mister Cool ‘

> won 2 Bracelets (’96 Pot Limit Omaha/ ‘06 Limit Omaha 8/B)

> became 2nd at the WSOP Main Event in 2003 after losing in heads-up against Chris Moneymaker but still won a cool $1,300,000 with his second place.

> won over $ 2,300,000 in Live Tournament Play (until 2009).

Sammy graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Kansas before moving to Houston to work for his brother. He decided to become a full time Poker Professional in 1990. He moved to the USA after the Lebanese Civil War. Sam is also a former pinball and Pac-man specialist. He appeared at the first four seasons on the GSN series High Stakes Poker, but he was refused for the fifth season. A great shame because he was one of the most popular and extraordinary character in the game who always was ready to gamble and very agressive player at the table. He likes the big Omaha cash games the most and he’s working on a book, televised poker series and a video game. Besides all that Mister Farha is a spokesman for Harrah’s casino in Las Vegas and he made a cameo appearance in the poker movie ‘Lucky You‘. Sammy is probably wildly known for his appearance. He’s always dressed nice in a suit, looking very cool and smooth with his unlit cigarette and maffia hair style backwards.

So that were the two players for this week. I didn’t run that good on Everest NL Hold’em cash games in the beginning, losing all my stack even playing the smallball poker strategy. But now I switched over to the PLO game and I make profit every day, almost back at my starting stack. I’m really starting to be good at the Pot Limit Omaha game and there are indeed a lot of fish. Just wait for your moment, only playing the nuts or second nuts and play it very agressive and You’ll win most of the time. See You next week !

Cheers,

J.M.