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By the end of the day, 27 players will have claimed bracelets at the 2013 World Series of Poker. The victors have included a number of repeat WSOP champions, six Canadian record-setters, veterans who finally have broken through with a long-awaited win, amateurs hitting gold and emerging stars trying to build a resume. One champion, Ken Lind, is different from the rest. The 68-year-old Seniors event champion represents more of what the game needs. In fact, the entire idea of the Seniors World Championship falls into that category.

Being out in Vegas for the Seniors Event was a blast. I've never seen that event in person before, but since my dad was playing in his first WSOP event, I wanted to be part of the experience. My visit to the Rio that day was far from my usual day-to-day grind. I wasn't there to write about the action for the site, tweet a ridiculous amount of pictures from my WSOP experience or talk to the game's stars for the podcast. Instead, I watched as an anxious railbird as my dad, who gave me the poker itch as a kid with nickels and dimes at the kitchen table (sorry, mom), was competing on the game's biggest stage. He plays poker weekly, but hold 'em is never the game of choice. He isn't the most refined player in the discipline and I'm sure any of the younger generation of pros would be bored by his lack of advanced statistics, aggression or mathematical approach to the game. He defines the word amateur and, like thousands of others this past weekend in the Seniors event, he was simply giving it a shot.



My only reporting that day was to my family, whom I sent about 100 texts in a five-hour span. They cheered with the good texts, booed with the bad and applauded his effort regardless of the outcome. They loved the pictures, the videos from the break and anything else that would place them on the scene. I was surrounded by fans at this event who weren't there to see Hellmuth or Ivey or Negreanu. Joining me along the rail were family and friends all watching with angst and admiration. Their player was giving the game a shot, and if they felt anything like the way I did, it meant the world to them.

Now, it's irrelevant how he played in general (I'd say pretty well) or how he was eliminated (two-outer), but he had a great time and can't wait to go back next year. Many others who fell short of the money walked away with that exact same impression. Why? The 4,407-player event was different than everything else you'll see at the WSOP felt. People were laughing, talking and having fun. They shared stories about their families, their experience and, probably, their hands. Poker isn't always about making friends, but it is, at its heart, a social experience that, as witnessed this weekend, can make people walk away after a loss feeling like playing was worth every penny.

At its highest level, the game today is played essentially by a group of sunglasses-sporting, hoodie-wearing, iPhone-listening, Chinese Poker app-playing silent pros who would prefer to spend their thousands isolating themselves for hours instead of being part of a conversation at a six- or nine-handed table. At the end of the day, the entire goal of the game is to take all of your opponent's chips, but on Day 1 of the Seniors event, poker was the side action.

Which brings me back to Ken Lind. After his victory, he said, "I would have liked to go heads-up against someone other than the fine gentleman I was up against. He would have been my last pick. He's really good and a nice fellow. I feel for him. I am glad at least he won second place."

Lind's statement defines the event and consideration one player had for another in Event 26. Don't believe me? Watch the video replay on ESPN3 and see how they act toward one another. It wasn't just another hand, another table or another tournament. These players were sharing a life experience, and they will forever be bonded by it. That's what the game is all about.

The Seniors event has grown over the past 10 years. Expect that trend to continue.

Other winners at the Rio

Walk around the Rio, and if players aren't in the bracelet events, all you'll hear about in the hallway is who is playing the 3, 6 and 10. The Daily Deepstack series at the WSOP is crushing and has succeeded in keeping players at the Rio instead of heading to other venues in Vegas.

How well are they doing? The average first-place prize in the $235 event is $43,000. Fields are often hovering at about 1,300, and this past weekend, a field of 1,635 turned out to play. There's not much that can be said about the Deepstacks that isn't on a positive note, but there has been one small bump in the road: Sometimes there aren't enough tables available to start on time.

As the WSOP looks out at yet another avenue of growth, the players are also enjoying the opportunity to grind these events with a significant prize on the line. In association with Bluff, the WSOP will be crowning a Deepstacks Player of the Series and will award the player at the top a seat into the 2013 WSOP main event. Jose Serratos currently sits atop the Deepstacks series leaderboard thanks to his two victories taking place on June 2 and 6. He earned $86,430 for his two finishes.

The Deepstacks are adding money into the overall poker economy by attracting amateurs and those with smaller bankrolls. They're keeping players around a hotel that is challenged due to its isolation from the Strip and they're encouraging participation with a great prize. How will the WSOP improve on the Deepstacks effort from here? I think that once WSOP.com is active that they'll utilize the Deepstacks as a way to get more people into the Rio, but as for right now, why change anything? It's hard to argue with the success.

Since Black Friday, or even the passage of the UIGEA years before that, players and fans gather before the start of the WSOP and wonder if the game's time in the spotlight has permanently passed by. Contrary to that sentiment, the WSOP boasts record numbers year after year, but for one valid reason or another (there are many), doubt fills the consciousness and makes me, and probably many others, ask every May if the players will show up for another stint in Vegas. If you build it, will they come?

After 10 days of the 2013 World Series of Poker, I echo the words of Papi on DLHQ and say I am very intrigued. The Rio has been filled with a rejuvenation of the game, a feeling of excitement, and has crowned 10 first-time winners out of the 11 champions. Sure, there have been field sizes this year that fell short, but unfathomable turnouts, like the one witnessed in the Millionaire Maker, prove that the game is alive and well on even the smallest scale. Getting more than 5,000 players to enter that event solidified in my mind that there are still those who dream of poker success while playing at their home games and not just the small circle of professionals who travel the circuit and, as Brad Willis put it recently, just take each other's money. Those are the players who can keep the economy alive and the WSOP thriving. Poker is still a game for the masses, and the WSOP, unlike any other tour or venue, can put the game on a pedestal and prove to all that we, as an industry, aren't going anywhere.

I'd love to put up a table that offered side-by-side comparisons of turnout so I can support my statement with ease, but what the WSOP has done is optimized its schedule and shifted events around, which essentially makes comparison impossible. For example, the $5,000 no-limit Event 2 managed a field of 481 players, a disastrous result when you compare it to last year's 1,001 in the same event. The key difference is that last year's $5,000 took place right before the main event and capitalized on the influx of players. The best way to look at year-over-year turnout is the weekend events, but nothing from last year can compare to the Millionaire Maker.

Highlighting the eight-game struggles is important, as it fell to 388 players from 477 in 2012. Timing may have played a role, but perhaps more important, the massive buy-in events that took place in Macau isolated a good number of pros who would play in this event. Similarly, the ISPT offered a conflict with the WSOP and attracted WSOP regulars like Michael Mizrachi, forcing them to miss the first dozen events. As a result, the player base may have been smaller during the first week.

Now that those events are over, the WSOP once again has no competition and will hope to get back on track even in the lesser-played variations.

Some other general thoughts from the Series so far:

• O Canada! Four champions out of the first 11 events is substantial, and as I mentioned on the Poker Edge on Thursday, I'm going to give a little bit of credit for these results due to the availability of online poker. As we all witnessed during the poker boom, strategy evolved quite often online. Perhaps the additional playing time has helped these champions move in the right direction. Looking at the champs, they have all stated they played online. It might be a stretch, but it makes a little bit of sense. Your counterargument is asking why other countries haven't been more successful, and by even asking that, you're probably taking away any validation from my argument. I'll also throw in Jonathan Duhamel's influence on the country over the past three years and how Canada's player base is bigger than ever.
• The heads-up battle between Matthew Waxman and Eric Baldwin had to be one of the most incredible efforts we've seen in a long time. The majority of the heads-up no-limit play at the WSOP typically lasts a few hands, maybe a dozen; 187 hands just simply doesn't happen. For nearly seven hours, the two battled for every chip, both moments away from victory time after time, and the one at risk just continued to double up. Keeping their composure throughout the match and displaying that aggression isn't the answer all the time is an important lesson to aspiring players. Have another gear and know when it's time to buckle down and grind. Oh, and you want irony? In the next event Waxman played, Baldwin was at his table.
• Dan Kelly has already final tabled two events, including the Millionaire Maker. He's ninth in the WSOP Player of the Year race without a win. Daniel Negreanu owns him and another bracelet winner, Mike Gorodinsky, to completely dominate our league so far.
• How the WSOP hasn't launched its real money site still amazes me, but it's doing a good job promoting it around the Rio. It's offering players who sign up on site chances to win WSOP seats, money, etc. But if the site isn't up and operating soon, the WSOP will have missed this massive opportunity.
• It's been a quiet series for Phil Hellmuth, including a one-hand exit in Event 14. I wonder how long that will last.
• Phil Ivey is 0-fer right now. Before you get all concerned, he did the same thing last year before pulling off five final tables in record time.
• Erik Seidel, John Juanda, Duhamel, Isaac Haxton, Shaun Deeb, Joseph Cheong, Greg Merson and many others are on their way back from the GuangDong Ltd Asia Millions. If you haven't already, you'll start to recognize the names of winners very soon.

Small blinds: Germany’s Niklas Heinecker won the GDAM (approximately $130,000 buy-in) for $4.4 million. In that event, eight players, including Sorel Mizzi, Jeff Rossiter and Haxton, were paid at least $772,870. Ninth place got zilch. Talk about a huge bubble. ... Ultimate Poker has signed a number of pros to its roster, including Jason Somerville, Jonathan Little, William Reynolds and Lauren Kling. It has also been active promoting bounties and bonuses for players in Nevada. ... WSOP.com has announced the WSOP.com Online Championships and the Online Nine. The tournament series will take place in October, and the winners will become part of the Online Nine that will play out the final table in person before the final table in November. ... A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Congress that would legalize online gambling. The bill looks similar to what we've seen in the past and will have a difficult time moving forward. That said, at least there's movement in the fight for legalized federal online poker. ... Jakub Michalak won the aforementioned International Stadiums Poker Tour event. Tournament organizers had to add more than a half million euros to the prize pool to cover their guarantee. ... Eric Crain will enter the final table of Event 12 as the chip leader days after he entered the Event 8 final table as the chip leader. He has placed himself in Player of the Year contention with his finishes thus far. ... After weeks of building the bad beat jackpot across the Caesars properties in Las Vegas, it was finally hit. The quad aces of Sarah Whang beat Robert Kopke's quad kings, and 107 players across the company's card rooms earned $5,982. For losing the hand, Kopke grabbed $182,952, and Whang's win was worth $91,447.

The annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas is underway. On Wednesday, May 29, the 2013 World Series of Poker will begin at the Rio and the eyes of all players from around the world will be on earning the bracelets and cash at the end of the journey. Who will emerge out of nowhere to become a household name as Greg Merson and Ben Lamb did over the past two years? How will perennial favorites Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth fare? Who will be the touted pro who struggles to the surprise of many? If I could answer all these questions, I'd probably be living in Vegas and a lot richer. But I can't and nobody can. That's what makes the annual WSOP fantasy draft all the more fun.

On Thursday, May 23, the draft was held over conference call. Some drafters were at tournaments while others were at the slot machines hoping to really get that "Wheel of Fortune" bonus to appear. Did you really expect anything less? The trash talking was held to a minimum and within an hour we were done with 10 teams filled with the game's elite. Three new owners - Jason Somerville, Matt Glantz and the all-knowing Kevin Mathers - entered the fray this year, joining returning drafters Daniel Negreanu, Lance Bradley, Chad Holloway, Steve "Chops" Preiss, Eric Baldwin, Josh Brikis and me for an eight-round draft where each of us hoped to predict the players who would dominate the Vegas felt.

Now, before we get to the draft, if you haven't already scrolled down (which I assume you have), I'll brag for a minute. Last year my team dominated. On the backs of Hellmuth, "The Original" David Baker, Nick Schulman and Chris Bjorin, my team put up nearly 200 points more than runner-up Dwyte Pilgrim's team. After seven years of drafting, I had earned my first win and I'm hoping to do to it again. My strategy for 2013: draft players who are proven talents who will hopefully stay away from the Open Face Chinese action long enough to win bracelets. Seems pretty straight forward.

The teams are below, along with some analysis. Teams can add/drop one player throughout the WSOP at any point. I'll update the transactions and standings mostly on Twitter and I'll recap the summer later on this year. We know we missed many talented players (Tobias Reinkemeier, Carlos Mortensen, Gavin Smith, Joe Tehan, David Bach, Frank Kassela, Alexander Kostritsyn, Jonathan Duhamel, Eric Froehlich, David Williams, Allen Cunningham, Andy Bloch, Oleksii Kovalchuk, Matt Hawrilenko, etc.), so feel free to weigh in the comments section and tell us who we got right and which players you would've added to your squad. We know there will be players who surprise us this summer, but just like your fantasy football and baseball drafts, we put on paper our teams that we believe have the most potential during the 2013 WSOP.

Good luck to all the players, and fantasy owners, over the next seven weeks!



My thoughts: If you're looking for a list of players who will be in attendance day in and day out at the WSOP and playing in all the biggest events of all formats, now you have it. There were a few changes from last year, but these 10 players should be the ones who draw the most attention, and cash, this summer. Negreanu going No. 1 for the second year in a row is no surprise at all, especially considering the run he's on. Ivey being available at No. 2 makes him a no-brainer, although even Daniel recently argued that if he could choose himself or Ivey, he'd probably take Ivey. There's one question mark here and I'll get to that in just a second.

Best value: Glantz - Hellmuth. Listen, I know that the majority of us look at the prospect of Negreanu, Ivey, Mercier, etc. as the nuts when it comes to this sort of thing, but if we look back over the past three years, Hellmuth, with his twin runner-up finishes in the WSOP Player of the Year race, is probably the most consistent out of anyone drafted. He's no one-trick pony and plays all the games despite whatever stigma there is about his mixed-game talent. Hellmuth comes to play each summer and has a drive to win unlike any other. He leads the WSOP in lifetime cashes and victories and Glantz getting this talent at No. 7 is a steal. In full disclosure, if Somerville took Mercier, I would've taken Hellmuth in an instant.

Biggest stretch: Negreanu - Volpe. Volpe was definitely in the top 30 on my list, but not the top 10. That said, it's hard to argue with this pick. Volpe has been one of the hottest players on tour since his deep main event run in 2012 and recently won two events at the EPT Grand Final, which should give him some added motivation to begin the Series. Here's my concern though: If you look down Volpe's tournament résumé you see primarily success in no-limit hold 'em. Negreanu is a veteran of this draft and knows that you'll need mixed game success at high buy-ins. I'm sure he didn't make a mistake here. Even if Volpe doesn't dominate the mixed-action felt, he should be able to put together a few deep runs that can get Negreanu big points in the hold 'em events.



My thoughts: See my thoughts in Round 1. Brikis completely stole my pick with Seiver at 16 and honestly, I'm surprised he fell that far. This is another round of pure talent in all formats. There's an argument to be made for most of these players for why they weren't taken in the first round and I think when all is said and done, this round of 10 may outscore the first 10. Last year, the second round was the fourth most productive. Oh, and for those who were trying to figure out which David Baker went in the first and second round, it all depends on which one has the better summer.

Best value: Holloway - Selbst., Brikis - Seiver To choose the right player to put in this spot was difficult and I couldn't choose just one. One of the great things about Vanessa Selbst is her motivation to always improve. She seeks out the best resources, becomes an expert, dominates, then finds the next challenge. When Selbst goes deep in a no-limit event, she reaches the final table. You don't see too many min-cashes from her and when we think about the bonus points available in large field no-limit hold 'em events, she seems like the perfect fit. Seiver has been red hot since 2009. He already has 10 cashes this year, including a victory in the $100,000 Super High Roller at PCA, a semifinal finish at the National Heads-Up Poker Championships and back-to-back final tables on the EPT High Roller tour in April and May.

Biggest stretch: Feldman - Glantz. On first look at the list, I'm sure many of your reactions probably pointed you to Baldwin's pick of Ausmus. It might be a small stretch to pick the October Niner in this round, but my taking of Glantz barely takes the honors. We know a few things about Ausmus that validate the selection: He's a local, wants a bracelet, playing very well currently and cashed a whole lot at the WSOP last year. Nobody doubts Glantz's ability in the least. He's a mixed game star with a high-stakes cash game background who has done everything on the WSOP but win. Volume is a slight concern of mine and he'll need to do better than two cashes in '12 to have validated a pick in this spot from me. I think the pressure of him being a drafter got to me. Prove me wrong, Matt.



My thoughts: The third round was all about variety. Oh, and a guy that I'm sure at least half of the people reading this have never heard of before. Chops takes Cheong and if you're even questioning that selection and are merely recalling Cheong's WSOP main event final table, you haven't been paying attention. Cheong is one of the leaders on the money list in 2013 and has most recently been enjoying success in high roller events around the word. I love that pick here and with so many close calls, I'm sure Cheong is finally ready for that WSOP win. Bonomo, Grospellier, Racener, etc. are really good value picks here

Best value: Bradley - Grospellier, Holloway - Seidel. There was probably nobody on the call who wasn't angry to hear Grospellier's name get called. Bradley secured a true talent late in the third round who has found the money often after an underwhelming 2012 WSOP. Grospellier has earned seven figures in four of the past five years. Seidel has been a first-round pick for as long as I can remember. He had a "quiet" 2012 WSOP with six cashes, but has cashed for more than six figures three times since last August. This could be the steal of the draft.

Biggest stretch: Negreanu - Gorodinsky. The only reason Gorodinsky is in this spot is because I needed to spotlight his efforts. Gorodinsky has a history of success in mixed game events. He won the 8-game Championship at PCA in 2010 and 2012, made the final table of the 10-game at the WSOP last year, plays high stakes cash and, according to his Twitter feed, is ready to make a few bracelet bets. Negreanu is banking on Gorodinsky to break into the poker mainstream this summer. We'll see, but even so, I don't think anyone else would've taken him at this point in the draft.



My thoughts: This was probably the most unpredictable round of the draft. The majority of the picks, even though they probably didn't come in the order I would've foreseen, are safe selections in my mind and this was the pivot point for most of the drafters who looked for risks from here on out. These 10 are players capable of multiple deep runs, player of the year contention and strong mixed-game knowledge. Shak obviously gets additional attention this year based on his incredible year and Negreanu once again takes a player who didn't make many draft lists but cashed in seven events of all varieties last year.

Best value: Holloway - Lichtenberger. For some reason, Lichtenberger tends to fall off the poker radar sometimes. His cool demeanor isn't to be mistaken for weakness at the felt and out of everyone in this round, he's the guy who given his past, can make the most noise. Lichtenberger cashed eight times at the WSOP in Vegas last year and made two final tables. He made a third final table at WSOPE.

Biggest stretch: Glantz - Chan. Was last year an anomaly or was the 10-cash WSOP performance something that we should expect once again from Chan this summer. The value is good for Glantz if he's able to repeat that number, but last year, he didn't make a single final table which meant his efforts held little fantasy value. Chan has an eye for the money, but a final table is a must to warrant a fourth-round pick.



My thoughts: The players here tackle a wide variety of talent on the poker spectrum. Esfandiari highlights this group coming off a two-bracelet year and the largest pay day in the history of the game. Klodnicki, Juanda, Mizrachi, Mueller, Turner and Parker can play everything, O'Dwyer may be a no-limit specialist, but he's on top of the world right now after his EPT Grand Final main event victory, Gruissem's value lies in the high roller events and Kessler in the past has been an icon of consistency.

Best value: Holloway - Juanda. Juanda remains one of the game's elite and it was extremely surprising that he dropped this far. Holloway was focused during the draft on taking the players who have performed for decades and he made a great choice here. There is no game Juanda won't play and in 2012, he made a final table for the seventh year in a row. The only thing that will prevent him from making it eight is his probable appearance in Macau for a $130,000 buy-in tournament early in the series. A reduction of entries limits his value, but if he's in attendance, he'll be a force.

Biggest stretch: Bradley - Gruissem. It's one thing to be a superstar on the high roller circuit. It's another thing to be a consistent part of WSOP events day in and day out. Gruissem only played in three events in 2012 and with no surprise, they were all $10,000-and-up buy-in no-limit hold 'em events. Gruissem's 2013 includes five cashes for $1.4 million in earnings. He's elite, but if he doesn't play enough, he doesn't warrant the pick here. I think Gruissem could've been a good add/drop for an owner looking to grab him for the $111,111 event and beyond.



My thoughts: Well, give Glantz his first bracelet. All kidding aside, Matros has won a bracelet in each of the past three years and really, why can't he do it again? OK, it's a pretty bold assumption to make, but really not a terrible pick considering his proficiency and edge in the hold 'em variations. Negreanu called Marchese and Sands "one trick ponies" in the fact that they'll either be boom or bust in no-limit events and out of these 10, they're the only ones who fit that profile. Nguyen and Greenstein fall into the Juanda/Seidel conversation with great potential based on a career of success.

Best value: Negreanu - Shorr. I felt this spot belonged to either Shorr or Bjorin. Bjorin only has seven WSOP cashes over the past two years, but out of those seven, he has made the final table in four of them. Shorr averaged 38 WSOP events over the past two years and is ready once again for the grind. He has $1.1 million in career WSOP earnings and had a third-place finish in in the six-handed event last year, falling short to some guy named Greg Merson.

Biggest stretch: Mathers - Sands. There's not much "Doc" hasn't accomplished. He has been the No. 1 online poker player in the world, made deep runs in majors on multiple continents and captured titles that come with money that changes people's lives. He's a stretch here because he needs to make it through the minefield in the no-limit hold 'em events in order to provide value. He definitely has an edge in the $111,111 buy-in with the smaller field, but for the rest of the Series, he'll have to grind through thousands in order to bring points to Mathers' team.



My thoughts: There were a couple of players in here that I didn't see coming. Wattel being the first, Bellande the second and Billirakis for an altogether different reason the third. Except for my pick with Rettenmaier, the other nine are very proficient in all varieties. It may have been a mistake for me to take him, but just like what I said about Sands above, if he's able to go deep in one large-field hold 'em event, the pick is golden.

Best value: Mathers - Billirakis. I mean, pretty much half this round was great value in the seventh. The reason why Billirakis gets the vote here is that not much has changed for the 2012 first round pick. He still is one of the toughest competitors in any game and while he has been quiet on the live tournament felt since last year's WSOP, he's living in Vegas and is expected to be active at the Rio this summer.

Biggest stretch: Chops - Wattel, Baldwin - Bellande. If this were a fantasy football league, picking Wattel here would've been like taking a kicker before the last round. No, this is not a slight on his game, but the fact that I can't imagine anyone else was going to take him at this point. Wattel has five WSOP final tables since 2009 with three coming in $10,000 buy-in non-hold 'em events. Those are some big points there. He has one WSOP bracelet (won in 1999) and $2 million in tournament earnings throughout his career. Now, as for JRB, he's definitely good for one solid run, perhaps in the main event, but the WSOP grind hasn't been Bellande's friend over the past few years and I'm not sure why that will change in the coming weeks.



My thoughts: After looking at the final 10, we should've drafted a few more rounds. The talent pool is deep and seeing how the draft ended left with numerous names on my draft list that weren't taken. Negreanu absolutely nailed his final pick with Lisandro. The five-time bracelet winner is a machine in the non-hold 'em events and is always good for a final table or two during the Series. I'm very surprised he didn't go earlier considering he was taken in the second and fourth rounds in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Best value: Somerville - Haxton. I know I just said that Negreanu hit perfectly with Lisandro, but Somerville's addition of Haxton gives him a strong multi-game threat in the final round. Haxton essentially had six min-cashes in Vegas last year and will definitely be a factor in the big buy-in events again in 2013.

Biggest stretch: Chops - Robl. If he leaves the Macau cash games then Robl might be a solid last pick. If he prefers to stay pat, I don't know how much value he'll provide for Chops' team. Robl won the Aussie Millions AU$100,000 challenge earlier this year, so if he's going to make an appearance in Vegas, it will probably be for the $111,111 event.

Ten teams and 80 players down and so many more talented individuals not selected. It will interesting to see who the add/drops will be and what player not drafted will prove us all wrong as usual.

Here's the scoring system:

1 point for making the money

2 points for making the top 50

5 points for making the top 20

10 points for making the final table (up to a tournament with a field size of 100 players), then one additional point for each 100 players after that

then:

1 additional point for ninth

2 additional points for eighth

4 additional points for seventh

6 additional points for sixth

10 additional points for fifth

15 additional points for fourth

20 additional points for third

30 additional points for second

40 additional points for first

Double points will be awarded for all events with buy-ins of $10,000 or more. For every event that a player makes the money, additional points will be awarded based on the field size. One point will be awarded for every 100 players in the field. For example, if there are 300 players and a player makes the money, three additional points will be assigned.

Points are only awarded for in the money finishes. The final table is defined as top nine in hold 'em, eight in mixed, seven in lowball, six during short-handed events (with the exception being the four-handed event), eight in heads-up (5-8th will be awarded fifth, etc.).

Editor's note: Matt Glantz will be one of the drafters in ESPN.com's Fantasy Poker draft that will be held later this week. To assist in his preparation, he consulted with his friend Allen Bari with a hope of creating a cheat sheet on which he can rely. The percentages and opinions are based purely on their experiences playing with these individuals. While they'll admit they haven't included everyone, they feel that this is a strong list of players who will compete daily for WSOP gold this summer.

Phil Ivey

Matt Glantz (MG): Ivey is without a doubt the most overrated poker player in the world. That being said, he is also clearly the best of the best in poker. He plays all the mixed games, and while his fundamentals are slightly lacking, his sick sixth sense and red-eyed stare is like no other player out there. (I'll give him a 35 percent chance to win a bracelet.)

Allen Bari (AB): For whatever reason, Ivey dominates poker tournaments. I have come to the conclusion that it is because he finds a secret way for everyone to play as badly as possible against him. His image at the table is his biggest advantage. Overall, he plays all the games well but does have significant fundamental flaws that he overcomes using all of the above. (I'll give him a 38 percent chance to win a bracelet.)

Daniel Negreanu

MG: Nobody tries harder than this guy. He's been around forever and is considered "old school," but he has been able to adapt to the changes in the game. Negreanu went from 0 to 60 in three years flat in terms of no-limit fundamentals and, like Ivey, he plays all the mixed games. After his WSOP Asia Pacific effort, he has a substantial lead for the WSOP Player of the Year and total focus on that goal will be his strength. (37 percent)

AB: Negreanu has been on a heater lately and although I think he is even more overrated than Ivey, he plays no-limit well and has an amazing ability to read others and to get other players to do whatever he wants. It's almost a shame that he struggles at most of the other mixed games and doesn't realize it. (26 percent)

Jason Mercier

MG: The guy wins tournaments. He wins tournaments like it's his job. It is his job. Mercier plays all the mixed games and has strong fundamentals in each discipline. (34 percent)

AB: Hands down, the best pot-limit Omaha tournament player, and he has proven it with his two bracelet victories in the discipline. He is also an extremely fundamentally sound player in all other forms of poker. Mercier has spent an immense amount of hours grinding high-stakes mixed cash games both online and live and is due for a win in another form of poker beside pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold 'em. (32 percent)

Barry Greenstein

MG: His nice demeanor at the table is very deceiving for younger players new to the game as Barry will run over his opponents if he feels he has the opportunity. He has a tremendous amount of experience in all the mixed games and a poker instinct rare for guys his age. (17 percent)

AB: Nicest guy at the tables, but he seems as though he's lost a bit of the edge that he had in the past. However, his experience and overall skill and knowledge at the mixed games makes him a favorite over any mixed-game field at the WSOP. That and the fact that his image is usually crazy at the tables, while his style isn't, gives him a good edge. (20 percent)

Eugene Katchalov

MG: Katchalov travels the world nonstop for tournaments all year round and the WSOP is probably a nice change of pace for him to be in one place for six weeks straight. He plays all the games well and has a shot to reach the final table in every single tournament he enters this Series. (26 percent)

AB: For a long period of time, Katchalov has accomplished much in all forms of poker He shows an immense amount of patience at the tables and has been on a recent health kick that should give him increased stamina during the long days this summer. He also speaks Russian so he'll be able to schmooze with the Russians at his tables during the high stakes mixed game events. There is an advantage there. (23 percent)

Michael Mizrachi

MG: Mizrachi displays a lack of fundamentals in all games, but has all the intangibles that make for a great tournament player. He has an understanding of his opponents' mindset better than anyone else in poker, and that has made him one of the most successful tournament players in poker history. He has won the Players Championship twice at the WSOP and is an unstoppable force when rushing at the poker table. (19 percent)

AB: If you watch any video of him playing poker lately, you'd think he was in the middle of a "lose all your chips as fast as possible" competition. He should be thankful for the fact that he has won anything in poker, let alone two $50,000 buy-in Players Championships. If there were no luck in poker I would give him a 0 percent chance of winning a bracelet, but since he somehow manages to win here and there, I will give him a 6 percent chance. (6 percent)

Shawn Buchanan

MG: You hardly know Bucky is even at the table when playing poker with him. Usually hidden behind a hoodie and dark sunglasses, he's quiet as a mouse. He plays all the mixed games and is always paying attention and calculating his next move. That combination is what makes Bucky a great bet to final table any event. (32 percent)

AB: He is by far the most underrated poker player out there that nobody really knows about. He is one of the best mixed game players I have ever played with, and has some of the best patience I have ever seen. He never lets anything at the table bother him or affect his game. (34 percent)

Erik Seidel

MG: Always the most mild-mannered guy at the table and is quite the no-limit beast for an older guy. He plays all the mixed games and has a way of getting players to react to him in the way he wants. (17 percent)

AB: He has applied many things to no-limit that I personally think are innovative and perfect for today's young aggressive style that has become the norm. He seems to have less experience in the mixed games than the other old-time pros but seems pretty proficient nonetheless. (24 percent)

John Juanda

MG: Very deliberate in his actions, Juanda is one of the slowest players at the WSOP. He takes his time and yours making all decisions and plans hands out well in advance. He plays most of the mixed games well. (14 percent)

AB: Juanda plays above average at no-limit and most of the other games from my experience. One of his biggest advantages is the fact that most people dislike him within minutes of playing with him which, if he takes advantage of, can benefit him. (18 percent)

Marvin Rettenmaier

MG: Crushing no-limit tournaments in Europe and on the World Poker Tour should give him confidence to do the same in the big bet events at the WSOP. (10 percent)

AB: Rettenmaier has done well in no-limit events as of late, but he has little experience in the mixed games, so he has little shot to win a bracelet. If he somehow learned how to play mixed games in the next few weeks, I would imagine he would have a little bit better of a shot. (8 percent)

Phil Hellmuth

MG: Hellmuth has a total lack of fundamentals, but his unmatched determination combined with an incredible understanding of his opponents' thoughts make him the player that I think is most likely to win a bracelet in 2013. He amazing success is attributable to skills that are very hard to quantify. (39 percent)

AB: Hellmuth is a complete anomaly that exists in poker. I don't care what anyone says, limping the button with 12 blinds with any hand, or any of the other plays he makes, is completely and utterly awful. However, he finds other ways to compensate for the fact that he chooses to do the exact opposite of everyone that has poker fundamentals. He also seems to play the mixed games overall well from my experience and finds really good spots to pull off good bluffs. (28 percent)

Scott Seiver

MG: Seiver is a beast at big bet games and reckless in mixed games. He's very smart and always a threat to play for stacks. He has a lot of determination at the table and makes for a good pick. (24 percent)

AB: Seiver has curly hair, a beard and a good poker mind. Whether he chooses to apply that poker mind on any given day is the question. When he's on his A game, he is a big favorite over any field in any game. (25 percent)

Bertrand Grospellier

MG: Competitive drive combined with super high intelligence make "ElkY" a threat in any game. Not known for his mixed game prowess, he can find a way to win in any format. He's always friendly at the table and that makes his deception all that much easier for him to pull off. He is an artist. (16 percent)

AB: Grospellier seems to play pretty standard from my experience with him, which might not be enough these days to overcome the advanced aggressive play out there. He has a lack of knowledge in mixed games, even though he somehow won a $10,000 stud event while playing it for the first time ever. He's smart and has a good poker mind, which gives him a decent chance to win a bracelet. (14 percent)

Daniel Alaei

MG: Alaei tries so hard to win at everything he does. He's always willing to gamble with small edges and he's become a true force at the table. Most players find him difficult to play against, and for good reason. (23 percent)

AB: Alaei has one of the best images at the poker table I have seen. He also has a great poker mind and is very good at applying it to any game he plays. (29 percent)

Scott Clements

MG: A pot-limit Omaha beast, Clements is great at all the mixed games. He plays a more conservative style than most players on this list and has found much success in the past. Easy guy to root for. (18 percent)

AB: Clements is a tough player with a good knowledge of all mixed games and a constant desire to learn more from other good players. Dresses well and is well-liked at the poker table. (25 percent)

Dan Kelly

MG: He's an online machine. DJK was crushing mixed games online before any other young kids even knew what mixed games were. He is like a younger, more scientific version of Shaun Deeb. (35 percent)

AB: Plays all the mixed games well when he wants, but similar to a lot of other top players, he doesn't always seem to be there. However, his experience and overall skill edge over the soft mixed-game fields make him a big favorite. Not to mention he is a beast at no-limit as well. (30 percent)

John Racener

MG: Most people know John for his second-place finish in the main event a few years back, but not many realize he is a great all-around mixed-game player, which gives him a great shot to make a few final tables this summer. I would like to have a piece of this guy for the series. (33 percent)

AB: A very underrated mixed-game player. I have a lot of experience talking and playing with him, and he is a huge favorite over these fields. That and his patience in all forms of poker, no matter how few chips he has (as shown in his main event final-table appearance), make him a good pick this summer. (25 percent)

Chris Klodnicki

MG: As I like to affectionately call him "my monkey," this kid has won me more money in the last two years with swaps and pieces than I care to admit. It is disgusting. He is truly one of the best no-limit minds in the world today and not so bad at mixed games either. (33 percent)

AB: Runs like Mercier, plays almost as good as him, and looks good while doing it too. As long as the Open Face Chinese action isn't too crazy this summer, I expect him to finally win a bracelet. He has logged a lot of hours playing mixed cash games since Black Friday and has crushed no-limit since he started playing full time. He also talks poker with one of the greatest minds out there. (30 percent)

Alexander Kostritsyn

MG: Does anyone know if he is going to show up this year? He's a great all-around player and is super tough in all the mixed games. If he plays a full schedule ... (30 percent)

AB: Doubt he will be around, let alone playing too many tournaments. Has a great poker mind, and has done well playing online cash. (15 percent)

Shaun Deeb

MG: Of all the great young poker players, Shaun is the best. His table demeanor is his biggest asset. He plays tournaments well, cash games great and big-bet games at the highest level. He's competitive with the elite in mixed games and I love his chances this summer. (37 percent)

AB: He is one of the greatest poker minds out there. Too bad his trigger finger can't help itself. He finds a way to spaz off in every tournament, even though lately he has found a way to control himself. Open Face Chinese action will determine his schedule this summer, but if he plays he has a good shot to win any tournament he buys into. (30 percent)

Isaac Haxton

MG: Such a poker savant. If game theory wasn't invented yet, this guy would have taken care of it. Fortunately, there is much variance in poker, which gives everyone else a chance. It's also fortunate that he doesn't venture into mixed games. He has the highest chance of winning a bracelet for anyone not playing mixed games. (17 percent)

AB: A great poker player who has had a small amount of experience in mixed games. Hangs out with a bunch of other smart poker players in their mother's basement somewhere in Europe, which allows them to constantly throw poker ideas off each other. Only thing holding him back from winning a bracelet is his lack of hours in mixed games. (15 percent)

Phil Galfond

MG: One of the greatest minds in poker who holds the unique ability to teach poker well. He's tops in the big-bet games and decent in mixed games. He's a threat in every event he plays. (27 percent)

AB: One of the most well-respected poker players and for good reason. Galfond has crushed online cash games since the day he created a screen name. He has a great demeanor at the poker tables and has a huge edge over most fields this summer. (20 percent)

Nick Schulman

MG: Always a tough competitor, Schulman plays all the games super well. He excels at both cash and tournaments. He's like a junior Ivey. (33 percent)

AB: Nick has played poker for a long time and has been crushing since the start. He's logged many hours in mixed games and has consistently done well. He already owns two bracelets in 2-7 single draw. (20 percent)



David Sands

MG: Sands is the most confident no-limit player you will find in any tournament. He's very tough to play against, takes his time with every decision and plans well ahead. He falls into the elite group of highest chance to win a bracelet without mixed-game experience. (17 percent)

AB: A great no-limit player, but has minimal experience in any other form of poker. The fact that he probably won't even buy into anything but no-limit and pot-limit Omaha make him a dog to make any real noise. (6 percent)

Jeffrey Lisandro

MG: Super tough in all forms of stud and is very good in the other mixed games. He's not too much of a threat in no-limit hold 'em, but is great in pot-limit Omaha. (15 percent)

AB: Above average in mixed games, although he has leaks in his fundamentals. I'm not sure how much he will be playing this summer. (15 percent)

Sorel Mizzi

MG: Mizzi is always looking to get better. He takes the game seriously and is always improving. He's tough in all the mixed games but no-limit is his real bread and butter. (21 percent)

AB: He's a relentless poker player who has been on a mini-heater lately due to his third-place finish in the 100,000 event in Monte Carlo. He has a limited, but fair amount of experience playing online mixed cash and various tournaments throughout the years, but has shown the ability to catch on to the strategy of any form of a poker tournament. (20 percent)

David "Bakes" Baker

MG: Very good at the mixed games and always seems to make it to the final table in those events. He's skilled at all games. (23 percent)

AB: If there were only mixed-game tournaments at the WSOP, he would probably win all the money. However, through reading updates of recent no-limit events, it appears as though the constant three and four-betting has started to confuse him and he seems to find any opportunity to get massive amounts of chips in the middle with mediocre hands. Regardless, he is a big favorite over any non-NL field. (30 percent)

David "ODB" Baker

MG: David is basically a west coast version of myself, just slightly better in each game. He is likely to make at least two final tables and they could come in any game. (32 percent)

AB: One of the most patient, talented poker players who has been around as long as he has. He is a beast at all mixed games and is also a favorite in any no-limit field. He's coming off a big summer at last year's WSOP which will be almost impossible to repeat, but I would bet on him to be able to repeat it. (30 percent)

John Monnette

MG: If all the tournaments were mixed games, John would be my pick. Unfortunately for John, there are many no-limit and pot-limit Omaha events, which are not his forte. Still love his chances. (28 percent)

AB: Far and away one of the best mixed cash players to frequent the high stakes scene. If there were zero no-limit tournaments this summer, I would take him without thinking twice to be the No. 1 pick; however, the fact that his no-limit game is weak and that he is most likely going to be logging in a lot of cash game hours make him not as easy of a pick as most would think. He is also the most likely candidate of being banned from the Rio for ripping too many decks. (25 percent)

Jonathan Duhamel

MG: Former main event champion and for good reason. One of the most skilled no-limit players on the circuit, his fundamentals are outstanding and he takes advantage of all opportunities presented to him at the table. High as I will go for a non-mixed games player. (17 percent)

AB: His ability to crush no-limit tournaments since he broke through the scene after winning the main event does not make up for the fact that he has no shot in any mixed-game field. He has an amazing poker mind, but just has no need to log in the hours playing mixed cash. (8 percent)

Matt Matros

MG: Limit hold 'em is Matt's game and he's not too bad at no-limit either. He's one of the nicest guys in poker and a true pleasure to be with at the table. He's won a bracelet in each of the past three years, but even I can't make him 100 percent to win.(21 percent)

AB: One of the overall smartest poker players out there, especially away from the table. He is relentless and constantly aware of everything going on at the tables. His feat of winning a bracelet three years in a row is amazing and a statistical anomaly, especially when he rarely plays mixed games. He's a massive favorite in the many soft no-limit/limit hold 'em fields this summer. (12 percent)

Brian Hastings

MG: Plays all the games and is very tough in no-limit and pot-limit Omaha. In mixed games, he is on another planet. All around super nice kid. (19 percent)

AB: Hastings is a really good no-limit and pot-limit Omaha player. I'm unsure if his cash-game abilities transfer that well to tournaments. Very good at mixed games ... for the prize pool. (11 percent)

Vanessa Selbst

MG: One of the most feared women in all of poker. Just kidding. One of the most feared players in all of poker. Nobody wants to be on her right in a no-limit tournament. Now that she knows all the mixed games fairly well, she is a great threat to win another bracelet. (23 percent)

AB: One of the greatest poker players in the world, male or female. I have said this before: I have never seen anyone fight for every pot they enter as she does. She has found and will find a way to win in any form of poker tournament. I just hope she doesn't find a way to punt it off in no-limit. (24 percent)

Matt Glantz

AB: As long as they replace all the bracelets this summer with bars of chocolate, he will fight until the bitter end. He has more hours of experience playing mixed game cash than anyone else out there. He looks old but plays like a young kid for the most part, and that allows him to accumulate chips in all forms of poker. Also, he hasn't won a bracelet, so he's hungry. Both literally and figuratively. (30 percent)

Allen Bari

MG: Bari is only planning on being in Vegas for two weeks this summer, so while I won't say he has no shot to do any damage, it's going to be hard. He plays all the mixed games very well, but no-limit might have passed him by. (4 percent)

The main event at the EPT Grand Final struggled in attendance, but the final table made poker enthusiasts around the world forget about the 20 percent year-over-year decline in participation. A star-studded final few tables ultimately resulted in a battle between eight faces of the game: Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Steve O'Dwyer, Johnny Lodden, Jake Cody, Noah Schwartz, Grant Levy and Andrew Pantling. Each had his eye on the $1.6 million top prize, and it seemed fitting that the man who has dominated the European felt since Black Friday reigned supreme. O'Dwyer picked up the victory and the largest score of his career to move into fifth on the 2013 money list.



"People are saying this was the toughest final table of all time, so for me to be able to say that I won is unbelievable. I am in shock," O'Dwyer told PokerStars. "At the start of the final, I knew I needed to get lucky to win because these guys are so good. It's very satisfying to finally have that title."

O'Dwyer wasn't just deservingly talking up his win; every player at that final table has at least $1.8 million in lifetime career tournament earnings. Freddy Deeb (ninth), John Juanda (11th), Victor Ramdin (13th), Andrew Lichtenberger (14th), Kevin Iacofano (17th), Mickey Petersen (18th), Paul Volpe (20th), Luke Schwartz (22nd), Noah Boeken (26th), Oleksii Kovalchuk (28th) and Ville Wahlbeck (29th) also made deep runs out of the 531 entries.

Making his fourth appearance at an EPT final table and second over the past two months, O'Dwyer entered action on the final day with a slight lead over Pantling. Cody, Negreanu and Lodden were essentially knotted up at third through fifth while Schwartz, Mercier and Levy all were "short stacks" with less than 36 big blinds. Each player had plenty of time to maneuver, but the action started quickly as Pantling eliminated Levy within the first hour of play. Pantling took out his second competitor at the final table shortly after, knocking out Mercier who three-bet all-in with Q-10 and was called by Pantling's A-Q. The seventh-place result, worth $179,642, was Mercier's largest score since his win in the $100,000 buy-in High Roller at the Five Diamond in December of 2011.

Negreanu, fresh off his WSOP Asia Pacific main event victory, had a rough time moving in the right direction at the start of the day, but regained the momentum as he eliminated both Schwartz and Cody by picking up aces at the perfect time. Negreanu opened, Schwartz three-bet all-in with K-10, Cody four-bet all-in with J-J and Negreanu happily called and watched the board run clean. Moments later, in perhaps the largest pot of the tournament to date, Negreanu dominated Lodden with Q-Q to 9-9 and was set to compete with Pantling for the chip lead. This time the cards wouldn't oblige. A nine on the turn gave Lodden the win and put Negreanu on the short stack. Now sitting with a comfortable stack, Lodden risked a coin flip and finished off Negreanu with A-Q to Negreanu's 4-4. Negreanu's $420,912 gives the Canadian pro his third consecutive year of at least $1.5 million in tournament earnings.



Pantling had control of the match with three remaining and as witnessed on the live stream of the final table, was able to make tremendous reads at key times. However, his reads couldn't overcome O'Dwyer's domination of Lodden. O'Dwyer first doubled through Lodden after a bold four-bet all-in that resulted in a race with (Q-10 over 6-6), then knocked him out by inducing an all-in on the turn with ace-high to O'Dwyer's top pair. Lodden's payday of $612,355 was the highest of his career.



As heads-up play began, Pantling had a 24 big-blind edge over O'Dwyer and maintained that lead as the two swapped small pots for the last hour before the dinner break. When they returned, Pantling came out firing. As it turned out, it wasn't in his best interest. O'Dwyer earned nearly a 3-1 edge after Pantling got creative at the wrong time with 6-3, then found himself in a crazy spot with 10-8 to earn the title. On the final hand, O'Dwyer opened with the 10c-8h and Pantling called. The flop was Js-8s-8d giving O'Dwyer trips to Pantling's flush draw. Pantling checked, O'Dwyer bet and Pantling called. The turn 4s gave Pantling the flush and once again he checked. O'Dywer then bet, Pantling raised and O'Dwyer moved all-in. Pantling called in a heartbeat with excitement, but the eight on the river crushed his best intentions and gave O'Dwyer quads for the victory.



"Thank god I played it bad and shoved the turn, because he would have probably check folded the river," O'Dywer said to ESPN.com via Twitter. O'Dwyer's sights are now set on the Spring Championship of Online Poker.



Here are the results of the 10,000 euro buy-in EPT Grand Final main event in Monte Carlo:

1. Steve O'Dwyer (1.2 million euros)

2. Andrew Pantling (842,000)

3. Johnny Lodden (467,000)

4. Daniel Negreanu (321,000)

5. Jake Cody (251,000)

6. Noah Schwartz (189,000)

7. Jason Mercier (137,000)

8. Grant Levy (103,000)

Small blinds: Steven "Zugwat" Silverman, Tony Gregg and Fadi Jamar chopped the 121-entry 25,000 euro high-roller event at the EPT Grand Final. Silverman earned the extra 15,000 euros as he emerged with the victory. Vanessa Selbst, Body Levis, Chris Moore, Igor Kurganov and Victor Sbrissa, fourth through eighth, also made the final table and earned at least 116,100 euros. ... The PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker began over the weekend. Early champions include Benny Spindler ($2,100 no-limit hold 'em), Paul Volpe ($2,100 badugi) and Ana Marquez ($1,000 no-limit hold 'em rebuy). ... Nancy Birnbaum became the second woman in WSOP Circuit history to win three rings. ... On May 17, the WPT will present "Tiger's Poker Night," an exclusive event hosted by Phil Hellmuth and Tiger Woods. Proceeds go toward the Tiger Woods Foundation. ... Amir Babakhani won the 735-entry PartyPoker WPT Canadian Spring Championship for $442,248. His previous best tournament cash was worth $8,810. The WPT now heads to Vegas for the WPT World Championship and Super High Roller. ... Phil Ivey filed a lawsuit against Crockfords for them withholding his $12.1 million in winnings from a Punto Banco session. Crockfords responded by saying the cards were flawed. ... Rex Clinkscales won the WSOP Circuit Philadelphia main event for $121,097.

The Nuts is a monthly feature that takes a look at the best poker players in the world. This feature aims to produce a list of the best players at the moment. Our panel of 10 is composed of ESPN.com's poker contributors (Bernard Lee and myself), ESPNDeportes.com poker editor Nahuel Ponce, Bluff magazine editor-in-chief Lance Bradley, senior writer Tim Fiorvanti and information manager Kevin Mathers, WSOP.com managing editor Jessica Welman, PokerNews editor-in-chief Donnie Peters, World Poker Tour's Eric Ramsey and Pocketfives' Dan Cypra.

From Melbourne to Florida to the virtual felt, April offered the pros plenty of opportunities for big money left and right and three new faces are part of the top 10 in this month's rankings.

The April highlight for many has been the debut of the WSOP Asia Pacific (APAC) and the additional five bracelets up for grabs in 2013. When the jewelry is up for grabs, the biggest names in the world are sure to attend and the Crown Casino played host to one of the most talked about events of the year. Phil Ivey's reign at No. 1 was in question after months of mediocre online results and a disappointing live tournament run. Doubt had settled into the minds of the panel and it was clear that it was time for the world's best player to make something -- anything -- happen. Ivey came through with a win in the mixed game event at APAC, albeit over a small field of only 81. Feel that his win isn't impressive enough? Take a look at the names that entered that event. Forget the buy-in and prize pool, to beat that field is a great accomplishment and, with his ninth WSOP bracelet, Ivey retained the top spot.

At the final table of Ivey's victory was Daniel Negreanu, whose quest for a fifth bracelet was halted with a fourth-place finish. Just a few days later, Negreanu was over the disappointment as he rebounded to defeat the strong field of 405 in the APAC main event. The victory resonated with the panel as Negreanu, who hasn't been ranked since last May, returns at No. 3. Negreanu spoke on the latest Poker Edge about his plans for the summer and, as the current leader in the WSOP Player of the Year race, he is poised to be as active as ever in Las Vegas.

Jim Collopy, Bryan Piccioli and Aaron Lim earned the three other bracelets from Melbourne and out of that group, Lim's efforts resonated most with the panelists, earning him a spot on the bubble. The Australian has been on an absolute tear as of late with three six-figure scores over the past two months. APAC's non-bracelet High Roller 50,000 Australian Dollar (US$51,000) buy-in event attracted 44 entries and featured a final table filled with star power. Philipp Gruissem defeated Joseph Cheong heads-up for the win and the US$863,386 pay day, but it was Cheong who kept the momentum for the rest of the month, ultimately leading him to his debut on this list at No. 10. Cheong left APAC for Manila and captured the Manila Millions title for $1.3 million, enough to move him over the $8 million mark in tournament earnings for his career.

Marvin Rettenmaier held strong at No. 2 with his ninth-place finish in the pot-limit Omaha event while last month's No. 3, Sam Trickett, dropped to sixth. Besides Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth was the biggest mover this month as he jumped from eighth to fourth with only one cash at APAC. Unlike Dan Shak, who fell out of the rankings after just one month and a fifth-place finish in the pot-limit Omaha event at APAC, Paul Volpe stayed in fifth place with two strong efforts on the WPT and a deep run in an EPT Berlin side event.

The star of the WPT this season, Matt Salsberg, makes his debut this month at No. 7. Salsberg has three final tables, one win and six top-13 finishes during Season XI and has officially transitioned from being considered a celebrity on the felt (for his work on Showtime's "Weeds") to simply another player on a course to poker stardom. Tied with Salsberg at No. 7 is Scott Seiver, who made two final tables at EPT Berlin (third and eighth). Seiver has nine cashes so far in 2013, with his smallest result a $15,110 score.

Some of the other big winners in April include WSOP Circuit champions Kevin Saul (Foxwoods), John Bowman (Cherokee) and Blair Hinkle (Council Bluffs), last year's October Niner Jeremy Ausmus who won the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza II for $121,853, WPT champions Kevin Eyster, Chanracy Khun and Michael Linster, and Daniel-Gai Pidun who defeated a field of 912 players at EPT Berlin. Eyster also recently won $333,680 and his third FTOPS title win a win in the $2,100 High Roller event. He defeated Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro heads-up.

Did we leave out your favorite player? Who should be ranked higher? Who should be completely off the list? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below. Here's a look at March's top 10:

On the bubble

Talk about a big bubble. The panel had a tough time determining the final few spots and as result, this month's bubble is filled with some of 2013's best. Antonio Esfandiari bubbled the WSOP APAC main event final table as well as these rankings. The game's all-time earnings leader (thanks to One Drop), has $353,901 in earnings so far this year. ... Dan Shak's tenure in the top 10 lasted only one month and even with his APAC final table, he fell out of favor with the panel. Shak, still considered an amateur, also took some time away from the felt over the past month. "Too much work and beautiful weather equals don't want to be indoors," said Shak on Twitter. He'll be playing a pretty full WSOP schedule, where he cashed seven times in 2012. ... Michael Mizrachi hasn't cashed in a tournament since February and his win at WSOP Africa, but his record over the past nine years is enough to constantly keep him in this conversation. With the WSOP ahead, Mizrachi's name is sure to reappear on many ballots next month. #&133; Jason Mercier found the winner's circle in the first week of May in the 2,000 euro Chinese Poker side-event at the EPT Grand Final. Will it be enough to push him out of this group next month? It seems unlikely, but possible. ... Not only did David Sands finished second in the WPT Seminole High Roller and 20th in the WPT Jacksonville main event, but he also got married. He continues to sit on the bubble despite $1.5 million in earnings this year and will have his eyes on earning a SCOOP title in a few weeks. ... Viktor Blom's $2 million upswing over the past 30 days has helped his cause, but the true cash game specialist hasn't entered the top 10 yet. His swings are substantial and that may continually limit his potential. ... Alexander Kostritsyn, Phil Galfond and Tom Dwan also received support after their strong online cash game efforts so far this year. ... Tobias Reinkemeier, Aaron Lim, EPT Berlin Highroller champion Griffin Benger, Mike Watson, Dan Smith, Gruissem and Jonathan Duhamel also received consideration this month.

Final thoughts

Bradley:Nobody has had a more mercurial relationship with The Nuts than Daniel Negreanu. He's been as high as No. 2 and some months he's been nowhere near the voting, never mind the top 10. That said, his performance at WSOP APAC has once again put the poker world's spotlight squarely on him. It's interesting to me that the WSOP APAC and WSOP Europe main event champions, Negreanu and Hellmuth, are both on this list but reigning WSOP main event champ Greg Merson, who also won the $10,000 six-max event last summer, isn't on the list - those are two of the toughest no-limit hold 'em events to win.

Feldman: This month was tough on me as a member of the panel. There have been so many outstanding efforts as of late that giving everyone the credit that they deserve is a challenge. The one player that sparks the most debate in my mind is Vanessa Selbst and there is zero doubt that she's among the top 10 in the world. That said, she's been quiet for a few months and watching players like Shak, Lim, Mizrachi, Esfandiari, Mike Watson and basically anyone else mentioned above on the bubble miss is frustrating. At what point do we say, hey, it's been three months with no scores, time to move on? I guess it's a good debate and considering this list is entirely subjective, the exercise is pretty much that.

Salsberg's debut at No. 7 is pretty debatable and I'm struggling to figure out how Joseph Cheong, who has been quietly crushing the tournament arena for years now, falls behind the WPT wiz. Additionally, if we think about the necessity of being a well-rounded player, Salsberg hasn't proved it yet. I do believe he's excelling as a tournament player, but I would've preferred to see him come in at 10, rather than tied with one of the game's annually dominant players in Scott Seiver and ahead of Selbst and Cheong.

The next set of rankings is sure to be an interesting one. May's schedule includes the WPT Championship and High Roller, the start of the WSOP, the EPT Grand Final, the Circuit National Championship and the Spring Championship of Online Poker. Plus, now we get to see the true potential of Nevada's online poker market. It's going to be a very busy month for the industry and for the top 10, it's time to produce.

It's been just over two years since the poker world was rocked by "Black Friday" on April 15, 2011. After the Department of Justice indicted 11 key players in relation to the three major online poker sites, the online poker industry in the United States went essentially dormant. Some professional players chose to relocate overseas to poker friendly countries such as Canada, Mexico and European nations. Others decided to play exclusively live poker. Some even took a well-deserved break.

The tides began to change on Tuesday as online poker officially returned to the United States ... well, at least Nevada. At 9:00 a.m. PT, UltimatePoker.com made history by becoming the first Nevada based online poker company to launch a legal real-money online poker site.

"We are proud to be the first company to deliver legal and secure real-money online gaming to poker players," said Ultimate Poker Chairman Tom Breitling. "We have worked closely with state gaming regulators to demonstrate our unique and compelling poker platform that, above all, players know they can trust. Ultimate Poker is dedicated to being the players' choice for online poker."

"This day has been a long time coming. Online poker in the United States is finally here and totally legit," remarked brand ambassador Antonio Esfandiari.

With this launch, there is finally a glimmer of hope for the U.S. poker player.

"Before Black Friday, 90 percent of my time was spent playing online poker, that's where I made my living," said 2012 October Niner Jeremy Ausmus. "And ever since Black Friday, I became a live grinder ... so, I'm pretty excited about it. It's an exciting development and a step in the right direction. ... If the games are available, I will stay home more and will enjoy the convenience and efficiency of online poker."

Availability is the key question thus far. As the legal online poker market develops, building a substantial player pool is essential.

"I'm cautiously optimistic, but excited after not being able to play online poker for two years," said Eric Baldwin. "I will definitely be playing at some point, if nothing else to have fun and experience playing online poker again. On days where there is not a great live option in Las Vegas, it will be nice change of pace to be able to play online at home."

As the games launched, the early offerings at Ultimate Poker showed limited stakes, a concern for many.

"Based on the population of Nevada, which is about three million residents, this number is just a drop in the bucket compared to the entire world. I'm concerned that the games will not be big enough for it to be a viable option for professional poker players to make a living," described Baldwin.

"I think it is a step in the right direction and, if the stakes are high enough, it could interest me," 2011 WSOP Player of the Year and bracelet winner, Ben Lamb. "With such a small player field in Nevada, it will be many years before we see the fields like we did before Black Friday."

There's no question that the player pool is the issue, but in the next few months, that may not be such a problem. Anyone within the state's borders can play and with the WSOP coming later this month, the field sizes could dramatically increase during that time.

As a non-Nevada resident myself, I'm looking forward to being able to play this summer during the WSOP. Other players are excited about this launch as well.

Recent WSOP Circuit Council Bluffs main event champion, Blair "blur5f6" Hinkle, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, was the only player ever to win over $1 million in a single event on Full Tilt. He's excited about the recent developments and plans to give the Nevada sites a try in a few weeks.

"I am going to be mostly focusing on my WSOP events, but it will be cool because on my days off, I may test out the site," said Hinkle. "It will be a nice option to have on your days off if you feel like still playing poker. It will be nice and convenient. Overall, this is great news for the poker community."

There is now some hope that this development will lead New Jersey and Delaware to expedite the release of their offerings which are expected later this year. Additionally, other states may follow, eventually leading to a national regulation of online poker.

For now, U.S. poker players, you can begin to come out of hibernation. Welcome back.

The Nuts is a monthly feature that takes a look at the best poker players in the world. This feature aims to produce a list of the best players at the moment. Our panel of 10 is composed of ESPN.com's poker contributors (Bernard Lee and me), ESPNDeportes.com poker editor Nahuel Ponce, Bluff magazine editor-in-chief Lance Bradley, senior writer Tim Fiorvanti and information manager Kevin Mathers, WSOP.com managing editor Jessica Welman, PokerNews editor-in-chief Donnie Peters, World Poker Tour's Eric Ramsey and Pocketfives' Dan Cypra.

WSOP season has officially started. As WSOP-APAC debuts in Melbourne to award the first five bracelets of the year, we're poised to see major changes in these rankings. No one single tournament series can change the perception of who the best are in the game than the WSOP and with additional opportunities for players to shine, the volatility on this list is ready to pick up over the next few months. There's no doubt there are great times ahead in the poker world, now a full two years removed from its darkest day, and as we continue to turn the page from Black Friday, it's also time to mark the end of an era here in these rankings.

Jason Mercier was one of the original faces in "The Nuts" rankings back in December 2009. Originally ranked seventh, Mercier's run to the 2009 Player of the Year award was followed by millions in earnings, both live and online, in every type of game imaginable. Up until 2012, Mercier had made at least seven figures in each of his four years as a pro and when Phil Ivey stepped away from the game, he was the one to emerge as the No. 1 player in these rankings.

The joke of #whenwillitend transitioned from positive to negative in 2012 as Mercier struggled on the felt and openly admitted to a losing year. Down on his luck at the felt, his stock in these rankings fell. From the top spot as recently as May of last year to ninth last month, Mercier would need to come up big in March to stay in the top 10. Despite making some money in the Premier League and running deep at EPT London, one of the true faces of the game is now on the outside looking in. Mercier was the only player since the debut of this list to be present each and every month.

The newly-signed Ultimate Poker ambassador Antonio Esfandiari also fell out of the rankings this month, making way for two of the game's hottest tournament players in Paul Volpe and Dan Shak. Volpe's emergence into the widespread poker conscious began at the WSOP main event, but in reality, those that followed the online space closely knew that his 20th-place run was no fluke. Playing as "paulgees81," Volpe amassed millions in earnings and right at the time of Black Friday, he was ranked as the No. 1 online poker player in the world.

Regardless of where he's played recently, he's found success. Since his main event run, Volpe made back-to-back WPT final tables (finishing second and third), won hundreds of thousands online and is No. 1 in the GPI's Player of the Year race. Volpe debuts in these rankings at No. 5.

Shak, making his debut a No. 6, stands out on this list. The rest of the top 10 are all professional poker players, but Shak, while playing for years and probably convincing many that he's a pro, remains a commodities trader. Shak's 2013 includes an eighth-place finish in the Super High Roller at PCA ($228,960), twin fourth-place finishes in the Aussie Millions majors ($422,279 and $250,201), a runner-up in the 10,000-pound eight-game event at EPT London and just last week, a victory in the Premier League worth $528,000, as Shak defeated No. 3 Sam Trickett for the title.

Shak's win stands out as one of the most impressive in March given the incredible field that participates in the Premier League, but there were many other strong performers during the month. WeiKai Chang earned his first WPT title at Bay 101 (defeating a final table that included Volpe and Erik Seidel), Ruben Visser won the EPT main event (Steve O'Dwyer fifth, Chris Moorman eighth), Talal Shakerchi won the EPT London High Roller (Faraz Jaka runner-up, Volpe fourth) and Rocco Palumbo won the WPT Venice main event (Mike Sexton third, Matt Salsberg seventh).

Trickett's jump from nine to three was the biggest move among the top 10 this month. Phil Ivey retained the top spot despite a tough month online, and as Vanessa Selbst dropped two spots to No. 4, Marvin Rettenmaier's three cashes have him at No. 2. The bottom four, Scott Seiver, Phil Hellmuth, Michael Mizrachi and Dan Smith, had limited success, and with WSOP-APAC, WPT Barcelona, Jacksonville, Seminole and Montreal, LAPT Brazil (featuring Ronaldo's debut), IPT San Remo, WSOPC Foxwoods and Harrah's Chester and EPT Berlin, they'll need to find the money in order to stay in the top 10.

Did we leave out your favorite player? Who should be ranked higher? Who should be completely off the list? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below. Here's a look at March's top 10:

On the bubble

This month's bubble boy was discussed at length above. Jason Mercier fell to the bubble, just edging out Antonio Esfandiari for that spot. Both are definitely among the best in the game, but the past month hasn't featured substantial scores. The bubble debate should truly begin with Matt Salsberg and Tobias Reinkemeier. Salsberg finished seventh at the most recent WPT event in Venice, placing him in a tie with Volpe for the Season XI Player of the Year award. Reinkemeier finished sixth in the Premier League for $162,000 and putting his 2013 tournament earnings at $1.6 million. ... As impressive as both have been on the tournament felt, one player has equaled their efforts in the online cash games. Viktor Blom is back to his winning ways, up nearly $3 million over the past 30 days. The challenge with Blom's inclusion in this list is that his bankroll fluctuates substantially month-to-month and although he's up huge as of the time of this article's posting, by tomorrow, he could be in the red given the nosebleed stakes he's playing. ... Bertrand Grospellier, Chris Moorman (winner of a recent FTOPS event), Mike Watson (who added another $151,160 to his bankroll in March), Tom Marchese, Nacho Barbero and Steve O'Dwyer also received consideration this month.

Final thoughts

Bradley: It's a really small sample size that we're dealing with, but Dan Shak plays extremely well in high roller events. When your day job requires managing financial transactions bigger than most tournament prize pools, it makes sense that he appears to be under less stress at the felt. That alleviation of pressure might give him an advantage in these situations over his opponents who are most likely backed and have extra pressure on their shoulders. As he plays more, we'll see if he's able to keep this run up and gain further in the rankings.

Hellmuth is typically a WSOP performer who managed to space out some impressive performances through tough fields to keep his spot on this list. The next two weeks for him are huge as he'll try to be the first member of the tri-continent bracelet club and after that, he'll have his sights on Vegas. It'll be interesting to see how many people on this list travel to APAC for shots at bracelets versus those that decide to stay at home and play weaker fields in the WPTs at home.

Feldman: My real question this month is if Mercier was able to make the EPT London final table, how high would that have moved him up and how long would it have kept him in the rankings. There really is no doubt that Mercier has all the ability in the world and I have a hard time believing he won't be part of the top 10 for the majority of the rest of the year. When it comes to the WSOP and putting in the grind, few people can put in the effort that Mercier can.

The one part of this month's rankings that caught my eye was the fact that four players received No. 1 votes. This never happened before. Usually it's either unanimous or maybe a vote here and there gets thrown to a second player, but having some of the most dedicated minds of the industry splitting their votes in this manner is intriguing. I still voted Ivey as No. 1 this month, but I'm not sure what I'll do next month. You can't doubt his ability, but this list should be a "what have you done for me lately" list and the answer to that question in Ivey's case is not too much.

I like the inclusion of Volpe and Shak, but they might be a little too high. I feel that we often debut players on this list in that range while I believe they should probably be at 9 or 10 and earn their way up. In any case, we can't doubt their results and congrats to both on earning their way in.

Lance's thoughts on staying at home is spot on. The prize pools may be smaller, but if the best in the best are competing in Australia, this might be the window that others have been waiting for. One consistent in poker strategy has always been game selection ...

History has a way of repeating itself. I mentioned on this blog in early 2010 that things were shaping up to be the "Year of Dan Shak." After all, Shak had been cruising at the Aussie Millions, winning the AU$100,000 challenge and coming in 11th in the prestigious Aussie Millions main event. Add to those scores a 85th-place finish in the PCA main event, and Shak was up $1.2 million in just a few weeks. The rest of the year featured some big scores, including a runner-up finish in Event 46 of the WSOP, but Shak's heater wasn't sustained, and he ended the year outside of the top 20 in both the Bluff and CardPlayer Player of the Year races.



The past few years for Shak have been filled with appearances in the game's highest buy-in tournaments and his share of cashes. Three months into the start of 2013, it appears to be 2010 once again. Similar to his efforts three years ago, Shak had numerous strong finishes in January, finishing fourth in the AU$100,000 challenge, fourth in the Aussie Millions main event and eighth in the $100,000 Super High Roller at PCA. In February, he cashed in the LAPC main event, and, earlier this month, he finished second to Ville Wahlbeck in the 10,000-pound eight-game championship at EPT London.

His pattern of close calls came to an end this past weekend as he earned a victory in the Party Poker Premier League VI, a challenge like no other found on the poker calendar. I sang the praises of this event last year and echo those sentiments again this year as it allows the game's best to compete in an unusual fashion. The pros have numerous opportunities to prove their skill (instead of one simple elimination in a typical tournament). While it is a made-for-TV event with a small field and intriguing structure, winning it is truly an outstanding accomplishment.

Shak qualified for the final table with ease, finishing second (out of eight) in Heat 1, first in Heat 2, third in Heat 3 and fifth in Heat 4. His 39 points offered him a strong third-place stack to begin the eight-handed finale. Shak maintained his ground during most of the first five levels until the elimination of Talal Shakerchi in eighth. The blinds increased quickly during the final table and, at that point, Antonio Esfandiari moved into the chip lead with 42 big blinds while Jennifer Tilly fell to the short stack with only eight big blinds. Tilly, Tobias Reinkemeier and Daniel Cates fell shortly after in seventh through fifth, respectively. With four players left, it appeared to be a three-horse race with Esfandiari, Jonathan Duhamel and Shak separated by just a few big blinds. Sam Trickett trailed by a 25 big-blind margin, but doubled up through Duhamel to put him back in the hunt and, at the same time, lead to the demise of the 2010 WSOP champion.

According to the Premier League, for most of the final table it appeared that Esfandiari was going to add yet another title to his resume, but one unexpected river card changed his fate. Shak opened with A-2 and called Esfandiari's three-bet all-in, trailing the One Drop champion's 9-9. The flop of Qd-7c-2c gave Shak a pair and a river ace made it two pairs, earning him the huge pot and a 2-to-1 lead to enter heads-up play. Shak's lead vanished quickly as Trickett found value in a flush-over-flush situation, but returned shortly after an unorthodox decision by Shak essentially ended the match. On an As-8h-2h-10s-7h board and a pot of only 200,000, Shak moved all-in for 1.1 million. It was a polarizing move that caught Trickett, holding 10-2, by surprise. After a lengthy internal debate, Trickett called and mucked as Shak showed Qh-4h for a flush. Shak eliminated Trickett on the next hand.

"Don't think I've ever played in a tougher field with a tougher format," said Shak via Twitter. "Grueling doesn't even come close."

Shak earned $450,000 for first in the finals, his fourth six-figure score in 2013. He recently was signed as a member of "Team Ivey," a group of professionals supporting the online training site, IveyPoker.com.

Here are the results of the Premier League VI final table:

1. Dan Shak ($450,000)

2. Sam Trickett ($200,000)

3. Antonio Esfandiari ($150,000)

4. Jonathan Duhamel ($125,000)

5. Daniel Cates ($100,000)

6. Tobias Reinkemeier ($70,000)

7. Jennifer Tilly ($60,000)

8. Talal Shakerchi ($45,000)

Small blinds: The Caesars' Cup will be up for grabs again at WSOP-APAC. The Joseph Hachem-led Asia-Pacific team will face off against the Sam Trickett-led European team for the right to face the Phil Ivey-captained Americas team. None of the captains have announced their five-player rosters as of yet, so who would you put on each team? ... Jonathan Taylor captured $138,938, a seat in the National Championship and his third WSOP Circuit ring of the season with his victory in the Lodge Casino main event. You can watch the heads-up battle here. Allen Kessler, Ray Henson, Mitch Schock and Ryan Lenaghan also won titles in Colorado. ... Ruben Visser won the EPT London main event for $895,370. The Dutch pro has nearly $2 million in lifetime tournament earnings. ... October Niner Russell Thomas won this past week's Sunday Million on PokerStars for $219,184. PokerStars also released its first draft of the 2013 SCOOP. ... The DeepStacks Poker Tour is expanding once again, this time to Panama. The event will be held Nov. 6-11 and the winner will earn a seat into the DeepStacks World Championship to be held at Mohegan Sun in December. The DSPT is currently at Mohegan Sun and, starting on Wednesday, the WSOP Circuit will start its first series just a few miles away at Foxwoods. ... Mike Harris won his second Heartland Poker Tour title on Monday in Iowa. The victory, worth $95,663, was his second career cash. Yup, his first cash was also a win. Not bad. ... Raymond Dehkarghani defeated Sam Stein to win the $5,000 Wynn Classic and $235,931. Tom Marchese finished third. ... 888 received its interactive gaming license in Nevada. They will be powering numerous sites across the state, but most notably ones for Caesars (WSOP.com) and Treasure Island.

I wrap up most blogs with the "small blinds" section where I skim over some of the biggest headlines in the world. Think of this entire blog as small blinds on steroids: It's been a very active few weeks in the poker industry.



WSOP Circuit

I've become a huge fan of the WSOP Circuit, and no, it's not because we've started to air all the final tables on ESPN3. I think the organization made some very smart moves over the past few years by finding the right locations, standardizing schedules and, most importantly, making their events re-entry. Prize pools have swelled and it's clear that the value of a WSOP ring is truly increasing.



The other major adjustment the WSOP has made is creating the National Championship. After one year of failure, I do believe it is now a significant event on the poker calendar. It's one of a few events all year where you qualify to get in and at the end of the road, the champion earns a nice shiny WSOP bracelet and a whole lot of money. Oh, and they'll win this bracelet in front of millions of viewers on ESPN.

Last year's National Championship was played out in Las Vegas on the WSOP felt. As thousands made their way down the long convention center hallway to the Amazon or Pavilion Rooms to play in the main event, others competed for a bracelet that hundreds of thousands had attempted to win. It was perfect. I know many players and Caesars staff hate when I say this, but for those some of those qualifiers, it was like playing in the minor leagues all year and finally earning your shot in the majors. The qualifiers had come from around the U.S. and earned their shot in Vegas for a chance to put themselves on the map for good. They weren't alone, either. As introduced last year, the qualifiers were also joined by some of the top 100 players on the WSOP rankings who could buy into the event if they wanted to play. You had the locals playing with the stars and it's a script that writes itself.

Unfortunately in my mind, this year's event stays in the minors. The WSOP decided to move the National Championship to New Orleans and will be held May 22-24. In 2012, 57 players out of the eligible 100 bought in and it was easy because every single one of them was in Las Vegas playing other WSOP events. Now they're asking some of those eligible players to travel to New Orleans to enter. The majority of players on that list are tournament regulars and I'd assume many of them will be in Las Vegas at that time to play in the WPT Championship and High Roller. Then, consider the fact that they'd leave Vegas from the WPT, play in the National Championship and return back to Las Vegas in time for the start of the WSOP. It's a lot to ask.

But maybe the WSOP doesn't want their top 100 to show up. Maybe they want to crown a tour champion from the group of players who put in the effort and traveled around with them all year and couldn't just walk up and buy in. Maybe that's a better story in the end after all.

One player who will definitely be in attendance in New Orleans is Joseph McKeehen who went wire-to-wire at the WSOP Circuit final table in Atlantic City as the chip leader. McKeehen earned $174,147 as he defeated the field of 539.

WPT Bay 101

There's just something about the Bay 101 Shooting Star that makes it one of my favorite stops of the year. Offering bounties on the stars of the game in one of the most popular poker venues in the country always adds another layer of excitement. While other tournaments struggle to keep pace, the Bay 101 main event was the largest Shooting Star in history. The growth to 643 entries could be attributed to a number of factors, with the most substantial being the fact that it became a re-entry event. In a trend consistent with the success of the World Poker Tour, the price point was also reduced from $10,000 to $7,500.



Kai Chang defeated the large field to win the $1.1 million top prize, his first seven-figure score. Chang had cashed on the WPT four previous times (including Bay 101 in 2011), but had never appeared at a televised final table before last week. He returned to action on the final day in fifth place, staring upwards at the first-place stack of Paul Volpe, who held nearly a 100 big blind advantage over Chang. Volpe, who became one of only a few players to own back-to-back WPT final table appearances, finished in third after a second-place performance last week at the LAPC.

After being a dominant force in the online space where he was ranked as the No. 1 player in the world, Volpe has emerged over the past few years as a live tournament monster. His last nine months include a 20th-place finish in the WSOP main event, cashes on the EPT and WPT, plus the aforementioned two WPT final tables. His earnings during that stretch top $1.4 million, and it's clear that he'll be a prime participant in the 2013 player of the year races.

There was also one more player at the final table who turned some heads: Erik Seidel. After a run in 2011 where he pocketed more from high roller winnings than many players will ever take home in their career, Seidel slowed down a bit. The results have begun to pour in once again with his last three scores all being worth at least six figures. Seidel's fourth-place showing in this event, worth $295,590, was his fifth WPT final table.

Here are the results of the final table:

1. Kai Chang ($1,138,350)

2. Joe Nguyen ($666,740)

3. Paul Volpe ($435,610)

4. Erik Seidel ($295,590)

5. Chris Johnson ($208,910)

6. Joe Kuether ($162,240 )

HPT Golden Gates

If you want to hold a huge low-buy-in event, go to Colorado. Seriously. For the second time in four years, the Heartland Poker Tour thrived as a seven-figure prize pool was created at the Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk. Teresa Hemingway became the third female HPT champion as she defeated the field of 671 to win the latest main event and $226,463. The sales executive from Aurora, Colo., satellited her way into the event for $360 and defeated Jeffrey Yarvhever for the title.

"It's unreal money and it can happen to anyone," said Hemingway to the HPT after her victory. This was her third attempt at an HPT main event.

Perhaps the best part of this successful tournament stop was the fact that due to the storm, airports were closed and getting to the event wasn't even possible for everyone. Although the turnout didn't reach either of last year's fields of 820 (April) and 739 (September), putting up this sort of attendance given the conditions is a huge win for the small-stakes tour.

Here are the results of the final table:

1. Teresa Hemingway ($226,463)

2. Jeffrey Yarvhever ($139,904)

3. Robert Moore ($91,692)

4. Ryan Sweeney ($63,711)

5. Ryan Odonnell ($46,299)

6. Danny Gonzalez ($35,932)

7. Christopher Valdez ($30,195)

8. Gary Germann ($25,163)

9. Travis Northrope ($20,130)

Small blinds: Team PokerStars (Daniel Negreanu, Isaac Haxton and Bertrand Grospellier) defeated Team Full Tilt (Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan, Viktor Blom) in their heads-up challenge that took place at EPT London. The real winners? The Rational Group, which owns both PokerStars and FTP. ... Discussion of online poker bills are getting attention in a number of states with Illinois, Pennsylvania and New York the latest to talk about the topic. ... 647 players at the EPT London main event, down from 691 last season. ... Blake Bohn won the Chicago Poker Classic main event for $288,171. ... Pre-registration is now open for the WSOP.

The Nuts is a monthly feature that takes a look at the best poker players in the world. This feature aims to produce a list of the best players at the moment. Our panel of 10 is composed of ESPN.com's poker contributors (Bernard Lee and me), ESPNDeportes.com poker editor Nahuel Ponce, Bluff magazine editor-in-chief Lance Bradley, senior writer Tim Fiorvanti and information manager Kevin Mathers, WSOP.com managing editor Jessica Welman, PokerNews editor-in-chief Donnie Peters, World Poker Tour's Eric Ramsey and Pocketfives' Dan Cypra.

January was filled with huge festivals like the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and Aussie Millions. It had the return of the National Heads-Up Poker Championships, the Turbo Championships of Online Poker at PokerStars and a buzz that set the tone for 2013 as an action-packed year. February continued the hectic tournament pace with three WPT (LA Poker Classic, Baden and Lucky Hearts) and WSOP Circuit (Palm Beach, Las Vegas and Africa) stops, plus the always-popular EPT Deauville and regionally strong Chicago Poker Classic and Parx Big Stax.

The significant common thread from the month was the success of the smaller buy-in festivals and, perhaps as a side effect, the limited appearances of the players in the top 10 in attendance and in the money. Phil Ivey isn't playing many non-WSOP $1,500 buy-ins these days and he retained the top spot once again despite no tournament results. Marvin Rettenmaier was the month's biggest mover, up five spots and into a tie for second with Vanessa Selbst. Rettenmaier, the reigning Bluff Player of the Year, made his third WPT final table in the past 10 months, this time in Baden. Unlike his last two appearances under the final table lights, Rettenmaier wasn't able to secure the win and instead finished fifth. He also added a small cash from a side event at EPT Deauville.

Scott Seiver moved up one spot with his main event cash at the LAPC while Phil Hellmuth and his unfortunate bubble-prone tendencies last month forced him down two spots to No. 5.

Michael Mizrachi is once again moving up the ranks (sixth) after he won the $3,300 buy-in WSOP Africa main event, defeating a field of 116. The latest win was his fifth cash and third final table of 2013. As quickly as Dan Smith had moved up to third, he's back down to seventh after only one five-figure cash. His quick decline is definitely surprising. Jason Mercier, formerly the top-ranked player, is now approaching bubble territory after another month void of a significant score. And the reigning WSOP champion and Player of the Year, Greg Merson, was the only player to fall out of the rankings this month. He spent most of February in Macau and the world's largest cash games.

Sam Trickett returned to the rankings at No. 9 as a result of his AU$2 million score from the Aussie Millions Super High Roller event. The AU$250,000 buy-in event featured 18 entries, and just like in 2011 when Trickett finished second, the British pro left the Crown Casino and headed to Macau significantly richer.

Did we leave out your favorite player? Who should be ranked higher? Who should be completely off the list? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below! Here's a look at February's top 10:

On the bubble

Greg Merson may have been the only player to drop out of the rankings this month, but he wasn't the closest to securing the No. 10 spot. The bubble boy this month was Mike Watson, who has been a force both live and online for years. Watson began his 2013 at PCA with a third-place finish in the $25,000 High Roller and a smaller cash in a $5,000 side event. He traveled to the Aussie Millions to win the AU$2,500 pot-limit Omaha event and then take third in the six-max turbo. Add in a FTP $1K Monday victory and a few satellite packages for majors around the world and the past few months have resulted in more than $600,000 for Watson. The reality? This success is nothing new for the Canadian star who is approaching the $6 million mark in career tournament earnings. ... David Sands remains on the bubble for the second consecutive month, but he notched two more cashes this past month in Las Vegas to further his cause. He's also Shooting Star at the Bay 101 for the first time in his career. ... Tom Marchese continues to find success at the cash games and finished fourth in the $25,000 LAPC High Roller for $118,030. He hasn't finished worse than fourth in his past six final table appearances. ... Igor Kurganov received some support thanks to hisAussie Millions effort. He is currently fifth on the 2013 money list. Tobias Reinkemeier, Joe Serock, Vladimir Troyanovskiy, Tom Dwan, Bertrand Grospellier, Dan Shak, Alexander Kostritsyn and Jonathan Duhamel also received strong consideration this month.

Final thoughts

Bradley: The first few months of the year are always a little bit slower than the rest of the year, so seeing such little movement this month isn't a shocker. The next few months will see some new faces and names on this list and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Hellmuth and Esfandiari fall off entirely, only to reappear again after a strong WSOP finish.

Feldman:For the second month in a row I'm simply questioning the rank of one player on this list: Michael Mizrachi. It's pretty astounding that the Grinder can continually put up strong results and yet it appears his ceiling on this list is sixth. There may not be a more consistent player in the poker world right now and honestly, I don't know what it would take to persuade the rest of the panel that he should be ranked higher. If Mercier can hold onto a top spot on this list for months without putting up a big finish, why shouldn't Mizrachi find his way into the top 3?

As for February's misses, I think the bubble area pretty much sums up my thoughts. Watson, Reinkemeier and Kurganov are in the top 25 on the 2013 money list and each deserve a spot in the top 10. Out of that group, I'd say Watson deserves it the most. Similarly, Tom Marchese will return to these rankings. His efforts as of late aren't getting much exposure, but he's consistently winning on both the cash and tournament felt.

Finally, the question was #whenwillitend for Mercier? The former No. 1 player has admittedly struggled recently and his run on this list will probably end next month if he doesn't manage a score in March.

There are a few things we can always expect from the L.A. Poker Classic. The Matt Savage-run tournament series is one of the longest operations during the year (Jan. 15-Feb. 28) and typically offers a testing ground for unique events that pave the way for other innovations on the tournament scene each year.

The 2013 edition featured 68 events, including an Open Face Chinese poker tournament; a 30-second shot clock tournament; the "Escalator" (blind levels start at five minutes long, and increase by five minutes each level); the "Eternment" (two-hour levels); and an "All-in or Fold" event.

You can also always expect a stronger-than-standard WPT main event, and bolstered by a ton of satellites, the $10,000 LAPC finale attracted a strong field of 517 entrants.

It was a final table that told the true story of poker with familiar faces looking for stardom and others who were simply trying to emerge onto the public's radar. There was EPT champ Toby Lewis, freshly signed to Team Ivey and owner of millions on the live and online felt. There was Paul Volpe, the former No. 1 online poker player in the world who nearly became the 2012 WSOP main event champion; Jesse Yaginuma, owner of two Borgata titles and 13 WSOP cashes; and Danny Fuhs, who was making his third cash at the LAPC in five years. On the other side of the coin was David Fong, a cash game pro playing in his first World Poker Tour event, and five-year poker veteran Paul Klann, who had a previous top cash of $16,498.

According to the World Poker Tour, Volpe began the final table, and heads-up play, with the chip lead, but it was Klann who added his name to the Champions Club and earned the $1 million top prize with a memorable victory.

Fuhs jumped out to a quick start, halting Lewis' quest for a second leg of poker's triple crown by eliminating him in sixth (A-9>A-10). A few orbits later, Fuhs moved into first by flopping a set and turning a full house against Volpe's two pair. Fuhs extended his lead and eliminated Fong in fifth (A-K>Q-Q) to own nearly half the chips in play. It seemed everything was falling into place and a seven-figure win was in sight for the pro whose previous best WPT finish was a 15th-place finish at the Bellagio during Season VIII ... then the cards turned cold.

For the second time in five hands, Fuhs held A-K and called the all-in of his opponent who held Q-Q. This time, Yaginuma's pair was enough and with the double, moved Klann to the top of the chip counts. For nearly the next 70 hands, the four players simply traded smaller pots until a unexpected blind-versus-blind confrontation left Fuhs essentially felted. Fuhs moved all-in from the small blind with As-7s for 3.7 million in chips (25 big blinds) and Volpe, with a 23-big-blind stack, called for his tournament life holding Ac-Qc. The flop came 10h-9d-7c, giving Fuhs the lead, but Volpe caught runner-runner clubs to win the pot. Fuhs was eliminated by Volpe four hands later.

Volpe eliminated Yaginuma and began heads-up play with nearly a 2:1 edge. Klann was clearly the underdog, already in the hole against someone who had been in this situation plenty of times before online ... then he played the match of his life. After some back-and-forth that left Klann slightly ahead, Volpe doubled up by moving all-in after turning trips with 3-2 against Klann's A-Q on an A-7-2-2 board. Klann doubled back on the next hand (A-J > 10-9), but was still down 2:1 and went back to work. His aggression in small pots was successful and he managed to trail by only two big blinds before doubling up again (K-10 > J-9) and finally eliminating Volpe with Q-5 over 10-9.

"It's amazing. It feels great. It's surreal," Klann said to the WPT after his victory. "My game plan was to be a lot more aggressive heads-up, so that worked out and that's exactly what I did."

Here are the results of the final table:

1. Paul Klann ($1,004,090)

2. Paul Volpe ($651,170)

3. Jesse Yaginuma ($429,810)

4. Daniel Fuhs ($316,650)

5. David Fong ($236,250)

6. Toby Lewis ($193,560 )

The next stop on the World Poker Tour is the Bay 101 Shooting Star, which begins March 4.

Small blinds: With Gov. Chris Christie's signing on Tuesday, New Jersey has officially legalized online gambling. A firm timetable of when games will be available has not yet been released. ... On a similar note, last week Gov. Brian Sandoval in Nevada signed a bill authorizing online poker in the state with the ability to sign compacts with other states to share player pools. I expect the first online sites will be up by this summer in the state. If the sites are smart, they'll try to capitalize on the influx of players during the WSOP. ... It's Team PokerStars versus FTP's Professionals as Daniel Negreanu, Isaac Haxton and Betrand Grospellier will take on Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan and Viktor Blom in a series of heads-up matches for $300,000. ... The Chicago Poker Classic has been attracting some huge fields including a 5,165-entrant $350 buy-in opening event, won by Craig Casino for $169,304. Aaron Massey won the $5,000 heads-up event. ... Congrats to Jonathan Tamayo, who won the latest WSOP Circuit title. You can watch a replay of his victory here. ... A judge in Virginia decided not to rule if poker is skill or luck. ... Chris Moneymaker can still draw a crowd. ... The WPT paid tribute to the late Jerry Buss.

The team at Bluff tackles a tough task every year as it polls a group of 60 industry insiders in an effort to determine the 20 most powerful people in the poker industry. After Black Friday, the names on the list shifted from the biggest poker stars in the world to those who operate behind the scenes. This year's list is intriguing. With politicians, players and innovators of the game, the Power 20 includes individuals who make an impact on the status of the poker world each day.

"You can put 60 individuals from any industry in a room and not be able to come up with a consensus, but I think the list reflects the way the industry thinks as a whole, rather than those 60 individuals," said Bluff editor-in-chief Lance Bradley. "I think the surprise is the way that the industry has grown up over the years. We aren't seeing as many players listed, and that's a sign of maturity."

While much of this list can be debated, I'm not surprised by who sits on top. The Scheinbergs, Isai and Mark, have led PokerStars to become an industry-leading brand, and with their acquisition of Full Tilt last year, their empire has gotten bigger. Add in their online establishment of live poker rooms and the recent acquisition of a casino in Atlantic City and expansion is on the horizon. When PokerStars makes a move, the industry notices. That's why the Scheinbergs are No. 1.

The next two individuals are competitors to PokerStars: Mitch Garber from Caesars Interactive Entertainment and Norbert Teufelberger of Bwin.party. The top three displayed that the panel weighed the online sites as the entities with the biggest voices. Similarly, Zynga's Mark Pincus (No. 8) and Station Casino owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta (No. 9) made the top 10, as they are poised to enter the online poker market when allowed in Nevada. A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, ranked 10th, as he is constantly determining the landscape of the Nevada online poker scene.

Joining Garber from the Caesars contingent is executive director of the World Series of Poker Ty Stewart (No. 5) and CEO and president of Caesars Entertainment Gary Loveman (No. 7). How the leaders of the biggest poker festival in the world -- the single tournament series that defines the poker calendar -- aren't higher is confusing. Without the buy-in of either of those individuals over the past decade, the WSOP doesn't exist in its current form. The counterargument is that online play is available 24/7 365, but there's nothing bigger each year than the WSOP.

Politics will define the future of the online industry, and No. 4 Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, No. 11 New Jersey State Sen. Raymond Lesniak and No. 12 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are three individuals who hold the key to legalization. It's pretty shocking that the panel ranked Lesniak over Christie, considering Christie has the final say, but Lesniak was the one who has pushed for this legislation over the past few years. In any case, Reid's efforts in Washington have been without reward to date, but in order to get a federal bill passed, he would be one of the main drivers. Christie is poised to sign the online gambling bill in New Jersey next week, and that one action will probably have more impact on the game's future than the total amount of the rest of the names on this list combined.

According to the panel, the most influential poker players in the world are Daniel Negreanu (No. 6) and Antonio Esfandiari (No. 20). I'd argue that Phil Hellmuth has more clout than Esfandiari. Guy Laliberte's charitable efforts behind One Drop earned him a spot at No. 17, and poker agent Brian Balsbaugh is No. 14 for the second consecutive year. Poker endorsements aren't easy to come by these days, especially in the U.S., but his clients seem to be doing the best in the industry. For those wondering about Tony Guoga, who checks in at No. 13, his rank comes mostly as his role as owner of PokerNews, not from his playing exploits.

I do believe the panelists did a strong job, but there were a couple of misses. At No. 16 is EPT president Edgar Stuchly. When he took over the reins of the European Poker Tour in 2011, he had economic challenges staring him right in the face. That said, he has continued to make the tour a strong entity and should be higher.

I could basically say the same thing for No. 18 Steve Heller, CEO of the World Poker Tour. I was concerned about the tour's future when the WPT was all about maintaining the prestige of the $10,000 buy-in main event despite dwindling numbers. When the tour realized that wasn't the right direction, Heller, along with president Adam Pliska, made some smart decisions to keep the tour as one of the most prized in the game. The WPT held a leading position in the U.S. for years, and despite rising competition from the smaller tours (HPT, WSOP Circuit, Deepstacks), it has managed to continue to find new destinations poised for success. Keeping these two tours strong is pivotal for industry growth, and their efforts definitely validated higher spots than what they were awarded in 2013.

My last disagreement with the Power 20 is a personal one. No, I'm definitely not saying I should be on this list, but someone from ESPN should be. Without the group of talented individuals in Bristol who work on every tiny detail to get the WSOP aired on TV, the game wouldn't be elevated on a public stage. Similarly, Poker PROduction's efforts in putting the WSOP and the National Heads-Up Championship on TV should have earned it consideration as well. Its efforts are distributed around the world, and poker fans can get a glimpse at the best in the game with its contributions.

Here is the 2013 BLUFF Power 20:

1. Mark and Isai Scheinberg

2. Mitch Garber

3. Norbert Teufelberger

4. Harry Reid

5. Ty Stewart

6. Daniel Negreanu

7. Gary Loveman

8. Mark Pincus

9. The Fertittas

10. A.G. Burnett

11. Raymond Lesniak

12. Chris Christie

13. Tony Guoga

14. Brian Balsbaugh

15. Dominik Kofert

16. Edgar Stuchly

17. Guy Laliberte

18. Steve Heller

19. Matt Savage

20. Antonio Esfandiari

Small blinds:: Police officer Robert Boyko and Patrick Halter chopped the Parx Big Stax main event for $134,269 apiece. ... Former November Niner John Dolan captured the Bounty event title at the LAPC for $19,200. ... Chris Ferguson has reached a civil forfeiture settlement regarding Black Friday. ... The WPT announced two new stops in Montreal in 2013: May 3-9 (CA$3,300) and Nov. 29-Dec. 5 (CA$3,850). ... David Tuthill won the WSOP Circuit main event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. You can watch a replay of the final table here. ... The WSOP released to TMZ that it will name a seven-card stud event after Jerry Buss, who had a major impact on the game and was found at the WSOP felt each year. Out of his four career cashes, his best result was a third-place finish in a seven-card stud event in 1991. ... PokerStars announced it will open Macau's largest branded poker room at City of Dreams. ... The opening event at the WSOP Circuit stop in West Palm Beach, Fla., had a $580 buy-in and a $1 million guarantee. Final numbers: 2,529 entries created a $1.26 million prize pool and handed Lou Cheffy a nice top prize of $183,983.

Since the establishment of the November Nine format, we've seen a myriad of players who make their one appearance in the spotlight and quickly fade away ... even some of the champions.



Matt Giannetti hasn't fallen into that category. On Tuesday, he locked up his second World Poker Tour title with a victory at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open. The victory, worth $298,304, was his second win and fourth WPT cash since making the 2011 WSOP main event final table.

"Strong finish to a great tourney," said Giannetti on Twitter. "Very happy to win 2nd WPT title."

As the field of 369 entries in the $3,500 re-entry event was reduced to a final six, the final table offered a variety of talented players including Hollywood producer and writer Matt Salsberg, one of the hottest players on the tournament circuit. After winning the WPT main event in Paris last September, Salsberg nearly reached the final table at EPT San Remo in October, then made the final table at the previous WPT stop at the Borgata, where he finished sixth. This back-to-back final table appearance had only been accomplished a handful of times in the history of the tour, but Salsberg wouldn't be able to improve on his last result. According to the World Poker Tour, Salsberg opened from the button with the short stack, and Darryl Fish, making his third WPT final table, made a move with 7-5 to put Salsberg to the test. Holding J-J, Salsberg called all-in, but devastatingly watched as the board ran out 6-6-4-K-3 to give Fish a straight.

Fish momentarily earned the chip lead at that point, but it was Giannetti's show. As the other four players tried to position themselves for a run, Giannetti simply accumulated chips, and by the time Hayden Fortini was eliminated in fifth, he had an edge of 30 big blinds over Fish, his closest competitor. Lily Kiletto eliminated Danny Shiff in fourth, then picked up aces against Fish to win a big pot and make it a two-horse race as Fish was never truly able to bounce back. Fish's exit in third, worth $125,921, was the second-largest live tournament cash of the 26-year-old's career.

Giannetti held less than a 2:1 edge over the 30-year-old fashion designer to start heads-up play. Seven hands later, he was holding the trophy after making a gutsy call with 8-8 on a 49-big blind four-bet all-in by Kiletto who held only 8-7. The win pushed Giannetti over the $4.2 million mark in career tournament earnings.

Here are the results of the final table:

1. Matt Giannetti ($323,804)

2. Lily Kiletto ($191,880)

3. Darryll Fish ($125,921)

4. Danny Shiff ($86,946)

5. Hayden Fortini ($64,160)

6. Matt Salsberg ($50,968)

Small blinds: The WSOP Circuit has reached Las Vegas. Brent Hanks and Tim West are two of the latest champions at that stop. The final table of the main event will be broadcast on ESPN3 on Monday. ... Jason Mercier blogged that 2012 was his first losing year as a professional poker player. ... A bill in Maine may relax the laws on charity poker events in the state. ... Lawmakers in New Jersey will vote on Gov. Chris Christie's recommendations on Feb. 26. ... Remi Castaigon won the EPT Deauville main event for 770,000 euros. Vojtech Ruzicka won the 10,000 high roller rebuy event defeating a final table that included Bryn Kenney (fifth) and Jonathan Duhamel (seventh). ... Michael Mizrachi won the WSOP Africa main event for $101,267. ... The WSOP announced a new Circuit stop in March at the Lodge Casino at Black Hawk on March 14-25. ... Daniel Negreanu's charitable efforts have raised more than $150,000 in a week for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. ... The L.A. Poker Classic continues with preliminary events until the $10,000 main event which begins on Saturday, Feb. 23. The biggest highlight of the preliminaries over the next week is the $1,600 Open Face Chinese Poker event. ...

One of the must-stops on the poker circuit for many players is the Aussie Millions held at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. The venue offers a tournament series unlike any other in the region, with 26 events with buy-ins ranging from a couple hundred dollars to the massive 250,000 Australian Dollar Challenge. Every year the game's best opt to make the long trek, and this year, while some of those stars are returning with millions more in their pockets, one man's efforts stood above the rest.

Aussie Millions Main Event (AU$10,000)

Mervin Chan was far from the most-well-known player at the final table of the 629-player event, but the Malaysian was able to overcome the challenge of Patrik Antonius and Dan Shak to top the field and earn AU$1.6 million. Chan began the final table in fourth place, and after a marathon 14-hour session, he finished the first day of the final table second out of three. He returned what in reality was just hours later to eliminate Antonius in third and won the title after a short battle with Joseph Cabret. This was Chan's second cash of the series and the largest of his career.

Other notable finishers include Brandon Adams (22nd), Phil Ivey (30th) and 2010 Aussie Millions champion Tyron Krost (41st).

Here are the results of the final table:

1. Mervin Chan (AU$1.6 million)

2. Joseph Cabret (AU$1.0 million)

3. Patrik Antonius (AU$600,000)

4. Dan Shak (AU$400,000)

5. Jarrod Glennon (AU$290,000)

6. David Yan (AU$220,000)

7. Jay Tan (AU$150,000)

8. Sam Cohen (AU$120,000)

Aussie Millions 250,000 Challenge

Sam Trickett just performs in the highest buy-in events. Over the past two years, Trickett won the 2011 Aussie Millions AU$100,000 event, finished second in the 2011 Aussie Millions AU$250,000 event, earned second in the Big One For One Drop and made the final table in the $250,000 2012 Macau High Stakes Challenge Super High Roller. A few months after his latest life-changing score, Trickett won the AU$250,000 challenge to pocket AU$2 million.

The re-entry event featured only 14 players but 18 entries. Seven made the final day, and only four would make the money after the eliminations of Erik Seidel, Richard Yong and Winfred Yu. Trickett's big moment came with his elimination of Igor Kurganov in fourth. After a flop of 9d-3s-2s, Kurganov checked, Trickett bet and Kurganov called. Kurganov checked after the turn 4s, Trickett bet out and Kurganov moved all-in. Trickett flipped over 5s-6s for a straight flush, and Kurganov's bad luck of hitting the J-high flush sent him to the rail. With nearly 70 percent of the chips in play, Trickett dominated and knocked out Fabian Quoss and Tobias Reinkemeier to win the title.

Here are the results of the AU$250,000 Challenge:

1. Sam Trickett (AU$2.0 million)

2. Tobias Reinkemeier (AU$1.2 million)

3. Fabian Quoss (AU$750,000)

4. Igor Kurganov (AU$500,000)

Aussie Millions AU$100,000 Challenge

There was only one person to re-enter in the Aussie Millions AU$100,000 challenge, and it turns out that it was a very profitable decision. Andrew Robl was knocked out during early Day 1 action before opting to put in a second AU$100,000. He turned his second investment into his largest live tournament score, as he defeated the 22-entry field (21 players) to win AU$1.0 million.

Similar to the AU$250,000 challenge, four players made the money, but unlike Trickett's rolling over his table immediately, it took some time before Robl was in control. Niklas Heinecker was the unlucky bubble boy in the event, and with four left Dan Shak's stack fluctuated from last to first, and it appeared he was on his way to another big score in Melbourne. His downfall came quickly. Robl got lucky against Shak, hitting a five-outer to stay alive, then Kurganov, yes the same Igor Kurganov, doubled through Shak to take the lead. Robl busted Shak, then won a key pot against Kurganov to take the lead. He eliminated Masa Kagawa next with a straight versus his top pair, and just like in the AU$250,000, Kurganov got unlucky and ran his turned two pair into Robl's wheel.

Here are the results of the AU$100,000 Challenge:

1. Andrew Robl (AU$1.0 million)

2. Igor Kurganov (AU$610,000)

3. Masa Kagawa (AU$320,000)

4. Dan Shak (AU$237,000)

Aussie Millions AU$25,000

Getting tired of hearing about Igor Kurganov yet? After two previous cashes for AU$1.1 million, the Russian topped a field of 30 to win the title in the AU$25,000 event for AU$275,000. Kurganov overcame a significant deficit heads-up against Philipp Griussem to claim victory and his first win since June 2012.

Erik Seidel, Niklas Heinecker and Fabian Quoss finished third through fifth, respectively. Kurganov finished out the trip with $1.4 million in earnings.

Here are the results of the AU$25,000 event:

1. Igor Kurganov (AU$275,000)

2. Philipp Gruissem (AU$187,000)

3. Erik Seidel (AU$125,000)

4. Niklas Heinecker (AU$85,000)

5. Fabian Quoss (AU$51,000)

My final thought on the Aussie Millions is the challenge that lies ahead for the event. Attendance was down slightly in each of the larger events, and I think many expected it to be that way. With the newly created WSOP-APAC, which will take place in April, players now have to make a choice between traveling to Melbourne in January/February or in April. Given the distance, going back and forth is not only expensive but draining and time consuming. The Aussie Millions has always been the premier event in the region, but now the bigger name is in town and the bracelet chase will impact future attendance.

The logical solution might be for an extended Aussie Millions that includes WSOP-APAC. There would be enough events and definitely enough on the line for players to make the one trip each year. If things are going to continue with the separated event schedule as it stands today, another tour needs to step in and fill the gap, giving players a reason to hang around. It's a risky move, but if there's another major tournament series in March somewhere in the region, it could appease some and entice them to participate in both events.

Small blinds: IveyPoker has acquired LeggoPoker and will be creating the "Ivey League," an online poker-training initiative. ... Jarred Solomon won the first ring at WSOP Africa, defeating a field of 278 entries in the $365 buy-in event to win $20,018. Greg Tucker won the second event, a $580 buy-in six-handed event, for $12,920. ... Yung Hwang won the WPT's Borgata Winter Poker Open main event for $730,053. Previous WPT champion Matt Salsberg finished sixth. ... PokerStars has launched a free-to-play poker site on Facebook. ... ABC News looks at the MBA-only poker tournament. ... The EPT has moved its EPT London festival from October to March. ... Ryan Stevenson won the latest WSOP Circuit main event in Tunica for $204,795. Watch how the final table played out here.