The Nightly Turbo: Sorel Mizzi Responds to Cheating Allegations, Hot Poker Players, and More
We're here to bring you the top poker news stories of the day. we search so you don't have to. What did we find today? Sorel Mizzi has responded to cheating allegations in the TwoPlusTwo forums, the BleacherReport has released the 100 hottest athletes of all time, which includes a few poker players, including Lacey Jones, and more.
In Case You Missed It
The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker is just around the corner. We decided to take a look at WCOOPs past, going back all the way to the beginning. Here are highlights from the 2002 and 2004 WCOOP.
We brought you Part 1 of Cold Four-Bet Bluffing with Randal Flowers on Wednesday. What good would we be if we didn't bring you Part 2?
Our globe-trotting PokerNews hostess Lynn Gilmartin is back this week, bringing you what you need to know about Melbourne. Check out Around the World with Lynn Gilmartin for more.
James Mackey is having quite the UBOC, making his second final table of the series on Wednesday, and Joe “ENDER555” Ebanks received one of the championship watches. Our UBOC5 recap has the rest of the results.
The World Poker Tour Legends of Poker crowned a winner on Wednesday. You know you'll have to check the WPT recap to find out who can add WPT champion to his resume.
The Miz's Side
On August 20, "waxonchris" posted a long chat transcript between Sorel Mizzi and Steve "Thorladen" Weinstein in the MTT Community forum on TwoPlusTwo. Plenty of speculation has been taking place, and Mizzi has finally posted his side of the story in the thread.
Mizzi says the transcript is a mix of conversations that he had between Weinstein and others over the course of about a year. He says that late last year he received a threat from an extortionist saying if he didn't send him money, he would release the transcript, but Mizzi ignored the threats.
Mizzi's response on the thread: "One, to clear the names of the people mentioned in the conversation, and two, because there are actually people I know and respect who are curious about whether or not this conversation did in fact take place."
The response is quite long and the thread is, as of now, 43 pages. We like to keep things short here, so here's the link to the thread on TwoPlusTwo and Mizzi's response comes in at number 285.
Another Hot List
The Bleacher Report is back with another list. Yes, a list of hot athletes, poker players included. And you've probably already guessed, but Patrik Antonius doesn't meet the necessary qualifications to grace this list.
"So I have gone through over 30 sports and spanned nearly 50 years to find the sexiest women who have ever played a sport. Some you know, some you'll learn about for the very first time, but all are fine as hell," Mike McD, the author of the list wrote.
Lacey Jones graces the list at number 94 and is the first poker player you'll find on it. "Okay, so is poker really a sport? All they do is sit, but then again, that's kind of what NASCAR drivers do, so I'm going to allow it," was McD's justification.
Who of your other favorites show up on the list? Liz Lieu at number 90, Kimberly Lansing at 66, Jennifer Leigh at 55, and Liv Boeree at 30.
Check out the entire list on the Bleacher Report.
Goodbye Sunny Cyprus
The second annual Full Tilt Merit Cyprus Classic is in the books and the fun in the Mediterranean sun is over. Gloria Balding wraps things up for the tournament stop, including a rundown of the final table finishes, and enough beach shots to keep us jealous.
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World Poker Tour by the Numbers
The ninth season of the World Poker Tour has seen numbers grow in its last two events. The Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino, which crowned its winner Wednesday, saw a 66 percent increase in attendance from last year's tournament.
“We are excited to be back at The Bicycle Casino for Legends of Poker. As a charter member of WPT, visiting The Bike really is returning home,” WPT President Adam Pliska said. "The team here has worked tirelessly to deliver the top-notch tournament action WPT players have come to expect."
Legends was the second consecutive WPT event to see a significant growth. The Bellagio Cup in July attracted 353 players, which translates to a 32 percent increase in attendance.
“I really appreciate The Bike’s efforts for the players this year. They are a stand out in the poker community for the foresight they bring in making WPT’s Legends of Poker a player friendly event," Joe Sebok said.
Where is the WPT headed next? Head on over to WorldPokerTour.com to find out.
Next Stop: Vilamoura
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team is committed to bringing you the best live reporting coverage from poker tournaments around the globe. Just this month, they've been to Brazil to cover the Latin American Poker Tour; Tallinn, Estonia, for the kickoff to the seventh season of the European Poker Tour; and Cyprus for the second annual Full Tilt Poker Merit Cyprus Classic.
The next destination is Vilamoura, Portugal, for the second stop of the EPT. Gloria Balding will be there to bring you player interviews and the rest of the team will be in the trenches bringing you the play-by-play.
The first day of play in Vilamoura is Saturday, and you can follow the action on the live reporting blog. If you're on your way there, you might want to check out Lynn Gilmartin's guide to the city.
