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    Tuesday, November 24, 2009

    Final Table #42: Listener E-Mails


    Today on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked about my adventures in New York with Joe Cada, the 2009 WSOP Main Event champion, from backstage at the Letterman show to front row at WWE Raw, and more.

    Then we brought in The Poker Coach, Joe McGowan, to answer e-mails about why Phil Ivey folded pocket jacks at the WSOP Final Table, how much Darvin Moon passed up in endorsement deals, whether a listener did the right thing by moving all-in with king-jack on the button towards the end of a tournament, and how to play hands when it comes down to just the small blind vs. the big blind.

    Lastly, in case you're already thinking ahead to your plans for next summer, we talked about what's planned for the 2010 World Series Of Poker, which will begin May 28th and include several more $1,000 buy-in events, a new $25,000 six-handed no limit hold'em event, and a new $50,000 "Player's World Championship," which replaces the high-stakes HORSE championship.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Wednesday, November 18, 2009

    Final Table #42: Joe Cada, WSOP Champion


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with Joe Cada, who last week became the youngest-ever World Series Of Poker Main Event champion, when he outlasted the rest of the November Nine.

    We talked about how he played several hands, what was going through his mind as he made the decisions, how lucky he was to come from behind in so many hands, and how he's already using some of the $8.5 million to help his parents through some tough times. Since we often get e-mails from listeners who want to know about poker players who have backers buying them in to all sorts of tournaments, we talked with Joe about how he made the deal with his backers, whose bet on him will net them 50% of those winnings.

    For about a month, we've mentioned that I was going to play on the best poker show on TV, "High Stakes Poker." That moment finally came Thursday, when I sat down to some very tough competition, including Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, and Patrick Antonius. I can't reveal what happened, but on our show I did talk about the atmosphere, how much money was in play, new "HSP" hostess Kara Scott, and more.

    I also talked about being snagged at the last minute to fill in for another player who had stormed off the set of "Poker After Dark," and my deep run this weekend in the Heartland Poker Tour event in St. Louis. We squeezed all that, plus Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan, into a one hour show.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    To follow us on Twitter, click our names: Dennis Phillips, Paul Harris, Joe McGowan.

    Wednesday, November 11, 2009

    Final Table #41: WSOP Finale + Annie Duke


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked about the finale of the World Series Of Poker Main Event, which played out this weekend and aired last night on ESPN.

    I was there, along with poker pro Annie Duke, who joined us to give you a first-person reaction to the long hours of play and the astounding turn of events that led to Joe Cada defeating Darvin Moon heads-up to become the youngest world champion ever. Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan also watched all the final table action at The Rio, and offered his observations about tells and strategic errors he spotted in several players.

    We talked about some of the dubious plays that both Moon and Cada made, as well as how much of a factor luck was in how the final table played out, and whether all of this will be good for poker in both the short and long term. With Saturday's session lasting seventeen-and-a-half-hours to get from nine players down to two, and then the heads-up battle starting so late on Monday night, we discussed whether it's fair to older players (which these days means over 30) to have to compete in these marathons against younger opponents who have much more stamina.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!

    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.


    Click here for details on the Celebrity Poker Night tournament that Annie Duke mentioned she's hosting next week.

    Tuesday, November 3, 2009

    Final Table #40: Phil Hellmuth


    Today on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with Phil Hellmuth, owner of 11 World Series Of Poker bracelets, who is coaching Jeff Shulman in his attempt to win the final table of the 2009 WSOP Main Event this weekend.

    Hellmuth revealed the methods he's using to help Shulman, what he thinks his friend Phil Ivey's strategy will be, and his thoughts about the other members of the November Nine.

    I also asked Hellmuth for advice on playing "High Stakes Poker," which we'll both be part of in at least one session next week, and Paul asked him whether players at the table ever have a piece -- a percentage -- of each other, which could make things awkward. And we discussed Hellmuth's criticism of Harrah's moving into the online poker business.

    Then Paul and I talked with Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan for more analysis and all of our predictions of who will win the main event finale. Joe and I will be in Las Vegas for all of the final table action, and will report on it from there for our show next Tuesday.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Wednesday, October 28, 2009

    Final Table #39: Eric Baldwin


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked about the WSOP Circuit event in Hammond, Indiana, which we've just returned from, and why he doesn't want me to play ace-king for my entire stack ever again.

    We were joined by young poker pro Eric Baldwin, who is in the lead for Card Player's Player Of The Year with 14 final tables and over $1.2 million in tournament cashes in 2009. That led to analysis of a hand Eric played recently at an event in Aruba (where he finished 4th) against an aggressive online pro.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Tuesday, October 20, 2009

    Final Table 38: More High Stakes Dennis


    Today on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked further about my appearance next month on "High Stakes Poker," including how much money I'll bring to the show, who I want to play against and how I respond to comments by Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, who has never appeared on the show despite being invited.

    In his Poker Coach segment, Joe McGowan analyzed the unusual play in a hand from the EPT London High Roller event final table between Matt Glanz, Ilari Sahamies, and Leo Fernandez. We also discussed the state of Kentucky trying to grab the domain names of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and 139 other online poker sites -- a case that goes to the state Supreme Court this Thursday.

    Unfortunately you won't hear Phil Hellmuth, who was scheduled for today's show but had to cancel on us. We hope to reschedule him for another show soon. You'll also notice some technical problems in our first segment which makes us sound a little like Max Headroom. We apologize for that, but think you'll find the content entertaining enough to stick around.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Wednesday, October 14, 2009

    Final Table #37: High Stakes Dennis


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, I revealed some news that broke just before we went on the air (at our new time, Tuesdays at 2pm CT) -- I have been invited to play on the new season of "High Stakes Poker"!!

    That's a tremendous honor, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. My co-host, Paul Harris, and I both refer to "High Stakes Poker" as the best poker show on TV. The sessions I'll play in will be recorded in November and then air in February 2010 on GSN.

    In the Poker Coach segment of our show, Joe McGowan talked about the mistakes players make in tournaments once they've built up big stacks that cause them to bleed many of those chips away. And both Joe and I offered analysis of a hand Paul played this weekend at the Bellagio and discussed our experience playing in both tournaments and cash games during our recent trip to the WSOP Europe and the EPT London.

    Quick promo for next week's show -- our guest will be the one and only Phil Hellmuth. Got a question for him? E-mail it to us here. And while you're at it, answer this week's poll question: what's the best prop bet you've been involved in at a poker table? We'll use some e-mail replies on the show.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show every Tuesday from 2pm to 3pm CT in the poker room of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel in downtown St. Louis. You can listen live on 590 The Fan KFNS Radio. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Tuesday, October 6, 2009

    Final Table #36: Cory Zeidman


    As of today, we have moved my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, to a new time slot. It now airs Tuesdays 2-3pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis (and still on demand via the podcasts here).

    On today's show, Paul Harris and I had an extended interview with Cory Zeidman, who was at the same table as Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan and me on the first day of this year's World Series Of Poker Main Event.

    Cory is known for using his mouth to throw his opponents off their game, most famously in an encounter he had with Phil Hellmuth on an episode of "Poker After Dark" this year, and some rather harsh criticism he's expressed for the management of the WSOP. We also got his side of the story regarding a hand he played against Jennifer Harman a few years ago in the Main Event, in which he was accused of slow-rolling her with a straight flush, and delved into his expertise at stud poker, too.

    Next week, I'll have stories from my recent trip to London, where I played in the WSOPE and made the final table of the EPT High Roller Event.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do the show live from the Lumiere Place every Tuesday at 2pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Wednesday, September 30, 2009

    Final Table #35: At The WSOPE


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, while my co-host Paul Harris was in St. Louis, I checked in from London, where I've been playing in the World Series Of Poker Europe and am about to begin the EPT London events. Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan is here, too, playing in cash games, and we both talked about how aggressive the European players are in both tournament and ring games, and how we have adjusted our strategies to deal with some wild play at the tables. Paul also talked with Dan Cypra, who has been covering the legal battles surrounding poker in courtrooms and Congress for PokerNewsDaily.com.

    NOTE: we are moving the show to 2pm on Tuesdays beginning October 6th, when I will be back in the Lumiere Place poker room with Paul (still on KFNS/St. Louis). This will not affect the podcasts, which you can always listen to on demand.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes! If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.



    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Tuesday, September 22, 2009

    FT #34: Joe Cada, Tiffany & Maria


    Tonight on my poker radio show, the Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with:
    • Joe Cada, another member of this year's November Nine, who will play the final table of the World Series Of Poker Main Event in about seven weeks;
    • Maria Ho and Tiffany Michele, who were the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 Main Event, respectively, and have now teamed up for the new season of "The Amazing Race," which debuts this Sunday on CBS-TV;
    • Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan, on how to handle those times when you're just running bad.
    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Wednesday, September 16, 2009

    Final Table # 33 -- Daniel Negreanu


    This week on my poker radio show, the Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with Daniel Negreanu, one of the most recognizable poker players in the world, who you've seen on pretty much every poker TV show in the last several years.

    Daniel talked about fantasy football, playing on "High Stakes Poker," going against young aggressive players like Tom Dwan, and his upcoming TV show, the "PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge." Since he's on the WSOP Players Advisory Council, we also talked about changes Daniel is advocating for next year's event, including getting the $50,000 HORSE tournament back on ESPN. We also discussed his friendship with Doyle Brunson (who has been taking some knocks in online poker forums recently), playing in the Big Game in Bobby's Room, and whether the use of Twitter at the tournament tables is a good idea.

    To bookend the show, Paul and I covered the poker news of the week -- including a man who won a women's tournament in Atlantic City -- and Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan analyzed the way Hevad Khan played a hand by giving off reverse tells to induce more chips out of his opponent.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Follow us on Twitter! Here's Dennis. Here's Paul. Here's Joe.

    Wednesday, September 9, 2009

    FT #32: Listener Mail + Al D'Amato


    This week on my poker radio show, the Lumiere Place Final Table, I talked with Paul Harris about my adventures in Argentina at the America's Cup Of Poker, where I served as captain of the US team. We were joined by Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan, who talked about unorthodox hands he likes to raise with, and former senator Al D'Amato, now chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, who provided an update on the legislative and legal battle to get the government off the backs of poker players in the US.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!

    Wednesday, September 2, 2009

    FT #31 -- Peter Eastgate and Mike Caro


    On this week's edition of my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table:
    • I phoned in from a casino high atop the Andes in Argentina, where I'm captain of the US team at an international poker event, the America's Cup of Poker;
    • Paul Harris and I talked with Peter Eastgate, 2008 World Series Of Poker Main Event champion, about his perspective on the famous AK-AQ hand I played against Ivan Demidov, and about Peter's experience playing on "High Stakes Poker" with Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, and Tom Dwan;
    • Mike Caro discussed why he has made spotting players' tells his life's work;
    • Plus, Joe “The Poker Coach” McGowan on strategies you should know so you don't leave chips on the table when you have a big hand.
    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Tuesday, August 25, 2009

    Final Table 30 -- Humberto Brenes


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I played an interview we did with Humberto Brenes at the 2009 World Series of Poker but hadn't aired yet. Humberto has cashed more than 50 times in his WSOP career, and you've seen him at the final table of several televised tournaments. He explained where his nickname ("The Shark") came from, how poker is expanding in Latin America, and how he has to keep changing his playing style at the table.

    Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan offered another instructional segment on things you should watch for to gain information about your opponents, from the way they fold their cards to the verbal tells that will tip you to the strength of their hand. We also analyzed a hand that I played on Day 2 of the WSOP a few weeks ago.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Wednesday, August 19, 2009

    Final Table 29 -- Eric Buchman


    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with Eric Buchman, one of this year's November Nine. He's a poker pro who has 9 WSOP cashes and 4 WPT cashes, and will be second in chips when the Main Event Final Table begins play.

    When Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan joined us, we answered an e-mail question about the biggest pots each of us have played in cash games. We also talked with tournament director Ken Lambert, who just finished overseeing the World Poker Open at the Goldstrike in Tunica and is now preparing for the Gulf Coast Poker Championship, which begins September 3rd at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Tuesday, August 11, 2009

    Final Table 28 -- Two Months Two Million


    Tonight on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked about the new ESPN online show, "Inside Deal," which I appear on this week. We also discussed which of this year's nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame deserves to be inducted (and who shouldn't have been nominated in the first place), NBC's new heads-up poker show "Face The Ace," and how a dealer was caught stealing from the big game at the Bellagio.

    We brought in The Poker Coach, Joe McGowan, to dissect a hand Paul played a few days ago in which he flopped top set and tried to get all of his opponent's money. Then Dani Stern, one of the guys on G4's new poker reality show, "Two Months Two Million," joined us to talk about what it was like to be part of the foursome that spent the summer in a huge Las Vegas mansion playing poker and playing the town.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    ESPN's Inside Deal

    I spent Monday in Bristol, Connecticut, at the world headquarters of ESPN, which has launched a new online poker show called "Inside Deal." It's hosted by Laura Lane and my friend Bernard Lee, and they asked me to be their guest this week on their second show...

    Wednesday, August 5, 2009

    Final Table 27 -- Kevin Schaffel

    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table:
    • Paul Harris and I talked with a member of this year's November Nine, Kevin Schaffel, a semi-retired businessman from Florida;
    • Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan gave advice on the pitfalls of moving down to "easier" games without adjusting the way you play;
    • Bernard Lee joined us to talk about his new ESPN online poker show;
    • and we discussed an interesting new tournament format where you can pick up your chips and leave at any time.
    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!

    Wednesday, July 29, 2009

    FT 26 -- Lon McEachern and Mike Eise

    This week on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I talked with Lon McEachern (play-by-play guy for ESPN's coverage of the World Series Of Poker), WSOP bracelet winner Mike Eise, and Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan.

    Lon explained how the coverage will be different this year, what he and Norman Chad looked for as they checked out the players during the Main Event, and why ESPN producers were rooting for Dennis to make it back to the final table. He also refuted several rumors about this year's Main Event, including the claim that Phil Ivey refused to have his table become the Feature Table.

    Mike won his bracelet in a $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold'em event, becoming the first St. Louisan to bring back some WSOP jewelry. He explained how he got there by being part of a poker club, and how he had to share his winnings (over $600k!) with the other players back home.

    Joe offered his analysis of a big hand from the Main Event in which the two chip leaders went head-to-head. Billy Kopp was eliminated in that hand when his 5-high diamond flush lost to Darvin Moon's queen-high diamond flush -- but it was how the hand was played that caught our interest.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Tuesday, July 21, 2009

    FT 25 -- Main Event Recap, Nov 9 Preview

    I'm in Washington, DC, tonight meeting some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital and playing in a charity poker game with them (this is the second time I've done this, and it's always an amazing experience). Earlier today, I joined other poker pros (like Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer) in lobbying Congress on behalf of the Poker Players Alliance. We presented the online petition that 300,000 poker players have signed, and met with several legislators in an attempt to make poker legal in all forms everywhere in the USA.

    Because of my commitments in DC, I wasn't able to be on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, this evening -- but Paul Harris and Joe McGowan held it together in my absence. They did a wrap-up of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, talking about my 45th-place finish and Joe's three-day run. They also handicapped this year's November Nine, from chip leader Darvin Moon to top pro Phil Ivey to all the other players in between.

    In Joe's "Poker Coach One-On-One" segment, he interviewed JC Tran just after he got knocked out of the Main Event. And you'll hear Paul spend a few minutes with St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony Larussa, talking poker, baseball, and animal rescues.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Friday, July 17, 2009

    Making The November Nine

    Here's a piece in which I recall the adrenaline rush of getting to the final table of the WSOP Main Event last year, and some words of advice for those who have made this year's November Nine...

    Tuesday, July 14, 2009

    No Final Table Tonight

    With the All-Star Game in St. Louis tonight, Paul Harris and I are taking the night off from doing our Lumiere Place Final Table poker show. We'll be back with a new one next Tuesday, but in the meantime, you can listen to our previous podcasts here.

    Monday, July 13, 2009

    The Phillipians


    As I move on to Day 6 of the 2009 WSOP Main Event with just over a million chips (that's the average stack), here's a story about some of my friends, family, and acquaintances who have been cheering me on from the rail in white shirts and Cardinals caps.

    Here's the link to an interview I did with ESPN that also includes some of my fans.

    And here's one I did with a Swedish poker site just before the Main Event started...

    Saturday, July 11, 2009

    Before Day 4

    Here's an interview I did for PokerListings.com this morning, before the start of Day 4...

    Tuesday, July 7, 2009

    FT 24 -- The Main Event & Mike Sexton


    Tonight on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, we have first-person coverage of the Main Event of the 2009 World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas.

    I'll talk about playing Day One, where I ended up with 62,325 in chips -- from a starting stack of 30,000 -- and will advance to Day Two tomorrow, as will Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan (we're both doing updates from the tables on Twitter: here's me, here's Joe, and my co-host Paul Harris is tweeting from his cash games, too).

    We also got into an extended discussion with guest Mike Sexton (from the World Poker Tour) about yesterday's "sold out" controversy, which kept hundreds of players from entering the tournament. And you'll hear Paul's interview with Congressman Barney Frank about the legislation he's proposed to make poker legal in all forms, online and off.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    The Lumiere Place Final Table airs Tuesdays at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed our previous shows, you can find the podcasts here.

    Keeping The Dream Alive

    Here's an interview I did with PokerNews.com...

    Monday, July 6, 2009

    Poker Ambassador

    Here's a very nice piece about me that Gary Wise did for ESPN.

    Saturday, July 4, 2009

    Ante Up For Africa


    That's me with Nelly on Thursday at Ante Up For Africa, the charity poker event that Annie Duke and Don Cheadle put on each year right before the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. It was a pleasure playing with stars like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Charles Barkley, and many others, to help raise money for a good cause.

    Friday, July 3, 2009

    Congratulations, Mike!

    The Post-Dispatch has a nice article about another St. Louisan who made a splash at the 2009 World Series of Poker. His name is Mike Eise, and he won Event #28, one of the seven $1,500 buy-in tournaments at the WSOP, earning the bracelet and about $639,000. The paper included a couple of quotes from me, too.

    Add Mike to the list of St. Louisans who have brought home big tournament cashes in the last couple of years, including Pat Walsh, Kyle Koechner, Tim Vance, Gary Bolden, Dan Nassif, and Pat McMillan (and me, of course).

    I think we'll have new names to add to that list soon. Everywhere I go at the Rio, I run into very talented poker players who are regulars in our biggest games back home who are here to take on the Main Event. I'll keep you posted on their progress.

    Wednesday, July 1, 2009

    Charity Event

    I'm happy to wear a Reactor Watch on my wrist every day, and to have them as one of the sponsors of my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table. Here's a note from Reactor's Tony Spielberg:
    I am calling on all my friends to please play in our AG4 poker tourney. This year we have superstar poker player Dennis Phillips to challenge your poker playing skills. There will be plenty of food and drinks and even some great side games. This benefits some awesome foundations that are near and dear to all of us. Please respond via our link.

    Thank you all for your participation. For information on our philanthropy, click here.

    Tuesday, June 30, 2009

    Final Table 23 -- Eli Elezra & Phil Hellmuth


    Tonight on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I continue with stories and interviews from the 2009 World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas. Our guest list includes:
    • Eli Elezra, explaining how he organizes the "Big Game" in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio -- where the best players in the world play for the highest stakes -- as well as the Chinese Poker game that goes on in the VIP Room during tournament breaks at the World Series Of Poker
    • Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan goes one-on-one with Phil Hellmuth, while they're playing against each other at a tournament table
    • Amarillo Slim opens up about the legal trouble that made him a pariah in the poker community over the last few years
    Also, The Art Of The Chop -- a detailed discussion about how to split the winnings when you get down to two or three players at the end of a tournament.

    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    When we're not at the WSOP, we do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.

    Tuesday, June 23, 2009

    FT 22 -- Kristy, Chino, and What To Bet


    Tonight on my poker radio show, The Lumiere Place Final Table, Paul Harris and I continued with stories and interviews from the 2009 World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas. Our guest list includes:
    • Kristy Gazes, who has made 11 WPT final tables and is trying to win her first WSOP bracelet
    • Joe "The Poker Coach" McGowan goes one-on-one with Chino Rheem, one of the November Nine (with me) at last year's WSOP Main Event
    • Nick Schulman, who just won a bracelet in the $10,000 World Championship of Deuce-To-Seven
    • Jose Canseco, who just happened to be sitting at Paul's table in a Venetian deep stack event
    • Amarillo Slim, telling his story of ping pong and Coke bottles
    Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!


    We do The Lumiere Place Final Table live from Lumiere's poker room every Tuesday at 7pm CT on KFNS/St. Louis. If you've missed previous shows, the podcasts are always available right here.

    Got a question or comment? E-mail me and we may use it on an upcoming show.