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Browse by Tag - Anthony Molinaro

• PokerStars Players Party

  July 27, 2008

  With the freeroll over and having a healthy $400 in pocket (as Heath and Guzzardi both had 10%) we were off to the PokerStars Players Party at Rain nightclub at the Palms. With Eric and Don ditching me as I was having a piss in the Rio carpark, I swung a lift via Garry along with Boncek and Schipis. On arrival we met up with some of the fellow PokerNews employees, grabbed our armbands for VIP access and headed inside.

  

   

  The main bar and dancefloor

  As me and Heath were asked for ID's, all the PokerStars pros were being snapped by the many cameras and intervied by our own Melissa Castello. Once into Rain we were greated with a burlesque-themed party and by a mass of people taking up all the dancefloor space on the bottom level. Losing Heath as I wondered past the main bar and up the stairs, I spotted Slippers and Dane high on the third level and headed straight there. As we headed down to the second level, directly above the main bar, we joined a booth filled with predominately Aussies. Joe Hachem and family, Tony Hachem and Shane Warne, Emad Tahtooh, Grant Levy, Billy the Croc, Gary Benson and many more filled the couch and standing space as a longed for a drink.

  

   

  Grant Levy, myself and Tony Hachem

  Heading up to the bar I bumped into Joy and her entourage which included Maria Ho , who everyone seems to be obsessed with apart from me. As the girls bought me a drink I found Donnie and we negotiated our way back into the 'Hachem' area as our VIP status of grey wristbands weren't as good as the black ones needed to have full VIP access. After Joe did his speech about how PokerStars are going in this years main event Emad let me have his black wristband and I tucked it under my black hair tie that was around my wrist from earlier.

  

   

  Dita Von Teese in her second show of the night

  As the night progressed everyone was downing the free drinks as more and more fun was being had. With burlesque dancers on platforms and suspended above the air, a Dita Von Teese show on the front stage, a fight between PokerNews employees Eric Ramsey and Joe Schepis as well as a full on pash-fest put on by Dario Minieri and Isabelle Mercier it was definately a night not to miss!

  

   

  Dario Minieri and Isabelle Mercier going at it on the bar

  

   

  One of the burlesque dancers

  We all headed to Maccas after the night was out, and just when you thought the night couldn't get any better, who do we see having maccas . . . Joe Hachem and his family. I always thought that Joe was so down to earth, but to see him taking a chunk out of a quarter pounder just proves it more. After eating our burgers I decided to crash with Don and Slippers as Christian was playing $1-2 and who knows how long he would be there!! Another night on a couch . . . its something I'm definately getting use to . . . ha ha ha.

  P.S - I'm going to post some photos in this blog, but for the rest head to my facebook.

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  Read more: PokerStars, Rain Nightclub, The Palms, Chris Boncek, Garry Gates, Joe Schepis, Heath Chick, Melissa Castello, Anthony Molinaro, Dane Jensen, Emad Tahtooh, Joe Ha

• USA vs the World and the PokerNews Freeroll

  July 27, 2008

  With all of the day 1's from the 2008 WSOP Main Event being played there has been a planned break before the two day 2's are to begin. With reportable events on (because who cares about the Casino Employees event . . .) PokerNews planned a day out of fun for all their employees.

  The day started nice and early at 1pm at the Las Vegas Indoor Soccer Centre where kick-off between the USA and the World in the inaugural PokerNews International Friendly began. With Garry captaining the USA team and Felipe (our photographer) captaining our World team, the fireworks soon began when USA captain Gates scored the first goal for the home team. It was quickly followed by USA-recruit Dustin Sitar when he scored soon after. Not only was he a non-PokerNews member (one was allowed per team) but he was also a successful poker player.

  Scores were traded back and forth with the USA staying ahead at all times until half-time. We lost our star in Giovanni, and it would be left to me, Slippers, Thano, Felipe and some of the Dutch-PokerNews staff to gain the lead back. However this would be a really hard task as the USA team contained 4 semi-pro soccer players in Dustin, Garry (who has played indoor many times before this match), Don ( who played college soccer) and Neil.

  

   

  Play during the first half

  The second half was all USA as the retained their lead until the final minute. With the scores at 11-9 in USA's favour, one of our dutch players put a ripper goal in to put us behind by 1, and with about 30 seconds to go, yours truly scored one to even the scores. As the USA players sunk to the ground, we lined up for peneltys, and being the shittest soccer player alive I sat back as the first reserve. As we shot first, the scores went 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-4 until it was up to the captains. Felipe stepped up and shot deep into the top corner to put the scores to 5-4 and next it was up to Garry. As he lined up with all of the pressure on his shoulders he aimed to the far left, and as it hurled toward the back of the net it was saved by our goalie sending the World team to victory!!

  Following the soccer match we played a game of bball and were joined by Christian, Dane and Guzz. With an intense match it was the USA's turn to take home the victory against the predominately Australian based world team.

  

   

  Christian heading to the basket

  Following a quick trip home we would arrive back at the Rio for the PokerNews freeroll. Not before I left Guzzardi wanted a piece of the action and bought 10% of me for $10 - which I thought was a fair deal as the chance of cashing in a freeroll is always small when you're a great player like myself (ha ha ha) as there is so many banana plays occuring.

  

   

  Slippers and Eric folding

  The freeroll began in the Amazon room at the same time the Casino employees event was being undertaken. Wearing my Nascar-inspired shirt with all the online poker company's logo's attached from Full Tilt to 888 to t6 and poker-affiliated company's such as PokerNews, Bluff, PokerRoad and WPA I sat down and played extremely tight until moving to my second table. I took down a few pots and built my stack to around 6000 (double starting) before again moving to my third table. Sitting with Don, Eric, Leon and some others time ticked away as we approached the starting time for the PokerStars party.

  

   

  Me stealing some blinds

  With only two tables remaining people really wanted to cash in this freeroll, but I was aiming high for the first prize of $2000. Having swapped 10% with Heath earlier, he was eventually eliminated and began to rail me hoping to make some money off me to cover his potential expenses later on. With Eric being the only one to pass on a deal with 13 remaining I limped to the final table of 10 in about 4th chip position. Deciding on a deal, we all took $500 and flipped for the remaining $300 - which I lost.

  Getting changed out of my poker-shirt we were all on the way to enjoy what PokerStars could provide for not only their players and staff, but also their VIP's in us PokerNews guys.

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  Read more: Thano Vasilakos, Neil Fray, Filipe Pacheco, Anthony Molinaro, Christian Vaughn, Dane Jensen, Donald Peters, Eric Ramsey, Garry Gates, Heath Chick, Michael Guzza

• Players Lounge, Taser and HORSE

  July 27, 2008

  Following the cash in the Caesars Palace mega-stack series I headed into work for the last 6 hours or so of my intended shift. Following that I was booked in for the PokerNews freeroll where the (as voted) top 6 reporters played off for a seat into the following day's WSOP $1,500 event. With me and Slippers quickly donking off our chips the remaining reporters got into a tasing war with Melissa's taser in the back alleys of the Amazon room.

  Soon after we headed to the newly found players lounge. This lounge was awesome, it contained a virtual golf game where you get to smack the ball into a screen, a heads-up machine, Nintendo wii, putting green, pool and some arcade games. Garry, Mel, Slippers, Zeeks and I stayed there until the wee hours playing props and drinking until everyone decided that at 6am it was probably time to leave. Being the sick degen that I am, and having to work at 12 I decided I would sleep on the couch and not waste time or money in getting home.

  

   

  Zeeks and Slippers playing heads-up

  With a full day of work under my belt after the night on the couch at the Rio I decided that on my day off I would venture out to the Premium Factory Outlets for a day of shopping. Seeing Slippers on the way to the taxi stand I somehow convinced to come along. With my purchase of a nice Polo sweat for my dad and my BOSE headphones me and Slippers were on our to the Venetian to play some poker.

  Sitting down on the $4-8 Omaha hi-lo game our stack fluctuated up and down several times before we colluded like Jozef Berec never could!! With Slippers in the small blind and myself in the big blind, we both checked preflop before slippers led for $4 on a flop of with -x-x, I decided to try and sneak some extra value in there so i raised the action up to $8 with and we got two callers. When the hit the turn Slippers led for $8 and i called followed by the two other players. When Slippers checked the on the river, I bet, and it was called round to slippers who 2-bet, followed by my 3-bet and we got both of the remaining players to call and we scooped the pot. SHIP IT CRUCIAL!!! Collusion at its FINEST!!!

  Following a good old Aussie BBQ at Slippers house followed by some jacuzzi and poker action I was rostered on to cover the 50k HORSE. With a long day us reporters scored some free WSOP mugs, as well as me personally scoring Phil Ivey's main event ticket stub with negative 200k in prop bets written on the back as well as Durrr's HORSE ticket stub. Maybe they can take the event out and it will be worth HEAPS on ebay!!!

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  Read more: Melissa Castello, Anthony Molinaro, Garry Gates, Zeeks Guza, Players Lounge, Premium Factory Outlets, Venetian, BOSE

• Deuce to Seven and the Tank

  July 27, 2008

  So over the last 2 days I have been covering Event 18 - $5,000 No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw with Rebuys. With the strongest field ever assembled (in my view) and a starting stack of 10,000 with blinds starting at 100-200 with a 50 ante we thought the game would be very slow for most of the day.

  However when Phil Ivey had already dumped close to $100,000 by the end of the rebuy period, we had second thoughts on how the remaining day of play would end up. With Mike Matusow and Tom 'Durrr' Dwan in the lead for the start of day 2, everyone was pulling for Tony G as a potential PokerNews bonus could be on the cards if he ship shipped the 500k first prize.

  As the close of play came to end, Erik Lindgren crippled chip leader Durrr down to a big blind when he stood pat with a perfect 10 against Durrr's pat 10-7. With a final table made up of Mike Matusow, Barry Greenstein, Jeff Lisandro, Tony G, Tom Schneider, David Benyamine and Erik Lindgren; it was anyone's bracelet.

  With the day over and my first day off tomorrow, it was still going to be all hands on deck as we had to move from the Excalibur to the Golden Nugget for a few days before finally moving in to our house. Once me and Dane arrived back at the hotel, we headed straight to the felt. Dane finished stuck a buy-in but I cashed out up $400 in an hour or so of play. Feeling good, but still wanting to gamble, I first headed to 4-card poker where I lost $100 - allright still up a $100, not that bad. Then I went to roulette where I lost another $100 - allright I'm even, not that great. THEN I went spastic; I ended up losing another $400 on 4-card poker. First I was betting small amounts like $5-10 on each box ($20-40 a hand) then I just let loose and plonked down $100 a hand until I went broke. Feeling like the biggest degen in the world both me and Dane headed upstairs to get some shut-eye before our early 11am start the next day.

  With the night before's antics behind me we headed out to the airport to pick up the car Christian wanted to rent for a few days. Waiting for him to fill in the doco's we realised that we had free wireless. BANG!! Just like that our computers were out and me and slippers were playing heads up against each other. I lost to Slippers 2-1 but beat Dane 2-0, not a bad result while we waited, and then we got another surprise.

  

   

  Playing heads up at the car rental office

  Waiting so long for the car to come down, they decided to upgrade us and put us in a Dodge Ram; probably the biggest god-damn pick-up truck I've ever seen. After climbing into the truck we were on our way to check in to the Golden Nugget and jump in the Tank for a swim.

  For people that don't know, the Tank is the newly refurbished pool at the Golden Nugget equipped with a shark tank, a 3-level water slide and blackjack by the pool. As we swam, jacuzzied up, and slid down the 30-feet high waterslide for most of the arvo while necking back Corona's in a can, it all finally came to an end around 8pm when we decided that it was time to head out to enjoy Downtown and have some dinner.

  

   

  The Tank

  With Guzzardi still in the $5,000 NLH event, it was just the usual suspects plus Tom 'the camera guy' and another blogger Don. After chowing down some dinner at Binions we were on to the table games. Everyone hanged round the craps tables while I headed to roulette. I ship shipped $125 at the Golden Gate playing $1 roulette and then another $50 at Binions - it was somewhat satisfying after my donk off from the other night at the Excalibur. With Guzzardi out of the 5k with 6mins on the clock remaining and Matusow shipping the 2-7, it capped off a good few days.

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  Read more: Donald Peters, Tom Kinsman, Anthony Molinaro, Dane Jensen, Michael Guzzardi, Christian Vaughn, Golden Nugget, The Tank

• That Winning Feeling . . . Eventually

  July 27, 2008

  Today I was covering the $5,000 NLH Shootout Event with Zeeks and Slippers. Covering 2 tables each, Slippers was done in an hour while it took me and Zeeks 3 and 5 hours respectively to finish off. Once done, and being early, me and Slippers decided it was a night to go and do something.

  

   

  Slippers a little tipsy

  Once back at the hotel we got changed and headed firstly downstairs to the Excalibur poker room with Dane to play some $2-4 limit holdem. With Christian staying in the room to listen to the Dogs vs. Saints match (go dogs ship ship) we all downed our fair share of Corona's before netting a small loss. We decided it would be fun to walk from the Excalibur all the way to the Venetian to meet up with Jimmy and Celina - about an hour later, semi-drunk and with 5 more kilometres under our belt we arrived at the Venetian. Feeling like playing Slippers and Dane hit some $4-8 limit while I decided to avenge my feelings of being a donkey and have another crack at $1-2 NLH.

  Buying in for $200 I had a hell of a fun time chatting with the yanks on the table, running over to Dane and Slippers to see their monster stack of $1 chips and eventually cashing out for $347. However I did have some interesting hands that I'm going to share with you. Firstly, I live straddle to $4, re-straddle by the guy I've been having fun with all night to $6. It gets called round where I bump it to $8 and its called round again. I bet $5 dark on a flop of , it goes call, call, call, raise to $15. Being forced to look I'm about to sweat my cards before I'm convinced to call dark - so being the gullable Aussie I am I do as I'm told. Going heads up to the turn I again bet $5 dark and am raised to $20 when the lands. I decide to sweat one card, and once I peel the I call while announcing, "I have a potential flush and straight draw". As I check the turn, my opponent leads for $30 this time. I decide to table my and sweat my other whole card with the rest of the table.

  Aarrgh the gets sweated. Sick!! Now I know I'm beat, but I have to call him. So I reluctantly throw the $30 in and he rolls for a book. Darn it!!!!

  So I slowly start to rebuild before this hand comes up. Facing a raise in middle position of $6 and 4 callers in front of me I call with out of the big blind. The flop comes down ; preflop aggressor checks, bet of $10, call, I call, and preflop agressor calls. Everyone checks the on the turn. However when the lands on the river I check for pot control, however this time the preflop aggressor leads for a heavy bet of $30. With everyone folding to me I go into the tank. Now if we break the hand down there are only a few hands that beat me that are in her range. We have A5 or a suited connector 5 like or a set of kings or sevens. Now I can't put her on an ace, because she would c-bet the flop and definately not float. So really, I'm only beat by a set or A5, so I've got the 3rd nuts in the hand and reluctantly call and table my hand. She rolls for a turned book.

  So sick! God damn 1-outer!! Ah, it only cost me $36 so it ain't that bad. I try and explain the hand to everyone, and after reacting like total donkeys they finally understand what I'm on about and understand that I'm not just some drunk tourist that has pet kangaroos and carry's big knives round the bush.

  After that hand I slowly start rebuilding again and then get a hand where I'm still so confused about. Calling a straddle with and with 4 callers after me. I bet $11 into the flop of and get 2 callers. The turn is the and I check raise a bet and call of $15 to $40. The girl (which had the set of 7's) tanks forever; first she gives me respect, and then she doesn't, and the she does again. After about 4 minutes, she folds, along with the other player, and announces that she folded a straight. I quickly mucked and thought how do I not gain a call there with my click back? It's still puzzling me!

  Anyway one of my final hands for the night was when I limp called a $15 raise from the tightest player on the table. The flop came down , and I check the action over to her where she quickly leads for $35. Thinking for a while I come to the conclusion she has AK, 30% of me however says she has Jacks or something so therefore I have a 6-outer. I reason that I'm ahead and slide a stack of reds in to put her all-in, and with that she insta-calls.

  "You got me, you got me" I announce sheepishly rolling my . When the and came on the turn and river I thought "man I just blew my profit with that hand!", but when she didn't roll her cards I again announced, "yeah you got me" and she responded with "nah, you got me" in her quiet east-coast accent. SHIP SHIP!! Up $347 and on my way home with Dane for the night. Its now only another $20 or so before I'm completely unstuck for my week here!!

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  Read more: Anthony Molinaro, Zeeks Guza, Christian Vaughn, Dane Jensen, Excalibur, Venetian

• 2 Days In and Haven't Stopped Yet!!!

  July 26, 2008

  So its been 2 busy days so far of non-stop action for me (as well as the other Aussies here). It all started on Thursday when I awoke around 6am. Not being able to sleep I lied on the floor listening to Poker Road on my iPod. Half way through one of their shows it came to my attention that they broadcast live from the Rio at 11am.

  So there I am walking the 3km's from the hotel to the free shuttle service (yep I won't even pay 8 bucks for a cab, but will walk in the hot Nevada desert for half an hour to catch a free bus!!) to get to the Rio before their show begins. Once there I load up my laptop, chat to some mates, reply to emails, jump on PokerNetwork, while all the time listening to Gavin Smith, Joe Sebok and Ali Nejad chatting away for an hour or so.

  With no more Poker Road to listen to I head inside and find a spare bloggers table to continue on my laptop. As the clock ticks close to 2pm, Garry decides to put me to work early and help out with the $2,000 NLHE day 2 event. I meet two pretty cool blokes in Eric Ramsey and Tony Marquis. We all get along like a house on fire and finish the event late into the night. With the clock about to hit 2am, me, Slippers and Dane head to play the 2am Planet Hollywood tourney. However being an alternate I decide to play $1-2 instead.

  7 hands. Yep, thats how long I last. I make a play on the turn with and fold to a river bet on hand 1. Take a nice pot down with on hand 3, and on hand 7 I get stacked. Ok, so I make it $10 with and get called by a player in mp and from the bb. The flop comes down and I lead for $30, fold, raise all-in. I'm like whatever I only have $90 left, lets do it and chuck my remaining chips in. The bb roles for a set and I'm drawing dead on the turn.

  Wow, so I last 7 hands and am already down $150 - and to rub it in Slippers finished up $250, Christian up $200 and Dane up $360 odd. As we finish with some Pai Gow we all eventually make it back to the Excalibur by 7am with Dane starting in 5 hours and me starting in around 9 hours.

  Friday
  As I awake for work, I'm running a little late, so instead of being the tight ass I am I decide to catch a cab to the Rio to cover the $1,500 Limit Holdem event. Working with Garry for the first time, I really want to work not only well, but hard and efficiently. With the event running pretty smoothly and finishing late I head to the MGM to see the boys for a while. I enjoy a Starbucks (first time since leaving Las Vegas last year) while listening to their bad beats and then eventually head home for an early 4am bed time.

  Today I also caught up with Michael Guzzardi, Jimmy Burgoine and Celina who arrived from Melbourne; who are trying hard to get their money from the T6 promotions they won. Also bumped into Kirk Morrison; we got to catch up, chat about how things have been since we last were in contact and organised to met up once his WSOP campaign got running.

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  Read more: Poker Road, Eric Ramsey, Tony Marquis, Anthony Molinaro, Planet Hollywood, Michael Guzzardi, James Burgoine