Yesterday’s arrest in the German metropolis came after 20 year-old Ahmad el-Awayti was spotted in a subway station, according to the Associated Press. The international news outlet explained how the final confrontation transpired: “Police said he acknowledged to officers that he was being sought by authorities and was arrested without putting up any resistance.” In addition to two of the suspects now being behind bars, the getaway car, a Mercedes, is in police custody. The gang allegedly escaped through a nearby shopping mall.

The Associated Press and other news outlets have reported that the loot from the rare midday casino heist has yet to be found. In a previous article by the news outlet, it was revealed that the four masked gunmen divvied up the €242,000 evenly. Two assailants remain at large, their whereabouts unknown: Jihad Chetwie, a 19-year-old man from Germany, and Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old who the Associated Press claims is a Turkish native. The suspect who turned himself into police on Monday identified all three of his accomplices, but has not been named.

Bluff Magazine reported that “Mohammed B,” who was originally arrested one week following the robbery and released due to a lack of evidence, might have been involved in the EPT Berlin robbery after all. The poker magazine, quoting the German media outlet Bild, explained, “Arresting officials found a piece of paper on Mohammed at the time of his arrest with six different names written on it. At least three of those names belong to suspects in the robbery.” The heist occurred at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, where 1,000 players had convened to battle for the €1 million top prize, which went to American Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee.

The robbery made headlines not just in Berlin, but also around the world. News outlets from Sydney to Toronto to Chicago to New York City published articles about the unique casino heist. With respect to the money, the Associated Press noted, “He has indicated that he will pay back his share of the loot via his lawyer, but it is currently ‘with a third party.’” Authorities are currently in hot pursuit of the two suspects still at large.

The armed robbery was featured on the German equivalent of “America’s Most Wanted,” “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst.” MacPhee broke down the harrowing experience on CBS’ “Early Show” on Monday morning following his win and also virtually sat down with CNN’s Campbell Brown and news anchors from BBC. MacPhee was one of seven Americans to cash out of the 144 in the money finishers in the EPT Berlin Main Event and defeated Finland’s Ilari Tahkokallio heads-up; Tahkokallio walked away with a €600,000 consolation prize.

The guards protecting the event were unarmed and, purportedly, a hotel intern was camped out at the registration desk that the four gunmen attacked shortly after 2:00pm local time on March 6th. In a poll posted on Poker News Daily following the incident, 121 of 291 respondents (42%), when asked, “In the wake of the EPT Berlin robbery, do you still feel safe at poker tournaments,” responded, “Yes, casinos have plenty of security.” Only 29 readers, or 10%, felt unsafe.

We’ll continue to keep you posted on the EPT Berlin robbery right here on Poker News Daily.

Middle Aces - A Time and a Place

Generally the Middle Ace, which means A-9 through A-6 in this case, is a hand that can usually be mucked without much sadness. A strong player will release this hand with any action in front of him and, even if the situation allows a player to limp into the action, it is only in specific circumstances that the Middle Ace can even be thought of being played. In some games of poker, however, Middle Aces can be a sneaky hand to drop on your opponents and can even give the impression that you are a loose player - exactly the type of image you want to have when you play stronger hands.

Texas Hold’em

The Middle Ace in any form of Texas Hold’em is a hand that can only be played when you have the position to do so. In addition to the position, you normally would want to have it suited to give you the opportunity to go for the nut flush, which is the only way that the Middle Ace is guaranteed to win a pot.

The danger in playing the Middle Ace is twofold. If you flop your ace, it is possible that you could be playing from behind against a stronger kicker. If you’re playing an A-8, for example, there is a strong likelihood that you could be going against someone playing a bigger ace (A-K or A-Q) and, as such, you will be drawing extremely thin in hitting your kicker. Unless you can guarantee that your opponent is sitting on a big pair (pocket kings or queens), you have to tread lightly and keep any pot small. If you flop your kicker, the dangers increase.

The other way to win the pot - and it is not a guaranteed victory - is in flopping two pair. This is a very rare occurrence, as it will happen only about 2% of the time. Players also have to be concerned about an opponent making a better two pair on either the turn or the river, such as an A-K or A-Q hitting a king or queen. As you can see, there are problems and dangers in playing the Middle Ace, so controlling the pot size and betting is crucial.

Omaha

Middle Aces suffer from the same issues that face the hand in Texas Hold’em when you move into Omaha. Because more cards are dealt out, the likelihood of hitting your two pair becomes miniscule and you probably won’t win against players sitting on Big Aces. The logical course of action is to play the Middle Ace in late position and for a cheap call. In this case, it has to be suited and a player can only continue playing when there is a great opportunity to make the nut flush or already have made it. Be prepared to get away from the hand if the board pairs, however. Pairing of the board in this situation could spell doom for your hand, as an opponent could be sitting on a pocket pair and eclipsed your nut flush with a boat.

The Middle Ace can be a winning, but risky hand if the game is High-Low, however. An A-7 or A-6 can be eligible to take half the pot if someone who is playing a Small Ace (such as A-2 or A-3) fails to make their low. If an opponent is holding A-3 and the board runs 3-5-6-J-Q, then an A-7 or A-8 will steal half the pot. Most of the time, however, the Middle Ace will only get a player in trouble if only playing for half the pot; it is best to send the hand into the muck rather than waste chips chasing only half the bounty.

Razz

In Razz, the Middle Ace actually has more options to play than in either of the community card games. Because the object of the game is to build the low hand, a Middle Ace can be a strong starting hand. Remember that the low card to look at is the highest card of your string; it doesn’t matter that you have an ace, if an opponent is able to make a six low and have 6-5-4-3-2, then your seven low with an ace, as in a hand such as 7-5-3-2-A, is insignificant.

This is another of the many mistakes that many newcomers to Razz will make. In thinking that their ace is the low (and winning) card, many players will play down to the river, even making raises in some cases, and then stare incredulously when the pot is shipped to their opponent. Always remember that the low in Razz is based on your highest card and not that you have an ace in your hand.

Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud High-Low

In Seven Card, the Middle Ace is arguably the worst hand to be playing with. If the first three cards come (A-6) J, for example, there is virtually nothing that a player can work with. There is no way to draw for a straight - unless three of the next four cards come to make a Broadway straight - and trying to make two pair out of such a motley holding most likely will not win the hand. The only way such a setup can be valuable is if all three cards are suited. If that is the case, then a player has an opportunity to draw for the nut flush, but still must be mindful of what opponents are showing in their up cards and count how many of their suit is in play.

In High-Low, there is a bit more to work with. A player has to make an eight to qualify for the low and a hand such as (A-6) 8 would be something that could be played. If, however, Fourth Street brings anything other than a card to push you a bit further to the low, be prepared to muck the hand and move on to the next deal.

For either regular Seven Card Stud or High-Low, the perfect hand to have the Middle Ace with would be (A-x) y, with both the “x” and “y” cards being eight or lower and the three cards being suited. Even a hand such as (A-8) 8, or any other pairing of the off-cards, would need serious help and, if other aces or another of a player’s paired cards are being shown in the up cards of your opponents, there is no reason to play this hand.

Summary

For the most part, the Middle Ace is a hand that can only get a player in trouble. While there is a time and a place to play the Middle Ace, for the most part it will only draw problems for any style or experience of player. Unless the perfect storm hits, a Middle Ace is not a hand that should be taken into battle in most any form of poker.

“I feel like I’ve joined the Yankees,” said Schmidt, who plays as "Leatherass9" on PokerStars. “Getting the opportunity to represent the largest poker room in the world is definitely something that makes all of the hard work feel worthwhile. I couldn’t be more honored.”

On the felts, Schmidt has earned more than $3 million during his five-year career, logging more than eight million hands over 10,000 hours. He posted the world’s highest win rate in both $5/$10 No Limit and $10/$20 No Limit in 2007 and 2008. In a four-month period between November 2007 and February 2008, Schmidt won in excess of $600,000 playing high-stakes cash games. He’s never had a losing month in his career.

One of Schmidt's most satisfying achievements in poker was attaining PokerStars’ Supernova Elite status in just eight months while playing high-stakes cash games in 2007. He said that being named to PokerStars Team Online means he’ll be going for Supernova Elite status again in 2010. “The chase for Supernova Elite is officially on,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt, 28, joined DragTheBar.com as a coach in January after spending three years as a lead instructor for StoxPoker. He makes poker videos and actively participates in the site’s member forums. “We’re very happy for Dusty,” said Drag The Bar CEO Hunter Bick, who founded the poker training site nine months ago. “It’s obviously exciting for us to have someone who’s achieved what he has on our team of coaches. He’s a good guy who works hard and he deserves this recognition.”

In addition to his roles with Drag The Bar, Schmidt is a columnist for CardPlayer Magazine and a published author. In December, he released Treat Your Poker Like A Business, which focuses on teaching players how to develop a professional approach to the game, both on and off the felts.

In joining Team PokerStars Online, Schmidt will play exclusively on PokerStars.com. Although he's recognized as a successful cash game player, Schmidt has said he will play several tournaments on the site. He will also keep a blog at PokerStars.com.

PokerStars selected 23 founding members for its Team Online in December, sifting through 2,000 applications to form a team made up of 20 men and three women with 18 countries represented. Since then, the site has added three more to its roster and PokerStars says it plans to add further players to PokerStars Team Online throughout 2010. Here's a look at the full team:

Andres Alisievicz -- lobojiji
Jorge Arias -- JorgeArias
Boumaaza Bachir -- Chiren80
Anders Berg -- Donald
Alvaro Blanco -- VARICO
Thomas Boekhoff -- Boku87
Diego Brunelli -- vgreen22
André Coimbra -- acoimbra
Mathew Didlick -- chipstar1
Ta-Chih Geeng -- socutiesf
Andrew Goetsch -- Kid Nebraska
Martha Gonzalez -- marene
Keiran Harris -- K_Man2307
Steve Jacobs -- stevesbets
Randy Lew -- nanonoko
Karlo Lopez -- elmagopr
Alexey Makarov -- LuckyGump
Kristian Martin -- CharismA3
Grzegorz Mikielewicz -- DaWarsaw
Nichoel Peppe -- NicP
Grayson Physioc -- spacegravy
Sebastien Sabic -- Seb86
Amanda Thomas -- ROXY24
George Lind III -- Jorj95
Denys Shcherbakov -- diatty
Dustin Schmidt -- Leatherass9

The case was thought to hinge on whether the 141 domain names at risk constituted “gambling devices” under Kentucky state law, a term traditionally reserved for tangible objects like slot machines and dice that you’d find in an underground casino. Instead, after briefly addressing the internet gambling industry’s major arguments, the Kentucky Supreme Court asserted, “Although all such arguments may have merit, none can even be considered unless presented by a party with standing. No such party has appeared at the original proceedings in Franklin Circuit Court, the writ petition at the Court of Appeals, or on the appeal here to this Court.”

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) and Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) were the major parties involved in the case acting on behalf of the domain name owners. Despite Thursday’s setback, iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan commented in a press release, “In the written decision, the Court clearly indicates they agree with our arguments and are inviting us to re-file so that the technicality of the standing issue can be resolved. It’s unfortunate, but I can’t imagine that Kentucky’s lawyers will celebrate a ruling that says, ‘Bring us an owner so we can rule in your favor.’”

The Kentucky Supreme Court attacked iMEGA and the IGC, noting that the two groups lacked organizational standing, as neither trade organization has informed the Court of its membership. The Kentucky Supreme Court decision reads, “In fact, nothing is known about their members, other than their attorneys' vague assertions they represented ‘some’ of the registrants.” In summary, the state Supreme Court explained, “Through their unwillingness to identify any of their members, iMEGA and IGC failed to meet this burden. As such, iMEGA and IGC lack standing and, therefore, their writ petition should have been denied.”

Five of the 141 domain names - PlayersPnly.com, Sportsbook.com, SportsInteraction.com, MySportsbook.com, and Linesmaker.com – had legal counsel in Kentucky for representation. However, the state Supreme Court continued along its path and explained, “Just as with real property, a domain name cannot own itself; it must be owned by a person or legally recognized entity.” Therefore, the fives sites’ writ of prohibition will likely be withdrawn and they will once again be at risk of forfeiture.

The case was referred back to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, where iMEGA and IGC’s writ of prohibition may now be dismissed. Information distributed by iMEGA on Thursday morning noted that the organization had 20 days to re-file with the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the case may immediately make its way back to the state Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Minton, Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson, Justice Wil Schroder, and Justice Daniel J. Venters all concurred with the ruling, while Chief Justice Will T. Scott concurred in “result only.” The decision was written by Justice Mary C. Noble.

The information sent by iMEGA explains that the trade organization “would quickly file a motion to satisfy the Court.” The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet brought the case under the direction of Governor Steve Beshear. The Cabinet’s Secretary is J. Michael Brown.

Brennan told Poker News Daily that iMEGA would likely only need to identify one of its members as a party at risk in order to satisfy organizational standing. However, that member would not necessarily be required to travel to Kentucky and risk further legal action. Brennan told us, “We can make a motion at the Court of Appeals to move the case back to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court indicated that they’d hear it.” No further oral arguments or briefings would be required if standing is met.

Domains like FullTiltPoker.com and PokerStars.com are among those at risk. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the Kentucky internet gambling case.

“Poker2Nite” opened with discussion of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event, which played out last week from the California casino. WPT Live Updates Hostess Jacque’s interview with winner McLean Karr aired and still shots of UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth curled up in the fetal position after busting in sixth place also hit the big screen. “Poker2Nite” host Joe Sebok critiqued Hellmuth’s antics: “When you think of Phil, you don’t think of the 11 bracelets. You don’t think of the heads-up win. You think of the crying. You think of the screaming and complaining. He just needs to play the game.” Hellmuth has never won a WPT title.

Then, discussion turned to the epic high-stakes poker matches featuring Isildur1 that have been the centerpiece of Full Tilt Poker for the last few weeks. On the mystery Swede, who many believe to be Viktor “blom30” Blom, Sebok told “Poker2Nite” viewers, “This kid has a lot of skills, a lot of talent, and he’s not going anywhere.” A vignette asked poker pros who they think Isildur1 is, with Tom “durrrr” Dwan responding, “Some guy who won a lot of money off me and then lost it all to a lot of other people.” That sums it up.

Sebok and “Poker2Nite” co-host Scott Huff debated the need for a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit, whose recently held Main Event at Caesars Atlantic City attracted 174 players. Sebok remarked, “A lot of the locals come out and play” and added that the WSOP Circuit and Heartland Poker Tour should team up for jointly hosted events around the United States.

One of the top poker news headlines of the week was the introduction of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament of Champions, which will take on an All-Star Game format. Fans will vote to determine 20 of the field’s 27 spots, but Sebok was not looking forward to the new addition to the WSOP schedule: “I don’t like it at all. The fact that they’re only using bracelet winners doesn’t sit well with me. There are too many all-stars.” Only bracelet winners can qualify for the event, save two sponsor exemptions.

Sebok singled out Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Doyle Brunson as locks for the fan vote. Possible exemptions include Gus Hansen and Patrik Antonius, who have never won a bracelet.

Krupa then joined the show and noted that her first live poker experience was on behalf of a sponsor during the 2006 WSOP. The NAPT hostess explained, “I was basically thrown into the situation. It was nerve-wracking.” Her NAPT duties will include commentary and playing in charity events.

Krupa also described her experience on the ABC reality series “Dancing with the Stars,” telling viewers, “It was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever signed up to do.” The show involved 14 weeks of nonstop dancing. Then, she showed Sebok a few moves, as the two danced the lambda on the “Poker2Nite” stage much to the chagrin of Huff. Krupa appeared on the ninth season of “Dancing with the Stars” and finished fourth.

Finally, Dana Workman joined the set for “P2N Online,” a recap of the week’s Twitter, forum activity, and social media buzz. An image of Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak that appeared on TwoPlusTwo kicked the segment off. Then, poker pro Tony G’s concern over Hellmuth’s well-being following his Bay 101 exit was discussed. Finally, Workman showed footage of Prahlad Friedman balling it up on the basketball court.

Poker2Nite airs every Wednesday at 11:00pm ET on Versus.

The case was recently featured on the German equivalent of “America’s Most Wanted” and the rare casino robbery has garnered headlines around the world. After several days of coming up empty-handed, German police received a breakthrough on Wednesday, as the 21 year-old surrendered to police and promptly dished out the names of the other three robbers. The Associated Press broke down those still on the loose: “Ahmad el-Awayti, 20, of undetermined nationality; Jihad Chetwie, a 19-year-old German; and Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old Turkish citizen.”

On Saturday, March 6th around 2:15pm local time, four armed gunmen stormed the EPT Berlin registration area at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The robbers allegedly made off with €242,000, although tallies have varied widely. In addition to one of the four suspects now being held in police custody, the getaway car – a posh Mercedes – has been seized. Frank Heller, a German prosecutor, told the Associated Press that the loot was divided equally among the four bandits following their daring casino heist.

Reports around the Web circled as to whether an “inside job” was to blame for the disruptive armed robbery. The suspects did not enter the tournament area during the incident, but rather attacked a hotel intern and several unarmed guards at the registration desk. The Associated Press article notes that Heller told authorities that the gunmen "took a look at where the money is, how the money is secured, are there guards, and are the guards armed… When he saw that the guards didn't have guns, they decided that they had a chance." PokerStars blamed Spielbank Berlin, the tournament’s organizers, for the decision to employ unarmed guards. Over the weekend, a person of interest held in connection with the case was released due to a lack of evidence.

When the smoke cleared in the EPT Berlin Main Event, American Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee banked a €1 million top prize. MacPhee outlasted Ilari Tahkokallio heads-up and the runner-up earned a €600,000 consolation prize. The tournament was paused for several hours following the robbery while floor staff cleaned up from the melee. EPTLive, which was focused on the feature table at the time, was suspended for the remainder of the day.

Following his win, MacPhee appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” and CNN reliving the terror of the real-life “Oceans Eleven.” Mainstream news outlets like Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Sydney Morning Herald, and Chicago Tribune ran articles about the heist, which also took center stage in a segment of ESPN’s sports news show “Around the Horn.” Bluff Magazine, which is among the many poker news outlets that have reported on the tournament, reported that the suspect arrested was of Turkish origin. The Associated Press article noted that he is a German citizen.

It’s been a rough month of March for PokerStars live tours. Prior to the brazen heist in Berlin, the world’s largest online poker site was forced to cancel the Chile stop on its Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) after a massive earthquake struck the South American nation. The LAPT Vina del Mar was scrubbed for 2010; the tournament was scheduled to play out this weekend and the earthquake struck 175 miles from Vina del Mar. LAPT staff will head to Argentina for the Grand Final, although a date for the event has not been announced.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the EPT Berlin robbery.

Wearing a dapper jacket and holding a lit cigar in his right hand, Ivey is not made to look like a poker player.  Of course, Cigar Aficionado is not going to leave his relevance a mystery to those who know nothing of the game.  Superimposed on Ivey's right shoulder is the title "America's Poker King – Phil Ivey has Parlayed his Poker Fame into Business Success."  In the article, author Michael Kaplan hits on many of the poker aspects of Ivey's life that poker fans already know about, but he also discusses Ivey's future goals (including creating a high roller casino and becoming an options trader) and gives readers a peek at Ivey's lifestyle.

Ivey is not the first poker player to appear on the cover of Cigar Aficionado.  2004 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer posed for the magazine the year he won his title, sitting at a poker table behind stacks of chips with his trademark fossil card protector and holographic glasses.  Actor and poker enthusiast, James Woods, who represents Hollywood Poker, was featured on the cover in 1997.  In 2003, casino mogul Steve Wynn was the cover man, sitting at, as one might guess, a poker table.

Legendary gambler and poker player Archie Karas, while not on the cover, was the subject of a fantastic article by Michael Konik in the Summer 1994 issue, which featured Fidel Castro on the cover.  More recently, online phenoms Andrew "good2cu" Robl, Tom "durrrr" Dwan, Luke Kim, and Alan "The Usher" Sass were profiled in the July/August 2008 issue in an article titled, "No-Limit Assassins."

Many Cigar Aficionado readers on the magazine's internet forum were confused as to why Ivey was chosen for the cover.  Wrote the initiator of the discussion, "Who the hell is Phil Ivey and what good did he do for the world for being on the cover?" He continued, "Seems to me that some of the people featured on the covers are not the 'role models' I got used to anymore."

Forum member "AZCigarNut" had this to say in response:

Cigar Aficionado isn't JUST about cigars... which, incidentally, is why it DRASTICALLY outsells those that are!  It's a magazine about the good-life!  There's everything we gentlemen care about... cigars, golf, spirits, clothing, watches, movies and yes...poker...which has seated itself nicely into the realm of everything else listed above.  There are STILL great articles for cigar lovers (like the one on the Oliva family you mention), but it also speaks to casual smokers and gentlemen in general (like with the articles on Tico Torres and Phil Ivey).

Ivey joins an exclusive club of people who have been chosen for the cover of the magazine.  Since 1992, the likes of George Burns, Ernest Hemingway, Tiger Woods, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Groucho Marx have all had their likenesses displayed on the front of Cigar Aficionado.

In the CNN Money article, Kellner was quoted as saying, “For competitive reasons, the online poker company wishes to go unnamed at this time. As the online poker market becomes more competitive, our brand name and our market become more and more valuable. As a result of these negotiations, the numbers here can get very large, very quickly.” Heads Up Entertainment has built the Canadian Poker Tour to encompass over 50 casinos across Canada and also reached into the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and cruise ships on the high seas of the Caribbean. In total, Heads Up Entertainment provides over 600 casino-based poker events through its partnerships.

In a discussion with Poker News Daily, Kellner stated that the offer was something that he knew would be coming. “Was it out of the blue? Yes and no,” Kellner said in an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily. “We have always figured that the Canadian Poker Tour would be an attractive candidate for acquisition by someone. The management here at Heads Up Entertainment has realized that, with our development of our relationships with casinos and our building of the CPT brand and our other poker outlets such as Canadian Poker Player Magazine and Canadian Poker Player Television, we might be on track for something like this in 18 months to two years.”

“When we started discussing the idea in more depth on Friday with this online poker outlet,” Kellner continued, “we realized that it was happening way before we thought it would.” The CNN Money article states that Heads Up Entertainment, through the ownership of the Canadian Poker Tour, Canadian Poker Player Magazine, and the recently launched Canadian Poker Player Television, has the ability to reach over 40 million people across the North American landscape.

Last year, the former ownership of the World Poker Tour (WPT), World Poker Tour Enterprises, sold the eight year old company to the online gaming giant Party Gaming for $12.3 million. While that was a sizeable amount, WPT management turned down a reported $36.5 million offer from Mandalay Media prior to accepting the Party Gaming offer. The potential discussions by Heads Up Entertainment and the unnamed online poker outlet could lead to another such battle.

Kellner, while not disclosing the online company who could become the potential sponsor or new owner of the Canadian Poker Tour, stated that the deal being discussed was “well into the seven-figure range.” He offered no timetable for the Tour regarding this proposal and indicated that, at this moment, the company was preparing for the next installment of the Canadian Open Poker Championships this fall. In the past, the tournament has featured such popular Canadian players as Gavin Smith and Brad “Yukon” Booth and other top professionals such as Phil Hellmuth, Joe Hachem, Phil Laak, Jennifer Till,y and Antonio Esfandiari. Kellner also stated that the popular Canadian Heads Up Championship (an event won in 2008 by former World Champion and 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship winner Huck Seed), will be back on the schedule this year.

As of press time, there have been no details released regarding the potential deal for the Tour. “We have built the CPT and other parts of the company through offering the best of everything to our players, from tournament structures to other tournaments and cash games to entertainment outside of our events,” Kellner stated. “We certainly hope that is maintained by the entity that has made the offer to us if,” Kellner emphasized, “we decide to accept the offer.”

Gross sits atop the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and holds the prestigious leaderboard’s top Pro Poll and PLB scores. In February 2009, Gross took down the PocketFives.com Monthly PLB title by edging out fellow Brunson 10 member Chris “moorman1” Moorman by a slim 0.39 points. Gross is also a Triple Crown winner on PocketFives.com. Capturing that accolade involves winning three $10,000 prize pool tournaments across three sites tracked for the Rankings within a seven-day period.

Gross’ list of tournament victories is quite impressive. Over the course of the youngster’s illustrious career, Gross has won the Absolute Poker $150,000 Guaranteed, Absolute Poker $1K, and multiple PokerStars $100 rebuys. Many will fondly remember Gross’ epic battle heads-up against James “Andy McLeod” Obst at the final table of a $3,150 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) tournament last April. Gross ultimately fell to Obst, but nevertheless banked $128,000. He won the aforementioned PokerStars $100 rebuy in both February and March for a combined $165,000.

No official press release about Gross’ signing has been sent by DoylesRoom at the time of writing. However, officials from the site confirmed his Brunson 10 membership to Poker News Daily and a statement is due out on Wednesday. In two months, Gross will likely take the DoylesRoom flag and head to the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. Gross final tabled a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys event two years ago for $57,000. All told, he’s amassed $83,000 in career WSOP earnings.

Also recently added to the Brunson 10 was Alex “AJKHoosier1” Kamberis. Like Gross, Kamberis is a Monthly PLB winner on PocketFives.com. In addition, he’s taken down three Triple Crowns. In 2008, Kamberis made his presence known by finishing third in the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event, earning $782,000. Ultimately, that year’s WCOOP Main Event featured a five-way chop. According to DoylesRoom, Kamberis has over $4.2 million in career earnings. The 23 year-old hails from Skokie, Illinois and cashed in this year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event.

Besides Gross and Kamberis, other members of the Brunson 10 include Moorman, Dani “ansky” Stern, Amit “amak316” Makhija, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. The group lost original member Alec “traheho” Torelli, who defected to Victory Poker, but its signings of Kamberis and Gross bring the total number of Brunson 10 members to six. The stable will eventually grow to include 10 men and two women, a play on Brunson’s signature 10-2 hand.

Over the weekend, Moorman won the Full Tilt Poker Sunday Brawl. The win in the weekly high-stakes bounty tournament earned Moorman $109,000 and he knocked out 21 players en route to victory. Moorman, one of the top British players in all of poker, sits at #5 in the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings, owning the second best Pro Poll score.

Kamberis, meanwhile, will wear DoylesRoom gear to a bevy of live poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship and Grand Prix de Paris. He’ll also head to the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final in Monaco next month. You can spot Kamberis in 10 WSOP tournaments this year, including the $50,000 Player’s Championship and $10,000 Main Event.

DoylesRoom is a member of the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network, whose roster of sites also includes Cake Poker, Lock Poker, Players Only, Red Star Poker, and Stryyke. The network is the 10th busiest worldwide in terms of cash game traffic according to PokerScout.com, with a seven-day running average of 2,050 real money ring game players.

Viewers will notice that the stakes for cash games on “Poker After Dark” are considerably smaller than on GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” The blinds kicked off at $100/$200 with a $25 ante and talk of a 7-2 game brewed early on. All of the players seated were up for the unique genre of poker except for Full Tilt Poker’s Chris Ferguson, who wanted no part. Ferguson told his tablemates that he had never played before and, therefore, had not had a chance to dissect the optimal strategy.

Meanwhile, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow relived their memorable 7-2 encounter on “High Stakes Poker,” which resulted in Matusow mucking pocket kings face up against Hellmuth’s 7-2 bluff. As the episode wore on, talk of organizing a 7-2 game intensified, but the group continued to meet resistance from Ferguson. Matusow told the table, “Do I have to go on record and tell the whole world this guy’s worth like $462 billion and he’s nitting over $100?”

Originally, the table had asked Ferguson to play 7-2 for $500. However, Ferguson said he’d only play for $200. The group countered with $300, but Ferguson still declined. Amid the banter, Hellmuth raised to $600 pre-flop with A-Q and Victory Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari made it $2,100 with pocket kings. Hellmuth called instantly to see a flop of 3-3-6 with two spades. Hellmuth check-called a bet of $3,400 and the turn fell another spade. Hellmuth check-folded to a bet of $7,500 from Esfandiari, who scooped a pot of nearly $20,000.

Esfandiari began the show with a stack of $200,000, while cash game specialist Brandon Adams brought $75,000 to the table. Hellmuth, Ferguson, Matusow, and DoylesRoom pro Todd Brunson all came armed with $50,000. Waiting in the wings was David “Viffer” Peat, who would take the place of any competitor who bowed out or went broke. Matusow asked if Peat could play his discards as a way of getting the wily pro involved.

Ferguson, still resisting a $300 7-2 game, raised to $500 pre-flop with K-10 of diamonds and Adams called with A-8 of diamonds. Matusow came along with J-3 of clubs and the flop came all diamonds. Matusow checked, Ferguson bet $1,100 with the second nuts, and Adams called with the nuts. Matusow folded and another diamond hit on the turn, putting four of the suit on the board. Ferguson check-called a bet of $2,500 from Adams and the river was the ten of hearts. Ferguson checked, Adams tanked before tossing out a measly bet of $1,000, and Ferguson called. Adams scooped the $10,950 pot, which may have been considerably larger if a fourth diamond hadn’t struck the turn.

Adams then tangled with Brunson after raising pre-flop to $1,200 with J-10 of spades. Brunson called with A-Q and the flop came K-K-A. The action went check-check to another king on the turn. Once again, both players rapped the table and a five came on the river. Adams bet $1,600 and Brunson called. The $6,450 pot went to Brunson, who is making his “Poker After Dark” debut.

Peat will join the “Poker After Dark” cash game table during the next two weeks, as will 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Dennis Phillips. Check out the poker franchise daily through March 26th at 2:05am ET on NBC.