With Super Bowl XLV upon us, many in the poker community are preparing for the “Big Game” in different ways. While many are in Dallas for the festivities, some will actually be working when the game begins on Sunday night.
While Phil Hellmuth has been traveling the Super Bowl party circuit, challenging him for being the most visible person is former ESPN “Inside Deal” hostess Laura Lane. “Friday’s Super Bowl parties have shifted in rank,” Lane Tweeted from Dallas on Friday afternoon. “Big ones now: Audi and Black Eyed Peas/ SI. GQ, Playboy, ESPN also tonight.”
Keeping her eye on the celebrities in attendance at the various parties, Lane sometimes sounded much like a fan herself. “Tony Romo, Chase, and Candice walking in Audi as we left. On the way to Black Eyed Peas Sports Illustrated party,” she chirped on Friday night as she made her rounds in Dallas.
Upon arriving at the Sports Illustrated party, Lane was able to capture a Twitpic of the Black Eyed Peas, noting, “Fergie and the gang. Her football coach dad on left. She called him Dad.I.am! Adam Brody there too!” Her evening seemed complete when she Tweeted, “Ashton (Kutcher) and Demi (Moore) just got to Black Eyed Peas! They’re party hopping tonight.”
For others, the Super Bowl festivities were far from their minds, as they will have to work on Super Bowl Sunday. World Poker Tour (WPT) announcer Mike Sexton Tweeted on Friday afternoon, “Going to Venice this weekend – doing commentary w/Jesse May for our WPT event (and a High-Rollers event) – nice turnout of 523 entries.” Also heading to Europe was Full Tilt Poker’s Mike Matusow, who Tweeted early Saturday morning, “Leaving for Lithuania in 6 hours for Full Tilt Poker sponsored event. I’m such a good employee on Super Bowl weekend!”
Another player who decided to squeeze in some work during Super Bowl weekend was 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Poker Player’s Championship winner Michael Mizrachi. “Off to Foxwoods now (for) November Nine Reunion… see you guys soon,” Mizrachi Tweeted on Saturday morning before heading to Connecticut. “Poker tournament, Celtics, Bruins, should be a fun weekend!” The 2010 WSOP November Nine will reunite on February 8th during the Foxwoods Mega Stack Challenge.
Some of the commentary over Twitter about the Super Bowl centered on the unseasonable cold that has swept Texas. Victory Poker’s Sara Underwood Tweeted, “Ok! Looks like I’m gonna make it to Dallas! Yay! Excited! It’s going to be crazy there!” UB.com sponsored pro Tiffany Michelle responded, “If by crazy you mean freezing!” Poker legend Doyle Brunson even noted the strange weather: “Coldest winter in history in Texas. It was minus 2 right out of El Paso. What’s going on? Good thing Super Bowl is inside or we would freeze.”
Michelle, however, made a goal of making the best out of a chilly Dallas night. On Friday, she Tweeted, “Enjoyed a beautiful Dallas sunset this evening. Happy Super Bowl weekend everyone!” She then included a couple of Twitpics of a snowy Dallas with a spectacular sunset.
When it comes to the Super Bowl, the poker community is holding its cards close to the vest as to which team various players will be supporting. Jon Friedberg, host of Poker News Daily’s “The Showdown,” asked his followers who they were backing over Twitter: “Who should I bet on for the Super Bowl? Advice please from sports betting friends. I’ll pick my own props, but need team bet.”
One player who is not shy about who he’s backing is Robert Mizrachi. “Go Green Bay. Let’s go,” was the simple Tweet that Mizrachi passed along to his followers. Currently, Bodog has the Green Bay Packers as a three-point favorite over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With all the activity surrounding the Super Bowl, sports fan and “Poker After Dark” hostess Leeann Tweeden was focused on something else. Although she’ll be watching the game, her true passion appears to be baseball when she Tweeted, “The Super Bowl means 1 week till pitchers & catchers report to Spring Training!”
