P0ker J0 - The Pro Corner
Sunday, April 19, 2009 - P0ker J0
Well hello UB land!
As always – its been a busy few weeks. Many members of Team UB found themselves in Vegas for the Bellagio event. Well at least that is what they tell me – but for some reason, I think a certain Beer Pong on Monday April 13th could have had something to do with it!! Click here and then follow the link under Red Carpet Events to view some pictures from the event. YES – that really is Team UB taking one for the team! UB logos everywhere – I love it and am very proud of my pros!! (even though I think all they won was a hangover!)
But there was business in Vegas! UB held a pro/player dinner before the main event. In true UB fashion – our pros showed the players the UB love! Dinner at Fix followed by seemingly copious amounts of poker strategy (and when I say poker strategy…what I really mean is alcohol!) I think a good time was had by all and there is video footage to prove it! Check it out here! I personally would like to thank the Team UB members for showing our players a good time – and a special thank you goes out to my pro that called me at 4:30 AM after the festivities were seemingly over!! Love you Team UB!!
So ANOTHER week goes by on the Celebrity Apprentice. I have a few words for the great Joan Rivers!! Wow – this is gonna get personal. I’ve heard that she has said some fairly horrible things about Annie and poker players in general. I take that all very much to heart as I know how generous and kind poker players can be!! Annie stood her ground and continues to play with dignity and respect. I’m not sure that I could pull that off! I would wanna pull out my hairspray and do some collateral damage to Joan Rivers’ face! Ok – I digress! Go Annie Go!! Sunday’s episode should be a good one!
Well plans are rolling for the upcoming WSOP. I will be a great series with Phil going for #12; it is his 20th anniversary since winning his first main event bracelet and it is UB’s 10th anniversary. As you can see – lots to celebrate. Details are being finalized! Hope to see you all in Vegas!
Last but not least – I am very happy to announce that the UB podcasts will be launching in May! Stay tuned for details. Our very own Hollywood Dave will be hosting these entertainment filled interviews – and since when is HD ever boring?? That would be NEVER!!
Ok – that’s all she wrote. Be back next week. Have a good one (and in the words of the great HD) Rock on!
P0ker J0
Tags: Beer Pong, Bellagio, Brunson, Celebrity Apprentice, Fix, Hollywood Dave, Joan Rivers, Phil Hellmuth, podcast, ub
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Friday, April 3, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello UB!
Friday again huh? This week went by faster than a Bon Jovi encore! Wow – I must be getting old! As always – another interesting week in Team UB land!
We saw Annie Duke last another week on Celebrity Apprentice. Did you see it? It was an Annie Duke I’d never seen before! I think if Annie ever decides to open up a hotel, I’d sure be one of the first guests – ESPECIALLY if she was at the Bell Desk! Seriously though Annie – congrats again for lasting this long. I think her strategy is becoming a bit more evident now as the episodes progress. Don’t forget you can get Annie’s “behind the scenes” blog here.
Well it sounds like everyone had a blast at the Dream Team Poker Challenge in Vegas! Even though Jamie Gold’s team won, team Hellmuth, team Hollywood Dave, team Binger and team Tiffany Michelle all made us proud! A great turnout by all!
You’ve heard P0ker H0 and Annie on Rounders Radio – are you ready for this though?? The great P0ker H0 and the infamous Wiscosmurray can now be heard on live radio in the WI area. They are launching the Man Up show on WTDY on the MidWest Family Broadcast on Saturday mornings at (wait for it…………………) 7:00 AM!!!! I mean who would have thought poker players would even be up that early. The ONLY time I have EVER seen a poker player up that early is when they haven’t been to bed yet!!! Anyway – it should prove to be a very entertaining program. They will of course be talking poker, but intuition leads me to think that they’ll take it up a notch. I’m just on the edge of my seat waiting to hear all about it.
So rock star to poker star!! Did you see our very own Scott Ian take down the 200k on Sunday? Check out his blog about it here – and YES, tha is Keanu Reeves in the photographs!! Anyway, he has been working his ASS off playing poker for the last few years. I first met Scott when he won the VH1 Rock Stars of Poker that UltimateBet sponsored a few years ago. I have always found Scott to be one of the most genuine down to earth kinda guys. I couldn’t be happier for him! This was a huge triumph for him and he deserves it! Way to go Scott!! Don’t forget we still have to finish having that conversation about how you should grow your hair so I can teach you to backcomb!! 
So what’s next? Well the WPT Bellagio event is in a few weeks. Seems like there will be a good sized UB group there and so many of the pros will be there. Check back next week on my blog for full details of how you can hang with Team UB in Vegas!
Well that’s all for P0ker J0 this week! Have a good one and see you next Friday!
P0ker J0
Tags: Annie Duke, Bellagio, Bon Jovi, Celebrity Apprenctice, Dream Team Poker, Jamie Gold, Keanu Reeves, MidWest Family Broadcasting, P0ker H0, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, ultimatebet, VH1, WPT, WTDY
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Friday, March 27, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello UBers!
Well I just have to bring myself to talk Celebrity Apprentice first! Wow Annie makes it through another week AND survived the chopping block as the girls lost for the first time. I won’t repeat everything Annie writes in her weekly Celebrity Apprentice BLOG – but you now have two places to read about her thoughts. One is her own BLOG and a newly created section on the UB BLOG where Annie talks about how her strategy on the show is a lot like her poker strategy. I hope you enjoy as much as I have been.
So in between all the Celebrity Apprentice press, Annie has been a twittering freak. She has more followers each week. I think there might even be a secret race for followers between her and Phil. Mr. Hellmuth continues to embrace this new technology. He has been talking a lot lately about how much money he as been losing playing chinese poker! Follow Annie on twitter and follow Phil on twitter.
Phil and Annie’s websites have both recently been revamped. Check them out at www.annieduke.com and www.philhellmuth.com. You will see a vast improvement in not only look and feel but also functionality. Bookmark them today!
So a big weekend in Vegas this coming weekend. I have so many of my pros headed to Caesars Palace to participate in the Dream Team Poker event. It is a new and unique spin on poker where teams of three compete creating even more financial incentives than standard poker. We have Phil Hellmuth teaming up with Mike “the mouth” Matusow and Jerry Buss; Hollywood Dave will be teaming up with Ericka Shoenberg and her father; Tiffany Michell will be teaming up with Lacey Jones and Maria Ho and Michael Binger is joining forces with his brother Nick and Liv Boeree (Absolute Poker’s gal!). It will be interesting to see how this takes off. The event is compeletely sold out! I’m sure there will be twittering and video blogs to follow! Go Team UB!!
Well I that is all she wrote for today folks! Have a fantastic weekend!
P0ker J0 xoxoxoxoxo
Tags: Annie Duke, Caesars Palace, Celebrity Apprentice, Dream Team Poker, Ericka Shoenberg, Hollywood Dave, Jerry Buss, Liv Boeree, Michael Binger, Mike Matisow, Phil Hellmuth, Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle, Twitter
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Sunday, March 22, 2009 - P0ker J0
Well hello all – what can I say? Spring is here! My most fave season of the year. I have a bounce in my step and a smile on my face!
Well Team UB have been in Hellmuth town this past week duking it out at the Bay 101 event. By the sounds of things, Mr. Hellmuth kept himself busy with friends after busting out of the main event. I heard rumblings of hot tubs and chinese poker – no surprise there!
Look out for Tiffany Michelle on a couple of new magazine covers – one being Rounders Magazine and one being Knockout Magazine. I can imagine all eyes will be on Tiffany at this year’s main event in Vegas. Go Tiffany go!
Well I’m excited to announce that you will start seeing video BLOGs from the pros on the site very soon! I have my first two from the great P0ker H0 – although probably only one is suitable for public consumption. Keep an eye out for them soon.
Well what can I say – Annie Duke lasted another week on Celebrity Apprentice. She was relatively quiet this past week don’t you think? Well whatever her stragegy was – it worked. Seems like the famous saying “Girls rule and boys drool” might just apply here don’t ya think? Don’t forget to keep abreast of Annie’s behind the scenes updates on her blog on www.AnnieDuke.com.
So I announced last week that Phil Hellmuth was “twittering”. (yes – I’m still in disbelief) but now Ms. Duke is twittering herself. Follow her ever move under the name “realannieduke” on Twitter.com. She will be providing updates as she watches the Celebrity Apprentice each week too – so that will provide you with up to the minute updates!
Well short and sweet (well maybe not so sweet – but short none-the-less). I think I will head outside and plant some seeds seeing that Spring is here. I will then toast my seeds with a nice glass of merlot later today!
Until next week………………hugs and kisses P0ker J0
Tags: Annie Duke, Celebrity Apprentice, Phil Hellmuth, Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle, Twitter
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Friday, March 13, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello all:
Well what a busy couple of weeks it has been! My head is spinning (big 80’s hair and all)
As I’m sure most of you know, Annie Duke is kicking some serious butt on the Celebrity Apprentice. The girls won again this past week and Annie is still a strong contender in the game. I love how she steps up to the plate and just gets shit done! I think the girls are all just getting to know her – but for those of us who know her here in the poker world – that is just how she is! Look out for another episode this coming Sunday. I believe that NBC will only show one of the two hours this Sunday with a full two hour episode airing next Saturday on March 21st. Keep an eye out for some news on the UB auction site. We will soon be auctioning off some products from the Celebrity Apprentice on the site. Stay tuned for more information!
So Annie and Phil just finished filming the ever popular NBC Heads Up Challenge. It will air some time in May I believe. I think there was some fierce competition. It is interesting to me to see how mainstream poker has become. So many celebrities from the entertainment world have made poker a big part of their lives. I know Annie drew Brad Garrett in the heads up and Don Cheadle also was invited to play. I am thrilled that he wore the UB logo for the event! He and Annie go way back as they co-founded Ante Up for Africa together.
So Phil has been a busy bee. He has started to embrace the technology available to everyone today. I’m pretty impressed – I won’t lie! He now has a Facebook page, he has his own YouTube channel and has just recently announced that he is twittering! (is that even a verb?) Check it out here!
Annie and P0ker H0 will not be hosting The Ultimate Poker Show on Rounders Radio this Sunday (the great Hollywood Dave will be at the mic!). They are both teaching at the World Series of Poker Academy in Vegas. Always a good crowd with lots of poker knowledge flying around. P0ker H0 even told me he went to Vegas on a private jet!! I just hope his ego doesn’t start to get big! Actually – who am I kidding?? His ego is already big enough!
Well I think that is all for now – will be back next week! Have a super week and chat soon.
P0ker J0
p.s..did anyone notice how I didn’t manage to get a Bon Jovi mention this blog?? 
I couldn’t quite find a way to get him in there.
Tags: Annie Duke, brad garrett, Celebrity Apprentice, don cheadle, Facebook, Phil Hellmuth, rounders radio, Twitter, World Series of Poker Academy, YouTube
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Friday, February 27, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello fellow UB’ers.
Could it really be all about me? Just for once?? – nah!
Well another month is upon us. March already? It won’t be long before the snow melts (well at least here in Canada) and the spring flowers will start to emerge. I LOVE the Spring – even though it usually means i’m another year older! Yep – it’s P0ker J0’s birthday this Sunday. I’m looking forward to some down time which may or may not include some red wine and listening to some……yep……Bon Jovi!
So – even MORE important than my birthday on Sunday is the premiere of the Celebrity Apprentice II. Catch Annie Duke across the boardroom table from Donald Trump. I’ve mentioned this show in previous BLOGs but now that it is imminent – I won’t lie – I’m so excited to watch it. UB has come up with a pretty cool promotion to support the show. You can play alongside Annie on Sundays on UB for a chance to win a free trip to Aruba! Click here for the details - and spread the word. Go Annie go!
Speaking of Annie and how competitive she is, did you read the prop bet she has with Hollywood Dave?? Check out his BLOG here. How crazy are my pros? This will be a fun one to follow!
So speaking of BLOGs, I found Phil Hellmuth’s this week a good read. He refers to a hand he called at the Premiere Poker League III. Check it out here. I loved watching that video link!
Speaking of video links (notice all the segues i’m doing today?? what’s with that??) Anyway – coming soon you will be able to see your pro blogs in video format. You’ll be able to know the exact week that Hollywood Dave changes his hair color or if P0ker H0 has a zit or if Scott Ian changes the color of his beard. Sooooooooo much to look forward to.
Ok – I clearly need a coffee. Have a super week. Don’t forget to tune into Celebrity Apprentice Sunday night.
P0ker J0 Out!
Tags: Annie Duke, Bon Jovi, Celebrity Apprentice, Phil Hellmuth, poker league, Scott Ian
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Friday, February 20, 2009 - P0ker J0
Well hello from the pro corner!
Well another week has flown by. I so love having my BLOGs posted on a Friday where I’m all giddy excited about the weekend. Not that I do too much – but still there is something about being able to say T.G.I.F.
As the pro manager – I don’t get too many days off. It does tend to be a 24/7 type of job, but i can’t lie – I LOVE my job!! Team UB have really become family to me. As you can imagine, there are many different personalities within the team – but they are all special to me in their own unique way. (even the ones that call me at 11:00 PM on a Saturday night )
Anyway – we have seen a good UB turnout at the LA Poker Classic. Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth fought hard in the HORSE and the Heads Up tournaments but we still have the main event to look forward to! We’ve seen Hollywood Dave kicking some serious ass in the side games and Tiffany Michelle doing a great job both at the tables and in front of the camera – as always. Check out her interview on FSN.com I wish the best of luck to all my Team UB members at the tables!
Well Mr Scott Ian has been earning some quality frequent flyer miles. He has just been in London for a week. He said it was for some R&R but I saw some pictures on the internet of him playing hard at the Anvil/Cauldron movie screening at the Shepards Bush Empire. Check him out sporting his UB t-shirt! Gotta love Scott Ian! Don’t forget – by this time next week – all will be revealed regarding the Scott Ian promotion I was eluding to last week. Bon Jovi who????
Well only one more week before the Celebrity Apprentice starts staring our very own Annie Duke. I simply cannot wait to watch! Here is a snippet of her profile on NBC and check this out where Annie Duke shows that she has strong opinions on where the women’s team should set up shop for one of the challenges. I know Annie quite well – and I can tell you she is the most competitive woman I have ever met! I don’t think the other contestants have a chance!
Phil Hellmuth has been a busy guy lately as well. In preparation for the upcoming WSOP – which also happens to be the 20th anniversary since he won his main event title in 1989 – he is being sought after by many of the big poker magazines for cover shoots/interviews etc. Will this be the year that Phil wins bracelet #12? Could this be the year where he celebrates his 20th year with anohter main event win? Either way – it will be exciting! Phil will be on top of his game – ready to make waves. Check out this link where Sports Illustrated asked him to be part of their “Celebrity Picks to win the Daytona 500″. Never short on words, check out this link where Phil is highlighted in “15 outs…one time”. 15 questions – all the poker knowledge you can handle at one time. See what Phil is saying about the 2009 WSOP schedule, his side projects, Super Bowl Sunday and more. Enjoy!
Well I think that is all she wrote for this week. A kind of warm, fuzzy love fest really – but hey -it can happen once in a while. And just in case you were wondering if the hubby came through on Valentine’s Day – kind of. I received a lovely card. I think he felt that the fact the card did not come from the dollar store was gonna get him some brownie points. Not so much!!
Enjoy your week!
P0ker J0
Tags: Annie Duke, Anvil/Cauldron, Bon Jovi, Celebrity Apprentice, Daytona 500, FSN, h.o.r.s.e., Hollywood Dave, LA Poker Classic, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, Shepards Bush Empire, Sports Illustrated, Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle, WSOP
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Friday, February 13, 2009 - P0ker J0
Well happy Friday!!
T.G.I.F is all I can say. This week has flown by faster than any I can remember. BAM it’s Friday again and I have to say I’m looking forward to the weekend. Not because it is Valentine’s Day and I have delusional thoughts that my hubby might actually remember – and shower me with flowers and attention. Nope – I’m not bitter!! I’ll fill you in next week on the outcome!
So a relatively quiet week on the pro front. I think everyone is gearing up for the LA Poker Classic. I have a pretty full line up there including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Tiffany Michelle, Hollywood Dave to name a few. There will be lots of yellow and black – hopefully at some final tables too! Go Team UB go!
What you will see very soon is an onslaught of pros playing in the new STEPS tournaments on UB. After much anticipation, they are launching on February 15th! With more chances to win more tournaments with smaller buy ins – why wouldn’t we see more pros??!! Enjoy them – Team UB will be sure to.
So I have some cryptic messages for you – all will become very clear soon enough! Promise! There is a HUGE promotion launching in the next week or so involving our very own guitar playing rock star Scott Ian. This will be something you will want to follow – trust me! I’m a Bon Jovi fanatic – but this promo has me ready to say “Have A Nice Day” Jon – I”m an Anthrax fan now!
Don’t forget to listen in to The Ultimate Poker Show on Rounders Radio this Sunday at 8:00 PM EST with the great P0ker H0 and Annie Duke. They have a special surprise guest!
Well that’s all she wrote this week. As you can see I’m not feeling hopeful about Valentine’s Day but at least i know P0ker H0 loves me. He actually named a sandwhich on his bar menu after me – the “P0ker J0 chicken sandwhich” at Players Sports Bar in Madison. I really need to head that way and sample it for myself one day!
Have a great week!
P0ker J0
Tags: Anthrax, Bon Jovi, LA Poker Classic, rounders radio, Scott Ian, STEPS, Team UB, Valentines Day
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Friday, February 6, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello there from the Pro Corner:
So I thought that i would try to write an entire BLOG that didn’t mention poker in any way shape or form. It was one of those personal challenges that you know deep down will never fly – but on the off chance you could do it – would provide so much intrinsic satisfaction it would be worth it. So basically I know I suck!! So here goes…….. hope you enjoy!
WSOP dates have been announced. WOW – have you seen the line up?? A 40K buy in to celebrate the 40th annual WSOP? Holy cow!! I can’t even begin to imagine the pro line up for THAT event. I’m sure there will be attitudes, I’m sure there will be egos, and I’m pretty sure there will be Hellmuth!! That is a hell of a way to kick off the WSOP!! Now all we have to do is try to guess what Mr. Hellmuth will decide to do this year with his big main event arrival. I can pretty much assure you he wont be driving!!
So we all know that NBC announced Annie Duke as a contestant on the Celebrity Apprentice. Who can’t wait to watch the first episode on March 1st (which also happens to be my birthday in case anyone wanted to send me flowers ) With the celebrity line up – we know there will be fireworks all around. In the meantime check out Annie’s personal blog at www.annieduke.com where she will keep everyone updated on what was happening behind the scenes. I’m hoping that at least one of those phone calls to P0ker J0 will make the show – and you can all think “oh that is the girl with the big hair”. Enjoy – good times ahead!!
Speaking of Annie Duke and her reputation for charity - check out the latest event that Annie has proudly committed to. The Decision Education Fund (DEF) Celebrity Poker Tournament on March 28th (7:00 -11:00 PM) at Dinah’s Garden Hotel and Trader Vic’s. Why not come out and play with UB’s very own Annie Duke but also her brother Howard Lederer and other world class poker players like Andy Bloch and Erik Seidel. Check out www.decisioneducation.org.
Well Mr. Hellmuth has entered 2009!! He has a Facebook page finally! Look for him online. His PokerBrat clothing line is doing tremendously well and you really should check it out at www.pokerbrat.com before the World Series so that you are fully decked out and ready to show Phil your support.
Well I think that is it for now. I’m sure I will think of something I have missed when I go to bed tonight – kind of like me sitting up at 3:00 AM thinking about doing my expenses!! yikes!! in the meantime – get ready for another mini-blog from P0ker J0! Thanks for checking back and I’ll see you next week!!
P0ker J0
xoxoxoxooxox
Tags: Annie Duke, Celebrity Apprentice, DEF, Facebook, NBC, Phil Hellmuth, WSOP
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Friday, January 30, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello from the Pro Corner!
I can’t believe another week has flown by. I really must be getting old! Thank god for hairspray and back combing to keep me young. (Well young at heart – not necessarily when looking in the mirror!)
Anyway – all seems much quieter on the ranch now that UBOC is over. But the fun never ends! I now have a team of pros all gunning to head to Austria for the Poker in the Alps promotion. Without a doubt there will be more than a fair share of UB hockey jerseys running around the Alpine Palace – each with their own bad beat story. It is a really cool promotion and the pictures of the location look amazing! What I wouldn’t do for a week away in the Alps! For some reason I have pictures in my head of Julie Andrews running around singing “The hills are alive with the sound of music”. Ok I digress – time to change topics!
So a big football weekend ahead. Superbowl Sunday will inevitably keep everyone glued to their TV screens instead of their computer screens. I’m not much of a football fan – more of a Superbowl PARTY fan. Speaking of parties – the great P0ker H0 is having a Superbowl party at his bar – Players Sports Bar in Madison WI. I’m sure there will be lots of laughter, lots of beer and lots of fun! If you are in the neighborhood, drop by for a brewski! Tell him P0ker J0 sent you!
The Ultimate Poker Show will not air this Sunday in its entirety to honor the big day. Still listen in though to get the password for the Rounders Radio freeroll and $5 tournament. Don’t forget about the promotion I mentioned in my last BLOG where you could find yourself seated next to Annie Duke and P0ker H0 in Vegas in March!
Are you looking for a fresh new place to chat on the internet? If you are a poker fan with that competitive edge – why not join the UB Poker Leagues? There is now a new home for your voice to be heard. Check out the new UB Poker Leagues Forums. You’ll find many members of Team UB hanging out and chatting there.
Mark your calendars! Aruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuba 2009 is confirmed. Pack your suitcase and don’t forget the suntan lotion. Block off October 3rd to 10th on your calendar and tell your boss you are NOT available for that annoying conference call. The Aruba Poker Classic – in its 8th year – should prove to be the best ever. On the heels of the WSOPE, we expect to attract the best of the best in the poker world. P0ker J0 will even be on standby to give out autographs. (Please no nasty comments about that last offer!)
Well I think that is all she wrote for this week! Enjoy your week and I’ll see you back here – same time – same place – next Friday!
P0ker J0
Tags: Aruba Poker Classic, poker in the alps, rounders radio, Superbowl, ub poker leagues, UBOC, WSOP, WSOPE
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