Guy Laliberte, founder of billion dollar entertainment company Cirque du Soleil has disappeared off the Full Tilt radar. Innovative, entrepreneurial, a doting philanthropist Guy may all be, but a profitable high stakes online player he is not. All Guy's aliases - lady marmalade, patatino, elmariachimacho and ahtata, all hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red, have vanished.
It's estimated that Guy's withdrawal means $10 million LESS going into the pockets of sharks Phil Ivey, Phil Galfond and Tom Dwan. His frightening deficits give a strong indication of the brutality of nosebleed stakes, because based on live performances, Guy doesn't even seem that bad. This is a man who played solid poker on GSN's High Stakes Poker season four, and has a handsome $696,220 4th placed cash at the WPT Bellagio. We can only speculate on the reasons for his departure from High Stakes activity - the worrying global economic climate, a hectic schedule, or perhaps the sheer frustration of being unable to beat the games. Or perhaps he's grinding $0.10/20.
Charismatic president Barack Obama has never really hid his passion for poker. But in the midst of all the anti-poker legislature, he has to exercise a degree of subtlety when voicing his like for the game. One incredible rumor flying around forums is that Obama will be participating in the WSOP Main Event, courtesy of a certain Mr Sklar forking out his buy-in. Mr Sklar has some juicy wagers riding on his appearance - $40 at 25,000-1 with Chris Ferguson reportedly, which would see him scoop well over $1 million. It doesn't seem practical for Mr Obama and his entourage, including security snipers, to hit the hustle and bustle of Harrah's, but it would symbolize a great moral victory for poker if he did. Let's hope he'll be making full houses, not white houses on the 4th July.
Meanwhile the $50K H.O.R.S.E has 19 players remaining going into the final day of play. Vitaly Lunkin is in pole position to claim a brace of highroller event titles, following his victory in the $40K NL event, as he heads the field. Eight times bracelet winner Erik Siedel, great Dane Gus Hansen and the facetious ‘Tony G' are among the big names remaining.
Source: www.aintluck.com
