PartyPoker Top Group VI: Esfandiari Stops Cool Streak...

Dan Shak virtually secured a seat in the Party Poker Premier League VI final on Wednesday. After earning 11 points for a runner-up finish in Heat 1, Shak picked up 16 points for taking down Heat 2. He now shares the Group B lead with Tobias Reinkemeier, who finished second in the second heat.

Although Jason Mercier was among the favorites to excel in Group B, he's been struggling to find his place. He gathered only six points in the first heat and added nothing to his total Wednesday after busting in eighth place. With just 61,000 in chips (five big blinds) on his last hand, Mercier shoved with . Talal Shakerchi called behind with and the better hand help up to send Mercier to the rail empty-handed.

Igor Kurganov participated in a few key hands in the early levels but couldn't kick-start anything into full gear. He shoved his remaining 54,000 chips with against Shakerchi's pocket threes. The board ran out , sending him to the rail in seventh with two points.

After Phil Laak lost most of his chips in an all-in confrontation against Reinkemeier, a double elimination sent Laak and Tony G to the rail in sixth and fifth place, respectively. Laak moved all in for 4,000 chips on the button. Tony G shoved all-in for 238,000 with from the small blind and Shakerchi, holding called behind. The flop gave Shakerchi a huge lead in the hand, but the on the turn gave Tony G some outs for a straight. Unfortunately for him, the river provided no help, resulting in a brief rant as he walked off the stage: "I shouldn't have even come here today."

Jennifer Tilly held her own through the first two heats, taking third place in Heat 1 and fourth in Heat 2. Tilly committed her stack with on a flop, only to run into Shak's . The turn sealed the deal for Shak, and Tilly added six points to the eight she earned in the first heat.

As the blinds got higher, Shakerchi's stack dwindled and he eventually exited in third place. Reinkemeier opened to 60,000 with pocket fours and Shakerchi three-bet shoved for 373,000. Shak responded with a four-bet all-in with . Reinkemeier quickly folded and the players tabled their hands. The flop gave Shak a set of kings and left Shakerchi drawing dead. The turn and river completed the board and sent Shakerchi to the rail while picking up eight points in addition to the two he earned from Heat 1.

At the start of heads-up action, Shak lead Reinkemeier by 1,468,000 chips to 932,000. Shak was on top of the leaderboard for most of the second heat and finished on top when it was all over.

The final hand saw Reinkemeier open shove for 403,000 with and Shak call with . The board ran out and Shak scooped the 16 points and $32,000.

In an interview with host Kara Scott, Shak said: "I feel really good. I got heads-up with a chip advantage and then he seemed to win like the first 20 hands in a row. I was almost embarrassed he was outplaying me. So I decided I wasn't going to be pushed around anymore. I stayed composed and didn't tilt."

Heat 3 of Group B wrapped up on Thursday and was one for the ages. In the most action-packed and entertaining heat of the series, Antonio Esfandiari pulled a win out of his bag of tricks to put himself back in contention to make the eight-handed final table.

At the start of the third heat, Scott Seiver and Esfandiari were the two players at the bottom of the leaderboard with only four and three points, respectively. Both really needed to finish at the top of the heat in order to even have a chance at making the final table and they accomplished just that. Esfandiari went on to defeat Seiver, who finished runner-up for 11 points.

A few levels into the match, Daniel "Jungleman" Cates was eliminated in eight after Esfandiari ran a four-card flush against his top pair. Cates was under fire throughout the entire heat for acting out of turn on a few occasions. He received a warning from the players and continued to act out of turn, eventually receiving a one-hand penalty. When he did it again, he got a one-round penalty. His eighth-place finish in the third heat puts him at jeopardy of missing an automatic seat the final table.

After struggling to stay afloat, Daniel Negreanu was the next to hit the rail with two points. Unless he wins the fourth and final heat, Negreanu may have to fight for a final-table seat through a playoff round.

In one of the greatest hands in the event so far, Duhamel pulled an incredible river bluff on Esfandiari with just ace high. From the button, Esfandiari raised to 25,000 with and Duhamel defended from the small blind with . The flop fell . Duhamel check-called a 33,000-chip continuation bet from Esfandiari. The hit the turn, and Duhamel check-called a bet of 57,000 from Esfandiari. The completed the board and Esfandiari bet 114,000. Phil Laak, providing commentating for the heat, said, "If Jonathan calls this I'm done playing him. I don't want him at my table, I can't play him anymore." A few seconds passed before Duhamel announced he was all-in and Esfandiari snap-folded.

More great poker came during incredible hand between Sam Trickett and Esfandiari. Trickett ran a huge bluff on Esfandiari by moving all in with on a board, forcing Esfandiari to fold pocket kings. Trickett bet 306,000 into the 326,000 pot, and Esfandiari looked for a reason to call but couldn't pull the trigger.

Marvin Rettenmaier was the next to go, in sixth place, earning three points. Duhamel followed after losing a 1,250,000-chip flip to Esfandiari, who opened the action with a raise to 42,000 from the button with . Duhamel three-bet to 105,000 with , and Esfandiari four-bet to 232,000. Duhamel then shoved all-in for 609,000 and Esfandiari, who barely had Duhamel covered, called. The board ran out and Duhamel collected four points to give him 31 for the group, all but securing his spot at the final table.

Needing to finish in to the top two, both Phil Hellmuth and Seiver were cautious of when to put their chips in, knowing that the extra points would help reach the final. It was Hellmuth who eventually busted in the third spot to collect eight points, moving him into a tie with Cates for fourth in the group standings.

Esfandiari had more than a 4-to-1 chip advantage over Seiver when heads-up play began. Seiver shoved his remaining stack with against Esfandiari's . Esfandiari's hand finished best again and he collected the much-needed 16 points to move him into third in the standings. Seiver, the defending champ of this event, sits in sixth.

A win for anyone in the last Group A heat will guarantee an automatic spot in the final while a second-place finish for any of the top six should also be enough for an automatic bid.

The top three automatically qualify for the final, with each point they earn equating to 10,000 chips in the final. The players that finish fourth and fifth will have to play heads-up to earn their spot in the final. The player who finishes fourth in Group A will play against the fifth-place finisher in Group B, and the fifth place finisher in Group A will play against the fourth-place finisher in Group B.

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Yankees' Jeter expected to begin year on DL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) a Yankees common supervisor Brian Cashman says injured shortstop Derek Jeter will probably maybe not be ready for opening time. Cashman said Sunday it's "more likely than the regular season will be started by not" Jeter on the disabled list due to foot soreness. Cashman says the Yankees' leader was a little painful Sunday, 1 day after getting four at-bats because the designated hitter in a minor group exhibition game. The 38-year-old Jeter received an anti inflammatory injection Wednesday. He'd surgery for a broken left ankle last October. Cashman says Jeter will not play in a league game for at the least another couple days. The Yankees variety Boston in the regular-season opener April 1.

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PartyPoker Premier League VI: Daniel “Jungleman” Cates Wins ...

Daniel "Jungleman" Cates has done it again. The fourth and final heat of Group A of the Party Poker Premier League VI ended on Thursday, and Cates once again claimed victory by defeating Jonathan Duhamel heads up for 16 points and an additional $32,000. The victory was Cates' second of Premier League VI after he won the second heat earlier this week. Cates finished second overall in Group A, eight points behind Duhamel. Both players earned automatic seats to the final table along with Sam Trickett, who took third in the final heat.

The table dynamic for the final heat changed because all the players knew how many points they needed in order to advance to the final table. For some, the fourth heat was less about playing poker and more about strategy to stay in the game.

In just the second level of the heat, Negreanu was eliminated in eighth place, leaving him no chance of qualifying for the final. According to the PartyPoker blog, Negreanu acted completely out of character after he busted, throwing his chips across the table where some even spilled onto the floor.

In Negrenau's exit hand, Cates opened to 12,000 with the and was called by Negreanu (), Antonio Esfandiari (), Trickett () and Scott Seiver (). Duhamel then shoved for 250,000 with the , and Negreanu was the only player to call. The flop gave Negreanu the lead with top pair, but Duhamel also paired his four. The landed on the turn to ease Negreanu's nerves, but the on the river improved Duhamel's hand to trips, sending Negreanu into a frenzy.

Marvin Rettenmaier also had a tough time after he ran a set into a bigger set and then was eliminated after he ran pocket fours into Seiver's pocket aces. He picked up just two points to tie Negreanu for last place on the overall leaderboard.

Phil Hellmuth busted the final heat in sixth after losing two key hands. In the first, Trickett moved all in with pocket sevens, and Hellmuth snap-called with the . The on the turn left Hellmuth lagging with just a handful of big blinds left. After that, he saw his remaining chips in the middle with the against Duhamel's . The on the flop was all Duhamel needed to send Hellmuth to the rail.

Esfandiari was the next to go after Duhamel knocked him out with a pair of aces. Esfandiari's elimination in fifth place was significant for a few reasons. First, it meant that he will be forced to compete for a final table seat in the playoffs. Second, Seiver was guaranteed to make the playoffs, meaning Hellmuth was officially out of the Premier League.

Seiver, who was all smiles after seeing both Esfandiari and Hellmuth bust before he did, went out in fourth place for six points. Cates raised to 24,000 on the button with the , and Seiver shoved for 270,000 with the . Cates called, and both flopped the ace, but Cates' hand was the better of the two, leaving Seiver to fight in a playoff match against Esfandiari on Friday night.

Trickett left with a third-place finish that guaranteed the Brit a second consecutive appearance in the Premier League final. He'll take a stack of 260,000 to the final table.

Duhamel made an amazing call to double up during heads-up action, but ultimately Cates earned his second heat win of this year's Premier League. In his final hand, Duhamel shoved all in with pocket sixes, and Cates called with pocket tens. The tens held up, giving Cates the win and an additional $32,000. He'll enter the final table with 340,000 in chips. Duhamel will have 420,000.

**The highest individual finish determines the tiebreaker across the four heats. Seiver finished second in Heat 3, and Hellmuth's best finish was third place, also in Heat 3.

Each point a player received during the four heats is worth 10,000 in chips at the final table. Group B will complete Heat 4 on Friday, and the Premier League will continue with the heads-up matches between Esfandiari and Seiver and the fourth and fifth spot of Group B.

Group B's third heat wrapped up Thursday afternoon with Talal Shakerchi taking down the win for 16 points. Shakerchi defeated Tobias Reinkemeier to move into third overall going into the final heat. Reinkenmeier jumped into the overall lead with his runner-up finish.

Shakerchi led early in the match after taking a chunk of Jennifer Tilly's chips, but really extended his lead after eliminating Phil Laak in eighth place in the second level. In a four-way pot preflop, it was Shakerchi and Laak who got their money in on the flop. Laak had top two pair, and Shakerchi had bottom pair, but the river gave Shakerchi trip sevens, sending Laak to the rail with little chance to advance to the final table.

After taking a hit in level two, Tilly busted in seventh place, her worst result in Premier League VI. In Heat 1 she took third place, and in Heat 2 she took fourth, leaving her with 16 points going into Heat 4.

Things really began to heat up in Level 6 as Igor Kurganov and Jason Mercier were sent to the rail. First, Kurganov three-bet shoved with the and failed to improve against Shakerchi's , sending Kurganov out in sixth place. Just a few hands later, Mercier shoved all in from the small blind with the . Unfortunately for him, Dan Shak woke up with pocket queens. The ladies held up on the board to send Mercier out in fifth with four points. With only 10 points going into the last heat, his chances of making the final table are slim.

Tony G tied Mercier with 10 points overall after busting in fourth place and picking up six points. Shakerchi shoved for 362,000 with the , and Tony G snap called with pocket threes. The flop gave Shakerchi the lead, and the turn and river left Tony G in dire need of a big finish on Friday.

The Shakerchi show continued when he busted Shak in third place. With 35 points across the first three heats, Shak is nearly guaranteed to make the eight-handed final table.

Reinkemeier held a slight edge over Shakerchi going into heads-up play, but it was the amateur who walked away with the 16 points and $32,000 prize. In a key hand, Reinkemeier raised with the , and Shakerchi called from the big blind with the . On the flop, Shakerchi check-raised Reinkemeier, who called. The on the turn completed Shakerchi's straight, and he bet 210,000. Reinkemeier called. The on the river did nothing to improve Reinkemeier's hand, but he still called Shakerchi's 340,000-chip bet, giving Shakerchi the lead.

A short while later, both stacks were in the middle with Reinkemeier as the player at risk. Reinkemeier held pocket sixes against Shakerchi's . The board ran out , giving the victory to Shakerchi and boosting his point total to 26.

While Reinkemeier leads the group overall, the only question is how big his stack will be going into the final. Each point equates to 10,000 chips in the final.

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JDS on Mark Hunt: 'If I Feel I Have to Just take Him Down, I'll Do This '

Senior dos Santos won't be looking to stay and beat when he steps into the Octagon against Mark Hunt at UFC 160. Because dropping to Cain Velasquez, a complete mental transformation have been undergone by the former UFC heavyweight champ as a fighter. He understands that a one-dimensional approach will no longer lower it if he ever hopes to take on well-rounded studs like Velasquez and Daniel Cormier. "I was trying to fight standing all the time, nonetheless it is MMA and you've to make use of Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. So now, it's more clear to me. Particularly when you are fighting against some one like Cain Velasquez," dos Santos said all through an on MMAJunkie.com Radio, I've to use all my abilities to win the fights. Dos Santos hopes showing off a few of his new abilities against Hunt, who recently agreed as a replacement for an injured Alistair Overeem to step up. On as dos Santos, who's arguably the best striker in the whole division the feet, few heavyweights possess the same sort of technological performance. Hunt might not be able to match wits in the stand-up, but he more than makes up because of it with a titanium chin and jarring knockout power. After putting up with a skid, "The Super Samoan" has was able to revitalize his job in the UFC. He is currently on a four-fight gain ability, with three of the victories coming by knockout. The initial excitement surrounding the dos Santos and Hunt session turned from an authentic fascination with seeing two of the world's most dangerous heavyweight strikers slug it on the feet. The dos Santos from the year ago will be more than happy to exchange blows with Hunt, however the newer type wants to hold now to a more well-rounded work out. "You really need to get prepared to fight everywhere, and I'm teaching a whole lot in my jiu-jitsu abilities, and I think I'm getting well informed for the reason that area," he said. "If I believe I've to just take him down, I will accomplish that, and I'll be seeking to send him." Will the development of dos Santos simply take his battle game to new heights? It definitely gives Hunt yet another thing to worry about.

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Comment on Whitlam CU-1 Putter Review by War Eagle

I truly believe in my heart that putters are the most personal club in the bag. When something is so personal, it is only natural that the market will form and morph to accommodate it. There is no better example of that than the custom/boutique putter market. If a golfer can dream it up, it can be found somewhere. One company who brings such dreams alive is Whitlam Golf, and one such example is the new Whitlam CU-1 putter.

"Whitlam Golf Putters are a blend of today's technology and yesterday's designs. Whitlam putters are the most precise milled putters in the golf industry. All of our putters are CNC milled and conform to the USGA's strict guidelines governing the manufacture of golf equipment. In addition, we are proud that all Whitlam putters are made entirely in the USA."

Coming into this review I tried to think of one word to describe the looks of the Whitlam CU-1 putter and to be honest, it really cannot be done. The first thing that hits you with the CU-1 putter is undoubtedly the color and the finish. In fact, when I first opened the box, I thought it was amazing. I actually thought that it was a copper plated finish. Wrong.

The CU-1 is literally milled from a solid billet of copper. For those that have not seen a copper putter in hand, it is absolutely one of the best looking materials out there. Not only does it look good, the material is also a throw-back to days of the past when it was commonly used by many companies in the industry.  Copper is truly a classic material that provides a clean and eye catching look, but it still needs to be accentuated with a solid head shape, and the CU-1 is just that.

The style of the CU-1 is a sleek and simple mid-mallet design that would be a very classic look even if it weren't made of copper. The putter has a roundness to it that suits the eye very well with step-down curved outer milling to accentuate the single site-line layout of the center of the flange. Even with the subtle roundness, a slightly thicker topline and squared off back-end really "squares" the putter to the ball at address. Additionally, when looking at the sole one can notice a bit of a  "tri-plane" level to it, which makes the putter very easy to properly sole at address and prevent being  "toe-up" at address.

From an engraving standpoint, the CU-1 keeps it clean enough that it doesn't detract from the rest of the putter in my opinion. I know that the engraving  on the sole may actually be considered "busy" to some, but for me what matters most is at address, and with only a simple and clean cavity logo, the CU-1 remains all business from there. I must also mention that even though paint can obviously be changed, Whitlam has done an excellent job of selecting colors that accentuate the copper rather than detracting from it.

Copper is an incredibly unique material in the golf industry today, but that was not always the case. Once upon a time it was widely used not only in putters, but also irons and wedges. It is because of this history that the material had developed what might be considered a bit of a "cult" following. The reasoning for such a following can actually be traced back to the belief by many that it provides a "softer feel" than the use of Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel in a putter head.

Typically, all feedback in a putter is considered to be the "feel" of the putter. As always however, I abide by the lines of feel being related to sound more so than anything else. In copper, the "feel" is usually considered softer than the other metals, yet still more firm than an insert putter. They key to copper is the sound it puts off, and the Whitlam CU-1 is a perfect example of that very thing. The audible tone and feedback that comes off of the CU-1 is what I would refer to as a deeper and richer sound than that of carbon or stainless steel. This deeper tone gives a less 'clicky' sound off of the face and leads to the perception of a softer feel for the user. The actual sound you get from this putter is incredibly unique to copper putters. If you have never rolled one then it can be a bit difficult to grasp.

I put the Whitlam CU-1 through its paces, not only in multiple rounds on the course, but also extensively on my putting green. I quite enjoyed my time with it. The CU-1 in the double bend heel shafted version is a nearly face balanced mid-mallet that is incredibly well balanced through the stroke. The overall balance combined with the 3.5° of loft on the face provided for a very consistent and quick forward roll on every putting surface that I used it on. Occasionally in the putter world one can come upon a design that is aesthetically pleasing yet functionally flawed that can suffer from twisting through the ball or a feeling of needing to manipulate the stroke. This was certainly not the case with the Whitlam Cu-1. In fact, I found myself able to simply allow my putting stroke to flow with no worries whatsoever.

Most people will immediately look at the CU-1 with a remark of awe on the beauty of the copper material it is built from. However, it should not be lost that the CU-1 is a truly well thought out head shape that Whitlam has brought to fruition. It does not just look good, but also functions well. As mentioned before, the use of copper is much rarer than it once was, and as such, it should not come as a surprise that it does have a higher price tag than other Whitlam designs. The CU-1 comes in right at $500 for all different versions of the putter. Surely a shock to some, but considering the materials and craftsmanship involved, very reasonable for the putter market that Whitlam covers.

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Jacksonville Agree To Conditions With WR Jordan Shipley

The Jaguars attended to terms with large out Jordan Shipley, giving still another danger to them in the pass game. Shipley enjoyed in the ultimate six games for Jacksonville last year. He concluded with 23 receptions for 244 meters. He had a seven catches for 51 yards contrary to the Titans. A third-round draft pick by Cincinnati this season, Shipley has 79 profession receptions for 858 yards and four touchdowns. He saw action in one sport with Tampa Bay a year ago before being waived Sept. 25.

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Qatar Kings (EPL Talk Survey Podcast)

That international break is of decent length. It provides the pod a while to look around the globe and see whatas going on. As it happens, lies, sackings and distress a' for a few! For the others there's nothing but chance. This gave the pod an opportunity it get all existential on your ears. Part among the podcast focusses on quality. Two talks about reputation and love. Three brings home some harsh realities. One? Two? Three? Letas EPL Talk about it: EPL Talk: @epltalk Kartik: @kkfla737 Kristan: @kheneage Matt: @mattcrduncan Morgan: @Morgan_Green Laurence: @lozcast Listed below are the various ways it is possible to tune in to the EPL Talk Podcast each day:

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