Laura Lane returned from vacation to bring the poker community its seventh installment of ESPN.com’s “Inside Deal.” This week, Lane and co-host Bernard Lee welcomed Daniel Negreanu and Michael Binger.
The web-only show kicked off its 40 minute run by reviewing nominations for the Poker Hall of Fame. The general public’s original list of 10 candidates was trimmed to nine following the elimination of Tom “durrrr” Dwan from contention on the grounds that the youngster did not stand the test of time, one of several factors required for entry. Lee proposed that the panel clarify its criteria for the future: “I would suggest using a more specific criteria, maybe a minimum age requirement or minimum number of years played.” As it currently stands, the youngest Hall of Fame inductee is Chip Reese, who was 40.
Attention then turned to the findings of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) on the Ultimate Bet scandal, which once again fingered Russ Hamilton as its mastermind. The report included 117 user names and noted that 31 unnamed individuals were also involved. Lee commented, “Russ Hamilton’s legacy has been irreparably damaged. Already, we have seen the effects this summer, when he did not participate in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Champions Invitational.” Hamilton won the 1994 WSOP Main Event, defeating Hugh Vincent heads-up.
Negreanu will captain Team Americas prior to this year’s running of the WSOP Europe as part of the Caesars Cup. On formulating his team, which already includes Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, and Doyle Brunson, Negreanu told the “Inside Deal” crew, “They told me they had this really cool concept they wanted to hold right before WSOP Europe. They asked me if I would be willing to be captain. I’m taking it seriously and trying to put together a team that’s going to work well together.” Last year, Negreanu finished fifth in the WSOP Europe Main Event, a tournament ultimately won by Juanda.
Binger then relived a hand against Jamie Gold during the 2006 WSOP Main Event in which Gold turned a straight after being a 2:1 underdog against Binger after the flop. The Ultimate Bet pro remarked, “It’s really the only time in my poker career that I’ve busted out of a tournament and not been upset. I played that hand as well as I could and was a 2:1 favorite when the money went in.” Binger finished third for $4.1 million, while Gold took home $12 million and the coveted Main Event gold bracelet.
Binger became burnt out while pursuing his PhD at Stanford and turned to poker as a diversion. He earned his doctorate in 2006 before heading straight to Las Vegas to begin his successful poker career. His brother, Nick Binger, is also a staple in the industry and owns over $200,000 in lifetime WSOP earnings. On his relationship with his brother, Binger revealed, “There’s a healthy competition between us. I’m happy for him when he succeeds and I’m sure he feels the same way, but we also push each other to try to go further.”
ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman then joined the show. Like this author, Feldman is one of several media members who will vote in the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Feldman asked Negreanu how his resume stacked up against the other eight finalists. Negreanu responded, “I don’t feel like I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame this year. There are a lot of people who have played for longer than I have that deserve it more.” Negreanu and Lee endorsed World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton. Binger added that Barry Greenstein, Erik Seidel, and Ivey would be his top three candidates.
A special “Twitter: Fact or Fiction” segment aired in which Binger and Negreanu were asked whether Twitter entries made by each other were real or concocted by “Inside Deal” staff. In the end, the score was tied at two. Finally, Binger forecasted that Ivey would win the 2009 WSOP Main Event, labeling the 33 year-old “sick.”
“Inside Deal” is released each Tuesday on ESPN.com. Sign up to receive breaking news from Poker News Daily and you’ll be entered to win autographed merchandise from “Inside Deal” guests.