Daily Rewind: Sebok Joins WPT, Play Money Tracking & Debt Problems for Mizrachi

In today's Daily Rewind we profile the WPT's latest recruit, start tracking play money games with PokerScout and see why bankruptcy is causing Michael Mizrachi problems.

The Daily Rewind is your one-stop-shop for a sharp review of the day in poker. Join us here for a mix of the latest news and a more irreverent insight into the poker world. Today we discovered the following topics for you:

Sebok Signs with WPT

Spokesman Sebok

The World Poker Tour has recently acquired a new representative in the shape of former Pokerroad Radio presenter Joe Sebok.

The news reached the community via Twitter – a medium where Joe has over 1 million followers – thanks to a tweet from Jeanine Deeb.

As yet there has been no information as to what role Joe will take at WPT.

However, having been the face of one of the industry’s most popular radio shows, as well as a spokesman for Ultimate Bet, it’s likely that Joe will be tasked with liaising with the poker community.

This news has already been met with backlash from many corners of the poker community, who still negatively associate Sebok with being an ambassador for shamed site Ultimate Bet.  

Play Money Pros

It may seem like a strange move but PokerScout’s recent decision to start tracking play money cash games could provide a significant boost for the industry.

A recent overhaul of the site’s software means that alongside real money traffic figures, interested players can now see which site has the most play money players.

Currently dominating the market is Zynga Poker with a seven day average total of 120,400 players. They are followed closely by PokerStars with 24,800 and Party Poker with 2,500.

Aside from providing a more complete overview of the entire poker industry, this move by PokerScout could help encourage more people to play free money games.

Indeed, the industry was built on players migrating over to real money games back in early 2000 and with US legislation looking more likely moves like this could certainly help spark another poker boom. 

It's play time

Player Claims Bankruptcy to Avoid Debt

Failing to honour a bet is one of the worst things a poker player can do, but that fact seems to have been lost on Giorgio Medici who reportedly owes Michael Mizrachi $100,000.

According to The Grinder's twitter feed, the pair made a bracelet bet at the start of the WSOP with Mizrachi laying 5-1 with a $20,000 stake.

However, after winning the $50,000 Players Championship Medici fell silent. Eventually he contacted Mizrachi to explain that he’s now bankrupt and unable to pay his debt.

It’s certainly one of the more inventive excuses for not being able to pay someone, but that’s probably little consolation to Mizrachi who now faces the prospect of never seeing his money.

Grinder gets stiffed

High Stakes Corner

Fish on a heater or a pro in disguise? That’s the question everyone seems to be asking after “_GimmeDAT_” began demolishing the high stakes PLO games on Cake Poker.

The mystery player has only played 14,858 hands, but already they’ve amassed $1,370,316 in winnings.

“_GimmeDAT_” first appeared on May 31st and since then they’ve manage to make more than 50 buy-ins at PLO $10K and the same at PLO $5K.

Such a huge profit in a short space of time isn’t unheard of in the poker world but it’s certainly a rare occurrence.

Indeed, it seems as though this player will be someone worth watching over the next few weeks.

_GimmeDAT_ on a heater

Daily Signoff

Just in case you’ve never heard Phil Ivey’s story, Tatjana Pasalic has produced the following video to explain how “No Home Jerome” became the greatest poker player in the world.