Hello Vegas, we've been missing you...

May 10, 2011, Posted by Pokerfarm

It's that time of year again. Time for the yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas in pursuit of gold bracelets and bucketloads of cash. For the chosen few, dreams will be fulfilled and futures secured. For most, dreams will be shattered and it will be a question of 'what if' and 'there's always next year'. This is poker's ultimate test - the World Cup, Champions League and Premiership rolled into one. This is the World Series of Poker.

The Pokerfarm will be out in Las Vegas for the summer where we will be closely following our roster of players, conducting interviews with the big names and hopefully celebrating a bracelet win from one of the boys. We were in Dublin for the Irish Open last week and caught up with some of the players – It was a cracking weekend off the tables, but unfortunately there was no joy in the tournament for any of the lads. You can see some of the footage here, hosted by Pokerfarm’s resident nutter, Rury Mason.

Hopefully there’ll be a lot more to celebrate in Vegas this summer... Here’s a quick overview of who’s who at the Pokerfarm, and who’s likely to be picking up some bling at the series this summer:

Sam Trickett

Sam needs no introduction. Arguably the hottest tournament player in the world right now, Sam has amassed an incredible $4.5m in winnings in the last 10 months. Coming so close to a bracelet last year, coming a cruel 2nd in event 17, and with 6 cashes in the 2010 series, Sam has established his dominance as one of the best holdem players in the world - Let's hope this form continues into the 2011 WSOP.

James Bord

WSOPE reigning champ and nosebleed mixed games specialist, James was relatively unknown in poker circles until he took down the WSOPE last year in London. Since then his name has been attracting a lot of attention. Listen to James on the first Pokerfarm Podcast and discover more about the man behind the farm and his quest for gold this summer...

Joel Ettedgi

Joel was one of the original grinders from the South African Pokerfarm and has become a force to reckon with on the live and virtual felt. Last year Joel came close to breaking through with a final table in event 41, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better at the WSOP. Look out for this dark horse at the 2011 Series - If he stays off the jagerbombs, Joel could be in with a real shout of success at the tables!

Darren Kramer

The ever smiling South African Darren Kramer seems to be riding a pretty good wave right now. Don’t let his easygoing nature trick you though - At the tables, Darren is a menace and 2011 has been testament to his development as a poker player. Darren got heads up at the opening event of the 2011 Aussie Millions, good for $130,000, followed soon after by a 6th place finish at EPT Berlin and $200,000. In the meantime Darren has been tearing up the $5kPLO tables on Full Tilt and looks like he’ll be a real threat this summer.

Jarred Solomon

Jarred is another product of the South African Pokerfarm. Last year was a great series for him, where he came tantalisingly close to gold twice, picking up a 5th and 6th place finish in events 26 and 44. Very close friends with Darren Kramer, equally skilled and hungry for bracelets, Jarred is in with a real shot this summer and we wish him the best of luck.

Martins Adeniya

Martins has been the nearly man this year - Great performances in the Poker Million and at EPT Snowfest showed glimpses of Martins’s class. Unfortunately the rub of the green really hasn’t gone his way. Let’s hope that his run-bad has been well and truly used up by the time the WSOP starts. Undoubtedly a skilled tournament player, we expect big things from Martins in Las Vegas.

We'll be out in Vegas funking for these guys, plus many others. Tune into the Pokerfarm Podcast and make sure you check out our videos section to hear more about the team and who's likely to be bringing home the dosh this summer!