With the World Series of Poker only two and a half months off, the WSOP held a media phone-party for interested writers.  There were no earth-shattering developments, but several interesting nuggets made it into public knowledge, from expanded play in lower-buyin events to the construction of a new "poker superstructure" adjacent to the Rio Convention Center, which suggests a commitment to have the WSOP at the Rio for some time to come.  The WSOP also made it into the news in another hilarious-though-indirect way, but you’ll just have to read on for that one:

WSOP Media Teleconference Highlights Expanded Play Area --  Ignore the AP article, should you stumble across it: 10,000 is not a cap or a target or anything of the sort. In a media teleconference held this past Wednesday, WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack mentioned the number in terms of planning for this summer's World Series of Poker Main Event, but quickly stressed that it was relevant only in describing the amount of comfortable space that would be available.  The 10,000 number was not meant to be a cap, nor to serve as a projection for the number of ME players the WSOP expects.  Actually, the WSOP went out of its way to de-emphasize projected attendance in its entirety, perhaps a softly played tip-off that they expect some lessening from last year to this.

Sixty Arrested in Indy Poker Bust --  Indianapolis's private Pinnacle Club was the site of yet another high-stakes poker game raided by the authorities.  Poker chips, cards, and such, computers and monitors, and nearly $6,000 were seized... almost $100 per person arrested. Glad they got these hardened felons off the streets, aren't you?  Speaking of hardened felons, one of the 60 players carted off was an off-duty Indiana State trooper, who's on leave for a bit, for his fun.  The 60 arrestees included three who were charged with running the game, one of whom also was a naughty boy for real -- he had an unregistered weapon.  Of course, since the game had been robbed weeks earlier, there was an explanation of sorts for that as well.  Not a good one, mind you, but an explanation...

Unidentified Card Player Staffer Calls Bluff Magazine, WSOP "Mediocre" --  Card Player just can’t seem to get the taste of foot out of its corporate mouth these days.  Rumors, solid rumors, have been circulating for weeks that BLUFF is about to ink a deal to be the primary media supplier for the WSOP, from 2007 through 2010.  One of several sites reporting the rumors, thepokerbiz.com, posted a follow-up on the piece, and received a pseudo-anonymous comment trashing both BLUFF and the World Series of Poker, including a bit about the whole thing being a "slow motion [sic] train wreck."  Owners of thepokerbiz.com traced the IP of the commenter and found the computer used to send the comments came from Card Player's offices.  Told ya they should have kept Belsky away from the computers...

Oh, the Yellow Chips of Texas --  Legal poker in the Lone Star State? At least one legislator wants to make it happen, probably tired of seeing moronic poker busts fill up his state’s newspapers while potential revenue slips over the border to neighboring casinos. State representative Jose Menendez introduced a bill which would bring legalized poker to Texas, though the bill has an uphill fight, only in part because three other pro-gambling measures concerning casinos and slots have also just been introduced.

Players Seek Summary Judgment Against World Poker Tour --  This one’s a yawner.  The seven players who sued World Poker Tour Enterprises last summer (Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, Joe Hachem, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, and Greg Raymer) have now filed for a summary judgment in this antitrust matter.  Odds on them winning on this motion?  Small.  Odds on them getting free headlines, when most people had forgotten about the suit?  Much higher.

Bay 101 Shooting Stars Concludes --  Speaking of the WPT, Ted Forrest came from behind to defeat a very pregnant (and quite sick) J.J. Liu to capture this glamorous West Coast event.  This was the longest final table in WPT history, and it is wondered if she requested a break in action during heads-up taping, due to her illness.

WPA Board of Trustees Rumored to Have Completed Elections --  While no confirmation has been forthcoming, it's rumored that the World Poker Association (created a year ago to create uniform standards for poker tournaments) has elected nine original members to its board of trustees.  It's all just rumors, mind you, but were we to guess, we'd say that the rumored trustees might possibly be Mary Jones, Chris Bigler, Wendeen Eolis, Harry Thomas, Warren Karp, Lou Krieger, Annie Van Bebber, Marcel Luske and Jesse Jones, the WPA's founder.  Rumors, mind you, just rumors.