I’ve been in Miami for almost a week and been doing lots of Scouting for my favorite part of the Super Bowl 2 weeks long reports; The Super Bowl Parties. All the usual suspects are back; Maxim, Play Boy, EA, ESPN and much more. This year each party promises bigger Stars, Hot and Sexier event.

Here’s a breakdown of what I have so far;

Thursday Feb 4th

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Event: EA Sports Madden Bowl

Entertainment: The annual Madden Bowl Party is a celebration of the success of the Madden Football franchise. Rub shoulders with the who’s who of sports today at what promises to be one big Party! Entertainment provided by various DJs.
Venue: The Clevelander Hotel

Time: 9pm – 4am
Investment (per person): TBD

Event: Eden Roc Super Bowl Party

Host: Jimmie Johnson and Nick Lachey

Entertainment: Live performances by Snoop Dogg and Paul Oakenfold (Penthouse Event)
Venue: The Eden Roc Renaissance

Time: 9pm – 2am
Investment (per person):

General Admission: $450 (Main Event Only)

VIP: $750 (Main Event Access, VIP Areas, Penthouse Event)

Friday Feb 5th

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Event: Leather and Laces Super Bowl Party

Host: Kim Kardashian, Roselyn Sanchez and Holly Madison

Entertainment: Various renowned DJs; Visual entertainment and excitement provided by the performers of Cirque USA; Sports Memorabilia Silent Auction. Includes Open Premium Bar! VIP includes Sushi and H’orderves.
Venue: The Paris Studio Theatre

Time: 9pm – Late
Investment (per person):

General Admission: $350

VIP: $750

4 Top Table: $4,500

6 Top Table: $6,000

8 Top Table: $8,500

Cabana for 12: $12,500

Event: VIVID – Tootsies Cabaret Super Bowl Party
Host: The Ladies from Vivid Entertainment: Savanna Samson, AJ Bailey, Sunny Leone and Monique Alexander.

Entertainment: Visual entertainment and excitement provided by the 250+ entertainers from Tootsie’s Cabaret; All guests will receive a SWAG bag with VIVID special gifts.
Venue: Tootsie’s Cabaret

Time: 10pm – Late
Investment (per person):

All Access Admission: $450

Event: ESPN Super Bowl Party

Entertainment: Ne-Yo and Keri Hilson will headline and entertain at this year’s exclusive ESPN Super Bowl Bash!
Venue: The Fontainebleau Hotel

Time: 10pm – Late
Investment (per person): $1,000

Saturday Feb 6th

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Event: Saturday Night Spectacular

Host: Jim Carey, Jenny McCarthy and Mark Steines

Entertainment: A variety of DJs and Visual entertainment and excitement provided by the performers of Cirque USA! Sports Memorabilia Silent Auction. Includes Open Premium Bar, Sushi Bar, passed h’orderves and Buffet Stations.
Venue: Top of the Bank of America Building

Time: 9pm – 3am
Investment (per person): Call for pricing

Event: Taste of the NFL

Host: The premier food and wine tasting extravaganza featuring a top chef from each of the 32 NFL cities, paired with an alumni or current player from each team. Attendees are able to sample specialty foods, meet the chefs and get photos and autographs from host players and special celebrity guests.

Entertainment: Live Entertainment provided by the Grammy-Nominated Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies; An incredible Silent Auction featuring hundreds of sports and entertainment items.
Venue: Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

Time: 7pm – Late
Investment (per person):
General Admission: $ 755

VIP Admission: $ 950

Event: Maxim Magazine

Host: The dress code is “Fabulously Chic” as you prepare to rub shoulders with the Stars from the world of Sports and Entertainment at this extravagant and exclusive Super Bowl party!

Entertainment: Live Entertainment and DJ Vice & Jermaine Dupri
Venue: The Raleigh Hotel

Time: 9pm – Late
Investment (per person): Call for pricing and availability

Event: Penthouse Party

Host: Event details still to be announced.

Entertainment: Various DJs and lots of eye candy!

Venue: Passion Nightclub Seminole Hardrock (Fort Lauderdale)

Time: Starting at $350

Event:  Playboy Super Bowl Party

Host: Playboy

Entertainment: Live performances as well as Entertainment brought to you by lots of lovely Playmates!
Venue: The Sagamore Hotel (Poolside)

Time: 9pm – 4am
Investment (per person): $2,250

Sunday Feb 7th

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Event: In Stadium Hospitality

Description: Hospitality with food and open bar as well as live entertainment inside the Stadium. Super Bowl Ticket required for entry.
Entertainment: Doug Flutie Band

Venue: Inside Stadium

Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm

Investment (per person): $650 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter)

Event: NFL Tailgate Party

Description: The official Super Bowl tailgate party of the year promises to be nothing short of spectacular. Warm hospitality, open bar, exquisite food and exceptional entertainment – this tailgate party is the place to be and be seen. Super Bowl Ticket required for entry.
Entertainment: TBD

Venue: Land Shark Stadium

Time: 2:30pm – Kick-off

Investment (per person): $1,400 (Must have Super Bowl Tickets to enter)

Event: Super Sunday Brunch

Host: Coach Jimmy Johnson and Joe Rose

Description: Join local sports radio talk show host and Miami Dolphins radio analyst Joe Rose as he emcees a pre-game chalk talk with former Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and University of Miami Hurricanes head football coach Jimmy Johnson. Includes brunch, beverages and a silent auction of sports memorabilia.
Entertainment: Visual entertainment and fun provided by the Dolphin Cheerleaders!

Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ballroom

Time: 11am – 1pm

Investment (per person): $250

Where the Party At? The Hottest Super Bowl Parties in Miami is a post from: AroDrive

The Brand

Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur like his fellow hip hop moguls, and friends, Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean “Diddy” Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. In an interview, he stated that “my brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.”

He is the founder of the urban clothing brand Rocawear along with Damon Dash. Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with co-founder Damon Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development. He also co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City and Chicago. In 2008, the 40/40 club in Las Vegas was closed down and bought back by the hotel after attendance steadily declined, future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Tokyo, and Singapore.^[70]

Jay-Z serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and collaborates with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events. He is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English soccer team. He has also invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which recently acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York. Jay-Z and his partners are contemplating constructing a high-end hotel or an art gallery building on the newly acquired site which has the potential to go up about twelve stories

In 2003 Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to score an endorsement deal for a line of sneakers from an athletic shoe company?

The $13.5 billion athletic shoe industry has moved from the basketball court into the living rooms and nightclubs of America. According to NPD Group, the industry grew by 2.6% in 2003 with the majority of growth in consumers aged 18 to 29. With the release of Reebok’s (nyse: RBK – news – people ) S. Carter by the Rbk line, Jay-Z, whose birth name is Shawn Carter, joined the ranks of sports luminaries like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Stephon Marbury to have his own line of sneakers. (For more on he’s Endorsements: Jay Z, A World of Endorsement Deals)

The LifeStyle

According to Forbes.com Net worth: $150 million this allows for a fantastic lifeStyle:

Jay-Z’s most public relationship has been with American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, a former member of Destiny’s Child. In 2002, Jay-Z & Beyonce collaborated for the song “Bonnie & Clyde”. Jay-Z also appeared on Knowles’ hit single “Crazy In Love” and as well as “That’s How You Like It” from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B’Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, “Déjà Vu” and “Upgrade U”. In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.

The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, “We don’t play with our relationship. ” They keep a low public profile despite being photographed at New Jersey Nets home games and while on vacation in Cannes in 2007. The pair were listed as a power couple on Time Magazine’s 100′s Most Influential People of 2006.

On April 4, 2008, it was reported by People that Knowles and Jay-Z had been married at a private ceremony in New York City. It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, but Knowles did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City.

Mr Carter is also very proud of he’s ‘very many toys’ that include Private Jet the J Carter, Luxury Cars, Manhattan and Hampton Luxury Houses. Here’s a few:

Jay-Z and Beyonce and the J Carter

jay Z’s Pagani Zonda

jay Z’s Ferrari F430 & Pagani Zonda

Jay Z’s Maybach Exelero

Jay Z’s Luxury Boat

Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles luxurious house in the suburbs of Scarsdale the same place where they got their marriage license. The couple will be moving into the expansive colonial style house, which has been under construction for about 6 months.

The Brand, The LifeStyle: Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is a post from: AroDrive

Phil Ivey needs no introduction. If you are even a casual fan of poker then you surely know who Phil Ivey is.

Ivey is often regarded as the best all-around poker player in the world, not only by fans of the game, but also by his peers. When you look at his results, you can’t really argue with this assertion – he has enjoyed an incredible amount of success in both tournaments and cash games. Most often a really good tournament player will not fare well in cash games, and vice versa. Ivey is one of the few players who has consistently beaten the “Big Game” while enjoying tournament success at the same time.

Phil Ivey was born on February 1st, 1976 in Riverside, California. His family moved to New Jersey when he was just three months old. This is where Phil Ivey would grow up and learn the game of poker.

He was introduced to the world of gambling by his grandfather. When Phil Ivey was eight years old, his grandfather pulled out a deck of cards and taught his grandson how to play five card stud. They were playing for pennies a hand. Phil Ivey was instantly hooked, and the love of gambling never left his blood.

Phil Ivey had a love of gaming that continued to grow throughout his childhood. Not only did he possess a love for cards, but he also had a passion for video games which still exists today.

By the time he was 16, Phil Ivey was a regular in a home poker game that was hosted by his friend’s father. Ivey was a great deal better than everyone else at the table and soon got tired of taking all of their money. He lusted for a bigger challenge, and soon set his eyes on Atlantic City. When his family and teachers asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, Ivey would confidently respond “a professional gambler”.

At the age of 18, Phil Ivey obtained a fake ID and would regularly make the trip to Atlantic City. He became a fixture at the tables, inspiring his first nickname of “No Home Jerome”. The name on Phil Ivey’s fake ID read “Jerome Graham”, and the “No Home” part of the nickname referred to the fact that Ivey seemingly never left the tables.

If you think that Ivey immediately started beating these games in Atlantic City, then you would be wrong. He initially lost money but kept at it and eventually turned into a profitable player. He often tells other players that the best way to improve your game is to just put in the hours. After putting in many hours at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, Ivey became a profitable player and built the foundation for a successful poker career.

At the age of 20, Phil Ivey moved to Atlantic City so that he could be closer to the games. Less travel time would mean more time at the tables.

When he turned 21, Ivey walked into the Tropicana Casino and told the shift manager that his name was actually Phil, and not Jerome. The shift manager just laughed it off as Ivey was a well-liked and respected client of the establishment. Exit “Jerome Graham”, enter Phil Ivey.

Ivey’s humble nature and constant thirst to learn about the game of poker endeared him to many other poker pros. He quickly became friends with the likes of Barry Greenstein, who eventually introduced Ivey to the “Big Game” in Las Vegas. Ivey was impressed by the lifestyle that Greenstein was living and wanted to enjoy the same level of success.

Over the years, Ivey built up quite an impressive resume in both tournament and cash game play. Barry Greenstein once remarked that Phil Ivey was the best tournament poker player in the world, and the only player to successfully transition from tournament poker to beating the “Big Game”.

Let’s talk about Phil Ivey’s success in tournament poker first.

Ivey has just under $10 million dollars in total lifetime tournament cashes ($9.77 million). He is fifth on the all-time money list behind Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Daniel Negreanu.

Phil Ivey has five World Series of Poker bracelets, including:

-2000 $2500 Pot Limit Omaha for $195k
-2002 $2500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo for $118k
-2002 $2000 S.H.O.E. for $108k
-2002 $1500 Seven Card Stud $132k
-2005 $5000 Pot Limit Omaha $635k

He once remarked that his goal was “30″ World Series of Poker bracelets.

He has a total of 26 lifetime World Series of Poker cashes. He came close to winning the Main Event in 2003, as he was eventually eliminated in 10th place by Chris Moneymaker. His bust-out hand was especially painful:

Ivey had pocket nines and Chris Moneymaker held A-Q offsuit. The flop came q 6 q, giving Moneymaker trip Queens. The turn brought a 9, giving Phil Ivey the full house. The players got all of their chips in the middle. The river brought an Ace, giving Moneymaker a full house and eliminating the best player left in the tournament. Moneymaker went on to win (as you all know).

This wasn’t the only time that Ivey went deep in the Main Event. He finished 23rd in 2002 and 20th in 2005.

Phil Ivey has also had a great deal of success in World Poker Tour events. He has nine cashes in WPT events and a ridiculous eight final tables. His streak of eight final tables after cashing was halted at the recent 2008 World Poker Challenge.

Ivey recently took down his first WPT event at the 2008 LA Poker Classic. Previous to this, Ivey had made 7 World Poker Tour final tables without actually winning. Ivey cashed for $1.596 million dollars in this event.

He also has one cash in an EPT event, and that came at the 2006 EPT Barcelona Open where he finished in second place for $470k.

Phil Ivey also has a number of other notable tournament victories, including a win at the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions for $1 million dollars and a first place finish at the $120k No Limit Hold’em Full Tilt Poker Invitational for $600k the very same week. Ivey also has two Poker After Dark wins in five appearances (he finished 3rd, 3rd and 2nd the three times that he didn’t win).

As you can see, Phil Ivey has done very well for himself on the tournament poker scene. He is only 32 years old and he generally prefers to play cash games instead of tournaments, which makes his accomplishments all the more impressive.

As mentioned, Phil Ivey is one of the top cash game players in the world. He has been a fixture in the “Big Game” for years and has been one of the biggest winners in the game. He is also a consistent winner online, having had some notable battles with the likes of “seda1″ and “Ziigmund”. Ivey won’t shy away from any challenge, and certainly has the bankroll to play just about anyone that he wants.

Ivey had a memorable battle with billionaire Andy Beal a few years ago. Ivey, along with a group of other professional poker players that called themselves the “Corporation”, battled Andy Beal in an ultra high-stakes game of Limit Hold’em that stretched out over several years. Andy Beal was a math genius and developed a “perfect” method of playing Limit Hold’em that would involve giving off no tells at all. He had every move perfectly timed and played the game according to a strict plan that he had devised for himself.

As mentioned, this battle took place every time that Beal found himself in Las Vegas. Phil Ivey “finished” the battle in early 2006. On February 5th, 2006, Beal dropped $3.3 million dollars to the “Corporation”. He returned about a week later and went on a massive heater, beating the group of professionals out of $13.6 million dollars over four days. The “Corporation” decided to put their best player into the action, hoping to recoup at least some of their losses. Phil Ivey stepped into the game with the blinds at $30,000/$60,000. Eventually the blinds were increased to $50,000 / $100,000. When all was said and done, Ivey had single-handedly erased the $10 million dollar deficit and actually gained an extra $6.6 million for the “Corporation”. All told, Andy Beal dropped $16.6 million dollars to Ivey over a three day period. This setback resulted in Beal leaving Las Vegas, claiming that he would never play poker again.

Ivey loves this kind of high stakes action. He is known to risk large amounts of money betting on sports. He loves to play high-stakes golf (this led to a much-publicized dispute with Ram Vaswani about a year ago, where Vaswani claimed that Ivey had hustled him and refused to pay out a bet) and he also loves to make high-stakes prop bets with his friends (one particular wager saw him bet Erick Lindgren $200k that Lindgren couldn’t golf 72 holes in one day at Bear’s Best, while walking the course, while playing in 100 degree weather, while shooting from the pro tees, while shooting less than 100 every round. Lindgren won the bet). Ivey just loves to gamble. He is reported to have won $70,000 from Andy Beal simply flipping coins. Ivey will bet on anything and everything.

According to those who know him, Phil Ivey is an “old-school” gambler who follows a certain code that some of the “new-school” gamblers might not follow. Doyle Brunson recently illustrated an example. After Chip Reese died, Phil Ivey called Doyle up and said that he had owed Reese a substantial sum of money, and was wondering who he should send it to. Brunson said that most people would have kept quiet about the debt and let Reese take knowledge of the debt to his grave – Ivey wanted to make good on the debt. It is this type of “code of ethics” that has always endeared Ivey to some of the “old-school” players such as Doyle Brunson.

Phil Ivey also has a number of friends outside of the poker world, including “Ja Rule” and “Irv Gotti”. When Irv Gotti was on trial a while back, Phil Ivey flew out to New York to support his friend.

Ivey currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Luciaetta. Phil and Luciaetta were high-school sweethearts.

Ivey is also involved in numerous charities. After winning his first WPT title in February of 2008, Ivey donated $50,000 to Empowered 2 Excel, which is a Las Vegas based Christian Academy. He has also announced that he is forming the “Budding Ivey Foundation” which will give to various charitable causes.

Phil Ivey was one of the original members of “Team Full Tilt”, and it is assumed that he has a sizable equity stake in the company. Considering that Full Tilt is likely worth north of $1 billion dollars, this would add substantially to Phil Ivey’s net worth.

Exactly how much money does Ivey have? No one knows for sure except Phil Ivey and his accountant, but here are a couple of pieces of info that that you might find interesting:

-there was a proposal floated a few years back to have a $10 million dollar Sit and Go that would be televised on Fox Sports. This Sit and Go would be six-handed and require each player to put up $10 million dollars. Phil Ivey indicated at the time that he would put up the money and play

-Ivey was once playing at the Commerce Casino in LA and “forgot” that he had $750k in chips in his safe at the casino

Here are Ivey’s known online poker aliases:

“Phil Ivey” – Full Tilt Poker

“joe buttons” – Ultimatebet

With the “Big Game” fizzling out, many of the players who enjoyed playing in the game are now playing more tournament poker, including Barry Greenstein and Phil Ivey. If Ivey decides to spend his time focusing on tournament poker rather than cash games, it will only be a matter of time before he tops the all-time money list.

Phil Ivey is the most popular player in the game right now. He is idolized by younger players and respected by older players. He is a true gambler who has no fear and a seemingly limitless bankroll. One has to wonder how many bracelets and titles Phil Ivey will have once his career is done.

Phil Ivey – The Richest Man in Poker is a post from: AroDrive