Liv’s run to the title began with an innocuous Tweet last Thursday: “won my seat to EPT San Remo last night ”. From there she made it through Day 1 with 42,000 then built up a stack of 400K at the end of Day 3. After treading water on Day 4 she broke through on the fifth day to make the final 24 with a stack of nearly 1.4 million. And there was no stopping her from making the final table, arriving with over 4 million chips and fate on her side.

Other players at the table quickly fell by the wayside but Liv held firm and picked up enough chips to keep her well within striking distance. It looked like Jakob Carlsson was going to run away with the tournament but Liv doubled through him holding A-K to Carlsson’s A-3 and the game was on. Liv was unlucky to blunder into the flopped full house of Toni Pettersson and doubled him up, but she quickly righted the ship and sent Pettersson to the rail when she flopped a set and he flopped top pair. The money went in and Liv found herself heads-up with Carlsson for the EPT San Remo title.

Carlsson started out ahead but that was to be short-lived–Liv took the chip lead and then seized control of the match when she three-bet in a major confrontation and forced Carlsson to fold. She held a 3-1 chip lead and then…play broke for dinner. But the hour break didn’t kill Liv’s momentum–just a few hands after play resumed she made a raise and Carlsson moved all-in. According to PokerNews she said, “How much more, please?” and announced the call. She held pocket fives; Carlsson Ace-6. The classic race situation but there was no outrunning Liv Boeree on this day, not this week. Carlsson hand failed to improve, Liv’s baby pair held up, and she was the 2010 EPT San Remo Champion.

Watching the streaming broadcast it was obvious Liv was overjoyed, almost overcome with emotion. This is, obviously, a HUGE win for her. To beat that many players, that many GOOD players, to come from behind the way she did and win such a prestigious tournament…huge. And the money will come in handy, I’m sure. Check the poker forums and Twitter and you’ll find that the whole poker world is thrilled with Liv’s victory.

You can play poker with Liv at UB by clicking the image below…

Duke battled out challenge after challenge, raising money for her charity.

In the end it was Joan Rivers who took up the last challenge and won 3 out of the 5 tasks to take the title of The Celebrity Apprentice. They both outlasted 14 other celebrities to make the finale

Not to feel too hard done by, as Duke still managed to raise the most money for her charity Refugee’s International. She, in fact, raised over 3 times as much as Rivers did in the final challenge. Although this was only one task which was being tested in the final challenge.

Since her success on the reality show, Duke has now become a familiar name with many non-poker fans world-wide.

After a up and down life of a professional poker player, Duke looks to have hit her straps recently.

Annie Duke has 4 kids Maud (1995), Leo (1998), Lucy (2000), and Nell (2002) who have all supported their mother through the show.

Look out for Duke in next adventure, it may not be (again) on the poker table, as she now is a true hollywood star!