Largest Poker Tournament set Guinness World Record

On Sunday December 28th 2008, PokerStars will be attempting to set a world record for the largest ever online poker tournament field. The special tournament will be capped at 35,000 players and if the cap is reached it will set an official Guinness Book of World Records mark.

Players are expected to flock to PokerStars for a number of reasons. The buy-in is only $10+1 which puts it within most player's budgets as they look for their place in history as part of a world record. In addition the tournament is offering a $500,000 guarantee, so if you do the math you’ll soon realise that there will be a nice overlay for all players who participate.

With a massive 3,500 tables in action, the blinds will move pretty quickly, with 10 minute levels providing more of a Turbo tournament feel. Players will need to win plenty of races to make it through this one!

The tournament can be found under the “Tournaments -> Special” tab of the PokerStars software with the tournament set to kick off in the middle of holiday festivities at 3:30pm ET on Sunday December 28th 2008.

Verification of the official record usually takes about six weeks and is conducted out of Guinness’ offices in London. Last year PokerStars held a similar tournament attracting 20,000 players which was claimed as the largest tournament ever held at the time. PokerStars player Lynna1 captured 1st place and the $20,000 prize. For only a $11 entry, this new record setting attempt will smash that previous figure and set the record…officially!

At the time of writing nearly 2,000 players had already registered, so make sure you download the pokerstar software today and register early to avoid missing out! PokerStars are also currently running satellites to the 2009 Aussie Million and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, so now is a great time to join PokerStars and be part of the action!

$5m Fantasy Bra unveils by Victoria Secret

The bra, which also boasts white diamonds and rubies, weighs 1,500 carats and is believed to be one of the most valuable items of underwear ever made. Two tear-shaped black diamonds, with a combined weight of 100 carats, hang down from the middle.

The one-off bra - which contains 3,900 gems in total - is modelled by Brazilian Adriana Lima in the Victoria's Secret Christmas catalogue. It was created by Martin Katz, the rare gem jeweller who has worked on previous luxury lingerie for the firm.

"This year, I've really enjoyed working with non-traditional gems," he said. "So, what better avenue, to showcase nearly 3,600 black diamonds than on the most extravagant holiday gift."
He added: "Designing it for a gorgeous Brazilian supermodel wasn't exactly a let-down either."
Lima, who will also wear the bra in a televised fashion show on Dec 3, described it as "exquisite". "It really is an honor to be wearing a Victoria's Secret fantasy bra," she said.

Despite the price tag, the bra is not the most expensive ever made. In 2005 supermodel Gisele Bundchen donned a $12.5 million bra, also made by Victoria's Secret.

$5m Fantasy Bra unveils by Victoria Secret online video

24.9 Pounds World's Biggest Sweet Potato

Lebanese farmer Khalil Semhat holds a giant potato in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on December 6, 2008. The farmer couldn't believe his peeled eyes when he discovered he had grown a massive potato weighing 11.3 kilos (24.9 pounds), he said, adding that he now hopes to enter the Guinness World Records book.

On Tuesday, the BBC decried the end of the 10-year reign of the eight-pound Manx Potato as the world's heaviest. Its record had apparently been uprooted by a 25-pound spud from Lebanon. In photos, circulated across the Internet, farmer Khalil Semhat hoists his misshapen tuber up like a proud father.

"I didn't use any chemicals at all," Semhat proclaimed to Agence France-Presse. "I've been working the land since I was a boy, and it's the first time I've seen anything like it."

The Manx's owner, Nigel Kermode of the Isle of Man, reluctantly conceded the crown: "We're still a world champion – we'll call it the second biggest potato in the world." His decade-old tater was reportedly "grey and brown" and hadn't been on display for quite a while.

But experts contacted by Scientific American say that Kermode has nothing to concede. This is all a case of mistaken identity. Michigan State University potato expert David Douches says the vegetable in Semhat's hands looks an awful lot like a sweet potato – a crop more closely related to morning glory flowers than to hash browns.

To settle the matter, we decided to talk to Kenneth Pecota, a plant breeder who has spent 15 years working on roots as part of North Carolina State University's (NCSU) Potato and Sweetpotato Breeding and Genetics Program.