Rivalries fuel Dream Team competition

Joe Sebok tells it like it is.The trash talk has begun as we count down the minutes to tomorrow’s Dream Team Poker event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The sellout event will see 170 teams of three throw down for a share of an estimated $250,000 prize pool.

The cash, and a cheap shot at felting the likes of Phil Hellmuth, has generated an altogether unexpected buzz surrounding this tournament.

Unlike traditional tournament poker, the team format fosters a real sense of camaraderie. Players are rallying behind their team flags and, as one might expect, taking every opportunity to deride the opposition.

Leading this exhibition of maturity is Joe Sebok, who will be representing PokerRoad.com.

“To think that any of the other aforementioned ‘teams,’ if you can even call them that, have any chance of beating PokerRoad Radio is laughable,” Sebok asserted when asked how he likes his team’s chances.

Sebok goes on to call out one team in particular.

“WickedChopsPoker? What the hell is a wicked chop anyway? An angry sushi chef?” he said.

Firing right back was Matt “All In At 420″ Stout, who will be representing Team PokerListings along with poker diva Liz Lieu and 2005 WSOP bracelet winner Quinn Do.

So far no one's found fault with Liz Lieu.

“Sebok going deep in this tournament is about as likely as Gavin Smith folding a gut-shot straight draw,” he said.

Stout joined Sebok in his skepticism regarding Team WickedChops’ likelihood of success, citing their preoccupation with the female form as the major obstacle they’ll need to overcome.

“It’s going to be tough for them since they’ll barely be able to focus on playing cards between snapping photos of girls on the rail and trying to convince the cocktail waitresses to take off their clothes,” Stout said.

Chops, one of the three entities who are WickedChopsPoker, was unfazed by the criticism.

He chose to go after the reigning Dream Team champions from Bluff Magazine rather than dignify his detractors with a response.

“Really, if Bluff Magazine won the previous Dream Team Poker event, can’t we all agree this is just a crapshoot?” he said.

“Wouldn’t a team consisting of Scott MacIntyre, Bernie Lomax and Robert Varkonyi have just as good of a chance?”

Lampooning aside, the tournament is shaping up to be the most publicized $500 buy-in event in the history of live poker.

Former World Champions Phil Hellmuth, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold and Tom McEvoy are all confirmed, along with a long list of name pros and celebrities.

PokerListings.com will be on location to bring you live updates and photography starting tomorrow at 12 p.m. PT.

You can follow Team PokerListings and everyone else who’s playing in our Live Tournaments section.