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Party Poker Revamps Website, Launches New Advertisement Campaign

                Members of popular online poker network, Party Poker, will have noticed some fairly significant changes have been made to the site. The company has just completed a substantial overhaul that alters the look and functionality of the internet gaming software and website.
                Party Poker's newly updated site and software not only have a fantastic new look — they also include a variety of new features. Most significant of these is the addition of a new software client that allows Mac users to download a version of Party Poker designed for their operating system. This move means that the online poker network is now available for Windows and Mac computers as well as Android and Apple smartphones or tablets. Of the new functions added to the software, Party Poker has introduced a bevy of social features, redesigned poker rooms, and a "One Click Lobby" that makes getting into a game faster and easier than before. Party Poker has also created special "achievements" and "missions" that give players specific overarching goals to play toward. In order to promote its revamped website and software, Party Poker has also launched an advertising campaign that includes a brand new television commercial.
                Party Poker called the revamped software and website a release that "[mixes] the best of the old with the new." The company has also said that the redesign helps create "a player friendly environment" that members are sure to appreciate. The new version of Party Poker is available for download now.

PokerStars Kicks Off 2014 World Championship of Online Poker Series

                PokerStars has just kicked off the 2013 edition of the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). The renowned tournament series will run throughout the month of September and is set to mark one of the most exciting and lucrative events of the year.
                The 2013 WCOOP sports a $40 million guaranteed prize pool that will be distributed amongst more than 60 individual events. These games will have buy-ins set as low as $109 to as high as $10,300. Some of the most interesting features from the enormous games line-up are the competitions embedded within the series as a whole. These include Woman of the Series, a leaderboard race that will provide top-ranked female players with PokerStars Caribbean Adventure prize packages, and Player of the Series, which offers a wide range of PokerStars live tournament prize packages to the top overall WCOOP players. The whole series will be capped off with a $5,200 buy-in no limit hold 'em main event that will take place over two days, provide at least $1.25 million for the first place finisher, and feature no less than $8 million in the table's pot.
                A statement from PokerStars called the World Championship of Online Poker "the longest-running online poker series". The company said that the series is "regarded by players and media as a 'must-play' event [where] world class poker pros [compete] against aspiring recreational players." The 2013 World Championships of Online Poker will run from Sunday, 9th until Sunday, 29th September.

Ladbrokes Bingo Pays Out Enormous Jackpot to British Grandmother

                Popular online bingo network, Ladbrokes Bingo, has just changed one of its players lives by awarding them with a fantastic cash prize. The lucky site member is taking home close to £67,000 after having played a few bingo rounds on a sleepless night.
                The winner is a sixty-eight year old woman named Alison Bradbury. Bradbury, a grandmother to nine children, sat down to play a few games at Ladbrokes Bingo on a Friday night after being unable to sleep and eventually logged off for the night thinking that she had managed to win £120 at the site. It wasn't until nearly a full day later that Bradbury received a phone call from Ladbrokes, informing her that one of her games, staked with only five pence, had actually won her a prize of £66,508. Bradbury told press that she had initially thought the call from Ladbrokes had come in "because there was a problem with [her] account." She went on to say that, since she is still recovering from a years-old triple bypass surgery, she "had to get [her] daughter to speak to them" to avoid giving herself too much of a shock.  
                When interviewed by a local County Durham paper, Bradbury said that she plans to be pragmatic with her winnings. Aside from saving the bulk of the money, Alison Bradbury told the news that she would like to buy one of her grandsons a new phone for his birthday and help her husband Ken retire earlier than expected.

PKR Introduces New Hand Replayer Video Editing Feature

                PKR.com is well known for having some of the most technologically advanced online poker software in the industry. The renowned gaming site has now taken its reputation one step further with the introduction of Hand Replayer, a new tool that helps players show off their best games through YouTube.
                PKR's Hand Replayer is, in essence, a simple video editor that gives site members the ability to capture, edit, and share footage. The new feature capitalizes on the detailed player avatars, tables, and room environments modelled in PKR's 3D poker software. Site members can use Hand Replayer to take footage from their games, edit using a variety of camera angles (either pre-set or full control options), then upload the finished product to YouTube as a shareable video. PKR hopes to see highlight reels and favourite gaming moments spread across social media platforms and its own site forums using the new feature.
                Leon Walters, PKR.com's Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product Development, said that the introduction of the Hand Replayer "was always the natural step for us given our products' advanced video game graphics." Considering the wide reach that a shared video, shot and uploaded via PKR, can have, the Hand Replayer seems to be a smart marketing move that will benefit both players and PKR.com alike. PKR's Hand Replayer currently allows users to edit video from the site's sit and go, ring, and multi-table tournament games.

Full Tilt Poker Opens UK and Ireland Poker Tour Satellites for London Main Event

                The 2013 edition of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) recently finished its first leg in Galway, but the tournament series isn't over yet. With the tour's London stop coming up in the near future, Full Tilt Poker is looking to help its best players earn a chance to compete in England.
                Online satellites have just been launched at Full Tilt Poker that give site members an opportunity to win their way into the UKIPT's London main event. Players who are unable to bankroll the main event's £1,100 buy-in will be happy to know that Full Tilt's satellites start at just $0.11 and are accompanied by qualifiers that begin at only $5.50. These stakes are a small price to pay for competitors who want a shot at winning a share of the UKIPT London main event's £500,000 guaranteed prize pool. For those who aren't able to win a main event seat, Full Tilt Poker is also offering a handful of extra rewards, like further UKIPT prize packages and more.
                Sarne Lightman, Full Tilt Poker's Head of Marketing, told press that his company is "delighted to give our players the opportunity to go to the UKIPT London main event" and is sure that their talented site members are sure "to make the most of it." The UK and Ireland Poker Tour London stop's main event will take place at Camden's Grand Connaught Rooms from Wednesday, 2nd to Sunday, 6th October, 2013

Paddy Power Poker Releases Full Schedule for the 2013 Irish Winter Festival

                It won't be long before Paddy Power Poker's Irish Winter Festival (IWF) returns. Fortunately, the online poker network has just released a final version of the schedule for the rapidly approaching event that provides plenty of information on what players and spectators can expect.
                The 2013 IWF sports a line up of seven events and is filled with the level of variety that has come to define the series. Aside from a lucrative main event, a special two-day mini event (with a €225 buy-in) and even a few rounds of beer pong, probably the most exciting — and strange — feature of this year's IWF is a brand new, €55 buy-in tournament called Crazy Pineapple. Crazy Pineapple is a poker variant that increases the excitement of what is otherwise a fairly typical event by giving every competitor three hole cards to play. After the flop one of these cards must be discarded. These extra factors introduce a new level of strategy to the game and should lead to some real surprises as its public premier plays out in a tournament setting.
                A statement from Paddy Power Poker called the IWF the "one event [the company] looks forward to every year" due to the fact that "there is always something a bit whacky to get involved in." The 2013 Irish Winter Festival will take place at Dublin, Ireland's Burlington Hotel from Friday, 25th October to Monday, 28th October, 2013. The series will conclude with a €1,125 buy-in no limit hold'em main event.

Full Tilt Poker Finally Set to Refund Members

                Good news has finally arrived for the many Full Tilt Poker members affected by the company's previous legal troubles. The Garden City Group, a settlement firm handling the online poker network's asset obligations, has told press that it believes player funds frozen since the Black Friday indictments will soon be paid out.
                Garden City Group has been working for the United States government since earlier this year, helping to keep players abreast of the latest developments in the Full Tilt Poker claims case. The group now states that, beginning on 16th September of this year, anyone who is waiting to receive their Full Tilt account refunds will be able to submit remission claims. Garden City will send emails to anyone believed to be anticipating the return of their funds (using information provided by Full Tilt Poker) with instructions that detail how to file for their refund. Petitions for fund remissions will remain open until 15th November, 2013 and, if all goes well, will ultimately see players being paid the full balance that was recorded in their Full Tilt accounts as of April 15, 2011.
                FullTiltPokerClaims.com, a site set up by Garden City Group, has been an enormous help for anxious Full Tilt Poker members who are still awaiting the return of money stored in their accounts during the Black Friday freeze. If the remission process goes as planned it should be able to put to rest one of the messiest and most frustrating chapters in the history of the online poker industry.

Paddy Power Poker Becomes UK News Betting Sponsor, Expands Into America

                Online gaming network, Paddy Power Poker, has just announced a number of business decisions that will see the company moving in exciting new directions. These include new advertising deals and an effort to gain operating licenses in American markets.
                First of the new moves is a partnership between Paddy Power Poker and one of the United Kingdom's top news providers. The online gaming network has signed on as a sponsor for News UK's Premier League content and will soon be able to place betting advertisements within mobile news apps for the Sunday Times, The Sun and The Times. For a total of three seasons, Paddy Power will enjoy the ability to spread awareness of its brand through one of the nation's most highly visited football news sources. Tom Wyse, Paddy Power Poker's Head of Media, attributed the partnership to the fact that "football plays a huge part in both [News UK and Paddy Power's] businesses."
                Paddy Power Poker has also begun the process of expanding its business in the United States. The company recently told press that it has made the preliminary move of applying for a New Jersey gaming license. Speaking of the decision to broaden its American market share, Paddy Power's Communications Director said that the gambling site is currently positioning itself in order to "make sure that we're in place and ready" if further opportunities to increase its presence in the United States arise.

Ladbrokes Releases iOS Roulette and Blackjack Apps

                Ladbrokes is making it a bit easier for online gambling fans to enjoy their favourite games while on the go by releasing two new virtual casino applications. Developed in partnership with Realistic Games, Ladbrokes' Blackjack and Roulette are available for download on the iPhone and iPad now.
                Both of the gaming apps have been created by Realistic Games, a company with plenty of experience in crafting casino experiences meant to be experienced on mobile devices. The latest release from Realistic leverages the business' skills in order to provide Ladbrokes fans with fully featured, real-money blackjack and roulette iOS apps. The Ladbrokes Roulette app sports viewable game history records, 3D effects, authentic game sounds and customization options. The Blackjack app is also highly customizable, features animated card and chip models, lifelike sound and three betting boxes. Both of the apps can be downloaded from the Apple App Store by users in the United Kingdom.
                Andy Harris, Realistic Games' Commercial Director, said that the developer feels it has "created market leading iPhone Roulette and Blackjack apps" with its new Ladbrokes releases. John Pettit, Commercial Director for Ladbrokes, apparently agrees. He told press that his company is "delighted with the delivery of the Roulette and Blackjack apps," and used current download numbers — more than 1,000 downloads for the Roulette app alone were recorded only one day after launch — to demonstrate that the products "are already proving popular with our customers."

PokerStars Finalizes 2013 World Championship of Online Poker Schedule

                With the 2013 edition of PokerStars' World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) fast approaching, the popular online poker network has just released a full schedule for the event. The site previously offered a tentative version of the line-up and solicited members for suggestions for improvements that have now been implemented.
                Now that the final version is complete anyone excited for the tournament series can begin planning to watch or take part in its most exciting events. The 2013 WCOOP features a staggering $40 million guarantee and will kick off on 8th September. Players can buy into the tournaments directly, but may also choose to take advantage of qualifiers. PokerStars has also packed the series with special incentives like Player of the Series and Woman of the Series, two promotions that will provide those with high positions on the tournament leaderboards with lavish Spring Championship of Online Poker, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and Turbo Championship of Online Poker prize packages. The WCOOP's most anticipated tournament, the no limit hold 'em main event set to take place over two days, sports a $5,200 buy-in and will feature an $8 million prize pool (with $1.25 million reserved for the winner).
                PokerStars  described the WCOOP "which began in 2002" as "the longest-running online poker series [and] also the richest with well over $300 million in prize money awarded to date." The World Championship of Online Poker 2013 will run from Sunday, 8th September to the 29th of the same month.

New Zone Poker Format Launched at Bodog Poker

                Online poker players looking for a fresh take on their game of choice will be pleased to hear that Bodog Poker has just launched a brand new format with Zone Poker, a style of play that is designed to appeal to those who want to pack as much action as possible into their time at the tables.
                Bodog's Zone Poker is meant to give players the ability to compete quickly and is built to accommodate fast movement from table to table. This is accomplished through a pool of special Zone tables. Once the player has entered into these games they can use Fold Now and Check/Fold Now buttons to make the process of swapping one table for another extremely easy. Zone Poker software enhances the speed of switching to a new game by instantly transitioning from the player's fold on one table to their placement at another. The length of time set between each hand is also much shorter than at Bodog Poker's standard tables. Zone Poker currently supports no limit and pot limit Omaha (with either $0.02/$0.05 or $0.05/$0.10 stakes), but is set to expand to include other stake levels and play styles over time.
                Bodog Poker called Zone Poker a game that lets players "take [their] thrill ride to another level" by giving them "the chance to see more cards and play more hands in a shorter period of time." Zone Poker is now available for European and American players.

Jonathan Bredin Wins 2013 PokerStars Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Queenstown Main Event

                The Queenstown leg of the 2013 PokerStars Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) has recently come to a stunning conclusion. The tournament's main event was exciting for its high-stakes action, but what is most likely to be remembered is the player who triumphed over the table: a young Australian suffering from cerebral palsy named Jonathan Bredin.
                The ANZPT Queenstown main event marked the first time that Bredin had participated in a major tournament and, given the outcome, it's very unlikely that it will be his last. The Melbourne native came to the main event without much experience at high-profile games and, because of his palsy, also required an iPad and companion in order to properly relay his decisions throughout the landmark game. Despite these limitations, Bredin ended up beating out a pool of 126 players to become the winner of the Queenstown main event. Bredin entered the last day of the games with a chip lead and used this advantage to fight his way to a heads-up showdown against Daniel Laidlaw.
                If his strong poker debut wasn't exciting enough already, Bredin cemented his legend by beating out Laidlaw with a final hand that included a king of clubs and king of spades. While these cards might not have seemed special on their own, Bredin's carer later told the crowd that champion had a picture of those same two cards tattooed on one of his arms. Jonathan Bredin is sure to be talked about for some time to come, his incredible skill and the incredible coincidence of his first major winning hand matching his tattoo marking an highly memorable start to a promising poker career.

2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Mega Path Satellites Launched at PokerStars

                Now that the 2014 edition of PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) has been announced, many players are likely looking for a way to win their way into the series. Fortunately, PokerStars is providing just that with the launch of its Mega Path satellite promotion.
                Entering the 2014 PCA directly is expensive, but the Mega Path satellites now available through PokerStars offer an alternative approach that's far gentler on the bankroll. The new satellites are scheduled to run several times every day and can be bought into for four or more Frequent Player Points. Competitors who are able to make their way to the eighth round of the satellites will have a shot at entering one of six Mega Path Finals and winning a fantastic prize package valued at $15,460. This award will provide players with entry to the PCA Main Event, accommodations and extra cash to cover trip expenses. The eight rounds of the Mega Path and the six Mega Path Finals can also be bought into directly.
                David Carrion, PokerStars' Director of Live Operations for PCA and Latin American, promoted the satellite series by detailing how "last year more than 400 players won their seats to the PCA event online." He elaborated on the 2013 satellite winners, telling press that 53 of these satellite players cashed at the PCA, "taking home more than $3.5 million between them." The 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure will take place at the Bahamas' Atlantis Resort from 5th to 13th January, 2014.

Full Tilt Poker Selects Professional Representatives for UK and Ireland Poker Tour 2013

                Full Tilt Poker has prepared for this August's UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) by carefully choosing a squad of professional players to act as its ambassadors at the games. The team of representatives is drawn from some of the online poker network's very best pros and will be hoping to make an impressive showing at the tables.
                The four ambassadors coming to this year's UKIPT include Martins Adeniya, Ben Jenkins, Sinem Melin and Dermot Blain. This group of pros will kick off their participation by joining the UKIPT for its Galway Festival leg, battling it out in the €1,100 buy-in no limit hold'em main event and a number of other tournaments taking place during the Irish series. The Galway Festival will serve as a homecoming of sorts for Dermot Blain, an Irish poker player who rocketed into the professional ranks after winning the 2009 Asian Poker Tour's Macau main event and taking fifth place at the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe's main event. Blain's fellow Full Tilt ambassadors — Adeniya, Jenkins and Melin — hail from the United Kingdom and are similarly accomplished.
                The four sponsored professionals playing at this year's UKIPT mark the third time that Full Tilt Poker has created small groups of players specifically to advertise the company at live international events. A statement from PokerStars' Pro, Celebrity and VIP Marketing Senior Manager, Dustin Iannotti, said that the four "tour ambassadors will help redefine what it means to represent a poker site."

PokerStars Wraps Up iPad Giveaway Promotion

                Fans of online poker who had been looking for a chance at winning some fancy tech were recently given a shot at taking home a 16GB iPad from PokerStars. The popular online poker network has just concluded a short promotion that saw one lucky site member take home a complementary tablet.
                Pokerstars' iPad giveaway promo saw players entering the competition by showing off just how well they could relax while enjoying a spot of online poker. PokerStars members were encouraged to take a snapshot of themselves playing the site's mobile app with their feet up. The picture then had to be uploaded to an Instagram account and marked with the special #PSFeetUp hashtag. The community voted on what they considered the best photo and the ten best shots were then submitted to judges for final consideration. Once Sunday, 28th July rolled around PokerStars awarded the coveted iPad 4 to a player who submitted his photo under the handle, "Bobbytabarsi." According to PokerStars, Bobbytabarsi "took [the competition] down with a torrent of votes" that granted him the attention of the judge's panel. The winner edged out two other popular users, "Fredyekivia" and "Madavaster," who just barely missed taking first prize — and the free iPad 4.
                Those who are interested in checking out some of the iPad giveaway promo pictures can head over to the PokerStars blog to see the winning entry alongside a selection of photos submitted by the runner ups.