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PKRs Real Money Poker App Leaves Beta Testing

                PKR.com has finally finished the long process of bringing its 3D online poker software to British iPhone and iPad owners. After extensive testing the application is now available, allowing players to enjoy a great poker experience while on the go.
                The iOS version of PKR.com has only just now become available after a slow roll-out of mobile PKR products. Months of beta testing and software refinement appear to have paid off. After a short time on Apple's App Store the full version of PKR's app has received an average user review score of 4.5/5. The warm reception is likely due to the care that PKR's team has taken in translating their popular computer-based platform to mobile devices. The PKR iOS app brings lifelike graphics to players, making the program's selection of games — a line-up that includes Omaha (pot-limit and hi-lo), Texas hold 'em sit and go tournaments and a variety of ring games — extremely lifelike and immersive.  
                A statement from PKR.com stated that the company "couldn't be any more psyched about launching [its] real-money poker on mobile." PKR added that it was extremely excited to offer players the ability to "whip out the iPhone and enter a sit-and-go" in situations like "[waiting] around in the airport for three hours before [a] flight." The PKR.com iOS app is available now and is compatible with the iPad, iPhone 4 and newer models of Apple's smartphone.

100 Billionth Hand Celebrations Come to PokerStars

                PokerStars has a history of celebrating its business milestones by providing cash bonuses and other awards to site members lucky enough to be a part of record-breaking games. The site's 100 Billion Hands Celebration has been no different, giving those who happened to be playing as the landmark was reached huge rewards for their good fortune.
                The 100 billionth hand was recently hit, marking a huge accomplishment for the eleven year old PokerStars. The site member who played the hand in question uses the name 'Microulis69' and was awarded more than $103,000 in cash. Microulis69, who hails from Greece, was playing micro-stakes poker on PokerStars' Euryalos XI (at $0.02/$0.05) when the milestone was triggered. While Microsoulis69 took home a $31.55 pot for his win the more impressive prize came from the massive $103,800 awarded by PokerStars for triumphing during the 100 billionth hand. The hand also saw other competitors playing against Microsoulis69 receiving cash awards. 'Mayers666' took away the lowest amount (a still substantial $12,460) while both 'HeyitsClay' and 'doc836' received the highest award ($13,440 each).  
                PokerStars Head of Poker Communications, Lee Jones, revealed that a total of 9,471 site members received part of the stake share ($830,790) set aside to celebrate the 100 billionth hand. The average share provided to this group of players was $84.72. PokerStars will continue to offer 100 Billion Hands Celebration promotional events throughout the coming weeks, extending the festivities beyond the monumental hand itself.

Titan Poker Offers 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Satellites

                It's not easy for amateur poker players to make their way to the venerable World Series of Poker (WSOP), but Titan Poker is looking to help through its latest promotional offering. The popular online poker platform will make two satellite tournaments available to WSOP hopefuls this month, providing a great way for talented players to win a seat at the upcoming tournament series' main event.
                Titan Poker's WSOP Main Event Mega Super Satellite will award ten prize packages (valued at $13,400). The satellite can be bought into directly for $525. Seats will also be made available to players who triumph in qualifying tournaments (with buy ins set at less than $1). The first event will award a prize package that includes seven nights of accommodations at the Wynn Las Vegas, WSOP main event buy-in and $1,850 in cash. The second satellite series, WSOP Experience Mega Super Satellite Freezeout, features a $215 buy-in and will provide 15 prize packages (valued at $4,000). These packages include the $1,500 buy-in to the WSOP's 5th July no-limit hold 'em side event, five nights of accommodations at the Wynn Las Vegas and spending money.
                A statement from Titan Poker called the WSOP Main Event Satellites two great ways for skilled competitors "to win their way to the WSOP in Las Vegas [through] inexpensive buy-ins." The 2013 WSOP no-limit hold 'em main event sports a $10,000 buy-in and is set to take place on Saturday 6th July at Las Vegas' Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.

Full Tilt Poker Reveals Micro Turbo Online Poker Series

                Talented poker players looking for an opportunity to turn a small bankroll into a larger one are now being given a great opportunity by Full Tilt Poker. The site's newly revealed Micro Turbo Online Poker Series (MTOPS) is set to target those with big ambitions and modest poker funds.
                The Micro Turbo Online Poker Series will consist of 75 events that includes a wide range of micro stakes and low-stakes tournaments. It will culminate in the $15 buy-in, $1 million guarantee no limit hold'em turbo main event scheduled for Sunday, 23rd June. Full Tilt has designed the series for multi-entry play as well, allowing competitors to try their hand at as many of the array of available games as they wish. The styles of play on offer during MTOPS will include five-card stud, Courchevel, Irish, Texas hold 'em poker and more. Full Tilt members can compete the events through inexpensive buy-ins that start at only $0.11.
                Full Tilt Poker's Sarne Lightman told press that the decision to couple the MTOPS' "big prize pools and [small buy-ins]" was made in order to give "players the best value possible." Lightman also credited the multi-entry turbo format as a way to ensure that "even the most time-constrained players will be able to compete in one of our most exciting and affordable tournament series yet." The Micro Turbo Online Poker Series will run from Sunday, June 9th through Sunday, 23rd June at Full Tilt Poker.

Bodog Casino Launches Go 3D for $3K Promotion

                Bodog Casino's latest promotional offering wants to help show off the online gaming site's new three dimensional slot machines by enticing players with a series of fantastic rewards. Members of the online gaming platform will be able to vie for extra loyalty points and participate in a cash draw by immersing themselves in the latest Bodog slots.
                Go 3D for $3K is already live on Bodog Casino and is set to run throughout most of this month. The promotion consists of two separate components — one that rewards extra loyalty points and another that provides a $3,000 prize draw. Bodog members can take advantage of the loyalty points boost by wagering money on any of the site's 3D slots. To help advertise these new games Bodog will be awarding 6 points for each $10 gambled on 3D slots, offering three times the regular rate of 2 points per $10. Each of the loyalty points earned by Bodog members doubles as an entry to the $3,000 draw that will be held at the end of the promotion. Only one lucky entrant will take home the $3K, but everyone can enter just by making wagers at new games like Gladiator, Viking Age, Gold Diggers, At the Movies and more.
                Bodog Casino helped sell the Go 3D for $3K promotion by enticing players with the prospect of losing themselves in slot games that let them "spend a night in Paris [and] scout out live animals in the African Wild" through "brand new 3D games" that provide great experiences while also "giving you a chance to make a nice chunk of change."     

32Red Becomes Official Crawley Town Football Club Sponsor

                Fans of football and online gaming will soon see two of their passions collide now that Crawley Town Football Club and internet casino 32Red have announced a business deal. This move will see 32Red acting as a sponsor for Crawley Town, emblazoning player shirts with their logo.
                32 Red has just completed a deal that will result in Crawley Town FC players wearing shirts that sport the casino's site logo throughout the next two years. This isn't the first time that the online casino has acted as a sponsor for a football club either. 32Red previously sponsored Aston Villa and Swansea City, both teams who went on to enjoy great success during the time their uniforms were branded with the site's logo. Mark Quayle, 32Red's Head of Marketing, said that his company is "delighted to support Crawley Town as they look ahead to their second season in League One" and that 32Red's "previous football sponsorships have been a great success."
                Quayle also acknowledged the link between 32Red sponsorship and Aston Villa and Swansea City's success, saying that he "[hoped ] the trend of 32Red being a 'lucky sponsor' continues" for Crawley Town FC. The league's Commercial Manager, Ewan Dunlop, expressed a similar sentiment, calling the sponsorship "a tremendous deal for the football club." Those interested in picking up a branded shirt can expect to see the redesigned apparel — available in adult sizes only — hitting store shelves in the near future.

Bodog Pokers Anonymous Poker Series Comes to the WSOP

                Bodog Poker, after being impressed by the enthusiastic response garnered by the first two editions of its Anonymous Poker Series, has decided to launch a new version of the special event that ties into this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP).  
                Bodog's Anonymous Poker Series (APS), previously held in Macau and London, has proven to be a hit for the online poker network. The unorthodox promotion was designed to celebrate Bodog's anonymity-focused poker platform by rewarding not only those who triumph in the web-based events, but also players who photograph themselves in Zorro costumes while competing at live events. The World Series of Poker edition of Anonymous Poker Series will continue this tradition, providing extravagant prize packages to  the winners of the series and two WSOP competitors dressed like the masked hero. The prize package in question is worth some $6,600 and includes the $2,000 buy-in to the Anonymous Poker Series $100,000 Guaranteed Live Invitational Finale in Manila, Philippines, $700 in spending money, flight and hotel accommodations, an invite to an APS party and assorted Bodog swag. Site members can vie for the prize by entering into online qualifiers with buy-ins set as low as $0.66 USD.
                Bodog Poker Network's President, Jonas Odman, explained that his company "designed [the Anonymous Poker Series] to give those who've had a bad poker experience a better one." The online gaming network's latest edition of the promotional series should help to prove this sentiment true.

Full Tilt Poker to Broadcast NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

                Fans of televised poker will be thrilled to learn the latest news from Full Tilt Poker — an announcement revealing that the online poker network has secured the rights to bring next year's NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship to screens across the globe.
                NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship took place in January and will be televised in twelve episodes drawn from the live, Las Vegas-based event. Full Tilt Poker, through deals with worldwide broadcasters, has gained the rights to air the competition. After premiering in the United Kingdom on Channel 5, Full Tilt will show the tournament in nations including Germany, Canada, Russia, Poland, Hungary and more. The NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship drew top poker players like Viktor 'Isildur1' Blom, Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Tom 'durrrr' Dwan and others to Nevada for a night of intense competition that will be well worth tuning in for. Each episode will show some of the game's most talented players battling it out for a share of the $100,000+ prize pool, pulling out all the stops to best their opponents in one-on-one showdowns.   
                Full Tilt Poker's Sarne Lightman told press that securing the international distribution rights to NBC's event is "just the start of many exciting and unique television products from Full Tilt." Lightman went on to say that "plenty of [these TV events] will have the opportunity for players to qualify and take part."

Full Tilt Poker Schedule New Land-Based Galway Festival

                Full Tilt Poker has added an exciting new land-based event to this summer's line-up with the Galway Festival. The brand new tournament series will include some 55 events and mark the recently re-launched Full Tilt's return to hosting live events.
                The Galway Festival is set to take place later this summer and will be hosted in a custom made "poker village" created by Full Tilt Poker in Galway, Ireland. The 55 events that make up the Galway Festival will include unique competitions like the UK Versus Ireland Heads-Up Challenge, the Irish Poker Championships and the UKIPT Galway Main Event which sports an incredible €1 million guaranteed prize pool. The Main Event will run for five days (from 8th to 12th August) and will see Full Tilt's Poker Ambassadors and Gus Hansen (of Full Tilt's Professionals line-up) in attendance. Members of the online poker network can compete in online qualifiers (starting at a $1.10 buy-in) for a chance at winning a seat to the lucrative showdown. Bounties will also be placed on Full Tilt Ambassadors competing in the Main Event.
           Full Tilt Poker's Marketing Head, Sarne Lightman, told press that his company was excited to make its "first live poker festival since re-launch" a memorable one. A wide variety of events and an impressive prize pool should help to make good on Full Tilt's intentions. The Galway Festival is scheduled to take place from Monday 29th July to Monday 12th August this summer.

Felix xflixx Schneiders Joins PokerStars Team Online

                PokerStars' Team Online has just grown by one member with the signing of Felix "xflixx" Schneiders. The latest addition to the online poker network's team of professional players comes to the site with plenty of experience in competing against the best of the industry as well as teaching other poker fans how to succeed at the game.
                Schneiders hails from Germany and has been engaged in playing and teaching poker since 2005. xflixx is known as a six-max no-limit hold 'em player who frequents small and mid stakes tables, but he has also found success in coaching other competitors. Schneiders has taught poker with PokerStars' PokerSchoolOnline and IntelliPoker as both a trainer and private coach. Though he has earned a name for himself in competition xflixx is better known in Germany for his work in imparting poker lessons and strategies to other fans of the game, an aspect of his career that he says offers "a great feeling" when compared to the intensity of solo play.  
                Speaking to press about his new position as a member of Team Online, Schneiders said that he feels "honoured to be [included among] great inspiring poker players and proud because [the accomplishment] reflects all the effort and passion" he's put into poker over his career. Felix xflixx Schneiders will be able to continue demonstrating his love of poker by competing in events as a PokerStars' Team Online member.

Wild Weekends Promotional Event Comes to Bodog Casino

                Bodog Casino's latest promotional offering is set to make the weekends a lot more exciting for members of the online casino platform. The new weekly event is sure to command plenty of attention by giving Bodog members not only the ability to increase the rate at which they collect Casino Points, but to take part in lucrative prize draws as well.
                Members of Bodog Casino will now be able to take greater chances while playing their favourite games. Wild Weekends allows players to earn double Casino Points for each of their successful wagers, allowing for quicker access to cash rewards. Even better, Bodog Casino will use every Casino Point earned by a player in a newly unveiled $1,000 prize draw. Each Casino Point will be converted to a single entry to the draw without any limits being placed on how many entries a member can accumulate in the lead-up to the prize giveaway. The Bodog Casino player who wins the prize draw will have $1,000 transferred to their account at the site.
                A statement from Bodog Casino called "weekends" a great opportunity "for letting loose and having fun" while adding that the new Wild Weekends promotion will make it easy to "be rewarded [for doing] just that." Wild Weekends has just been launched and is planned to continue for the foreseeable future. Players can take part in the promotion by logging onto Bodog Casino between 3pm each Friday and 3am each Monday.

William Hill Bingo Launches New Prize Promotion

                Members of William Hill Bingo will be able to enjoy chances to win extravagant prize packages throughout the remainder of the month. The latest promotion from the popular online bingo site is giving away fantastic vacations and a number of high tech items to lucky winners.
                William Hill Bingo's new promo consists of a series of prize draws that will be awarded until the end of May. Each day of the month will see contestants vying for spectacular prizes. These include a New York City vacation package (five day trips for two along with £500 in cash) and smartphone/tablet draws that award hot items like Samsung S3s, Samsung Tablets, iPhone 5s and iPads. To enter the promotion players need to enter both "APPLE" and "GALAXY" bonus codes and be active on Will Hill Bingo throughout the promotion. After entering the code each day of play counts towards the prize draws. To be eligible for the tablet/smartphone draws members will need to spend at least £25 on scratchcards, £100 on slots or £10 on bingo tickets. On 1st June, after the end of the daily draws, William Hill will award a final package to one more player that combines all of the prizes listed above. The total draw entries accrued by a member throughout May will be entered into this last giveaway.
                A statement from William Hill enticed players by asking them to "imagine that trip to New York, walking around Times Square [or] seeing the Statue of Liberty" through the "William Hill Bingo prize draw.

Sky Vegas Launches Summer Megajackpots Promotion

                Sky Vegas is looking to make this summer a lot more exciting for its players through the launch of Megajackpots. The online casino's latest promotion is set to run through the coming months and will award a guaranteed £1 million by the time it wraps up.
                Entry to the Megajackpots promotion will be easy for Sky Vegas members. The site is set to provide tickets for each of the event's weekly prize draws to every player who wagers a minimum of £1 in either the Megajackpots Cluedo, Megajackpots Monopoly and/or Megajackpots Cleopatra games. Sky members can bank an extra draw ticket for every extra £10 they spend in playing the special games listed above. The payouts from these weekly prize draws will amount to £250,000 each month and a total of £1 million by the end of the promotion. Sky Vegas is coupling the launch of Megajackpots with the reveal of a brand new five reel slot game as well. The newest addition to the site was developed by CORE Gaming Ltd. and features a theme based on the life of Robert "Evel" Knievel, the famous American daredevil motorcyclist.  
                A statement from Sky Vegas excitedly detailed "the start of our four-month one million pound giveaway" where, in May alone, "50 players per week will win £1,000 each by playing Megajackpots." Megajackpots has already gone live and will run until the end of August, 2013. The brand new Evel Knievel slot has also launched and is currently available for Sky members to enjoy.

Bodog Poker Sends Lucky Player to 2014 Asian Poker Tour

                Bodog Poker helped celebrate the upcoming Asian Poker Tour (APT) Philippines 2014 by not only promoting the site's accomplishments, but sending one lucky player to the real-world event as well. This player travelled to Manila dressed as the character of Zorro and competed at the tables with a $1,000 bounty on their head.   
                In order to make for a truly memorable promotion Bodog Poker hired on Tara O'Callaghan (who previously worked as a hat maker for Zara Philips) to create a one-of-a-kind Zorro hat. This hat was paired with a mask in order to make the player anonymous while they competed at the APT. While this bit of theatricality may seem strange without context, Jonas Odman, President of the Bodog Poker Network, told press that the get-up was designed as a nod to his company's recreational poker model. This model was created by Bodog in an effort to provide players with "the fairest place to play poker online" by masking identities and warding off the kind of professional sharks who can ruin a more casual competitor's experience. Odman called the "costume and bounty for our anonymous [APT] player partly a bit of fun, but [also] a reminder" of Bodog's commitment to its recreational business model.         
                The Philippines leg of this year's Asian Poker Tour took place at Resort World Manila, wrapping up on Wednesday, 24th April. Bodog's Zorro player received entry to the 2013 APT Philippines along with a buy-in to the upcoming Anonymous Poker Series' $100,000 final.

PokerStars Confirms Official Spring Championship of Online Poker Schedule

                PokerStars previously released a placeholder version of the schedule for its upcoming Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP). Now, after soliciting suggestions for improvements from its player base the company has finalized and released the official series details.
                The 2013 SCOOP will mark the fifth edition of the popular event and, as mentioned in the unofficial schedule, consist of 44 events. An impressive $40 million prize guarantee is up for grabs through the series' tiered buy-in events. As previously described, these three levels will allow all kinds of players to enter into the games, regardless of the size of their bankroll. Accordingly, the prize pot will range in size, the lowest amount doubling in size for the medium buy-in level and tripling for the highest. The three levels will also be reflected in the buy-ins, which range from $5.50 to $21,000. PokerStars promoted the tiered SCOOP design as providing "the only tournament series in the world to offer the same tournament at three different buy-in levels simultaneously." A statement detailing the series called SCOOP a great way for poker players of all stripes to "have fun competing for life-changing amounts of money."
                The 2013 Spring Championship of Online Poker will kick off on 12th May with a no-limit hold 'em six max tournament (buy-ins set at $27/$215/$2,100) and run for two weeks before concluding with 26th May's main event ($109/$1,050/$10,300). Interested players can buy into events directly or look out for PokerStars range of upcoming qualifying competitions.

William Hill Shows Revenue Growth for Early 2014

                Fans of William Hill's network of online gaming and betting sites should have no fear for the future of their platform of choice. The latest financial information released by the company shows that William Hill has continued to perform well throughout the first months of 2013.
                The last few months have been good to William Hill with new reports seeing its net revenues growing impressively. The gambling network released extremely impressive figures (for the financial period ending on 2nd April, 2013) that demonstrate success across a number of key areas of its business. These figures include growth in online net revenue (up by 21%), sportbook net revenue (up by 47%) and, most impressively, in mobile gaming net revenue (an astonishing 298% increase). William Hill's efforts at expanding its mobile presence — an area of concentration that has become increasingly important to the online gaming industry — have yielded incredible results. Entering the Australian market has also proven a smart idea for Will Hill, the country helping bolster the network's online operating profits by drawing in new players and punters.
                William Hill's CEO, Ralph Topping, told press that his company "has [had] a successful start to 2013" that includes "moving forward with our [business] strategy" and "taking full control of William Hill Online." Taking note of the most profitable aspects of his business, Topping stated that "mobile remains a high priority " before confirming that William Hill plans to continue "making significant investments in marketing, technology and people."

888.com Shares Financial Information, Reveals Nevada Plans

                The release of financial information from 2014’s recently concluded first quarter has illustrated the success (or lack thereof) of the online gaming industry's key players. In the case of 888 Holdings, the network responsible for highly respectable poker, casino and sportsbooking sites, these statistics have shown just how well the business has performed in recent months.
                888's group revenue ($103 million USD), which broke previous records for the company, may be the most impressive of the newly posted figures. The company also made significant strides forward in other areas, though. Compared to the first quarter of 2012 888 has grown by large percentages in 2013, its number of active poker and casino customers increasing by 12%. The same year to year comparison shows 888 Poker's net revenues growing by 15% and its online casino network revenues by 13%. Brian Mattingley, 888 Holdings' CEO, said that he was pleased with the first quarter results, crediting his company's success to "our excellent product offering, supported by our constantly innovative marketing." Industry spectators, having taken the recently published first quarter figures into account, now believe that 888 Holdings is worth approximately $915 million.     
                Mattingley went on to take advantage of 888's strong financial showing by telling Reuters that his business is scheduling the launch of its Nevada, United States-based online poker site by the beginning of summer. The opening of 888's US-based site may hint at a coming trend in online gaming where some of the industry's biggest players take advantage of shifting gambling policies to expand to new markets.

PokerStars Partners with Guangdong Ltd. for Guangdong Ltd. Asia Millions

                PokerStars has doubled down on its commitment to engage the Asian market with the announcement of a brand new tournament set to take place in Macau next month. The event — the Guangdong Ltd. Asia Millions — is meant to entice some of the region's most talented players with impressive prizes and expensive buy-ins.
                Guangdong Ltd. Asia Millions has been organized in collaboration between online poker site PokerStars and local gaming company, Guangdong Group Macau Ltd (previously known as Neptune Group). The event in question is intended for high rollers, sporting an HK $1,000,000 buy-in (roughly $129,000 USD) and a maximum of two HK $1,000,000 re-buys. If the event manages to achieve its current buy-in forecast the total prize pool will likely be no smaller $30 million USD. Guangdong Ltd. Asia Millions will take place at Macau's City of Dreams venue and will run from Tuesday, 4th June to Friday, 7th June. PokerStars and Guangdong will kick off the festivities with an HK $250,000 (approximately $32,200 USD) "warm up" tournament on the first day of the event.    
                Danny McDonagh, PokerStars' Director of Live Poker Operations for Asia Pacific, told press that his company expects "over 100 players" to compete for "one of the biggest prize pools for a poker tournament outside of the World Series of Poker." Winnie Wong, Guangdong Group's CEO, shared McDonagh's excitement while predicting that the tournament "will leave a mark in Macau poker history" and strengthen the "strong synergy between Guangdong  and PokerStars."

Bodog Casino Launches 94 Club VIP Service

                Serious online casino gamers will now be able to enjoy improved incentives at Bodog Casino with the unveiling of the platform's newly launched VIP service. 94 Club, the VIP program in question, provides members with a selection of excellent rewards, bonuses and access to exclusive events.
                94 Club is meant to enhance the Bodog playing experience by catering to the site's most dedicated fans. Once a site member has been entered into the VIP program they will be able to enjoy benefits that include doubled loyalty points on all cash wagers, weekly gameplay bonuses, special rewards, invitations to both online and real world live events and parties and, perhaps best of all, personalized customer service from Bodog Casino's support staff. Alongside the launch of 94 Club, Bodog has also begun to restructure areas of its service as part of an ongoing effort to better serve its entire customer base. This initiative will see the platform offering regular prize draws and increasing the rate by which loyalty points are earned on promotional games. The restructure is set to make earning cash rewards up to "three times faster" than before.
                Bodog calls its 94 Club service a great way for "players [to] enjoy the best of everything Bodog." The current line-up of VIP perks and special offers certainly look to offer a great series of incentives for dedicated gamblers and a real draw to sign up to Bodog Casino.

Bodog Poker Offers Players Entry to the 2014 World Series of Poker

                The poker world's most highly anticipated event — the World Series of Poker (WSOP) — is less than three months away and, to celebrate it, Bodog Poker is helping send its players to the illustrious series.
                2013 marks the 44th edition of the annual WSOP series, the event kicking off on 6th July and running through 15th July at Las Vegas' Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. With an enormous prize pool (speculated to be even larger than the 2012 WSOP's $62 million pool) up for grabs the tournament will no doubt attract many of poker's biggest stars. Bodog wants to make the event accessible to talented players who are unable to buy into the WSOP's $10,000 main event as well. To this end the online poker platform has just launched a series of satellite tournaments that award prize packages (worth an estimated $15,000) and main event entry. For stakes as low as $1.10 players can battle it out for a shot at a prize package containing $5,000 in cash, the $10,000 main event buy-in, a plethora of Bodog swag and a meeting with one of Team Bodog's sponsored pros upon arrival in Las Vegas.
                Bodog Poker told press that it was excited to offer its players a shot at the 2013 World Series of Poker main event, "where fortunes are won and legends are made." Bodog's promo series runs from 2nd April to 23rd June, offering more than 2,000 qualifiers and weekly satellite tournaments.

Black Card Loyalty System Returns to Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker has been on a fast track toward getting its site back in order ever since its relaunch late last year. Now, with the return of its Black Card loyalty rewards, it's finally catering to the most devoted online poker players on the web again.

The Black Card loyalty program is intended to reward Full Tilt's most prolific competitors with cash and prizes. The relaunched system will allow members of Full Tilt Poker to convert the site's Full Tilt Points into real money. It will also offer players who have achieved VIP status at other sites to join in on the program through a "VIP Amnesty" incentive set to run during the entire month of April. Any player able to produce a photograph proving their VIP status at another poker platform is eligible for entry to the Black Card program. Full Tilt will also be giving its members even better reasons to vie for Black Card status by offering performance-based sponsorship contracts to the most talented players on record during the last six months of play. Black Card holders will be able to help shape the manner by which performance is ranked when the sponsorships are launched this July.

Sarne Lightman, Full Tilt Poker's Head of Marketing, told press that the VIP Amnesty program was designed to give those affected by Full Tilt's non-operational months a chance to return to the site without losing the status they've gained at competing online poker platforms. The move to accommodate them is a great step toward making Full Tilt Poker the ideal home for serious poker players.

PokerStars Offers a First Look at the 2014 Spring Championship of Online Poker Schedule

Online poker players excited for some news on PokerStars' annual Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) have just been provided with a first look at the 2013 edition of the series. While the schedule PokerStars has recently released is subject to change in the future, the poker network has offered an initial draft that showcases its current plans for this spring's events.

The tentative 2013 SCOOP schedule looks to drastically expand on previous years offerings, featuring a tremendous 42 events and a total of 126 individual tournaments in all. Aside from this change much of the upcoming SCOOP will remain similar to prior schedules. Players will be able to compete in styles of poker including badugi, Omaha hi-lo, no-limit draw, seven card stud, no-limit hold 'em and more. Each of the games will also allow PokerStars members to compete through either low, medium or high buy-in tiers, a decision meant to make SCOPP inclusive to all contenders, regardless of bankroll size.

In order to make this year's SCOOP the best it can possibly be PokerStars is also asking its fans to send their comments and suggestions to the site. PokerStars plans to incorporate some of these suggestions to the schedule in order to refine its tournament offerings before finalizing in the weeks to come. As it stands now, the 2013 Spring Championship of Online Poker is set to kick off on Sunday 12 May with a six max no-limit hold 'em tourney and wrap up on Sunday 26 May with the main event's conclusion.

Ladbrokes Prepares to Move to iPoker Network

                Ladbrokes, one of the industry's most popular online gaming and sportsbooking platform, has announced plans to move from its current home at MPN/Microgaming to the iPoker network. The gaming site's decision comes as the result of a deepening business relationship with the latter company and will be carried out gradually.  
                The move to iPoker does not yet have a concrete date, but Ladbrokes has stressed that players should not experience any jarring changes during the process. The first step in the transition demonstrates the truth of these claims, Ladbrokes adding a Vegas tab (leading to several of the newly offered Playtech games) to their platforms while otherwise leaving the core experience intact. Ladbrokes will continue shifting their services from Microgaming to iPoker as their contractual obligations to the former network begin to expire. The transition to iPoker-based online poker has been revealed as the next step in the ongoing process.
                Mor Weizer, Playtech's CEO, told press that he is excited for a future that sees "Ladbrokes' brand strength [and] core technology" combined with "Playtech's proven track record in growing digital revenues." Investors seem to agree, a fact evidenced by Ladbrokes' share prices increasing some 6.5% (the company's highest share value since 2008) following the move's announcement. Once Ladbrokes finishes its transition to iPoker it will exist as part of the same network as prominent sites like Titan Poker, bet365, Paddy Power Poker and William Hill.

Jay Tan Renews Bodog Poker Sponsorship Deal

                Jay Tan, one of the poker world's most recognizable up and comers, has just announced the renewal of her sponsorship agreement with Bodog Poker. Following a fantastic win at the recently concluded Aussie Millions Tan has signed on for at least one more year of representing Bodog at the tables.
                Jay Tan, born in California and raised in both Hong Kong and Sydney, has made a big name for herself since moving on from a burgeoning career in investment banking to playing professional level poker full time. Tan holds a Masters of Business in Finance and Accounting, speaks three languages and has cashed at renowned live series like the Asian Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. Her most recent accomplishment took place at the 2013 Aussie Millions Main Event, an event that saw Tan finishing 7th overall at the final table. The win earned Tan $150,000 AUD, bringing her total live tournament take to a considerable $252,707.
                Bodog's President, Jonas Odman, called Jay Tan "an integral part of the ongoing Bodog Poker story" and said that his company is "thrilled to have her back on board for another year." Tan echoed Odman's enthusiasm, stating that "becoming a sponsored player has always been a dream" and that she "[feels] very at home with Bodog and [is looking] forward to carrying on where [she] left off" with her sponsorship.