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UltimateBet and Ante Up for Africa Present Celebrity Weekend for Sudan

Industry giant, UltimateBet has recently announced a partnership with the “Ante Up for Africa” foundation to launch a high-visibility charity event. The upcoming gaming series is filled with some of the most recognizable faces in the world of professional poker and film which is sure to create a lot of attention as its weekend draws near.

This enormous event has been created in order to raise funds and promote awareness of the ongoing genocide of the Sudanese population in Darfur. Ante Up for Africa will feature substantial prizes and celebrity endorsement in order to create the kind of stir it aims for. Among the featured guests to be in attendance are, Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Tiffany Michelle and actor, Don Cheadle. Celebrities will be playing online games and users will be able to go up against them for the chance to run into their favourite stars or vie for great rewards (such as tournament entries, trips or private poker lessons).

Ante Up for Africa has been in the works since July and now this weekend (August 22nd to 24th) players and business backers will finally see the potential good possible through such a charitable event. The announcement of the fundraiser detailed different manners by which UltimateBet loyalty points (UltimatePoints) can be donated to the relief efforts so those users interested should log on now and check out the program.

Massive Ladbrokes Bingo Promotions in Liverpool during Ad Shoot

Ladbrokes, one of Great Britain’s best known online bingo providers have launched an enormous advertising campaign in the city streets of Liverpool. The filming of an over-the-top commercial spot has already attracted the attention of a large number of city dwellers even before its slated airing on UK TV beginning next month.

The company grabbed publicity by floating giant bingo balls down the Liverpool streets to the amazement of onlookers. Giant spheres, some thirteen feet in diameter, were sent past major city landmarks where pedestrians often pushed them along their path. Video crew were set up to capture the event for the upcoming Ladbrokes bingo commercial which will soon see the footage edited to display the balls passing Liverpool landmarks such as St George’s Hall, the Steblel Fountain, the Liver Building and the Museum Steps. Ladbrokes’ Marketing Manager, Charlie Goodenough reported that his company was excited to carry out such a large-scale advertisement shoot and provide Liverpool citizens with some entertainment in the process.

M&S Saatchi were partnered with Ladbrokes to conceive the larger-than-life publicity stunt and have promised the inclusion of further edits depicting real-life renditions of bingo slang (such as the ‘two fat ladies’, ‘two little ducks’, ‘legs eleven’ calls and more). The advertising spot is intended for television use and is expected to begin regular rotation from mid-September onward.

Foxy Bingo Radio Broadcast Provides for UK Bingo Fans

Foxy Bingo is one of the best known online bingo clients available in the UK and has shown no sign of slowing down progress as aggressive marketing campaigns and continued improvements are added to their business strategy. With the Foxy Bingo Radio program, the company has shown marked determination to breach their audience even further by providing an entertaining accompaniment to the site for fans of the gaming client.

With celebrity guests such as “Albert Square” star, Leslie Grantham appearing on air alongside ongoing competitions it has become obvious that Foxy is concentrating on keeping fans at the site for more than just playing games. Karaoke nights (where listeners/members upload their own versions of popular songs) and short games are also available and provide listeners with reward opportunities ranging from £100 vouchers to supermarkets to £250 raffle prizes. Foxy’s radio offering is meant to accentuate the interests and needs of existing bingo fans and is being continuously developed as something much more than just a tacked-on service.

The company managers promise a continuation of solid, bingo-centered fare for their users which means that there should be no shortage of entertaining listening anytime soon. Foxy Bingo’s radio show can be listened to on Tuesday and Thursday nights through the official website.

London Gambling Clinic Opens Despite Financial Difficulties

As the gambling industry grows it requires a proportionate level of assistance for those individuals lacking in self-control or suffering from addiction caused by the pastime. Despite funding issues, the opening up a Soho, London-based national aid clinic is set to begin early next week for UK gamblers to help address this very issue.

The British Medical Association released figures suggesting that £10 million is required to properly run the support clinic but the £55 billion/year gambling industry has only committed a £3.5 million pledge toward the facility (which necessitates industry support for its very existence). The Soho clinic has released information stating that the funding acquired thus far will only allow for one full year of operation. Past this, the gambling industry will need to supply support that they may be unwilling to provide. The accord requires a certain level of taxation toward the Treasury and the Gambling Commission. In light of this, there may not be enough surplus left over for addiction centers.

With figures reflecting some one in five gamblers reporting ‘problem behaviour’, the UK is in desperate need of social support for those who have succumbed to mounting debt or addictive behavior. New legislature that reflects a fair compromise between businesses and non-profit organizations will have to be reached in order to ensure the health of aid clinics and gamblers alike.

UK Players Clean Up at the Devilfish Poker ‘Devilympics

Devilfish Poker’s recent ‘Devilympics’ were a promotional event intended to tie into Olympic fever as the 2008 Beijing games ran alongside and have only just concluded. The tournament results saw a large number of British poker players sweeping the standings, most notably, the Gold winning ‘olipizer’ who took home €5,000 and the championship in twelve of the seventy-five events.

UK poker fans truly have something to be proud of as the final results demonstrated an overwhelming victory. British players won 59 medals (21 Gold, 16 Silver and 22 Bronze) with Ireland coming in second with a significantly smaller 41 medals (18 Gold, 14 Silver and 9 Bronze). Canadian Devilympics competitors took third place overall with a total of 30 medals (12 Gold, 7 Silver and 11 Bronze). Devilfish creator, Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott took part in the events by playing in the opening and closing events where he had a €250 bounty placed on him. The UK poker star told press that he was delighted with his home nation’s showing in the tournament and was blown away by the impressive results.

Even though the Devilympics are finished now (along with the summer games), the final tally should give UK players a lot to talk about and encouragement for further growth in their regional poker field. British poker fans should be pleased with their showing at one of the premier summer tournaments and excited for the next big Devilympics when the actual games hit the UK in 2012.

Yuval Bronshtein Makes Poker History at 2008 FTOPS

This year’s Full Tilt Online Poker Series saw twenty-four year old poker player, Yuval Bronshtein establish a new record for the game with an unheard of showing over two online games. The competitor made history through two, consecutive tournament wins which both took place in under twelve hours of play.

Bronshtein made his mark through events #14 and #15 of the Series, a $500 Buy-in HORSE and $200 Buy-in No-Limit Hold ‘Em Turbo tournament respectively. The young player totaled an impressive $172,387 from the two games, beating out over three thousand others in the HORSE tournament and more than six hundred competitors in the No-Limit Hold ‘Em Turbo event. Bronshtein, playing under the account name, “yuvee04”, was ecstatic for his winning money but reported that he is more pleased with the notable status of a historic title than anything else. He has made waves online in the past and hopes to capture some bracelets while holding onto his record in the future.

The player has also started to breach into the world of live poker where he hopes to continue his success, having already performed admirably in last years World Series of Poker 2007. This September, Bronshtein will be traveling to Amsterdam and Austria to compete in the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe.

$168,947 Progressive Jackpot Won by MRSSMITHS Slotland Player

An impressive $168,947 progressive jackpot was finally hit by a lucky Slotland player yesterday after going unclaimed for far longer than usual. The prize had been steadily accumulating for more than a month with large numbers of hopeful players adding to the fund with every day’s action.

Slotland’s progressive jackpot usually runs for about six weeks, averaging a roughly $100,000 payout which makes the player who logged in as “MRSSMITHS” luckier than most. The user won the prize through the website’s Booster slot machine and managed to take the steadily growing jackpot. Slotland’s Martin Smith reported that the company was keeping a watchful eye on the money and couldn’t believe that it still continued to go unclaimed after passing the $100,000 mark. Booster is one of the more popular progressive slot machines available at the site and sees a large number of players flocking to it every day.

MRSSMITHS’s success makes them one of the top winners at Slotland’s progressive jackpots. The largest prize ever issued from the online casino was won by a Canadian man at a staggering $195,083 through the Treasure Box virtual slot machine. The second largest win was a $179, 166 cash-out won by a player at the Golden 8 slots in May of last year.

London Poker in the Park Festival Determined a Huge Success

Last weekend’s, Poker in the Park festival was experimental in many ways and served as something of a testing ground for future, UK-based events of this kind. Luckily for all involved (and British poker enthusiasts in general) this first attempt at a large-scale London gaming showcase went off without a hitch.

The Poker in the Park festival set out to prove that the UK was as fertile a ground as the United States for events based around the game. With the sponsorship of PKR and a fantastic showing of some of the industry’s best players and providers the weekend demonstrated the possibility of continued success in the future. Hordes of British poker players came out to take part in the tournaments and celebrity tutorials, ultimately convincing the city of London and those behind the festival that the entire affair was an overwhelming hit and worth investing in for the future.

Editor-in-Chief of Bluff Europe, Michael Caselli, reported that he and the rest of his company were thrilled with the showing and excited for future possibilities centered on the game. Fox Poker Club added further good news for English poker players with their announcement of a fully-licensed club set to open in London, the first of its kind. While no official word has been given regarding a 2008 Poker in the Park, all evidence seems to point toward it being a distinct possibility.

Recent Study Suggests Smoking Bans Don’t Negatively Effect Bingo Revenue

With the recent problems facing UK, brick and mortar bingo halls many industry observers have been quick to point their fingers at a variety of causes with smoking bans often being the most heavily blamed. The publication of an American study has been making waves with its suggestion that this may not be at all true however.

The research in question was carried out through the University of Kentucky in the United States and was commissioned by the UK’s College of Public Health. The study demonstrated that, contrary to general opinion, smoking bans have actually not proved to be the only reason for a lack of business. Evidence was drawn from comparing financial figures before and after the instatement of smoking legislature across thirteen different Kentucky counties. Through comparing the data, officials were able to take the blame off of the introduction of new laws and defend their continued existence at North American and British charitable or private bingo halls.

Bingo halls may have other, bigger, more difficult problems to worry about then just anti-smoking laws as the study shows. Industry observers speculate that the loss of traffic on both sides of the ocean may stem from the rising popularity of other games and increasingly viable online venues which adversely affect the profits of physical halls.

CryptoLogic Sign Partnership Contract with Sky Betting and Gaming

CryptoLogic
Premier software designer and provider, CryptoLogic has signed yet another high-profile client this week which furthers their place as leaders within the industry. The company was able to outbid other competitors to secure the highly profitable BSkyB contract in question and is now hard at work developing material for their new venue.

Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic’s CEO and President was delighted to share the news with press and ensured that his company would continue to do all they could to expand and drive profits forward for everyone involved with their business. The contract with Sky Betting and Gaming through BSkyB ensures three years of a mutually beneficial partnership and could mean a great increase in success for both sides of the new deal. Sky Vegas is set to enjoy a plethora of new casino games previously developed by CryptoLogic and tailored toward their site as well as the promise of inventive, new software exclusively developed for their internet gambling services.

Sky Betting and Gaming’s Managing Director, Richard Flint said the decision to sign with CryptoLogic was driven by the company’s proven track record and steadfast commitment to innovation within the field of software development. CryptoLogic now holds contracts with such enormous online gaming companies as 888.com, InterCasino, William Hill and Sky.

UltimateBet Adds Celebrity Tiffany Michele to Team Roster

Tiffany Michelle
UltimateBet have recently announced the addition of celebrity poker player, Tiffany Michelle to their line-up of professionals. Although this kind of acquisition is usually more of a publicity stunt than anything else, Michelle’s relatively obscure status and considerable skill at the tables may actually hint at something more than just name recognition behind the move.

Tiffany Michelle, twenty-four, is a former actress and singer-songwriter who has been making a big name for herself in the world of poker. With this year’s 2008 World Series of Poker Michelle emerged as the only female competitor left at the Main Event, ultimately finishing in 17th place overall and setting the record for best performance within her category. She was fully decked out in UltimateBet apparel but wasn’t yet signed to the premier poker brand yet. Michelle initially started appearing at big tables as a way of supplementing her acting and music income but it took her little time to show up on sponsors’ and professional player’s radars (including Annie Duke, legendary player and UB Cardroom Consultant who sung her praises during press releases).

After taking home $334,534 from the WSOP Main Event Michelle was quickly snatched up by UltimateBet to become the newest member of their franchise. This Tuesday made the move official and will likely see the actress turning her poker-hobby into a much more substantial part of her career. UltimateBet users may stumble across Michelle as she plays under the name ‘Tiffany M’ online.

CircusCasino.Com Announces Second Chance Poker Classic

Enormous UK business presence, Genting Stanley recently launched their very own online casino service via CircusCasino.Com and to show that they mean to differentiate themselves from the pack they’ve launched a series of innovative tournaments. CircusCasino and a series of land-based venues are working in conjunction to give players two tries at an enormous tournament through a method never yet explored in the industry.

The Second Chance Poker Classic is set to give devotees of Genting’s physical casinos an additional shot at qualifying for the upcoming $200,000 guaranteed Poker Classic tournament. Casinos that fall within the forty applicable options (Maxims, Mint and Circus franchises among them) are offering players who fail to make it during this week’s poker tournaments another chance via the internet. Even by missing the mark for the November event at a Genting casino, the company is allowing additional qualifying rounds at their website in a move that is guaranteed to drum up traffic and increase support for the still-new online service.

CircusCasino may be a young player in the fiercely competitive business of online gambling but with the strength and intelligent business strategies of Genting Stanley on hand it’s becoming clear that they’re ready to make an unique mark in the industry. Poker fans that play this week and end up qualifying for the Second Chance Poker Classic should check out the site today and prepare for their next attempt.

Nuneaton Gala Bingo Hall Up for Grabs on Real-Estate Market - www.galabingo.com

The former Gala Bingo Hall in Nuneaton has recently been put back onto the real-estate market at a reduced price. After formerly offering the Hall at £1.5 million, bad negotiations and a financially concerned seller have currently set it at a decreased, £1.2 million price tag.

The Nuneaton Hall became a Gala Bingo venue in 1982 after spending the former part of the century as the Ritz Cinema. Since then it has attracted a large number of gaming fans which have slowly tapered off in recent years. As British bingo clubs have been hit by decreased attendance (in no small part due to smoking bans and the reduction of popular instant-win machines by law) Gala has been forced to close a large number of their venues and the historical Nuneaton Hall is only one of them. Financial difficulties led to Gala Bingo rationalizing their properties and selling off many lots, including the long-standing club at Nuneaton.

In the near future bingo fans will have to get used to the Nuneaton Gala Bingo Hall as something other than what it once was. The location is rumoured to become a restaurant, town hall, hotel or set of offices instead of the bingo club it has been for the past quarter of a century.

PokerSharks Radar Reveals 3 Million Online Poker Players Records

A massive amount of statistical data has been compiled and readied for public use by PokerSharks Radar, a freeware developer that has taken a great interest in giving online poker players every tool available. As the system now has roughly three million users indexed it is quickly becoming a truly viable option for poker fans to look into.

The PokerSharks Radar software is free for download and offers online poker fans the ability to research the background of any player they come up against at the tables. Aside from the staggering volume of records detailing every gambler’s hand and play history the software is also capable of deducing an ‘historical strategy’ (only for Texas Hold ‘Em at this point) based on this data. The PokerSharks Radar system essentially functions as a massive notebook that will no doubt serve to increase the level of strategy and pure skill required online once it becomes commonplace among gamers.

It’s an excellent piece of freeware for the serious player or any novice who doesn’t want to come up against sharks as they start to learn the ropes. PokerSharks Radar is sure to cause its fair share of controversy as it finds the mainstream but for now it can be seen as an impressive database for savvy poker fans to take advantage of.

Economic Observers Predict Financial Boom for Online Bingo

Although the online bingo industry hasn’t been hurting for business in the last few years a recent study suggests that the near future may see an even bigger jump in profits for industry vendors. The continuation of trends which have led to economic prosperity in the first place are set to become even further amplified as additional factors are coming into play with increased prominence.

The much-publicized UK land-based bingo hall crisis has occurred as a direct result of stricter government regulation and an influx of players heading to their computers instead of their favourite, local hall. Most importantly however is that rising gas prices within North America and the snowballing effect of website after website opening are only projected to add fuel to the fire. As the industry continues to grow and players provide a sufficient reason for expansion the entire virtual bingo community has been speculated to receive massive industry growth.

This is good news for those already on board with online bingo but for the demographic still dismayed by closing halls it will seem like a continuation of hard times. Despite parliamentary promises of legislature reform in Britain, land-based bingo rooms are still reeling from a dramatic loss of business and an even bigger internet boom than in the past may act as the final blow to their livelihood.

Billionairio.Com Lays Down a Challenge to the UK Based National Lotteries

The rising popularity of raffle-style number game at online casino Billionairio.Com is quickly overtaking national lotteries at what has long been their own exclusive practice. With competitive jackpots and better odds than mainstream physical lotteries the majority of betters are flocking to the site in question rather than traditional options.

The
UK National Lottery, Powerball and Euro Millions are all examples of enormous lottery corporations which are quickly becoming dwarfed by the fierce competition offered at Billionairio.Com. With odds set at 1:1,000,000 for a €1 million prize compared to the National Lottery odds of 1:13,983,816 for the same reward it isn’t surprising that so many gamblers are heading to internet options instead of state-sponsored jackpots. Even at the lower stakes scale of purchase Billionairo players are able to enjoy far greater chances at a win than if they spent their money through the above companies.

Managing Director of
Billionairio.Com, Joseph Crivici is happy that more betters are finding out about the superior odds system but maintains that national lotteries probably will not see a dramatic decrease in business due to their competition. The average lotto player thinks little of odds and shops for convenience but at least the die-hards and those who do a bit of research before buying a ticket now have many superior options available to them.

PKR Prepares 2009 WSOP Main Event Reward Packages

Play Online Poker
While players and poker fans alike await this fall’s 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, popular online tables at PKR are planning to offer incentives that will bring fans to the Las Vegas action next year. Although it may seem a long way away, PKR want to get a head start on the excitement surrounding qualifying satellites and the 2008 November Nine finalists.

The
Road to Vegas promotion kicks off on September 15th and promises to provide thirty-three weeks of freerolls. Players who come out on top of the weekly freerolls win 2009 WSOP prizes from entry to a $1,500 Buy-In to some packages which can send fortunate players to the $10,000 Main Event. PKR will require players to meet certain criteria (which will change weekly) in order to enter the freerolls and try for a WSOP reward. This format is intended to allow serious users the ability to target specific packages which appeal most to them, which should result in an intense and satisfying level of competition during the entire thirty-three week run.

Simon Prodger,
PKR’s Marketing Director told press that the Road to Vegas series was intended to give all levels of competitors a chance to get into Las Vegas games at the industry’s largest competition and that the company’s commitment resulted in this being their biggest promotion yet. PKR is also running reward offers for other tournament series, such as the currently underway, Asian Poker Tour Macau and satellite stops at the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour.

Golden Tiger Casino Promotes Through International CD Distribution

Although Golden Tiger is a relatively new online casino they have managed to achieve considerable success due to aggressive marketing and a solid platform. With the announcement of promotional CDs to be distributed internationally the company seems to be in no danger of slowing down their work and attracting an even wider fan base.

Golden Tiger’s plan is a simple one that may end up working wonders for the company in the long run. By releasing complementary CDs throughout an international market the online casino is hoping to attract enough attention to bulk up their business clientele and user traffic. The strategy is a solid one and is being touted as the largest-scale advertising campaign yet by an online casino. Golden Tiger’s promotional CDs will come in three different varieties and each one holds a different monetary bonus value for recipients. Gold discs will offer $1,500, blue award $500 and silver provide $10 in free play toward getting started in gambling at Golden Tiger.

Of course getting visitors to try out a new site is only one aspect of successful business but the bonus codes and great gameplay variety should be enough to keep new players coming back. It’s certainly an ambitious plan and may be enough to propel
Golden Tiger into the upper echelon of online casinos currently operating in the business.

The Real Deal!’ Poker Show Set to Launch at the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino

Entertainment powerhouse Merv Adelson and the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino have announced a partnership which will see the first live, interactive poker stage show premier at the famous venue this fall. “The Real Deal!” is set to provide a great time for visitors looking for big prizes and lots of poker-based fun.

The
Venetian Resort has released details on several aspects of the upcoming show and perhaps most exciting is the inclusion of notable poker professionals (including Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, Phil Laak and Daniel Negreanu) as part of the cast roster. “The Real Deal!” is set to take worthy advantage of their professional supporters through audience participation and competition. Probably the most interesting aspect is that the show will attempt to cross demographics and offer something fun for both seasoned poker players and complete novices alike. Although the action is poker based those without any knowledge of the game are given ample prize-winning opportunities through random events and simple-choice bets throughout the play.

Currently the
Venetian Resort and Adelson’s company, Lorimar Telepictures are undertaking the full casting process and are in talks with a number of poker-savvy comedians who they believe will bring the show the type of energy and humour it needs to successfully match their vision. “The Real Deal!” is set to premier this fall and will run six nights a week at the Venetian with tickets available for pre-release soon.

Bodog Casino Rewards Lucky Slots Player $200,000 Prize

Howard G., a fifty-five year old Houston, Texas resident had a fantastic surprise when logging on to play ‘Victory’ slots at Bodog Casino recently. To his complete surprise the machine spun out the right combination to reward Howard a massive jackpot within seconds and drastically bulk up his wallet.

The
Victory slots came up as four ‘captains’ and a ‘ship’ after the reels stopped spinning which put Howard into a state of disbelief. Bodog’s slots reward the ship icon on this machine as a wildcard which automatically paid out the $5 per line bet ten thousand credits. Although $50,000 probably would have been enough to make the Texan’s day he was also lucky enough to win on a free spin which turned his ship into four-times its worth and then paid out the $200,000 total prize. It’s a fairly impressive payout considering that the Victory slots at hand weren’t even one of the ‘hotter’ progressive jackpots and that it was complete fortune which provided the enormous sum.

Bodog Casino is well known for being one of the best online venues available and for Howard G. their reputation certainly proved itself true. Several other devotees of the service have had enough luck to cash in on progressive jackpots and set payouts in recent months with Howard being only the most recent to strike it rich.

Slotland and Winaday.Com Launch Fully 3D, Real Money Casino

Months ago, designers at Slotland created a fully three-dimensional and immensely interactive casino software engine but only now has the platform seen full implementation as it opens up to real money gambling.

The announcement of
Winaday.Com’s offering of the Slotland software for play and real-money gaming may inevitably set a new standard for all competing e-casinos. Slotland has created a service which is leaps and bounds ahead of almost every other site in the business and gamblers should be pleased to see the striking innovations at play here. Users are able to navigate a casino and play a large variety of fully developed games which all feature engrossing sound and visuals. This level of immersion is only furthered by animated customer service attendants and dealers. Small touches and a staggering level of detail are set to make Winaday.Com a fantastic choice for casino users who want a closer approximation to brick and mortar venues than what the market currently offers.

Winaday.Com already hosts a great number of incentives for players to take advantage of and the implementation of Slotland’s 3D technology will only serve to further the foundation of their site. Interested internet casino fans should check the site out today and see a glimpse of what very well could become the future of the industry.

Johnny Chan’s Online Poker Service "Chan Poker" Shuts Down

ChanPoker, the passion project of poker professional, Johnny Chan has recently cut its losses and shut down service. Although management is still trying to locate a new platform for ChanPoker, last week saw an official blog posting announce the imminent closure of the website.

Last Thursday, August 21st saw the well-known poker platform finally close down after a final August 19th, $50 daily freeroll.
Johnny Chan, ten-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner launched the provider in the summer of 2006 with a popular WSOP booth and endorsement through the Ongame Network but hit trouble only months after opening from the passing of the American UIGEA. The legislature immediately stopped US players from gaining access to the site and cut down traffic significantly, a hit that ChanPoker was never able to fully recover from. With a business market that was drastically changing in the light of the UIGEA, Chan and his company tried their best to bypass the obstacle and succeed in the competitive industry but now, roughly two years after starting, financial difficulties and unstable traffic have forced the decision of closure.

The site promised to honour all outstanding withdrawals and will also attempt to transfer player points in the event of starting up a new
ChanPoker service. Although the closure of ChanPoker comes as a substantial setback for the namesake player, the company’s commitment toward a return to business should be heartening for fans of the site.

Former ‘EastEnder’ Joins with Littlewoods Poker in Endorsement Deal

Michael Greco has revealed an exclusive deal with UK online giant, Littlewoods Poker which will see the former soap star trading in acting for card playing. The site is hoping to get fans on board with gameplay designed toward interaction and bonuses associated with the celebrity’s presence at their virtual tables.

Greco may be better known by some as Beppe di Marco, a central cast member of the BBC1 serial, “EastEnders” but the actor is now hoping to make a transition into the world of poker through his Littlewoods endorsement. Six years after leaving the show Greco is attempting to escape from some of the celebrity limelight by lessening his time acting and more fully pursuing his passion for cards. He should have ample opportunity to prove himself as players flock to test out his skills and Littlewoods puts their new member into live tournaments such as the European Poker Tour during this season.

Players will be able to play against
Greco in a variety of events including the monthly Littlewoods bounty tournaments where the actor holds a £250 prize which can be gained by knocking him out of the game. No matter the opinion users may have on celebrity poker players Littlewoods at least promises a bit of variety and excitement with their latest acquisition.

Absolute Poker Gives Players the World Series of Absolute Poker

Not to be outdone by the excitement and thrills associated with the upcoming Las Vegas based 2008 World Series of Poker industry leaders Absolute Poker has announced that their site will be hosting a digital rendition of the enormous tournament.

The
World Series of Absolute Poker has just launched and will seek to give users the chance to play along with their favourite professionals as the site matches tournament events with their own take on the games. Nightly tournaments will award great prizes and present online iterations of the same styles being played in Vegas by the pros. Absolute has gone to considerable measures in order to make the most of their concept and fans of the WSOPs will definitely enjoy the simulation offered through the website.

The grand prize for the
2008 WSAPs will be entry into the Aruba Poker Classic this year with Absolute providing access to the fall tournament for some of the biggest winners. Aside from this there are also auxiliary cash awards and chances to receive four-week passes to Absolute’s own $150,000 Guaranteed Weekly tournament. It’s a great idea that is sure to drum up a lot of interest for poker fans who want to mirror the events of the biggest season in poker.

UltimateBet Signs New Pros to Ward off Cheating Scandal

Recent allegations of shady business practices have meant a widespread decline in traffic for UltimateBet.Com and related Tokwiro internet casinos. In a widely publicized move the company has announced the signing of two new additions to their professional team which could be interpreted as an effort to create some level of distraction or legitimization.

Last month saw the
Tokwiro network subject to torrents of bad press due to a problem wherein certain players were able to view their opponent’s cards. The company blamed previous employment but the service’s reputation was badly damaged especially in light of similar allegations aimed at AbsolutePoker.Com from earlier in the year, a client also maintained by the corporation. These software errors were defended and subsequently said to have been fixed although in many ways the damage to PR is continuing to have irreversible effects on public trust.

Now
UltimateBet.Com has signed Cliff Josephy and Eric Lynch to their casino offering in an attempt to finally warrant positive media coverage. The new additions have had to repeatedly defend their contracts in light of the prevailing, malignant attitude toward their new benefactors. Only time will tell how this acquisition ultimately works on popular perception of the corporation but it is one step that has at least been able to provide the industry with news diverted from scandal gossip.

Absolute Poker Awards World’s Largest Bad Beat Payout

Many of the best established online poker sites have begun to offer ‘bad beat’ jackpots which seek to take a bit of the sting out of a big loss with a kick-back of reward money. Absolute Poker has long maintained their version of the award with last week seeing a record-breaking amount paid out to a player on the site.

The user, who goes by the screen name of
RiverMan1969, had his fortunes quickly reversed as his crushing defeat soon earned him a payout far larger than what the tables would have given. The gambler lost a bet with four tens by another player who had an unbelievable quad Queens. Apparently the beat was a good enough story to earn RiverMan1969 roughly $325,200, a payout which dwarfs almost every other single player bad beat jackpot yet.

Although the
$325,200 is noteworthy enough in its own right this amount was only a fraction of the $996,115 total prize shared among the other contestants playing at Absolute’s Bad Beat Jackpot rooms. With a payback worth almost one million dollars USD Absolute Poker has definitely set a mark so far unprecedented within the industry. Now that the majority of the premier internet poker businesses offer competitive bad beat jackpots betters should check out this play style for themselves and try to turn around what being a ‘loser’ really means.   

UltimateBet Offers Expanded Poker School

Industry leader, UltimateBet has announced the expansion and further promotion of their online poker school, a feature of the site which has long held a draw for many players looking for expert advice. With a well developed tutorial section and the guidance of some of the best card sharks in the field it is certainly a good move for the company to promote this section.

The
poker school gives competitors an extra edge at many different levels of play by providing tips for novice to more experienced fans of the game. Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke (two of the leading poker professionals in the industry) belong to the UltimateBet team and are now being touted as extremely qualified tutors. By emphasizing free games and low-stakes play the site should be able to continue implementing educational gaming as a major aspect which dwarfs the competitions similar efforts.

Although many online poker sites have adopted in-depth tutorials and guides to the game,
UltimateBet’s offering is quickly becoming one of the best to be found anywhere. With more funding being put toward its further development and advertising as a key aspect of the site’s experience expect the service’s fan base to expand even further in the future.

Titan Poker to Be Represented in Manila

As the Asian Poker Tour kicked off on Monday May 26th, Titan Poker, one of the leading companies within the business, sent eight of their best players to represent the brand in the tournaments. The Tour will be decided from then until June 2nd and Titan hopes to make a big impression on the community at large by demonstrating just how talented their stable is.

Titan chose their delegates through a series of satellite games which meted out the hopefuls from the winners. The players were awarded a prize package valued at about $6,000 which includes their $2500 APT buy-in, room and board at Manila’s Dusit Hotel along with flight expenses and spending money. The contestants will be up against over four hundred other talented card sharks that are all playing hard to win the 2008 APT million dollar prize pool. For many of the Titan champions this will be one of the first real opportunities to show their skills (and personalities) off to an eager audience so expect many new, interesting names in poker to come up over the next week.

The
Asian Poker Tour will continue on past Manila into cities within Singapore, South Korea and Macau where fans of the game are being won over in droves. Only time will tell how the Titan Poker winners fare but watching their progress through the events will surely only constitute on part of the excitement to come throughout the APT this year.

CircusCasino Create Rendering of the ‘Perfect Poker Face

The poker face is a well-known concept and one that has been attributed to player success for as long as the game has been played. Now, CircusCasino have released a rendering of what could possibly demonstrate the perfect face to bring to the game.

Perfect Poker Face
By using ten samples (drawn from a number of the highest ranking poker professionals to date), CircusCasino have been able to conceive of a potentially fortune-creating face and expression. The ‘perfect poker face’ hosts some distinctive elements such as a jutting chin, outward-facing ears, widely set eyes and a ‘Roman’ nose while the expression remains flat and, of course, impossible to read. Peter Nolan, MD, part of CircusCasino’s staff noted that many of these same traits are found in successful actors and businesspeople that combine seriousness and theatricality in much the same manner as poker professionals.

Author and expert on the relation between faces and psychology,
Naomi Tickle validated the idea of a calculated poker face and backed up the notion that there are common physical traits in the faces of the ten examined professionals used for the study. Tickle’s “You Can Read a Face like a Book” substantiated many of the same points and only furthers the evidence that some individuals may be born for the game. Even if you don’t have the scientifically proven, ‘Perfect Poker Face’ however don’t fret; when you play online no-one can see it anyway.

Bodog Send Lucky Pai-Gow Poker Players to Vegas

As a part of Bodog Casino’s promotion of the Pai-Gow poker style those logging on to play the relatively popular game were automatically entered into a draw toward a trip for two to any hotel in the gambling capital of America in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Georgia resident, Vince O. ultimately won the prize and brought a lucky friend, Matt along to the
Wynn Las Vegas for two nights of high-living. Bodog set the two up in style which allowed for swanky accommodations as they enjoyed the town. Vince, a Bodog Casino, Poker and sportsbook player was quick to seek out a baseball game which he had previously placed odds on as his first bet of the trip. Vince spoke to Bodog reporters with warm appreciation for the excellent prize package he randomly won. The Pai-Gow player is a devoted fan of the brand’s gaming network and told the press that he had also previously won a trip to a Palms area Bodog poker party where he met professionals, Daniel Negreanu and Mike Ditka.

As many
online casinos have begun to introduce wide varieties of ‘alternative’ poker styles Bodog’s decision to offer a prize package for Pai-Gow players was designed in order to attract greater attention to the game. With the inclusion of great playing incentives this is already proving to be a great movie for users and the company itself.