Poker fans can look forward to the last week of August when the 2010 Asian Poker Tour (APT) returns to Manila, Phillipines for an upcoming leg of the series. The event will see competitors duking it out throughout seven days from within the Resorts World Manila building for the title of 2010 APT champion and, of course, a generous cash prize furnished by sponsors such as PartyPoker and PKR.

The Manila stop of this year’s APT will include a Main Event buy-in set at approximately $2,700 as well as eight side events that include a pot-limit Omaha event, a high roller tournament and the Greed competition, an APT original. For those that aren’t content just to watch the exciting competition play out remotely, leading online poker sites (such as PartyPoker, PKR and the iPoker Network) are set to offer qualifiers and satellite games that give members the chance to travel to the event and try their hand against the pros.

The previous APT Main Event was won by the Phillipines’ own Neil Arce, awarding the player $185,000 and marking him as the first Filipino to win an international poker tournament in his native country.  Arce has already confirmed that he will be defending his title when the 2010 Asian Poker Tour Manila leg begins on 23rd August and runs until 30th August.  

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Tags: Asian Poker Tour

It’s fairly common to see online gambling companies merging and partnering with other corporations but it’s quite rare that such an event actually leads to rewards for members of the sites in question. BetFair Poker, one of the industry’s most successful online poker websites, is breaking the mold however by joining Ongame Network Limited and sharing an increase in liquidity with site members.

Ongame Network Limited (a subsidiary of Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG) is the owner of the P5 Poker Engine and will be adding BetFair to its global network by the end of this month. This deal will see a number of changes to the poker site such as an increase in revenue, a greater number of available players and rooms at any time and the implementation of the P5 Poker Engine. Perhaps most exciting, BetFair will celebrate the move by offering up $500,000 in new promotions. These will kick off on 27th July and carry on through until 20th August.  

Registered members of BetFair Poker can expect to see big changes toward the end of July and ongoing promotions and site improvements into the future. The most exciting events to watch out for include twice daily $500 freerolls (with no entry requirements), a $60,000 rake race (that promises cash rewards to the top 100 competitors) and leaderboard competitions with $30,000 in cash available to winners.

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Poker fans were amazed by 22 year old Peter Eastgate’s performance at the 2008 World Series of Poker when he took not only the title of Main Event champion but also became the youngest player to do so. Now, less than two years after setting the record, Eastgate is shocking industry spectators again by announcing that he’s retiring from professional poker.

Eastgate hails from Denmark and became an instant star after defeating Russia’s Ivan Demidov at the 2008 WSOP and cashing over nine million dollars. His win broke the previous record for youngest WSOP champion held by Phil Hellmuth (who triumphed in 1989 when he was only 24 years old) and also gave Eastgate access to the lucrative sponsorship opportunities that led to his signing with Team PokerStars Pro. Despite a career that continued to demonstrate a profound level of talent, Eastgate recently announced that he has lost his motivation for playing professional poker. Stating that his goal was always just to become financially independent, Eastgate now feels that the poker world has little left for him.

Neither PokerStars nor Eastgate have spoken to press as to the young player’s future plans but, for better or worse, they won’t include the world of professional poker. Peter Eastgate has only commented that he wants to “. . . try to focus on Peter Eastgate the person” rather than on his career in cards.

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Tags: PokerStars

One of the poker world’s favourite annual events, theFull Tilt Poker’s Online Poker Series (FTOPS), has been confirmed for 2010 by organizer and sponsor Full Tilt Poker. FTOPS XVII will return this August with a massive guaranteed prize pool, a packed event schedule and plenty of action for competitors and spectators alike to enjoy.
Since August 2006 the Full Tilt Poker’s Online Poker Series has given poker professionals and fans an annual series worth anticipating. This year’s FTOPS XVII continues the trend by offering up a guaranteed $19 million in prizes over a total of 34 events. Leading up to the climatic ($640 buy-in, $3 million minimum guaranteed prize pool) Main Event itself, FTOPS XVII will feature tournaments that include Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo games, No-Limit Hold ‘Em Six Maximum Turbo and HORSE events and a two-day series that will run alongside the Main Event knockout competitions.
Amateur players looking for a chance to enter the series can begin competing in satellite tournaments at Full Tilt Poker’s now. Lucky members will be able to secure a seat while others can still vie for cash prizes and more. The website will also be hosting special freerolls and other tournaments that conincide with August’s FTOPS celebrations. FTOPS XVII kicks off on 4th August, 2010 with a $216 buy-in, $750,000 No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournament.
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Team PokerStars Pro has added two new members to its prestigious line-up of players. David Williams and Vanessa Selbst mark the two most recent professionals to sign on with PokerStars , both players bringing years of experience and talent to the team.  

Selbst, a Brooklyn, New York native and current Yale Law School student, is only 25 years old and comes to the PokerStars line-up with an impressive resume. Her credentials include roughly $1.5 million in live tournament wins, a World Series of Poker bracelet and impressive showings at various other international events.

Williams, 30 years old and a Texas native, entered the poker world in earnest in 2004 when he made a splash at that year’s World Series of Poker by fighting his way all the way through PokerStars online satellites and to the main event where he nearly won against Greg Raymer. Williams has raked millions of dollars, a bracelet at the 2006 WSOP and titles from high profile events including the World Championship of Online Poker and the 2010 World Poker Tour’s $25,000 Championship.

The roster of professionals at Team PokerStars Pro is sure to benefit from the addition of Williams and Selbst’s combined skill. The website has revealed that David Williams will play under the handle “Dwilliams” and that Vanessa Selbst will use “V.Selbst” for her online sessions.

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Amateur poker players looking to break into a professional event will be happy to learn that PokerStars has just revealed its newest satellite series— and a great prize package for its winners. By providing entry to the upcoming EPT Tallinn premier, PokerStars are giving many hopefuls the chance to compete in one of the largest (and most lucrative) poker events to hit the Baltic region.

The satellite qualifying tournaments for EPT Tallinn have already kicked off with PokerStars recently accepting new entries (at as little as €5.45/250 Frequent Player Points) and outlining prize packages. Just under 50 players have already won their way to EPT Tallinn through PokerStars ’ satellites and the recent PokerStars Baltic Adventure but there are still spots for determined players. Those that are able to triumph in the EPT Tallinn satellite will win a €6,000 value prize package that includes Main Event buy-in, a full week of accommodations and a further €770 in spending cash.

Those that win the satellite will still have to face some tough opponents if they want to make a mark in Estonia however. Team PokerStars Pro members and notable professionals (including Katja Thater, Carter Phillips, Max Lykov, Kevin MacPhee and more) have already signed up to take part in the event.

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Everest Poker is giving back to their fans and celebrating this summer’s Everest Spanish Poker Tour at the same time with a series of fantastic freerolls. Serious competitors can hope for the break they need to enter the world of professional poker play by taking part in the many freerolls and satellite games that act as qualifiers at the renowned poker site.

The Everest Spanish Poker Tour’s Castellón leg is kicking off in just a few short months and, to celebrate, Everest Poker has been offering its site members a chance to get in on the action. Sunday, 20 June saw the poker platform giving players the opportunity to qualify for a private tournament, the $2,100 Everest Spanish Poker Tour Freeroll. The Freeroll’s winner will receive a €1,100 buy-in and $1,000 USD for travel and hotel expenses during the 20-22 August, 2010 SPT Castellón stop. It’s not too late to get onto Everest Poker and begin honing your skills in time for the SPT’s other upcoming dates. Already started, Everest is offering another $2,100 Freeroll (scheduled for 19 September, 2010) that also gives its winner a great prize package and a spot at an upcoming SPT date.

The Everest Spanish Poker Tour began on 9 April, 2010 and will continue throughout the summer and fall (with events in August, October and early November) before culminating in a Grand Finale on 23-27 November at the Gran Casino in Costa Brava.

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Tags: Everest Poker

The PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) has already made waves throughout the continent with its massive prize pools and fierce competition. Now the next event in the series has been announced, bringing the tournament to California and giving PokerStars site members another chance to gain entry.

PokerStars has started to reveal details of the next stop scheduled in its NAPT series, outlining information for this fall’s Los Angeles tour leg. The industry giant has announced that Southern California’s The Bicycle Casino will act as the venue for the fourth event in the NAPT. From 12 November through to 17 November, 2010, poker players will flock to the city to compete in either the $5,000 Buy-In Main Event or a wide variety of side events that have been designed to accommodate any size of bankroll. Team PokerStars Pro, Daniel Negreanu told press of his excitement to compete against California’s local players and the thrill that comes with being part of an event that draws in undiscovered talent from the LA poker community.

As always, PokerStars will be giving its fans the chance to get in on the NAPT excitement through a series of qualifiers and other site-hosted events. The PokerStars North American Poker Tour has previously enjoyed successful events this year as tournaments took place during January (at the Atlantis in Bahamas), February (at Las Vegas’ The Venetian) and, most recently, in April (at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut).

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The prestigious Team PokerStars Pro has just gained its newest member with the signing of Finnish player, Ville Wahlbeck. PokerStars, one of the most popular online poker websites in the gaming industry, officially announced the addition of Wahlbeck to the team recently and will be promoting him at the upcoming PokerStars.com Baltic Festival.

Wahlbeck is thirty-four years old and has become the first Finnish poker player to join PokerStars’ famous team of professional competitors. Hailing from Helsinki, Wahlbeck has made a name for himself through six outstanding years of professional level play. He finally caught the notice of PokerStars when he took down 193 competitors to win a World Series of Poker bracelet, becoming Finland’s first player to do so, and earning a $492,384 cash prize. His performance at the WSOP also saw Wahlbeck cashing six times, receiving over a million dollars, and becoming the runner-up for the title of WSOP Player of the Year.

Team PokerStars Pro is composed of some of the biggest names in the poker world and Wahlbeck now stands alongside celebrities such as Joe Cada, Daniel Negreanu and Vanessa Rousso. Ville Wahlbeck’s first appearance under PokerStars’ sponsorship will be at upcoming the PokerStars.com Baltic Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. In the 2009 edition of the same event, Wahlbeck won $52,000 at the high roller event.

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Tags: PokerStars

William Hill Poker is giving online poker players a great reason to spend a little time away from their TV sets and a little more on their computers throughout this month’s Fifa World Cup. With a fantastic $1,000,000 prize up for grabs and other promotions running alongside this opportunity, William Hill is looking like the best choice for World Cup related poker playing this June and July.

Members of the William Hill Poker site are able to compete in two of the site’s biggest promotions to date through either The $1,000,000 Challenge or an updated version of the World Cup Super Series. The $1,000,000 Challenge gives William Hill members the chance to bet on the outcome of World Cup matches, earning points through poker games and receiving cash or prizes for every accurate football game prediction. Correctly choosing 25 games awards lucky (and skilled) competitors a million dollars. The World Cup Super Series will feature added prizes that are awarded daily to players of the World Cup poker tournaments hosted on the site.

William Hill Poker’s latest promotion promises plenty of exciting competition and incentive for ambitious players with dreams of taking home the million dollar prize. The $1,000,000 Challenge is currently open and accepting players so register or log on today to get started on making your million.

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Tags: World Cup Betting

Annette Obrestad, one of Full Tilt Poker’s most recognizable names, recently commented on the poker world in a manner that is sure to bait controversy. Speaking out on female poker players and internet poker in general, Obrestad has put herself into the spotlight by criticizing aspects of the game through an ESPN interview.

Obrestad, only 21 years old, hails from Norway and has made a name for herself by becoming one of the youngest female players to reach such a massive level of success in the poker world.

Currently standing as the career leader in live winnings throughout Norway, Obrestad is perhaps most famous for winning a tournament without looking at her hole cards at just 18 years old but, due to her ESPN comments, the Norwegian pro may become better known for her outspoken remarks.

Obrestad covered a few topics in the poker world, criticizing live poker players (including Doyle Brunson) and stating that “… girls suck at poker” because they “…just aren’t as competitive and don’t try to learn from their mistakes.”

No public response has yet been given from either Doyle Brunson or any of the many female poker professionals that are sure to take umbrage with Obrestad’s opinion. Annette Obrestad, an enormously talented player, has still yet to clarify her remarks.

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As the fifth anniversary celebrations going on at Full Tilt Poker began to wrap up members were given one last chance to help commemorate their favourite site with a massive game. The $1.5 Million Guarantee assisted in winding down the FIVE party by awarding an enormous prize to skilled players who were able to take on fierce competition in order to reach the top of the challenge.  

Some 3,315 player registered to take part in the $1.5M Guarantee game, providing a tough road for all of those hoping to make a name for themselves as the champion of the event. Ultimately it was one Full Tilt Poker member with the username PAhrPK that took home the glory after a vicious fight for the top spot leading up to the end of the game. Although the heads-up finale occurred between two gifted players it was a relatively brief affair, PAhrPK holding K10 against second place winner blarkin’s A9 and winning with two pair against a board that ran K-3-4-10-9.

The final results saw PAhrPK leave the tables with $296,775.38 in winnings, dwarfing the second place finalist blarkin’s (still considerable) amount of $180,667.50. Third place was relatively close behind with Charles “HellaStacks” Lee netting $117,682.50. Although the rest of the placing contestants couldn’t rise above the $100K mark at the tournament Full Tilt Poker definitely aided in providing a memorable and exciting conclusion to the blowout of the FIVE anniversary celebrations for every challenger entered in the $1.5 Million Guarantee.

Tags: Full Tilt Poker

PokerStars Super Tuesday is one of the biggest recurring tournaments in online poker and is consistently filled with talented and ambitious players. The second last week of July saw one of these determined contestants rise to the top of the pack, winning plenty of cash (and bragging rights) thanks to some excellent playing and a few spots of good fortune.

Justin Bonomo (who goes by the handle, “ZeeJustin&rdquo went up against a number of other PokerStars members in order to secure a stunning victory at the tables. Of the 389 entrants to the Super Tuesday event Bonomo managed to emerge triumphant, making his way to the final table as chip leader (with 344,256 to the second highest player’s 256,900 chips) and holding the position through until the end of the game. With a 3-1 chip lead, Bonomo went heads up against contender, Mumtum23 and clinched a win with a bit of luck and a decent helping of bravado. Bonomo held a K and 7 of hearts while Mumtum23 was facing a jack of spades and 4 and 9 of hearts with a K of clubs and 4 of diamonds.

Bonomo finished the game with a total of $75,855.00, a considerable lead over second place winner “Mumtum23” (with $57,377.50) and third place entrant, “Opperstoof69” (with $42,790.00). The cash winnings are sure to help finance the PokerStars member as he continues to advance in the game both in online and real-world tournaments.

Tags: PokerStars, Justin Bonomo

Never far behind the latest and greatest events in the gambling world, PartyPoker has now announced the availability of satellite games aimed at sending players to the 2009 PokerNews Cup Australia. Skilled players need to set up an account and enter the $380 or $535 buy-in games in time to take part in the exciting satellites.

PartyPoker is set to challenge competitors with a number of events aimed at getting the best members of the site on their way to global recognition (and maybe a tidy cash sum) via the upcoming PokerNews Cup in Melbourne, Australia.

One of two prize packages are available to winners in the satellite games — the $5,000 or $3,500 Package. The $5,000 Package provides the winner with entry to the Main Event, accommodation at the Crown Promenade Hotel and $1,500 in traveling money. The winner of the $3,500 Package will receive Main Event entry and accommodations at the Crown Promenade as well. Alongside these satellites, PartyPoker has also set up a $6,000 PokerNews Cup Australia Freeroll scheduled for 30th August.

The 2009 PokerNews Cup Australia is orchestrated by the well known gaming portal/news service, PokerNews and is set to take place from 27th September to 5th October 2009.  Events at the Cup (including a packed schedule of celebrity games, No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournaments and more) will be held at the famous Crown Casino Melbourne in Australia.

Tags: partypoker

PokerStars Holds on to Guinness World Record for another Year

After battling it out with another of the world’s most notable internet poker platforms, fan favourite, PokerStars managed to hold on to its Guinness World Record title for yet another year. The record in question was previously awarded to PokerStars for the site’s ability to hold the largest-ever online poker tournament in 2008, and now, they have been confirmed as the winner of the position for 2009 as well.

PokerStars had to hold off attempts at the record by another enormously popular online poker network, Full Tilt Poker in the weeks leading up to the award. Earlier in the year PokerStars held an $11 buy-in tournament that attracted a total of 35,000 players to the game.

While this was certainly a difficult milestone to top, Full Tilt Poker recently announced their plans to top the record as part of their fifth birthday celebrations. Full Tilt’s “The Record Breaker” hosted a 50,000 player cap and a $5 buy-in, all but ensuring the win until PokerStars retaliated with a 60,000 player cap, $1 buy-in event that managed to draw in the full number of players, securing the record for another year.

The site’s ability to provide such an enormous series of games is sure to help drum up publicity for poker fans and Guinness readers alike. Although Full Tilt Poker failed to wrest the title from PokerStars this year it would still not come as much of a surprise if yet another attempt was made at the record in the time leading up to the Guinness World Records for 2010.

Tags: poker, PokerStars

bet365 Add $25,000 Guaranteed Tournament Series

The folks at bet365 have just unveiled a surprise addition to their line-up of summer promotions with the rapidly approaching $250,000 Guaranteed Tournament Series. The set of events will host a great cash prize for competitors and are set to run from last Monday (July 6th) straight through until the end of the summer.

bet365 members will be able to grab a seat at the tournaments through an extremely low buy-in of only $1.10 USD and then compete for bragging rights (and a large cash prize). The Monday night tournaments are sure to rack up a lot of interest as bet365 throw in their hat against the already crowded line-up of poker events being carried out across the online industry during the summer season. A low buy-in coupled with a great cash guarantee should help to set bet365’s entry apart from the pack however, the extremely minimal risk joining with a massive reward to bring out all levels of players. The $250,000 Guaranteed Tournament series will be set up with $1 re-buy opportunities as well, meaning that those poker fans with deep pockets will have a great chance at fighting their way to the top of the heap.

Although the first tournament has already passed there are still a few more chances for bet365 Poker players to get in on the action. The following dates of the $250,000 Guaranteed Tournament series are set to play out on Monday, July 20th, August 3rd, August 17th and August 31st at 7.35pm GMT.

Tags: Bet365, poker

BetFred Poker Launch Summer Tournament Series

If poker fans can tear themselves away from the conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker then they’re likely to find a number of excellent promotions occurring at their favourite sites, like BetFred’s newest, the Summer Tournament Series.

The BetFred Poker Summer Tournament Series is a massive series already underway at the site and slated to run daily until the end of the season. With buy-ins set as low as 1 cent and a prize pool guaranteed to run at least $43,000 USD in total the tables at BetFred are sure to be buzzing for the next two months. The company will be adding up to $1,500 with every continuing week of the series. Qualifying games run each and every day — the players that earn their way to the top will then be able to compete in a weekly tournament. These tournaments take place every Friday night at 8pm EST, hosting a re-buy format and starting players with 1,500 chips and a minimum 10-chip blind.

All online poker players need to get in on the Summer Tournament Series is an account with BetFred Poker and to follow a few simple steps. New registrants must hold a deposited amount sufficient to cover a buy-in to one of the many BetFred tables then compete in a poker game and accumulate a relatively easy 1,000 points (earned from real-money game actions such as betting, winning hands and so forth).

Tags: BetFred, BetFred Poker

Full Tilt Poker Become Poker Million Sponsors

An unexpected turn of events has seen one of online poker’s most high profile events, the Poker Million, switch sponsorship and fall under the wing of internet gaming network, Full Tilt Poker. The company will now be in charge of promoting and backing the prestigious television tournament when it kicks off this summer.

The Poker Million was formerly sponsored by UK gaming giants, Ladbrokes but is now moving forward into 2009 with a brand new face. Matchroom Sport’s TV poker tournament entered into partnership with Full Tilt Poker as part of a multi-year contract that should ensure some stability with the event for the foreseeable future. As proof of a well-functioning relationship, the two companies have already released details regarding the launch of the 2009 Poker Million, a tournament slated to take place on July 15th at London’s Sky Sports Studios.  

British poker players are apparently delighted to host American professionals in England this summer. Most notably, Roland de Wolfe has compared the Full Tilt/Poker Million union to his “. . . best mate marrying his sister . . .” and gone on record to make boasts about “knocking out” his professional pals from across the pond (specifically, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson and edog) before showing them around his hometown.

Tags: Full Tilt Poker, poker

Party Poker Advertisement Banned

Yet another online gambling advertisement has been removed from broadcasting schedules as the ASA targeted Party Poker’s newest campaign spot. After an evaluation by the regulatory ASA committee the magazine ad was declared as misleading and was thus decided as worthy of banning from future use.

The massively popular UK poker site recently launched an advertisement campaign in promotion of its $2 million prize pool game. After the filing of a single public complaint, ASA investigators examined the ad’s questionable content, a phrase reading “Players win more at Party Poker” and a small piece of text stating the reference of “Poker Players Research Ltd. Opinion Poll, May 08, Sample size 10,000”. The ASA released a statement regarding their final verdict that explained the rationale behind the removal of Party Poker’s spot, citing the possibility that many readers would misinterpret the advertisement as concrete proof that Party Poker has the largest number of winners amongst competing sites while this ‘fact‘ is unsubstantiated.

The ASA is notoriously critical of even remotely questionable advertisement campaigns from the online gambling industry, hoping to combat addiction through rigorous screening and censoring programs. While many of the removed ads’ offensiveness may be fairly debatable the motive behind the work is often in the interest of gamers themselves, a fact made clear by the censure of Party Poker’s aforementioned ad.

Tags: partypoker, poker

Mansion Poker Expands Service to Russia

Premier internet poker service, Mansion Poker, has announced an expansion of their network intended to capture the interest of Russian players. The popular gaming site spoke to press regarding their release of additional platform programming that will offer a skin of every familiar feature and site bonus for Russian poker fans access.

The language options at Mansion Poker are already fairly robust but translation services have been geared primarily toward the European market until now. Mansion currently offers linguistic support for speakers of Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, French, German and English. While these options do cover a large portion of Europe, most areas further east in the continent have been left out of inclusion. Now the site will feature a Russian skin as well, allowing access to an enormous number of would-be registrants and players. Mansion Poker management hopes that Russia’s gambling enthusiasts will respond positively to their wealth of special rewards, tournaments and 100 percent sign-up bonus in the same manner as their other demographics, allowing the network to grow even more in the coming months.

Mansion Poker are one of the few European-centred poker sites aiming to take advantage of the Russian market, a population that has been mostly ignored despite the massive financial potential that can be gained by an intelligent approach to the business sector.

Tags: poker, Mansion Poker

Full Tilt Pros Make Waves at 2009 WSOP

Of all the high-profile poker teams in attendance at the event perhaps the most impact at this year’s World Series of Poker has been felt through the combined efforts of the Full Tilt Poker professionals. Known for attracting some of the best players in the game, Full Tilt Poker Pros have already managed to pick up six bracelets at just over the halfway point of the 2009 WSOP.

Russian member, Vitaly Lunkin came first in Event #2, marking Full Tilt’s team at the first open event of the series just as Phil Ivey went on to capture his sixth WSOP bracelet and further represent the Full Tilt Poker Pros at the prestigious poker event. Full Tilt also made waves with three days that saw three different team professionals winning bracelets across a trio of tournaments. Greg Mueller and Roland de Wolfe have also helped to contribute winnings to the Full Tilt scoreboard, capturing their first WSOP bracelets at the Triple Crown and $10K World Championship Limit Hold ‘Em respectively.

Full Tilt Poker Pros have definitely proven themselves as the sponsored team to keep an eye on for the remainder of the 2009 World Series of Poker. Considering that there are still roughly fifteen games to be decided in the annual poker event Full Tilt Poker professionals should still be able to make a bit more news by taking even more victories for their sponsors.   

Tags: poker, Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt’s FTOPS XIII comes to a Close

After several weeks of intense competition the 2009 edition of Full Tilt Poker’s FTOPS has come to a close, unveiling bright new stars in the poker world and marking a record for the site’s venerable tournament series. Immense traffic and enormous cash prizes combined to make for a spectacular finale, all of which lead to the promise of an even larger showing for next summer’s edition.

With over 5,300 entrants to the FTOPS XIII Main Event the tournament quickly became the largest season of the series to date. The $500+$35 buy-in Main Event ended up hosting a $2,653,000 prize pool, a massive jackpot that lead to fierce competition. “Poligraph” emerged triumphant over the event, earning $453,663 for his troubles.

Close behind was “Inoriisss” with a $315,707 finish and Kameron “Kamdini” McRay with a still impressive $225,505 in winnings. The staggering prize pools were also present in the previously mentioned NL Hold ‘Em games as top competitors took home sums as high as $102,465 (in the Knockout) and $453,687 (in the 6-Max).

Big winners were also declared in the other lead-up events as well, making rich players out of almost every competitor that managed to make their mark on the proceedings. With each year making the Full Tilt Poker FTOPS into a bigger and bigger part of the summer gaming season, fans should be excited to see the fourteenth edition play out when it is announced next year.

Tags: Full Tilt Poker, poker

Poker in the Park Returns for Third YearQuickly becoming an annual tradition for British poker enthusiasts, the Poker in the Park festival has been announced as scheduled for its third consecutive year. Set to take place this August, Poker in the Park III will bring back the same festivities and gaming events that have helped to make the event such a success in the past.

Poker in the Park will again be sponsored by Bluff Europe and a host of eleven leading pub leagues including Red Tooth Poker, Big Time Poker League, Masters Poker League, LondonPubPoker.co.uk and LondonPokerMeetUp.co.uk. These sponsors will band together to offer two days full of traditional poker play and an enormous turbo sit-and-go game. The massive SNG will allow up to 80 players at a time to compete every hour in events sponsored directly by each of the participating pub leagues. Spectators will be able to watch the action from Leicester Square where a giant television screen will broadcast the sit-and-go gameplay.

The events will play out over two days at and around London’s Leicester Square. The first day, Thursday August 13th will run from five o’clock in the afternoon until nine thirty at night before picking up again on Friday August 14th from noon until nine thirty. Thousands of poker fans are expected to be in attendance again late this summer and the return of pub league sponsors should ensure that Poker in the Park III is no less of a hit than its proven itself in its previous two years. 

This is a link to the official Poker in the Park Website

This is a link to the Bluff Website

Tags: poker in the park, poker

Titan Hosts $1K PokerNews Qualifier for the WSOP

Online gaming site, Titan Poker, has announced plans to partner up with PokerNews in a series of events aimed at sending players to the upcoming 2009 World Series of Poker. While even qualifying buy-in spots can be far too expensive for the average player to afford, proving your skill in Titan Poker weekly tournaments may be just the right way to show how worthy you are to compete in the WSOP, regardless of bankroll size.

The partnered sites are hosting a $1000 WSOP Qualifier Freeroll through a sponsorship with affiliate/news site, PokerNews that will reward a first place prize of free access to the Titan Poker $535 WSOP online qualifying rounds. The remaining $465 will be distributed in cash to all other players to make up the rest of the pot but it can be easily predicted that the most action will centre on competition for the WSOP entry spot. Winning the Titan online qualifying will be no easy feat for the tournament champions but, if they’re able to do so, they’ll be heading to Las Vegas with one of the site’s rather hefty $13K prize package.

Users that have registered at Titan Poker through PokerNews are eligible to take part in the freeroll (and a chance to play in this year’s World Series of Poker). The $1000 WSOP Qualifier Freeroll will be hosted at Titan Poker weekly on Tuesdays at 6.45pm GMT throughout the entirety of the month of June.

Tags: Titan Poker, poker, Wsop

Full Tilt Online Poker Series Wraps Up

After an exciting series of games the eleventh edition of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series has finished up for this year. The tournament came to a close with Sunday’s Main Event, a $500+35 No Limit Hold ’Em game that saw one skilled player walk away with a new title under his belt.

The big winner of the 2009 Full Tilt Online Poker Series is Adam “csimmsux” Geyer who managed to come out on top of the tournament’s tough opponents, triumphing and receiving the grand prize.

Geyer played against a body of 5,287 registered players, making it all the way to a climatic showdown against “KAISERfknSOZE”. The two entered the Main Event’s final hands with a substantial chip-lead over the third place competitor while their own amounts were more evenly matched.

Geyer finished the showdown with $456,056.62 while KAISERfknSOZE took home $276,245.75. Third place at the Main Event went to “PartyPimp” who received $177,643.20, a considerable sum that still falls a long way short of the showdown pool.

The game finished after nearly thirteen hours of continuous play, proving that Geyer is a player who is able to hold his own in exhausting games of attrition. While Full Tilt had set a guaranteed prize pool of $2,500,000 for the FTOPS, the massive number of registrants eclipsed the amount to a substantial $2,643,500 by the series’ kick-off. Adam “csimmsux” Geyer’s victory is his third overall win at a Full Tilt Online Poker Series event.

Tags: Full Tilt Poker, poker

Full Tilt Poker Ramps up Late Night Poker and Poker Million Qualifiers

It’s only been a short time since Full Tilt Poker officially signed on as the new sponsors of the Poker Million and Late Night Poker but the successful poker site has evidently been hard at work setting up tie-in games for its members.

Full Tilt Poker is hosting a number of great, upcoming events to give their users brand new competition incentives in an already packed season of high-profile brick-and-mortar tournaments. Among the imminent events are the June 15th Full Tilt Poker Late Night Poker satellite, a $300+$22 cash satellite on June 7th and the May 31st Full Tilt Poker Million satellite. Fans will also have a chance to compete in another Poker Million tournament with the $500+$35 satellite on August 2nd. Tough competition and the shot at plenty of UK exposure should mean plenty of excitement at the Full Tilt Poker rooms for this summer’s duration.

Not only will members of Full Tilt Poker reap the benefits of the site’s new sponsorship deals but viewers should be able to as well. The wider range of expected players (qualified via satellite) at both the Poker Million and Late Night Poker should yield some truly exciting competition and possibly even a few new bright stars making their name in the game throughout the months ahead.

Tags: Full Tilt Poker, poker, poker event

World Poker Tour Scheduled in Venice

The constantly expanding World Poker Tour is set to make its next stop in a beautiful (if rather unlikely) location — Venice, Italy. The newest instalment in the popular series will mark the first time that the nation has hosted a WPT event and will ultimately end with the premier crowning of the World Poker Tour Venice Champion.

World Poker Tour Venice is only a few short weeks away and is set to play out at the famous Casino di Venezia on the east banks of the Grand Canal. The main event will consist of a €4,000+400 buy-in although Venice will also be hosting a wide variety of cash games throughout the rest of the tournament series. The first World Poker Tour Venice Champion will receive a bracelet marking their accomplishment along with a seat in the 2010 World Poker Tour Championship, a prize worth $25,000. World Poker Tour founder and CEO Steve Lipscomb told press that the company is excited to branch out with pioneering events in Italy and the rest of Europe, Venice being only the first part of future plans.

World Poker Tour is assisted by bwin in their efforts to carry out their first ever Italian WPT stop. The latter company’s support should be beneficial to fans as well considering that bwin plans to broadcast World Poker Tour Venice through their website at the same time the action itself is occurring. World Poker Tour Venice is scheduled to take place from May 6th to the 10th.

Tags: poker, poker competition

PokerStars Launches the UK and Irish Poker League

PokerStars has provided some good news for British Isles poker fans with the announcement of the brand new UK and Irish Poker League. The league has been set up to provide incentive and reward for frequent play at the site, giving members the goal of reaching for the top of the heap and becoming part of a select group of winners.

The UK and Irish Poker League will be determined based on a leaderboard now active on the PokerStars client. Members of the popular PokerStars site will have their table time recorded for entry into the competition ladder, tracking accumulated points and exactly how they stack up against other British and Irish players. The more events that members enter, the higher their win and the larger their point earnings, the better they will fare on the leaderboard which rewards $300 to the top one hundred players on a monthly basis.

PokerStars players can choose to compete within all or any one of the three league divisions. Division One requires a $1 buy-in while Division Two allows free play (2,000 play money chips equal one buy-in). Division Three (or the FPP Division) allows the exchange of 25 Frequent Player Points for one buy-in. There are new opportunities for substantial rewards every month, a system that should help encourage stiff competition and busy tables at the PokerStars network.

Tags: poker, poker competition, poker event, PokerStars

Titan Poker Player Wins Massive Prize

Members of Titan Poker were duly impressed early last month when the finale of the site’s $2,500,000 Guaranteed poker tournament saw one skilled player leave the virtual tables with a massive prize. The user in question was able to take home $525,000 of the $2.5M sum after triumphing against a large body of competitors in the well-populated event.

The Titan Poker member, “Ragen”, competed in the $2,500,000 Guaranteed tournament for over thirteen hours, eventually coming out atop all 1,370 opponents to take home first place and the aforementioned payout. Ragen battled his way to the final showdown where he was able to take out rival player “gwka” and secure his prize.

Ragen entered the last hand with an ace and ten of hearts while gwka held a pair of jacks, going all-in on this pocket. The flop showed a four and pair of Kings but the turn brought an ace of clubs, sealing Ragen’s win and knocking gwka out of the tournament with a (still impressive) $275,000 in cash.

The $2.5 million tournament hosted buy-ins from as low as $2.75+$0.20 which lead to a great number of entries into the enormous series. Combined with satellite qualifications and straightforward buy-ins, Titan Poker hit on a winning set of terms and guidelines with their $2,500,000 Guaranteed tournament event.

Tags: Titan Poker, poker, poker event, poker Wins

Betfred Unveils Details for the 2009 Ladies Poker Tour

After the past success that Betfred Poker has enjoyed with the series the company has planned for a 2009 edition of the ever popular Ladies Poker Tour. The site has now released preliminary details for the upcoming events, giving female poker professionals a real reason to start getting excited for April.

The first stop of the series will take place in Leeds, England at the Alea Casino on April 18th. Events will then continue to play out across the UK (with one stop in Calahonda, Spain) throughout the summer until the final tournament stage is carried out on November 7th at the Western Club in London. The Alea Casino event will host a £110 buy-in alongside an additional £1,500 added to the prize pool by sponsor, Betfred. Each following leg of the 2009 Ladies Poker Tour will award the winning player with a spot in the grand finale of the series on November 21st. The top contestant in this finale will receive an impressive £20,000 sponsorship package from the Tour’s backing company.

Jon Wilde, spokesman for the 2009 Ladies Poker Tour spoke to press about Betfred’s excitement for the series which has been growing in popularity with every year of its existence. Wilde also mentioned his interest in watching the efforts of Lynne Beaumont, two-time winner of the Tour and player for Team Betfred Poker.

Tags: BetFred, ladies poker tour

The upcoming 2009 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour is already creating a lot of buzz and the world of professional poker has been quick to respond to the event by selling out the £2500 GUKPT Heads-Up Tournament. Now the full list of entrants has been confirmed and is sparking arm-chair speculation and mounting excitement leading up to the games.

The Heads-Up Tournament has proven to be one of the most popular events at the annual GUKPT and this year should prove no different. Poker professionals have flocked to the £2500 tournament, creating a veritable who’s-who of noted UK players. Among the list are immediately recognizable names such as Barny Boatman, Neil Channing, Surinder Sunar, Jeff Duvall and John Kabbaj. Boatman and Channing have both been identified as favourites for the win but the other fourteen competitors are all respected players in their own right and should help to make the tournament an exciting one for all involved.

The first round draw takes place on Thursday, March 19th at 2.45pm and kicks off the initial big event of the 2009 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour. Play commences at 3pm and will be decided as the hands and hours go by into the evening. The £2500 Heads-Up Tournament should be a great start to the venerable series and provide a lot of thrills before the rest of the 2009 GUKPT starts to play out.

Tags: poker, gUKPT, Grosvenor UK Poker Tour

Everest Poker has been sparking fan excitement with the announcement of their Everest Poker European Cup events. Even though the series doesn’t start off in earnest until a few more weeks from now, the Everest Poker network is garnering plenty of interest with a preliminary entry series for members of the site.

The EPEC Freeroll is coming up soon and is meant to act as an exciting kick-start for the upcoming, brick and mortar events themselves. The Freeroll winner will be rewarded with a trip to Sardinia on the Mediterranean for three nights of all-expense paid accommodations. Aside from a luxurious vacation itself the top placing Freeroll player will also receive paid entry to the €500 buy-in tournament. Lastly, the lucky competitor will be given €300 spending cash to help them enjoy their time at the games.

Interested players should log on today to take part in the wider range of events encompassed in the Everest Poker European Cup. The EPEC Freeroll takes place this Sunday, March 22nd at 2.30pm GMT and is available for all Everest members that have made the minimum deposit and collected at least 10 Everest Poker Summit Points from playing rake games. The 2009 European Cup itself takes place at the Chia Laguna Resort from May 8th to 10th and will host some two hundred players competing in the main event.

Tags: Everest Poker, Freerols, EPEC

After the success enjoyed by PokerStars with its UK and Irish Poker League leaderboards the site has continued to branch out with the announcement of an upcoming tournament series. The UK Poker Open is set to kick off soon in order to provide a little more excitement for the spring before tournament season starts off in earnest this summer.

The Open is a No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament that gives players from all across the United Kingdom and Ireland the opportunity to win out against stiff competition and take home the guaranteed $50,000 prize pool. The tournament begins on Sunday, March 24th at 7.30pm GMT (3.30pm EST) with the chance to take home the considerable pot.

PokerStars has made the UK Poker Open available for essentially any poker player with the determination to enter and compete in the games regardless of the size of their bankroll. Even without much money to their name, would-be competitors can still prove their worthiness by testing their skills against others in qualifying satellites leading up to the event.

Interested players can buy-in or register to the UK Poker Open through a few different methods. The most up-front manner of gaining Open entrance is via the $111 direct buy-in but poker fans can also get into the tournament by qualifying through the daily cash ($2.20 required) or Frequent Player Point (10 FPP required) satellites.

Tags: PokerStars, poker event

Online gaming giant, Titan Poker, has announced the addition of $1.5 million in extra funds to their monthly promotions in order to provide some more incentive for players interested in their February Rake Race. The business plans to reward the highest placing players with some seriously impressive bonuses, adding even more to the already enticing rake rewards.

The iPoker network, home to their largest skin, Titan Poker, has been hosting an enormous rake promotion for the duration of the month and now the events are set to heat up even further. On top of the pre-existing $400,000 prize pool, Titan has increased the stakes with $1.5 million in bonus cash. The player who takes first place will receive $80,000 on top of the standard $20,000 prize with similarly fantastic bonuses in line for second and third place winners. Titan has extended rewards in certain brackets all the way down to the 800th best ranking rake contestant.

Poker fans of all levels are sure to flock to Titan to take part in the exciting events and serious players are bound to be drawn to the allure of the large amounts of prize money up for grabs. The decision to offer bonuses for the top 800 players should help to bring out the mid-stakes competitors and make for a lively promotion month for any poker fan.

Tags: Titan Poker, poker, poker Wins

The well known online gaming site, Sky Poker, has just launched a charity auction through their webpage in an effort to raise funds for the St. Michael’s Hospice. Sky users will have the chance to bid against one another in competition for any of the great rewards available through the event.



Sky Poker has been supplied with a set of fantastic prizes through various sponsors as part of an effort to raise money for the Harrogate located hospice. Some of the items up for bid include tickets for participation in the Soccer AM studio audience, England football shirts, Sky Poker tables and poker chip sets. Some of the more lavish prizes include a pair of premium tickets to the Nottingham Race Course and a Nine Course golf experience package. Any funds raised from the winning bids will go toward the UK hospice’s operation as part of the special event’s charitable focus.

The St. Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate can greatly benefit from the proceeds raised from the event, making it an ideal cause for Sky Poker to host and promote. Bidding has already started at Sky Poker so interested parties should log on today to see if the prize they’re after is still up for grabs.

Tags: Sky poker, poker competition, charity auction

After persistent rumours regarding the fate of the 2009 Gala Coral British Poker Tour, company officials have notarized fans and professionals of the tournament series’ cancellation. The two year history of the GCBPT will now grind to a halt as the series has been taken off the roster for future poker events.

GCBPT Tour Manager, Mark O’Donnell released a statement which sheds light on the decision to cancel the previously sold-out series. O’Donnell described the company’s plans to refocus their business toward different events and promotions, mainly for the online aspect of Gala’s offerings, rather than toward brick-and-mortar series. Although it is not explicitly stated in the release, many industry observers speculate that Gala Coral may be moving away from the typically expensive, tournament series of the past during difficult economic times. Gala has also made comment toward their business practice shift, describing how they now hope to provide exciting events for players of all skill and bankroll level, rather than aiming toward professionals only.

The popular series’ absence will leave a considerable gap in the usual set of poker offerings available for British gamblers during the year and is hoped to be filled by a different corporate sponsor. Interested parties are likely to arise, especially considering the lack of negative affect seen in high-stakes games, a fact supported by the GUKPT’s success during these difficult financial times.

This post is brought to you from the Findabet.co.uk Poker Blog. If you are reading this on a blog other than Findabet.co.uk then the content has been stolen - Poker Tips and Poker Providers

Tags: GCBPT, gUKPT

This week sees the launch of the first leg of PokerStars’ latest event offering, the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT). The series kicks off in Adelaide, Australia on February 4th and ushers in a new geographical location for established and hopeful professional players alike to compete for recognition.

The ANZPT has its first stop in Adelaide, Australia from February 4th to the 7th and is set to continue on throughout five further locations from now through to the planned conclusion in July of this summer. Adelaide events are hosting a AUD $3,000 buy-in Main Event alongside several other, smaller buy-in No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournaments and some Omaha games. The series will take place at the Adelaide Sky Casino and is meant to serve as a testing ground for the potential of an interested, Australian and New Zealand market for large-scale gaming series.

PokerStars has seen success with the relatively recent Asian Pacific Poker Tour, a series that saw entries into Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. The finish of the 2009 Aussie Millions should guarantee the presence of many noted poker professionals eager to try their hand at the fresh tournament offerings while still within the region. Familiar names already rumoured for attendance include Australian pros, Grant Levy, Eric Assadourian and Emad Tahtouh.

This post is brought to you from the Findabet.co.uk Gambling Blog. If you are reading this on a blog other than Findabet.co.uk then the content has been stolen from Findabet.co.uk

Tags: ANZPT, poker

UltimateBet has been forced to deal with yet another online poker controversy after a questionable hand was awarded to losing player, Phil Hellmuth. The internet gaming giant is now attempting to rectify the issue without garnering any further negative attention from the press.

Popular poker forum, 2+2, has been dealing with the controversy for some time now and subsequently forcing an examination into the matter. The scandal surrounds a showdown between Hellmuth and an UltimateBet member with the handle, Doubleballer. At the end of a tense game between the two competitors, Hellmuth mucked his hand, ending the game but still receiving the $5,599 pot.

Hand #1162170993 has become infamous in highlighting a glitch in the UltimateBet software, sparking complaint and concern from regular players at the site who are now afraid to enter into large games where their winnings may go unaccounted for. Management at UltimateBet have blamed a recent software upgrade to the Cereus operating system which could be responsible for the problem (and be a reason for worry at Absolute Poker, Cereus’ other main client).

It’s a bad time indeed for UltimateBet to be rocked by another scandal considering the controversy the site was forced to field in previous exposés by MSNBC and the topical American news program, “60 Minutes”. Corporate spokespeople have assured the public that Doubleballer will be funded his rightful winnings and that the technical glitch will be addressed as soon as possible.

Tags: poker, phil hellmuth, UltimateBet

Popular online gaming network, Titan Poker, has announced the addition of new professionals to their Team Titan Poker list. After a grueling international challenge, players from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Russia and Canada are set to receive attention and a promising career as the new faces of Titan.

Each of the players has persevered through enormous competition in order to reach their current status as representatives of Titan Poker. The Final Country Tournaments wrapped up in late December after months of battle between poker hopefuls from across the globe. Now each of the winners has received a six month sponsorship via Titan and the ability to play at hand-picked land tournaments across the world for the first half of the year. The players are entitled to their entire cash winnings as well, a part of the sponsorship which is sure to aid in forming a viable poker career after their team at Titan has finished.

The Titan site will soon be hosting space wherein the twelve new team members’ life in the spotlight will be detailed. These bios will track the team’s progress throughout their active games and allow visitors to read up on the player’s strategies and tips. For many of the fresh Team Titan members this will be their first opportunity to play live tournament games after years of online only practice.

Tags: poker, Titan Poker

PokerStars has made industry history with their recent offering of the largest ever online poker tournament to date. Last year’s colossal game saw the internet gaming service garner the unofficial title but now the site is able to boast their status after having verified the unbelievable figures achieved by there immensely popular games.

The main event saw PokerStars offering up a massive, $500,000 prize pool and a low, $11 buy-in which attracted an enormous number of players to the record-breaking tournament. From the 35,000 competitors, French player, Stan34powa emerged triumphant after ten hours of tough play with a $30K reward and a place guaranteed to forever cement his name in online poker history. PokerStars’ also broke previous attendance records through their Sunday Million (16,260 players) and Sunday Warm-Up (5,836 players) games alongside the additional titles of largest sit-and-go (10,000 players) and largest simultaneous cash games (at an incredible 240,540 players).

Team PokerStars Pro, Dan Negreanu told press that he was delighted to be affiliated with such a massive event. No word has been given yet as to whether PokerStars will attempt to beat their own records with an even larger Sunday night tournament series but it’s safe to say that the publicity from the notable $500K event will highlight the company’s place within the industry for some time to come.

Tags: poker

A recent traffic report from Google has finally called poker’s place as the top online gambling game into question. The statistics demonstrate a failing internet poker revenue stream while virtual bingo continues to increase in popularity despite a troubled economy which is affecting nearly every other business sector.

Online Poker remained the most successful online gaming choice (with massive profits and steady traffic) through until near the end of 2008’s first quarter and has only begun to fall from its once untouchable position in recent time. Internet bingo has always been a serious competitor within the gaming market but the past few months have seen the pastime almost entirely supplanting poker within the gambling world. Commentators suggest that the massive push from bingo advertisers (via popular television show spots, Google advertisement, radio and giant publicity events) may be responsible for raising mainstream awareness of the game and thus tapping into demographic markets who may have been slow to transfer their playtime to the computer.

The popularity of bingo, especially in the United Kingdom, seems in no danger of slowing down as associated gaming corporations are rewarded with steady business profits but the future of smaller online poker services may be uncertain. With the percentage of remote gamers constantly on the rise in Britain and the closing of brick-and-mortar bingo halls forcing fans toward new methods of play, the increasing success of online bingo should continue for some time.

Tags: poker, bingo, casino, google

Twenty-four year old competitor, Paul ‘Pab’ Foltyn has been making waves in the poker world since his recent win at the 2008 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour. The Doncaster resident managed to emerge triumphant at what is perhaps Great Britain’s most illustrious poker event this year, promising to become a major name in the gaming world in the New Year’s coming tables.

Foltyn paid the event’s £3,000 buy-in and steadily whiled away at his competition until emerging as the victor at the Grand Final. The name recognition and respect garnered by the win is also accompanied by a hefty, £167,050 award which should ensure Foltyn’s ability to compete in upcoming events and strive to keep his newfound reputation afloat. Serious competition from both big-name and fairly obscure opponents saw Foltyn playing a somewhat cautious game peppered with strokes of good fortune in order to make it to a showdown with Jeff Duval where he beat out the final player.

Before taking the title of 2008 GUKPT Grand Final Champion Foltyn’s largest win to date was a sixth-place finish at the World Series of Poker a few years back. Compared to the payout of that six-max event the recognition (and £160k!) from this year’s Grosvenor UK Poker Tour should help to cement his place in poker history while providing a great launching point to a career in the game.

Tags: gUKPT, poker

The producers of the well known television program, “High Stakes Poker” have announced that filming of the show’s fifth season is set to begin this month. Fans of the television hit have already started churning the rumour mill of what exactly can be expected from the episodes with only a few exact details having surfaced as of now.

There is no concrete list of which poker professionals will be making an appearance for this season’s action but speculations have been made concerning the inclusion of such high-profile names as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu and Patrik Antonius. Also likely for a guest spot on the show is the rising internet star, Thomas Dwan who has been making waves with his performance at virtual cash tables. The minimum buy-in for play on the show has also been confirmed as having been increased to $200,000 (double from last year’s stake) but news still has yet to arrive as to whether the special $500,000 buy-in episodes from last season will return.

The new season is also expected to feature the addition of high stakes Omaha games to the events, a move which would undoubtedly raise the level of excitement for regular viewers in need of some fresh gaming content. “High Stakes Poker: Season Five” will shoot between December 19th and the 21st with an exact air time still unspecified as of the time of writing.

Tags: poker, High Stakes Poker

Titan Poker members received a great surprise today as the company announced the addition of many prize packages aimed at sending lucky fans to the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Finale scheduled for this November. The Main Event will play out at the end of the month, providing closure to what is perhaps the most popular poker series in the United Kingdom.

The Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London will play host to the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Main Event on November 27th. Players from across Great Britain have been watching the series with a close eye so far as the GUKPT swept through Luton, Bolton, Thanet and Blackpool and now they have a chance to actually get into the action through a series of games offered by Titan. The online poker client is hosting weekly Super Satellite games which provide opportunities to win prize money or trips to the Main Event itself in London. Valued at $8,000, the Titan prize packages cover the expense of travel, accommodations, tournament buy-in as well as some extra spending money.

Tough competition should be signing up already so players eager to make their mark at the end of November can expect serious opponents as they make an attempt for the prize. Titan players should keep an eye out for the satellite tournaments and their chance to win a trip to London to take part in the historic event.

Tags: poker

Full Tilt Poker has been making news with allegations of foul play in their decision to retract aspects of an eight-year old contract between themselves and poker pro, Clonie Gowen. A lawsuit was filed against Tiltware, LLC, Full Tilt’s parent company which named many of the popular site’s biggest stars in its description.

The dispute is over a series of conversations which took place between Full Tilt Poker executives and Clonie Gowen via telephone and a Las Vegas meeting in 2004. After supposedly firm agreements to have Gowen join Team Full Tilt Poker as the newest pro sponsor the site rescinded the offer and removed promotional material involving the player from their web pages just last week. Now that her image has been removed from the popular poker client the pro player is apparently upset with the decision. Gowen claims to have “signed” an oral contract with Full Tilt Poker but fully acknowledges that no written material was ever produced.

If the lawsuit is successful, Full Tilt Poker will be one of the many recent poker sites to make news for scandal surrounding their business. Although Pokerstars came out of a similar situation unscathed after Natalie Teltscher attempted to sue the company, Full Tilt Poker will have to be careful to handle their time in the media spotlight appropriately.

Tags: poker, Lawsuit

The innovative minds behind PKR have decided to take their work even further through the recent decision to partner with UK online dating network, Lovestruck. Stemming from their seemingly constant awareness of social poker playing, the two companies now hope to join their services through special, weekly events in order to cater to poker-loving singles.

PKR and Lovestruck will kick off the events with a brick-and-mortar meet up at the Hoxton Pony in Curtain Road, London on Thursday November 6th. This first event is intended to generate (and gauge the success of) interest in the idea of bringing the world of poker and dating together. Through the rest of November users who register through Lovestruck.com will be able to log onto special poker events at the partnered site. The “Lovestruck Evenings” will begin on November 17th at 8pm with a free tournament followed by a series of low buy-in events. Singles can continue to mingle with one another through subsequent offerings which will be available once a day, every week at PKR.

Considering the social aspect PKR has always encouraged in gamers the move to concentrate on dating services actually seems like quite a natural one. The built-in audiences of both Lovestruck and PKR should ensure at least some level of success for the venture with only time being the true judge of whether this amalgamation is something we can expect to continue throughout the industry.

Tags: poker, Dating

Both the poker and casino versions of Littlewoods are set for major improvements as the partnership between Sportech and 888.Com has been recently focused on this branch of their overall network. Players can expect an overhaul of existing services so that several improvements can be implemented toward better service and gaming.

Sportech has been working on massive redesigns of Littlewoods Poker and Casino after acquiring business with these sites through their partnership with 888.Com. Now fans of the Littlewoods brand are set to receive some pretty great rewards for their patronage. Along with new gaming options, further bonuses and rewards are being planned with the backing of 888 providing additional funding. Travel packages to various locales, more substantial sign-up/referral bonuses and an increase in tournament offerings are all expected to go online at Littlewoods as soon as work is complete. New VIP incentives have also been discussed in press releases which seek to reward faithful players with exclusive gaming and event opportunities.

This is great news for Littlewoods fans and is sure to attract new traffic to both the casino and poker iterations of their service. Sportech is renowned for their expertise in software development and fan following. Their involvement with 888.Com and Littlewoods is bound to create a lot of positive attention for both companies involved in the work.

Tags: poker, casino

Online gambling giant, William Hill has announced an imminent move to the similarly popular, iPoker Network. Through a surprising partnership with software giant, Playtech, William Hill is now set to venture forward into a period of increased concentration into the field of online poker.

The process of joining up with Playtech has resulted in the birth of William Hill Online, a brand new client for fans of the popular gaming company. William Hill has left Cryptologic behind (to currently suffering traffic ratings) and will now attempt to maneuver some of their users over to the new poker tables. While the company enjoys enormous success as a bookkeeping and sports betting agency, poker represents a fairly new field of the online gambling trade for them to try their hand at. iPoker expect a similar increase in business as their service becomes flooded with brand new users who may be willing to follow William Hill more enthusiastically by way of their improved poker networking.

Players who enjoy William Hill’s other offerings will surely enjoy the transition, especially as the poker site grows through affiliation with the iPoker Network. The company should be able to profit immensely from the joint venture between themselves, Playtech and the iPoker Network, competing with other premier poker sites as a level opponent.

Tags: poker, William Hill, ipoker, playtech, CryptoLogic

FreeRollPoker, an online poker site which is steadily gaining in popularity has announced the release of an email alert feature which hopes to attract attention while keeping users up to date. The service promises to keep the site’s members abreast of any freeroll tournament scheduled in the near future so that players won’t miss out on games they might enjoy.

David Carlyle, creator of FreeRollPoker believes that there is an inherent flaw in current methods of online poker room’s news delivery services and hopes that his site has the best possible solution. Carlyle spoke of common issues concerning those online poker players who snatch up freeroll registration and professionals who take seats from casual gamers so that they can make money without the risk of a buy-in. FreeRollPoker’s subscription service is set to change this through the partnerships it’s management has forged with leading companies such as Betfred Poker, William Hill and Paddy Power. Through specific agreements, FreeRollPoker members will be able to receive notification of upcoming freerolls far enough in advance that they have a much better chance of beating the crowd toward reserving a spot.

It is an interesting and innovative idea to be sure but only time will be able to fully determine if it’s relevant enough to truly catch on across the industry. The service has taken pains to ensure that no spam will be sent to subscribers and that a solid community of players will be able to make good use of their efforts. Those interested in the concept should head over to FreeRollPoker.co.uk themselves to check it out.

Tags: poker

One of the most popular online gambling businesses, 770 has announced the release of new versions of games from their poker and casino offerings. 770 are hoping to accelerate interest in their site while simultaneously providing some new entertainment and fresh experiences for existing users of their client.

Immediately obvious changes to 770 Poker and 770 Casino involve a more immediate, “click-and-play” style of interface designed to make getting into any kind of game quicker and more convenient. Access to community forums, tutorials, blogs, support staff or promotional information is now available from any point of the page which means that navigating away from a game for any other business is now easier than ever. Visual designs have also been revamped in order to breathe a bit of new life into the service and give faithful players a nice change of pace. With the release of new software, 770 Poker and Casino are set to receive a duly earned influx of traffic which should aid in giving the company even more prestige within the industry.

There is no word yet on whether the last remaining 770 offshoot, Arcades 770 will receive similar treatment as the poker and casino clients have but it seems likely that we’ll hear an announcement regarding this soon. The new software is online now and ready for users to take a spin on so check it out today and see what you think.

Tags: poker, casino

The well known “Poker Brat”, Phil Hellmuth has just taken his legendary ego to new heights with the announcement of a look-a-like contest. To mark the occasion of his attempt at a twelfth World Series of Poker bracelet the player is launching perhaps his grandest publicity stunt by rounding up twelve models and an impersonator to accompany him during upcoming games.

Hellmuth certainly deserves the level of recognition he receives having established himself as a major force in online and physical casinos across the world. Currently holding eleven gold bracelets and the record for most WSOP cashes (at sixty-nine overall) the Poker Brat is now setting his sights on grabbing up a twelfth championship to further cement himself as a presence in the poker world. The winner of Hellmuth’s outrageous contest will receive £2,000 and the chance to hang out with the man himself as he brags and plays throughout upcoming games.

Those who think they bear a striking resemblance to the Poker Brat should check out the contest and see if they’re interested in entering. For the rest of us, look forward to what is sure to be on many highlight reels when Phil Hellmuth makes his grand debut with twelve models and a personal look-a-like at his side.

Tags: poker, phil hellmuth

A recent survey of the poker world has determined the top professions and celebrities viewed as formidable opponents by industry professionals. The results are somewhat along the lines of what you would expect but the listings are still interesting enough to take a look at as they reveal the skills which poker players most value and fear at the tables.

Actors received 29 percent of the votes due to their ability to ‘become’ another person entirely with stockbrokers (27 percent) taking second place for their career-making skills in odds and mathematical speculation. Politicians (13 percent) and accountants (11 percent) came in third and fourth, the former being feared for their ability to naturally make use of convincing lies and the latter for their knowledge of figures and percentages. Lastly, comedians and public speakers held 6 percent of the overall votes because of their high level of comfort in banter and being scrutinized publicly.

The character traits found in the five occupations make a lot of sense and may give a bit of support to the waves of celebrity poker players often signed to premier gaming sites and teams. The poll also asked participants to name a few specific celebrities they would hate to meet at a poker table. Sir Alan Sugar was number one with other notable celebrities including Professor Stephen Hawking and terrifying television chef, Gordon Ramsay placing in the top rankings of results.

Tags: poker

Although other screening methods do exist which attempt to keep players aware of poker sharks, a brand new program has just been launched which should make the process simpler than ever before. The ‘Interactive Fish-O-Meter’ is available now for interested users to check out.

The application screens through various criteria entered by the user to allow for a warning of any site that is deemed ‘fishy’. The online climate in many poker rooms can be pretty foreboding for new players just looking to get acquainted with the game and the Fish-O-Meter can go a long way toward helping make the learning curve a more comfortable one. Using the program, players can check out geographical locations, bankrolls and gaming details of a top-three result listing of sites picked by them before deciding on the best site to play from. The widget allows for players to spend less time worrying about potential sharks at every table and instead seek out games that are more appropriate for their skill and comfort level.

It’s worth a look for anybody, novice or experienced, who want to enhance and safeguard their playing experience online. The Interactive Fish-O-Meter is one of the better tools available within the category and definitely warrants taking a look at. The widget is available through the SitAndGoPlanet poker site and is free for use for any visitor.

Tags: poker

The critically acclaimed UK poker site, PKR has recently been made the recipient of the 2008 eGaming Review Awards ‘Hotshot Operator of the Year’ prize. The award is a great acknowledgement of PKR’s dedication toward innovation and excellence within the business of internet poker and should help to boost traffic at the site.

Independent panels of business experts oversee and hand out the eGaming Review Awards every year as a method of providing attention for those services which truly excel in the industry. The event took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on September 19th, making it the fourth annual occurrence of the ceremony. PKR not only took home the aforementioned Hotshot Operator of the Year award but the company was also nominated for the Poker Operator of the Year (along with 888.com, Everest and Party Gaming). Malcolm Graham, CEO of PKR told press that he was excited to have taken home the prize and stated that he hoped the recognition would lead to further attention in the future.

PKR has been well-known as one of the most interesting and unique virtual poker rooms on the internet for some time but their critical reception hasn’t always meant an equal level of traffic. The distinction of receiving an eGaming award may help to boost awareness of the site and draw more players to PKR in the future.

Tags: poker

The British Advertising Standards Authority has banned yet another gambling ad which they deem irresponsible. This time the removed ad was the product of Isle of Man based company, PokerStars and featured only the picture of a player and a quote regarding his stance on how to succeed in the game.

PokerStars launched their ‘Play Mind Games’ advertising campaign a short while before having one of the posters removed. The material in question may seem tame but the ASA’s verdict found it inappropriate enough to level the charges set against it. The PokerStars poster features card playing professional, Daniel Negreanu holding a hockey stick with the quote, “Poker is a sport of courage, conviction and confidence” placed underneath his image. The ASA argued that the advertisement likened poker to sexual conquest and self-improvement, traits that the committee decided shouldn’t be seen by impressionable children and young adults. PokerStar’s spot was criticized as offering a path to personal growth through gambling even though the company replied that this was not, in any manner their intention.

The popular poker business maintained that the quote on Negreanu’s poster referred only to the game itself and aspects of it that players view as valuable characteristics. Despite PokerStar’s seemingly appropriate rebuttal the ASA still managed to ban the poster so it will not be available for public use again.

Tags: poker

Danish poker player, Jesper Hougaard has been making waves within the industry as he cleaned up at both the 2008 World Series of Poker and World Series of Poker Europe. Hougaard came to public attention with his stunning performance in Las Vegas earlier this summer and has now further proved himself in London.

The twenty-four year old established himself with a bracelet at the World Series of Poker in Vegas, taking first place in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournament and walking away with a $610,304 cash-out. Hougaard is sponsored by popular UK gambling business, Bet365 who are obviously pleased with the performance of their rising star. At the World Series of Poker Europe finals (held in Leicester Square, London) the gambler was also able to make a significant mark in the proceedings, winning first place at the £1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournament and adding £144,218 to his bankroll. Having won two bracelets on each side of the Atlantic within such a short period of time, Hougaard seems to be a player worth following in the future.

Jesper Hougaard will be the player to watch out for in the coming years, especially considering his fantastic performances and youth. Bet365 is set to continue featuring the Dane in high-profile events and sponsorships throughout the year, both online and off.

Tags: poker

Premier online poker room, Full Tilt Poker has announced the sponsorship of a new player as part of their team of reputable professionals. Hal Lubarsky, a blind American was added to the roster last week and now joins the company of many other prestigious players from the Full Tilt family.

Lubarsky has been playing poker for over thirty years but has only recently begun to make news within the industry. At last years 2007 World Series of Poker, ESPN featured an interview with the American that helped to boost his notoriety, ultimately helping to secure the Full Tilt sponsorship deal. Lubarsky wrote on the site’s forums to express his gratitude regarding being signed by the company along with his excitement about his ability to play in upcoming tournaments. He also posted thanks to those Full Tilt players who discussed and followed his career after the life-changing ESPN interview, citing them as one of the biggest catalysts toward his new opportunities as a poker professional.

The player was a regular at brick and mortar casinos in Vegas before loosing his vision. Now, with the aid of readers, Lubarsky is able to play poker again and in a much higher profile manner. His inclusion in the team (which also features such stars as Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, David Benyamine and more) is set to get Hal Lubarsky into more games than ever.

Tags: poker

StoxPoker and CardRunners, two of the foremost online poker training websites have announced plans for an amalgamation of their services. The merger is set to create what will soon become the internet’s most comprehensive poker training service when it fully finishes the crossover in the near future.

Both of the sites have been running special promotions to ready their users for the imminent change. StoxPoker has decided to stay open for a limited time with drastically reduced registration costs while CardRunners will retain its name during the merger (as well as offering a free, trial membership until the end of September). Combined, the two services are set to become the webs largest archive of articles and videos regarding poker strategy, something that is sure to attract many visitors toward becoming full-time members. Online coaches from each service will also be consolidated to one site too which is expected to give every member more time chatting with seasoned tutors and professionals.

Taylor Cadby, co-founder of CardRunners told press that he was excited for the upcoming change and that both companies were enthusiastic about the combined resources they’re set to offer for members. Those in need of a poker training site owe it to themselves to check out the new CardRunners and browse through the immense library of material.

Tags: poker

Welsh television broadcaster, ITV Wales has announced the upcoming release of a five-part poker series starring professional player and industry star, Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott. The show, entitled, “How to Become a Poker Millionaire” premiered Thursday, September 4th at 10.35pm and will continue on through completion as an elimination-style reality program.

The premise is a novel one that wisely takes advantage of Devilfish’s legendary status in the poker world to further its reputation. In, “How to Become a Poker Millionaire”, the producers of the show take four negligible players and put them under Ulliott’s tutelage through the half-hour episodes. The series promises to demonstrate the bad players becoming excellent ones (or being cast off) which should provide for a solid mix of gaming tips and pure entertainment. “How to Become a Poker Millionaire” will see even more celebrities than Devilfish as well with it having already been confirmed that interviews with his famous professional ‘friends’ will be featured in each episode.

Devilfish told press that the show was a lot of fun to make and should appeal to a wide demographic as he instructs players in a dramatic, ‘poker boot camp’. With the winning student receiving a seat at Las Vegas’ World Series of Poker there will be a lot on the line and plenty of reasons for viewers to tune in to check out the series.

Tags: poker

Popular industry magazine, Bluff Europe has just announced the winners of their annual, ‘European Poker Capitol’ award to the delight of Irish fans. Dublin, capitol city of Ireland won the prestigious title for 2008, beating out other culturally and historically vibrant EU centers as the best continental destination.

The 2007 contest saw Dublin place second behind London, England but further improvements to the city’s poker infrastructure have now established it as the foremost option. Aside from a solid assortment of poker rooms and leagues, poker is growing on a largely grassroots level within the city. As more and more players start enjoying the game, poker is growing into a massively popular pastime in Ireland with much of the action concentrated within the urban center of Dublin. ‘Gentleman’ Liam Flood, an Irish poker fanatic interviewed by Bluff for the feature stated that Dublin was a great place to play due to the friendly, communal culture of Irish players.

London saw a reversal in fortunes this year, coming in second to Dublin in the poll. Vienna came in third, Amsterdam in fourth and Barcelona fifth through the rest of the article. Although many European players are already aware of the Irish capitol’s strengths as a poker destination, Bluff Europe’s award should help get even more traveling players heading to Dublin to check out the scene.

Tags: poker

Full Tilt Poker has always maintained a reputation for providing excellent, high-stakes options for their players and with a recent decision to increase their upper echelon games the company has apparently remained committed to this facet of their business. Premier poker sites which offer rich gambling opportunities are also known to attract gambling pros which may have provided incentive to Full Tilt as well.

Although legendary poker professionals such as, Phil Ivey, Brian Townsend and Cole South can already be found in the high-stakes Full Tilt games the company has remained committed toward continuing to attract celebrities and rich poker fans alike. The ‘nosebleed’ section of stake offerings are already starting to increase with the addition of tables such as the recent, $500/$1,000 No Limit and $200,000 buy-ins. These stand out as a substantial increase against the formerly highest fare provided in Full Tilt’s $200/$400 No Limit rounds.

The approach is working as Full Tilt has already reported the presence of Tom ‘durr’ Dwan and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, Phil ‘OMGClayAiken’ Galfond at the new tables. Although many of us don’t have the bankroll to take part in the action it’s still exciting to have a chance to watch the big players sit down at their computers.

Tags: poker

The prize pool for Dublin’s International Poker Open has now swelled to an excess of €100,000 through generous sponsorship and overwhelming fan support. BoylePoker devotees and global poker enthusiasts alike are swarming from across the globe to get a chance to play for the big prize, generating more support than the event has ever seen.

Although there are some 1,200 available seats for the enormous tournament, seven hundred have already been sold with the remaining entries projected to run out by the end of the month. Aside from BoylePoker’s sponsorship contribution, part of every registrant’s entry fee (twenty percent of the overall rake) has been added to the pot which has helped to generate much of the buzz surrounding the festivities. The International Poker Open is set to take place at the Regency Airport Hotel in Dublin, Ireland from October 17th to 19th and will be played out through €135 + €15 buy-ins to the No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em games. The prize pool is set to grow to an ultimate €200, 000 amount which is bound to create fierce, quality competition.

The event’s spokesperson, Paul Spillane told press that the event is exceeding expectations and should be a fantastic time for everyone involved. For those interested in grabbing up one of the few seats left, registration and qualification satellites are available at the BoylePoker.com lobby until October 16th (or upon being sold out).

Tags: poker

Sportingbet has announced a partnership with Affiliate Speedpay, currently one of the best companies dealing in electronic payment systems. The one-day, global payout technology developed by Speedpay will mean that gambling affiliate sites will be able to further ramp up business and increase productivity.

For any affiliate site hosting Paradise Poker, Sportingbet, Miapuesta or Superbahis these changes will come into effect on commissions within the next few days. Sportingbet’s decision to join with Affiliate Speedpay should have a big impact on their business, helping to drive more traffic toward their sites while improving the experience of those creating affiliate services for their network. Commission payments will now be sent and received almost instantaneously, allowing for affiliates to increase their profits and re-circulate the money into other projects without spending downtime awaiting finances. This partnership will lead the way toward better public visibility of the Affiliate Speedpay system, a process which could ultimately lead to greater efficiency and functionality within the industry for everyone involved.

Gamblers wondering how this partnership will affect their own time playing online only need to know that an increase in affiliate sites can mean an appropriately positive growth in user rewards and quality when looking into new online casinos, poker and bingo rooms or bookkeeping services. Affiliates of Sportingbet UK should notice a drastic increase in payout speed within the next few days.

Tags: poker, Sports Betting

Popular online casino, VivaMacau has recently shifted interests toward providing a veritable gambling university for fans of the site. A recent increase in tutorials and strategy guides has been widely publicized by the company in an effort to draw further attention to the service.

Over one hundred pages of new content were added to the site in the past few days, part of a larger business plan enacted by VivaMacau owners. Guides are available for more than fifty games, including baccarat, roulette, blackjack, craps, poker and more. Mong Ha Media, the Costa Rica-based owners of VivaMacau maintain that they have intended this approach every since the sites inception. True enough toward supporting this statement it's worth noting that VivaMacau has always offered a healthy number of free games and help for the uninitiated. Now, the tutorials will accompany the ability to play no-cost games without even having to download or register.

Sam Casteel, Public Relations Director for Mong Ha Media spoke to press regarding the decision to incorporate such a large number of guides. He stated that one of the primary goals of VivaMacau will be to foster novice and intermediate gamblers into great ones through plenty of instruction and practice. Anyone interested in this approach should check out the site and see what they think.

Tags: casino, poker

The second annual PartyPoker Women’s World Open is set to start this Friday, October 3rd in London and run until the following Monday (October 6th). Thirty-six poker competitors from across the world have traveled to England for the chance to take first place and a prestigious bracelet by taking down each game scheduled for this weekend.

PartyPoker has assembled a decent enough $108,000 prize pool which the players will be competing for a share of. Buy-ins are set at $3,000 and the first place winner of the entire tournament series will be rewarded with an impressive $50,000 sum. Among the contestants gearing up for play this weekend is last year’s champion, Bev Pace. She is the wife of another professional poker player (and comedian), Norman Pace and hopes to repeat her success yet again by sweeping the event. Pace managed to take down Jen Mason at the final game to retrieve the $50K prize while simultaneously establishing herself as a formidable presence in the poker world.

Although it may still only be a small event in light of the larger mixed-sex tournaments which take place during the rest of the year, PartyPoker should be commended for their work toward bringing greater visibility to those female poker professionals who are still greatly ignored in comparison to their male counterparts. The company announced that last year’s Women’s World Open received fantastic international television ratings and that the 2008 installment should prove no different.

Tags: poker

One of the most highly regarded online poker agents, BetFair Poker has been struggling to keep traffic and tables stocked even in light of their overall success within the industry. Despite solid sponsorships for the company’s poker offerings, management have expressed concern regarding the site’s ability to push ahead of competition.

BetFair were able to secure yet another year’s sponsorship of the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) but have been disappointed by a lack of traffic growth thus far. The company has signed impressive acquisitions and made their poker client a well-known name within the UK but are still falling behind other industry giants like PokerStars. BetFair Poker was able to reach a high level of notoriety from the site’s inception just by virtue of its reputable betting service but has had a hard time drawing and keeping traffic at their poker service. Similarly, Ladbrokes, a well-known bookkeeping brand has had to fight a loss of revenue from their poker site even though they are still ranking just head of BetFair.

Although some may think that BetFair’s lack of growth could be attributed to an inability to enter the American market, the top five online poker clients in the world are currently composed of three other businesses which struggle with this same issue (PartyPoker, the iPoker Network and OnGame). The company seems to be hedging their bets on a signing of current player commodity, Michael Phelps but the Olympic athlete may be more likely to join DoylesRoom than the dwindling BetFair Poker.

Tags: poker

Buildings second charity poker tournament is set to debut in mid-October as another push toward providing annual entertainment for gamblers along with aid for children in need. Last year’s edition of Poker Kings was an overwhelming success and now organizers are hoping to repeat their charitable efforts.

The event will be held at Grosvenor Victoria Casino for one day and requires a £250 ticket (which includes an all-access pass to the proceedings along with complimentary food and drink). The 2008 Poker Kings is set to host a series of games with one third of the overall proceedings going to the ‘Wishes 4 Kids’ foundation. Wishes 4 Kids provides hope for Leicestershire children who have experienced serious medical trauma or been diagnosed with a terminal illness or HIV. Sponsorship is being provided by Doyle PLC with the company chairman, Stef Stefanou offering up his own watch for anyone who can knock him out of the tournament.

Last year saw Willie ‘the dice man’ Tann playing against Tony McWalter (a former Labor Party MP) at the end of the proceedings and raised considerable funds for the same charity. Interested poker players in the area should check it out. The tournament is being held on Thursday, October 16th and is available for any of the interested public with the purchase of a ticket.

Tags: poker

UK poker player, Dave Cain has currently been awake and taking out opponents at poker tables for a little over three days with no sign of stopping in sight. All eyes are on him as he continues to work toward raising money and establishing the world record for continuous poker playing in the process.

Cain is attempting to play out a solid one hundred hours of cards from a table at the Lincoln University and is already well on his way toward completion. Different opponents are flocking toward the venue to try their luck at knocking him out or just contributing to the record affair. The money raised from the effort is set to go toward charitable organizations, a decision which definitely helps to make the entire process a lot more interesting and worthwhile for everyone involved. Cain is playing Head-Up and needs anyone in the area to come on by to keep the game moving along. The current world record for poker endurance is held at seventy-two hours of non-stop gaming.

Observers can log onto pokerplayingmarathon.com to read about Dave Cain and his efforts or to help out by providing a remote, charitable donation. The site is also hosting a live video feed of Cain at the cards for those interested in seeing if can pull off the big moment at hour one hundred.

Tags: poker

The 2008 World Championships of Online Poker have finally started off with Friday, September 5th’s Events #1 and #2. With the beginning of the 2008 WCOOP, poker fans now have a high-profile event to grab their attention throughout the month of September (with all games wrapping up on the 23rd of this month).

Event #1 was a $215, 6-Handed No-Limit with Event #2 being a round of $215, 5-Card Draw. All told, some 8,241 competitors took seats at the two events which made them run for almost twenty-four hours of play. Ultimately a British player with the screen name, ‘shane147’ emerged victorious in Event #1, winning $202,000 and the first WCOOP bracelet of the year. A heads-up showdown in Event #2 saw, ‘ImBillMcNeal’ take down, ‘Wedlowjones’ and go home with $34,000 and the WCOOP gold bracelet. The PokerStars’ run series saw only one of Team PokerStars’ members enter into the events as Hevad ‘RainKhan’ Khan played (and was knocked out in 7th place) during Event #2.

There are thirty-three scheduled events in all but already players and poker fans have been thrilled by the large prizes and skilled games of the 2008 WCOOP. PokerStars have established a $30 million guarantee for the series which is already estimated to exceed expectations through the next few games. The final round will take place on September 23rd with the second day of the concluding, $5,200 Main Event.

Tags: poker

Model, actress and devoted poker player Shannon Elizabeth has been added to the roster of professional and celebrity members at DoylesRoom.Net. Elizabeth is determined to elevate her status as a formidable competitor through Doyle’s Room promotion and participation at events.

Team Brunson (named after Doyle’s Room inspiration, Doyle Brunson) will certainly attract a lot of attention with the former “American Pie” and “Dancing with the Stars” actress as part of their roster. Elizabeth is set to play in this summer’s 2008 World Series of Poker where she will not only be seated at smaller tables but also be appearing at the main event itself. The new recruit often refers to poker as her ‘second career’ and is no stranger to the gaming world as she frequents Las Vegas rooms. Elizabeth also made waves (and showed that she was no slouch at the tables) playing at the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Shannon Elizabeth starred in the recent poker comedy “The Grand” where she portrays the character of Toni and is also a main character in “Deal” which saw release last month. Doyle’s Room is sure to receive a lot of publicity as Elizabeth starts her career with Team Brunson and expect to see loads of coverage during events she attends in the future.

Tags: poker

The Asian Poker Tour 2008 is just about to enter the Macau leg of gaming tomorrow (August 27th) and officially start playing out the largest-ever poker guarantee in Asia with $1.5 million to be won. Instead of just focusing on poker professionals however, Chris Parker, CEO of the APT has organized a set of charity games to take advantage of the surrounding hype and put it toward a good cause.

Many celebrities from across the globe are set to play at the tournament with proceeds going toward Caritas de Macau, one of the city’s foremost social service organizations. Among those at the tables will be models including Tila Tequila, Natalie Ng, Janice Man and Tracy Ip as well as film actor, Michael Wong, commentator, Angie Mak, singer, Renee Dai as well as globally renowned boxing star, Manny Pacquiao. The stars will be hitting poker tables at 7pm tomorrow night. As with the rest of the Macau festivities, charity play will be hosted at the Galaxy StarWorld Casino Resort and Hotel in the city.

Aside from the charity game there will also be notable poker professionals in attendance at the ATP Macau. Doyle Brunson will be holding a book signing on the 27th and legendary figures such as Johnny Chan, Todd Brunson and APT Manila’s winner, David Saab will all be at the tables for the competition.

Tags: poker

Sky, one of the best known online gambling vendors has recently announced their plans to branch out into real-world ventures through their Live Poker Tour. The company is set to offer a competitive venue for devotees of their site while formally entering into the company of online poker rooms with physical tours.

Sky’s Live Poker Tour will take place over six legs across the UK with the first and final events taking place at Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn. It all kicks off on September 13th when players will vie for a chance to make their mark at the tables before the final proceedings return to the same city for a televised final event in next June, 2009. Entry will be determined through internet play at Sky Poker with satellite tournaments already underway. Hopefuls can get into games for as little as £2.65 and work their way up through the ranks to try for a shot at the physical games. Sky has revealed a £25, 000 guaranteed prize pool for the tour and this should combine nicely with television coverage in order to get a lot of quality poker players interested in the events.

Emma Crowe, Sky’s Head of Marketing stated that the company has been planning this type of tournament for some time after testing the waters with the last year’s few one off, live games. Those interested in competing at the Sky Live Poker Tour should head online and jump into some of the satellite games already starting up.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: 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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: 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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.   

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.

Tags: poker

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.


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.

Tags: poker, poker face

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.

Tags: poker, casino

Bodog Poker is one of the network’s most popular services and they aim to keep it that way with new updates set to elevate the client above stiff competition. Bodog has always touted a devotion to their fan-base and they’re now set to prove this by using player feedback in the new design.

Users of Bodog Poker are currently being given the option to download the new beta version client and try out possible, upcoming features before giving the company their opinions. The service is attempting to address fan plea’s for a greater number of tabbed table-play (the site currently only allows three ongoing games), window re-sizing, a full-screen mode, embedded chat options along with more “quick tool” options. Those who try out the beta will be able to provide their comments and ultimately aid in shaping the future Bodog software.

Videogame and other software application designers have long relied on consumer feedback through beta testing and it’s definitely a welcome addition to the internet gambling industry as well. Giving the fans exactly what they want should ensure Bodog’s continued support and prevalence within the business and if the move proves successful we can hope to see this practice catch on as a commonplace feature. Those interested in participation should head to the website now to take part in beta play.

Tags: poker

The game of poker has drastically increased in popularity for UK audiences in recent years and the industry has been clamoring to properly cater to the demographic both online and off. With the second World Series of Poker Europe Main Event scheduled for England this September, London has embraced card-playing fever with the Poker in the Park festival.

The events will take place over two days (Friday August 15th and Saturday the 16th) at Leicester Square in London’s bustling casino and theater district. Poker in the Park promises to provide a fantastic weekend venture for fans of the game and demonstrates some very welcome support for UK enthusiasts who are traditionally left out from the best events. The festival will feature a chance to meet the professionals (from 4-9pm Friday and 10.30am-6.30pm Saturday), grab some autographs, attend talks, play in hourly tournaments and meet fellow poker fans.

Poker in the Park is boasting some very impressive support from land-based and online casinos with tournaments such as the Sky Poker Cup, the London Pub Poker Trophy, the Bluff Europe Championship and the England Poker League Cup among others. Poker fans should head over to the Empire Casino in Leicester during these days to take part in the festivities and show national support to help continue poker styled events at home.

Tags: poker

As the WSOP begins to disappear from fan’s memories a new event is set to take place just in time through PokerStar’s 2008 World Championships of Online Poker. Beginning with a set of July 1st satellites on the popular website the tournaments have also been fully revealed in order to entice competitors with enormous jackpots and lots of excitement.

The WCOOP schedule was released through PokerStars recently and unveiled some extremely high-stakes action for serious players to get into. Among the listed events are a $25,000 Heads Up game, $10,300 HORSE and No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournaments and a $5,200 Main Event. The attached guarantees are seriously impressive with PokerStars promoting money pools up to $30 million for the entire WCOOP events. Although some smaller fare has been made available to appeal to all demographics, the large buy-ins and tournament guarantees should mean that a lot of attention gets focused on the events.

Players interested in the substantial listings should be polishing their skills now as satellite events are already underway. PokerStars has promised two events a day for the entire duration of their games, ensuring that their online version of the WSOP should get the publicity it deserves The 2008 WCOOP kicks into full swing on September 5th with a one million dollar guaranteed tournament and will continue through to the 21st.

Tags: poker

The Microgaming Poker Network is one of online gambling’s leading networks and Ladbrokes decision to join with their service is set to hold great rewards for devotees of the site. Through increased traffic and greater benefits, Ladbrokes plans to expand their tournament and cash game options for users of the poker client.

John O’Reilly, Ladbrokes Managing Director of Remote Betting and Gaming said the move to join Microgaming was a natural one for the company in that they are hoping to offer wider fare for members and stimulate growth. Through the partnership, Ladbrokes will be able to offer higher-stakes games as well as increase their potential demographic base and notoriety while maintaining their existing features. The company may have been motivated by a 6.4 percent decline in profits during the first half of 2008 but ultimately the move is a wise one which should increase the site’s popularity while allowing them the necessary movement to keep positive site elements intact. Customer service and brand-based franchising have been stated as being at the top of Ladbrokes agenda as they continue aiming for organic business growth.

Ladbrokes is already one of the premier online poker sites within the industry and their decision to join Microgaming may be just the push needed to put them on top in the near future. Players who use the site should be happy with the move and looking forward to additional content in the near future.

Tags: poker

The 2007 World Championship of Online Poker saw industry giant, Pokerstars enter into a high-stakes lawsuit with alleged winner, Natalie Teltscher over the $1.2 million reward. Natalie, sister of poker professional, Mark Teltscher recently decided to drop the case in light of mounting evidence which would make her win impossible to legally ratify.

Teltscher’s lawsuit claim was spurred by Pokerstars refusal to issue the million dollar prize money due to her having won the tournament through someone else playing the series under her account. Pokerstars considered this a breach of agreement as Teltscher herself didn’t win the prize but rather another player who did not match the identity registered to her account name, “TheV0id”. After this information was discovered, the company moved the 2007 WCOOP second-place finalist up one position as the rightful winner of the enormous standing jackpot. Teltscher planned to contest the decision by entering into a legal dispute which would assert that she had actually played the entire tournament and was owed the sum.

Natalie Teltscher withdrew her lawsuit when faced with the investigative reports prepared by Pokerstars for the trial. The court at the Isle of Man was prepared to judge proceedings in the case but Teltscher’s removal from the dispute has dropped the issue and effectively ended the scandal with no damage done to Pokerstars reputation before the beginning of their 2008 World Championships of Online Poker.

Tags: poker

The increased availability of downloadable poker bots is making some players and industry observers concerned for the game’s future. As access to automated programs becomes a more popular and viable option for sites and players alike many fear that the fundamentals of poker play may get lost or taken advantage of for profit.

Around the summer of 2000, programmers were first able to develop computer software which was capable of properly competing against human opponents. Eight years later algorithms have improved to the point wherein the “Fell Omen” open-source practice bot created by University of California research, Ian Fellows is able to defeat the majority of non-professional human poker players and fellow AI. Fellows has commented on his system and discouraged its use as anything other than a device to hone skills but with the easy availability of these bots many are becoming concerned.

The Man-Machine Poker event this year saw the Polaris II computer defeat human professionals and Fellows’ “Fell Open” program was likewise able to win out against sixteen other poker bots at the 2008 Computer Poker Competition. Many poker fans and industry observers following the news have noted the danger of players and unsecured sites being able to make use of advanced bots to cheat human users of money and this may inevitably force new levels of legislation and security to keep the online poker industry a safe and viable business.

Tags: poker

Wednesday, August 6th saw the start of the ninth annual Full Tilt Online Poker Series with a $200 No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament hosted by Allen Cunningham and hosting an impressive, million dollar guaranteed prize pool. A packed line-up of mainstay and innovative events is set to combine with high-profile hosts to offer a true poker spectacle for those in need of something to follow before the 2008 WSOP finals.

Full Tilt’s tournament series offering has always held a lot of fan attention and this year should be no different as plenty of high-stakes action has been scheduled for participating players. Among the fare is a $240 Pot-Limit Omaha/9 Knockout tournament, a $500 HORSE event, $200 Stud, $300 Mixed Hold ‘Em play and a $200 HA (meaning half PL Texas Hold ‘Em, half PL Omaha) set of games. Aside from Cunningham, a wide array of notable, internationally renown hosts have also been scheduled to oversee the games including, Max Pescatori of Italy, Jen Vörtmann of Germany, David Oppenheim, Chris Ferguson and Greg Mueller.

Interested players should log on to Full Tilt and check out the full schedule listings for themselves. Even for those only interested in watching the games, the promise of poker celebrities as hosts and the kind of competition attracted by enormous prize pools should be enough to keep things exciting.

If you are interested, follow this link to go straight to Full Tilt Poker.

Tags: poker

This year’s Grosvenor UK Poker Tour is just about to reach its sixth stop and players will now have to prepare for the arrival of German PokerStrategist professional’s appearance. Five of the best poker players from PokerStrategist are entering into the tournament intent on bringing back a victory for their franchise in the tough competition.

The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour started last year and is now embarking upon its second season as a new, annual tournament. The 2008 GUKPT is set to play out through nine different Grosvenor Casino venues with the final event being held at the London location. The five PokerStrategist representatives, HoRRoR, crazytalent, Unam, trader and BAndelfAnIE have all arrived to make their showing with only the first on the list having played thus far. HoRRoR has put the team off to a dismal start, failing to take money from the £150 +£15 PL Texas Hold ‘Em Freezeout he’s already played in but the rest of the players remain hopeful for their chances in upcoming rounds.

Time will tell how well the German PokerStrategist contenders fare in the rest of the tournament but for now they’re full of boasts for a big win. Whatever else happens, the professionals have had nothing but positive remarks for their poker blogs and the publicity alone should be enough to satisfy everyone involved at the event.

Tags: poker

LaunchPoker.Com is one of the best known information portals on the web and their recent partnership with LuckyAcePoker.Com has meant special rewards for their fan base. In a recently kick-started promotion, Launch Poker and Lucky Ace Poker have been able to offer a free odds calculator for qualifying users making a new deposit.

The Pokerbility brand odds calculator up for grabs essentially functions as a tip bank for poker players by reading and determining odds for their current hands. The program currently supports the majority of popular sites and is able to scan cards intelligently so that the resulting advice is statistically sound and a great form of assistance for players. Pokerbility usually retails for a little under $100 USD but readers of Launch Poker who make a deposit though the portal at Lucky Ace Poker will receive the software and a lifetime license to it for free (along with a 100% matching bonus up to $400). It’s a promotion that many will be excited about for good reason and one of the better reward incentives currently offered to online poker fans.

For serious internet poker players an odds calculator can be a great aid in increasing their success in the game and those interested in the promotion should check out the partnership now.

Tags: poker

888.Com have reported a substantial dip in earnings this summer due to the popularity of the Euro 2008 football series. Although the summer is often a slower time for some aspects of the internet gambling industry poker usually escapes the worst of the negative effects due to the mid-year months of big-name, high-profile card tournaments(such as the WSOPs, poker’s largest seasonal event).

The premier internet gambling company reported a significant revenue loss which is being attributed to gambler’s greater interest in Euro 2008 events however. Large numbers of card betters shifted their attention to sports gambling which has now caused 888 to further consider some of their options regarding June’s deal with Sportech and seek a greater emphasis on bookkeeping for next year’s summer. Although the company still manages considerable profits, company spokespeople have mentioned that preparation for upcoming sports-heavy months will see 888 centering on bingo and event betting while poker temporarily falters.

Luckily 888 have also released fiscal statements demonstrating the continued growth of their online bingo income and its help in restoring the losses incurred during this summer’s football tournament. The 888 ladies bingo site in particular was meant as a strategic effort to counter Euro 2008 losses. CEO, Gigi Levy commented that the financial hit was expected and that business strategy initiatives already in place have kept 888 optimistic regarding recoveries from losses and further growth in coming months.

Tags: poker

After becoming the champion of the first Asian Poker Tour Philippines in June and taking home $280,000 USD, David Saab has announced his attendance at the next leg of the APT in Macau. The second installment will see international professionals flocking to the enormous jackpots which are the largest ever in a global tournament.

Saab displayed impressive skills against the stiff competition in the Philippines but he remains confident for his turn in Macau. The Australian native has signed on for the continued events in Macau and its $1,500,000 prize pool guarantee (with a $500,000 minimum set for the winner) but will face even tougher opponents with the higher stakes. APT Macau will be held at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino from August 27th to the 31st. Buy-ins are set at $5,300 USD but, as to be expected, the big players in online poker sites are providing satellite games for qualification.

After the games finish playing out in Macau the Asian Poker Tour continues onward into South Korea and Singapore while continuing to pick up fans along the way. The landmark tournament has been an enormous success so far and should continue to generate publicity as it travels south this summer. Only time will tell if Saab will be able to continue his APT success story.

Tags: poker

Online poker still exists in a kind of legal grey area for the German population but as the government has recently been conducting work to determine how to properly classify the game there may be a final definition in the near future. As the nation continually enjoys internet poker in greater numbers there is a pressure for the government to come to a final decision which will ultimately set a precedent for the rest of Europe.

The potential legal fate of online poker rests on whether the game can be classified as one where winners succeed through skill or random luck. German law prohibits games of chance through the Lottery Treaty due to a potential danger toward citizens becoming compulsive gamblers. In light of this, the fate of online poker has been recently subjected to due consideration so that it may be finally considered illegal or eligible for state control.

Experts have decided that laws must be based on a stylistic basis, case by case, and through this criterion, Texas Hold ‘Em has already been declared a game of skill rather than chance as a 1906 Reichsgericht court decision labeled it. With this one decision there may be good news in the future as the federal government in Germany passes legal judgment on different poker styles and publishes their findings for the rest of the European Union to see.

Tags: poker

Padraig Parkinson, Irish poker professional and television commentator has given fans even more reasons to admire him. The recent announcement of a PokerTrillion.Com freeroll event has meant great rewards for poker fans after Parkinson’s noteworthy charity performance at the WSOP and it’s all thanks to the star’s devotion to giving back.

Parkinson has launched registration for his “$5,524 Padraig Online Freeroll” tournament in the wake of sponsor site, PokerTrillion’s already generous support of the socially conscious star’s playing at the 2008 WSOP. The tournament requires only a $1 contribution to the rake for eligibility and should feature good competition for the reward. The Irish star has launched this series as a continuation of his devotion to spreading the good fortune he has enjoyed. At the WSOP this summer Parkinson played the main event under the agreement that PokerTrillion would donate $1 for every competitor he outlasted. This amount will be further matched at the next ‘Simon Poker Day’ which aids homeless youth in Dublin.

Fans and industry observers alike should be glad to see one of the poker world’s professionals attempting to elevate the game into a socially conscious endeavor. The $5,524 Padraig Online Freeroll has already opened for registration so players should sign up now for a chance to win the main prize.

Tags: poker

Being an avid Poker Player and also iPhone fan, I couldn’t wait for the new Apple iPhone 3G to be launched along with the ability to install Apps to it via the App Store.

Well, one of the apps which I have really missed on my iPhone is a good Poker application. Now, on my Blackberry I had a great Texas Hold’Em game which I used to play quite a lot.

I had heard that the iPod Texas Holdem game ws getting ported from the iPod to the iPhone so this was great news to me.

As soon as I got my iPhone, one of the first applications that I bought was the Texas HoldEm Poker application.

The application has fantastic graphics and they really show the iPhone off to its full potential. There are the options for Single Player or Multiplayer. In Single Player you play against the computer and with Multi Player you can play with other iphone players over WiFi and have mini tournaments courtesy of the iPhone Application.

One really cool aspect is that you can tilt the iphone int landscape mode and gt a landscape view of the table, similar to most online Poker clients. Then, if you switch back to portrait mode, the screen swaps back to the view of the payers and dealer in high-res graphics.

Gameplay is fantastic as you would imagine I will be keeping a close eye on various gaming applications on the iPhone and I cannot wait for the first brave company to produce a real-money Poker application, now wouldn’t that be just great!

Enjoy the screenshots below.

Tags: iphone, poker

Titan Poker is the most popular destination on the iPoker Network and with a series of ‘June Rewards’ which culminated in the June 30th ‘Day of Freerolls’ they set about giving a hearty thanks to their fan base. Aside from the complimentary buy-ins Titan was able to provide great cash prizes and a trip to the Asian Poker Tour Macau for lucky winners.

New additions to Titan from April and May who had made a first deposit and amassed a minimum number of loyalty points were automatically qualified for the initial freeroll games (which saw $4,400 awarded). The next event was for players who stockpiled two thousand loyalty points between June 12th and 28th and ultimately rewarded them with entry into the hefty June Rewards $10,000 Freeroll. The most desired prizes were travel based however and the most skilled Titan players eagerly battled it out for the chance to win a seat at the APT Macau which is estimated at a value of $9, 000. Through the Asian Poker Tour Macau VIP Satellite serious Titan devotees were able to try for the grand prize after accumulating ten thousand points between June 21st and 25th.

Not to rest on their laurels, Titan Poker has promised further events set to reward their users with cash and travel prizes. Among other planned incentives this September will see a $2,500,000 Guaranteed Prize Tournament taking place early in the month so Titan players should start practicing their skills now.

Tags: poker

The previously discussed Polaris II computer won out over seasoned poker professionals last Sunday at the second “Man Versus Machine” Competition. The University of Alberta created system was further developed to come back from its loss last year and proved that its improvements were enough to snag a narrow win against human opponents.

The competition was hosted at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and saw the new Polaris computer face off against seven poker professionals. After being defeated by the flesh-and-blood players last year the University of Alberta programming team adapted their system with features that allowed it to adapt to the style of opponents as the match went on and it seems that this difference was enough to eke out a win. Matt Hawrilenko was the pro up against Polaris II in the final Heads-Up, Limit Texas Hold ‘Em match and found the competition both entertaining and unnerving. He and the other human players commented that the possibility of a machine to best live professionals is a fairly frightening one.

Michael Bowling, head of the Alberta team behind Polaris II was excited by the win but also quick to note that his team would be back at work to further develop the system. Now that the computer is garnering even more attention from real-world poker pros it may prove even more difficult to continue the artificial player’s winning performance. A rematch is tentatively planned to take place next summer around the same time.

Tags: poker

Although for many politicians the support of poker players may be the furthest demographic from their minds American presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama is proving that having the gamblers on his side may prove an enormous help. Due to Obama’s stance on US legislature concerning the game he is drumming up a lot of interest from the masses of poker enthusiasts across the nation.

Although Senator John McCain is also a fan of gambling he frequents craps tables while Obama has identified himself as a Texas Hold ‘Em and Seven-Card Stud buff. The Democrat also seeks an end to the illegality of certain poker games within the United States and hopes to offer restrictions rather than outright bans. The Poker Players for Obama maintain consistent blog postings on his website and even former die-hard Republican, Doyle Brunson has announced that his vote will go toward the Democratic candidate in November. Perhaps the most striking sign of support comes from the million strong Pokers Players Alliance as their number alone shows great potential for favorable voting.

Considering that McCain supports the Republican bid for banning internet poker many fans of the game see Obama as the only correct candidate if they wish to continue enjoying their hobby or livelihood online. Regardless of other policies and campaign promises, Obama’s stance on poker and personal regard for the game has gained him a strong following as US elections grow ever closer.

Tags: poker

Natalie Teltscher, one of the winners of PokerStars 2007 World Championships of Online Poker (WCOOP) has filed a lawsuit against the company which has refused to issue a $1.2 million prize over an alleged breach of tournament conditions. The case is currently proceeding at the Isle of Man between the enormous company and the angry plaintiff.

The basis of PokerStar’s case against Teltscher stems from her decision to have a third-party play the entire tournament through her account. The company claims that this alone constitutes a failure to abide by the terms and conditions of the event thereby forcing a forfeit of the prize money. Teltscher plays under the screen name “the VOid” and this account was one of two left at the end of the 2008 WCOOP’s No Limits Hold ‘Em Main Event. The final contestants agreed to split the jackpot and ceased play which would have left the money in Teltscher’s hands had she actually been the one at the computer all along.

PokerStars lawyers contest that Teltscher never actually legally entered or played in the tournament and sees this as suitable grounds for dismissing the monetary reward outright. The most recent development in the lawsuit saw Deemster David Doyle adjourn the case stating that the matter needed to be fully addressed via contractual evidence before any verdict could be leveled.

Tags: poker

California has long been one of the premier destinations for poker players across the world and in light of recent legal battles regarding the right to host money games or allow private card-game businesses, Poker Pro magazine has announced an eleven-issue series based on exploring the state legislature and gambling culture.

Beginning in September the notable publication will begin the massive undertaking and hope to educate many of their readers about the troubles facing the game in the Golden State. Currently, legislature only allows licensed card rooms, tribal casinos and private homes to host a game which effectively makes a large number of the population criminals unbeknownst to many of them. As recent pushes by concerned citizens grow the magazine focus may be coming at just the right time to create even further attention toward the cause. California is currently maintains the highest population in the United States and has always been a desirable poker locale for players across the globe.

Poker Pro Editor-in-Chief, John “Johnny Quads” Wenzel has stated that the series will aim to explore the issues at hand as fully as possible, hence the almost year-long examination. Aside from legal discussions, Poker Pro will also feature detailed guides toward the best venues and events around as they launch their extensive coverage this fall.

Tags: poker

We are happy to announce that the Findabet review of Everest Poker is now online and ready for you all to read.

Everest Poker maintains a reputation for being one of the best international sites in the business.

Their focus on providing service in an enormous number of languages makes the client a premier destination for many poker fans across the globe.

Feel free to read our review of Everest Poker or go straight ahead and play at Everest Poker.

Tags: poker

The recent and drastic arrival of summer in North America has seen a larger than average volume of gamblers heading for online poker sites in the last week. Combined with the already high fever of the excitement surrounding the World Series of Poker player traffic is set to climb even further.

Wass Poker, a part of the Merge Network recently launched their business into the intense competition of pre-existing and already established sites within the industry and was delighted to find that high temperatures and the WSOPs have meant a lot of attention. The new site launched on June 1st and found an audience hungry for more online play due to a desire for new forms of poker play and a reluctance to venture out into the heat. American players are usually unaccounted for by British poker sites but the spillover of air-conditioned card sharks should see the entire business benefiting overall by virtue of the heatwave.

UK and European Poker sites who allow North American players have also seen their player traffic soar in direct relation to heat and humidity across the ocean and clients can expect to see a continuation of this trend. As the summer kicks into full gear the online poker industry is set to profit from an exaggeration of the already busy season.

Tags: poker

With the popularity of poker constantly raising it should come as no surprise that the 2008 World Series of Poker enjoyed the highest attendance records yet. From the early promotion of the $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘Em games players and spectators quickly flocked to partake in the reputable series.

The big jackpots and new games have all contributed to the excitement surrounding the WSOP with many amateur and professional poker fans coming out to take their shot at glory. This year’s addition of the pro-designed H.O.R.S.E tournament led to many accolades considering that the upper echelon players now feel as if they have a better venue for truly showing their skills. Just the same, even non-established card gamblers have the chance to qualify and make a name for themselves in many events during the WSOP such as the returning $75,000 first prize (which drew an estimated 3,500 competitors to the series).

One of the biggest surprises to the WSOP scheduling this year is the postponement of the final nine Main Event player’s showdown to November 9th of this year instead of directly at the end of the July series. Even in spite of professional criticism regarding the series decision expect plenty of enthusiasm and coverage of the last plays this fall.

Tags: poker

With an unprecedented success in Manila the CEO of Asian Poker Tour, Chris Parker has decided to keep the ball rolling with future high profile events. As the international market for poker play grows it seems only natural that the company has sought to provide further, great options for the upper echelon of gamblers.

The APT recently announced that they would continue feeding into the increasing popularity of the new tournament theater by hosting an even larger series of games in Macau. Parker shared the news at the Dusit Thani Manila near the end of the six-day Manila events. He described plans for a $1,500,000 US prize pool (the biggest yet for Asian poker enthusiasts) to be guaranteed for players who are able to front the $300 or $5,000 buy-ins. After setting records with Manila being the most heavily populated poker tournament to ever take place in the Philippines the APT should be able to keep fans happy by assisting in the creation of an enormous Asian tournament network.

The Asian Poker Tour is heavily promoting the game to a virtually untapped audience who have recently shown considerable enthusiasm. With the announcement of the Macau games it seems that no end is in sight for the growing continental demographic.

Tags: poker

WassPoker have recently implemented the addition of Caribbean Stud style poker play to their service, a move which is set to shake things up for visitors of their site and the industry as a whole. The leading site’s gaming repertoire is among the most extensive in the business and will continue to lead as an example for many others.

Although it may seem like nothing much, WassPoker have been acting as something of a guide toward competing services and their Caribbean Stud offering means that many other sites are going to have to follow suit or fall behind. If the style catches on at Wass then we could expect to see an explosion of other sites in the business diversifying their poker options which results in good opportunities for consumers. Although many of the premier services fail to provide much more than Texas Hold ‘Em some of the most successful have hosted numerous styles for fans to enjoy.

Caribbean Stud is a poker style which has long enjoyed popularity in casinos due to its simple but intense gameplay. The dealer and player are both dealt five cards with the dealer’s all being face-down except for the fifth. Caribbean Stud quickly becomes a game of bluffing and betting toward victory, a style not completely unlike the wildly popular Texas Hold ‘Em.

Tags: poker

Stefan Mattson, a twenty-eight year old Swedish native has been making big waves with his attempts toward a third cash at the 2008 World Series of Poker. His unusual style and attitude toward the game has worked out so far and fans are ready to track future developments as the tournament continues.

Mattson is completely self-taught and turns his nose up at the idea of studying serious poker theory. He came up from playing cards with family members and learning from only his own experience. When Mattson began to vie for professional leagues in 2004 he quickly became a bigger name, cashing during both times when he sat at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker.

The newly famous Mattson was quickly snapped up by the Purple Lounge team and is now enjoying the benefits of being a company sponsor. With the continuation of the enormous annual event he is set to have a perfect streak as a successful, big money player able to take home substantial earnings from the tough matches.

As the competition continues to play out it will be exciting to see how far Mattson gets toward coming out on top. For now, spectators are excited to see if the self-taught Swede will be able to go three-for-three with his WSOP performances and cash big again.

Tags: poker

Last year’s Man Versus Machine Poker Championship saw the top-of-the-line Polaris computer narrowly beaten by human opponents but the system is now being readied to try again in an upcoming event. This odd competition is a great opportunity for poker fans to take in a unique competition as well as providing artificial intelligence testing for scholar’s observations.

Developed by the University of Alberta’s Computer Research Group, the further improved AI of the Polaris 2 has been tailored to stand an even better chance against competition this year. With advancements in AI and programs implemented to allow Polaris the ability to learn from mistakes and player styles during matches the unusual tournament could have quite a different result at the summer match-up. The technology employed in the Mark II Polaris is highly advanced and is set to push human players to their fullest abilities.

A similar format from the former event has been adopted with Polaris 2 playing a controlled match against poker professionals. Ijay Palansky, Nick Grudzien and Matt Hawrilenko will make up the flesh and blood opposition to Polaris this year and hope to again prove that even the most advanced computer system cannot outdo humans just yet. The 2008 Man Versus Machine match will take place early in the month this July at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas as part of the Polaris Computer to Play Against Human Pros Again.

Tags: poker

In a strange bit of news this week, noted poker pro, Caspar Berry has been slated to give a speech regarding business lessons through cards to a group of insurance company risk management personnel.

Berry is perhaps best known for his work as a former poker star and adviser for the most recent James Bond film, “Casino Royale” but was also employed as a screenwriter and actor before pursuing poker as a full-time career, the career path which eventually led into public speaking. At the conference Berry will be the leader of seminars comparing the assessment of real-life risk taking to that of insurance policies.

The professionals attending are concerned with determining the necessary criteria for insurance companies in the business of car, home and life plans. Taking queues from the poker world makes the subject colourful and allows Berry the ability to present big ideas within the framework of a well known game.

It is an interesting choice of speakers but Berry has proven that his theories deserve note and may be of more value than mere novelty. The relationship between a professional poker player’s knowledge of risk assessment is a fascinating subject which the speaker is extremely well versed in. The Association of Insurance Risk Managers Conference will be held Tuesday June 17th and Wednesday June 18th in Edinburgh.

Tags: poker

Many online poker fans already know that PKR offers some of the best-looking and most significant forms of innovation to be found within the industry but a recent poll by Hitwise has confirmed the site as the most popular in the industry.

The survey was conducted via traffic monitoring and revealed that PKR received the highest volume of visitors of any online poker room in the UK. Through their dedication to breaking ground while still remaining competitive toward important industry features (such as bonuses and good tournament schedules) PKR has deservedly found itself as a favourite for many players. Their earlier move into televised events and partnership with the Merge Network have obviously attracted a lot of attention toward PKR and, once there, the revolutionary ‘Emote Control’ software featured on the site has managed to keep users loyal.

PKR’s Managing Director, Simon Prodger was enthusiastic in a press release regarding the news, stating that it was reassuring to know that Britain was so dedicated to the site (which has never offered service to American players). With it being only partway into the year PKR is in a great place to continue their success story. With an unsurpassed level of graphical quality enormous and fan base the company should be able to go even further with their vision and maintain their status as the premier internet poker destination.

Tags: poker

Poker legend Annie Duke has been grooming young up-and-comer Liv Boeree for the upcoming World Series of Poker with the hopes that her student will be able to take home the coveted bracelet.

Although Boeree has proven that she’s no slouch herself by taking first place (and $30,000) at the Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship the professional tutelage of Duke is sure to come in handy for her looming competition. The two have been acquaintances since the 2005 UltimatePoker.Com Showdown after which Duke was able to help Boeree get her career as a professional poker player launched.

With her eventual signing to the Absolute Poker teams the young astrophysicist turned card shark started to come into her own within the industry. With her striking looks, dynamic personality and formidable presence at the tables Boeree has become a phenomenon in the poker industry and the next step seems to be a great run at the WSOPs.

In recent months, Boeree has managed to keep up an astonishing track record, taking ranking or first-place wins in a large number of London-based Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments and spreading her name through internet games. With Duke’s continued support and the guidance which can only be supplied through years of experience, Boeree could be in a very good position to emerge at the top of the events this summer.

Tags: poker

Although Ladbrokes Poker could be content to settle on its laurels the company has recently announced a site redesign which hopes to attract even more business through improved features and enticing rewards.

Ladbrokes Poker’s managing director Edward Ihre stated that although the corporation has enjoyed considerable success in the European market it wants to show users a continued attention to detail by staying a step ahead of competitors. Players will now be greeted with promotional information and industry or brand news upon logging in. The main page has been made neater and, perhaps most interesting of all, Ladbrokes has finally taken steps to streamline their poker client with the sister casino and instant play sites.

With this move poker players will now be able to see all communities merged along with receiving access to everything on the Ladbrokes network without having to juggle passwords or accounts.

This move could attract even more attention to the service by demonstrating Ladbrokes commitment to customer loyalty. Although the improvements may not have been absolutely necessary the corporate willingness to put money toward bettering a site which wasn’t broken in the first place demonstrates a level of care which will escalate competition within the industry, something that always leaves the fans with better services.

Tags: poker

Paul Barnes, CEO of DevilFish Gaming has been making industry headlines as his internet poker service gears up for a second launch of the site through the Entraction network. The replaced software has changed the overall aesthetic of DevilFish greatly and will at least temporarily attract a lot of continued attention.

DevilFish is doing a lot to gain in popularity and with the revamped design of the site users can expect a wide array of extra promotions as well. The client was previously hosted through Excapsa software (the same network which hosts major industry leaders, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet) and is named after the famous UK poker player, Dave “DevilFish” Ulliott. With Ulliott’s continued support and enough controversy surrounding their recent business moves to keep DevilFish Poker in the headlines there should be plenty of interest surrounding the page in the near future. DevilFish seems to be interested in taking advantage of their situation by roping players in now and attempting to impress them enough to stick around.

Users will have to try the new version out for themselves in order to see exactly how well it stacks up to the former service. Only time will tell how successful DevilFish manages to remain after the dust surrounding their move has settled but if their gamble pays off it could mean another serious competitor within the industry.

Tags: poker

Inside Gaming is one of the premier software and gaming systems companies and they have recently announced a partnership with Income Access Software as a means of creating improved affiliate functions and business plans across a number of clients.

The company recently told the press that this partnership was sealed and spoke of their plans to add their combined skills to the Better Poker and Better Casino services. The extra boost which will be given to these already established sites will come by way of an improved management plan that the partnership will provide. Inside Gaming and Income Access Software hope to give their services to many a gaming website and improve their business through improved affiliate and company management. Their now joined skills could overhaul the average business into a powerhouse; Inside Gaming is reputable in their ability to aid the business plans of emerging online gambling companies and Income Access provides some of the best affiliate marketing software available.

To the average online casino or poker room visitor this may not seem like big news but the implications could be far-reaching if this partnership is able to use their status for a number of sites. As more and more gambling networks are established on the Internet the solid skill set provided by Inside Gaming and Income Access Software could see a large increase in fantastic websites for users to frequent.

Tags: casino, poker

We have just released our review of the PokerStars Poker Room here at Findabet.co.uk.

PokerStars is billed as the worlds largest online Poker Site so as you would imagine, the quality of the client and gameplay are second to none. The tournaments as well as the sit and go's at PokerStars draw huge crowds and also huge payouts.

Go straight to and play at PokerStars.com or read our review on PokerStars here at Findabet.co.uk.

Tags: poker

Games.Com, an online casino run as a subsidiary of the enormous AOL corporation announced that they will be offering free, no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments where the top six players will receive trips to the World Series of Poker. The WSOP and AOL have long held a partnership which aims to give amateurs the shot to take home both prestige and the infamous tournament jackpots.

Greg Mills, Director of AOL Games commented that Freeroll play continues to be the most popular feature of Games.Com poker site and that this series of tournaments will have a great incentive for players hoping to make it to the WSOP. AOL will finance the winners’ trips to the main event within the US, put them up in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino along with the main prize itself, a seat at the WSOP. The winners will be up against seasoned professionals and if they play well enough, it could mean the beginning of a great career in the poker world.

Hopefuls should practice hard before the tournaments start up if they want to be in the upper echelon of the winning players. Games are already beginning and will run until June 15th at which point the top six will be identified and ready to travel to the 2008 WSOP.

Tags: poker

Online poker corporation, PKR has recently announced a move which seeks to branch their brand name into television by broadcasting Internet poker tournaments into more than fifteen million homes across Europe. This recent move is intriguing in its attempt to help out talented online poker players who may lack the finances to compete in bigger venues.

Their initiative into more appealing aesthetics at their virtual tables has meant that PKR will have the look necessary toward capturing audience attention. Player avatars and special spectator views will be accompanied by game commentary (provided by PKR.Com podcast personalities, Dan ‘Danski’ Grant James and ‘Jabbawa’ Bach). PKR hopes to give non-professional players the ability to gain recognition through this exciting venture and increase their brand while their users have a greater chance of breaking into the big leagues.

Thursday nights will feature PKR’s $100 buy-in, $10,000 jackpot tournament with Saturday hosting the $60 buy-in, ‘$20,000 Guaranteed TV Showdown’. As PKR continues to focus on taking the business of online poker to new levels via intelligent innovation, devotees of their service can continue to benefit. UK poker fans can check out broadcasts soon on Sky TV channels 157 and 842 or attempt to qualify via the PKR.Com page.

Tags: poker

We have just published our review of Full Tilt Poker here at Findabet.co.uk.

Full Tilt Poker is one of the leading online Poker Rooms and boasts one of the best professional poker teams that regularly play the world poker circuits.

Full Tilt Poker are currently offering a 100% sign up bonus up to a maximum of $600, so now is the time to take advantage of this fantastic offer and ensure you sign up for Full Tilt Poker here at Findabet.co.uk.

Be sure to read our full review of Full Tilt Poker before you play.

Tags: poker

For those keeping an eye on the state of poker gambling in one of the largest American cities, bad news was brought today in the form of a Superior Court ruling which maintains that online, money-based gambling is still illegal.

Lee Rousso, poker devotee and lawyer argued against the state’s regulation after filing a lawsuit but was ultimately defeated. Rousso maintains that the law should be appealed based on the fact that popular support is on his side instead of the governments and that legislation needs to be altered in light of this. After the court reached a decision he spoke to the press in front of the Poker Player’s Alliance, a group of almost seventy citizens led by the lawyer in their fight against what they consider to be an unjust and unconstitutional law.

Although his battle was lost this time Rousso is not ready to give up quite yet. He announced that the matter would be brought up again, this time in front of the US Supreme Court. With the support of not only the PPA but also a great deal of the American public, Rousso could find himself successful if the matter is pushed. If Washington eventually relents it could open up a new door for many other international governments who have discriminated against online gambling practices, encouraging the growth of the business and discouraging the bad reputation of Internet betting.

Tags: poker

The question of whether private clubs can host poker tournaments was once again brought before Danish Supreme Court by effect of the political body re-opening its case against gambling today. A group of Denmark’s fervent poker fans have organized and spoken out in defense of the game’s community to great effect.

Danish poker fans were disappointed as the nation’s second largest governing body at Landsretten shot down the bill the last time it was brought to popular attention. Now, after an appeal to the decision was brought forth by the Danish Poker Federation and Frederik Hostrup, the law banning poker tournaments is up for questioning again. With the temporary repeal of the Landsretten restrictions of December 18th 2007 Danish gambling law has reverted to the old legal status wherein players can join tournaments again at their favourite clubs.

Poker gamblers all across Europe should be glad to hear the news considering the enthusiasm and talent which Danish card players bring to the continental scene. If Denmark changes legislature to allow tournaments neighboring countries may follow and lead to a less restricted and more enjoyable environment for the game to flourish within. For now, European poker players can only wait and see what time brings but if nothing else, this recent move has at least provided hope for a brighter future.

Tags: poker

As online poker continues to grow in popularity, social networking sites (akin to the enormous hits, Facebook and MySpace) seem to be the next smart business opportunity for companies hoping to profit. Advertisers and players alike are right to be excited about this new venue as Dealtoplay represents one of the premier services which could ignite a brand new service for the poker industry to foster.

Dealtoplay.com has recently launched their social network targeted at fans of online poker and casinos. The site is unique in that it knows it’s demographic and offers news reels and event listings tailored to those who visit. Members of Dealtoplay.com can create detailed profiles as well as add or otherwise manage friend lists; whether these are people they know in real life or have formed a relationship with from chatting at Internet tables.

Only time will tell how successful this recent venture toward cashing in on the online gambling craze will be but as of now it looks hopeful. Already stories are popping up all over Internet poker message boards describing the great friends (and even partners) that players have found through Dealtoplay. If enough users flock to the service and leaders in the community give it their endorsement then we can expect to see poker and casino themed social sites to continue in partnership with gambling networks.

Tags: poker

CryptoLogic, the Irish casino software developer has renewed its contract with 888 Holdings for another three years, news that means good things for both sides of the deal. As the contract goes forward players can expect the release of new additions to familiar poker clients (supported by 888) and innovation within the conventions we have all grown familiar with.

CryptoLogic is one of the premier software developers in the world of online poker and the continued funding of their efforts by an enormous Internet gaming company like 888.com means that players can expect even better features and programs to come. The company has stated that they are now beginning work on platforms meant to further the success of their existing WagerLogic system and department. CryptoLogic also mentioned that they were excited to benefit from the strong marketing and industry reputation of 888, seeing their next three years as a great opportunity to further their place within the business.

The reassurance that these two giants will stay in partnership also reaffirms the stability of online poker’s prevalence in the business world. 888 Holdings has made a smart move by locking down the time-proven support of CryptoLogic and we can expect their hosted sites to continue leading the pack in online poker as a result of this move.

Tags: poker

Although many UK poker players may recognise Liv Boeree most for her participation in the Channel 5 reality show which saw her learning how to pick up the game, Boeree’s performance at the European Ladies Championship shows just how far she has come as a professional player.

The Ladbrokes Poker event saw Boeree emerge as the top competitor out of fifty-two contestants all vying for the title. She took first place for the $30,000 prize and a seat at the World Series of Poker Main Event after two days of tough playing, beating out Lena Martyak at the last table.

Boeree used her time in the spotlight to comment on the concept of the Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship, mentioning that the gender-exclusive tournament has gone a long way toward reaching the company’s goal of demonstrating the skill female poker players have. Ladbrokes Poker event manager, Lucy Sergides commented that the demand for the ELC has been impressive and hopes to see an increase of truly mixed-gender tables as the tournament gains publicity and demonstrates the quality of play.

Liv Boeree’s going to be a player to watch as she continues her career as one of the foremost female poker pros demonstrating a new wave of competitors in the traditionally male dominated sport.

Tags: poker

After last December’s hosting of the first European Championship of Online Poker by Titan Poker turned out as a success, the company has decided to begin a second series starting on May 23rd.

The online tournament will last for ten days, finishing on June 1st and promises a great deal of action and quality competition for Internet players to engage in. With last year’s ECOOP paying out $2.5 million the stakes have been raised with a huge cash-out being certain to come after the Championship has been played through to the end.

Tournament hopefuls will have to put in some time on the tables to place in the ECOOP satellites or buy-in directly when the event kicks-off. Leader boards will track the best players up to the time of the Championship so expect fierce competition to emerge before the event has even started.

When the dust settles, Titan has also promised that the top hundred gamblers will be entered into a $50,000 Free Roll which starts only three days after the main event has finished. As with any major online tournament we can expect the ECOOP II to showcase many of the brightest and best upcoming and established poker players of the year, making the event one not to be missed.

Tags: poker

After becoming the youngest online poker player to make television at a European Poker Table and making waves by cashing out big at the World Series of Poker three times running, twenty-one year old Justin Bonomo has been signed to the Bodog poker team. He is now set to represent Team Bodog and its franchise as a promoter and representative of the successful poker company.

The Los Angeles native has only beenplaying within the spotlight for three years but is already attracting a great deal of attention and not just because of his age. Last year’s WSOP saw Bonomo play for Bodog as he climbed the ranks to the final table for the $2000 No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, finishing fourth but continuing to sport his Bodog promo clothing throughout the rest of the events.

Bonomo is excited to now join the team officially alongside big names such as Evelyn Ng and (former Survivor China contestant) Jean-Robert Bellande. This summer’s proceedings at the WSOP will determine how successfully the young player will be able to continue his impressive streak as an online poker player now sitting at physical tables. Bonomo is aiming high however as he told poker reporters that he was after nothing less than the gold bracelet itself for his new team.

Tags: poker

British online gambling company, Playtech Limited reported ground breaking revenue generated from Internet casinos and poker websites today. Mor Weizer, Playtech’s Chief Executive Officer announced that the company’s earnings have enjoyed an incredible 97 percent raise from the same financial period last year (and a 19% increase from last period).

iPoker, Playtech’s online poker network, will host the second annual European Championship of Online Poker toward the end of May and in support of the continuation of the event, thecompany has decided to sign even more poker licenses as a sign of confidencethat this economic upswing will continue.

Playtech is expanding further by wayof global interests as earnings continue to increase substantially month by month. Weizer announced not only the coming addition of improvements andinnovations to their existing poker sites but also growth that seeks to break Playtech’s online casinos into Asia, a market which could further the sky rocketing business of internet poker.

As Playtech Limited continues to gain momentum as a powerhouse within the world of virtual gambling the bigger picture demonstrates a bright future for the industry in general. With the proposed establishment of Asian based projects in the third quarter of this year it is likely that the great success of online casinos and online poker will be in no danger of coming to a halt anytime soon.

Tags: poker

Norway’s strict anti-gambling laws have prohibited a national poker tournament within the country itself so once again the best Norwegian card sharks have packed their bags for Britain in order to determine the 2008 champ.

The Norwegian Poker Championships took place at Dusk Till Dawn and featured a coming together of Scandinavian and British players as they bet it out to determine the best poker competitor for the year. Exciting side events and a generally lively spirit have taken over the well known UK poker venue for the last few days as Norwegian TV covers the events for the fans at home.

British poker professionals like Pete Linton, Dave Penly and Lucy Rokach have emerged as contenders for the main event alongside Norway’s top players including Andreas Hoivold and Johnny Lodden ensuring that poker fans from both nations will have a favourite to follow.

The Norwegian Poker Championships have generated a lot of buzz in Nottingham and online since the games started and many take heart in the hosting of such a high-profile affair. Dusk Till Dawn and Nottingham itself stand to drum up great business from the event as well as demonstrating the great potential that an annual repeat could have for British poker and the city.

Tags: poker

Instead of heading to your favourite poker forum to discuss your loss at online tables, Paysafecard is offering incentives to share your ‘bad beats’ with them for a chance to get your stake back in the bank.

The UK based company acts as a bridge between your money and virtual chips, and has been moving up as one of the premier services in transferring money between the Internet and your physical accounts. The Paysafecard company is now looking to provide further incentives to get you onto their business by providing a weekly draw wherein a refund of the money gambled (and lost) is awarded on Mondays to the player with the best story of a horrible loss.

By playing at any of the provided online casinos (Pokerstars, Partypoker, Ultimatebet and many others) and having entered a game using the Paysafecard service a failed gamble can be recorded with a screenshot and sent to badbeat@paysafecard.com wherein stories are considered for winning the weekly refund. Luckily your identity is hidden so even by sharing your embarrassment, not everyone who visits the site has to know the humiliation suffered.

It’s a good idea to drum up further service for the company and may be just the push needed to get Paysafecard established as the foremost electronic funds management service in the United Kingdom for the booming online poker industry.

Tags: poker

Podcasts are a fantastic way of learning new skills. I listen to a variety of Podcasts on a weekly basis.

As more and more of us are utilising MP3 players, and with the Apple iPod being the outright market leader, Apple came up with the term on "podcast". A Podcast is like a radio show, that you can subscribe to through iTunes, or just download the MP3 of the Podcast through the Podcast providers website. There are podcasts covering every vertical, from news, to shopping, to, of course, online poker and gambling.

I listen to a few Poker Podcasts and I thought I would share them here for my readers.

Poker Night
The Circuit
Two plus Two Pokercast
On the Rail
Full Tilt Poker Podcast
Pokerroad.com Podcast

Click the links to try out each of the podcasts.

Tags: poker

Ladbrokes Poker has been making news this week with their acquisition of UK poker star, Jon Kalmar. The teams newest pro was signed after gaining notoriety as the only British player to get to the final table during the 2007 WSOP Main Event where he eventually took home $1.25 million (placing fifth in the tournament) after considering quitting from a streak of bad luck that plagued him for most of the series.

Kalmar, known as ‘Skalie’ from his online handle is enthusiastic about his inclusion in the Ladbrokes line-up. Ladbrokes Poker manager, Edward Ihre maintains that the signing was only a formal gesture for Skalie who was already a regular player at Ladbrokes online. Nevertheless the adding of a new pro like Kalmar to their roster can only mean more good publicity for the team.

Only time will tell how Jon Kalmar fares as a member of Ladbrokes Poker but the team’s 110 players July party at the Voodoo Lounge, Las Vegas should give Skalie a chance to show off his chops. The spotlight will be on the rookie member as he hopes to use his multi-table skills and headline Ladbrokes Poker’s new promotions and tutorials in the future.

Tags: poker, ladbrokes

Brandi Hawbaker was declared dead on Sunday, April 13th in a California residence. The twenty-six year old player has become famous in the worlds of both online and physical casino poker, in part aided by her good looks and wild personality. A Los Angeles County Coroner ruled Hawbaker’s death as a suicide while family and friends have since referenced an unidentified mental illness as the likely cause of her actions.

Hawbaker began to attract notice when she was chip leader for the first several weeks of the 2006 World Poker Tour Fiesta al Lago Classic and welcomed the spotlight with a unique brand of exhibitionism and spunk. Poker forums were abuzz with news and debate of the new player and Hawbaker was no stranger to her rising star often provoking and reacting to debate about her.

In the predominantly male world of poker, Brandi Hawbaker emerged as an anomaly and showed that she was eager to stand as an equal among the biggest, loudest and most skilled players regardless of gender. Her attitude and looks garnered initial attention but her dedication to poker and success at the tables earned her staying power which was tragically cut short by her suicide. Hawbaker is survived by her three younger brothers, father and step-mother and the Nashville native’s ashes will be scatted in the sea as per her wishes.

Tags: poker

An odd bit of news sees the conclusion to a recent story regarding two brothers who managed to scam roughly £150,000 to fund a trip to Vegas poker tables. Mohammed Imran and Mohammed Ifran (both in their mid-30s) were top players in the international poker scene before their arrest for the crime, having played against enormously wealthy Microsoft chief, Bill Gates and entrepreneur, Kerry Packer in Las Vegas before and at such illustrious tables as in the Bellagio Hotel venue. The theft was carried out in order to enable a continuation of high-stakes play against the best players in Las Vegas.

The brothers were able to access an error made within the automated banking system from back around the time of the Halifax and Bank of Scotland’s merger. Using a single, expired Halifax Bank of Scotland card, large amounts of money were frequently withdrawn from various cash point machines until the captured sum was amounted. Imran and Ifran were caught once the bank became aware of the withdrawals, referenced surveillance footage and later raided their homes.

Before the theft, Mohammed Imran was ranked 32nd in the 2005 World Series of Poker and Ifran at 19th but after their capture the two have been banned from all UK casinos and it seems incredibly doubtful that visas will be granted for Imran and Ifran to travel to American poker tables.

The brothers plead guilty and now face jail time around two years for the perpetration of their crimes.

Tags: poker

Given the massive (and constantly growing) fan base of poker it seems only natural that Hollywood would address the craze with films based on the game. The newest James Bond film, ‘Casino Royale’ came close but wasn’t as concerned with the cards themselves as other elements of action and last month’s release of ‘21’, a story based on MIT card counters was immensely popular even though its casino setting was centered around the game of blackjack.

MGM Studios have recently announced a new poker-based feature entitled ‘Deal’ with Shannon Elizabeth, Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison set to star. Aside from the cast of mainstream actors the film is projected to supply cameo appearances of real-life poker players such as Phil Laak, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem and Vincent Van Patten in an effort to provide something special for the dedicated poker followers sure to make up a large part of the audience.

With the announcement of ‘Deal’ and the great success of ‘21’ expect for a large number of poker-themed blockbusters and primetime television series across the world. As new fans flock to the game every day there is sure to be significant demand for film makers to supply stories based on their favourite pastime.

Tags: poker

Although online poker remains in a legally hazy situation within the nation German poker players are continuing to flock to Internet Casinos to get their fill of the game as a recent poll by Deutsche Welle has demonstrated.

Through careful placement of server and corporate headquarters in nations outside of Germany, online poker companies have been able to successfully muddle the penal system to make virtual play a viable option for the population. In Germany the law dictates that gambling is only permitted within a recognised, physical casino and this has made the transition toward online play difficult.

However as statistics demonstrate that somewhere around 200,000 to 290,000 Germans access poker sites for play (and around one million Euros were gambled by this route in 2006) the nation’s legislature is proving ineffective toward a proper regulation.

Although the German government could stand to make significant federal income from a full legalisation for now it stands that only the tax authorities themselves are profiting from this rise in online poker’s popularity. The first step toward a greater degree of control may come soon enough however as celebrity sponsors and social acceptability are increasing along with mainstream online play showing that perhaps in a short time spectators may witness fully legalised online casinos for Germany.

Tags: poker

The Dutch government recently turned down a bill which would grant Holland Casino the exclusive rights to provide a Netherlands based online casino to citizens. The company holds the monopoly for gambling in the Netherlands and was hoping to expand their market by offering the only viable service for Internet poker playing within the nation.

Various factors resulted in the Dutch Parliament refusing the expansion of Holland Casino’s monopoly which was overturned by only two votes in the company’s appeal to the Netherlands government. Ministers hope that by voting against the appeal it will dampen Dutch gambling practices by stopping another outlet to online poker playing although gaming betters will still find ample venues internationally and within the EU itself.

The parliamentary move has also dealt a minor blow to Holland Casino’s software provider, CryptoLogic who have been working with the corporation for over a year on developing the proposed online casino. With the denial of a Dutch internet casino option CryptoLogic will no longer be able to benefit from the revenue sharing system they had put in motion during their time working for Holland Casino. Brian Hadfield, the software corporation’s CEO remains optimistic however as he and the rest of his team at CryptoLogic were anticipating the refusal of such a bill and continue to work for other clients.

Tags: casino, poker, CryptoLogic

CBS’ influential weekly news show, 60 Minutes is reportedly turning to the world of online poker for a new expose. The issues being examined in the one hour program are not ones that should concern law-abiding internet poker players however as the news team’s investigation is set to look into those services which fail to properly monitor age verification and credit card information.

The primary focus of the episode will be in breaking down the basics of exactly how online poker functions, a process not unknown to those players who frequent virtual tables. Pokerhelper.com’s Nat Arem has expressed concern that the report may sway popular opinion toward a negative view of online poker by way of having their first introduction into the phenomenon brought by way of a sensationalist broadcast. Two past reports by the CBS team have looked at the industry before to slightly negative effect but this third attempt is rumored to be more specific in its approach of the subject.

At this point it is mostly the PR managers of online poker corporations that are concerned with the fallout the 60 Minutes piece may have so this news should not worry the casual enthusiast. Only time and broadcast will tell exactly how severe a blow the show may have on the industry.

Tags: poker

Andreas Jorbeck took down Europe’s top poker professionals in his first ever live game, the PartyPoker.com hosted Late Night Poker 2008 tournament. Jorbeck, 36 hails from Stockholm and has been playing smaller-scale online poker for around four years, never imagining that it would take him to this level of prestige.

The final round featured players from the World Poker Tour including top champions, Roland de Wolfe, Andy Black, Ian Frazer, Eddy Scharf and Surinder Sunar among others. The event was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK and saw Jorbeck beat out de Wolfe after playing as an underdog for most of the rounds and winning an impressive $125, 000 by virtue of his win.

The Stockholm resident pressed his advantage in the finals by taking on a more aggressive approach to the play which enabled him to emerge at the top of the round, leaving the former champion de Wolfe as runner-up and 2008 Premier League Winner Black in third place.

Jorbeck is being touted as an example of the quality of online poker players as he managed to win against seasoned live-game professionals. PartyPoker.com is understandably enthusiastic about Jorbeck’s display and his show of skill in a tournament that had him barely pegged as a contender.

Tags: poker

The British Fossway pub in York has seen the rise of local grandmother and former Nestlé employee, Christine Barklem (known to her friends as Titch) in poker competitions. Barklem, 52 only just recently learned to play having picked up the game around the end of last summer from getting into pub rounds and has shown a natural talent at Texas Hold ‘Em.

Despite winning multiple games and racking up a good deal of local notoriety, Barklem has been rewarded with little by way of money. Her entrance into the UK Pub Poker Championship itself only rewards £100 and a trophy because of strict laws governing gambling regulations within Great Britain. Just the same Barklem has already entered into the top three hundred pub poker players in all of the United Kingdom with little less than a year’s experience under her belt – an honour not to be underestimated.

The finals of the UK Pub Poker Championship will be held this Sunday, March 30th at Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn and will determine the final winner of the long weeks of intense poker playing. Barklem will surely have fans cheering her on as she goes for the title.

Tags: poker