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5 Years or Less for Taj Majal Killing over Poker Game.

A fight broke out at the Taj Majal Casino in Atlantic City, following a disagreement at one of the casinos poker tables. Vincente Perez accused in the stabbing death of his fellow poker player, Arthur Prince, 61, of Toms River that he didn’t mean to kill his opponent. Perez, a self employed truck driver explained to the judge that he was acting only out of self defense.

The two men stepped out of the casino and entered the valet parking area of a casino parking garage. They argued, and soon became violent. According to news reports, the Perez told said Prince beat him in the face with a cane, several times. In ‘Self Defence’ Perez stabbed the other man in the back, neck and cheek.

In a plea deal the charge against Perez was dropped from Aggravated manslaughter to reckless manslaughter, a second degree crime. Additional charges including the unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose will be dropped as per the agreement.

“(Perez) had an honest, but unreasonable belief that the use of deadly force was necessary to defend himself when Prince was assaulting him with a cane,” Talasnik said. “And such conduct is described in our case law as imperfect self-defense, a form of reckless manslaughter.” – pressofatlanticcity.com

Cards in The Air for the Camrose County Boys and Girls Club

A Camrose local was named the county card shark after winning the first ever celebrity poker tournament for the Boys and Girls Club at the Camrose Resort and Casino in Canada.

Trevor Miller entered the poker tournament to represent the county in the first ever charity tournament held to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Camrose. Among the local celeb’s in attendance were players from a local radio station (CAM-FM), Vital Effect, the local Fire Department (Camrose Fire) the police station.

The players pitted against each other for their chosen charities, challenging the poker strategies of their opponents, until finally, councilor Miller emerged the winner.

“I chose the Boys and Girls Club because I wanted to give the money to a local charity, keep the funds in the community,” Miller told press representatives in Canada. “It’s a very worthy cause, of course, by providing children with an outlet for activities.”

Miller won the $500 for the Boys and Girls program in the Canadian Poker tournament which Rees James from the program said would be put to good use in the groups summer program:

“We run the program to give youth a chance to do things they normally wouldn’t get the chance to do,” James explained. “Every summer we try to organize events and take them out on field trips out of the city.”

So what winning strategy did Miller employ to win the game? None.

“It’s all about luck.” Said the councilman, “I never really expected to win after being down to a chip,” he commented. “I’ve played a few games with family, but never in tournaments.”

Poker Players Alliance New Advocacy Booth Debuts at WSOP

Poker players and poker enthusiasts attending this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) are now able to express their love of the game to policymakers. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy organization, today unveiled its new Poker Advocacy Booth as play began at the WSOP.

Located just outside the doors of WSOP tournament play (which takes place in the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino), the Advocacy Booth provides WSOP attendees with numerous ways in which to communicate to their elected officials that poker is not a crime and their voters are paying attention.

“We have come a long way in educating members of Congress and state elected officials that poker is a game of skill and is not a crime. Yet the threats to our right to play this great game are not going away,” said former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “The PPA’s Poker Advocacy Booth makes it easy for poker aficionados at the WSOP to make their voices heard. We are very excited to bring our grassroots efforts to poker’s hallowed ground, and we are grateful that Harrah’s and the WSOP have provided us with premium space to get our message out to the poker community.”

The Poker Advocacy Booth will be open every day of the 2008 WSOP. Videos and online displays will provide information on the importance of joining the PPA and an overview of the PPA’s advocacy efforts to date. Non-PPA members can also quickly join the organization at the booth.

Members of the PPA can use the booth to send letters directly to their members of Congress and local elected officials to urge them to support legislation protecting our rights to play poker as well as send a message to these policymakers that the poker community is a large and active one. During select times the PPA Advocacy Booth will offer poker players to ability tape short video testimonials about why they love the game and why it should be protected. The PPA will post these on its website as well as share with members of Congress.

The booth also supports PPA’s voter registration campaign, If You Play, Have a Say™. PPA members who are not currently registered to vote can stop by the booth and fill out a simple online registration form. Once it’s signed and stamped, PPA will put all the completed forms in the mail.

“This is a one stop shop where PPA members can make a direct impact on protecting the great American pastime of poker, and I urge everyone to stop by while they are at the WSOP,” said D’Amato.

Bluff Magazine Announces New Subscription Based Online Poker Room

Bluff Magazine, has announced the launch of their latest venture, promised to be a poker player please, a subscription-based online poker room, ClubBluff.com.

“We’re thrilled to be able to give our loyal readers and poker fans across America the chance to join us at ClubBluff.com,” said Eric Morris, co-president and publisher of Bluff Magazine. “We’re proud of what Bluff Magazine has become over the past four years and have the same aspirations for ClubBluff.com.”

Every month ClubBluff.com members can play in thousands of online poker and blackjack tournaments risk-free with no buy-ins but over $100,000 in prizes, including cash. As an added bonus of membership players will also get access to tips from professional online poker and blackjack players as well as digital access to Bluff Magazine content online.

Players who are serious about their poker can also play to win World Series of Poker* Main Event seats, WSOP-Circuit seats, World Poker Tour World Championship seats and other great prizes. Starting June 1, 2008, players can get into the nightly $1,000 and monthly $20,000 poker tournaments.

Players pay only $19.95 per month for complete access to the tournaments, sit-n-goes and ring games. There are no additional costs and the first two weeks are free of charge allowing poker players the opportunity to test out the software and win cash prizes.

UltimateBet Investigation Confirms Unfair Play, Victims to Be Reimbursed

Tokwiro Enterprises, parent company of the UltimateBet online poker room, has been conducting an investigation for the past three months in regards to accusations of ‘unfair play’, centered around the username “NioNio”. Yesterday, Tokwiro Enterprises released the findings of its explorative study, announcing that unfair play was in fact occurring at the UltimateBet online poker room.

According to the report released on UltimateBet.com, a number of accounts were gaining an unfair advantage by using an unauthorized software code that enabled them to view the hole cards of other players. Apparently, the perpetrators worked for the previous owners of UltimateBet, before the company was sold to Tokwiro Enterprises in October of 2006.

Tokwiro has stated that the company will take full responsibility for the misconduct, vowing to reimburse any player who suffered losses from the incident. It is also their main priority to “”permanently remove the ability to engage in unfair play” and to, “implement measures that prevents future incidents.”

Tokwiro asserted that the company had no prior knowledge of the existence of a ‘software code’ before February of 2008, one month after Tokwiro was alerted to the possibility of unfair play occurring. The investigation confirmed that the unauthorized software code was “part of a legacy auditing system”, manipulated by the alleged criminals.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, under which UltimateBet holds its gaming licensing, hired an independent auditing firm, Gaming Associates. The audit report revealed that the software code in question has been permanently removed from the system.

Tokwiro Enterprises issued a statement to all members of the UltimateBet online poker room:

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty and support, as well as for their understanding that we are doing everything we can to correct this situation. The staff and management of UltimateBet are fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our players, and we want to assure customers of our unwavering resolve to monitor site security with every resource at our disposal.”

Historical Grand Opening of the First Branded Heartland Poker Room

Heartland Poker Tour makes history this month as the largest poker room in Detroit becomes the first ever branded “Heartland Poker Tour Room at Greektown Casino”. The HPT poker room at Greektown Casino is located in historic Greektown, downtown Detroit’s vibrant dining and entertainment district. The HPT poker action is hot with $80 Texas No-Limit Hold’em poker satellites underway.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 31st as the first Heartland Poker Tour stop in Detroit, Michigan at the historic Greektown Casino. There are daily HPT Main Event Qualifier Texas No-Limit Hold’em tournaments for $340 and daily $80 satellites. Heartland Poker Tour provides poker players the best opportunity to win a seat into the main event for a discount price hence the HPT slogan “Real People, Unreal Money.” Players can also buy-in directly to the main event for $1650.

Below is the upcoming schedule for Heartland Poker Tour satellites, qualifiers and televised main event.

Satellite Tournaments: May 5 – June 6, 2008
Qualifier Tournaments: May 31 – June 6, 2008
Main Event: June 6 – June 8, 2008
Final Table: June 8, 2008

The new “Heartland Poker Room at Greektown” is filled with Texas No-Limit Hold ‘em Poker and other poker games, all of which provide players with a Cheer’s-like atmosphere-including food, a sports ticker and ten large televisions. The HPT poker room at Greektown Casino has 20 poker tables and a professional staff.

Greg Lang, Heartland Poker Tour’s Co-Founder, stated, “We are proud to partner with Greektown Casino and make history opening the first official HPT branded poker room together. Greektown Casino is a perfect fit for us because we share the same commitment: to provide the best poker experience possible to our players. Poker Room Manager Ed White’s experience is a huge asset.”

Along with the poker announcement, Greektown Casino is proud to share their continue commitment to the Detroit community over the past year. Greektown is adding a world class hotel for their guest, have opened the first official “Heartland Poker Tour” Poker Room and gave back to the community through a wildly successful poker charity event that raised $18,000 for Share A Smile.

The HPT Poker Room at Greektown Casino, located in downtown Detroit, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. The Heartland Poker Tour is shown on Comcast Detroit on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. with additional viewing throughout the week (check your local TV guide). For more information on the HPT Room at Greektown Casino’s schedule or hotel rooms, contact the poker room at 1-888-771-4386 or visit www.greektowncasino.com/Gaming/PokerRoom/

The Heartland Poker Tour kicked off the fourth season in February 2008 and is seen in over 74 million homes nationwide. The HPT has held 38 televised main events in 11 different states. Over 15,000 poker players will complete in the Heartland Poker Tour in 2008.

Founded by Todd Anderson and Greg Lang in 2005, Heartland Poker Tour is built on a grass roots strategy, “Real People, Unreal Money”. HPT provides poker enthusiasts a televised Texas No Limit Hold’em poker tour with affordable buy-ins. HPT owns and operates the Heartland Poker League where poker players can build their skills through local weekly tournaments. HPT is currently in Season IV and is viewed in over 74 million homes throughout the United States. For more information and a complete schedule of upcoming events, visit www.HeartlandPokerTour.com.

Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy Joins UltimateBet Pros

It’s official – UltimateBet has announced the signing of Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy as the newest addition of talent to its roster of UltimateBet Pros. WSOP Bracelet winner and New York native Josephy takes his place at the online poker room alongside other pros like Shawn Rice, Scott Ian, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon and Gary “Debo34” DeBernardi.

Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy gained quite the reputation as an imposing foe at live poker tournaments, earning more than $1.3 million at 21 tables. His greatest achievement was a Bracelet-worthy, 1st place victory in the 2005 WSOP, Event #8 7 Card Stud. Josehpy’s most lucrative win, however, came in September of 2006 at the UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic, where a 2nd place finish earned him nearly half a million dollars – $446,975 to be exact.

What sets Josephy apart from most professional poker players is that he is one of a very elite few who have managed to earn more than $1 million not only at live poker tournaments, but playing online poker tournaments, as well.

Annie Duke, a phenomenal professional poker player who contributes to the tournament schedule and design of UltimateBet, was the leading light in signing Cliff Josephy. After following his accomplishments over the years, Duke felt it was time to offer a deal.

“A Star Player is one who has an undisputed high level of skill, lots of integrity, and is well respected in the world of online poker,” Annie Duke fortified the decision. “One look at his impressive record reveals that JohnnyBax epitomizes a Star Player and is the perfect addition to our roster of respected and talented poker players.”

Josephy has plenty of experience with high-stakes action, dating back to a 14 year career as a stockbroker to the aristocratic side of the business. He then turned pro in the poker industry, where his exceptional skills have proved worthy once again. At 42 years of age, the father of three can now be found playing online poker exclusively at UltimateBet online poker room, under the username “JohnnyBax“.

Well Known Poker Player Kang-Hyuk Choi – Arraigned Following Arrest at Commerce Casino

Kang-Hyuk Choi was arraigned on charges involving the murder of three victims and their robbery among other lessor charges last Wednesday the 21st. He walked into the court room with headphones on, and a small device similar looking to an mp3 player in his left hand used for communication between himself and his translator.

Choir’s right arm was covered by a bandage that hid his fingertips and nearly went up to his elbow.

Choir’s lawyer, Francis Meehan, a public defender entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The judge, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Harry Carroll, ordered that Choi be held in jail, without bail.

Newsday reports say that Choi ‘listened intently’ while the prosecutor, Wayne Mello described the three murders to the court in detail. Mello explained how the murder removed a knife from one of the victims and then washed the blood from it.

Police involved in the case claim Choi took thirty thousand dollars and a car from the murder scene. Choi was arrested two weeks after the brutal murders at Commerce Casino in California when he got up from a poker game to use the restroom.

Fuzion Poker Announces Exclusive Freerolls for your chance to win WSOP semi-final seats!!!

Pennsylvania, May 22, 2008 – Fuzion Poker, a prevalent news blog and poker forum, proudly announces the presentation of exclusive WSOP Freeroll tournaments at Bodog Poker. Poker fans who sign up a new Bodog Poker account through the links provided at PokerFuzion.com will automatically receive a free entry ticket to one of two WSOP Freerolls at Bodog Poker. This offer is exclusive to members of the Fuzion Poker forums.

The first WSOP Freeroll tournament hosted by Bodog Poker will take place on Sunday, May 25 at 2:05 p.m. ET. The second WSOP Freeroll is scheduled for Friday, May 30 at 6:05 p.m. ET. The top-10 finalists of each Fuzion Poker exclusive WSOP Freeroll tournament will be awarded a seat in the Cheap Seats Finalists competition.

The Cheap Seats Finalists tournament will be held at Bodog Poker on May 31 at 6:05 p.m. ET and costs just $5 to enter. You don’t need to be a member of the forum for this event. All you have to do is download Bodog Poker here and send them an email for the password. The winner of this competition is awarded a free seat in the Bodog Poker 2008 WSOP Semi-Final (direct buy-in $270), with an ultimate prize package worth $12,000, including the $10k buy-in to the 2008 WSOP Main Event and an additional $2k for travel, accommodations and other expenses.

Players who do not finish in the top-10 at either of Fuzion Poker’s exclusive WSOP Freerolls can still buy-in to the WSOP Freeroll Finalists tournament for $5.00 + $0.50.
Bodog Poker is also hosting WSOP Seat Giveaway Qualifiers four times daily up until May 31st. The top-25 finishers in each WSOP Seat Giveaway Qualifier will be granted a free seat in the WSOP Seat Giveaway Finale that kicks off Saturday, June 7th at 5:05 p.m. ET at Bodog Poker. The 1st place winner of this tournament wins a $12,000 WSOP Main Event Prize Package. The 2nd – 5th place finishers receive entry to the WSOP Main Event Semi-Final on May 31st.

To receive one free entry to the Fuzion Poker exclusive WSOP Freerolls, poker players must have (or sign-up) an account with Fuzion Poker. Download the Bodog Poker software, and then send an email to support@pokerfuzion.com with your Bodog username. Fuzion Poker will respond with the necessary Freeroll and tournament passwords to gain entry to a Bodog Poker WSOP Freeroll.

About Fuzion Poker
Fuzion Poker is a poker forum and news blog dedicated to providing its members with the most current news, information and other related topics regarding the online poker industry. Frequently updated, unbiased reviews of online poker rooms are provided to assist new and veteran online poker players in selecting the poker site that best suits their needs, geographical location and preferred style of gaming.

About Bodog Poker
Bodog Poker is regarded as one of the oldest and most respected online poker rooms in the industry, dating back to its initial launch in 1994. Bodog Poker, a US friendly online poker room, is currently giving away 4 seats in the 2008 WSOP Main Event each week, guaranteeing at least 1,000 seats to its members before the start of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event on July 3rd.

PokerVT.com – New Poker Training System From Daniel Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu, an extraordinary professional poker player with two WPT Titles and three WSOP Bracelets, has announced the unveiling of his very own poker training system – PokerVT.com. After pocket more than $10-million in live poker tournaments all around the globe, Negreanu has decided it’s time to share the knowledge of his impeccable skills with other poker enthusiasts.

Included in Daniel Negreanu’s Poker Training System will be his long-desired “Small Ball” strategy, along with the opening of his Texas Hold’em playbook. Poker enthusiasts around the world will be able to log onto PokerVT.com and take guidance from this master of the game in an interactive virtual poker training platform.

“For years, people have been asking me about Small Ball and my various cash game strategies,” says Negreanu. “I was just waiting for the perfect place to share with everyone, and at PokerVT.com, I can comfortably say that we have set the bar for training sites at an all time high with our depth of content and cutting edge technology.”

PokerVT is a premier poker training platform providing one-on-one tutorials from Daniel Negreanu, as well as a few other experts in the poker profession. The ‘VT’ stands for “Virtual Training”; a precise definition of the new system. Pupils will not only learn the secrets of winning poker strategies from the best of the best, but also continue to track their improvement as the course progresses.

Las Vegas-based company LightSpeed VT was the original developer of proprietary technology, making the training and further testing at PokerVT possible. Other clients that have sought the assistance of LightSpeed VT include EBay, General Motor and Gold’s Gym, just to name a few.

“There’s a natural affinity between our technological capabilities and the immense brand cache of Daniel Negreanu,” commented Brad Lea, CEO of LightSpeed VT. “Daniel provides his vast poker knowledge and charismatic personality, and we package his poker genius into an exciting, engaging user experience.”

Any decent poker strategy includes the implementation of statistics and probabilities. PokerVT includes a full course on mathematics, taught by Professor Charley Swayne, and expert in such fields. Other prolific poker pros that will be contributing to PokerVT include Paul Wasicka, JC Alvarado, Adam Junglen, BooostedJ and Annette Obrestad (Annette_15), an astounding female poker pro who burst onto the scene by taking down the first annual World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in 2007 at the age of 18.

Negreanu went on to comment on his excitement and confident anticipation for the future of PokerVT and players around the world. “This is the best instructional product I have ever seen. Wait until you see how we used headphones to capture the real-time thoughts of pros and amateurs during actual games, and then watch me go back and analyze their plays and thoughts.”

Another addition to the PokerVT training line-up is the player’s ability to test their skill and quickness in determining the first, second and third “Nuts”. A Negreanu-Swayne Poker Aptitude Test (N-SPAT) identifies and measures a player’s capacity for understanding the lessons of math and strategy.

Negreanu’s PokerVT presnts in excess of 300 interactive training modules already, with more planned in the near future. “This is the kind of resource I wish I’d had first starting out,” Negreanu exclaimed. “It’s like we’re sitting across the table from each other, and I’m your personal coach.”

For more information, or to take the virtual tour, visit www.PokerVT.com. Members will have access to the entire line-up of virtual poker training material 24/7, compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux computers. A DSL or Cable Internet connection is required; all major credit cards accepted.

Triple Homicide Suspect Arrested at Commerce Casino in California.

A man suspected of a brutal stabbing and charged with the murder of three people inside a New Jersey home was arrested during a 200/400 limit poker game at the Commerce casino in California. Police connected the man to the crime scene via a diary kept by one of his alleged victims.

The diary kept by Han Il Kim led police to Kang Hyuk Choi, by allegedly making it apparent that during his last days of life, Choi was in the house with Kim, his mother and his uncle. The two men, Kim, 27, and Choi quarreled over money according to reports.

Prosecutors say Choi used a knife to stab Kim a number of times at Kim’s home in Tenafly New York. Tenafly is about 10 miles North of Midtown Manhattan.

Following the triple murder, Choi a 32 year old male from Valley Stream New York allegedly left the scene of the murders in a BMW belonging to Han Il Kim. He then, according to reports, caught a flight to California carrying more than $30,000 in cash, and some credit cards registered in Han Kim’s name. Choi was then treated in a California hospital for injuries he is alleged to have suffered during the victims fight for their lives.

Bergen County prosecutor Frank Puccio said Kim’s body was found hidden in the closet of his bedroom. His bed was filled with bed sheets and clothing to make it appear as if someone was asleep in it. Hours later, allegedly Choi was still in the house, and reports say he stabbed Yoo Bok Kim as she entered the room to check on her son.
Kim’s uncle, Doo Soo Seo was also murdered, at the age of 70.

Choi was arrested while carrying $88,000 in cash, chips from a casino, and was still carrying the credit cards allegedly taken from the Kim residence following the murders, all with Han Il Kim’s name on them. In addition to those cards, Choi had receipts from purchases made with other people’s credit cards.

Puccio believes that Choi is the only suspect in this brutal stabbing murder of a family in New York “We’re convinced that Mr. Choi is the sole actor. In terms of looking for other suspects, the case is closed,” Puccio said. -Associated Press

Caesars Palace Las Vegas Presents ‘Mega Stack Series’ Poker Tournament

Where else but Las Vegas – the premier destination for all things ‘gambling’ – would you find not only the world’s most prestigious poker event, the World Series of Poker, but also a brand new event guaranteed to pique the interest of deep-stack poker fans, all in one summer? Caesars Palace will be hosting just such an event next month, termed the ‘Mega Stack Series’.

The Mega Stack Series will consist of 43 tournaments spanning 39 days, June 1st through July 9th, 2008. Each day, a new tournament will begin at 12:00 noon, with special tournaments starting at 3:00 pm on certain days. On July 7th, the big three-day finale will begin – the Mega Stack Championship.

Buy-ins for various Mega Stack Series tournaments start as low as $200 + $25, scaling up to $1,000 + $60 for a seat in the Mega Stack Championship. Blind levels will increase every 50 minutes throughout the series, with hourly increases during the Mega Stack Championship. All but two tournaments will grant starting chips of at least 5,000; more for higher buy-in events.

Caesars Palace has introduced “Staff Bonus” Add-ons at all of its Mega Stack Series tournaments (except the Mega Stack Championship), granting players the option of purchasing an additional 2,500 chips for $10 at the start of the event.

Registration for each tournament opens at 10:00 am on the morning of the event. For more information, see the Mega Stack Series Tournament Schedule below, head on over to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, or visit Harrahs.com.

Mega Stack Series Tournament Schedule
Date and Time – Buy-in, Event – Chip Stack, Add-ons
6/1 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
6/2 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/3 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/3 @ 3pm – $200 + $25 Seniors 50+ NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/4 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/5 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/6 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/7 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/8 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
6/9 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/10 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/10 @ 3pm – $200 + $25 Omaha Hi/Lo – 2,500, $10/2,500
6/11 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/12 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/13 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/14 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/15 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
6/16 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/17 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/17 @ 3pm – $200 + $25 PL Omaha – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/18 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/19 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/20 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/21 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/22 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
6/23 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/24 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/24 @ 3pm – $200 + $25 Limit Hold’em – 2,500, $10/2,500
6/25 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/26 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
6/27 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/28 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
6/29 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
6/30 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/1 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/2 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/3 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/4 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
7/5 @ 12pm – $300 + $30 NL Hold’em – 10,000, $10/2,500
7/6 @ 12pm – $500 + $40 NL Hold’em – 12,500, $10/2,500
7/7 @ 12pm – $1000 + $60 NL Mega Championship – 25,000
7/8 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/8 @ 2pm – Mega Championship Continues – Day Two
7/9 @ 12pm – $200 + $25 NL Hold’em – 5,000, $10/2,500
7/9 @ 2pm – Mega Championship Final Table – Day Three

FTOPS VIII Main Event; Online Poker Tourney Ends, Paying Over $15mil

The long-anticipated Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS VIII) has finally come to an end at Full Tilt Poker, the world’s second largest online poker room. When all was said and done, FTOPS VIII – originally guaranteeing $10 million throughout the 24-tournament series – paid out a whopping grand total of $15,378,400 to its combined winners.

Yesterday, the FTOPS VIII Main Event was played out, bringing about the end of Full Tilt Poker’s most lucrative online poker event. But before we get into the details of the big finale, let’s take a brief glimpse into the results of Sunday’s first tournament, Event #23.

FTOPS VIII – Event #23
The afternoon began with a $240 + $16 NL Hold’em Knockout, with 6-max re-buys and a guaranteed prize pool of $500,000, hosted by Full Tilt Pro Roland de Wolfe. The turn-out became a massive field of 3,149 players, the third largest throughout FTOPS VIII thus far, raising the guaranteed value to $629,800.

Only one of Full Tilt Poker red-tagged players finished in the enormous bubble that paid the top 348 positions. David Pham snagged a 235th place finish, collecting $346.39; enough to cover the buy-in fee and purchase a nice dinner for two – maybe even take in a movie.

The final table came down to heads-up play between “elheroe” and “Panamatony”. In the end, it was “elheroe” taking the 1st place prize of $124,020.22, along with his brand new FTOPS VIII jacket and custom gold avatar. “Panamatony” earned $78,221.16 for the second place finish.

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FTOPS VIII – Main Event #24
With a proper drum roll and imagined gasps of anticipation, I proudly announce the conclusion of FTOPS VIII Main Event #24, a $500 + $35 NL Hold’em tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $2,000,000. Hosted by the exquisite Full Tilt Pro Jennifer Harman herself, 4,750 participants took their seats at the finale of Full Tilt Poker’s most prestigious series of online poker tournaments; enough to extend the GP by another $375,000.The top 648 finishers in the FTOPS Main Event would see a piece of the prize, four of which were Full Tilt Poker’s red-tagged players. “HuckleberrySeed” was the last red-tag player eliminated, earning $1,163.75 for a 282dn place finish. Stuart Patterson gained honorable mention for coming in 354th with $950. Andy Bloch finished 429th, worth $855, followed by Robert Mizrachi in 578th position for $736.25.As the final table was slowly reduced, heads-up action began between the notable skills of online poker players “cheesemonster” and “MarMoss”. The battle to finish continued until one final participant remained standing – er, seated. When the smoke cleared, it was “cheesemonster” who was proclaimed 1st place victor of the FTOPS Main Event.“cheesemonster” received the FTOPS VIII championship title, an FTOPS VIII jacket and the coveted gold FTOPS avatar. Oh yes, and let’s not forget an imposing reward of $410,780! “MarMoss” proudly walked away with the 2nd place prize $249,375.

PPA Unveils Enhanced Website, Membership Benefits – Announces Drawing for Seat at World Series of Poker Main Event

PPA Unveils Enhanced Website, Membership Benefits

Announces Drawing for Seat at World Series of Poker Main Event

Washington, DC (May 19, 2008) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy organization, today released a slate of new membership benefits as well as a new and enhanced website, both of which are designed to provide the over one million PPA members with greater benefits of membership. As part of the launch, PPA is holding a drawing for a fully paid $10,000 buy-in for a seat at the Main Event at the World Series of Poker.

“The PPA has entered into the top tier of advocacy organizations, and we have only our members to thank. As such, we are constantly looking for ways to increase the value of a PPA membership,” said former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “I am excited about the opportunities our new website and enhanced membership benefits offer to our members as we continue the fight to protect poker players’ rights.”

The new PPA website is designed to provide a more interactive and user friendly experience to PPA members. With enhanced forums and individual blogs written by each of PPA’s State Directors, members will be able to communicate with each other and find out the latest poker news in their state. This will also be a great resource for PPA’s State Directors as they organize members on the ground in their state to take action in support of poker.

The many benefits of full PPA membership – including access to all information, resources and tools on the PPA website and use of PPA’s Litigation Support Network – are also expanding. Members will now have the right to vote for the at large member of the PPA board of directors and receive a custom collector’s edition PPA poker chip.

PPA is also pleased to partner with OneBigPlanet to provide full PPA members with enrollment in an online royalty rewards program. This program will offer PPA members discounts of 10-70 percent on purchases from select online merchants.

As an added bonus, every new, dues-paying member that signs up to join PPA before June 10, 2008 and who makes one purchase through OneBigPlanet will be automatically enrolled in the WSOP contest*. For more information on the contest, please visit: http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/wsop2008/.

Friday/Saturday At Full Tilt Poker – FTOPS VIII Events #19-#22

It was a long weekend at the world’s second largest online poker room, Full Tilt Poker, as the 8th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS VIII) came near its end. Four events took place Friday and Saturday, worth a guaranteed total of $2.4 million, but once again – as has been the case throughout FTOPS VIII – an excess of player entries, combined with multiple re-buys, resulted in a mammoth total of $3,216,500 awarded over the two-day, four-event period.

The winner of each FTOPS event claims not only the 1st place cash prize, but also an FTOPS VIII jacket and custom gold FTOPS VIII avatar for use at the online poker room.

FTOPS VIII – Event #19
The action kicked off Friday with Event #19, $200 NL Hold’em, with a 300k guaranteed prize pool jacked up to $398,800 as 1,994 participants entered. Full Tilt Pro Rob Hollink hosted and played in the tournament, but his commentaries were more notable than his finish; the prize-bubble eluding his well-known talents.

Red-tagged members of Full Tilt Poker who did manage to cash in the event included Aaron Bartley, Steve Brecher and Lee Watkinson. Bartley finished the highest, knocked out in 24th position for $1,595.20. Brecher took $797.60 for a 47th place finish. Watkinson, who’s cashed in several FTOPS VIII events thus far, was awarded $319.04 for coming in 256th position.

As the tournament came to a close, it was “edub707” going heads-up against “Pot Odds 3” for the big win. “Pot Odds 3” came out on top, taking the 1st place prize of $73,379.20. For a 2nd place victory, “edub707” earned $45,064.40.

FTOPS VIII – Event #20
Friday evening began the next FTOPS VIII installment, a $200 Limit Hold’em capped at 6 re-buys, with a guaranteed prize pool of $200,000. Full Tilt Pro Mike Schneider did the honors of hosting the 20th FTOPS VIII event as 915 players took their virtual seats to compete for the top prize.

To the surprise of many, nary a single one of Full Tilt Poker’s red-tagged players managed to cash in this tournament. Skilled player “mypokerlife” found his attentions elsewhere, however, as he went heads-up against “WinHumble” at the final table. When the results came in, it was “mypokerlife” besting “WinHumble” for the 1st place prize of $41,700. “WinHumble” pocketed $27,800 for the 2nd place win.

FTOPS VIII – Event #21
Saturday afternoon set the scene for one of Full Tilt Poker’s most anticipated events of FTOPS VIII, a two-day NL Hold’em event with a $2,500 + $120 direct buy-in and a whopping $1.5 million prize pool. If the GP wasn’t enough to begin with, 899 entries hiked the tournament’s prize pool to $2,247,500. Full Tilt Pro Phil Ivey took part, hosting this expensive yet highly profitable event.

Full Tilt’s red-tag members were one their game today, but none managed to reach the final table. The closest effort came from Erich Kollmann, who earned himself an impressive $21,351.25 for sinishing in the 12th position. “PearlJammed” was not too far behind, ending in 22nd for $8,765.25. Another eight positions down landed Bruce Buffer, taking the 30th place prize of $7,641.50. Further down the list in 63rd position was Thomas Bihl, taking home $5,394.

On day two of this enormously valuable tournament, heads-up action finally began between “JRShaffy” and “Halfrek”; already noted for his 1st place victory last Monday during Event #11 that earned him $342,495. In the end, “Halfrek” would claim his second FTOPS VIII event title with another 1st place finish, this time worth a staggering $516,925. “JRShaffy” would not leave disappointed, pocketing a remarkable $325,887.50.

FTOPS VIII – Event #22
Saturday’s FTOPS action came to a close with a $100 + $9 PL Omaha Re-Buy event, attracting 939 players to jump the guaranteed prize pool from $350k to $370,200. Full Tilt Pro Sigi Stockinger proudly accepted the role as host of this FTOPS event.

With only the top 90 positions paying, Full Tilt Poker’s red-taggers stepped up once again, taking four positions in the prize-bubble. Topping the list was Nenad Medic, earning $1,443.78 for a 20th place finish. Next came Berry Johnston in 30th ($1,258.68), Ross Boatman in 44th ($1,110.60) and Stefan Rapp in 53rd ($999.54).

When all was said and done, “theASHMAN103” defeated “Frooodo” in heads-up play for a 1st place prize of $85,146. “Frooodo” claimed $53,679 for 2nd place.

Wynn Casino Sues Charles Barkley for 400k in Gambling Debt.

He told us from the beginning, Charles Barkley is no role model. The Hall of Fame basketball player, Charles Barkley, 45, is named in a case filed by the Wynn Las Vegas in the District court of Clark County Nevada.

In the claim made by the Nevada casino the Wynn claims that Barkley was issued $400,000.00 in casino credit last year. That was in October, seven months later, Barkley has failed to repay the markers.

“I’m not broke, and I’m going to take care of it.”

Barkley told the press the failure to repay was merely an oversite, he said he “screwed up” and ‘isn’t broke’ Barkey says he is planning to take care of the gambling debt.

Bloomberg, a prosecutor in Nevada however said that this might not be the last of Barkley’s troubles, criminal charges my be filed.

Reports have been made involving much bigger gambling losses by the former NBA star turned commentator in the past however, in fact, he’s said himself that he lost millions in less time, if you can afford to lose millions, and not blink in one session, then perhaps it is possible to lose 400k, and just forget…

Barkley claims his substantial debt is a result of a Super Bowl bet. And, really, US$400,000 is peanuts when compared to the US$10-million the former-player-turned-commentator estimated he had gambled away during an interview two years ago. Last year, he claimed he once lost US$2.5-million in one six-hour period. – National Post

“Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah,” Barkley said. “But I don’t consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble.”

Omaha Heater: From Micro Stack to 50K in One Night

An amazing run was made by a 32 year old online poker player from the United Kingdom at Full Tilt Poker this week. The online poker player known as KingBenno on the popular 2+2 poker forums, and as Lord_Opeth on Full Tilt took his bankroll from $332 to $51,598.50 in just a matter of hours.

Lord_Opeth’s upward swing began when he placed 47th in Full Tilt Online Poker series event number 8, the heads up holdem event. The buy in for that event was $500.00. 47th place paid just under $1200.00, the minimum cash payout.

Lord_Opeth isn’t new to scooping pots online though, in fact we saw him just recently in a NL Hold’em Knockout DS $240 + $16 on Full Tilt, in addition to some recent cashes on PokerStars. What makes this story interesting is what he did with his $1200 bankroll next.

Lord_Opeth says he “Decided to play some 10-20 Ohama [Pot Limit Omaha]“. In his own words, he “lost at first”. In fact he played his bankroll down to about $332.00.

And then Lord_Opeth says, “variance leaned the right way” and found himself on a heater, he couldn’t lose. Or he didn’t.

Coin flip after coin flip Opeth found himself on the right side of the cards. He dominated in a few hands, he was dominated in others, he scooped some serious pots either way. In one hand against online poker high stakes player Chufty as recorded by the High Stakes database, Lord_Opeth wins a $26,999 pot with 2 pair over two pair.

Lord Opeth begins the hand with 8KQA, Chufty starts with 89TQ, both make two pair, Queens and eights for CHUFTY, Aces and Queens for Lord_Opeth. In less than 200 hands, 90 minutes later, Lord_Opeth had spent some time at 10/20 and some time at 200/400 plo tables. Opeth had felt the rush of changing from low stakes, to very big stakes, and Lord_Opeth’s cashier window on Full Tilt held $51,598.50, and a thousand bucks in play money.

When asked what he planned to do next, Lord_Opeth said he was on his way to the World Series of Poker. As for today, he’s only been spotted at $2 sit n go tables. It would appear he’s taking a break from the rush, and perhaps a moment to sit back and wallow in fifty grand.

PKR.com Promises to Make TV Stars of top Online Poker Players

Next-gen poker room PKR.com has announced ambitious moves into television that will see its innovative gameplay beamed into more than fifteen million homes across Europe.Airing nightly, the shows will feature in-game footage captured from the final tables of two of PKR.com’s most prestigious tournaments – the $100 buy-in $10,000 Guaranteed tournament taking place each Thursday and Saturday’s $60 buy-in ‘$20,000 Guaranteed TV Showdown’. Hopeful players can buy-in direct or qualify via satellite for as little as $2.

Taking its lead from popular real world poker broadcasts, PKR.com’s televised tournaments allow viewers to see all hole cards while listening to expert analysis provided by the PKR.com podcast team – host Colin Morris and commentators James ‘Jabbawa’ Bach and Dan ‘Danski’ Grant. PKR.com’s rich real-time 3D graphics, customisable player avatars and range of emotes all contribute to making this the most engaging, entertaining and watchable online poker programming ever seen.

“The chance to play poker on TV was traditionally the reserve of well bankrolled pro’s, but our televised tournaments now give players of all levels the chance to play in front of audiences across all of Europe” said PKR.com Marketing Director, Simon Prodger.

PKR.com’s televised tournaments will be available to viewers in the UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Malta. All broadcasts are also available for viewing online at the PKR TV channel on You Tube (http://uk.youtube.com/user/PKRTV).

PKR.com’s move into branded content follows earlier successful forays into TV advertising that has introduced the site to thousands of new players.

PKR tournament poker will be airing:

• In the UK on Sky channels 157 (Hollywood TV) and 842.
• In France on Noos, Numericable and Free (Channels 48, 95 and 145 respectively)
• In Germany on Kabel Deutschland, KBW, Unity Media, NetCologne, NetMartens, Zattoo
• In Belgium on BeTV and Coditel (Channel 168)
• In Luxembourg on Coditel (Channel 168)
• In Netherlands on UPC Digital (Channel 127) and KPN (Channel 316)
• In Finland, on Welho (Channel 212) and Canal Digital (Channel 94)
• In Norway, Sweden and Denmark on Canal Digital (Channel 94)
• In Iceland on Skjarinn
• In Spain on Imagenio (Channel 98) and Zattoo
• In Malta on MelitaCable (Channel 209)
• Pan-Europe: at 1° West with set top box tuned to 11.229 GHZ Horizontal

International Poker Champs Confirmed For Asian Poker Tour Manila

Flack, Seed, Winston, Matloubi and Ng Vie for Top Prize

The action at the Asian Poker Tour Manila leg is sure to be sizzling hot with several international poker champs now confirmed. Layne Flack, Huck Seed, Roy Winston, Mansour Matloubi and Evelyn Ng are determined to take home the largest share in the $1,000,000 prize pool at the upcoming Asian Poker Tour Manila Event to be held at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel this coming May 27 to June 1.

From being a dealer, Layne “Back to Back” Flack learned the key points of the game from Johnny Chan and has done well in the major tournament circuit. Flack won back to back WSOP bracelets in 2002 and 2003 along with another bracelet won prior to those years, thus the nickname “Back to Back”. He has a total of 5 WSOP bracelets and has more than $3,300,000 tournament winnings and is looking to add more to this roster of success with an Asian Poker Tour Title to his name.

After winning the 1996 WSOP Main Event and grabbing a whopping $1,000,000, not to mention owning 4 WSOP bracelets, Huck Seed has had much success in the poker world. He is a threat to the other poker pros aiming to seize the Asian Poker Tour victory. A gambler at heart, Seed is taking a gamble on attending the APT to win the title and add to his more than $3,700,000 total winnings.

A medical doctor from California with his eyes set on the Asian Poker Tour title, Roy Winston has been in the major tournament circuit for two years and already has found great success. He placed 26th in 2007 WSOP Main Event, and also a 2007 WPT Borgata Poker Open Champion. This medical doctor-poker pro has his live tournament winnings at around $2,500,000 to date.

Mansour Matloubi made history by becoming the first non-American to win the WSOP Main Event. By winning this event in 1990, the Iranian-Welsh professional poker player has accomplished what all poker players dream about. He took home $835,000 along with the title of the Main Event and the most coveted Main Event GOLD Bracelet. His tournament winnings are more than $1,900,000 and he is now preparing to take the title of the APT.

The only rose among the thorns in this roster of champs is the model-like Evelyn Ng. A known figure in the poker world, Ng is a common sight in the tournament circuit. She is currently on Team Bodog, which is made up of some of poker’s biggest stars. Her most notable finish is the 2003 World Poker Tour Ladies Night where she finished 2nd place. Ng is ready to boost her tournament winnings which exceed $300,000 by grabbing the APT’s top prize. Aside from the tournament circuits, Ng is also frequently on poker TV shows: King of Vegas on Spike TV and in the X-box poker video game “Stacked”.

Flack, Seed, Winston, Matloubi and Ng are some of the finest poker players from around the globe who will set the six days of the Asian Poker Tour ablaze. Their eager involvement in the APT bears out that it is indeed a grand poker event — the biggest in Asia to date. These poker stars, along with more than 400 other players will be battling out with their skills and expertise for the prestige and a share of $1,000,000 prize pool.

The buy-in to this event is $2,500, but on-line satellite tournaments can win you a seat in this event including an all-expense paid trip. The Manila leg of the APT is also sanctioned by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The same goes for the other three legs where huge prize pools are up for grabs as well as incredible tournament packages for on-line satellite winners.

FTOPS VIII Event #17 and #18 Winners Revealed

Day 9 of Full Tilt Poker’s tournament extravaganza, the eighth Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS VIII) kicked off with Event #17, a $216 NL Hold’em Quadruple-Shootout with a $200k Guaranteed prize pool. Seven hours later, Event #18 got underway, a $322 Razz tournament guaranteeing at least $150k.

The results are in, and as has been the case throughout FTOPS VIII, both events saw prize pools exceeding their original guarantee due to elevated entry numbers and re-buys. All told, Full Tilt Poker awarded $422,300 on the day’s FTOPS events.

FTOPS VIII – Event #17
Thursday’s opener, a $200 + $16 No-Limit Texas Hold’em Quadruple-Shootout with 6-max re-buys – originally scheduled as one of those intriguing ‘mystery tournaments’ – saw a massive field of 1,294 participants, along with multiple re-buys, hiking the $200k guaranteed prize pool up to $258,800.

Full Tilt Pro Markus Golser was on hand to host the event, managing to finish just inside the bubble with a 143rd place win, awarding $414.08 – and I do mean ‘just inside’ the bubble, as 144th was the last paying placement in the tournament. Two other red-branded members of Team Full Tilt also found their way into the money as “PearlJammed” finished 90th for $569.36, and Lee Watkinson earned $1,164.60 for a 36th place derailment.

The final table was reduced to heads-up play between “OUSOONERS24” and “rtkoss”. As the event came to a close, it was “OUSOONERS24” who triumphed, pocketing $45,290 and accepting the 1st place bonus of an FTOPS VIII gold jacket and custom avatar. The 2nd place prize of $28,468 went to “rtkoss“.

FTOPS VIII – Event #18
The last event of the evening, a $300 + $22 Razz tournament guaranteeing a minimum prize pool of $150k, revealed 545 entries, extending the total prize pool to $163,500. Full Tilt Pro Berry Johnston, hosted the event, and though he did not finish in the money, he remains in 14th position on the FTOPS VIII Leaderboard with 230 points.

Two other red-flagged members of Team Full Tilt did make their way into the bubble in Event #18. Thomas Bihl finished 31st for a prize of $1,062.75. Marco Traniello did tremendously well, making it to the final table, but falling out in the 7th position for $3,597.

In the end, it was “eagle1829” going heads-up against “Tridynamo“, who holds the current number-one position on the FTOPS VIII Leaderboard with 339. When the smoke settled, “eagle1829” emerged the victor, proudly earning the FTOPS VIII gold jacket and avatar, along with $38,749.50 for his skilled efforts. “Tridynamo” earned an impressive $25,669.50, and the confidence of a 1st place seat on the FTOPS Leaderboards.

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