Singles Poker PKR and Lovestruck launch singles online poker nights
October 29, 2008
IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT…
London, 29 October, 2008 – Singles wanting to make a love match now have Lady Luck on their side. Online poker room PKR.com and dating website Lovestruck.com have today announced a partnership to create a series of online and face-to-face poker nights especially for singles, starting this November.
The singles poker nights will kick off with a special poker party for PKR.com and Lovestruck.com members to meet, mingle and learn to play. The launch bash will be held on Thursday 6 November at London’s coolest new bar, The Hoxton Pony, 104-108 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3AH.
Entry to the singles poker event is free; just register in advance at Lovestruck.com/london. After registering, those who want to swot up on the game and impress potential partners can get some practice in at www.PKR.com . At the live poker party, experienced dealers will be on hand to teach or remind guests the art of the game – so everyone can sit down at the table and work on their moves.
Following the event, people can continue to improve their poker skills and meet other fun loving people online through a series of weekly singles poker nights at PKR.com. Aptly named ‘Lovestruck Evenings,’ the specifically created online singles nights will kick off on 17th November at 8pm, with a free to enter tournament, followed by three additional low buy-in tournaments. Players will have to be registered with both PKR and Lovestruck to play and will receive a special password to enter.
PKR.com is a revolutionary new poker website that uses real-time 3D graphics to bring an unprecedented level of realism to the game. The site has seen dramatic growth with two million members registered since inception just two years ago. PKR has a hugely active online community of users and has seen several love matches resulting in three known weddings.
Lovestruck.com is a unique dating site that matches single professionals to others who work close by. Urban singles all over the UK and beyond meet for quick coffee, lunch or after-work dates to see if they ‘click’.
PKR Marketing Director, Simon Prodger says, “Poker is a very social game and we know our players actively chat both in the game and on our forums. We’ve seen romance bloom on PKR and so partnering with a site like Lovestruck that caters to young, outgoing professionals is perfect for us.”
Lovestruck Managing Director, Brett Harding, says “We’re always looking at innovative ways to bring our time-strapped Members together. By forming an alliance with PKR, we’ll be providing a quality poker experience that we know our discerning single professionals will appreciate.”
CAPT Qualifiers Offered at Sun Poker
October 29, 2008
Austria is very well known for poker in Europe, in fact, it is known as the poker capital of Europe. Having legal casinos that date back to 1775 has helped instill a culture that appreciates not only casino games but also skills games such as poker.
Well today the reputation for having world class events and poker tournaments is still alive and thriving. Thanks to the success of the Casinos Austria Poker Tour (CAPT), poker players are coming to Austria in hordes to play in the week of tournaments and cash games in Seefeld, Bregenz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Velden and Graz.
At the CAPT tournaments, it’s impossible to hear any negative comments about the tournaments at all. In fact all there is to hear is praises about how poker tournaments in Austria are always done to perfection!
“I really love the CAPT tournaments,” says Mihai Manole, winner of the Innsbruck CAPT main event, “I play all over the world and have never been to tournaments that are run this well and have this good of a structure!”
Having just finished the end of CAPT season 1 in Baden with the CAPT Baden and then the Poker EM, people are getting ready for season 2 which starts on January 10th in Seefeld. To qualify for the 2,500 Euro main event in Austria, you are able to play satellites in participating Austrian Casinos as well as online at Win2day.at. If you are living outside of Austria and still want to qualify to play in the CAPT tournaments you can qualify online through SunPoker.com. SunPoker.com sends the most qualifiers to CAPT tournaments outside of Austria.
“I was so impressed with season 1 of the Casinos Austria Poker Tour tournaments that I increased my team from 4 to 8 for the next season” Alex Jagodik, Captain of the Fearsome Foursome says, “Not only are the tournaments well run and amazing but the cash games are a poker players dream!”
This seasons schedule starts with CAPT Seefeld on Jan 10-18 and continues with CAPT Bregenz on Feb 22nd to March 1st, CAPT Salzburg on April 1st to 5th, CAPT Innsbruck on May 3rd to 10th, CAPT Velden on July 12th to 19th, CAPT Graz on August 25th to 30th and ends with CAPT Baden on Oct 4th to 11th.
The Casinos Austria Poker Tour is a breath of relief when it comes to Poker Tournaments world wide. Offering highly trained staff that move games along at a great pace while still being friendly, a tournament structure that allows for ample play time for everyone, and is so classy you will feel like you are in a James Bond film.
Online Qualifiers are starting now, giving plenty of time to win your seat into the Casinos Austria Poker Tour and to share in the estimated prize pool of over 5,000,000 Euro. For more information about the Casinos Austria Poker Tour visit http://www.casinos.at and for more information about how to qualify online to the Casinos Austria Poker
Tour: http://www.sunpoker.com/promotions/promo_fear4_EPTseefeld.asp
Holiday iGaming Social Celebrates Launch of Jadestone’s DiceArena
October 28, 2008
The final iGaming Social of the year will be held at London’s astounding Club 24 in Soho and will be sponsored by Swedish software developer, Jadestone who will be celebrating the launch of DiceArena, their new multiplayer dice product. The event will be the last big gathering for the London iGaming community until Fire&Ice in January.
“Our business is all about relationships and the holidays are a special time to get together,” said Lyceum Media’s Managing Partner and event producer Jodie Thind. “Jadestone’s sponsorship coupled with this incredible venue will really make this party a memorable start to the holiday party season.”
Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art lighting and bar technology, Club 24 is without a doubt the most high-tech venue in the whole of London and is the first fully interactive bar in the world. The panels are interactive and react to movement when touched.
“Our new dice games represent years of hard work by many people so we are definitely in the mood for celebrating this holiday season!” said Robert Henrysson, CEO of Jadestone. “We’re happy to spread a little Swedish yuletide cheer as we launch our exciting new multiplayer dice games.”
The next big iGaming party in London will be Lyceum’s legendary Fire&Ice event during IGE (International Gaming Expo, formerly ICE and ICEi) on January 28th. The theme of the mind-boggling annual event is still a secret – although prospective event sponsors can probably get a hint.
“We’re really going to showcase our Fire&Ice sponsors this year. There are several levels of sponsorship available. We’ve also got more private tables this year,” said Jodie. “The party’s gotten so big, people like having a VIP table where they can enjoy drinks at with their friends and associates. This year, because of the amazing venue we’ve booked, we’re offering dinner as part of the package. It’s going to be a big night!”
Last year’s cabaret theme amazed nearly 2,000 guests at the venerable Hippodrome in London’s Leicester Square. The event has grown exponentially every year since it began as a small group of iGaming friends getting together for drinks seven years ago.
4flush’s Own LadyHoldem is Joined Live by Christina Lindley, and You’re Invited!
October 23, 2008
Christina Lindley From Maxim Model, Playboy Bunny to Poker Proess
Christina Lindley, is well known on the internet for her Maxim Lingerie shoots, her confidence in Playboy magazine appearances, and for her slightly younger career as a professional poker player.
Lindley is scheduled to make her debut as a professional woman poker player on that hot poker television show we know and love THE BEST DAMN POKER SHOW .
Find out what else Lindley is up to in the poker world, how she juggles all these exciting career events, and where you’ll see her next. We’ll be asking Christina how her skills as a model help her in the poker world… How that confidence plays into a pair of two’s under the gun, and more..
Listen to the 4flush Radio show, an hour from now, at 2pm PST, and you can help us interview Christina Lindley.
The call in number for the 4flush Online Poker Radio show is -
(347) 884-9675
Bluff Magazine Announces 2008-09 Bluff Poker Tour
October 21, 2008
(Atlanta, US) Bluff Magazine, in conjunction with Players Investment Company (PICClub.com), is proud to announce the schedule for the Bluff Poker Tour (BPT), a series of online poker tournament modeled after the World Poker Tour, for 2008-09.
The BPT is a series of online poker tournaments giving players the opportunity to not only win cash but also win their share of over $10,000 worth of great prizes from BPT sponsors along the way. Some of the online poker rooms on the schedule for 2008-09 include DoylesRoom.com, PitbullPoker.com, TruePoker.com and ReeferPoker.com.
“The Bluff Poker Tour is a great opportunity for us to share time at the felt with our readers,” said Eric Morris, publisher of Bluff Magazine. “Our previous incarnations of the BPT had a great response from our readership and we think the 2008-09 BPT will be the best yet.”
To be eligible to compete in the BPT players need to sign up for a PICClub.com account, which will allow them to deposit to or withdraw from any of the participating rooms. Bluff Magazine chose PICClub.com as a sponsor as it is quickly becoming the easiest way for players to deposit or withdraw from online poker rooms.
“PICClub.com is pleased to be a part of the BPT. As we’ve grown to become the best way for a player to deposit funds and the best way for a poker room to acquire new players the BPT was a natural fit,” said Chuck Kidd, CEO of PICClub.com. “We look forward to helping the tour be bigger and better than ever before. The PIC Pro Team is ready to go and they will be at every stop.”
Once the players create their account they will then be eligible to play in any of the BPT events between October 30, 2008 and May 7, 2009. Buy-in for each BPT event is $10 + $1 with points being awarded for both finishing position and participation. Any player who wins a BPT event, eliminates a PICClub.com Pro from any BPT event or finishes in the top 10% of the overall points leaderboard will earn entry to the Tournament of Champions on May 10, 2009. The winner of the TOC will then face the overall points leader heads-up for the title of Bluff Poker Tour Champion.
HoldemRadio.com, the worlds #1 poker entertainment radio station and the official online voice of PICClub, will be broadcasting the BPT live each Thursday night with a pre-game broadcast featuring the PIC Pro Team members starting at 8:00pm ET.
World Poker Tour Ends Relations With CryptoLogic
October 21, 2008
World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPT-E), parent company and operator of WPTonline.com, announced that it is terminating its contract, and thus ceasing all relations with the online gambling software developer CryptoLogic.
CryptoLogic has supplied the software that powers the online poker room at WPTonline.com for little more than a year now. It has not been specified why WPT-E has made the crucial decision to end its relations with the online gaming software developer, but according to a WPT-E notice filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week, the online poker room will cease operation on or around November 14, 2008.
The closure of WPTonline.com is currently said to be temporary, though no re-opening date has been issued. By terminating its contract with CryptoLogic, WPT-E will be subject to a hefty penalty.
WPT-E signed a 3-year, $750,000 contract with CryptoLogic in 2007, with the agreement that WPT-E would pick up any uncovered costs from the operation of the online poker room. Combining these costs with the added expense of actually closing online poker room results in a final price tag estimated at a minimum of $2 million.
WPT-E has fully retained the right to reopen its online poker room, though full details of the company’s intentions have not been released. The WPT has also chosen not to disclose at this time whether it will be acquiring the license of a different online gaming software client, or developing its own proprietary network.
WPTonline.com had experienced significant difficulties from the time of launch. In 2006, the company was working to develop its own software platform, but in 2007 decided to license software from CryptoLogic. A major dilemma for WPT-E was the inability to accept US players while employing the software brand.
WPT-E has continued to encounter difficulties in 2008, with live poker tournament activity on a steady decline, forcing an unprecedented reaction that has never before taken place in the history of the WPT – a reduction in the number of WPT poker tournaments. Even the WPT-E stock has fallen from its 2005 glory of more than $27 per share, now resting at a precarious $0.46 per share.
WPT-E is not in jeopardy yet, having no debts, and assets valued at about $11 million. Its other online poker room, ClubWPT.com, has not felt the backlash of the current situation thus far. Based on player membership fees rather than real-money chip wagering, ClubWPT is 100% legal and open to American online poker players.
Poker Strategy: Restealing Late in Poker Tournaments
October 20, 2008
Restealing Late in Poker Tournaments
When you reach the late stages of a poker tournament, the blinds and antes will place immense pressure on each player’s stack. Because of this, play will become more and more aggressive, and passive players will be in a tough situation. To succeed in such a fast-paced and aggressive game, you need to open up your raising ranges, and know when you can make a play at a pot. This becomes especially crucial when you’re playing the bubble in a tournament, as play drastically changes. This article will teach you how to spot a steal attempt by an opponent, and how to counter their move.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Position
The first component that goes into a steal attempt is your position. When a player is in early position, it makes less sense to attempt a steal because you have so many players behind you who could wake up with a big hand. When a player is in middle position, it becomes a little more sensible to steal, especially if everyone in front of that player has folded. Late position is the prime time to steal blinds and antes, especially if no one has entered the pot in front of you. In that situation, there are only 2-3 players still to act, and odds are that they don’t have a solid hand.
If you suspect an opponent may be making a steal attempt, always think of their position first. If they’re in early position, do you think they’re aggressive enough to make a play at the pot from that spot? If not, fold your hand and let them have the pot. If you DO think they might do it, this could be a spot for a re-steal. We’ll talk more about how to execute a resteal later.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Chip Stack Size
Another factor that goes into a steal attempt is stack size. A solid rule to keep in mind is that the farther an opponent’s stack size is from average, the more likely they are to try to steal. The reasoning for this is because big stacks have chips to blow, and want to keep pressure on the table. Also, small stacks are desperate, have less to lose, and are more likely to make an overly aggressive play. Middle stacks, however, are trying to make it deeper into the tournament, and have enough of a stack to survive a few rounds of blinds. This makes them much less likely to attempt a steal, especially if they’re out of position.
Poker Tournament Strategy:Table Image
Another thing to consider when an opponent makes a raise is his/her table image. If the player has been making raises or re-raises recently, they are probably an aggressive player and are more likely to be stealing. If he/she hasn’t played a hand in a few rounds, it is more likely they are a passive player and actually has a hand.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Restealing
Ok, so let’s say that an aggressive opponent in late position with a big stack has made a raise, and you’re in the big blind. It folds to you, and you face a 3x sized raise. You decide that you think he/she is stealing. What do you do?
Well, unless you have a very strong hand, calling is out of the question. You’re going to be playing out of position on the flop versus an aggressive player with a stack, which is basically suicide.
I advocate re-raising preflop. Make a re-raise of 3-4x the initial raise, as this is just enough to give your opponent fold equity, meaning that they aren’t automatically committed to the pot because of their initial raise. When you make this re-raise, make sure that you still have plenty of chips behind your re-raise, because if it is only 4x more for the raiser to call your all in, he/she might do it just to gamble.
If you can make a few steals of your own, as well as an occasional resteal, you’ll be in excellent position to go deep in the poker tournament. Good luck!
Full Tilt Poker Announces November’s FTOPS X, $15m GTD Schedule
October 20, 2008
Full Tilt Poker, one of the largest online poker rooms in the world, is famous for a lot of things, and right at the top of that list is the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS). Now in its 10th installment, Full Tilt has announced the schedule for FTOPS X, coming up in November and structured to pay out a minimum of $15 million over 25 events.
The 11-day FTOPS X series will begin November 5th with Event #1, a $200+$16 6-Max No Limit Hold’em tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000. Events #9 and #11 will also feature excessive purses of $1.5 million, while Event #22 raises the bar to a whopping $2 million guaranteed prize pool.
Rounding out the Full Tilt Online Poker Series will be the FTOPS X Main Event (#25), set to kick off at 4pm ET on Sunday, November 16th. The FTOPS X Main Event features a $500+$35 buy-in to the NL Hold’em tournament with full tables, no re-buys, no add-ons and a phenomenal purse of $2.5 million guaranteed. (See full FTOPS X Schedule below.)
Full Tilt Poker has been running its astoundingly popular Full Tilt Online Poker Series for about two years now, and the benefits seem to keep rising with each new installment. The first FTOPS featured a series of 9 events with an overall guarantee of $2 million. As the online poker community prepares for FTOPS X, the events line-up has more than double and the overall guarantee has increased more than 7 times over.
Full Tilt Poker is currently running satellite competition for each and every event of FTOPS X, including FTOPS X Main Event Satellites starting at $20+$20.
Full Tilt Poker FTOPS-X Schedule of Events
Event #1 – 11/5 @ 9pm ET: $216 6-Max NL Hold’em – $1,000,000 GP
Event #2 – 11/6 @ 2pm ET: $256 PL Omaha/8 Knockout – $200,000 GP
Event #3 – 11/6 @ 9pm ET: $535 NL Hold’em 3xShooutout – $300,000 GP
Event #4 – 11/7 @ 2pm ET: $322 NL Hold’em 1 Re-Buy, 1 Add-on – $600,000 GP
Event #5 – 11/7 @ 9pm ET: $216 6-Max Limit Hold’em – $150,000 GP
Event #6 – 11/8 @ 2pm ET: $535 6-Max PL Omaha – $350,000 GP
Event #7 – 11/8 @ 4pm ET: $109 NL Hold’em Re-Buy – $600,000 GP
Event #8 – 11/9 @ 2pm ET: $256 NL Hold’em Knockout 6-Max – $600,000 GP
Event #9 – 11/9 @ 6pm ET: $322 NL Hold’em – $1,500,000 GP
Event #10 – 11/10 @ 2pm ET: $322 Mixed Hold’em – $250,000 GP
Event #11 – 11/10 @ 9pm ET: $1,060 NL Hold’em – $1,500,000 GP
Event #12 – 11/11 @ 2pm ET: $216 PL H.A. – $150,000 GP
Event #13 – 11/11 @ 9pm ET: $535 H.O.R.S.E. – $300,000 GP
Event #14 – 11/11 @ 9pm ET: $216 NL Hold’em Turbo – $500,000 GP
Event #15 – 11/12 @ 2pm ET: $216 PL Omaha/8 – $150,000 GP
Event #16 – 11/12 @ 9pm ET: $322 6-Max NL Hold’em Re-buy – $1,000,000 GP
Event #17 – 11/13 @ 2pm ET: $216 6-Max NL Hold’em 4xShootout – $250,000 GP
Event #18 – 11/13 @ 9pm ET: $322 Razz – $150,000 GP
Event #19 – 11/14 @ 2pm ET: $216 NL Hold’em – $400,000 GP
Event #20 – 11/14 @ 9pm ET: $216 Stud/8 – $100,000 GP
Event #21 – 11/15 @ 2pm ET: $535 Heads-Up NL Hold’em – $500,000 GP
Event #22 – 11/15 @ 2pm ET: $5,200 6-Max NL Hold’em – $2,000,000 GP (2-Days)
Event #23 – 11/15 @ 4pm ET: $109 PL Omaha Re-buy – $400,000 GP
Event #24 – 11/16 @ 2pm ET: $129 NL Hold’em Knockout – $500,000 GP
Event #25 – 11/16 @ 6pm ET: $535 FTOPSX Main Event NL Hold’em – $2,500,000 GP
Asian Poker Tour Ambassador, JC Tran, To Make European Debut In PartyPoker.com Premiere League
October 20, 2008
(London, UK) – The Asian Poker Tour is pleased to announce that recently signed ambassador JC Tran will make his first ever trip to Europe to take part in the prestigious PartyPoker.com Premier League Poker III.
JC Tran needs little introduction. Born in Vietnam in 1977 and now living in Sacramento, California, Tran is currently the top-ranked player IN THE WORLD on the Bluff Magazine/ESPN power rankings. After starting out by playing in local card rooms, he has won and cashed in big money tournaments and has total official winnings of over a staggering USD $6.7 million to date. His most notable recent victory was at Event #49 of the 39th World Series of Poker* 2008, where he won a bracelet and USD $631,170. JC was also the WPT’s player of the year for season five (he has made over $3 million on the WPT alone) and is amongst the most feared players in the world, both online and offline. He recently signed a deal, alongside friends Nam Le and Quinn Do, to become an ambassador for the Asian Poker Tour.
JC is excited about taking part in the PartyPoker.com Premier League. “I’m really looking forward to the PartyPoker.com Premier League and it is an honour to be chosen as one of the 12. I’ve seen coverage from previous events and I’m ready for all the verbal volleys that are likely to be thrown at me! I have been meaning to play in Europe for a while and this prestigious event is a great way to start,” says Tran.
PartyPoker.com Premier League Poker III sees the buy-in elevated to $75,000 and the added money raised to $350,000, making a total prize pool of $1.25 million. The next event wasn’t due to take place until 2009 but the demands of international broadcasters for coverage of the event has brought it forward! The series developed by Matchroom Sport, features 12 of the world’s best players playing in a unique league format. All 12 players will play six times in the preliminary stages. The leading four players will then progress to the final table with the next four battling it out in heads-up matches for the final two seats. The first player to be announced was Premier League II winner, Ireland’s Andy Black, who is automatically invited back as the defending champion. With JC now added to the line-up, as well as Juha Helppi, nine more names are yet to be revealed! The last two years have seen the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott and Tony G taking part.
Bodog Poker Releases More 2008 WSOP November Nine Prop Bets
October 20, 2008
With the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker drawing ever closer, Bodog has posted a couple more prop bets for the November Nine. Not everyone will get a chance to play at a WSOP final table and win millions, but everyone can bet on how those who do will finish.
Adding to the classic prop bet of who will actually win – the odds on favorite is Dennis Phillips, the chip leader going in – is the wager on what nationality that person will be. Obviously, with five Americans sitting at the table (Phillips, Chino Rheem, Craig Marquis, Kelly Kim and Ylon Schwartz) and the aforementioned Phillips as the chip leader, the odds are good that the winner will be US-born and the Bodog oddsmakers have pegged that at 5/7. However, there are two Canadians at the table (Scott Montgomery and Darus Suharto) and the fact that Montgomery has WPT final table experience and neither of them are the short stack puts them at 2/1 that one of them will take it down. That leaves Denmark (Peter Eastgate) and Russia (Ivan
Demidov) at 9/2 and 7/2, respectively.
The second new prop bet Bodog has posted concerns which player will be first to exit the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio on November 9. As you can imagine, the short-stacked Kim is the favorite to be that player as he only has nine big blinds with which to try and make a move, so his odds are set at 5/2. However, this is poker and anything can happen so take a look at the full list of participants and their
odds:
Dennis Phillips – 13/1
Craig Marquis – 4/1
Ylon Schwartz – 5/1
Scott Montgomery – 13/2
Darus Suharto – 5/1
Chino Rheem – 7/2
Ivan Demidov – 10/1
Kelly Kim – 5/2
Peter Eastgate – 13/2
Head over to Bodog and check out the 2008 WSOP prop bets and get in on some of the final table action, it’ll give you a reason to watch next month and possibly make a little cash in the process.
Kentucky Rules To Seize 141 Online Gambling Domains
October 17, 2008
Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate handed down his final, official ruling yesterday in the case of the Commonwealth of Kentucky versus 141 online gambling domains said to be in connection with illegal online gambling within the state’s borders. Wingate reaffirmed his original ruling to seize the domain names of all 141 online gambling sites, including the leading online poker rooms, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.
Judge Wingate ruled that domain names can be defined at “devices” used in online gambling, thereby illegal under Kentucky state law.
The defense argued that Kentucky does not have the jurisdictional rights to govern a world-wide faculty such as the Internet. Judge Wingate dismissed that claim as well, stating “We note that Opposing Groups and Lawyers argue any judicial interference of the Internet will create havoc. The doomsday argument does not ruffle the Court. The Internet, with all its benefits and advantages to modern day commerce and life, is still not above the law, whether on an international or municipal level.”
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) submitted a brief to express that poker is a game of skill, not luck, therefore should be exempt from illegal online gambling laws. Wingate dismissed these claims as well. “In the end, no matter how skilful or cunning the player, who wins and who loses is determined by the hands the players hold”.
According to the ruling, the judge has given each online gambling domain name the opportunity to put safeguards in place that would block Kentucky-based ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from accessing the domains. The online gambling operators have 30 days to comply in order to avoid the seizure order. Any online gambling operator among the 141 in the case that does not comply within 30 days will have its domain name seized by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
A final hearing date has been scheduled for November 17, 2008. It is not clear at this time whether any affected parties will attempt to appeal Wingate’s ruling.
It is interesting to point out that Kentucky’s own online horse racing industry, which is licensed and registered in Oregon, has come out of the hearing unscathed. 4Flush.com will be keeping a close eye on this story to bring you further updates as they occur.
Computer Glitch Defers Kentucky Online Gambling Domain Ruling To Thursday, Oct. 16
October 16, 2008
The future of 141 online gambling domains was left in the hands of Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate yesterday, but late in the day, the word came down from the judge’s office that the ruling would have to wait until Thursday, October 16th, due to a computer glitch.
The crucial decision will determine the fate of 141 online gambling domains that were originally ordered to be seized on September 18, 2008. These online gambling domains, which include some of the world’s largest online poker rooms – PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UltimateBet, Bodog Poker, Cake Poker and others – were deemed to be in connection with illegal online gambling within the borders of Kentucky.
At the request of Kentucky’s governor, Steve Beshear, the case was originally heard by Judge Wingate without defense representation or rebuttal of any kind. When a team of defense attorneys requested time to submit a brief, the judge temporarily over-ruled his own decision to allow the Commonwealth of Kentucky to seize the online gambling domain names.
Wingate then stated that he would need time to reconsider his decision, and would hand down his final ruling on October 15th – that was yesterday. The anticipation grew from all interested parties, but alas, no ruling came down. Instead, a fax came from the office of Christine Richards, Secretary to Judge Thomas Wingate, stating simply: “Computer problems. Order will be issued tomorrow.”
New (non US) Online Poker Site Hosting 168 Poker Freerolls
October 15, 2008
In a marketing whirlwind, new online poker room Cool Hand Poker adds 168 online poker frerolls to their massive grand opening events.
Sources from Cool Hand Poker told 4flush staff that the site will be holding more than 160 free poker tournaments, totaling more than $23,000.00 in poker prize pools.
The word from Gibraltar is that the party is on at Cool Hand for the next seven days as a new freeroll poker game kicks off every hour for a week!
The freeroll schedule at the new online poker room includes 4 freerolls with $500 prize pools, 4 with $200 prize pools, 2 $40 prize pools and 14 freerolls that payout $20 in free poker cash.
The Freeroll Frenzy at Cool Hand Poker kicks off today and will continue for an entire week ending October 22nd. In addition to the free poker games at Cool Hand, the site is also offering poker deposit bonuses as an incentive for poker players to try out the new Microgaming poker site.
The $350 sign up bonus includes a built in mini rakeback plan that pays loyal players back $10 for every 100 raked hands played at Cool Hand up to as much as $350.
Cool hand staff members boasted today in a press release that that rakeback amount is more than 2.8 times more than their competition offers!
Cool Hand
Poker Staff boasted today in a press release that Cool Hand Poker offers a Shark Free Poker Environment:
Cool Hand, unlike most poker rooms, limits players to 2 real money tables and 1 tournament table. This means that sharks have to work so much harder, for so much longer in order to try and take a player’s bankroll. In other words, it’s not worth their time, because to a shark time is money. The average poker player can now get in on all of the poker action without fear of their bankroll being ravaged. They now have a better chance of extending their game time and winning bigger pots.
Visit www.coolhandpoker.com for more information.
Falls biggest online poker festival touches down at PKR
October 15, 2008
The hugely anticipated Oktoberfest 2008 kicks off on Friday! PKR.com players will be treated to twelve high-octane events with $270,000 in guaranteed prizes to be won.
With a wide range of games on offer, the second annual Oktoberfest is designed to appeal to all types of player with Hold’em and Omaha, deep stack and six-seater tournaments included on the schedule. The twelve days of intense tournament action will be crowned with the popular ‘PKR Masters’ which is expected to payout the biggest guaranteed sum in PKR.com history.
Satellites are up now on PKR.com and will run throughout the series with new lotteries offering the chance to qualify for as little as $3. In addition, final tables of several events are set to be televised, as is now customary for PKR.com, so players can vie for the extra incentive of TV stardom!
Cardroom manager Neil Wright said, “We’re really excited as this will make our seventh festival on PKR.com. Our players really enjoy them and they keep getting bigger and better as a result. We also try to make sure we cater for everyone, which is reflected in the wide range of events and affordable buy-ins.”
Check out the Oktoberfest 2008 schedule for full details.
PKR OKTOBERFEST 2008 SCHEDULE
DAY EVENT TIME (GMT) BUY-IN
Friday 17 October TV Friday – $20K GTD 19:00 $40
Saturday 18 October Deep Stack (6-seater) – $25K GTD 19:00 $75
Sunday 19 October TV Sunday – $30K GTD 19:00 $65
Monday 20 October Deep and Steep – $10K GTD 19:00 $25
Tuesday 21 October PL Omaha – $10K GTD
19:00 $40
Wednesday 22 October TV Wednesday – 17.5K GTD (plus 6 x PKR Bounties) 19:00 $30Thursday 23 October Limit Hold’em 7.5K GTD
19:00 $25
Friday 24 October Terminator – $15K GTD 19:00 $40
Saturday 25 October TV Saturday – ‘The PKR Masters’ $100K GTD 19:00 $250
Sunday 26 October NL Hold‘em 6-seater – $25K GTD 20:00 $50
Thursday 30 October Freeroll 20:00 $0
Sunday 02 November TV Sunday – ‘Tournament of Champions’ 15:00 $0*All tournaments are regular No Limit hold‘em unless otherwise specified
About PKR Online Poker
PKR is a revolutionary new concept in online poker that has changed the way that online poker is played.
Featuring stunning real-time 3D graphics and a uniquely engaging and immersive gaming system, PKR brings an unparalleled and previously unseen level of realism to online poker.
Developed by some of the brightest stars in the video games and poker industries, PKR was founded in 2005 by President Jez San, one of Europe’s most respected technology entrepreneurs and the first person to ever be awarded an O.B.E for services to the computer games industry.
For more information on PKR, visit http://www.pkr.com
Poker Pros Visit Recovering Soldiers at Walter Reed
October 14, 2008
Professional poker players from across the nation joined injured troops and their families yesterday as part of a day-long celebration, which included a poker tournament. Organized by the USO of Metropolitan Washington (USO-Metro) and the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, the event, held at The Mologne House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, attracted over 100 participants.
“Members of the PPA are happy to do anything we can to express the poker community’s support and appreciation for our troops and their families who have made so many sacrifices to protect our individual rights and freedoms, said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA. “We were honored to be with these brave men and women and get to know them better.”
The event was designed to treat our nation’s heroes to a fun afternoon of fellowship and poker. A number of professional poker players were on hand to visit with the soldiers and their families as well as play in the tournament. They included:
“Joining the USO and visiting our troops, who have sacrificed so much, was one of the most emotional and rewarding experiences of my life.” – Howard Lederer
Andy Bloch
“Spending time with these soldiers, with their spirit and joy, shows what is really important in life.” – Andy Bloch
Victor Ramdin
“It was a great honor to share a wonderful experience with these true heroes who risked their lives to make our lives better.” – Victor Ramdin
“I was completely overwhelmed by the soldiers and their passion for poker, their passion for their country and their passion for life.” – Phil Gordon
Gavin Griffin
“It was an honor to be involved with the USO and to boost the morale of soldiers, who were so grateful to see us, when in reality we were the ones who were truly grateful for the time we got to spend with them.” – Gavin Griffin
Rhett Butler (Player in the final table of the 2006 WSOP Main Event)
Leeann Tweeden (host of NBC’s Poker After Dark)
Dennis Phillips (chip leader going into final table for the 2008 World Series of Poker)
“I have never been so proud or so humbled before in my life. You just want to stand up and shout to the world about what an honor it is to be allowed to play cards with these heroes who sacrificed so much to protect our liberties.” – Dennis Phillips
“We’re thrilled that these top poker pros would come out and spend a day with our soldiers and their families,” said Elaine Rogers, president of the USO-Metro. “Poker is a very popular activity among the soldiers spending time at Walter Reed recovering from their injuries, and this was a great opportunity for them to mingle with and learn from the best poker players in the country.”
Each of the poker players in attendance were clearly moved by the bravery and dedication of the soldiers and their families:
About The Poker Players Alliance
The Poker Players Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 1,000,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game and to protect poker players’ rights.
Big Promos Drawing Players To New Online Poker Room
October 14, 2008
Cool Hand Poker, one of the newest online poker rooms from Belle Rock Entertainment launched in mid-September, is attracting a substantial number of new players through an enticing promotional campaign. Instead of focusing on welcome bonuses alone, the online poker room is making its Leader Board race the highlight of Cool Hand Poker.
Not to downplay the welcome bonus offer from Cool Hand Poker – a 100% matching bonus worth up to $350 on a player’s first deposit – but avid online poker players will find the Leader Boards to be the most intriguing aspect of the site.
Cool Hand Poker has developed a promotion that will reward its loyal members time and again. In most Leader Board races, it is only the top point collectors who receive perks and prizes from their efforts. But at Cool Hand Poker, virtually anyone can reap the rewards.
For those who can’t make it into the online poker room often enough to rack up the biggest numbers, Cool Hand Poker awards $25 daily to the player who simply makes the highest jump in points. There are also weekly and monthly Leader Board competitions.
The top weekly leader board competitors can win one of 16 MP3 players, while the top 100 in the monthly leader boards earn cash prizes; an overall value of at least $5,000.
Cool Hand Poker is quickly making a name for itself in the freebie department, passing out some very cool merchandise to its members, such as the MP3 players mentioned above, vouchers for free music, video game consoles, laptop computers, vacation packages, land-based poker tournament entries and gift certificates to your favorite online shopping destinations.
Cool Hand Poker is powered by the Microgaming Network, which means players can participate in all of the usual Freerolls Tournaments hosted at Microgaming online poker rooms. But Cool Hand Poker knows how hard it is to win such tournaments when you’re competing against a network of sites. So, along with these regular Freerolls, members are privileged to enter daily $100 Freerolls, exclusive to Cool Hand Poker. The online poker room also promotes MP3 Freerolls four times a week.
As new as this online poker room is, there is no better time to get in on the action and take advantage of these great offers before the rapidly growing traffic rate at Cool Hand Poker becomes so high that the odds of winning one of many awesome prizes are stacked as high as a pro’s chips at the final table.
Christina Lindley From Maxim Model, Playboy Bunny to Poker Proess
October 13, 2008
Christina Lindley, most known for her Maxim linger model shoots, and Playboy magazine appearances will be making her debut as a professional poker player on television during an episode of THE BEST DAMN POKER SHOW aired on Fox Sports Along with Ultimate Bets Annie Duke and Phil Helmuth. The show that was filmed September 8th through the 12th will be on television October 29th.
The sexy new poker prowess will be featured on the show for seven episodes, giving the poker world a chance to see if there’s any skill behind the face of this well known playboy model.
Christina began her poker career when she was hired to play the part of Antonio Esfandiari’s girl friend in an online poker commercial four years ago.
Since that time, Lindley has been tutored not only by her on screen boyfriend Antonia Esfandiari but by pro blackjack player, Ken Einegar, and others.
Some of Lindley’s recent appearances in the poker world include a celebrity charity poker game on the last day of May beneffitting Mentors for Youth and another charity, last chance for Africa. The event was organized by Lindley’s coach and personal friend Dave Stann and was held at the Velvet Mararita Cantina.
Lindley was one of the two women in the charity event.
Poker After Dark: New Cash Game Airs on 10/13
October 11, 2008
NBC brings viewers another $200/$400 no-limit hold’em cash game with a minimum buy-in of $100,000
For those who enjoyed NBC’s Poker After Dark first ever cash game earlier this season, this week’s show should put a smile on their faces as six players with reputations for their cash game prowess face off in a $200/$400 no-limit hold’em game with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line. The first cash game was extremely well received by the viewing community, and this week’s action will see five familiar faces and one new one looking to increase their bankrolls at the expense of one another. Those competing are well-known pros Patrik Antonius, Howard Lederer, Doyle Brunson, Gabe Kaplan, Eli Elezra, and amateur player Dee Tiller.
All of the professional players, of course, are very experienced at playing poker for these stakes, and most have played against one another many times. The wildcard in the mix is Tiller, the self-proclaimed “Ten Pound Bass” who is a successful businessman from Texas but is no stranger to high stakes games, despite having played poker recreationally for only the past six years. He also brings a witty and down-home personality to the table that viewers are sure to enjoy.
Antonius is this week’s youngest player and is known for playing in the highest stakes cash games, especially online, where he has established a reputation as one of the best short-handed cash game players in the world. Elezra has played in the “Big Game” at Bellagio for many years, while Brunson, Lederer, and Kaplan have decades of experience between them playing at this level or even higher, and have amassed considerable wealth over the years by doing so.
The game will start with $200/$400 blinds and viewers can expect lots of straddles. Look for the players to agree to add an ante early in the session to increase the size of the pots. Players could buy in for a minimum of $100,000 and a maximum of $250,000, and any rebuys had to be at least $50,000. And as is customary on PAD, all of the players’ hole cards will be shown, even if they are mucked preflop, so that viewers can see what cards players don’t play as well as the ones they do.
Brief profiles on all six players appear below. The game will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., October 13, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, October 18, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature Leeann Tweeden with a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews. Viewers can also watch the game at www.nbcsports/msnbc.com/poker.
Online Poker News: Kahnawake Responds To Kentucky In Domain Seizure Case
October 10, 2008
The debacle in Kentucky over whether the state has the right to seize 141 online gambling domains continues, and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission issued an aggressive statement to make its position clear to Kentucky’s Governor, Steve Beshear.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, based in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake near Montreal, Canada, is one of the largest licensors of online gambling operations in all the world. The Commission has always held steadfast in emphasizing its sovereign rights to supply such Internet services.
Rather than sending a representative of the Commission to the hearings in the Frankfort Circuit Court, Grand Chief Michael Ahrihrhon Delisle wrote a statement to governor Beshear, denoting his lack of intentions to comply with the upcoming ruling, should it turn out to be the seizure order of related online gambling domain names.
In the Grand Chief’s letter to Beshear, he wrote, “We are compelled to draw to your attention that your actions will also adversely affect the members of our community and that is not acceptable.”
Regarding the original ruling to allow the Commonwealth of Kentucky to seize 141 online gambling domains said to be in connection with illegal online gambling, the letter stated, “This is a perfect example of someone who knows nothing about the effects of their actions.
“It’s not the first time that a government has tried to prevent us from conducting business and it won’t be the last. But, rest assured, we will always protect our jurisdiction and the integrity of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission,” Grand Chief Delisle concluded.
After his initial ruling, Judge Thomas Wingate decided that he needed an additional week to determine whether his order to seize the 141 online gambling domain names should be reconsidered. His final ruling in the case is scheduled for October 15th, 2008.
US Government Seeking Revenue: Could Legal Online Poker Be The Answer?
October 9, 2008
In a time when the US economy is falling, and falling fast, the US government is seeking new ways to generate revenue. Therefore the timing of the proposed S. 3616 legislation by Senator Robert Menendez, which requests the legalization, regulation and taxation of the online gambling industry, couldn’t have been better.
According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the online gambling industry is estimated to generate revenue of about $40 billion over the next 10 years. This revenue would include everything from income tax, corporate income tax and wagering tax to licensing fees. Along with this estimate, the study revealed that if all US states were to hop onboard the legal online gambling express, the US would have the potential to generate up to $17.6 billion each year.
Much of the online poker and gambling industry has already stated their willingness to obtain a license from the US, should the country legalize online poker and other forms of online gambling.
As it stands now, the US is only losing an exceptional sum of money each year by choosing to keep online poker illegal. Americans continue to participate at online poker sites for real money, so every penny that is lost is simply leaving the US market, and those won are producing no tax revenue.
There are still plenty of issues in Washington that need attention, so I wouldn’t expect too much too soon, but certainly Menendez’s proposed S. 3616 is worth some attention. American online poker fans can rest a little easier at least knowing that the political debate over the pros and cons of legalizing online poker in the US is becoming much louder is Washington.
And here’s a little food for thought – Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama simply loves to play poker. This doesn’t mean he is fully prepared to legalize online poker, but it’s definitely something to consider as we head into the election month of November.
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