Summer Brings New Poker Reality Show to NBC
April 30, 2009
Poker Productions, who produces the Poker After Dark series on NBC, has come up with another poker show, except this time it is a reality show. Reality television is extremely popular and the new Face The Ace television show is sure to be a big hit with poker fans and players alike.
Face The Ace will see players who qualify from online tournaments playing heads up no limit hold’em against poker pros. The show will debut in August and will be hosted by Steve Schirripa, of The Sopranos fame.
The setting of Face The Ace will be four smoked-glass doors. Behind each door is a surprise, a pro poker player. During the show one or more players, if time allows, will walk up to a door and chose their fate. They will pick their “Ace” and out pops the poker pro they will face in heads up play. NBC released a statement that says the contestant will have a chance to play up to three different Aces in heads up play.
If the player can beat the first pro then that player can choose to keep the money earned or move on to the next pro and so on. If three pros are beaten in a row then the contestant will take home $1 million. but of course if the player loses, then he or she goes home with nothing.
Jerry Petry the executive vice president of NBC Universal TV commented in an interview that the show will run seven episodes and the option of ordering more shows is on the table. The first show will air on August 1st at 9pm ET.
This is a very interesting concept for a television show as it mixes the game of poker with the thrill of surprise. The players do not know who they will be choosing from behind the glass doors so it will make the show more interesting to watch. And of course if a player was able to beat a poker pro that would make it even more worthwhile!
MGM Mirage, Dubai World and City Centers lenders reach agreement.
April 29, 2009
It was announced today in a press release that the MGM Mirage, Dubai World, and CityCenter's Lenders have reached an agreement for the completion of CityCenter. According to spokespersons the project has recieved approval for full financing.
Dubai World has dismissed their lawsuit against the MGM Mirage.
Press Release - LAS VEGAS, Nevada and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2009 – MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM) and Dubai World through subsidiary Infinity World, 50/50 joint venture partners in the CityCenter project, today announced that the companies have reached an agreement on a revised joint venture agreement and also reached an agreement with CityCenter’s lenders on a comprehensive plan to fully fund the completion of CityCenter for its scheduled opening later this year.
Under the plan, Dubai World and MGM MIRAGE will fund their remaining equity contributions to CityCenter through letters of credit. In addition, CityCenter’s lenders will immediately fund the full $1.8 billion senior secured credit facility. Additionally, Dubai World will dismiss its lawsuit filed against MGM MIRAGE in Delaware Chancery Court on March 22, 2009, and Dubai World and MGM MIRAGE will exchange mutual releases.
"We are pleased that MGM MIRAGE and Dubai World, with the strong support of CityCenter’s lenders, have agreed to a comprehensive plan for the financing and completion of CityCenter," said Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM MIRAGE and Chris O’Donnell, Dubai World's Director of the CityCenter joint venture. "CityCenter is now fully funded and on track to open in December 2009," they said.
"CityCenter will be unlike anything anyone has seen in Las Vegas or anywhere else. We are confident in the potential of CityCenter to contribute significantly to our cash flow," said Mr. Murren. "CityCenter is a powerful engine for growth and employment in Las Vegas and Nevada. With all funding in place, we will focus, along with our partner, on planning for an exciting opening in December and continuing to book rooms and conventions. We appreciate greatly the strong support of our lenders, who share our vision as to the importance of this project to the Las Vegas community and the entire state of Nevada."
Mr O’Donnell said, "This agreement provides a stable financial framework for one of the most exciting destination resort development projects ever to be constructed. MGM MIRAGE is the industry’s premier luxury hotel, resort and casino developer and operator. We believe CityCenter has a bright future and will benefit both the partners and the local economy, and we look forward to working with MGM management to realize that potential."
Key terms of the various agreements include:
• MGM MIRAGE will be responsible for completion costs to the extent net condominium proceeds are less than $243 million and for completion costs in excess of the current budget of $8.5 billion.
• Dubai World has agreed to fully fund its original sponsor contributions to CityCenter, including $135 million in payments previously funded by MGM MIRAGE on Dubai World’s behalf. Dubai World is relieved of all completion guarantees.
• Until the completion of CityCenter, MGM MIRAGE’s obligations with respect to additional construction costs, if any, will be supported by the assets of Circus Circus Las Vegas and certain adjacent land through a completion guarantee.
• The CityCenter credit facility has been amended as part of the global financing plan. Such amendments include:
o The facility will mature on June 30, 2012.
o The interest rate margin was increased by 2.00%, though such amount is "pay in kind" through September 2010, with additional periodic margin increases through the term of the facility.
o Condominium proceeds of up to $250 million may be used to pay for construction costs; 30% of net condominium proceeds in excess of $250 million will be applied to reduce outstanding borrowings under the credit facility, with the remaining 70% available as distributable cash upon CityCenter satisfying certain performance criteria.
o Certain financial covenants were modified to provide CityCenter with greater flexibility during its first 18 months of operations.
Evercore Partners served as financial advisor to MGM MIRAGE and Moelis & Company and Perella Weinberg Partners served as financial advisors to Dubai World. Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP and Morrison & Foerster served as legal advisors to MGM MIRAGE and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart, Oliver & Hedges served as legal advisors to Dubai World.
ElkY Sets World Record of 62 SnGs in One Hour
April 29, 2009
Yesterday we told you that Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was going to attempt to set a world record for the most Sit & Go’s played in one hour. Well after attempting the challenge, Grospellier was able to play 62 SnGs and set a new world record.
The challenge took place at PokerStars and online players were able to get in on the action as Grospellier was playing at $6.50 SNG tables. To set the record, Grospellier had to complete all tournaments entered and make a profit by the end of the hour. Grospellier was at the EPT Monte Carlo event and attempted the hour challenge in front of an audience.
Grospellier played on four different monitors and at one point he had close to thirty tournaments happening at one time. This caused him to time out frequently to handle the action at all the different tables.
By the end of the hour a total of sixty two Turbo SnGs had been played and by the final table Grospellier needed to cash in or he would not make a profit, one of the rules of the competition. Luckily during the final SNG Grospellier went all in with 7-5 and was called by his opponent who had 9-8. The board gave Grospellier a 7 so his pair earned him the win and a profit of $23.60 to set the new world record.
Next up for Grospellier is Day 1B of the EPT Grand Final. It will be interesting to see if the challenge will take a toll on his tournament performance. It may have just pumped him up to play even better than expected.
Bertrand Grospellier Attempts to Set One Hour Sit & Go Record Today
April 28, 2009
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier will be attempting to break a world record today at PokerStars and online players have been invited to participate. ElkY will be participating in as many $6.50 Sit & Go’s as he can in a one hour period. The action got started at 1 PM ET and he must complete all tournaments he enters as well as making an overall profit. This must be done for the record to be successful.
This is a great chance for online players to compete with a poker pro for a very low buy-in. Players could even compete in several games without breaking the bank and you never know you may earn a nice payout in the process. Players also will receive an added bonus for competing at the table with Grospellier. Players who play against him will automatically earn an entry into a free roll of $1,000 on May 6th.
Grospellier will be competing in nine person Sit & Go’s and it will be interesting to see how many he can compete in and stick with the regulations to have success. There is no mark recorded for the most Sit & Go’s played in one hour by a player so Grospellier will be setting that mark himself after the hour is over.
Darla’s Poker Playground Announces Battle of the Sexes Tournament
April 27, 2009
Darla’s Poker Playground has announced a Battle of the Sexes tournament to be held tonight, April 27th 2009.
According to an announcement made today, the top male and female from each weekly game will advance to a $50 freeroll poker tournament.
The battle of the sex tournaments are held every week in April, May and June on Monday Nights at ABSOLUTE POKER. At the end of the series, the Absolute Ultimate Sex will be named.
Tonight’s game begins at 9PM EST, the next game is scheduled for a week from tonight at 8pm, with the time alternating between 8pm and 9pm each week of the series.
THIS WEEKS GAME IS AT 9 PM EST.
Darla’s Poker Playground Game information:
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
SITE: Absolute Poker
LISTED AS DARLA'S POKER PLAYGROUND
DATE: MONDAY APRIL 27, 2009
TIME: 9PM EST
BUYIN: $2 + $0.20 WITH REBUYS
TOP 5 PAYOUT
PASSWORD: darla
NL GAME
For further information, see Darla at http://www.darlaspokerplayground.com/index.php/board,124.0.html
Poker Pro’s Dad Wins GUKPT Manchester
April 27, 2009
Two hundred and ninety eight players competed in the 2009 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour stop in Manchester at the G casino. One of those players was Simon Moorman, the father of poker pro Chris “Moorman1” Moorman, who just so happened to win the tournament.
Chris bought his dad a seat in the tournament as a gift for his birthday and what a gift it was! Simon was able to outlast the field and take the win and it was only his second ever live tournament. Simon works by day as a credit manager of a toy company but on this day he was the top performer in the poker tournament.
When it got down to heads up play, Simon was up against Harri Isomaki of Finland. On the final hand both were all in with Isomaki holding K-8 and Simon holding A-5. An Ace on the flop gave Simon the win and his son could not be more proud.
After his dad’s win, Chris Moorman was quoted as saying the only way he could top his dad would be to win the main event of the World Series of Poker. It’s nice to hear about a son doing something nice for his dad and the result is even better than it could be imagined.
Final Payouts of the Event:
Simon Moorman - £88,630
Harri Isomaki - £54,380
Eddie Lundon - £35,760
Kenny Burke - £23,240
Andy Booth - £17,280
Kevin Holdstock - £14,300
David Maudlin - £11,320
Ed Roger - £8,340
Surinder Sunar - £5,960
Several Online Poker Rooms to Offer APT Macau Qualifiers
April 23, 2009
The Asian Poker Tour (APT) was so successful last year that they have heard from several online poker rooms who would like to offer online qualifiers to upcoming Macau APT events. Several have already signed on to provide their players with online qualifiers to the twelve day event.
The APT Macau will take place starting August 12th and continue until the 23rd. The event was so successful last year that the APT has decided to extend the stop from a six day event to a twelve day event.
The iPoker Network, PartyPoker, Ongame Network, Bwin, PKR, DafaPoker, JBetPoker, Betfriends and 32Red have all signed on to offer qualifiers for the Macau events. The APT stop will feature high limit games as well as sit & gos throughout the twelve days and the Main Event will have a buy-in of $4,300.
The CEO for the APT, Chris Parker, commented: “We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of our partners to send players and we look forward to welcoming more online poker rooms on board. This year’s APT Macau festival will be bigger and better with twelve days of non-stop poker action and fun. The Main Event has been extended with the first of three day-ones getting underway August 19th and the televised final table scheduled for August 23rd.”
Borgata Announces Deep Stack Poker Tournament Details
April 22, 2009
May 17th through May 20th marks the dates for the upcoming $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool Poker Tournament at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Borgata just announced details of the tournament and are hoping that May’s tournament will be as successful as the Deep Stack Tournament held back in March.
The May event will have two starting days that will be held in the Borgata poker room. The name of the game will the No Limit Texas Hold’em and players from all over are expected to attend. The Borgata will hold four qualifying events for players to earn seat to the Deep Stack tournament.
The first qualifier will take place on May 10th with a buy-in of $165 plus $35 and the second qualifier will begin on May 15th with a buy-in of $330 plus $50. The next two days, the 16th and 17th will also see qualifiers with buy-ins of $330 plus $50.
During the qualifier with a buy-in of $165, one out of ten players will earn an entry into the $500,000 Guaranteed tournament. In the higher buy-in qualifiers, one out of five players will earn a seat to the tournament. The seat is worth $1,650, the buy-in plus the $150 entry fee. Each player will get 30,000 in starting chips.
If the May Deep Stack event is anything like the event in March it will be well worth participating. In March, the event drew a crowd of 919 players which increased the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool up to $1,374,500.
Four WSOP Academy Events Scheduled for 2009 WSOP
April 21, 2009
Poker players will be excited to learn that the World Series of Poker Academy will be holding four events at the 2009 WSOP. Poker novices to skilled players can participate in the four events as each event offers something for every skill level.
The four events to be held will be the Cash Game Academy, Ladies Only Academy, Tournament Academy and the Main Event Primer. The Cash Game, Ladies Only and Tournament Academies will last for two days and the Main Event Primer will take place over three days.
Several poker pros will be instructing during the four events. Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, Annie Duke, Alex Outhred, Bernard Lee, Mark Seif and Mark Gregorich will be teaching during the four events. Joe Navarro will also be available during the events to help players learn tells at the poker table.
After learning during the four events players will be able to compete in a private tournament. The winner of the tournament will earn a seat to the WSOP Academy Tournament of Champions. The Tournament of Champions will earn a seat to the WSO Main Event.
Players can preregister for the events at the WSOP Academy website as the events should sell out soon. The Cash Game Academy is scheduled for May 30th through the 31st, the Ladies Only academy is scheduled for June 5th and 6th, the Tournament Academy is scheduled for June 13th and 14th and the last event is the Main Event Primer which will take place on June 29th through July 1st.
PPA Has $3 Million Available to Lobby Congress for Online Poker
April 20, 2009
The Poker Players Alliance has been trying very hard to get the United States Congress to overturn the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The chairman of the PPA, Alfonse D’Amato, recently announced that for the upcoming session of Congress the PPA has $3 million to lobby for the overturn of the UIGEA or at least have online poker exempted from the UIGEA.
D’Amato has been a constant force in the fight for online poker. The UIGEA does not say online poker is illegal but it does prohibit financial institutions from completing transactions between United States citizens and offshore online gambling companies.
One force that agrees with the UIGEA is many professional sporting leagues. The National Football League is a driving force in keeping the UIGEA intact. The NFL is strongly against sports betting especially in the NFL. The NFL believes if the UIGEA is overturned then more gambling would take place on their games.
But the NFL is not the only sports organization that is for the UIGEA. The NCAA, basketball, hockey and baseball organizations have joined the efforts made by the NFL to keep the UIGEA. D’Amato has stated that he is for leagues banning wagering on their own game but he does have a problem with the leagues trying to block online poker.
Hopefully the funds available to the PPA will help raise more awareness of the need to overturn the UIGEA and maybe with the new President in office we shall see a change soon.
PKR Announces First Ever Pro Poker Team
April 16, 2009
PKR, the online 3D poker room, has announced the addition of their very first Poker Team, Team PKR Pro. PKR has signed six players to the team and they will be sponsored by the website to represent PKR and play at major poker tournaments.
The six players who will represent PKR on Team PKR Pro are: Ashley Hames, Andrew Teng, Kai Danilo Paulsen, Raymond O’Mahoney, James Sudworth and Henrik Eklund. All of the players on Team PKR Pro have good records in poker having made major event final tables or are known in other aspects of the poker industry.
Ashley Hames is a television celebrity while Andrew Teng is the winner of the GUKPT. Kai Danilo Paulsen made the final table of the 2008 Irish Open while Raymond O’Mahoney, James Sudworth and Henrik Eklund are regulars at the PKR poker room.
Team PKR Pro members will not only represent the poker room at live events. The players will be providing content for the PKR website as well as PKR TV. They will also be playing at PKR in cash games and organized bounty tournaments.
The Marketing Director for PKR, Simon Prodger commented on the first ever poker team for PKR stating: "We've been following our initial 'Team PKR Pro' members for some time and are convinced that they all have the game and personality required to be genuinely world class poker players. They are also among the most recognized and respected players within the PKR community so are guaranteed to have over two and a half million people cheering them on every time they play."
Bwin Announces PokerRoom.com Shutdown
April 15, 2009
After ten years in the online poker industry, PokerRoom.com has shut down. PokerRoom.com was one of the very first online poker rooms and saw great success during its ten years in operation. The website shut down yesterday and players were notified of the shutdown and encouraged to play at Bwin.com
The PokerRoom.com website was founded in 1999 by poker players Oskar Hörnell and Claes Lidell and at its highest point in popularity it became one of the most famous poker rooms available online. When the website began it only offered a small stake Limit Hold’em games but in 2003 the website began offering No Limit at high stakes. The site also began offering Stud and Omaha as well.
Yesterday the PokerRoom blog released a statement about the closing: “Well folks, after almost ten years of fun and games, it is with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye that I have to announce that this is it; as of 11:00 CET today, Tuesday the 14th of April 2009, PokerRoom.com will no longer be open for online poker.”
Bwin.com is encouraging all players of PokerRoom.com to play at their website. The PokerRoom players were given the option to transfer their cash to bwin or cash out their funds. Players who move to the bwin website will be able to take advantage of special bonuses provided by bwin.com.
2009 Irish Poker Open Winner is Christer Johansson
April 14, 2009
Over the weekend seven hundred and one players met in Dublin to compete in the 2009 Irish Poker Open Championship. The players created a prize pool of €2.2 million which would give the winner a nice prize of €600,000. It was Christer Johansson of Sweden who was able to outlast the field and take the title win.
When final table play began the chip stacks looked like this:
Seat 1: Lee Brooke-Pearce — 998,000
Seat 2: Andrew Pantling — 2,286,000
Seat 3: Andrew Bradshaw — 351,000
Seat 4: Kara Scott — 701,000
Seat 5: William Kassouf — 569,000
Seat 6: Bradley Verburg — 217,000
Seat 7: Christer Johansson — 906,000
Seat 8: Atanas Gueorguiev — 990,000
The first player eliminated was Andy Bradshaw. Bradshaw was re-rasied all in by Atanas and called with A-Q. Atanas held pocket Kings and they held up knocking out Bradshaw in eighth. Next out was Bradley Verburg. Verberg went all in with A-2 and was called by Pantling who held K-J. Pantling got a Jack on the flop and it held up knocking Verburg out in seventh.
The next few players to be eliminated would be William Kassouf, Lee Brooke-Pearce, Antanas Geuorguiev and Andrew Pantling, in that order. That would leave Kara Scott and Christer Johansson to compete in heads up play. Scott held a slight chip lead when play began.
Johansson would fight back and earn most of Scott’s chips before the tournament would end. The thirteenth hand of the match up would decide the winner. Kara raised and was called by Christer. The flop came K-J-7 and Kara bet while Christer rose. Kara moved all in and was called by Christer. The cards were flipped to show Kara holding J-9 and Christer held K-3. The turn was a Queen and the river an Ace so Christer won the tournament with the higher pair.
Final Results:
1st Christer Johansson 600,000
2nd Kara Scott 312,600
3rd Andrew Pantling 205,200
4th Atanas Gueorguiev 163,300
5th Lee Brooke-Pearce 130,600
6th William Kassouf 100,800
7th Bradley Verburg 74,600
8th Andy Bradshaw 56,000
WSOPE to Offer Four Bracelet Events
April 13, 2009
It was announced today that the 2009 World Series of Poker Europe will be offering players four events to win a coveted bracelet. The WSOPE will begin on September 18th and continue through October 1st. Harrah’s Entertainment and the WSOPE announced the bracelet number today as well as the addition of new events on the schedule.
Betfair will be presenting the WSOPE this year and the series will be held at the Casino at the Empire in London. New for this year will be Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha mixed event. Players can register to play in WSOPE events at London Clubs International in the United Kingdom or at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeffery Pollack, the World Series of Poker Commissioner commented on the four bracelets offered at this year’s WSOPE, he stated: “The World Series of Poker Europe has quickly established itself as the most prestigious tournament outside the United States. Winning a gold bracelet is recognized globally as the top prize in the sport, and we look forward to awarding four more bracelets in 2009 at the Casino at the Empire in London.”
Bracelet Schedule for the WSOPE 2009:
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
Event #1 - £1,000 + £60 – No-Limit Hold'em Day 1A (3-day event/2 start days)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
Event #1 - £1,000 + £60 – No-Limit Hold'em Day 1B
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
Event #2 - £2,500 + £150 – Pot Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha (3-day event)
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
Event #3 - £5,000 + £250 – Pot Limit Omaha (3-day event)
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Event #4 - £10,000 + £350 – World Championship No-Limit Hold'em Day 1A (5-day event/2 start days) "Main Event"
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009
Event #4 - £10,000 + £350 – World Championship No-Limit Hold'em Day 1B "Main Event"
MansionPoker promotions go up a gear this Spring!
April 12, 2009
MansionPoker.com, the ever growing innovation pioneer in the world of online poker gaming, is splashing out over $550,000 on its cash tables alone as part of the ‘Spring Cash Dash’ promotion.
As their graphics improve, so do the value of their promotions… Throughout the month of April, MansionPoker.com are inviting players to gamble for a share of $550,000 in the main section of their Spring promo - the Cash Tables Leaderboards.
Leaderboards on the MansionPoker.com site register the first 3000 ranked players, so participants will know when they’re in the prize-winning zone.
Players on raked tables get awarded points depending on amount raked and on number of players at the table, plus, there’ll be a total of 440 winners sharing over $550,000 at the end of the April, thanks to the <a href="http://www.MansionPoker.com/promotions/spring-cash-dash/index.html">Spring Cash Dash 3-tier prize system.
Winners are prized for their ranking in the first and second half of the month independently, as well as for their overall ranking for the entire month.
You can check out all of this information presented in table form on the MansionPoker.com Spring Cash Dash page: <a href="http://www.MansionPoker.com/promotions/spring-cash-dash/index.html">http://www.MansionPoker.com/promotions/spring-cash-dash/index.html
This is exactly the kind of generosity that is spring-boarding MansionPoker.com to the top of the online poker market.
Also part of the Spring Cash Dash promotion is the MansionPoker.com exclusive Sunday $250,000 Guaranteed ECOOP IV offer, for contenders to the European <a title="Online Poker" href="http://www.MansionPoker.com/">Online Poker Championships.
Every Sunday players can take part in weekly $250,000 Guaranteed tournaments. Players finishing among the top 100 rankings in more than one Sunday tournament during April will win a $1,580 value token to the ECOOP IV Main Event - taking place on Sunday 7 June 2009.
Players who participate in all four $250,000 Guaranteed tournaments and only make the top 100 places once, will get invited to an ECOOP Main Event qualifier freeroll and get to play for one of ten $1,580 seats to the Main Event.
It’s all about winning at MansionPoker.com and they seem to have got the online poker players’ favourite formula.
MansionPoker.com also especially rewards loyal members with membership to their prestigious Club MANSION.
Players earn Mansion Club Points for every raked hand played, moving up the levels the more they play. Every level earns a variety of benefits which include impressive point boosts and quality Club MANSION Shop items.
Their talk-about-town loyalty scheme rewards members even further for maintaining their club status; their loyalty calculator allows members to work out their own Club Level in seconds - this is quickly becoming the most sought after online poker club around.
MansionPoker.com also continues to offer its fantastic 100% new member bonus of up to $500. New members simply <a href="http://www.MansionPoker.com/download/?trackid=338569">download the easy to use software and play any Real Money game to qualify.
For full details visit <a href="http://www.MansionPoker.com/">http://www.MansionPoker.com/
* * * * *
For more information:
Contact details: David Chevasco, Tel: +350-200-72550,e-mail:david.chevasco@mansion.com
Tell A Friend And Make Seventy-Five Dollars!
April 11, 2009
A truly great real money community card game now being played at www.MansionPoker.com is Texas Hold’em. And your ability to play it any time day or night simply revolves around downloading their free software and then registering for an account and then depositing some funds into it. When you do, the choice is yours. Play when you like.
And by choosing to play Texas Hold’em there, you immediately not only save a small fortune by not having to travel to play the game (no paying air or car fare, hotel and restaurant bills and the lot), but www.MansionPoker.com lays out before you not only a superb looking Texas Hold’em table but also a feast of bonus offers to go along with it. Right up front they are offering you their 100% Bonus up to $500. And that’s real money they are offering. So why not go on in and join the crowd and find out why Texas Hold’em poker has increased so much in popularity.
To get a better grip on all that they do have to offer by way of playing Texas Hold’em poker at the web’s leading gaming site, just go onto their site and check it out for yourself. Immediately you’ll notice that in addition to Texas Hold’em you can choose to play on any of their over 60 unique instant live poker games. You can also play Omaha or 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo or and a heck of a lot more!
Jennifer Harmon Hosts Charity Poker Event Next Weekend
April 9, 2009
Jennifer Harman has long been known for her knowledge in the game of poker but she is also known for her love of animals. Harmon will be hosting a special charity poker tournament next weekend to benefit the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). The event will see many poker pros as well as regular Joes play in the tournament to help raise money for the cause.
This will be the third annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament and it is sure to be a success. The two past events rose over $500,000 for the NSPCA. The event will begin with a red carpet walk. Players will strut their stuff down the red carpet while accompanied by animals from the NSPCA shelter. This will begin at 4pm.
The poker tournament will kick off at 5pm as a $330 no limit hold’em tournament with $100 rebuys for the first three levels of play. There will also be a onetime add on costing $100 which will give players twice the starting chip stack.
The winner of the tournament will walk away with a seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event as well as a watch from Curtis & Co. All players who reach the final table will earn a nice prize from one of the tournaments sponsors.
Silent and live auctions will take place as well to raise money for the charity. The auctions will feature sports memorabilia as well as autographed poker items.
Harmon commented on how much help is needed this year at the NSPCA. With the state of the economy as rough as it is many pet owners are finding it more difficult to care for their animals and they must turn them over to the NSPCA. Harman stated: "This year has been especially challenging. So many animals were abandoned by people that lost their homes due to the economy. The NSPCA saved many lives, but so many others were locked away and discovered too late. It's been a trying time for all of us, and the funds are running low. I'm pleading with everyone to help us in our efforts to raise awareness and funds during this event. I know it's a lot to ask, but every little bit matters. Come to the Venetian on April 17th, meet the celebrities and their animal companions, and give what you can."
Everest Poker Offering WSOP Qualifiers Special $1 Million Bonus
April 8, 2009
Everest Poker is the official sponsor for the 2009 World Series of Poker so it would only be natural for the online poker room to offer players a special incentive for qualifying for the tournament series via their website. Everest Poker is offering players who qualify for the WSOP Main Event at their poker room a chance to earn some extra cash, up to $1 million.
Players who qualify for the Main Event via Everest Poker and manage to cash out will have their winnings matched by Everest Poker. The combined earnings of qualifiers can get as high as $1 million before they will be split between all qualifiers who manage to cash out during the Main Event.
For example: let’s say three people who qualify at Everest Poker cash out during the Main Event. The first player earns $50,000, the second earns $100,000 and the third player earns $200,000. Matching each prize would equal $350,000, which would be divided between the three players. So each player would earn just over $100,000 each! Just think of the possibilities if the winnings get up to $1 million.
Everest Poker qualifiers start at just $3 and four will be held in May. Players can find more information on the qualifiers at the Everest Poker website.
UltimateBet Helps Online Poker Players Stay Connected to Annie Duke with Launch of New Website
April 8, 2009
New website for world’s best female poker player features blog, Twitter integration, dedicated charity page, and snapshot of what Annie Duke is currently up to.
Leading online poker site UltimateBet.com today unleashed a brand new online poker portal dedicated to World Poker Champion Annie Duke. The enhanced website, AnnieDuke.com, now puts key information front and center to help online poker fans stay connected to the busy poker legend.
“This new website isn’t just about my life in poker,” stated Annie Duke, UltimateBet’s Cardroom Consultant. “It’s about sharing with online poker players ways that our game can have a big impact while at the same time having an incredible amount of fun.”
From standing behind several charities, to lobbying for poker players in Washington, to participating in NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, Annie Duke is indisputably one of the world’s busiest poker pros. The new AnnieDuke.com website has been designed to bring online poker fans into the world of the best female poker player in the world through the following new features:
• Blog – Online poker players can now hear directly from Annie via her new blog. Snippets of the latest entries are featured under the ‘Recent News’ section on the homepage for quick access.
• Twitter Integration –Annie Duke’s Twitter posts are now integrated into the AnnieDuke.com homepage. Online poker fans can access the UltimateBet pro’s Twitter feed through one click. Twitter is a social communication service that lets anyone stay connected through quick updates.
• Dedicated Charity Page – The new charity section brings organizations that Duke is passionate about into focus. Chief among them are Ante Up For Africa, Decision Education Foundation, Refugees International, and Make a Wish.
• ‘What’s Annie Up To’ Feature – Players can instantly discover what big spotlight the UltimateBet.com is currently under.
Annie Duke is UltimateBet’s Cardroom Consultant. With a number of impressive wins under her belt, she holds the title of the world’s best female poker player. Annie’s first WSOP bracelet win came in 2004 after she beat out 234 players in the $2000 buy-in Omaha Hi/Lo Split event. In 2004, Annie also took a seat in the invitation-only WSOP Tournament of Champions and knocked out eight of the world’s best poker legends to claim the top prize of $2 million. Duke has amassed 15 top ten finishes at the WSOP alone and has cashed 35 times heading into 2009. In addition to the respect she’s gained in the world of poker, Annie is revered for her humanitarian work.
PokerStars Adds Two More Players to the Team Roster
April 7, 2009
After reporting yesterday that Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov have been added to the PokerStars official Team roster, we have found that PokerStars has added more players. Maria Mayrinck and Leo Fernandez are the newest addition to the rather large poker team. Both Mayrinck and Fernandez will be representing PokerStars at major land based events wearing the latest PokerStars gear as well as online tournaments held at the PokerStars website.
Mayrinck is a Brazilian player who loved the game of poker so much that she started blogging about it. This caught PokerStars attention and they invited her to join the PokerStars blogging team. Mayrinck then began competing in major events in 2007 and since then has cashed out three times in the WSOP and other major tournaments.
Fernandez of Buenos Aires became known on the poker scene after cashing in at the Five Star World Poker Classic in Las Vegas in 2005. Fernandez then played well in several South American poker tournaments. In 2008 Fernandez finished 13th in the WSOP Main Event earning just over $35,000.
So as you can see, both Fernandez and Mayrinck have impressive records and it is no wonder that the largest online poker room in the world has signed them to their poker team.