$250K Big Little Tournaments at Full Tilt Poker
December 31, 2009
Full Tilt Poker is ringing in the new year with four big online poker tournaments with little bitty buy-ins. For only $5 + $0.50 online poker enthusiasts can claim their share of a guaranteed quarter of a million dollars on Sundays, January 3rd through January 24th, 2010.
The Big Little Tournaments all begin at 1:45pm ET. Here is the schedule:
Jan. 3 - $250k Guaranteed No Limit Hold'em
Jan. 10 - $250k Guaranteed Turbo No Limit Hold'em
Jan. 17 - $250k Guaranteed No Limit Hold'em
Jan. 24 - $250k Guaranteed Turbo No Limit Hold'em
Registration is required to enter each of the Big Little Tournaments at Full Tilt Poker, as the $250k tournaments are limited to 50,000 players. Those who don't have an existing Full Tilt Poker account will need to download the free software in order to register and play at Full Tilt Poker's online poker tournaments.
To register, go to the game lobby and click on the 'Lobby' tab, 'Choose Lobby View', then 'Standard View'. In the 'Browse' section, select Tournament, Guarantee, Hold'em, No Limit, and check Low. Highlight the tournament you wish to register for and click 'Register Now'.
Panama City Police Bust Poker Game; Deputy found participating in game
December 31, 2009
Police officers in Panama City Beach received a tip from the Ebro Greyhound Park officials. The officials stated that some of their ex-dealers were hosting an illegal poker game and that police would find drugs, felons and illegal weapons at the game.
When police arrived on the scene they found that the information they received from the officials at the Ebro Greyhound Park was only half accurate. The poker game was taking place and it was organized by ex-dealers of the Park but the rest of the information seemed to be off.
Ten men were participating in the game and none of them were felons and they were not carrying weapons or drugs. In fact one man was a Deputy of the police department and another player was an undercover informant.
Most of players did not know that the poker game was illegal in the state of Florida. So the investigation resulted in no arrests and many verbal warnings to those participating. They were told not to be involved in any illegal activities in the future.
However the outcome was not so good for Deputy James Lanier. The Deputy has been suspended from his duties without pay while the higher ups decide what shall happen to him. Major Tommy Ford commented that the sheriff holds his deputies to a higher level of accountability.
After the police completed the raid officials at Ebro stated that they support any efforts made by the police to stop the activity and they do not condone any illegal activity especially any illegal gambling activity.
Online Poker – Safer than Live? Fairbanks Robbery
December 30, 2009
It's happened again, in fact this story might just give you a case of dejavu. It happened in Fairbanks Alaska this time, three men entered a suite at the Carbou Building on Monday and demanded all of the poker players money and valuables.
According to reports from the associated press, one of the six poker players was away from the table when the robbers first entered. That player was hit in the face with the butt of a gun and forced back into the suite.
The three robbers were armed with 2 shotguns, and a semi automatic hand gun. In this case, much like in the Portland Oregon case, the players were all ordered onto the ground, and the robbers got off with the players cash, cell phones, and a lap top.
The poker players involved were only able to describe one of the robbers. The thief carrying the semi automatic gun was described as a black male, around 5'10'' with a medium build.
The man was wearing a gray hoodie, and a blue bandanna. The other two men in this robbery were also black, however, no description aside from that is available at this time.
The poker game is described as a regular private game, played among 'friends'. It's considered legal as there's no rake taken from the pots.
Belgium Government Set to REGULATE Online Poker
December 30, 2009
It looks like another simple case of government's pretending to be parents, and censoring the activity's of their 'babies'.
The Government in Belgium has announced their intention to block Belgium residents from playing at popular online poker sites. Belgium residents will still however, according to reports, be allowed to play at sites that are located within Belgium and hold a local license.
The truth is, playing online poker will actually be legal, whereas that wasn't the case before, so it could be a step in the right direction. Some say that it will make depositing easier, others say depositing to their favorite sites (Ie PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker) will now be next to impossible.
Players fear the change will be bad bad news for players like World of Warcraft star and beloved Belgium online poker player Chiren80.
The reasons given for the change thus far include the same old rhetoric, ties to terrorist activities, etc. No specific example of terrorists profiting from playing poker online was given.
CEREUS Network Players turns small investment into big return
December 30, 2009
The CEREUS Network is made up of UltimateBet and Absolute Poker to create one of largest online poker networks. Reports have surfaced that since November one player on the network has turned a small investment of just $11 into a large return of $833,193.
The player is known as XBLINK and according to TwoPlusTwo’s forums, XBLINK is 89blist on there. 89blist has described how he was able to turn the small amount into hundreds of thousands of dollars on the forums. He stated that he won first place in an $11 MTT on the 11th of November and then took his top prize of $745 to the PLO tables and his winning streak continued. Five days later the poker player had produced six figures in his bankroll.
By day six the poker player had moved up to the $25/$50 tables and then moved on to the $200/$400 PLO tables. In his efforts the poker player had earned almost $580,000 in just over one month. In that time the online poker player has gained fans like players such as Isildur1 and Martonas.
XBLINK eventually got his bank roll up to $833,193 but he has now started to lose some of his bank roll. The player is now sitting at $618,323 which is a loss of just over $214,000. The poker player may need to take a break and enjoy the newfound wealth before beginning to hit the tables again.
-Editors Note: XBLINK declined to comment outside of verifying that he's located in Vancouver BC, and that he doesn't care to share any bankroll information at this time. However, if you're interested in keeping track of this players bankrolling adventures, check out some of the more popular poker forums 
.
Casino Employee Goes Postal
December 29, 2009
A former casino worker in San Diego entered casino office, and went .. postal. First thing Tuesday morning, Donell Roberts walked into Barona Casino in San Diego California, armed with a rifle.
According to reports from CNN, the police say that the disgruntled ex-employee, after having been fired from the casino gaming commission office told 3 office employee's to leave, and then, shots were fired.
One secretary found safety under a desk, as Roberts walked into the bosses office and fired the rifle four times.
The casino's day care was evacuated, just in case. Roberts who was fired in November from his job as an investigator killed a coworker, and then turned the gun on himself. The identity of the coworker has not yet been released, their family has not yet been notified.
Sexy Poker Player, Back on Market Phil Ivey Divorces Luciaetta His High School Sweetheart
December 29, 2009
Phil Ivey and his rarely public wife Luciaetta filed a petition for Divorce in Clark County Nevada just three days before Christmas, (December 22nd). As of today the two are officially divorced, and the rumors in from the online poker community are running rampant.
Perhaps Luciaetta just tired of Phil's poker degen lifestyle, or maybe he really was cheating on her with waitresses and news 
reporters? All we have for now are opinions and rumors, and one newly single, confirmed sexy poker playin divorce', in fact, the divorce documents are sealed, so we can't even guffaw at the amount of the settlement, or read the true worth of Phil in settlement hearing documents.
Rumor has it that Luciaetta and Phil Ivey were high school sweet hearts. Luciaetta isn't seen in the press much, in fact there are very few photographs of the 
millionaire online poker players wife.
Jokes aside, it's sad when high school sweethearts break up, we wish them both the best, and all the happiness life has to offer a couple of millionaires, Phil Ivey and Luciaetta have been married since May of 2002.
Who Said Gambling is a Sin? Not Reverend Trapp
December 29, 2009
Reverend Trapp of St Michael's Church and School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina entered a PokerStars tournament with the intention of winning the $5 Million cash prize for his church. The reverend says he would have donated the Five Million Dollars to the church so that the congregation could convene in a brand spankin' new church.
The South Carolina reverend didn't win the PokerStars tournament grand prize, he did however win a nice 100 grand prize for the church, bringing their goal so much closer than it was before.
Wait, What?! Isn't gambling a sin? It's bad right? Reverend Trapp actually asked permission in the church before playing in the tournament, he gained permission and was in fact encouraged by the churches congregation.
We did some asking around today, and it seems there are mixed feelings some Christian belivers believe that gambling is actually a sin, while others say that the sin isn't the gambling itself, however the greed that is a part of gambling.
What do you think? Either way, Congratulations to the Good Reverend, and to the entire congregation at St Michael's Church and School.
CEREUS Network Offering Special Power Hour Days
December 29, 2009
Just a short time ago the CEREUS network debut the Power Hour at both Absolute Poker and UB. Both sites have designated hours where players can earn extra reward Points. To celebrate the holidays both online poker rooms have now designated certain days to offer extra points as well.
Absolute Poker and UB have already offering the special days on the 24th, 25th and 26th so players now have just two days left to earn the extra points. The 31st of December and the 1st of January at both websites are offering double UltimatePoints and AbsolutePoints.
On the 31st and the 1st of January players will have twenty four hours to earn double the points. Players can play in any cash game or tournament of their choice to earn double the points at either poker room. The Power Hour has now turned into an all day affair on the designated days. The normal Power Hours last for around six hours but on these special days players will have twenty four hours to earn all the points they can handle.
The extra points will be automatically entered into the player’s accounts. Players will then be able to use the points they earned to purchase items from the online poker room they choose to play at. More details can be found at both UB and Absolute Poker about the Power Hour special days.
More Details on Baseball Bat Attack during Home Poker Game
December 28, 2009
Last week we brought you a short summary of an incident that occurred during a Mankato poker game. A man was knocked in the head with a baseball bat by Jimmy Lee Turner. Both men were participating in the home poker game. More details have surfaced about the incident and are listed below.
The poker game took place in a garage and the police were called to the residence because two or three men were fighting outside the home. The call was received at 11:35pm and when they arrived on scene they found that Randy Stoltzman who told police that his friend had been hit on the head with a baseball bat.
The victim was David Wojciechowski and he was looked over by police and an ambulance was called to treat his head wound. The officers continued to check out what happened and this was what was stated. Jimmy Lee Turner, the assailant and David had a violent past.
Stoltzman had a sister who had dated both David and Turner off and on for the past ten years. The sister is believed to be the source of the argument. One month prior to the baseball bat incident, David punched Turner in the head and knocked him out after Turner came to David’s house and an argument took place.
Stoltzman told police that the men decided to play poker and David soon received a text message. He got up from the poker table and left the garage. Turner followed David outside and hit him over the head with a baseball bat. Stoltzman was not able to stop Turner before he got one good hit in on David. Turner then got in his car and left stated he was going to return and ‘shoot up the place’.
Turner was arrested and charged with second degree assault, disorderly conduct and terrorist’s threats. Turner was able to have a bail set at $50,000 but it was conditional on him not contacting David Wojciechowski or Stoltzman.
Underground Poker Game Robbed at Gun Point
December 28, 2009
Portland Poker rooms seem to be a target for theft as of late. If you're close to the Portland Poker community, then you may well know about the ATM machine that was recently robbed at the Player's Palace, on SE Foster rd. in S.E. Portland, Oregon.
That event wasn't heavily publicized, however a name was added to the IOU sheet hung at the back of the poker room, and a few grand listed next to the name of the in-house suspect.
Reports were that the ATM Machine held between 3 and 7 thousand dollars.
It seems as though another poker room was hit last night. This a more underground option for poker players, a poker room located in the garage of a residential home in SE Portland.
The game is often frequented by police officers, teachers, and contractors, professional people from the Portland area. It's not open to the general public, and is available by invitation only. The invitation can usually come from anyone well known among the other players.
In the Wee hours of the morning yesterday, police reports say that three men, wearing black clothing, and masks entered the poker room on 114th and SE Holgate, bearing shotguns.
The players, a pretty tight nit group of local poker players all thought it was a joke, until they found themselves ordered to lay on the ground, at gun point.
Players were assaulted, one player was hit in the back with a shotgun until he finally laid flat. Players were robbed individually, patted down and stripped of their wallets, jewelry, cell phones, keys, anything of value found on their persons.
To add insult to injury, stealing the money and dignity of the poker players wasn't enough. Before leaving the robbers sprayed everyone down with pepper spray.
There are no reports of serious injury, the pepper sprayed players were treated by local paramedics at the scene, no one was taken to the hospital.
Portland Police are looking for further information, if you have information, or are perhaps one of the players from that night who might have recognized one of the robbers, give the police a call at 503-823-3333.
Poker2Nite, a Weekly Poker News Show, Debuts on The Poker Channel Europe
December 24, 2009
UB.net celebrates the launch of Poker2Nite on European TV with a new free play online poker promotion, and there’s now two WSOP packages to be won each week
Miami, FL (Marketwire), Monday, December 21st, 2009 – Last week, European audiences got their first taste of the UB.net sponsored Poker2Nite television show, fronted by Team UB Pro Joe Sebok and longtime poker journalist Scott Huff. The Poker Channel Europe is now airing episodes of the hot new weekly poker news program every Wednesday at 22:00 CET for the run of season. Miss it the first time, or not yet had your fill of the talented PokerRoad duo, and you can catch it again on Thursdays and Saturdays at 16:00 CET on Europe’s largest dedicated gaming TV network.
“Seebs” and Huff made the transition from radio to television at the helm of Poker2Nite last month on Fox Sports Net (“FSN”). Now entering week five of the series, the show is really hitting its stride amongst audiences, enjoying a growing legion of loyal followers from week to week as the show settles into its timeslot, and as the co-anchors have become more dazzling in front of the camera.
With the Poker Channel Europe launch, Poker2Nite viewer figures are set to skyrocket, as the Wednesday night poker news program expands its reach outside of America, and is now available online to a global audience and to more than 18 million cable and satellite homes across Europe.
UB.net celebrates the rise of the weekly show that delivers the inside scoop on the poker world by giving away a pair of UB WSOP Pro Packages in their new free to play online poker promotion, the Poker2Nite Pro Challenge.
Sign up for a new UB.net account and play for a free WSOP package. You’ll need to enter the special referral code to qualify for the Poker2Nite Pro Challenge, which players can discover by tuning into this week’s Wednesday night episode of Poker2Nite. Once you’ve entered the correct referral code, an email will confirm your registration in the following Sunday’s Poker2Nite Pro Challenge at 14:00ET.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a Pro, and you like your chances at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, this is the best value poker promotion on the Net. Simply finish in the top two spots in the UB.net ‘Pro Challenge’ to secure aFor your shot at this prestigious prize package, catch the poker action every week on Poker2Nite, featuring the latest from online and live poker around the world. American viewers can watch Sebok and Huff, plus roving reporters Dana Workman and Absolute Poker Pro Lacey Jones every Wednesday on Fox Sports Net at 23:00 EST, while European audiences can share in the fun at the Poker Channel Europe at 22:00 CET.
Find out more about the cast and watch the latest Poker2Nite videos on www.ub.net/poker-promotions/poker2nite Visit www.ub.net for full details of the Poker2Nite online promotion.
Trekkie’s Poker Memorabilia Lawsuit Denied by Court
December 23, 2009
A few years ago Ted Moustakis purchased several items of poker memorabilia items of the popular television show Star Trek from a Christie’s auction. The auction was huge and catered to fans of Star Trek. The auction was so huge that the History Channel streamed the auction live for people to view. Now Moustakis is suing Christie’s for selling him knock-offs.
Moustakis purchased three items during the auction: a $6,600 poker visor, an $11,000 poker table and a $6,000 uniform, all worn and used by his favorite Star Trek character Commander Data. According to the NY Post, Moustakis claims that Christie’s intentionally lied about the items he purchased.
Moustakis claimed the items he purchased were said to be ‘one of a kind’ and ‘used by Data himself’. But once Moustakis met Brent Spiner, the man who plays Data, he was told by Spiner that the visor he had purchased was not ‘his visor’. According to Moustakis, more research was done to prove that all the items were bogus. He found that the uniform was one of many created for the television show.
However, just this week, the case against Christie’s was dropped by a panel of judges. They commented that Moustakis ‘should just have asked for his money back…not boldly sued for a small fortune.” Even actors from Star Trek commented on the suit. Wil Wheaton of Star Trek commented when the suit was first filed that ‘there is no one of a kind spacesuits for regular cast members…I think it’s more likely that this guy has buyer’s remorse.”
Both CBS Consumer Products, who oversees Star Trek merchandise and Christies Auction House, both, praised the ruling of the court. Christie’s continues to stand behind the authenticity of their auction and the items sold during that time.
Pokerstars Online Pro’s Announced
December 23, 2009
It's finally out! Pokerstars has finally released their list of all new Team PokerStars online pro's!
1. Andres Alisievicz --- lobojiji
2. Jorge Arias --- JorgeArias
3. Boumaaza Bachir --- Chiren80
4. Anders Berg --- Donald
5. Alvaro Blanco --- VARICO
6. Thomas Boekhoff --- Boku87
7. Diego Brunelli --- vgreen22
8. André Coimbra --- acoimbra
9. Mathew Didlick --- chipstar1
10. Ta-Chih Geeng --- socutiesf
11. Andrew Goetsch --- Kid Nebraska
12. Martha Gonzalez --- marene
13. Keiran Harris --- K_Man2307
14. Steve Jacobs --- stevesbets
15. Randy Lew --- nanonoko
16. Karlo Lopez --- elmagopr
17. Alexey Makarov --- LuckyGump
18. Kristian Martin --- CharismA3
19. Grzegorz Mikielewicz --- DaWarsaw
20. Nichoel Peppe --- NicP
21. Grayson Physioc --- spacegravy
22. Sebastien Sabic --- Seb86
23. Amanda Thomas --- ROXY24
According to Pokerstars, of the 5000 SuperNova players invited to apply, 2000 did, and of those 2000 online poker players, that face it, collectively play a TON of poker, 1% of them were chosen to represent the largest poker room in the entire world, PokerStars.
The new Online Team PokerStars is made up of 23 online poker pro's, an odd number really. It's almost as though Pokerstars chose 20 men, and then decided to tack on three extra women, because that's what you have. 20 men, and 3 women.
PokerStars Attempting to Break Own World Record Again
December 22, 2009
PokerStars is the king of breaking online poker records. Every record they attempt to break is one they have already made. The online poker room is currently getting ready to break the Guinness World Record for the largest online poker tournament ever played a record which they already hold.
The record for the largest online poker tournament ever played has been set twice, both times by PokerStars. the first time the record was set was in December 2008 when 35,000 players competed in the same online tournament. PokerStars then broke the record again in July 2009 when 65,000 players competed in the same tournament.
The next record breaking attempt will take place at PokerStars on the December 27th at 2:45pm ET. The tournament will have a buy-in of $1 and be a No Limit Hold’em tournament. PokerStars is trying to draw a large field of competitors by offering a guaranteed first place prize of $50,000 and a total prize pool of $300,000. The top 30,000 players will earn a cash prize.
PokerStars Tournaments Team Leader Bryan Slick commented: “Players really enjoy these events, and so do we. There is a real thrill when the tournament begins and everyone realizes just how many people are taking part from all over the world.”
Players who would like to take part in the record breaking attempt can already register at PokerStars. players can register under the Tourney and Special tabs at PokerStars website. Players will not be able to register late for this event.
Bad Beat or Just Table Etiquate Reminder? Man Assults Poker Player with a Bat
December 22, 2009
There aren't many details available at this time, but a man at a Mankato poker game sent a text message using his cellular telephone, possibly from his seat at the poker table, and another man, Jimmy Lee Turner, walloped him with a baseball bat.
Turner, 47 was arrested Saturday following the alledged assault on poker player Dave Wojciechowski. The 32 year old Wojciechowski was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Police say that Turner could be charged with 2nd degree assault in addition to disorderly conduct and even terroristic threats. He was booked into Blue Earth County Jail at 1:13 am yesterday morning.
The incident occurred at a home poker game on the 1500 block of Woodland Avenue in Mankato Minnesota.
Full Tilt Poker Makes Statement in regards to Brian Townsend’s Data Mining Accusations
December 22, 2009
The following statement was received this morning in response to the allegations of collusion and team poker play against isildur1.
We have conducted an exhaustive review of the situation and have taken action based on this investigation.
Having reviewed the matter, Brian Hastings and Cole South were not found to have breached our site rules in any way. It is fully acceptable for players to discuss strategy, and in this instance these players did discuss hands, an opponent and a strategy to play against this opponent. However, when the games are played there was only one player making decisions regarding the hand.
Based on our findings, the sole breach of our site rules was by Brian Townsend who was found in violation of our rules regarding datamining. While he did violate our rules, he is receiving a punishment that is harsher than our standard response in these situations. In cases of players found to have violated our policy regarding datamining our standard response is to issue an initial warning regarding the violation before taking further action. In this instance Brian Townsend will additionally be stripped of his status as a Full Tilt Red Pro for a period of one month as we hold our Pros to the highest standard when enforcing our rules.
We now consider this matter closed and all parties involved in the situation have been made aware of our decision.
This is the second time we've seen Townsend land in hot water as a pro poker player, the player was also suspended once for Multi-Accounting.
Full Tilt Poker has already handed down punishment to Brian for his iniquitous actions. Townsend has been suspended from Red Pro status at Full Tilt Poker for the next 6 months. PokerStars, on the other hand, has yet to comment on the matter. -Multi-Accounting Article
Let's be fair though, he did apologize.
Facebook Bans Online Gambling Advertisements
December 21, 2009
Facebook is a popular online social networking site where people can keep in touch with friends, in fact, if you're not familiar with the site, check it out the next time you crawl out from underneath of your rock. The sites popular in large due to the ability it gives ppl on the web to find old friends and network with people in their career field, share photo's with their families, play silly games like Zynga Poker, and just, enjoy a few hours on the Internet.
The site is also bombarded with various advertisements which keep the site in business. Facebook recently announced they are taking the necessary steps to remove gambling advertising from their website.
Facebook will be removing all forms of online gambling advertising including: bingo, sportsbooks, poker and casinos. Oddly enough Facebook has many applications that are casino games that people can play, though they are free for members to enjoy.
However Facebook is not only banning online gambling advertisements. The social networking site released a list of around twenty topics that will be banned. This includes spy cameras, firearms, tobacco, gambling uncertified pharmaceuticals, pyramid schemes and nudity, among many others.
The goal of Facebook banning these topics of advertisement is to protect their online community by implementing this censorship, according to a recent press release. According to one report, an executive of Facebook found that Bing was providing underage Facebook users were being provided with x-rated content. To prevent this from happening in the future, the site has decided to block all forms of adult entertainment from Facebook.
Even though the site is blocking the advertisements, businesses including online casino operators will be able to create groups, fan pages and Facebook pages to be able to stay in contact with fans and players. It will be interesting to see if Facebook will take further measures to ban online gambling content or if these recent changes will be the only changes made.
Brian Townsend’s Full Tilt Pro Status Suspended in Connection with Data Mining Accusations.
December 21, 2009
The accusation was laid out over the last few days, in fact, we covered it here briefly yesterday Rule breaking by a group of Full Tilt Poker's pro's, Brian Townsend, not Brian Hastings, we'd like to first clear up any confusion and make that clear.
That means the guys Full Tilt Poker has hand picked to represent their online poker website could very well be cheating the very customers that support them.
In short, they admitted to at the very least colluding by sharing their hand histories in effort to gain an edge over isildur1. In fact, the rumor is that Full Tilt Poker has removed Brian Townsend's pro status for one month for his alleged part in the alleged $4 million dollar collusion ring.
Who knows how often this sort of thing is done, or how many get away with it on a daily basis, or if there's even a way to track team poker play against individuals on a day to day basis (commonly coined collusion). However when $4 million is removed from the coffers of a customer (isildur1) poker players tend to take notice.
ESPN first blew this story wide open, without even knowing it. Kudos went out to them from across the web. Whether it was people that agreed that isildur1 was cheated robbed, or people that assume everyone breaks the rules so no one, not even the online poker sites own representatives should have to follow them, everyone knew that Brian Townsend said in an interview that he and the boys at Card Runners (3 Full Tilt Poker Pro's) worked together to bust isildur1.
"Hastings had played Isildur1 three times previously, so he, Townsend and Cole South conglomerated their hand histories, allowing them to study the mystery man's playing style."
In that same article, the author brings up one player per hand rules... in defense of... The Cardrunners Three.
There are some who are bringing into question the validity of the work the CardRunners guys did in conjunction with one another. Cries of "One player per hand!"
He goes on later in the interview to point out that:
"By working together, this poker study group has put the pieces together quicker than ever, but in the new online age, improving efficiency is almost always the priority."
See what they gain by working together like this, is a look at many more hands that ilsidur1 mucks. When you play online poker, and the hand goes all the way to the river, you get a peak at your opponent's hole cards after the hand, even if he mucks them. When you're just rail birding, or observing a game you're not playing in, you don't get to see those cards. Pay to see 'em as they say...
Brian chimes in:
"At that level, to be successful, you really have to take advantage of the little things," Hastings added. "They can help make the difference. That's why [the off-table analysis Townsend has been doing] is so important."
Where do we draw the line here however? A player in any sport looking to face a strong opponent would be heavily criticized if he did no due diligence. It is expected that every player do his best to look into other players. Using their own tools, insight and information to guide them.
In his response to the poker communities "pitchforks and torches calling for the hangings of the two Brians." Wise of ESPN assures us that "I spoke to Townsend and he informed me all of his actions were within the rules of FTP, mentioning his use of the presently sanctioned Hold'Em Manager."
After making this statement in this 2nd article, it seems as though Wise begins to set off smoke bombs, while walking through the house of mirrors.. Just like magic, the article changes, and the UIGEA becomes the topic.. Banks, and Customer service were mentioned, the legalities of poker in the United States and whether or not banks are enforcers...
He mentions diligently that Full Tilt Poker is a major supporter of the Poker Players Alliance, and he points out that ... "like the banks, the players aren't in the business of enforcement."
In his final paragraph, Mr. Wise felt the need to point out that he is not saying cheating is ok..
In a perfect world, we'd recognize the realities of what the advances in person-to-person communications mean to the online game and change the rules accordingly. That's not going to happen though. Admitting reality might scare the fish away. You can't touch the bottom line.
For those online poker fans that weren't following this story, we bring you a paraphrased recap from PokerBloggs.com
Brian Hastings make's $3,234,543.20 in just under 5 hours. Which works out to $646,908.64 / hour and $1,261 per hand over 2565 hands. Isildur1 would be on major tilt, while at the same time running bad.
In that article the author speculates that perhaps the reason Hastings dropped his backers just prior to this match is because he was stacked in part by the other 2 of the Musketeers, Brian Townsend and Cole South.
Mr. Hastings defends his teammates on his blog in the following quote:
“I wanted to clear up some allegations about Brian Hastings, Cole South and myself. First Brian H. Cole S and myself never colluded. Collusion is nearly impossible HU but there was always one person playing and never any ghosting occurring. In fact the only person to break the T&C of FullTilt Poker was myself. I had about 20k hands of play on Isildur and I acquired another 30k hands. This is against the T&C of FullTilt Poker and because of this violation I am going to have my red pro status suspended for one month.”
We emailed Full Tilt Poker for comment, so far we've received the following response:
This is an automated response to confirm we've received your email, and a representative will respond to you as soon as possible.
Clueless Star Brittany Murphy Passes away at 32 years of age.
December 20, 2009
If you don't remember Brittany Murphy from her celebrity charity tournaments you might recall her from Clueless, the movie 8-Mile, or Don't Say a Word. The young actress went into cardiac arrest this morning and reportedly died of a heart attack. Our hearts go out to her family, the 32 year old actress died today of a heart attack.
According to Los Angeles law enforcement fire fighters answered a 'medical request' call that took them to Murphy's house on Rising Glen Road in West Hollywood. Murphy was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center and pronounced Dead.
Visit the poker forum to share your personal opinions, memories and more on the life/death of Brittany Murphy.