Mixed Power Hour Starts Today at UB and Absolute Poker
February 22, 2010
Starting today, online poker rooms UB and Absolute Poker will be offering players the Mixed Power Hour. Players will be able to earn double UltimatePoints and AbsolutePoints non-stop until February 28th. Players who enjoy H.O.R.S.E. and H.O.S.E. are sure to enjoy this special week.
H.O.R.S.E. and H.O.S.E. have become quite popular at the online poker rooms and this week is going to reward those who enjoy the games. For those who are unfamiliar, H.O.R.S.E. is Hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud High, Eights or Better and H.O.S.E. is H.O.R.S.E. without the Razz.
Players who compete in the ring games of H.O.R.S.E. and H.O.S.E. will be able to earn double the UltimatePoints and AbsolutePoints. The special week of double points starts at 00:00ET on the 22nd and continues until 23:59ET on February 28th.
Players will find that the extra points will automatically be added to their player account and then players can use the points to purchase items in the UltimatePoints Store or the AbsoluteRewards Store. Both Absolute Poker and UB have a schedule that lists qualifying ring games and tournaments for the week which includes Sit n Gos and STEP tournaments. Games that are eligible are identified as such in the lobby.
Both sites will also be offering extra earning opportunities at special times during the afternoon and at night during the special Mixed Power Hour week. This week is an excellent opportunity for Absolute Poker and UB players to earn extra points while playing the games they love or trying something new.
Absolute Poker & UB Hosting Play for Haiti Charity Tourney
January 20, 2010
Later this week Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet are going to do their part in helping those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. They are going to host ‘Play for Haiti’ on January 20th.
Paul Leggett, is the Chief Operations Officer of Tokwiro, the company that owns both poker rooms had this to say:
“Along with the rest of the world, we’ve watched the headlines and news unfold with growing horror as the magnitude of the devastation in Haiti has been revealed. We believe we have a duty to do what we can to help raise funds and awareness for the plight of the people of Haiti, and our ‘Play for Haiti’ tournament is one small way we can work with our players to contribute.”
Play for Haiti is a dedicated tournament which will allow players to donate a portion of their money to the people in Haiti. Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker are going to match the Play for Haiti prize pool dollar for dollar.
The tourney will be held this Wednesday, January 20th at 8:30pm EST. If you want to take part the buyin is $5 dollars and there will be rebuys but there is a cap of 750 players.
There is going to be $10,000 dollars in prizes, 1st place will win a UBOC 8 $2,600 dollar entry, 2nd place is a UBOC Championship 8 $1,050 dollar entry. Third through ninth place will win a $215 dollar buyin for a 25 seat Satellite and 10th through 15th will win a $109 entry into a 100 seat Satellite for the UBOC 8.
All of the money that is raised during the tournaments will go to the Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief Fund.
Win Super Bowl Tickets Playing Online Poker
January 8, 2010
UB and Absolute Poker have launched a new Touchdown promotion, in which online poker players can compete for Super Bowl prize packages valued at over $12,000. Three No Limit Hold'em Main Events, at either site, will offer poker and football enthusiasts a chance to win a free trip to watch the Super Bowl live, and in person.
February 7, Super Bowl XLIV will commence at Miami, Florida's Dolphin Stadium. The halftime show will feature legendary, British rock band The Who.
The Super Bowl prize packages consist of 2 Super Bowl XLIV tickets, $2,000 to cover travel expenses, accommodation for four nights at the Bold New Eden Roc from February 4th to the 8th, transportation via limousine to and from Dolphin Stadium for the game, dinner for two, and VIP treatment at an exclusive Miami nightclub.
The Touchdown Main Events will take place on Wednesday, January 6th, 13th, and 20th, at 9:30pm ET. The buy-in for the Main Events is $200 + $15, or players can play satellite tournament, with buy-ins as little as $3, Sundays through Wednesdays in January for a seat in one of the Main Events. One prize package will be awarded for every $12k in the Main Event prize pool.
AbsolutePoker and UltimateBet are both owned by Mohawk gaming proprietor, Tokwiro Enterprises ENRG. Both are licensed and regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.
Super Bowl XLIV Tickets up for grabs at UB and Absolute Poker
January 4, 2010
Football fans will be glad to hear that Absolute Poker and UB are offering players a chance to go to the Super Bowl XLIV. The CEREUS Poker Network is hosting a special tournament series to see three players taking a trip to Miami, Florida for the event.
February 7th is the date of the 2010 Super Bowl and three prize packages for two are up for grabs. Each prize package is worth $12,000 and players must play and win one of three Texas Hold’em tournaments at either Absolute Poker or UB.
The tournament is called the Touchdown Main Event and it costs $200 plus $15 for the direct buy-in. players can also earn their way into the tournament by participating in daily satellites for only $3. Players who are skilled enough to win one of the prize packages will experience the best in Super Bowl access.
The package includes four nights’ accommodations at the Bold New Eden Roc, a limo to and from the Dolphin Stadium, $2,000 for airfare and other expenses. UB and Absolute Poker will also be inviting the winners to the VIP treatment at a Miami nightclub.
Players can visit Absolute Poker or UB to find out more information on the satellites and the Touchdown Main Event tournaments. The Main Event tournaments will take place on the 6th, 13th and 23rd at 9:30 pm ET and satellites will run daily until the last Main Event takes place.
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 
.
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.
Absolute Poker and UB Announce UBOC Events
December 8, 2009
Since Absolute Poker and UB are together on the same network, CEREUS, they are both announcing the upcoming UBOC event. The tournament series will take place in January and offer eighteen tournaments over a twelve day period.
The tournament series will offer a wide variety of poker events with varying buy-ins. Players will find buy-ins ranging from $100 to $2500. But players can also compete in satellites to earn their seats to the various events which will help lower the cost.
Two tournaments will have a one million dollar guaranteed prize pool and the total prize pools for the series will be $4 million in guarantees. Players will find Omaha, Knockout, Deepstack and Pot Limit Hold’em tournaments among other events. Players who are able to win one of the eighteen tournaments will earn the cash prize as well as a commemorative watch.
Players will also be excited to hear that there will also be a mini-UBOC tournament. This will be a similar series but with lower buy-ins. So those who cannot afford the regular UBOC buy-ins or participate in satellites, they can afford the smaller buy-ins of the mini-UBOC.
The buy-ins of the mini-UBOC start at just $10 and go up to $30. The prize pools go up to $20k, a good deal lower than the regular UBOC but still a nice pot for the much lower buy-ins. The mini version will have sixteen tournaments and they will play simultaneously with the regular UBOC events.
Satellites are currently running at both Absolute Poker and UB so players can go ahead and start earning their seats for the 2010 UBOC. More information on the tournament series can be found at both Absolute Poker and UB.
UB and Absolute Poker Begin Offering Power Hour
December 3, 2009
Online poker rooms UB and Absolute Poker have now begun offering their players something special. The all new Power Hour has been launched as of December 1st and players can now earn double UB and Absolute Poker Points when playing ring games and tournaments.
The new Power Hour is a new option not a promotion or once in a lifetime opportunity. Both poker rooms will be offering the Power Hour every day Monday through Saturday from 1-4am ET and 1-4 pm ET. Players will immediately begin to earn double the number of UB and Absolute Poker Points just for playing specific games during the allotted time period.
Players can play from 1-4am ET on Sundays in any cash game or tournament and earn double the points at both rooms as well. Ring game players will get an extra hour of Power on Sundays as the hours range from 1-5pm ET. Extra points will automatically appear in each players account and all you have to do is spend them.
Points from UB and Absolute Poker can be used for a wide variety of items. Players can get apparel from both poker rooms as well as gifts in many different categories. Sports items as well as tickets to various events can be purchased with Points from both poker rooms.
Absolute Poker Gains Sexy New Celebrity Endorser
November 10, 2009
Online poker room Absolute Poker recently announced they have a new celebrity endorser. Trishelle Cannatella, reality television star, actress and poker player is now the newest face to endorse the online poker room. Trishelle is very recognizable as she has made over thirty television appearances on various reality television series, dramas and specials.
Trishelle is most famous for her appearance on MTV’s The Real World back in 2002 
when it was filmed in Las Vegas. That season of The Real World was the breakout season of the show for sexual situations and outlandishness. Trishelle has also starred on Punk’d, Fear Factor, Criminal Minds, Ninja Cheerleaders, The Dukes of Hazard: The Beginning, The Surreal Life and Dr. Steve-O and many more.
Trishelle became interested in the game of poker and after entering her first tournament in Las Vegas at the Caesars Palace she earned a win and has been hooked every since. Back in 2005 Trishelle appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown which furthered her passion for the game. Trishelle will also be featured soon in an upcoming edition of Online Poker Pro magazine. In the magazine Trishelle gave an exclusive interview on her signing with Absolute Poker.
Poker fans can play with Trishelle online at Absolute Poker by looking for her online. The Absolute Buddy software allows players to search for Trishelle to see if she is online and where she is playing. She plays under the name Trishelle_C so players need only to search that name to join her at the poker tables.
New Epic 9 Promotion at Absolute Poker
October 23, 2009
Throughout the month of October Absolute Poker has been running the Epic 9 Promotion. Epic 9 is a new promotion that is centered on the November 9 return for the 2009 World Series of Poker final table. Players are competing for their share of $50,000 in prize money to be featured at the Epic 9 main event.
Currently there are two leader board competitions taking place each day. These competitions award $2,000 and by the end of the Epic 9 promotion there will be a total of $110,000 given away. Players have until October 31st to qualify to play against “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth.
The Epic 9 will end on November 10th with the Main Event at 9:00EST. Only nine seats will be available in the online tournament and one belongs to Hellmuth so only eight are up for grabs for online players. If a player manages to beat Phil Hellmuth that player will earn an entry to the $200,000 guaranteed tournament. The player who wins the tournament will earn $25,000 while second place earns $15,000 and third earns $10,000.
Players have several ways to make the tournament with Hellmuth. The player who wins the October Multi Table Tournament Leader board will win a seat and two seats are up for grabs for the top two players of the Daily Sit N Go Tournament Leader board.
Two seats are up for grabs for the players that earn the most Status Points in daily ring games. These are just a few of the ways players can earn their seat to the Main Event. Those interested should visit Absolute Poker and begin competing in the Epic 9 promotion.
Absolute Poker Offering Packages to World Poker Tour Foxwoods
October 14, 2009
The World Poker Tour Foxwoods Poker Finals is set to begin very soon and online poker room Absolute Poker is offering several ways for players to earn a nice package to the main event. Players can participate in steps tournaments, qualifiers and satellites to hopefully earn a $12,000 prize package to the Foxwoods Main Event.
Absolute Poker began offering the prize packages just a few weeks ago and players have until November 1st to try and earn their package. Players can compete in the weekly WPT Foxwoods Super Satellites every Sunday at 8:30 PM ET up until the 1st for only $500 plus $30. One $12,000 package is guarantee each week.
Players who cannot afford the $530 buy-in to the Super Satellite can participate in qualifiers for the Super Satellite that start at just $3 or 750 AbsolutePoints. Or for even less money, players can participate in Absolute Poker’s Step tournaments. The Step tournaments start at just ten cents and players that win STEP 10 will earn a $12,000 Main event prize package. Players can also make it to STEP 7a and qualify for the Sunday Super Satellites.
Players who earn the $12,000 packages will have the $10,000 buy-in for the main event as well as $2000 which can be used for lodging and expenses. Day 1 of the Main Event begins at noon on November 5th and Day 2 will begin on the 6th at Noon. The Main event will continue at Foxwoods until the 10th of November when the Final Table will begin.
College Challenge Running at Absolute Poker
October 5, 2009
United States University and College students will be glad to hear that Absolute Poker has brought back their College Challenge. Students will be able to earn $30,000 in prizes if they are currently enrolled in the United States.
Three qualifying tournaments are running each day at Absolute Poker; a free roll, a $.25 buy-in and a $5 buy-in tournament. Players that finish in the top nine of any of these tournaments will be automatically entered into a free roll that will take place the following day. Players who make the top fifteen of the free roll will move on to the Weekly Main event Qualifier. The weekly Main Event advances players to the Main Event.
The top six finishers of the Main Event will compete in a live final table in Los Angeles and will be streamed live online. The winner of the tournament will earn $10,000 to be placed toward their College tuition.
Matt Vengrin an Absolute Poker pro and a consultant for the College Challenge commented: “This tournament is a fun and easy way for college students to compete for an alternative way to pay for tuition, and we believe that this program is one of the best ways to create real added value for college students.”
Derek Dilberian, a twenty four year old law student at University of Florida won the first College Challenge by Absolute Poker as he outlasted a field of 4,000 competitors. Players cannot buy-in directly to the Main Event but Absolute Poker offers many ways for a player to earn their seat and be on their way to the Main Event.
Absolute Poker Adds another Player to Poker Team
July 13, 2009
Just a few short weeks ago Absolute Poker announced the addition of Matt Vengrin to the online poker room’s pro team. Absolute Poker has now announced the signing of a new poker pro to their team; Lacey Jones. Lacey Jones is the newest poker pro added to the team and she will now be representing the Absolute Poker brand.
Lacey first arrived on the poker scene in 2005 at ESPN when she began as a model to play in a charity poker tournament. Lacey finished in 32nd place in a field of 360 players, which proved she knew how to play the game and she is not just a pretty face.
Since first being introduced in 2005, Lacey has gone on to be successful in the game of poker including cashing out at the World Series of Poker. However, Lacey has not spent all of her time at the felt. Many may recognize her from appearances on HBO’s Entourage, Fox television’s The O.C. and NBC’s hit series, Las Vegas.
Last year Lacey was voted the hottest woman in poker by Wicked Chops Poker and she also appeared on the cover of Bluff Magazine. Lacey also appeared as a live commentator hostess for the WSOP and the co-host of The Real Deal in Las Vegas.
Lacey commented on joining the Absolute Poker team, she stated: “I’m so excited about this amazing new chapter of my career with Absolute Poker. Our fit couldn’t be more perfect and I can’t wait to share all of the amazing stuff that’s in store with the AP community.”
Step up your Poker Game with Absolute Poker’s STEP Tournaments
May 19, 2009
Absolute Poker is one of the online poker rooms that offer their players STEP tournaments which are a way for players to earn seats to major land based tournaments like the 2009 WSOP. The special aspect of STEP tournaments is the fact that they begin with a low buy-in so players can begin competing for a low amount of cash. Absolute Poker offers STEP tournaments beginning at just ten cents, which anyone can afford.
Win Your Way into the WSOP with Absolute Poker's Step Tournaments!
Absolute Poker’s STEP tournaments have ten steps with the final step offering the seat to the land based event. Players can begin on the first step for just ten cents and then work their way up the ten steps to the final. Players must finish the first step before moving on the next and so on.
The STEP tournaments are a type of Sit-n-Go tournament and each tournament consists of ten STEPS, which equals ten individual Sit-n-Go tournaments. As each STEP tournament advances the buy-ins increase.
Each STEP tournament sees the first two winners advancing to the next step without having to pay the buy-in. For example, a WSOP hopefull buys into the first Step, and the first two winners of the STEP 1 then move on to STEP 2 without having to pay the buy-in and the first two winners of STEP 2 move on to STEP 3 and so on.
Now here's where it gets interesting. The third and fourth place finishers of STEP 1 get back into STEP 1 for free. So as long as you can finish in the top four, you don't lose.
Once you get to STEP 2, which you can buy into directly for .30 (thirty cents), you can either win your way to STEP 3 by finishing in first or second, or retry STEP 2 again by finishing in third, or if your game is a little lax, or you suffer a bad beat, you can win your way back to STEP 1 by winning fourth place. At the very least, you win a nickle (Half up on your next STEP 1) by placing in fifth place.
This advancement will continue until players reach STEP 10 and the winner earns the seat to the land based tournament that Absolute Poker is offering, right now that tournament is of course the World Series of Poker. Another great aspect of the STEP tournaments is that if you do not make it to the next STEP but you still finish high you will be given the option to replay the STEP instead of having to start over or move down a STEP.
Alternatively, players can opt to take another path during STEP 7 and win their way into a Multi Table tournament with 50 guarenteed WSOP seats on offer.
To begin playing in the Absolute Poker STEPS Tournaments players need to log on to their account at Absolute Poker and clicking on the STEPS Tournament Tab. With such a small buy-in this is a great way to try and earn a seat to a major land event without having to hurt your bank roll. With just a ten dollar deposit you could enter several STEPS tournaments at the ten cent level or move up to the fifty cent level or an even higher level. Its amazing how far just ten dollars will get you at Absolute Poker when you play the STEPS tournaments.
Kentucky Appeals Court Overturns Ruling To Seize 141 Online Gambling Domains
January 21, 2009
The Court of Appeals in Kentucky has returned its ruling on the Commonwealth’s case that sought to seize 141 online gambling domains. The courts overturned the original ruling, stating that Kentucky does not have the right to seize online gambling domain names.
While the ruling was a major victory for the defense team, the Kentucky Court of Appeals did rule that online gambling domains are considered “gambling devices”. However, it was decided that the Commonwealth of Kentucky does not have the jurisdictional rights to seize online gambling domains located outside of its borders.
“We are humbled by this decision and by the overwhelming support received from Internet businesses and free speech organizations everywhere,” came the response of Jeff Ifrah, a member of the law team that represents the Interactive Gaming Council. “The Court of Appeals has now corrected a fundamental misunderstanding by the trial judge in this proceeding of the nature of the Internet and the legality of online poker in Kentucky.”
Back in September of 2008, Judge Thomas Wingate ruled in favor of the Commonwealth, signing the forfeiture order that would allow Kentucky to seize all 141 online gambling domains in question. The forfeiture hearing was originally scheduled to take place in December, but was postponed until the Appeals Court ruling.
All 141 online gambling domains brought up in the case are affected by the overturned ruling, including Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, under dual ownership of Tokwiro Enterprises, who gave in to the court’s pressure by geo-blocking residents of Kentucky from accessing its online poker rooms.
60 Minutes To Report On Absolute Poker / UltimateBet Cheating Scandal
November 27, 2008
CBS News headliner “60 Minutes” is covering the Absolute Poker and UltimateBet cheating scandal that has been ongoing for months now. The report is scheduled to air on the evening of November 30th at 7pm ET titled, “How Online Gamblers Unmasked Cheaters”.
According to information reportedly confirmed by Poker News Daily, 60 Minutes has undertaken a 4-month investigation into the online poker story with the assistance of Gilbert Gaul, newspaper correspondent for The Washington Post.
A sneak preview for the report was posted by 60 Minutes, offering a glimpse into the interview between correspondent Steve Kroft and online poker player Steve Witteles, better know online as ‘Dan Druff’.
“This ‘Graycat’ person was new and at first he seemed like a live one,” Witteles stated in the video clip. “He seemed terrible. He was raising just really, really bad hands against very good hands. He seemed to play crazy. He seemed like he was giving his money away, except the only thing was, he wasn’t losing.”
Witteles went on to further explain why his encounter with ‘Graycat’ was so remarkably unusual. “He was playing in a style that was sure to lose, but he was killing the game day after day."
The preview told of ‘Graycat’ winning consistently at 15 standard deviations above average, “which was approximately equivalent to winning a one in a million jackpot six consecutive times.”
The username ‘POTRIPPER’ blew the story wide open in September of 2007 when the player called Marco ‘CrazyMarco’ Johnson in a $1,000 tourney holding only 10-high. It was discovered that user number 363, linked back to Absolute Poker’s headquarters in Costa Rica, was observing ‘POTRIPPER’ at the tables.
Since then, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission began an investigation into the matter as multiple players began pointing the preverbal finger and slinging accusations of cheating throughout the online poker room. The investigation revealed that there was in fact cheating going on, and that it went all the way up to the head levels of both Absolute Poker and UltimateBet management.
The cheating first began around the time that Excapsa, formerowner of both Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, sold its business to Tokwiro Enterprises. Apparaently it was ex-managers of the online poker rooms that maintained access to the site, even after the transition to new ownership. Tokwiro was left to take the fall and subsequently pick up the pieces.
The new owner immediately responded and, upon the results of Kahnawake’s investigation, promptly filed a suit against Excapsa; the result of which lead to a $15 million ruling in favor of Tokwiro, who vowed to use those funds to repay players who had suffered losses from the escapade.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the details of this story thus far and would like to learn more, tune in to 60 Minutes on CBS, November 30th at 7pm ET and watch the segment, “How Online Gamblers Unmasked Cheaters”.
Online Poker Rooms Boast “The Future Of Poker Is CEREUS”
November 26, 2008
After months of enthusiasm and anticipation from thousands of Internet poker fans, the future of online poker is here, and it’s CEREUS. Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, under ownership of Tokwiro Enterprises, have finally merged onto the new CEREUS Poker Network.
The CEREUS platform was developed from the ground up to deliver online poker players at both Absolute Poker and UltimateBet with innovative new features, including advanced security measures and a much more lucrative tournament schedule.
“With the proud launch of the unified network CEREUS, our company is well placed to provide significantly better value and superior service to customers of both brands,” said Peter Leggett, Chief Operations Officer at Tokwiro.
"We are dedicated to providing the ultimate online experience,” Legget continued, “and with CEREUS we offer real value for every dollar our players put on the tables, and our unwavering commitment to security and fair play as the foundation of the new network,"
The transition to the CEREUS poker network had little effect on members of either online poker room, aside from a 4 hour suspension in the banking department yesterday morning. From the hours of 5am to 9am ET, members of Absolute Poker and UltimateBet were asked to hold off on making any transactions, deposit or withdrawal, to allow time for modifications to be complete.
There haven’t been, and aren’t expected to be, any negative implications as a result of the CEREUS integration. Existing members of both online poker rooms are asked to simply log onto their respective sites and continue to play online poker in the same manner as they always have. The only noticeable change is the extensively higher traffic rate – due to the merge of player bases – and bigger tournaments with larger crowds than ever before.
“CEREUS, the culmination of more than 12 months of development, delivers a secure, responsive and flexible online poker gaming experience to members of the UB and AP communities,” stated a press release issued by Tokwiro yesterday after the successful transition to CEREUS. “The new poker platform is backed by leading technology and a 24/7 Security Center to deliver a watertight gaming experience for everyone at the tables.”
Online Poker Extraordinaire Alex “AJKHoosier” Kamberis; King of MTTs
July 30, 2008
Over the last two years, Alex “AJKHoosier” Kamberis has worked his way through various online poker tournament tables, earning a massive amount of cash and a special place in the hearts of all online poker players who seen him in action – at least those who were not at the receiving end of his extraordinary poker skills.
Amazingly, at only 22 years of age, Kamberis has gone from online poker newbie to legendary winner of more than $1 million in just two short years. From Bloomingburg, Indiana, Alex Kamberis has earned in excess of $1 million at PokerStars alone, another $500,000+ at Full Tilt Poker, along with significant cashes at Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, as well.
Though his most common username at online poker sites (PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and UltimateBet) is the most well known, “AJKHoosier”, Kamberis can also be found at Absolute Poker using the nickname “aayomagic”.
Kamberis’ most recent cash, and largest to date, came just this month. Alex took down the Full Tilt Poker $1,000,000 Guaranteed, whittling his way through a field of nearly 3,000 to take the top prize of $134,895. Just a week later, Kamberis impressed the online poker world again by earning 1st position in Absolute Poker’s $150k GTD, worth $27,500 for the win.
Despite his largest cash coming from Full Tilt Poker only a few weeks ago, Alex maintains his favorite place to play online poker is PokerStars. It comes as no surprise really, seeing as the young poker pro has earned more than $1 million from PokerStars alone.
Alex “AJKHoosier” Kamberis’s current online poker tournament earnings are broken down below:
PokerStars (AJKHoosier): $1,039,223.54
Largest Cash: $57,475
Full Tilt Poker (AJKHoosier): $572,672.03
Largest Cash: $134,894.80
Absolute Poker (aayomagic): $127,483.88
Largest Cash: $37,500
UltimateBet (AJKHoosier): $181,350.05
Largest Cash: $20,250
Alex Kamberis has gotten more and more involved with live poker tournaments as well, revealing increasing success in the offline poker circuit. Kamberis has pocketed more than $120,000 in live tournaments, his largest cash coming in the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic in December of 2007. He earned $57,815 for finishing in 30th place. Kamberis earned a single cash in the 2008 WSOP as well, finishing 34th in a $5,000 NL Hold’em event for $16,147.
Kamberis took a two year break from his college studies to play poker professionally, but has gained the invariable respect of the professional poker community by declaring his intention to return to the University of Indiana to complete his education – a rare instance among most professional poker players.
Online Poker Rooms Merge Onto CEREUS Network
July 25, 2008
Two major online poker rooms, Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, have united to form the CEREUS Network. CEREUS is not expected to launch until August, but the integration of players and platforms from both online poker rooms will instantly create the third largest online poker network in the industry.
Absolute Poker and UltimateBet are owned by the same parent company, therefore it comes as no surprise that the two online poker rooms would merge into one uniform network. The overall designs will be unique, but the blueprint behind Absolute Poker and UltimateBet will be modeled the same.
As of a few months ago, UltimateBet Pro Annie Duke took on the task of redesigning the UltimateBet tournament schedule and structure. As part of the CEREUS Network, both sites will be restricted to use of the same tournament line-up. It’s unclear at this time whether Duke’s revisions will remain intact, or if an entirely new schedule will be devised.
Chief Operations Officer for both UltimateBet and Absolute Poker, Paul Leggett, relayed his enthusiasm over the network merge, “I am so excited to announce the launch of our new poker network CEREUS. This is a huge landmark for our company and online poker. I’m confident that Absolute Poker and UltimateBet customers will be thrilled by the new platform and we look forward to welcoming many new players from around the world.”
Leggett went on to say, “Our company’s goal is to provide poker players with the ultimate online experience. The launch of CEREUS is a major step for us in achieving our goal and we look forward to making many more exciting announcements very soon.”
Absolute Poker and UltimateBet have spent nearly the last year headlining the online poker news industry, but not for the best of reasons. Both online poker rooms have undergone ferocious battering from the media and even the Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA) due to uncovered cheating scandals. Just when Absolute Poker seemed to be recovering from the eruption, UltimateBet found itself in nearly the same awkward position. (For more information, see Absolute Poker/UltimateBet Cheating Scandal.)
The merging of Absolute Poker and UltimateBet is a palpable attempt to regroup and breathe new life into the two online poker rooms. The tribulations of the past could not have caused too much damage to player loyalty if uniting Absolute Poker and UltimateBet into a single network has the power to generate the world’s 3rd largest online poker network.
Absolute Poker FAME: Win Anything From Bling-Bling To Free Gas
July 11, 2008
Absolute Poker launched a new promotional campaign this month that is promising to reward players with the most innovative prizes, ranging from $45,000 worth of real diamonds to free gasoline.
Deemed the “FAME” promotion, members of Absolute Poker become more “famous” as they play real money ring games, tournaments and/or blackjack, earning STATUS points. The more STATUS points a player earns in a calendar month, the higher their FAME level becomes, rising through the ranks of Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and of course, Diamond.
The Absolute Poker FAME promotion covers the two-month period of July 1st through August 30th. At the end of the promotion, the three online poker players who are the most famous – earn the most STATUS points – will each be awarded a genuine diamond worth $5,000.
For the month of July, the first 5 members of Absolute Poker to earn 10,000 STATUS points will each receive a diamond worth $2,000. In addition, the first 5 players to hit a Diamond Royal Flush playing $1/$2 stakes at the online poker room will be rewarded with diamonds worth $1,000.
The most unique benefit of the Absolute Poker FAME promotion is the ability to spend earned credits through Absolute Poker’s new Rewards Store, offering all sorts of valuable merchandise – even the option to purchase gasoline!
A spokesperson from Absolute Poker stated, “We believe all poker players deserve to be treated like the rich and famous, so we're rolling out the red carpet with an unparalleled loyalty program that rewards players in incredible new ways including a real diamond giveaway that ups the ante even further."