PokerStars Aquires Online Poker Portals

The world's largest online poker room, PokerStars.com, on Monday announced the acquisition of several online poker portals.  Among them: PokerPages.com, PlayWinningPoker.com and Poker-Babes.com, three of the most well-established poker information portals on the Internet, according to the online poker behemoth. 

"Along with PokerStarsBlog.com, PokerStars' in-house poker blog, the sites offer poker players a valuable resource of online poker information," a press release from the company declared.

PokerPages.com was originally launched in 2000.  It features an extensive collection of strategy articles, interviews and book reviews; a highly detailed worldwide poker room directory; one of the most comprehensive tournament results databases in the world; and historical coverage of major North American and European poker tournaments of the last five years.

Similarly, the "Winner's Guide to Online Poker" published by poker player Steve Badger on PlayWinningPoker.com in 2000 was the first online poker strategy guide ever published.  PlayWinningPoker.com also includes sections on Texas Hold'em, Omaha, tournament considerations, blinds play, poker psychology, bankroll management and many other facets of both online and live poker play."

Shirley Rosario, a successful tournament player and former prop player at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, launched Poker-Babes.com in 2003.  It was the first site to offer profiles and photos of famous and highly successful poker players in addition to offering strategy articles on lesser-known games like Omaha, Razz and Badugi.

In other online poker news, PartyGaming has signed its second business-to-business deal in France where it will exclusively provide a white label online poker service for French TV broadcast giant AB Groupe just as that nation prepares to start implementation of its new eGaming licensing system. 

Ace King, Gambling911.com