Poker
What are some of the hottest headlines in the world of poker? Here you will find all the latest juicy stories along with other important news and tournament results. A must read for the poker enthusiast with articles published throughout the day.
Chris Klodnicki Wins Epic Poker League Main Event Number 3
Chris Kladnicki was crowned the winner of the Epic Poker League Main Event number 3 and the $801,680 that went with it.
888 Strong End to 2011
(Reuters) - British online gaming company 888 Holdings Plc. said it expects core profit for 2011 to be significantly above market expectations, aided by strength in its casino and poker businesses.
Cash-strapped Britons are staying at home more, watching TV and gambling online, updates from consumer-facing companies showed, as fears grow that the UK will slip back into recession.
The company, which operates 888 casino, poker, sport and bingo brands, said on Monday it would invest in several newly-regulated markets across Europe.
Lucietta Ivey Receives $12 Million Purse Collection as Part of Phil Ivey Divorce Settlement
Lucietta Ivey, the ex-wife of poker pro Phil Ivey, has received a purse collection worth more than $1.2 million, jewelry valued at more than $1 million and $180,000 a month in alimony as part of her divorce settlement with the poker star.
Shufflemaster, OpenBet Apply for Nevada Online Poker License
CardPlayer.com is reporting that Shufflemaster, the global supplier of automatic card shufflers, slot machines and, more importantly, wireless gaming solutions, has applied for a license to operate an online poker venture in the state of Nevada.
Nevada is set to begin allowing intrastate online poker as early as February ahead of potential federal legislation.
Zynga Stock Market Debut a Disappointment
Online game-maker Zynga raised an amazing $1 billion in the single biggest Internet IPO since Google in 2004. The company made its stock market debut on Friday with results essentially flat.
After rising 10 percent above the $10 offering price, it fell to as low as $9.50, then recovered to around its original $10.
From Time.com:
Online Poker Felon Bill Sponsor Senator Marquerite Prentice May be Gerrymandered Out
A Washington State Senator, Marguerite Prentice, may lose her seat due to so-called gerrymandering. Prentice helped co-sponsor a controversial bill that made playing online poker in the state a Class C felony with the punishment comparable to that of a multiple drunk driving offender and child molester. Washington is the only state that criminalizes actual online gamblers.
The Seattle Times noted that Prentice, a Democrat, will have to compete with other Democrats to remain in the legislature.
Xmas Gifts We’d Like to See for Poker Players, Online Gambling Folks, Politicians More…
With Christmas just around the corner, Gambling911.com takes this opportunity to tell you what Christmas gifts we'd like to give to some of our friends in the gambling industry.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owners Howard "The Professor" Lederer and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, who've been accused by the U.S. government of running a ponzi scheme: A "Get out of Jail Free" card.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owner Phil "Poison" Ivey, who's now suing Full Tilt Poker: A copy of the best-selling book "How to Sue Yourself."
Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson Committed to Building Pro Roster in 2012
Lock Poker’s CEO Jennifer Larson sees the poker pros as ambassadors to the game. While other online rooms, most notably PokerStars, continue to purge their pros, Larson has other ideas.
“We’ll have more coming on board in 2012 and we are considering at least two other retreats like what we hosted in the South of France back in October,” said Larson.
PokerStars, Joe Hachem Part Ways
2005 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Joe Hachem and PokerStars have parted ways, it was announced on Friday.
“It’s been a great run with PokerStars and I’m proud of my association with the people and the company,” Hachem said in the official announcement. “But it’s time for me to pursue other career opportunities and it will be fun to have some down time to spend with my family. I look forward to the future with much excitement and anticipation and will always have fond memories of my time at PokerStars.”
Nevada May Have Enough of a Player Pool to Support Intrastate Online Poker
Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, David Schwartz, told CardPlayer.com Friday that he believed Nevada would be one of those states that could support legalized online poker at the intrastate level.
Former Bermuda Premier’s Son, Celebrity Poker Tournament Organizer Sentenced
A physician and son of the former Premier of Bermuda was sentenced this week to serve up to 17 years in prison.
Government Spending Bill: Chances of Online Poker Attachment Slim
The much talked about Government Spending Bill that would allow the US Government to continue running into 2012 has been suggested as something a measure to legalize Internet poker could latch onto.
Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton in his own words last week:
“There’s going be an omnibus bill of some sort of in the next 3 weeks with a continued resolution to fund the government through next September. This bill could be a component of that if there are revenues in the bill,” said the Congressman.
Jajajeet Chiba: Bovada = Stupada
I have been trying….oh have I been trying….to make some sense of the new Bodog.com rebranding to Bovada.lv. I even resorted to some heavy hookah smoking last evening to no avail.
What’s in a name?
Mine, Jagajeet Chiba, means “One Who Has Conquered the Earth”. Betcha didn’t know that.
My wife, Sadhvi, her name means “Chaste, Virtuous, Honest and Noble to Her Husband”.
Bovada?
I think there might have been a female sacred cow living up the street from me back in my native India with that name.
Erik Seidel Leads Third Epic Poker League Event
The biggest cash winner in poker today, Erik Seidel, led the pack at the third Epic Poker League tournament after Day 1.
Seidel, who has 160 cashes and just shy of $17 million lifetime winnings, came in 2nd and 4th, respectively, at the first two Epic Poker Tournament events.
Noted female pro Vanessa Selbst, who was profiled on Gambling911.com just the other day, had the third largest chip count.
There will be 61 players after Day 1 returning to the Palms Casino in Las Vegas to take part in seven-handed tables.
$50,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold’em Online Poker Tourney Announced
America’s Card Room is closing out the year with another massive $50,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold'em tourney. They have structured it with one re-buy and one add-on to make it anyone's game.
It goes down one week before Christmas - December 18th at 6:00pm ET. And it costs just $75+7.50 (1R+1A) to get into.
Public Policy Polling Has Ron Paul One Percentage Point Behind Gingrich
Most of the national polls have GOP candidate Ron Paul tied with Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucus but at least one poll now has Paul closing in on Newt Gingrich.
The long time Texas Congressman is coming in one point behind Gingrich the Public Policy Polling.
Berlin Poker Bandit Organizer Sentenced
After a long-lasting trial the organizer of the so-called poker robbery in Berlin has been convicted to six years and four months in jail for armed robbery and assault. Yesterday the district court in Berlin found the 30yo guilty of hiring the executing robbers by a relative, instructing them, driving the getaway car and splitting the loot. During the robbery on the poker tournament in a luxury hotel in March 2010 242.000€ had been captured.
World Poker Tour Venice 2011 Day 1a Results
The World Poker Tour Venice 2011 had 158 out of 200 remaining after Day 1a but the WPT was brutally honest of its assessment.
Hellinger Online Gambling Trial On Hold
The trial for Magazine Publisher and online gambling payment processor Don Hellinger has been put on hold with a yet-to-be-determined new date. The trial was originally set to begin January 3, 2012.
Hellinger processed online gambling payments for a number of prominent i-Gaming ventures during the period 2005-2006 including now-defunct BetOnSports.com and Bodog.com, which has since become Bovada.lv.
No More Bodog.com in US: Hello Bovada.lv
In with Bovada.lv and out with Bodog.com.
Bodog.com has stopped accepting US customers as of Wednesday December 14, 2011.
While the company planned to pull the Bodog.com and .eu domain names from US reach while offering a rebranding alternative, the move comes a bit sooner than previously expected.
Phil Hellmuth: “I Wouldn’t Be Surprised If (Online Poker Measure) Passed Before Feb 1” (Video)
World Series of Poker bracelet record holder Phil Hellmuth may know something we don't. His hinting about online poker becoming legal in the US and the likelihood of him signing on with a company that nobody has even heard of in the very near future was far from subtle.
Hellmuth made these remarks in an interview with Short Stacked Radio last week (the stream appearing below).
Bodog Poker Traffic Drops Off 9.3 Percent?
Bodog.com unveiled its “anonymous” software two weeks ago with one of the objectives being to prevent traffic monitoring websites from so-called “data mining”.
The most popular of those monitoring websites, PokerScout.com, reported that Bodog Poker’s traffic fell nearly 10 percent (9.3 percent) in the past week. The irony in all of this is that such a drop off seems to indicate the “anonymous” software is just that….anonymous.
Unibet Leaves Spain as Nation Begins Segregating Online Poker Market in Spain
The popular European online bookmaker Unibet has opted to exit the Spanish market as that nation begins segregating its Internet poker market. Unibet advised its affiliate marketers of the company’s decision last week.
A message to affiliates read as follows:
The majority of the Spanish banners/text links in your affiliate account will be de-activated on the 14th of December 2011. However, we will keep the best performing banners/text links active and re-direct these to the Brasilian website as of 14th of December 2011.
Vanessa Selbst One Million Dollar Year 2011
Noted female poker pro Vanessa Selbst is among the most successful on the live circuit and, once again, she caps off another one million dollar year.
The Brooklyn, New York native is closing in on $5 million lifetime tournament earnings. Her biggest win came just over a year ago at the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event – No Limit Hold’em, where her first place finish resulted in nearly $2 million. Months prior to this, Selbst won the PokerStars NAPT Mohegan Sun Season 1 NAPT Main Event – No Limit Hold’em.
Zynga Tops Daily Average Users on Facebook With CityVille, Texas HoldEm Free Poker
AppData reported on Tuesday that Zynga titles topped the Daily Average Users of Facebook. Probably no surprise, but the amount of users is staggering.
Zynga’s CityVille pulled in a whopping 10 million per day while other titles such as Farmville and the free online poker game Texas HoldEm Poker also topped the list.
Zynga is about to launch its Initial Public Offering in the coming weeks.
CNBC reported that a Sterne Agee analyst has placed a "sell" rating on social network game maker before the stock ever begins trading.
Ongame Sale Unlikely to be Finalised by Year’s End
LONDON (SHARECAST) – Online gaming company Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment has reported a 'solid' performance since September, with its core margin for the full year set to be between 22% and 24%.
However, investors were disappointed by news that the sale of Ongame B2B is unlikely to be finalised before the end of the year despite being at an "advanced stage".
The firm said revenue performance since the end of September has been in-line with management's expectations and it remains on-track to deliver around €40m of annualised synergies in 2012 and €65m in 2013.
Viktor Blom Wins $1.6 Million
Following a three-month self-imposed exile from the online poker tables, Viktor Blom won $1.6 million on Monday before giving back about $800,000 of those winnings by Tuesday.
Blom is now up just over a million dollars in profit this year on PokerStars, trailing only Ilari “Ilari FIN” Sahamies and Rafi “refaelamit” Amit.
Doyle Brunson Gets Lifetime Epic Poker Card
(AP) LAS VEGAS — A professional poker league that's trying to become the PGA Tour of poker is giving card icon Doyle Brunson its first lifetime player card, making him automatically eligible to play all future tournaments.
Eastern PA Online Gambling Cold Case Gets Hotter as Trial Set for January 3
An online gambling payment processing case is reportedly set to go to trial on January 3, though a delay is possible.
The US Attorney’s Office in Eastern Pennsylvania case involves processing for companies during the years 2005 and 2006, including the now defunct BetOnSports.com. Companies that are still in existence today are also mentioned in the complaint, including Bodog.com, though they are not named as one of the defendants.
Game of Skill: Success Rate of Poker Players Matches That of Top Baseball Teams
Poker pros love Freakonomics and a recent finding that appeared on James McManus’s Grantland.com seemingly supports the argument that poker is indeed a “game of skill” through a comparison with Major League Baseball.
