Poker
Van der Sloot May Plead Guilty
The Dutchman accused of killing a Peruvian woman he met in a casino while attending the Latin American Poker Tour may plead guilty to the murder. Joran van der Sloot is accused of killing college student Stephany Flores in May of 2010. He has long been the prime suspect in the disappearance of High School grad Natalee Holloway on the island of Aruba nearly 7 years ago.
Person-to-Person Fees Waived at Americas Card Room, Christie Favors Online Gambling, More
A popular method now for transferring money at online poker rooms is via person-to-person. Americas Cardroom has just made life easier by waiving fees on such transfers.
Carbon Poker Bad Beat Jackpot Nears $800,000
Some lucky winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it) is about to walk away with more than $800,000 a la the Carbon Poker Bad Beat Jackpot.
Irish Poker Open 2012 Schedule Announced
PaddyPower.com has revealed the entire Irish Poker Open 2012 schedule, which kicks off 5 April at the famed Burlington Hotel in Dublin. Seven side events in addition to the €3,500 Irish Open Main Event have poker players licking their respective chops.
High Stakes Poker News: Isildur1 Up One Day, Down The Other
Isildur1, also known as Viktor Blom, continued his rollercoaster ride winning close to $200K yesterday then lost $278. Nevertheless, he is up $1.7 million in the past month.
UConn Poker Addict Balks at Proposed Legalization of Internet Poker in State
A UConn graduate claims that Internet poker nearly destroyed his life and balks at the idea that Connecticut and other states might consider legalizing the activity.
Jonathan Duhamel Ex Girlfriend Planned Home Invasion: Tipster Was Part of Threesome
The former girlfriend of 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel is alleged to have planned the forced entry and robbery of his home outside of Montreal just days before Christmas (both are pictured). A woman who participated in a ménage à trois with the couple just months before the attack acted as a tipster.
Cake Poker Awards First $10,000 Gold Card Prize of January
Three days into January and Cake Poker has already awarded its first $10,000 prize to player, powerhaus555, in its month long Match & Win promotion. In this, Cake Poker’s richest Match & Win promotion ever, any player who receives a 2012 Gold Card Ace at the cash game tables, can redeem it for a prize of up to $10,000 in cash throughout January.
How Internet Poker in the US Might Look in Next 12 Months: Think Powerball Model
With the US Department of Justice changing its stance on applying The Wire Act to Internet poker, individual states now have the green light to begin offering real money play to their citizens.
The vast majority of states do not have the population necessary to support a viable player pool, however.
Case in point: Nevada has already passed a law that would allow real money intrastate play but its under 4 million residents will only allow for a handful of profitable businesses, and that is being somewhat overly optimistic.
Lesniak Working With Governor Christie to Bring Internet Gambling to New Jersey
New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak is wasting little time in getting a bill drafted that would legalize Internet gambling in the Garden State and he may have a very powerful ally.
Lesniak advised that he met with Governor Chris Christie and the two seem to be in agreement: Internet gambling in New Jersey could prove lucrative for the state’s stagnant economy.
Joran van Der Sloot Finally Will Have His Day in Court
The Dutchman accused of killing Peruvian college student Stephany Flores will stand trial beginning tomorrow (January 6, 2012).
Politico: DOJ New Stance on Internet Gambling Splits Tribes
A new ruling by the Department of Justice stipulating that The Wire Act no longer applies to online poker has caused a split between the Indian tribes in the US. The tribes have long resisted legalized Internet gambling.
From Politico.com:
Lock Poker POY to Kick Off With CardPlayer: Duhamel Ex Pleads Not Guilty, More
Big news as, not only is Lock Poker sponsoring CardPlayer.com’s Player Of The Year for 2012, they will also be presenting their own Lock Pro Player Of The Year.
“These are exciting times and we will be announcing a few new Pros signing very shortly,” said Jennifer Larson, CEO of the popular Lock Poker.
The Card Player Player Of The Year was started in 1997 and is considered the industry standard.
Would You Play at South Point Poker in US for Real Money?
The poker community in the US is excited about the prospects of South Point Poker eventually opening its doors to real money play, quite possibly in early 2012.
South Point Poker, a proud sponsor of the Gambling911.com website, is the first Las Vegas based casino to offer an online poker site, albeit for free play only at the present time (note: this could change if you happen to be reading this article post-January 2012).
Duhamel Wouldn’t Have Been Sitting Duck in USA
In a tongue-in-cheek essay earlier this month about New Year's resolutions we'd like to see from poker players, Gambling911.com joked that 2010 WSOP Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel, who was recently beaten and robbed in a home invasion, should resolve to buy a home security system and some guns.
In all reality, however, Duhamel, who lives in suburban Montreal, really can't buy a handgun to protect himself or his home, because under strict Canadian anti-gun laws, it's almost impossible for a private Canadian citizen to legally get a handgun!
UK Online Gambling Tax Could Backfire
The United Kingdom is proposing a point of consumption tax on online gambling of 10 percent that could force current operators offshore.
In anticipation of this tax, William Hill conducted its own study and found the following, a la the Telegraph:
Suspects in Jonathan Dahamel Home Invasion to Appear in Court Today
Four individuals charged in a brazen home invasion outside of Montreal, Quebec will appear in court today. They are alleged to have forced their way into the home of 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel just days before Christmas. One of the suspects is a former girlfriend who accompanied the pro to this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas. Duhamel was badly beaten during the attack.
Action Poker Network Now Chico Poker Network: Players Still May Be Leery
Following an announcement that PlaySafe had sold its Action Poker Network to Seychelles-based Julian International Holdings Limited, players were hopeful they may start to see their payouts in a more expedient fashion.
For the past several months, the Action Poker Network has taken weeks – if not months – to pay players despite not allowing US customers. Poker players in the US have come to expect intermittent longer delays due to the lack of payment processing ventures available.
New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak Not Wasting Time With Online Gambling Move
Following his success at getting a referendum to pass legalizing sports betting in the state this past November, State Senator Raymond Lesniak was quick to jump on the Internet gambling bandwagon even before most of us were through nursing our New Year’s Eve hangovers.
More Stars Defections: Online Poker Traffic Up 0.1 Percent
British star John Duthie decided against extending his contract with the world’s biggest online poker room, PokerStars. He is the latest in a series of pros who have either decided not to stick around with Stars or have otherwise been cut.
PokerStars, while being named in an infamous April 15 indictment by the US Government, has managed to continue running without a hitch. All US players were paid in a timely fashion after the company was forced to flee that market.
Duthie was the European Poker Tour (EPT) 2004 winner.
Online Gambling Fight Now About Who, When….Not If
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fight to fully legalize online gambling in the U.S. is now less about whether Americans will be able to play and more about who will bring the action to them — and when.
A recent U.S. Justice Department opinion opened the door for cash-strapped states and their lotteries to bring online gambling to their residents, as long as it does not involve sports betting.
Online Poker Tournaments in January 2012 Offering Double the Guarantees
Poker players at Americas Cardroom this January have a good reason to do a double take. The online poker site is starting the year off right by doubling the guarantees in all tournaments for four days straight.
Chico Poker Network Enters US Market?
The Action Poker Network has been sold and rebranded as Chico Poker. The Seychelles-based Julian International Holdings Limited took over the Action brands, which included TigerGaming.com, PokerInCanada.com and PayNoRake.com
Nothing New With Groupe Tappie Full Tilt Poker Talks With US Government
PokerNews.com spoke this week to the US-based attorney representing Groupe Tappie’s interest in Full Tilt Poker, stating that there was nothing new in regard to any attempts at reaching a settlement with the US Justice Department. The DOJ seized millions of dollars from Full Tilt Poker on April 15, indicted two of the company’s executives and FTP has failed to pay US players since.
Attorney Behnam Dayanim told PokerNews.com:
Poker Players New Year’s Resolutions We’d Like to See for 2012
The two most common New Year's resolutions are vowing to either lose weight or quit smoking.
But when you're involved in the gambling industry, your resolutions for the New Year usually aren't so mundane.
So what are the resolutions for 2012 for some of the noted figures in the industry?
Well, they haven't told us--yet--so we can only tell you the 2012 New Year's Resolutions We'd Like To See:
Americas Cardroom Special $75,000 Online Poker Tournament With $3 Satellites
Americas Cardroom on Monday announced $75,000 on the table in a special poker tournament January 29th. When everyone screamed Happy New Year on January 1st, this is what they were talking about. ACR is making January extra thrilling for you with this special $75k GTD. It gets underway on January 29th at 6:00pm ET. The buy-in is only $109 (1R+1A). 5,000 starting chips, 7,500 rebuy chips, 10,000 add-on chips. Satellites are running now for as low as $3.
American Tribal Casino Industry: DOJ Stance No Big Deal
The US Department of Justice decision not to apply online poker to The Wire Act had the Indian Tribes greeting the news with a shrug of the shoulders, claims Gail Courey Toensing of the Indian Country News.
Toensing referenced Indian gaming expert Joe Valandra.
Bookmaker Denise Coates Receives Queen’s New Year’s Honors for Good Deeds
Bookies can be good people too. Denise Coates, founder of Bet365 in Great Britain, has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s New Year’s Honors for 2012.
Ms. Coates was honored for her community service work.
Her father, Peter, had this to say about Denise and what she has meant to the Bet365 firm, which is currently the biggest private sector employer in Stoke-on-Trent:
"We are all delighted and all proud of her.
"She has done an absolutely amazing job for bet365, building it up from scratch.
Phil Ivey Ex Not Happy With Divorce Settlement
Despite receiving millions of dollars and a $1.2 million purse collection, Phil Ivey’s ex-wife Luciaetta Ivey does not believe the couple’s divorce settlement to be fair.
A court document filed Tuesday with the Nevada Supreme Court, Luciaetta Ivey "has attempted only to secure information to confirm that she received a fair settlement."
"That Phil has refused to voluntarily provide the information that Luciaetta seeks only supports her belief that the settlement was not fair," her attorney, Bruce Shapiro, wrote.
Jonathan Duhamel Speaks About Home Invasion: “They Threatened My Parents Lives”
A terrified Jonathan Duhamel spoke to the media just one week after a harrowing home invasion left him badly beaten and robbed of his 2010 World Series of Poker bracelet. The suspects, four in total, have been arrested. One of those charged is a former girlfriend of Duhamel’s, Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, who we are learning actually accompanied Duhamel to the WSOP Main Event this past year.
"I've played hockey all my life, so I've had some fights -- but not one like this one," Duhamel, 24, said in an interview Friday.
