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.
Full Tilt Poker, Groupe Bernard Tapie US Justice Dept Settlement: Not Quite
Reports surfaced this week that Groupe Bernard Tapie out of France had entered into an agreement with the US Justice Department that would result in payment of all players. But as we here at Gambling911.com have come to expect over these past several months, news coming out of the Full Tilt Poker camp is not always what it seems.
This is yet another perfect example.
An attorney for Groupe Bernard Tapie revealed on Thursday that, while talks were ongoing, a final settlement has yet to be agreed upon in writing.
New Amendments for Nevada Online Poker Released
In anticipation for legalized online poker in the state of Nevada, regulators released new draft amendments that include the ability for operators to cover funds in the event of a shutdown.
The agreement calls for a “federally-insured financial institute” to hold a reserve.
Online Poker Traffic Rises 2.2 Percent
Online poker traffic has risen 2.2 percent and there is likely to be another increase in the coming week with PokerStars 70 billionth hand promotion continuing. The world’s largest online poker room witnessed a traffic increase of 6 percent. Traffic also tends to increase leading up to the World Series of Poker Final Table, which will take place next week.
The weekly statistics tell only part of the story, PokerScout.com noted. Same-day comparisons show that the true increase in PokerStars cash game traffic is more than 30 percent.
World Series of Poker Final Table 2011 Looks to be a Bit of a Yawner
The World Series of Poker Final Table 2011 will commence this coming Tuesday, November 8. It will be broadcast with a 15-minute time delay on ESPN. Yes, Gambling911.com encourages its readers to watch. There should be plenty of excitement. But coming into this year’s Final Table, the personalities are sorely lacking in our view.
Bwin.party Shares Soar on News of MGM, Boyd Partnership But Caution Advised
While shares in Bwin.party have soared in recent days with news that the company has joined forces with powerhouse casino brands MGM and Boyd Gaming to offer online poker to US residents once legislation is passed in the States, some analysts have advised caution.
Share prices rose 11p at 120.7p following the news. The companies have entered into a long term 15-year deal.
PokerStars Cracks Down on US Players
PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, has begun to crack down on innovative US players who have found a way to play on the site. PokerStars began blocking US players since an indictment was leveled against the company’s founder for money laundering and bank fraud on April 15.
Bwin, Boyd, MGM Online Poker Deal Terms Revealed
Bwin, PartyPoker, MGM and Boyd Gaming announced Monday their intention to offer Internet poker to US players should the industry become legalized. There is a strong push to get Web poker sites up and running for real cash play at the federal level especially since states like California and New Jersey are vying for a piece of the pie ahead of the federal government.
Under the terms of the deal, Bwin would own 65 per cent of a new company to offer poker to US players, while MGM would own 25 per cent and Boyd 10 per cent.
High Stakes Poker Player Alan Meltzer Passes Away
Music executive and high stake poker pro Alan Meltzer passed away at his home at the age of 67. The cause of death was sudden and not yet known, according to reports.
Meltzer started New York-based Wind-up Records along with his wife Diane in 1997 after purchasing indie label Grass Records. Creed and Evanescence were two of the big commercial successes signed to Meltzer’s label. He left Wind-up in 2000.
Meltzer appeared on High Stakes Poker in 2009 and was a prominent online player.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
Full Tilt Poker Attorney Jeff Ifrah Claims US Justice Dept Approves Sale
An outspoken attorney for disgraced online poker firm Full Tilt Poker claims the US Justice Department has reached an agreement whereby they will permit a French company to acquire FTP. Unconfirmed reports suggest the US Justice Department would be responsible for facilitating payouts to players.
Groupe Bernard Tapiehas sought to purchase Full Tilt Poker after following a series of indictments in April 15 that forced the one time second largest Internet poker room to exit the US market. Players worldwide have not received payment in months.
Daniel Negreanu: “Ray Bitar is a Buffoon”
In an interview with PokerStrategy.com this week, outspoken poker pro Daniel Negreanu called out Full Tilt Poker boss Raymond Bitar as a “buffoon”.
Negreanu made the comment when asked how aware he thought other Team Full Tilt Poker pros might have been about what was going on with that company, which has since been charged with money laundering while some of its principals were implicated by the US Government of running a “ponzi scheme”.
888 Holdings Sees Record Quarterly Rise
Publicly traded 888 Holdings, which runs the 4th biggest online poker room in the world, has reported a record quarterly high.
888 climbed as much as 5.3 percent, the most since August 30, before trading 2.3 percent higher at 33.75 pence as of 9:10 a.m. in London, according to Bloomberg News Tuesday. This gives the Gibraltar-based company a market value of 117.1 million pounds ($187 million).
Poker Player Accused of Installing Trojan on Two Computers to See Hole Cards
A German poker player is being accused of installing a Trojan virus on at least two computers of fellow players, one Swiss and one Austrian.
From High Stakes DB:
The Swiss had lost $350,000 and the Austrian $40,000 to the German cheater who is now living in England.
MGM, Boyd Join Forces With Bwin, PartyPoker to Offer Online Poker
Yet another major casino company has announced a partnership with an already existing online poker group.
Casino operators MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming Corp. have teamed up with Bwin.party to prepare to offer Internet gambling. Bwin.party is the largest Web betting firm worldwide, comprising of PartyPoker, the 2nd biggest Internet card room, and Bwin, the largest Web sportsbook. The combined company’s net revenue last year was 814 million euros.
Billionaires Bet on Internet Gambling: Say it Will be a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Forbes.com featured a piece Monday on how billionaires are looking to back the likelihood of Internet gambling getting regulated in the United States.
The likes of Steven Roth, chairman of Vornado Realty Trust, and shopping mall magnate Herbert Simon, the owner of the Indiana Pacers, have invested in a firm that provides software and advertising services to potential online gambling licensees in the US, including the Vegas casinos.
Zynga Poker Takes Over Advertising Sports for PokerStars, Full Tilt on ESPN
The fine folks from WickedChopsPoker.com were among the first to discover that Zynga Poker, the free online poker room with over 29 million monthly users (8 million daily), has just begun advertising on ESPN.com.
What is the significance of this?
Two things.
Professional Poker Player Who Killed Parents Profiled in Dateline NBC
As first broke by Gambling911.com, Dateline NBC produced a segment on professional poker player Ernie Scherer III who was sentenced for the double homicide of his parents, Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Charlene Abendroth, 57, in their Castlewood Country Club, California home. The showed aired this past Friday.
The couple was found brutally beaten and stabbed to death in their Pleasanton home in March 2008. Scherer III had attempted to make the crime scene appear as if it were a home invasion.
Cereus, Absolute Poker, UB.com Plan to Liquidate Assets to Pay Back Players
Blanca Games, the company that owns the Cereus Poker Network and its brands, Absolute Poker and UB.com, have submitted a plan to the US Justice Department that would result in the repayment of players. Part of that plan would include the liquidation of assets.
Germany Liberalises Sports Betting Market: Still Banning Online Poker Games
15 Prime Ministers in Germany overwhelmingly approved a measure that will liberalise the gaming market in that nation. Most advantageous to betting shop businesses will be the concession fee reduced from 17 to 5 percent.
Still, Germany will not concede when it comes to restricting licensed operators to 20 while continuing to ban online poker and casino games.
JAXX SE, a financial holding company with holdings in international companies in the gaming industry, believes the German restrictions will not fly with the European Commission.
Halloween Horrors at America’s Card Room: Freerolls, Double Points, More
160K Bad Beat Jackpot Hit at BetDSI.com
Congratulations on one lucky player who happened to be at the right table at the right time with the right cards. See to the left the hand that won a brand new BetDSI poker player $48,000 for playing out a small straight flush only to be beaten by a guy who had the high end of it covered:
Online Poker Tournament Structures Revamped at AMC
New online poker tournament structures have been announced at America’s Card Room.
Poker Pro Al Krux Arrested for Criminal Drug Possession
68-year-old professional poker player Al Krux was arrested this week and charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana outside his Syracuse, New York home. His son Adam was also charged.
Krux’ lifetime earnings playing live poker are just over $1.3 million. He has made the World Series of Poker Main Event final table on three occasions. His biggest earnings came just at the start of the poker boom online when the WSOP prize pool increase resulted in a $600,000 cashout in 6th place.
Online Poker Promotions – November 2011
Cake Poker has released its latest online poker promotions for November 2011. You can take advantage of all the latest promotions, rakeback and cash bonuses here.
Merge Poker Traffic Soars 21 Percent
After opening back up to the US market, Merge Gaming has seen its traffic shoot up 21 percent over the past two weeks. Merge is home to such big name online poker brands as Lock Poker, Carbon Poker and Sportsbook.com’s Internet poker arm.
Following an eight week absence from the top 10 trafficked global online poker rooms, Merge returned and sits in the number 10 spot this week.
Overall Web poker traffic declined 1.2 percent over the past week.
Fertitta Interactive Positioning Itself for Legalized Internet Poker
Fertitta Interactive, owned by brothers Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, announced the purchase of California online gambling company CyberArts Licensing LLC Wednesday.
The brothers, who also own Stations Casinos and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), are hoping to get a jump start should the US legalize online gambling, specifically Internet poker.
Poker Pro Tony G Knocks Alderney Gambling Control Over Full Tilt Poker
The BBC featured an interview Wednesday with noted poker pro Antanas Guoga, who is better known as Tony G.
Throughout the painstaking process of trying to squeeze out whatever limited information was available from the Full Tilt Poker camp, Guoga routinely found himself providing misleading news to the public. Not that he can necessarily be blamed as FTP had a habit of supplying whomever was there to listen with “mistruths”.
Rick Perry Hates Gambling But Bets World Series
Texas Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry, who has repeatedly said he is against all forms of gambling, has been telling what's known in Texas as a tall tale.
A tall tale--a polite way to say a lie--about gambling, no less.
Gambling911.com, as part of its continuing series on how the Presidential candidates stand on gambling issues, last month reported how Perry, during his tenure as governor of Texas, has opposed the expansion of gambling at every turn in the Lone Star State.
PokerStars Approaching 70 Billionth Hand
The world’s largest online poker room is fast approaching its 70 billionth hand over the next 10 days with more than $750,000 in cash prizes to be awarded to those taking part in ring games held on October 29.
PokerStars.com is building up to the 100 billionth hand.
Alfonse D’Amato Distances Himself From Full Tilt Poker
It’s no secret to those who have covered the online poker industry for the past couple of years that Full Tilt Poker was a major contributor to the Poker Players Alliance, a grass roots organization chaired by former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato.
Robert Chow Wins $393,548 at World Series of Poker Circuit Hammond, Indiana
51-year-old Robert Chow has won $393,548 at the World Series of Poker Circuit in Hammond, Indiana, which is about a 40 minute drive from Chicago. 1,615 entries were recorded for the main event.
"I've been the bridesmaid a couple times," Chow told ESPN.com. "This is the first time I've actually cracked through and made first place. I'm ecstatic. I thought I had a deep run this year at the WSOP Seniors event when I came in 66th."
Though eliminated on Day 1A, he re-entered on Day 1B after winning a satellite.
