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.
PokerStars.com Festival of Poker Getting Underway
The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour London ‘Festival of Poker’ gets under way, with the third stop of EPT Season 8 scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 6 at the Hilton London Metropole on Edgware Road.
Full Tilt Poker French Investors Look to be Out $800M Should They Go All In
News that mysterious (or not so mysterious) “French investors” are looking to acquire Full Tilt Poker had the folks from WickedChopsPoker.com doing the math, mostly subtraction…and folks, it doesn’t look good by any stretch of the imagination, even using Mickey Mouse calculations.
• As of March 31st, Tilt owed players around the world approximately $390M…but only had approximately $60M in bank accounts, leaving a short-fall of about $330M.
Today’s Full Tilt Poker BS or Not: We Weren’t Running a Ponzi Scheme
Even though the US Attorney’s Office out of the Southern District of New York has declared Full Tilt Poker a “ponzi scheme”, the powers-that-be at the now shuttered online poker company say otherwise, going as far as to issue a press release condemning the US Attorney’s accusations.
In today’s installment of Full Tilt Poker BS or Not, Gambling911.com reviews their latest statement. As Anderson Cooper of CNN would say, “We’re keeping them honest”.
Bodog Claims PokerScout Tried Extorting Company Out of One Million Dollars
The CalvinAyre.com website on Tuesday reported that PokerScout.com founder Dan Stewart attempted to blackmail Bodog Poker. Pay $1 million or remain on the PokerScout.com website, the CalvinAyre.com website alleges.
The news portal making the allegations is owned by Calvin Ayre, who just happens to be the founder of Bodog.
Gambling911.com to Visit BetOnline, Lock Poker
Gambling911.com has announced its October 2011 schedule, which includes visits to Panama City, Panama (home of BetOnline.com) and a meeting with Lock Poker executives and poker pros in London next week.
“We are very excited to be visiting with two of the industry’s fastest growing brands,” noted Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website.
PokerStars Tough Time Gaining Ground
The world’s largest online poker room is still the world’s largest online poker room but a substantial margin, but the company has lost a significant amount of its customer base since exiting the US market on April 15 even after a slight summer surge.
Two Stars executives were indicted in mid-April for alleged money laundering and bank fraud.
PartyPoker Takes Over Number Two Spot
PartyPoker has recaptured the number two spot for the world’s largest online poker rooms after iPoker’s reign for the past few weeks.
Both networks have been engaging in a tug-of-war for that coveted ranking since Full Tilt Poker went offline the end of June.
The reality is that both sites have essentially the same average number of real cash players over the past week with Party trending upwards only slightly more than iPoker.
Chris Christie Confirms He Won’t Be Running
Despite the GOP’s pressure to get New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to join the race to run for US President, Christie confirmed once again he will not be running.
Fox News broke the story Tuesday afternoon.
The GOP has expressed concerns over the current pool of candidates, in particular Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was widely panned for his performance at last week’s Republican debate.
Gambling911.com Debuts New Subsection: Full Tilt Poker BS
Mysterious European investors, bizarre posting forum identity theft, and denials that any ponzi scheme ever took place at Full Tilt Poker, Gambling911.com frankly is getting a little tired of all these other media outlets getting hoodwinked by what was once the world’s second largest online poker room.
We’ve decided to devote an entire section here at Gambling911.com to Full Tilt Poker and we are aptly calling it “Full Tilt Poker BS”.
PokerScout Says it is Unaffected by Bodog Poker Software Update
Last week Gambling911.com broke the news that Bodog Poker had implemented new software that is supposed to prevent data mining. The public objective was to protect recreational players.
“Currently there is a wealth (quite literally) of data available on individual players and websites that only benefit professional players to the detriment of recreational player and, equally therefore, to the detriment of the poker industry itself,” a statement from the company read on Wednesday.
2011 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Results
The 2011 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) results have been posted.
WCOOP-52: $300 + $20 No Limit Hold’em Prize Pool: $531,300 Entrants: 1,771
1st: Demokritos09 – $85,008.65 2nd: Telefonkiosk – $62,756.00 3rd: d0r1t0s – $47,817.00 4th: HerrLauti – $34,932.97 5th: F3nix35 – $25,236.75 6th: toddytheboy – $19,658 7th: B_Lindberg – $14,345.10 8th: Pro1612 – $9,297.75 9th: redmaex1989 – $5,313.00
WCOOP-53: $500 + $30 No Limit Hold’em w/ Rebuys Prize Pool: $958,500 Entrants: 652
Phil Hellmuth Rides Giant Hotdog in Water
Big name poker pro and record World Series of Poker bracelet holder Phil Hellmuth was recently photographed riding a giant hotdog upon the open seas.
The photo was first revealed on the pages of TwoPlusTwo.com here.
It is unclear exactly what Mr. Hellmuth was doing riding the giant wiener.
One poster commented:
Some Poker Players Benefit from Full Tilt Poker Ponzi Scheme
A handful of folks claim to have benefited from the Full Tilt Poker ponzi scheme that was revealed by the US Attorney in the Southern District of New York last week. Adam Levy, a 26-year-old from New York is one of them.
He told the Wall Street Journal this weekend that, upon trying to transfer funds to what was once the world’s second largest Internet poker room, he quickly turned $150 into $9000 before the money was even verified in his account. Turns out, that money was never verified in his account.
America’s Card Room Provides New Online Poker Site for US Players
Marvin Rettenmaier Moves Into Top 5 2011 Poker Player of Year Rankings
With no change at the top of the Bluff Magazine Poker Player of the Year Rankings in recent days, Card Player has seen Marvin Rettenmaier move into their top 5. As of Sunday September 25, Rettenmaier was ranked number 3 at Card Player and number 4 at Bluff.
As a result of this move into the top 5, Chris Moorman has fallen out of the Card Player top 5. Gambling911.com will be meeting with Moorman in the coming week.
Rettenmaier comes to us from Germany and has won just under $600,000 with 27 cashes to date.
Matt Giannetti of the 2011 November Nine Wins WPT Malta
Las Vegas poker pro Matt Giannetti, who is among the 2011 World Series of Poker November Nine, has won the WPT Malta.
Leading up to both events, Giannetti has won just over $361,000. He has had two 4th place finishes and a 5th place finish with 14 cashes.
240 players took part in the 2011 WPT Malta.
This is his biggest pay day to date with the $273,200 win. He is guaranteed to walk off with much more at Novembers WSOP Final.
1. Matt Giannetti – $273,200*
2. Cecilia Mescaline – $159,412
Customers Will Sadly Get Little in Any Full Tilt Poker Deal
Whether an acquisition or a U.S. Government deal, Full Tilt Poker customers stand a very slight chance at this point of receiving their entire funds from the beleaguered online poker company, assuming history is a parameter.
While it is true that customers of the online gambling payment firm Neteller ultimately received all their monies months after its owners were arrested in 2007, the same did not hold true for customers of BetOnSports.
Feds Move to Seize Assets Belonging to Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson
US Federal authorities have moved to seize assets belonging to Full Tilt Poker pros Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer and Rafe Furst. The three were named as defendants in a civil complaint alleging they were part of an elaborate “ponzi scheme” related to Full Tilt Poker.
The Feds claim that the three men pilfered the company to pay their bloated salaries by removing funds belonging to customers.
Vancouver Canucks’ Roberto Luongo Partners with PlayNow.com
Poker players on PlayNow.com now have the opportunity to play against one of the NHL’s top players, Roberto Luongo.
Luongo becomes a representative for PlayNow.com poker and will appear in new advertisements and a number of player promotions.
Giuliani for US President: He Likes Gambling (Sometimes)
Disenchantment with the current crop of Republican presidential candidates has many in the G.O.P. urging former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani to get in to the race, but so far he has resisted a repeat run.
Brooklyn-born Giuliani, 67, who was Big Apple mayor from 1994-2002 and before that was a Federal prosecutor and U.S. Attorney, ran for President in 2008.
And at one time during that '08 Republican primary election cycle, Giuliani led in the polls in all 50 states.
Gary Johnson’s Neighbor’s Dog Most Memorable Moment of Republican Debate
A relative unknown among the GOP candidates for US President, Gary Johnson, offered up one of the most famous lines of all the Republican debates thus far.
When asked about President Obama’s economic policy, the former New Mexico Governor responded: “My neighbor’s dog has created more shovel ready projects than this administration has”.
Most of his colleagues on stage had a good laugh at that one.
Johnson hasn’t appeared in many debates and – while we are on the subject of dogs – he’s considered one of the biggest underdogs.
5000 Signatures Needed for White House to Consider Internet Poker
The US Government has created a petition site that automatically will require the White House to consider any issue that spurs job creation and boosts the economy with a minimum of 5000 signatures.
A petition pertaining to the legalization of Internet poker has now been created. In a very short time, the petition has received just over 1100 signatures.
Epic Development: Annie Duke League Suspends Brother
The Epic Poker League has suspended Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson after news surfaced this week that they were named as defendants in a complaint filed by the US Justice Department against Full Tilt Poker. The complaint alleges that both Lederer and Ferguson took part in a massive ponzi scheme.
Barney Franks Wants to Give Full Tilt Poker Monies Back to Players
Sickened by news that surfaced this week that Full Tilt Poker executives squandered millions of dollars of players funds, Representative Barney Frank said he would like to return funds he received from the company back to players.
The Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts has backed measures to legalize online poker in recent years. Frank admits to receiving $18,600 from the board members of Full Tilt Poker since 2007 and another $14,000 from the Poker Players Alliance, a group largely funded by the board members.
Laurent Tapie Said to be Part of Rumored Investors Looking to Buy Full Tilt Poker
Bodog Poker: PokerScout Data Mining Numbers Just Estimates
Bodog Poker informed Gambling911.com on Thursday that numbers appearing on the PokerScout.com website revealing player traffic for their online poker room were “estimates” and not actual numbers.
Bodog announced on Wednesday it had implemented software that will prevent data mining and will no longer allow traffic monitoring websites like PokerScout.com to provide readers with accurate player numbers.
US Attorney Southern District of New York Number Two Man Departs
Boyd Johnson, the Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will join the New York office of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, the law firm announced today.
Johnson has been second in command to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara since August 2009 and has been working for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office since 1999.
