POKER ROOM REVIEW MOST RECENT NEWS
In this section you can access news on scam operations, events and business deals within the poker online industry.
05.07.2008 (01:56 PM CST)
What began circulating as a rumor in early April has now been confirmed: the Final Table of the WSOP will be delayed for almost 4 months. The last nine players of the $10,000 World Championship of No-Limit Texas Hold’em, known as the Main Event, will compete on November 9-10 instead of the originally scheduled date of July 16.
What Harrah’s is calling an enhancement, most players are calling a potentially disastrous blunder and wondering such things as why--if the poker players put up all the cash--Harrah’s should be entitled to the substantial percentage of interest generated on the millions of dollars in delayed Final Table payouts? What happens if one or more of the final 9 players is imprisoned or hospitalized or dies during the waiting period? With millions of dollars at stake, who is going to guarantee the personal safety of the 9 players and their families and keep them safe from criminal attempts to influence their play or other kinds of extortion schemes? Further, the waiting period provides a tempting opportunity for players to collude, who can guarantee this will not occur? Additionally, some feel it robs the WSOP of any kind of spontaneity and over-commercializes the entire affair.
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
Washington, D.C. – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) today launched its Litigation Support Network. This free member service will provide basic, initial legal advice as well as refer members to a network of attorneys who have expressed interest in helping PPA members with poker-related legal issues.
"As both the popularity of poker and the membership of PPA continue to grow, the Litigation Support Network is an opportunity to provide even more value to our members," said PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D|Amato. "With the myriad local, state and federal laws impacting poker, the Litigation Support Network is an important service that our members can and should use, and I encourage attorneys who want to defend poker players and this great American game of skill to join this effort."
As poker, both online and offline, continues to grow in popularity, there has been a rise in the amount of police raids on home, tavern or charity poker tournaments. Many of the local and state laws on poker are arcane and vague, so players don|t necessarily know if they are violating a law.
PPA|s Litigation Support Network provides PPA members with a free, legal resource should they have questions as they organize a charity poker tournament, start a poker league or, in the worst case scenario, get arrested. In these situations, PPA members can contact the Litigation Support Network via the PPA website and obtain free, preliminary legal advice over the phone. Should they need additional support, they will be given a list of attorneys in their area who are willing to take their case. Additionally, the network of attorneys will be tapped to help prepare PPA in the event the organization needs to litigate that poker is a game of skill, not a game of chance.
The Litigation Support Network will be spearheaded by Patrick Fleming, an attorney who is also the PPA state director for New Hampshire.
"The patchwork of state and local laws relating to poker is leaving PPA members confused about what is legal and what is illegal," said Fleming. "In our ongoing efforts to protect the rights of Americans to play poker, the establishment of the Litigation Support Network will provide members with an added level of security as they enjoy the game in their homes, at their local pub or as a way to help a local charity. I am honored to be leading this important effort on behalf of the PPA."
To learn more about the PPA Litigation Support Network, or to apply to become part of the network of attorneys, click here.
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
(3-24-08)
The Easter Sunday holiday didn|t put much of a dent in the crowds at PokerStars tournament tables, nor did it slow down one member of Team PokerStars Pro. Hevad "RaiNKhAN" Khan took down this week|s Sunday Warm-Up for nearly $100,000. In other Sunday news, well-known player pbdrunks pulled a double-shot that had the rail screaming. Pbdrunks made the final table of the Sunday Million and the Second Chance event at the same time.
Also of note this weekend, PokerStars increased the cap on the Sunday Hundred Grand to 22,500 players, making it the biggest poker tournament anywhere, at any time.
The final table results for all the big ones are below. Congratulations to all the winners.
PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up Final Table Results
1. RaiNKhAN (United States) $97,856.32
2. ubon1 (Switzerland) $49,579.20
3. M® FE®G (Canada) $33,002.72
4. Qcity1 (United States) $26,542.40
5. sami31 (United Kingdom) $21,033.60
6. hAAj_fkp (Sweden) $15,975.52
7. gambler2k4 (United States) $11,468.32
8. THDNB (United States) $7,211.52
9. ShowM4n (Germany) $4,206.72
PokerStars $5,200 Freezout Results
Based on finishing order and two-way deal
1 ADZ124 (Canada) $46,000.00
2 bigegypt (United States) $54,000.00
PokerStars Sunday Hundred Grand Final Table Results
1. bubbaloo2 (United Kingdom) $20,520.00
2. Aila.dk Kolding Denmark $10,260.00
3. bignoyes london United Kingdom $7,110.00
4. concept.c Gau-Odernheim Germany $5,085.00
5. raionegros nova lima Brazil $3,060.00
6. Schlönske Wolfen Germany $2,047.50
7. just_go_in (Canada) $1,642.50
8. otschn27 (Austria) $1,327.50
9. pridefc.com (Denmark) $1,012.50
PokerStars Sunday Million Final Table Results
Based on finishing order and three-way deal
1. Tsipor (Canada) $147,561.06
2. Maluko0 (Portugal) $122,670.00
3. Djemps (Netherlands) $119,886.94
4. Big_Col11 (United Kingdom) $59,560.00
5. soren2006 (United States) $44,670.00
6. mayer zs (Hungary) $32,758.00 1,162.99
7. jaywks (United States) $23,079.50
8. blanconegro (United States) $13,401.00
9. pbdrunks (United States) $8,785.10 .
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
What: Poker Night at Reason HQ!
When: Tuesday, April 1, 5.30PM to 7.30PM
Where: Reason HQ, 1747 Connecticut Avenue NW (near S Street)
On Tuesday, April 1, please join the staff of reason at our D.C. offices for a short panel discussion about the great American game of poker. What|s behind its massive recent surge in popularity? Why do moralists in Congress want to ban online poker? Why are local governments sending in SWAT teams to bust up private games? Our panel will feature two of the best players in the game:
• Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, 2000 winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, five-time WSOP bracelet winner, and winner of $6.6 million in career poker winnings.
• Andy Bloch, one of the MIT students who beat the Las Vegas casinos at blackjack, inspiring the The New York Times bestseller Bringing Down the House and the upcoming Columbia Pictures film 21.
After a discussion and audience Q&A moderated by reason Senior Editor Radley Balko, we|ll shuffle up and deal specially embossed free reason playing cards. Drinks, light snacks and poker paraphernalia provided. Here|s your chance to play Texas Hold |Em and blackjack with two of the greatest players in the world, so deal yourself in on Tuesday, April 1, from 5.30PM to 7.30PM, 1747 Connecticut Avenue (near S Street). The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are mandatory. Please RSVP or call 310.391.2245.
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
Excerpted from their press release: At PokerStars, we pride ourselves on giving our players a World Series experience they will never forget. The prize package we have on offer for the 2008 Main Event is no exception. In fact, it’s our best yet! Players can qualify via our FPP, Cash and Steps Sit & Go satellites.
Our standard prize package is worth $12,500, made up of the following:
• $10,000 Main Event buy-in
• $2,500 for expenses
But that’s not all. We’re also giving each player the opportunity to be a part of The PokerStars Experience. This includes the following additional features*:
• Free hotel accommodation at the Palms, for 8 nights from July 2-9 (or a cash alternative of $1,000**). The qualifiers that chose to wear PokerStars gear, who are still playing in the main event on July 10th will have their accommodation extended until July 15th.
• Hotel suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elite VIP members.
• Shuttle bus service each day to the Rio.
• Cash bonuses of up to $50,000 for qualifiers that make a TV table***.
• Additional bonuses of up to $1,000,000 for players that make the final table***.
How to win your prize package
Not only are we giving our players the best World Series prize package around, we’re also providing the most chances to win one:
• Buy-in directly to any of our cash qualifiers
• Use your Frequent Player Points in our FPP qualifiers
• Battle your way to the Main Event with Steps Sit & Go Satellites
With so many routes available to achieve your poker dreams, everyone has a real chance of making it to the Main Event!
For complete information check out 2008 WSOP online qualifiers at PokerStars
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
Over the weekend, it became apparent that something other than reported technical issues was wrong with the e-wallet ePassporte, as one by one, online poker sites began posting messages about no longer being able to process ePassporte transactions. With no official statement from ePassporte, information began leaking out that the e-wallet was notifying poker sites that it was dropping out of the internet gaming business due to a widespread investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The question that remains unanswered is why ePassporte suddenly took this action when it was widely known that the DoJ had been engaged in this investigation for quite some time.
While some players may be experiencing NETeller déjà vu, this particular situation differs in that player accounts have not been locked as in the NETeller case, and players with ePassaporte debit cards have been able to cash out. Paradoxically, this action comes on the heels of a bill introduced on April 10th by Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) that would block online gambling prohibitions, and specifically the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
Over the weekend, it became apparent that something other than reported technical issues was wrong with the e-wallet ePassporte, as one by one, online poker sites began posting messages about no longer being able to process ePassporte transactions. With no official statement from ePassporte, information began leaking out that the e-wallet was notifying poker sites that it was dropping out of the internet gaming business due to a widespread investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The question that remains unanswered is why ePassporte suddenly took this action when it was widely known that the DoJ had been engaged in this investigation for quite some time.
While some players may be experiencing NETeller déjà vu, this particular situation differs in that player accounts have not been locked as in the NETeller case, and players with ePassaporte debit cards have been able to cash out. Paradoxically, this action comes on the heels of a bill introduced on April 10th by Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) that would block online gambling prohibitions, and specifically the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
eCardRoom, originally billed as the world’s first online poker website designed specifically for Chinese language users, will close up shop at the end of this month. All player accounts will be transferred to its sister site PokerRoom
05.07.2008 (01:44 PM CST)
By Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner
We recently solicited your questions for poker man Phil Gordon. In his answers below, he discusses (among other things) variance, sunglasses, and why he’s not a gambler by nature, but rather “a strategic investor.”
This is a really good and smart Q&A. Thanks to Phil and to all of you for participating. Enjoy.
Q: What percent of your success would you say is attributable to randomness?
A: That really depends on what you mean by randomness. Was it random that I was born in the U.S. to a caring family that was able to educate me instead of to a poor family in Zimbabwe? That was probably the biggest determining factor in my success, and one of the most random.
Randomness, otherwise known as “variance” at the poker table is much bigger and more important than most poker players realize. I have a simple theory: change 10 river cards in any poker player’s tournament career and I would bet that they would be a losing tournament player for their career.
Q: How many times have you gone completely broke over the course of your poker career?
A: I’m proud to say “zero” — in fact I’ve never had a losing year as a pro. I practice very sound bankroll management principles, and I think my game selection skills are just about as good as anyone in the game.
If there aren’t a few guys that are just giving their money away, I don’t play.
Q: At a final table, would you rather play against a pro that you understand or a lucky rookie who doesn’t understand the game?
A: Give me the chump any day.
Q: Do you gamble much on non-skill games or games that have a house edge?
A: No. I’m not a “gambler” by nature — I consider myself a “strategic investor.” In fact, what we do at the poker table isn’t very different than what investment professionals do — we just get our results every two minutes instead of every few months or years.
Q: How do math and psychology cross in poker? For example, if the book says a certain hand is a loser 60 percent of the time, how would this change if you know your opponent likes to raise with weak hands at this point, and if you suspect he is bluffing?
A: There are times in poker where making a correct decision is almost completely mathematical. For instance, if a player moves all-in after the flop and you have a flush draw or a straight draw, you can be 99 percent sure that if you make your hand, it will be good.
At that point, just making a simple pot odds calculation will lead you to a winning decision and psychology has nothing to do with it.
But, that being said, poker is the great game that it is because psychology plays such an important part in the game. Knowing your opponent, putting them on hands, and figuring out their state of mind and exploitable tendencies makes all the difference.
Q: What percentage of professional poker players would you consider to be compulsive gamblers?
A: Ninety percent of the “professional players” I know have some serious “leaks” that affect their ability to hold on to their money.
Whether it’s playing too big for their bankroll or betting on sports or casino games, these leaks have a way of keeping many of them completely broke no matter how much they win on the tournament circuit.
One of the “requirements” to be a great player is being able to divorce yourself from money and its value. Making good decisions at the poker table means that you must have the ability to “put a Ferrari” in the pot if it’s right to do so. That lack of respect for the buying power of money leads to financial problems for many of the best players in the world.
Q: If you could sit down and play a game of poker with any five people in the world (living or deceased), who would you pick?
A:
Stu Ungar — widely considered the best that ever played the game.
Steve Jobs
Leonardo Da Vinci (Poker wasn’t invented when he was alive, but I have a feeling he could pick it up easily.)
Ernest Hemmingway
Rafe Furst — my best friend and poker buddy.
Ernie Scherer — Omaha-ologist.
Q: How did you go about developing your poker face so that others couldn’t read your unintentional body language?
A: I learned what little skill I have in that regard from Chris Ferguson. If you watch him play, you’ll see a “pre-shot routine” go into play as soon as it is his turn to act.
The key is to act in the same amount of time and with the same mannerisms every time. Even with easy, straightforward decisions, Chris still takes his time to make his move. He’s one of the best, if not the best in the world at this.
Q: How do you explain the phenomenal increase in the popularity of poker recently? (Or is it merely an increase in the visibility of the game, and the popularity is actually stable?)
A: It’s all about the T.V.
Poker is the only “sport” on television that guys at home can visualize themselves doing at the top level. They know they’ll never catch a pass from Tom Brady or dunk on Kobe Bryant. But, they have a shot of ending up at the final table of the World Series of Poker and winning $10 million on national television.
The fame, money, and “everyman” nature of the game has made poker what it is today.
Q: Do you agree that “sunglasses is to poker as steroids is to baseball”?
A: People wear glasses at the table so that they can watch other people at the table without detection. I don’t believe in the “dilated pupil tell” and other such nonsense.
That being said, I’ve never worn sunglasses at the table and I think it looks completely stupid and is unnecessary.
Q: No-Limit Holdem has seen a dramatic increase in play and popularity — due, most likely, to a combination of televised poker and online poker. What sort of push would be needed to get Pot Limit Omaha the same exposure and popularity (within the U.S.)? Or are there fundamental issues in the game which restrict it from being more popular?
A: Pot Limit Omaha is a great game that is enjoying widespread popularity, especially in Europe and on the Internet. It is a much higher variance game with some very interesting strategies.
I think that it has a chance of surpassing Holdem as the most popular form of the game in five to eight years. As people become “bored” with Holdem, they’ll naturally progress to P.L.O.
Q: If they made a movie about your life, would Jeremy Piven play the lead role?
A: No, I heard Nicholas Cage was.
Q: What percentage of the poker pros that were seen on T.V. over the last five years are broke or in debt for hundreds of thousands of dollars? Do you make more at the poker table or from selling poker books?
A: I’ve made far more money at the tables than through my books. It’s not like I wrote Freakonomics or something.
If I had to guess, I would say about 50 percent of the “name pros” you see on television on a regular basis have a negative net worth. Frightening, I know.
Q: How do you deal with the younger generation of loose, fast online players? These types of players seem to take the skill out of the game — they become calling stations and strategic play is really watered down. Thoughts?
A: Actually, they aren’t calling stations at all. I’d love to play against them if they were.
The “new generation” of players are hyper-aggressive — that makes beating them incredibly difficult. The more aggressive a player is, the more luck comes into play.
Think about it this way: say you are going to move all-in against me blind on every hand and we start with 20 big blinds each. What hands should I call you with?
Certainly you’d have to call with Ace-Ten suited, right? Ace-Ten is about 62 percent to win all-in against a random hand.
Q: What skill is more important in Holdem: discipline in the range of hands you play, or the ability to read the other player? How can you teach someone to trust their read and to let a hand go, or to trust the read and make a difficult call?
A: Hand selection is the most important in my opinion. A blind guy who has good hand selection skills could win a world championship. A guy with 20/15 vision who picked up all the tells but played every hand might never win.
Usually, your first instinct is right. Go with it, but never disrespect the math.
Q: Is it better to play aggressive early in a tourney where the blinds go up quickly — or should your style of play stay consistent no matter how quickly the blinds go up?
A: The quicker the blinds escalate, the more chances you should be willing to take. Your stack will be at risk quickly, so you might as well push any marginal edge you have when you have it.
If the blinds are escalating slowly, you can afford to give up small positive expectation plays.
Q: Why do so many highly-intelligent people with advanced degrees decide to play poker?
A: It is a fascinating game that is impossible to master. The money isn’t bad either.
Q: Cameras in the table or the internet: which had a bigger impact on poker? From a competitive as well as business perspective, is it a good thing?
A: Cameras, for sure — both are excellent from a competitive and business perspective.
Q: Will a pro ever win the W.S.O.P. again now that there are so many entrants?
A: Of course. In fact, quite a few of our recent champions have been pros. Maybe not “household name” pros, but pros nonetheless. I’m thinking specifically about Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem.
Q: Does the Tiltboys home game still run? On a related note, at what stakes do you take poker seriously enough to play your “A” game?
A: Wednesday night is still the best night of the week. The game goes about two to three times a month. I can play my “A” game at any stake. I regularly play 1-2 and 100-200 on the same day and it makes no difference to me.
Q: Who do you think the top five N.L.H. cash game players are in the world right now (including online pros)?
A: I don’t think I’m really qualified to answer that question. However, here’s my best guess: Phil Ivey, Patrick Antonius, Phil Galfond, Brian Townsend, and
Mr.Random-Internet-Guy-No-One-Knows-The-True-Identity-Of. He’s probably from Scandinavia.
Q: Who are better at cash games: the best live pros or the best online pros?
A: Live.
Q: When you decided to turn pro, what type of bankroll did you start out with? How much time/what stakes would you have to play in order to make a quality living?
A: I started out with a bankroll of about $400,000 — I “went pro” after finishing fourth in the W.S.O.P. main event in 2001. To make $100,000 a year playing poker, I’d have to play about five hours a week.
Q: Do you enjoy playing poker any more or less than when you first started out?
A: Definitely less, although I’ve found a resurgence of energy for the game recently.
Q: How advanced is your Rock-Paper-Scissors strategy … any tips for us R.P.S. novices?
A: I’d be willing to put some money on a match or two. Never go rock on the first throw.
Q: How did you decide that you wanted to play poker full-time? Can you explain what factors you considered and do you have any advice for aspiring card players? (By the way, Phil, you knocked me out of a 5K W.S.O.P. tourney before.)
A: Sorry to bust you like that … I decided to “go pro” on a lark, really. You’re a pro when you call yourself one. I was winning, having a great time playing, and wanted to travel the circuit and give it a shot. I’m certainly glad that I did.
Q: I hear a lot about compulsive gambling and gambling addiction which makes me wonder if the Safe Port Act (UIGEA), by causing online poker play to drop off, may not have been such a bad thing. What’s your opinion about the Act?
A: I think that the U.I.G.E.A. (the provision of the Safe Port Act that deals with internet poker) was a complete travesty.
First, it places an impossible burden on the financial institutions. Second, 85 percent of the U.S. adult population thinks that they should have the right to gamble on the internet if they want to. Third, what the hell does port security have to do with internet poker? Why do we allow politicians to do this?
Q: Is Phil Hellmuth really as unpleasant as he seems? Conversely, who are the top pros that are regarded as being the most fun to play with — not necessarily the ones you can clean up on, just the ones that you’d have a good time with? (I’m guessing Negreanu is at the top of this list.)
A: Hellmuth isn’t as bad in real life as he appears on T.V. I really like him. He’s a great family man, does lots of work for charity, and has a kind heart.
Unfortunately, he comes across like a complete a–hole on television. But, it’s great for ratings.
I really like playing at the table with Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, and David Grey — they have excellent stories and are very entertaining. As for Negreanu — things aren’t always the way they appear on television.
Q: What are the finances of some of the top pros like?
A: Some: poor, reckless, with no shot at improving long-term. Others: multi-million dollar mansions, $5-plus million a year income, and no financial worries.
Q: I’ve played a ton of poker, and read all three of your books, but I have a very different question: I see that you’ll be at the Youth N.A.B.C. (I’m 19, so I’ll try and make it out there if possible) this summer. How do you think bridge can be re-popularized in mainstream society (much like poker had been five years ago)?
A: Well, I actually love bridge. I won’t be able to attend the Youth N.A.B.C. (North American Bridge Championship) but I have donated a sportsmanship trophy and lots of money to the organization. In my opinion, bridge is the best card game in the world by a long shot. Unfortunately, it is also the most complicated and difficult to play well.
Q: Typically, how long does it take players to progress from one skill level to the next (assuming they play several times a week)? How long before a new player is able to break even consistently, or even turn a profit?
A: It really depends on the player. Rapid improvement is much easier today than it was when I was learning — the Internet completely changed the learning curve. You can play in 100 tournaments a day or more online.
There are 18-year-old kids that started playing poker a year ago that have played five times as many tournaments than I have in my entire life.
Q: Is the median loose-aggressive player more successful than the median tight-aggressive player?
A: Tight-aggressive player will win more in the long run.
Q: Phil Hellmuth said that pot odds were for suckers. Why risk my chips when I am an underdog when I can get those same chips in later when I am 80 percent to win?
A: If you make sound mathematical decisions, you will be a winner long term. Any time the pot odds dictate a positive expectation play, I’m going to make it. Hellmuth may disagree, but I think he’s wrong.
Q: What is the most dangerously deceiving starting hand for an amateur player in Texas Holdem? When I say dangerous, I mean most likely to make a stupid call when they have no business calling.
A: It’s a tie … AQ, KQ, and QJ. Those are death hands to be avoided at all costs, especially if your opponent has made any aggressive move pre-flop.
Q: How many years did you play poker before you started to realize that you weren’t making really dumb decisions?
A: That moment hasn’t come yet.