08.20.2008 01:36 PM
Once upon a time, there was a site called Poker.com. Great name, but the poker site never took off and was subsequently auctioned off for 20 million dollars. After that, it was no longer an online poker site, but rather an online poker info portal. When players tried to sign up, they were directed to a new room called Carbon Poker. This week, Carbon poker/Poker.com, sent out an e-mail stating they were changing to something called PDCPoker.com. But, as it turns out, after much confusion among affiliates, Carbon Poker will remain the same and PDCPoker is just an additional skin of Carbon, and both of these entities have absolutely nothing to do with Poker.com. Got it? Not sure I do, but I’m not sure I care, either. Good PR job, guys.
08.19.2008 06:52 PM PokerTrillion C.E.O Andy Pyrah announced this week that PokerTrillion's case in the First Hall Court on Malta has resulted in a judgment authorizing seizure of the Boss Media Malta Limited and Boss Media AB servers, and that these servers must cease being used for any commercial activity as from 18th September 2008. The judgment denied Boss the right to appeal.
Boss Media fired back today stating, “Poker Trillion’s recent comments are a reckless attempt to support a legal action that is without merit and initiated as retribution for their dismissal from the Boss Media network. To be clear, player funds are not affected by the current proceedings. All players’ funds are held separately under the control of the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority and cannot be seized by any court.
“Poker Trillion is a former customer of Boss Media who was terminated because of rake back violations. They have since then repeatedly tried to disrupt the Boss Media business through the dissemination of groundless rumors. In April 2008 Poker Trillion alleged in a press release a claim that among other things, Boss Media player funds were frozen. The allegations were false but typical of the type of tactics employed by Poker Trillion.”
Boss Media went on to state they are currently exploring various legal options and that they have high-performance back-up systems in place to ensure continued service to all their customers and players.
08.14.2008 01:57 PM
Just over a month before the 2008 WSOP Europe kicks off at Empire Casino in Leicester Square, the square will play host to the largest poker festival in the UK this weekend. Poker in the Park will host over 25,000 poker enthusiasts in Leicester Square for free hourly poker tournaments, lectures from the biggest stars of the game, photo opportunities and autographs with pro poker players, exhibitions from top name card rooms, and Las Vegas-style showgirl entertainment.
The poker pros in attendance will be a who's who of the UK poker scene, including Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Liv Boeree, Mark Goodwin, and Neil Channing. The event will also feature several live tournaments put on by a number of local London poker leagues and European Media and will include The Sky Poker Cup, The SubTV Student Poker League Cup, The LondonPubPoker.co.uk Trophy, The Royal Surrey Trophy, The Nuts Poker League Challenge, The LondonPokerMeetup.co.uk Cup, to name a few.
The festival is designed to show how popular and supportive the poker scene is in London as the city has become one of the premiere poker cities in the world and will continue to prove that as it hosts the 2008 WSOP Europe in mid-September.
If you want a chance to head to London and play against the best players the poker world has to offer, then check out Bodog's WSOP Europe online satellites. Qualifiers for the Two Seats Guaranteed World Series of Poker Europe Semifinal are running daily for as little as $1. The WSOP Europe package consists of a seat to the WSOP Europe Main Event, plus roundtrip airfare, high-end car service to and from the airport, luxury hotel accommodations, spending money and exclusive Team Bodog player gear and apparel, all valued at $24,000.
08.13.2008 02:14 PM Actor Ben Affleck, Poker Pros Andy Bloch and Bary Greenstein to Attend; Sponsorships Available
Poker players from across the nation will team up at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, to play poker and raise funds for paralyzed veterans. Hosted by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), “Poker at the Ballpark,” a charity poker tournament, will take place Tuesday, August 26th on the club level of Coors Field. All proceeds will go directly to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
“PPA is honored to host this charity poker tournament and looks forward to raising a lot of money for these American heroes,” said former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “This is a great opportunity to harness the popularity of the game of poker in order to raise much needed funds for those who have fought to protect our country and our individual freedoms – paralyzed vets.”
Confirmed to participate in the PPA charity tournament are Hollywood star and poker aficionado Ben Affleck as well as professional poker players Andy Bloch and Barry Greenstein. A VIP reception begins at 9:30pm, and tournament play begins at 10:00pm.
Corporate sponsorships are available and include access to a VIP reception as well as recognition on all event signage and collateral materials. Individual seats at a tournament table are also available. For additional details on sponsorship, etc. can be found here.
The tournament grand prize is a 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event buy-in, valued at $10,000.
08.12.2008 04:27 PM
Natalie Teltscher, who goes by the username TheVOid, withdrew her lawsuit against PokerStars when confronted by the evidence Stars had compiled in its investigation into the matter, and finally admitted she had not been the player on the account during the 2007 World Championship of Online Poker in which she won 1.7 million dollars. PokerStars.com disqualified her and ruled that the remaining finalists move up one place on the winning table, and as a result, Teltscher had launched litigation in court on the Isle of Man.
08.11.2008 01:41 PM
The inaugural season of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) wrapped up over the weekend in Punta del Este, Uruguay, when Jose Miguel Espinar captured the title, crystal trophy and $241,735 in prize money.
Heading into the final table, Espinar was in third place behind Canadian Gylbert Drolet and Brazilian Alexandre Gomes with his eventual heads-up opponent, Costa Rican Alex Brenes, sitting in fifth. After three quick eliminations, three of which were sent home courstesy of Espinar, the chip counts had changed dramatically. Gomes fell victim to Brenes, going home in fourth, putting the Tico's chip stack almost equal to the Spaniards. This almost equalit in chips led to a four-hour marathon long heads-up battle, which finally ended when Espinar flopped a pair of kings to take it down. Brenes won $126,625 for second.
08.08.2008 07:13 PM Reuters is reporting Two U.S. lawmakers, Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, and Rep. Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat, have urged the U.S. Justice Department to suspend its investigation of European Internet gambling companies for possible criminal violations that occurred before Congress passed a law in 2006 to crack down on online gambling.
The two lawmakers warned U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey in separate letters the issue could lead to a potentially damaging trade spat between the United States and the European Union at the World Trade Organization.
"In all likelihood, this issue will escalate and I understand could result in WTO action focused specifically on how the U.S. government enforces its laws. I cannot see how that can be in the interests of this country," Wexler said in a letter to Mukasey on Wednesday.
European Internet gambling companies lost billions of euros in market value after Congress moved to shut down the U.S. market (UIGEA) by making it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.
08.04.2008 12:24 PM
The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) returns September 2008, with a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000,000, that’s double the total guarantee of last year, making it the biggest online poker tournament series in the world.
There are a total of 33 different events, covering a wide range of poker games, including Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, HORSE, 2-7 Draw and more. Each event has a huge guarantee prize pool, with many reaching more than $2,000,000.
The series culminates with the $10,000,000 guaranteed Main Event, September 21. With cash prizes this big and a bracelet for the winner of each event, the WCOOP is THE series to be a part of. Don’t miss out on taking your seat!
You can buy in directly to any WCOOP event, or win your seat via one of the many PokerStars satellites running now. To register, click on PokerStars, in the lobby click ‘Events’ and ‘WCOOP’.
The 2008 WCOOP runs from September 5-22. Go to PokerStars for the full schedule of events.
Satellites for the 2008 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker will be running the remainder of the summer, with cash qualifiers starting from $2.20 and FPP satellites from just 100 Frequent Player Points. Stars is running multi-table satellites, Sit & Go satellites, and Steps qualifiers.
To register for a WCOOP satellite tournament, open the PokerStars lobby, click ‘Events’ and ‘WCOOP’. You can also use the Event Filter to quickly find the exact satellite you are looking for. Go to ‘Events’ and ‘WCOOP’, click the Event Filter and enter the details you want to find.
07.31.2008 01:00 PM
Forbes recently published an article entitled, “Feds Hound Bodog.” The article erroneously claims "the U.S. government recently seized $24 million from bank accounts linked to Bodog, the giant, illegal-under-U.S.-law Internet gaming operation founded by Canadian tycoon Calvin Ayre." Bodog refutes this allegation and their official response is copied below:
Good afternoon,
An article was recently released on Forbes.com that creates several misimpression's that the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group feels compelled to clarify for our customers.
As most of our customers already know, all operators outsource payment processing functions to third parties and these payment processors are subject to regulatory constraints wherever they operate, and, occasionally in the US, are subject to legal action because of the uncertain legal environment there.
However, the seizure of funds from these US payment processors was mischaracterized in this article, which refers to two specific legal cases against US processors. Rightly or wrongly, the article does not make a clear distinction between these cases, which, as a result, paints a misleading picture.
The facts are these: the first of these cases – relating to a seizure of funds from a processor known as JBL Services – happened some time ago and has absolutely nothing to do with the current payment processing challenges being experienced in the US. The constraints being experienced by payment processors in the US are universal in that region and not specific to any particular processor or site. Also, note that not one single player failed to get paid when this processor was disrupted.
The second case refers to a payment processor known as Zippayments.com and seizure of funds from this processor’s bank accounts in Nevada. The article falsely implies – but notably does not go so far as to state - that $9.9M seized from Zippayment’s Nevada bank accounts were funds on account for “Bodog”. This is simply false.
Processing partners with whom the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group does business are sophisticated organizations that are perfectly clear as to the actual facts of these cases and their contexts. They are unfazed by such media hype and Morris Mohawk wishes to ensure that its customers are similarly informed. Customer deposits are safe and every player has and will always be paid.
Alwyn Morris
C.E.O.
Morris Mohawk Gaming Group
07.30.2008 03:08 PM
Tridx Entertainment Systems, an online poker and casino franchisor whose network of poker sites had a long history of slow pays, nonexistent customer support, and an upper management who were notoriously bad spellers, has dropped offline, closing a number of online poker sites which include, 2advancedpoker.com, BahaPoker.com, BannerPoker.com, ForPokerOnly.com, KorsanPoker.com, MidasTouchPoker.com, MrXPoker.com, PledgePoker.com, PokerAvenueUSA.com, Pokerka.com, StetsonPoker.com, and YourLuckyCards.com. Tridx sites had horrible software and network management had been promising an upgrade for over a year that never materialized.
07.29.2008 03:26 PM
Tokwiro Enterprises, the owners of UltimateBet.com, has compiled complete forensic evidence including the IP addresses, devices, transfer and withdrawal histories, and names associated with the player accounts that benefited from illicitly viewing hole card information. The investigation revealed a total of 19 accounts and 88 associated usernames that were involved in the cheating, including the accounts that were named in Tokwiro's publicly posted investigation updates of May 29, 2008 and July 8, 2008. The same perpetrators that were previously identified controlled all of these usernames. There are no new perpetrators involved, only new usernames. Usernames were changed many times over the course of the cheating scam in an apparent scheme to avoid detection. The results have been turned over to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC). (The press release can be viewed in its entirely here.)
KGC confirmed, “Effective immediately, the Kahnawa:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) has appointed an independent monitor to investigate the KGC Licensee, Tokwiro Ent., parent company of both Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, led by former New Jersey State Gaming Regulator, Frank Catania . . . Furthermore, Mr. Catania's team will be empowered by the KGC to have full access to interview all employees, past or present, review all records, contact and interview all sub contractors and individuals whom the monitoring team believes necessary. Any failure by the licensees could result in immediate revocation of their license privileges with the KGC. In the event that any criminal activity is found to have occurred, such activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities for possible prosecution.
07.24.2008 12:58 PM
This is an analysis of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s latest press release for those uninterested in reading it. The first paragraph is self-serving and self-congratulatory. The second paragraph passes the buck by stating fraud happens in other industries. The third paragraph is the funniest—it states cheating was discovered and brought to the attention of the licensees (Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet) by the affected players, as if AP and UB were totally unaware cheating was going on. It does not say how KGC had to be beaten over the head consistently and repeatedly with evidence gathered solely by the online poker community at large before they would even say a word about the blatant cheating that had been going on. Then, once it became apparent the cat was definitely out of the bag, they had the balls to try to take credit for discovering the whole thing.
The next paragraph outlines the Absolute poker case and the actions taken against AP, which came down to a large fine levied against AP, basically benefiting the KGC. Then it mentions becoming aware of the UB allegations, and refers to their diligent efforts investigating the scandal, and how, despite the public’s perception to the contrary, they are not “doing nothing” but in fact have, um, uncovered stuff that they will tell everyone about in the very near future. You can read the entire piece of self-serving garbage here.
07.22.2008 12:17 PM
“The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is the political and public policy voice for poker players in America. Central to our mission are advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. and around the country to protect poker players from misguided and vague laws and to establish licensed and regulated Internet poker in the U.S. To be clear, the PPA is not a regulatory body for poker players or the poker industry, nor do we seek to be. We are, however, compelled to speak out when our public policy mission is potentially undermined by actions which present Internet poker in a negative light.
“Trust is paramount in poker. Sadly, this foundation has been undercut by admissions from two well-known online poker companies, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, that cheating has occurred on their poker sites. The Poker Players Alliance condemns any and all cheating in poker no matter the forum in which it is played. Because of the current legal uncertainties and the lack of federal regulation and oversight, it is especially troubling when cheating occurs in online poker. This has created an untenable atmosphere and has denied the proper means to investigate allegations, administer due process and then apply appropriate penalties for the wrongdoers. We urge these companies and their regulating authority, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, to provide a full and transparent accounting of these breaches of the public trust to help lift the black cloud that has been placed over the industry.
“The recent cheating scandals underscore the need for U.S. licensing and regulation of online poker to help protect consumers. While even the most highly regulated industries are susceptible to fraud and abuse, regulation does provide assurances that when consumers are harmed they have recourse. Further, it is abundantly clear that regulation will also address other consumer concerns by successfully providing ways to bar access by children to gambling Web sites and providing the necessary services for problem gamblers.
“The federal government cannot continue to abdicate this basic responsibility to millions of its citizens who choose to play poker on the Internet. The attempt to enforce an outright prohibition of online poker is deeply flawed and unworkable, not to mention it invades upon the personal freedoms of law-abiding adults who wish to engage in a game of skill.
“Remaining consistent with our organization’s mission, we will continue our efforts on Capitol Hill to ensure lawmakers are well educated about the benefits of regulation to protect consumers and enable the rights of poker playing adults. These scandals will not and should not be the demise of a responsible government approach to Internet poker. Instead, this can be the pathway to understanding that regulation is the key to protecting citizens and the future of America’s card game.”
07.18.2008 06:23 PM
The biggest online poker cheating scandal ever exploded this week when evidence was leaked regarding even more “super accounts” at UB and implicating the former owner of Ultimate Bet, Russ Hamilton, as one of the individuals profiting from big money funneled out of these bogus accounts. The entire sad saga is outlined in this 2+2 thread entitled, “The UB Scandal Continues.” The online poker community is to be applauded for the tenacious detective work displayed throughout this episode, especially those who continue deeper into the mystery despite threats to their personal safety.
The depth and breadth of this scandal as well as the earlier one involving Absolute Poker tarnishes the image of legitimate poker sites and plays into the hands of powerful critics who characterize web poker as a festering online pit of internet vipers. As organizations, UB and AP violated the sacred trust players placed in them not just once, but multiple times over several years. It strains credibility to suggest that no one in management knew this was going on; quite simply, they had to.
Even now it is impossible to know just who exactly owns AP/UB, who profited from the scam and continues to profit from legitimate rake generated at both sites, the number of games that were played involving users who could see hole cards that went undetected, and whether or not they have other means at their disposal that they can employ to affect the outcome of games for their singular benefit.
No one can be certain after what has come out already and so, due to this lack of trust, PokerRoomReview cannot recommend either of these sites to potential players.
07.18.2008 01:04 PM Of the 6,844 skilled players who entered the 2008 WSOP Main Event, only nine made it to the final table. Among those players are the so-called PokerStars Six, a tough combination of PokerStars players and qualifiers who will be part of history in November. Here is a look at the PokerStars players who will return to compete for poker's biggest prize:
Dennis Phillips (26,295,000)-- is an accountant from St. Louis, Missouri.
Ivan Demidov (24,400,000) -- is a 27-year-old online semi-pro from Moscow Russia.
Peter Eastgate -- (18,375,000) -- is a 22-year-old PokerStars player and is one of the top five online pros in Denmark.
Ylon Schwartz -- (12,525,000) -- A native New Yorker, born in Manhattan and now living in Brooklyn -- Ylon is a chess whizz and a poker player with 11 previous cashes in World Series events dating back to 2005.
Darus Suharto -- (12,520,000) -- is an accountant from Toronto, Canada.
David “Chino” Rheem -- (10,230,000)-- is a 28-year-old from Miami, Florida, who has enjoyed a string of tournament successes recently including five WSOP cashes in the last three years.
In all, PokerStars players cashed in for more than $9 million combined in the Main Event. The PokerStars Six will have their chance at a total of another $32.6 million that's up for grabs in November.
07.15.2008 11:15 AM
In the wee hours Tuesday morning, Dean Hamrick was eliminated in 10th spot and suddenly the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was put on pause. The remaining nine players will now have to wait until November 9 to return to the Rio in Las Vegas to continue chasing down the World Championship and the first place prize of $9.1 million.
The finalists are a diverse group of players that include no fewer than four countries including a Russian, a Dane, two Canadians and five Americans. There’s also a chess player, a salesmen, a college student as well the usual collection of professional poker players.
But it’s the salesman, Dennis Phillips who will carry the chip lead for 117 days until they resume play. Phillips, who plays tournaments at his local casino 3-4 nights per week, ended the night with 26,295,000 which is good enough to put him 1,895,000 ahead of Russia’s, Ivan Demidov who finished with 24,400,000.
Here are the official chip counts and seating assignments for the November event:
Seat 1: Dennis Phillips - 26,295,000
Seat 2: Craig Marquis - 10,210,000
Seat 3: Ylon Schwartz - 12,525,000
Seat 4: Scott Montgomery - 19,690,000
Seat 5: Darus Suharto - 12,520,000
Seat 6: Chino Rheem - 10,230,000
Seat 7: Ivan Demidov - 24,400,000
Seat 8: Kelly Kim - 2,620,000
Seat 9: Peter Eastgate - 18,375,000
So much for the year of the pro.
Tiffany Michelle, the obvious crowd favorite, exited the Main Event in 17th place, the deepest a woman has finished since the year 2000, earning $334,534 for her admirable efforts.
07.11.2008 01:01 PM
Rich Muny, aka “TheEngineer,” Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Board Member & KY State Director is one of the most tireless advocates for the rights of poker players and he has created what he is calling ‘The Leach List’ named in “honor” of anti-poker extremist former Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA). The list is comprised of 26 members of congress opposed to poker rights who are in tough reelection fights. If you are a US citizen and believe as we do here at PokerRoomReview that playing poker is in no way a criminal activity, you may want to consult ‘The Leach List' and vote accordingly.
07.10.2008 05:46 PM
It’s official – the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest and richest in the event’s 39-year history.
Tournament officials released final figures for the 55-event, 47-day poker extravaganza held annually each summer at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Both total player entries and payouts reached all-time highs, as did the number of countries and territories represented by the participants.
“The results this year demonstrate the increasing global appeal of our events and the universal recognition that winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet is poker’s ultimate achievement,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.
The records set at the 39th Annual World Series of Poker are:
* 58,720 player entries (an increase of 4,432 or 8% over last year’s 54,288).
* $180,676,248 prize pool (an increase of $20,880,030 over last year).
* 118 different countries/territories entered into an event (an increase of 31)
* 3,929 entrants in a non-Main Event – largest live tournament field in history
* Event #2 - $1500 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em
07.07.2008 01:11 PM The top prize at the main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will be more than $9 million this year, and about 660 players will get some piece of a $64 million prize pool, tournament officials said Sunday.
About 2,500 players entered the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament Sunday, the last day players were able to register. The field of more than 6,800 entrants was about 500 more than last year but still down from 2006, when a record 8,773 players entered and Jamie Gold won $12 million.
The roughly $9 million top prize would be the second largest in the main event's history. Last year, California psychologist Jerry Yang emerged from a field of 6,358 players to win a top prize of $8.25 million.
07.04.2008 12:49 PM
The 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was jump-started yesterday in Las Vegas by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas marching band playing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and Wayne Newton officially announcing “Shuffle up and deal.” The official number of entries for the $10,000 No Limit Texas Holdem World Championship has yet to be announced, but yesterday was the first of four start days for the Main Event that will continue on succeeding days as follows: July 4, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1B, July 5, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1C, and July 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM with Day 1D. Well-known players eliminated thus far include David Benyamine, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot.
07.03.2008 01:12 PM
Ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson had been planning on taking a little break in January, 2009, to travel to the southern city of Melbourne to attend the Aussie Millions Poker Championships. When word of his travel plans got out, however, Australian crime victims demanded he be barred from entering the country. “We seem to have reached a new depth of lowness. He is being brought out here to be trotted out as a celebrity, like some kind of Mother Theresa. It's an insult,” Crime Victims Support Association President Noel McNamara commented. “We don't think it's right and we will be urging the Immigration Minister not to let him into the country,” McNamara added.
Australian visa rules guard against arrivals with criminal records and holidaymakers must also be judged by immigration officials to have good character. Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old beauty contest entrant in 1992 and served three years in prison.
Rapper Snoop Dog was refused entry to Australia in April 2007 because of his extensive criminal record, sinking plans for him to co-host the MTV Australia Video Music Awards.
06.30.2008 03:16 PM
After five grueling days of five different styles of poker only one poker player managed to emerge victorious from the $50,000 HORSE World Championship at the 2008 WSOP, and that player was none other than Scotty Nguyen. At approximately 6am this morning the final hand was dealt in the heads-up match between Nguyen and Michael DeMichele, giving Nguyen the WSOP bracelet, $1,989,120 in prize money and the instantly legendary Chip Reese Trophy.
The final table began at 4pm yesterday with only eight players remaining from the 148 who ponied up the original $50,000. They were several familiar faces among the final table participants and a couple of newcomers to this kind of spotlight. Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein, Lyle Berman and Huck Seed have all been in these kinds of situations before whereas Patrick Bueno, Matt Glantz and Michael DeMichele were all chasing their first bracelets, even if this wasn't their first trip to the pony show. An astounding 12 hours later one player from each camp was left standing, and two hours after that Nguyen was able to parlay his 5 to 1 chip lead into a win.
This victory was well deserved for Nguyen, who ran deep in the 2007 WSOP Main Event only to finish in 11th, two spots shy of the final table. The win puts his career earnings just short of the mythical $10 million mark, something he should be able to reach within the next year.
06.27.2008 05:29 PM
CasinoWebcam.com, a site that billed itself as having ‘LIVE DEALERS, LIVE GAMES, LIVE ACTION’ via a webcam, using real-time video streaming, will be shutting down as of July 15th, 2008. It is believed at this point that all outstanding player balances will be paid out by the end of July.
06.26.2008 01:37 PM
Congressman Spencer Bachus called the defeat of legislation designed to block a ban on illegal Internet gambling a “victory for young people.”
The House Financial Services Committee today voted down a bill that would have prevented federal agencies from issuing rules implementing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Bachus was instrumental in defending the law during debate in committee. Bachus helped author the ban, which was signed into law by President Bush in October 2006. Bachus issued the following statement, “Today’s vote was a victory for young people because illegal Internet gambling brings the casino into their bedrooms and dorm rooms, sometimes with tragic consequences.”
We here at PokerRoomReview love to point out the following exchange between Bachus and Radley Balko during a hearing on internet gambling and the age verification systems in place at online gambling sites to prevent minors from making deposits, just to demonstrate what a complete moron Bachus is:
Rep. Bachus: “Are you familiar with Ross Boatman's biography on Full Tilt poker's website?” (Boatman is a poker pro, born in England 1965)
Balko: “No, I'm not.”
Rep. Bachus – “Let me tell you about him. Ross was 10-years-old when he played poker for the first time. His brother Barney, who is a little older than Ross, was playing with some friends, and after much pleading, they let him sit in. His gambling career didn't really get started until a couple of years later though when he was 12-years-old. Ross was too young and didn't have the money to play with those guys--I guess they're talking about his 14-year-old brother--but they let him sit and watch, and he learned plenty.”
Rep. Bachus looked directly at Balko and asked, “I guess the verification didn't work!”
Balko (responded--looking very confused), “Um, I believe that all took place well before the age of the internet, congressman."
Rep. Bachus- "Okay, was it? I wonder why it's still on the site today…?"
06.25.2008 05:48 PM
Total scam outfit FutureBet continues to try to suck in unwary players and is now calling itself iGamingSoftware, or IGS. One of their newer rooms is called PokersDNA and it consists of an online poker room, casino and sportsbook. As an organization, FutureBet has proven over and over again that they are completely unworthy of player’s trust and should be avoided at all costs.
06.23.2008 04:33 PM Davidi Kitai became the first Belgian bracelet winner in World Series of Poker history on Sunday after defeating Chris Bell in a marathon five hour heads-up match to win Event #38 ($2,000 Pot Limit Hold 'em). David Kitai also became the third European player in a row to win a bracelet. Europeans have won nine bracelets in total, and five bracelets in the last ten events. The 2008 WSOP initially started out being referred to as the ‘Year of the Pro’ but as a group, European players have dominated the tables in the last 2 weeks.
06.20.2008 04:26 PM Last night saw yet another stacked final table at the 2008 WSOP, but this time it was the turn of the amateur to emerge victorious. Young German poker pro Sebastian Ruthenberg took down Event No. 33 - $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low World Championship - to win his first WSOP bracelet and the $328,756 first-place prize.
It was no easy road as Ruthenberg had to outlast a final table that included Annie Duke, Marcel Luske and Steve Sung, not to mention the pros that just barely missed out, including Howard Lederer, David Benyamine, Allen Cunningham and Barry Greenstein. However, the most testing part of his day was the heads-up battle against five-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.
Ruthenberg entered the heads-up match a 2 to 1 dog to an accomplished heads-up player who has finished second twice (2005 and 2006) and this year won the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship. The German managed to rally much to the delight of his railers, who were also riding a high after watching Germany defeat Portugal in the Quarterfinals of Euro 2008.
Elsewhere in the Amazon Room, Erick Lindgren is among the chip leaders going into Day 2 of Event 33 - $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low World Championship. Ted Forrest, Dario Alioto and Layne Flack are all at the final table of Event 34 - $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha w/Rebuys.
06.17.2008 03:21 PM
Walker Poker announced that it will be taking over the assets of Wingows Gaming, including Wingows Poker player's database. Walker Poker was established in 2007 and is operating on the Merge Gaming network
Wingows Poker began their online saga in 2006, operating on the Dobrosoft network. By the end of 2006, Dobrosoft was sold to the Digital Gaming Network (DGN) AKA FutureBet. DGN/FB managed to string this scam out for almost a year, but ultimately Dobrosoft had to resume control of the network due to DGN’s shady business practices. Almost immediately, it was apparent that there had been fraud and embezzlement of escrow money deposited to ensure player's funds, perpetrated by DGN/FB operators.
According to unofficial sources, Wingows Poker lost more than $500,000 in player's money in the period when DGN/FB operated the network, not including loss of rake for that period.
In the category of 'I-guess-it’s-better-than-nothing,' Walker Poker officials outlined the proposal by which they plan to reimburse players with outstanding balances at Wingows. These balances will be transferred to WP, but the funds will not be immediately available for withdrawal. For every dollar a player generates in rake, $.25 cents will be cleared for a cash-out.
06.17.2008 11:51 AM
More than 8,000 players signed up for the biggest online World Series satellite in the world. Nine hours later, 226 players had their entry to this year's World Series main event (WSOP). Every one of those players now has their ticket and $2,500 worth of hotel and travel expenses.
If you were one of the players who made it, congratulations. If you didn't, don't worry, there is still time. PokerStars is still running satellites all week long.
06.13.2008 12:13 PM
The final table of Event #20 ($2,000 Limit Hold 'em) at the 2008 World Series of Poker began with all eyes on one man: Daniel Negreanu. The 33-year-old Canadian is one of the most recognized and liked personalities in the game and Event #20 was his shot to win a fourth WSOP bracelet and join an elite group of four time bracelet winners that includes Bobby Baldwin, Amarillo Slim, Tom McEvoy, Huck Seed, David Chiu, Scotty Nguyen and the late Puggy Pearson. Negreanu also had to contend with the added pressure of having won this event in 2004.
Negreanu won $204,874 for his victory. As Nolan Dalla presented the bracelet, Negreanu slipped it over his hand. With a grin, he said, "I might have to take a few links out. I have pretty skinny wrists."
Negreanu is of course, a Team PokerStars Pro, and PokerStars is breaking their own record by sending over 2,000 players to the WSOP this year. Last year, they sent almost 1600 players. On June 15, PokerStars is holding the biggest World Series qualifier anywhere online, with a guaranteed 200 Main Event seats on offer in the ultimate satellite tournament. Remember, at least 200 $12,500 prize packages must be won!
The buy-in for the 200 seat giveaway is $350 + $20, and PokerStars will be running satellites from as little as $2.20 or 250 FPP credits. The event takes place 16:30 (ET), June 15. To register now, open the PokerStars lobby, click ‘Events’ and ‘WSOP’.
Incidently, 2008 also marks the five-year anniversary of Chris Moneymaker’s historic win at the Main Event.
06.11.2008 10:31 AM PokerStars announced recently that the Sunday Million will now have a $215 buy-in every week. For just about as long as most people can remember, the final Sunday of every month meant a change for the PokerStars Sunday Million. Once a month, PokerStars bumped the buy-in for the Sunday Million to $530. As of today, that monthly metamorphosis is no more than a memory. Now, it won't cost anybody more than $215 to play for the huge prize pool.
If you're one of those people who looked forward to a monthly $530 event, there is no reason to fret. PokerStars announced that it will also run a $530 no-limit hold'em tournament with a $250,000 guarantee.
As usual, the Sunday Million will kick off at 16:30 ET. The new $530 buy-in $250,000 guaranteed event will run at 17:30 ET.
06.10.2008 11:59 AM
During the early part of May, FullTiltPoker.com was having difficulties with a payment processor, and checks were backed up just about a month in most cases. PokerRoomReview has been receiving reports from players that checks have been arriving daily and have cleared the bank, so it appears that FT is back to normal. While there was little doubt that Full Tilt had the cash on hand to cover these checks, their apparent lack of timely customer service was a public relations blunder that caused a lot of frustration among players trying to cash out.
06.07.2008 07:32 PM Bodog’s running a new tournament series called the Mini-SOP that mirrors all the events of the World Series at 1% of its buy-ins. From May 30th - July 3rd players can compete for cash, Tournament Credits, position on the Mini-SOP leader board and a place in the final tourney where they will compete for three 2009 WSOP Main Event seats!
06.06.2008 02:46 PM
The string of entertaining and ridiculously stacked final tables continues this afternoon at the 2008 WSOP when several of the new faces of poker will go up against a couple of legendary veterans of the game in Event No. 8 - $10,000 World Championship Mixed event.
When this field first took to the Amazon Room two days ago, there was a high concentration of poker pros was, both online and live. Some of the best Omaha, Holdem, Stud, Triple Draw players in the world were gathered in one place to test their mettle and the sparks flew early and often.
Early this morning, the original field of 192 players finally narrowed down to the nine players who would make up the final table. The interesting story line from this final table will be the meeting of the old school players, who have built name recognition over years of playing the tournament circuit, and the fresh-faced pros, who have built their names playing the biggest online poker games in the world somewhat anonymously behind screen names. This will be the most mainstream exposure that many of these newer players have had.
The old school players at the final table are Sam Farha and Eli Elezra, who have combined for almost $4 million in major poker tournament earnings, three WSOP bracelets, a WPT title, and numerous deep cashes. Both are primarily high-stakes cash game players who make regular appearances in the legendary "Big Game" in Booby's Room at the Bellagio and dabble in tournaments every once in a while.
The young guns take the form of Tom "durrrr" Dwan and James "mig.com" Mackey, both who are seen regularly dropping thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, in the biggest online poker cash games available. Dwan is known as a high-stakes Omaha specialist and Mackey holds court at the Holdem tables, so both should be able to play to their strengths at this final table.
Sitting in the middle ground between the relatively unknown young guns and the noted live pros is Jeff Madsen. Two years ago, Madsen was the new kid on the block when he burst onto the scene at the 2006 WSOP, winning two WSOP bracelets, racking up over $1.2 million in winnings and earning 2006 WSOP Player of the Year honors.
Play begins at 4pm local time and will wrap when a new mixed game World Champion will be crowned.
06.04.2008 11:00 AM
Poker Pros speak out about the importance of using votes to fight the UIGEA.
06.02.2008 03:39 PM
Full Tilt Poker's Team Full Tilt has announced today a rare addition to its global powerhouse, welcoming international poker star and online giant Patrik Antonius.
Representing Full Tilt Poker, the second largest online poker site in the world, Patrik Antonius will now join the elite club of Team Full Tilt which includes fellow poker luminaries; Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, and Allen Cunningham who have collectively won 32 WSOP bracelets.
At 27 years of age, Antonius is the youngest poker pro to be invited to join Team Full Tilt. The EPT winner and poker icon already boasts career tournament earnings of nearly $2.7 million and is widely considered to be one of the best all-around players, whether it be large tournaments, live cash games, or online.
"As everyone knows, Team Full Tilt has all the top pros in the world and I'm honored to now be a member of such a legendary team," said Patrik Antonius.
"Patrik Antonius is a young rising star in the poker world who has shown he will be a force for decades to come," said fellow Team Full Tilt member Howard Lederer. "We are thrilled he has joined the team."
05.30.2008 02:29 PM The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is officially underway and PokerRoomReview and Bodog want to send you to the WSOP in style. A $10+1 Satellite will be held Friday, June 6 at 9 p.m. EST -- listed in the Bodog tourney lobby as the 5 Seats Qualifier –PokerRoomReview. The password is prrwsop. This qualifier is open to all players. Get over to Bodog now... remember, the password is prrwsop.
The top 2 finishers will be awarded free tickets to the tourney where Bodog will be guaranteeing five WSOP Main Event seats in a single tournament on Sunday, June 8 at 3:15 p.m. EST. The normal buy-in is $250+$20. Finish in the top five and you’ll be getting more than just the $10,000 buy-in and $2,000 in travel expenses. You can expect plenty of other perks that come with being a part of Team Bodog. With the Main Event almost here this will be one of your last and best chances to get yourself to the Big Dance in Vegas on July 3rd!
05.29.2008 04:51 PM
MONTREAL, CANADA (MAY 29, 2008) --- Tokwiro Enterprises ENRG ("Tokwiro"), proprietors of UltimateBet.com ("UltimateBet"), one of the world's largest online card rooms, today announced the results of its lengthy investigation into allegations of unfair play, which was triggered by concerns about an account named 'NioNio'. Tokwiro has worked diligently in cooperation with its regulatory body, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission ("KGC"), and with independent third-party experts to conduct a thorough investigation that included a comprehensive review of hand histories and game data, thorough analyses of software and network security, and audits of its security practices and procedures.
The investigation has concluded that certain player accounts did in fact have an unfair advantage, and that these accounts targeted the highest limit games on the site. The individuals responsible were found to have worked for the previous ownership of UltimateBet prior to the sale of the business to Tokwiro in October 2006. Tokwiro is taking full responsibility for this situation and will immediately begin refunding UltimateBet customers for any losses that were incurred as a result of unfair play.
The fraudulent activity was enabled by unauthorized software code that allowed the perpetrators to obtain hole card information during live play. The existence of this vulnerability was unknown to Tokwiro until February 2008 and existed prior to UltimateBet's acquisition by Tokwiro in October 2006. Our investigation has confirmed that the code was part of a legacy auditing system that was manipulated by the perpetrators. Gaming Associates, independent auditors hired by the KGC, have confirmed that the software code that provided the unfair advantage has been permanently removed.
Throughout the investigation of this incident, Tokwiro's consistent priorities have been:
1. To permanently remove the ability to engage in unfair play;
2. To complete its investigation and come to a full understanding of what occurred;
3. To refund the affected customers; and
4. To implement measures that prevents future incidents.
The Company said, "We would like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty and support, as well as for their understanding that we are doing everything we can to correct this situation. The staff and management of UltimateBet are fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our players, and we want to assure customers of our unwavering resolve to monitor site security with every resource at our disposal."
Investigation Timeline
These are the key events in the course of the incident.
* January 2008: UltimateBet is alerted to suspicions of unfair play on the part of the account "NioNio". Within 24 hours, UltimateBet contacts the KGC to provide formal notice that UltimateBet has initiated an investigation of the incident. UltimateBet subsequently forwarded a copy of all related data to the KGC.
* January 2008: The "NioNio" account and related accounts are suspended pending further investigation.
* February 2008: Preliminary findings indicate abnormally high winning statistics for the suspect accounts. After discussions with the KGC, UltimateBet engages third-party gaming experts to assist with the analysis.
* February 2008: Investigators confirm that the suspect accounts are associated with individuals who had worked for UltimateBet under the previous ownership.
* February 2008: UltimateBet discovers the unauthorized code that allowed the perpetrators to obtain hole card information during live play. The code was part of a legacy auditing system that was manipulated by the perpetrators of the fraud.
* February 2008: UltimateBet immediately removes the unauthorized code and works with the KGC and with third-party auditors to verify that the security hole has been eliminated.
* March 2008: Six player accounts are confirmed to have participated in this scheme. No accounts were deleted at any point, although some account names were changed multiple times. The following account names are known to have been used in the fraudulent activity: NioNio, Sleepless, NoPaddles, nvtease, flatbroke33, ilike2win, UtakeIt2, FlipFlop2, erick456, WhackMe44, RockStarLA, stoned2nite, monizzle, FireNTexas, HeadKase01, LetsPatttty, NYMobser, and WhoWhereWhen.
* May 2008: The investigation confirms that the fraudulent activity took place from March 7, 2006 to December 3, 2007.
* May 2008: Gaming Associates certifies that the software code that enabled unfair play was removed from UltimateBet servers in February of 2008.
* May 2008: Customers affected by this incident are identified, and plans for corrective action are reviewed with the KGC.
Corrective Actions Taken
The following actions have been taken or are currently underway as a direct result of this investigation.
* The security hole identified in UltimateBet's investigation has been permanently eliminated.
* UltimateBet is establishing a state-of-the-art software Security Center that consolidates and greatly enhances existing security capabilities. The first release of the new Security Center focuses solely on the immediate detection of abnormal winnings. Gaming mathematicians, poker professionals, and security software developers have all contributed to the specifications for the new Security Center.
* UltimateBet customers are no longer permitted to change account names unless they have suffered abuse in chat rooms. Requests for changes must be supported by proof of abuse and must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer.
* In addition to its existing security department, UltimateBet has established a new specialized Poker Security team of professionals dedicated to fraud prevention.
* The refund process will begin immediately. The accounts associated with fraudulent activity did not use an unfair advantage in all play sessions. Regardless, UltimateBet is refunding all losses to these accounts.
* Accounts related to the fraudulent activity have been disabled, and the individuals associated with those accounts permanently banned from the site.
* UltimateBet has worked closely and transparently with its governing body, the KGC and its designated expert auditors, to determine exactly what happened, how it happened, and who was involved, and has taken action to prevent any possibility of this situation recurring.
* Tokwiro is pursuing its legal options in regard to this incident.
05.28.2008 03:56 PM
The second stop in the inaugural season of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) has wrapped up and poker player Valdemar Kwaysser will go down in history as the first ever winner of the LAPT San Jose, taking home $274,103 in the process.
Kwaysser arrived third in chips at the tough final table that included several well-known online poker pros in Steve Silverman, Alex Griffin, Alec Torelli and Joe Ebanks. The 24-year-old proceeded to take advantage of as many situations as possible and one of his lucky hands was a runner-runner flush to put Silverman out of the tournament and give Kwaysser a 3 to 1 chip lead going into heads-up play and that's just a taste of the bad beats delivered by the Hungarian.
Luck box or not, Kwaysser negotiated his way through a 397-player field that featured poker pros Daniel Negreanu, Humberto Brenes, Victor Ramdin and Isabelle Mercier, TV personality Montel Williams and baseball greats David Wells and Orel Hershiser to take home only his second major tournament cash and most definitely his largest to date.
Here's the final payouts for the rest of the final table:
1. Valdemar Kwaysser - $274,103
2. Max Steinberg - $144,773
3. Steven Silverman - $106,167
4. Alexander Soderlund - $77,212
5. Alec Torelli - $57,909
6. Pawel Sanojca - $38,606
7. Ashton Griffin - $28,955
8. Joe Ebanks - $19,303
The next LAPT event takes place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in August once the madness that is the 2008 WSOP has calmed down.
Oh, by the way, that starts in three days.
05.26.2008 05:16 PM
DoylesRoom.com announced the addition of hot Hollywood pinup girl Shannon Elizabeth to their celebrity roster. Comprised of a potent mix of both acclaimed poker pros and card savvy celebrities, Team Brunson is always equipped to make a splash at the hottest live, online, and televised poker events. The addition of Shannon Elizabeth will sexily raise the stakes even higher.
Shannon Elizabeth first gained notoriety with her role as Nadia, a titillating foreign exchange student in the now classic American Pie comedies. Shannon has compiled an impressive resume that is as varied as it is exhaustive. Film buffs have celebrated her provocative performances in Scary Movie, Tomcats, and Cursed, among other leading blockbusters. Channel surfers surely put down their remotes when they stumble upon her roles in That ‘70s Show and the television hit Dancing With The Stars. With electric appearances in Playboy and Maxim magazine, this ravishing beauty has seduced men across the globe.
In recent years, Shannon Elizabeth has quickly proven that poker prowess and stunning looks can easily go hand in hand. As a near-fixture at the tables in Vegas, Shannon has already competed in the legendary World Series of Poker (WSOP) and was the first woman to advance to a semi-final round in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
Fresh off the heels of her appearance in the hilarious poker film The Grand, Shannon Elizabeth is set to take the real life poker world by storm at countless 2008 WSOP events, including an appearance in the main event.
For more information on Team Brunson, visit Doyle’s Room, the only online poker room to proudly bear Doyle Brunson’s name.
05.22.2008 11:33 AM PokerStars players have a long history of supporting people in need. In the past several years, PokerStars and its players have donated to victims of the Indonesian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. They have also given to the Lifeball AIDS research effort and the fight to stop the genocide in Darfur. Now, as the people of China struggle to cope with the deadly earthquake in their country, PokerStars is giving its players a way to help.
More than 32,000 people have already been confirmed dead in the China earthquake. Some experts believe that number could rise as high as 50,000 in the coming weeks.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross and help aid the victims of the tragedy, you can do so directly from your PokerStars account. You can transfer any amount you choose to the "Quake Relief" PokerStars account or you can give between $1 and $100 by signing up for the China Quake Relief Fund (no game will be played) under the Tourney/Special tab.
As it has in the past, PokerStars has pledged to match every donation to the dollar. Every dollar you give will be turned into $2 by PokerStars before the money is sent to the Red Cross.
05.20.2008 03:21 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bush administration is illegally withholding the details of its offer accepted by the European Union to bind more sectors of the U.S. economy to World Trade Organization (WTO) jurisdiction as part of a settlement relating to a WTO ruling against the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, Public Citizen contended today in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
After a 2007 WTO ruling authorized trade sanctions because the United States had failed to conform U.S. gambling law to WTO rules, the Bush administration announced it would remove the gambling sector from WTO coverage. But to do so, WTO rules require that the U.S. must negotiate compensation for other WTO countries. Although it has announced that deals have been reached with the European Union and other countries, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has refused to release the details of its compensation agreements. In December, the USTR provided a hint at the scope of the deals by revealing that they involved new U.S. WTO commitments for “warehousing services, technical testing services, research and development services and postal services relating to outbound international letters.”
“Americans have a right to know what kinds of trade concessions the U.S. government is granting other countries, especially when those deals have a significant impact on domestic policy and may be worth billions of dollars,” said Bonnie I. Robin-Vergeer, a Public Citizen attorney. “The Bush administration’s decision to withhold the agreement under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has more to do with its desire to prevent public and congressional scrutiny of the settlement before it is enshrined in a new WTO schedule than it does with national security. FOIA requires the agreement’s release.”
The suit asks the court to find that the USTR is illegally withholding the settlement agreement and to order the agency to provide Brayton a copy of the agreement.
05.19.2008 01:44 PM 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
05.19.2008 01:41 PM From 15 May 2008, PokerTime will start to go private, with the aim of becoming a completely private Poker Room in the near future. However, they will continue to use Microgaming’s tried-and-trusted software as they believe that it is the very best available.
Initially, PokerTime will begin by moving all of their Texas Hold’Em tables with stakes of $1/$2 and below onto a private network. At this point, nothing will change with regards to their high-stakes tables.
PokerTime strongly believes that this move will enable them to attain a better lifetime value from their players. And, in turn, they will be able to provide better value to their players in the form of exclusive promotions, such as bigger bonuses and private high-stakes tournaments.
05.14.2008 11:34 AM
Top poker stars Barry Greenstein and Andy Bloch will join with Washington State members of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) at a rally to show their support for Lee Rousso’s efforts to keep poker legal.
WHEN:
Thursday, May, 15, 2008
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
WHERE:
Maleng Regional Justice Center
401 – 4th Ave. North
Kent, WA 98032
We hope all the Seattle area poker players will make a point of attending to show their defiance of Washington’s ridiculous and intrusive online gaming laws.
05.12.2008 10:29 AM
26-year-old Moroccan engineer Fouad Mourtada was sentenced in February 2008 to three years in jail by the Moroccan government for the crime of opening a false Facebook profile in the name of the Moroccan Prince, Moulay Rachid. This was admittedly done as a spoof and Fouad had no ulterior motives. Apparently, the Moroccan Royal Family failed to get the joke.
Mourtada's lawyer, Ali Ammar said, “This is a cultural problem; this is the first time that a Moroccan poses as a very important personality on the internet. [Unknown the Moroccan Royal Family] This is already a common practice in [most of the civilized world].” Fortunately, the government relented and Mourtada was released after serving 43 days of his term due to pressure from petition signers and Human Rights groups around the world.
05.07.2008 01:56 PM 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 (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 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 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.