PokerUpdate.com

Ladbrokes to Cut 100 Jobs

Bruno de Paiva — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:08:44 +0000

Gaming company Ladbrokes has announced that around 100 jobs are set to be cut at the company in the coming months.

It follows a new direction for aspects of the business, with the recent launch of Ladbrokes Israel and the transfer of many key roles to the Tel Aviv-based office. The cuts are set to affect those working at Ladbrokes’ head office in London, which will bear the brunt of the company’s move to Israel. Respresentatives of the company have said that some major roles will be moved from London to Tel Aviv “in order to maximise [the] potential” of the new office.

In a statement released by Ladbrokes, the company said the cuts are necessary as part of its shifting focus and goals in the gaming industry. “As a result of this and the company’s ongoing commitment to maximising efficiency, a number of Ladbrokes employees have been placed at risk of redundancy and a 90-day consultation period has begun,” the statement said.

“Ladbrokes envisages that around 100 roles will be affected at the conclusion of the process and appropriate advice and support will be provided to all those affected.”

It is currently believed that staff in Ladbrokes’ gaming team, marketing and support divisions will be among those most affected by the proposed cuts. The cuts would also mean that around 10 per cent of staff in its office in Rayner’s Lane, London.

The proposed cuts are the latest move in what have been a series of major reforms in Ladbrokes’ business operations. Ladbrokes Israel was launched at the start of this month following a long-term licensing agreement with software development company Playtech.

Ladbrokes also recently announced that it had taken on Jim Mullen as the director of its digital operations effective from November. Mullen was previously the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ladbrokes’ chief UK rival, William Hill. In another major change at Ladbrokes, Customer Experience Director Stephen Vowles announced his resignation from the post after completing a re-structure of Ladbrokes’ marketing functions.

In April, Ladbrokes announced that first quarter profits for the company fell by 25.8 per cent, and said its full year profits were likely to be towards the bottom of the existing market range.

BetVictor Takes Over Dart Sponsorship

Charles Rettmuller — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:51:19 +0000

BetVictor has announced a sponsorship agreement with the World Matchplay Darts championship that commences on July 20 in Blackpool.

Betfair had sponsored the event the past two years, but chose not to lend its name to this year's championship. Betfair will instead sponsor the World Snooker Championships.

Prior to Betfair, SkyBet sponsored the world darts competition in 2010. For an entire decade previous to 2010, Stan James headlined the sponsorship duties of the World Matchplay Darts championship.

"These are very exciting times in the world of darts and after a magnificent World Championship and Premier League, we are delighted to lend our name to the BetVictor World Matchplay from the iconic Winter Gardens Blackpool," BetVictor marketing director Karl Riley told eGR.

Annie Duke Releases Statement on UltimateBet Tapes

Khurram Aziz — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:23:05 +0000

Poker pro Annie Duke has released a statement, distancing herself from the infamous UltimateBet cheating scandal which saw the company steal more than $50 million from its customers.

The so-called “super-user” scandal was revealed more than five years ago, however, earlier in the month, an employee of the online poker site released secret tapes of UltimateBet founder Russ Hamilton which implicate the 2004 WSOP tournament winner, Duke.

However, in a statement posted on her Facebook page, Duke says she had used the super-user tool, or “God Mode”, on a few occasions, but only on a 15-minute delay and only as a co-commentator and not a player.

Travis Makar, Hamilton's former assistant, made public the three-hour audio tape of a 2008 meeting during which Hamilton admits the company’s employees used a tool to view poker players’ hole cards during games in order to cheat them out of millions.

The tapes also feature UltimateBet founder and CEO Greg Pierson, and attorneys Daniel Friedberg and Sanford Millar. The men discuss some of the victims of the scam, including high-profile pros Mike Matusow, Prahlad Friedman, Robert Williamson III, as well as actor and poker fan Ben Affleck.

During the discussions Hamilton mentions Phil Hellmuth and Duke, former endorsers and sponsored players for UltimateBet. Hamilton and his cohorts discuss keeping Hellmuth in the dark about the God Mode tool, but he mentions that Duke was aware of it and even used the software herself on a time delay.

The tapes surfaced several weeks ago and Duke has denied her involvement from the start. On Saturday she released a full statement on Facebook which said:

“Listening to the leaked audio that describes an elaborate attempt by some of UltimateBet.com’s founders, including Russ Hamilton and Greg Pierson, to cover up cheating reminds me once again how much I regret having been associated with the people that were involved in this conspiracy. The release of this audio has spurred accusations and I want to make it clear that I have never used a tool on a delay or otherwise that gave me or anyone else access to hole cards for use during real money play nor was I aware that such a tool existed until the scandal broke.”

Her statement goes on to say that she regrets how long it took for those who were cheated to receive their money back and that she never would have been involved with the company had she known what was going on.

“The data dump from Travis Makar and others also make it completely clear who the perpetrators of the UltimateBet.com cheating were, and that I was not involved in their scheme in any way,” she adds. “At one point Russ Hamilton mischaracterizes my legitimate role as a commentator as he tries to concoct a cover story for his scheme. I can only assume that he is referring to the several times that I commentated on tournaments in which a delayed broadcast was provided to the public, as this was the only delay that I was ever aware of.”

Duke said that she only provided commentary as the poker matches were played live and broadcast on a delay so as “to avoid affecting play”.

“The screen that I saw was captured and streamed onto the internet along with my commentary so anyone who tuned into the broadcast saw exactly the same screen that I saw. The broadcast delay was designed to protect the integrity of the game by making sure that the hands my co-commentators and I were commenting on would be finished BEFORE our commentary was broadcast on the internet.”

Her statement also includes paragraphs from co-commentator John Vorhaus and UltimateBet’s former Pro Relations Manager Joanne Priam. Vorhaus says:

“I worked alongside Annie Duke doing play-by-play and color commentary on UltimateBetonline poker tournaments during the mid-2000s. The use of a delay function during those broadcasts was for the express purpose of ensuring that our commentary didn't inadvertently give information to the tournament players and had no connection whatsoever with the so-called ‘super-user scandal’.”

Priam adds:

“Annie agreed to participate as a commentator only if we could ensure that there was enough of a small delay in the broadcast so that we could avoid any live commentating affecting players’ behavior in the event they were listening. After it was confirmed the delay was feasible she agreed to commentate. It is my understanding that during the tournament, Annie was isolated in a recording studio with only a screen in which to report on and that she did not have access to a computer in which to log on to UB, view hole cards or interact in any way with players.”

UltimateBet closed shortly after the scandal.

California Online Poker Bill No Sure Bet

Firat Dural — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:43:44 +0000

Efforts to license online poker continue in California but it remains to be seen if a law will emerge or if it will be “no deal,” the 2013 version. While the chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the gambling industry re-introduced 2012 legislation that would legalize online games earlier this year, a group of eight California Indian tribes released their own draft of a new bill to license and regulate online poker in California. Their version of the bill would qualify any existing licensed card room or tribal casino in California that has been in operation for at least five years prior for an online poker license.

The draft bill was created and written by leaders of eight tribes, including the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, as well as members of a group called the California Tribal Business Alliance.

The eight tribes have invited other California tribes to provide their input “to continue to shape legislation that is pragmatic, achievable, and fair for tribes.” And they got a quick response. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino, and possibly others, have worked on a plan that could emerge as early as this week.

Only recently, California was expected to be the first state in the country to license intrastate poker and take advantage of a provision in the federal law that otherwise bans online gaming. However disagreements among the state’s gambling interests have repeatedly stymied the issue and allowed other states came forward; Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have already legalized online poker and the first legal game debuted a few weeks ago in Nevada while many of the California residents already play on illegal sites based offshore in the Isle of Mann and elsewhere.

There are some main difference between The 51-page bill by state Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, who leads the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, and the draft bill of the 8 California Indian tribes. For example Sen. Wright´s bill requires a 30$ million license fee while the tribes´ bill require only 5$ million. Tribes´ bill issue licenses for 10 years is double the five years in the Wright bill.

In the past there had been other initiatives from other tribes like The Riverside-based California Online Poker Association included the San Manuel band and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning, as well as smaller tribes and some card clubs however they had disbanded pretty quickly.

They say that the latest tribal proposal is different because it emerged from talks involving tribal leaders. Consultants and lawyers were not in the room: “It is not unusual for tribal leaders to work together on issues of great importance — and let us be clear, this is an issue of great importance to us,” Said Leslie Loche, chairwoman of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, said in a statement Monday.

State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, also has introduced a bill to legalize online poker however it seems like a temporary attempt at the moment. Despite the discussions and bills introduced so far, no hearings have been scheduled on it this year and the future of legal online poker still remains a mystery in California.

Bwin.party Revenues Fall in First Quarter

Bruno de Paiva — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:19:55 +0000

Revenues for bwin.party in the first three months of this year have fallen by 17 per cent year-on-year, and poker was partly responsible.

The Gibraltar headquartered company had €180.2 million of revenue in this year’s first quarter, down from €215.9 million for the same time last year. The world's largest publicly traded online gaming firm put the revenue fall down to increased regulation and its recent moves to shift its focus on areas that have regulated or are regulating online gaming.

Its poker operations, however, fell drastically in the first quarter and accounted for a fair chunk of the company’s revenue decrease. Sign ups of new players to the company’s online poker services fell as did cross-sell from the bwin.com site. This resulted in a 37 per cent decrease in first quarter revenues for poker, leading to a total €33.1 million of the company’s revenue that came from that area of bwin.party’s business.

It is an issue that has obviously affected the company, as seen by bwin.party deciding to alter its poker service, which it plans to launch later this year. The company said that the revised service is designed to “improve the revenue trajectory of [the] business”; showing that it still views poker as a core company component.

Bwin.party CEO Norbert Teufelberger said that while the declines were set to continue until the second half of the year due to the shifts, he was also upbeat about the company’s long term future and stability. Total revenue for bwin.party in 2013 is expected to fall by ten per cent in its full-year figures as it continues to restructure. The shift in focus to fewer areas, however, is set to save the company a total of €70 million over the entire year.

Teufelberger also said that a number of product launches by the company, along with the launch of poker and casino in New Jersey and cost-cutting initiatives were proof that it was not all doom and gloom for bwin.party. He also said its focus on ‘core regulated markets’ would allow the company to operate with a lower cost base which would help set the stage for future sustainable growth.

Revenues for bwin.party’s casino operations fell by 20 per cent to €57 million while sports betting fell by five per cent to €67 million. Revenues for its bingo operations fell by nine per cent to €14.2 million.

Hanks California State Poker Champion

Bruno de Paiva — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:48:27 +0000

As far as poker is concerned, Brent Hanks has shown himself to the Golden Boy of the Golden State after winning the 2013 California State Poker Championship.

The Las Vegas resident topped a field of 258 players and took $117,760 back to Nevada following his first place finish on the weekend, a welcome addition to the multitude of money payouts he has won throughout his poker career. It is his first major poker victory of 2013, however, but with the World Series Of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas just around the corner, the Californian State Poker win may be just the entrée to a fabulous year for Hanks.

While the Championship featured a number of poker notables like Mimi Tran, Jeff Madsen, Barry Greenstein and Eric Baldwin, none of those players managed to make it into the money. Hanks did remain, though, and his sizable chip lead made him the favourite to take out the tourney as soon as the final table came into place.

Hanks had 1.3 million chips at the start of the final table, nearly 450,000 more than Daniel Park, who wound up being eliminated in third place. The player who would pose a threat to him, however, was the final table’s short stack, fellow WSOP Gold Bracelet winner Gavin Griffin.

Griffin had just 163,000 when the final table began, and it looked like he would last no time at all. He proved any critics wrong after having a great run, chipping himself up along the way. Griffin further improved his chip stack by knocking out three players in the tournament’s later stages – Dong Tao in fifth place, David Malka in fourth place and Daniel Park in third.

The southern California native had gathered masses of momentum going into heads-up play, and it appeared that Hanks dominance was under great threat. However, it also appeared that Hanks was destined to win the Championship as he stopped Griffin’s excellent run of play to win take first place.

Griffin moved all-in with Ace Six offsuit in what would be the final hand of the tournament. Hanks, who had Ace Nine off suit, called and he remained in front after the flop of Seven of Hearts, Seven of Spades and Four of Spades was shown. The Nine of Diamonds on the turn all but sealed the Championship for Hanks, giving him a two pair with the two Sevens on the board. The river brought the Ace of Clubs, which confirmed the victory for Hanks.

The victory comes nearly a year after Hanks won his first, and currently only, WSOP Gold Bracelet after he won the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. Hanks had his largest ever poker cash win at that event, winning $517,725.

Empire and Intech Announce Agreement

Bruno de Paiva — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:26:02 +0000

It has been announced that US company Empire Global Gaming has collaborated with fellow American company Intech Creative LLC to add an online gaming service to its business.

The move follows the expansion of the online poker industry in the state of Nevada – where Empire Global Gaming is incorporated – and the regulation of online gaming in a number of other US states. Other states, such as California, Illinois and Pennsylvania, currently have bills in their legislature that, if passed, would legally permit online gaming in their respective jurisdictions.

This makes the legal online gaming market in the US as attractive as ever, which is something shown by Empire and Intech’s collaboration. As a result of the regulation of online gaming, there is certainly major potential for gaming, especially poker, to once again rise in popularity in the US. Figuratively speaking, this has created a pie that Empire Global Gaming and Intech Creative would both like a piece of.

Headquartered in New York, Empire Global Gaming currently provides custom game manufacturing, supplies, gaming solutions and custom game marketing as the core aspect of their business. The company also has exclusive licenses for proprietary Class II and Class III grade table games and offers consulting and advisory services to businesses in the gaming industry.

By being a recognised business in the US casino and gaming industry, Empire’s planned expansion into online gaming may be successful for the company. Empire Global Gaming Founder and President Nicholas Sorge Jr. said incorporating on online gaming service into the company was highly significant. “It is our mission to stay on the cutting edge of this technology driven Industry and the enhancement of our website is the first step in doing so,” he said.

Also based in New York, but organised in Delaware with offices in India and Argentina, Intech Creative LLC partakes in the development of mobile apps, websites, custom programming and cloud solutions for companies over a large spectrum of industries.

If its venture with Empire Global Gaming is successful in producing a solid online gaming service, it could provide further opportunities for Intech Creative LLC to expand into what looks to be a rapidly growing industry. This was recognised by Intech's CEO Bruce Dugan, who expressed his delight at the opportunity to collaborate with Empire on creating an online gaming service.

A date for the launch of an Empire/Intech online gaming service has not yet been set.

NJ Court Cancels Sale of Atlantic Club to PokerStars

Wootae Min — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:13:35 +0000

An Atlantic County Superior Court judge has overturned the injunction that allowed PokerStars to resume its purchase of the Atlantic Club Casino in New Jersey.

Atlantic Club owners, Colony Capital LLC, successfully appealed a ruling from an Atlantic County judge that upheld the purchase agreement made in December. The judge ruled that the deal included a specific provision that allowed the casino owners to terminate the agreement before a certain date. The successful appeal will allow the investment firm to entertain offers for the historic casino and entrance into the New Jersey online gambling market.

The Atlantic Club – PokerStars deal has been a controversial deal since its inception in December of 2012. PokerStars and Colony Capital LLC agreed to a purchase agreement that would provide exclusive negotiation rights with the investment firm in exchange for a $15 million investment to the struggling casino. The Atlantic Club had been struggling to maintain operations and had nearly $30 million in unpaid pension liabilities.

The controversy of this purchase agreement increased as the American Gambling Association lobbied to terminate the contract given PokerStars’ unlawful past. Although PokerStars had admitted no wrongdoing in its case with the Department of Justice, gambling lobbyists and casinos have decried its operation in the United States in face of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The purchase agreement eventually expired on April 30^th and allowed Colony Capital LLC to pursue other buyers despite the $11 million investment from Stars. Furthermore, the investment firm announced that it demanded the remaining $4 million investment that was included in the original purchase agreement.

These actions led PokerStars to file a restraining order on Colony Capital LLC to prevent other buyers from making bids on the casino. The Rational Group claimed that Colony Capital terminated the agreement in order to sell it for a higher price following gambling legislation in February. Furthermore, it claimed that the investment group took the $11 million investment to look more attractive to other buyers. An Atlantic County judge ruled in favor of this injunction and it remained until the successful appeal from the Colony Group.

Rational Group representatives have stated that the company plans to review the details of the lawsuit and to continue its fight to enter the New Jersey market. Despite these strong claims, PokerStars has taken a major setback in its bid to enter the United States market. New Jersey provides the perfect platform for this entrance given a lack of a bad actor clause and potential jurisdiction compacts in its legislation. PokerStars also plans to explore the option of making a stronger bid for the casino, although this route would be an unlikely way to enter the New Jersey online gambling market.

Infiniti Poker Delays Launch

Charles Rettmuller — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:29:55 +0000

Infiniti Poker, a new U.S.-friendly poker site that had projected a launch date of some time this spring, has postponed its roll out until the summer months.

"We are very pleased to update to all of our members that the final phase of our development is now in full swing and we thank all of you who continue to participate in our public beta test program," said an Infiniti Poker press release. "Your feedback continues to be very helpful and in the end will ensure the resounding success of Infiniti Poker's upcoming launch which is now slated for July-August of 2013. "

Upon officially launching, the innovative site plans to allow U.S. players to use Bitcoin digital currency in order to participate with rest-of-world players who will be afforded additional deposit options. Bitcoins are currently used as a payment processing function on only a few sites, most notably mobile operator Switch Poker and the U.S.-facing Seals With Clubs. But other more well-known poker rooms are reportedly considering adding Bitcoin to their online cashier cages.

Infiniti also has its sights on revolutionizing the poker webcam experience. While rooms such as 888 and Pokerview have toyed with the inclusion of a social and live element to online play via webcams, Infiniti Poker will be the first to introduce “Peripheral Resolution Interface.” Not yet available during the testing phase, PRI will seemingly allow players to view the action similar to the way its done at a live table. A player's main focus will be directed at the player of his or her choice, but a peripheral vision will also allow a view of players sitting on either side.

As explained on the Infiniti Poker Facebook page, "The Peripheral Resolution Interface (PRI) will allow you to change your POV of the table from Overhead Camera View to a virtual table setting." In order to focus on a particular player, simply click a '3D View' button to do so.

A select number of tables will have the webcam availability, which Infiniti is referring to as "Infinivision." Many posters at online poker forums have criticized webcam usage at previous poker rooms as being lame. Though attempts have been made to foster a more social "live table" atmosphere, the result has often been far from the intended goal. Time will tell if Infinivision's PRI concept will add to the online poker playing experience.

Infiniti Poker has lined up several pros in advance of its launch. Edwardo "Swag" Jackson, Jason Stern and Gavin Smith are all part of Team Infiniti, with Smith chosen for the role of team captain.

Poker Game Ends in Face Stabbing

Khurram Aziz — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:47:27 +0000

According to reports, 35-year-old Lewis Maxwell and his cousin, 42-year-old Stephen Steward, got into an argument over Maxwell’s 14-year-old son, after the youth won $600 during the game.

The game was eventually abandoned as tensions escalated between the players, but not before Steward had asked Maxwell and his wife for a ride home.

As the three were driving, Steward became aggressive and punched Maxwell’s wife. Maxwell then pulled into a petrol station where all parties exited the vehicle. That was followed by a physical fight where Steward kicked and punched Maxwell who also suffered a head injury.

Maxwell then took out a knife during the fight and stabbed Steward in the face and abdomen before getting back into the vehicle with his wife returning to their home.

Steward was eventually transported to the Univeristy of New Mexico Hospital where he is still listed in serious condition. Maxwell was transported with nonlife-threatening injuries and was later released only to appear before a judge on Sunday, who raised his bail bond to $25,000 and sent him back into custody.

“The allegations based on the complaint are serious enough that I think a higher bond is required,” a judge told Maxwell during a hearing. “You are not going to talk about this case.”

Maxwell is to be charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily harm and tampering with evidence while Steward will also be charged with battery.

Poker Stars Join Tiger Woods at $10,000 Buy-in Poker Tournament in Las Vegas

Khurram Aziz — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:20:19 +0000

Poker stars were out in force this weekend at Tiger Woods’ two-day 50-player charity poker tournament held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The tournament, a $10,000 buy-in event, was filmed for a future World Poker Tour television episode and was part of the Tiger Jam weekend in support of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Thirty seven year old Woods was joined by the poker brat Phil Hellmuth, and poker Hall of Fame members Doyle Brunson and Mike Sexton in the competition. A round of golf with Woods himself was up for grabs along side autographed memorabilia.

Celebrities taking part in the event included Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, Los Angeles Clippers star player Chris Paul, rocker Kid Rock and actor Mekhi Phifer of ER fame.

Woods himself went out early to an amateur but stayed around to watch the rest of the tournament.

For the media, however, it was a night to preview Woods’ now official girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, who was first seen with the golf prodigy earlier in the month at the Met Gala.

“Wearing a sexy blue dress during the poker tournament, Vonn was thrilled to be part of the weekend, and took along her sister, Karin Kildow for the festivities,” said USWeekly.

In an interview with BLUFF Magazine before the event, Woods said he was more likely to play “ping pong” than poker on tour but said that skills such as “focus, drive to win and knowing when to quit” were characteristics useful in both games.

Bermuda Government Silent on Gaming Says Opposition Leader

Bruno de Paiva — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:07 +0000

Bermuda’s opposition leader has put that territory’s Premier to task over what he sees as the lack of progress in regulating gaming on the island.

Marc Bean put his views forward on the territory’s Bernews outlet, saying the Government has made no movement on gaming regulation five months into its term. Mr Bean, whose Progressive Labour Party (PLP) supports a public referendum on the issue, said it was crucial that a referendum on gaming be held in Bermuda sooner rather than later.

“Gaming will represent a tremendous shift in our tourism business model and brings with it numerous challenges and opportunities,” he said. “The PLP supports a referendum, the machinery is in place to have a referendum, the premier said the money is in the budget for a referendum, and the Gaming Referenda Act has already been written.”

Bermuda’s Premier Craig Cannonier responded to Mr Bean’s critique by reiterating his Government’s commitment for a referendum on gaming to be held, but that further work needed to be done. Mr Cannonier said that a framework for a gaming industry in the British Overseas territory was a significant issue that the Government was continuing to look at.

“I don’t want to put an exact date on (the referendum), because again this is a collaborative effort we need to be talking to PLP, and sometimes that can lengthen out the process,” he said. “But again it is our endeavour to bring it before the House this session… We believe it needs to go to referendum.”

A study done by the US-based Innovation Group undertaken under the previous Government of Bermuda stated that gaming regulation could create up to 3,000 jobs and up to $146 million a year to Bermuda’s economy. This could possibly help the island territory curb its gradually rising unemployment rate which, according to the BBC, currently exceeds eight per cent, a three and a half per cent increase in four years. The $146 million would also be a significant injection into a territory of roughly 64,700 inhabitants.

The potential economic benefits of gaming regulation in Bermuda were also cited by Mr Bean in his calls to hold a public referendum. “We have the Breakaway that has just arrived in Bermuda with 3,500 people, combined with 1,500 – 2,000 passengers on another cruise ship,” he said. “With 5,000 people visiting Bermuda, what is it truly there for them to do? Gaming has been identified as one of the amenities which can be provided to our guests.”

If the results of the Innovation Group study are correct, the regulation of gaming in Bermuda would also fulfil one of the Premier’s major election promises in one hit. Mr Cannonier pledged that his Government would help create 2,000 new jobs on the island during the course of the new parliament.

Some members of Bermuda’s religious community, however, do not wish for those jobs to be created by a gaming industry. A number of religious groups have joined forces the ‘United to Change’ group, which opposes any regulation of gaming in the territory.

Deevara Current Chip Leader in Harrah’s New Orleans Main Event

Bruno de Paiva — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:04:00 +0000

The starting flights of the World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Main Event are now over and Rahul Deevara will have the chip lead going into Day 2 of the event.

Deevara will be one of 125 players playing it out for first place on the second day. With $228,600 and a seat into the National Championship going to the top spot in the tournament, competition is set to heat up in the coming days. 51 players from the first starting flight made the cut to Day 2, while 74 players from Day 1b advanced.

With 466,000 to his name, Deevara has established himself as the early favourite to take out the Main Event. Daniel Weinman is hot on his heels, however, with a chip stack of 373,000 coming into Day 2. Day 1a chip leader Ben Mintz is currently equal third on the chip ladder, along with Claudia Crawford, with 313,000 chips. Both Mintz and Crawford are also in easy reach of Deevara as the second day of play begins.

Deevara will be battling tooth and nail to keep his chip lead, however, as he hopes to win his first professional poker event. Deevara had played a number of small poker tournaments, most of them in the southeastern part of the US. The top prize of $228,600 for this tournament would eclipse Deevara’s biggest poker cash prize, which is currently $8,523.

The win would also be roughly ten times his total cash prize wins as listed on the Hendon Mob poker database. This will surely be enough motivation for the Atlanta native to continue his solid poker play into the coming days of the Main Event.

Day 1b of the event was notable for the participation of "Boston" Rob Mariano, who starred in four seasons of the reality TV show Survivor, as well as two seasons of The Amazing Race. He also had his own reality show called Rob and Amber: Against the Odds, which followed his attempts to become a professional poker player and featured Daniel Negreanu.

Mariano, who won $1 million in one Survivor season he starred in, was unable to replicate his reality show success onto the poker table as he was knocked out during the starting flight.

Day 2 of the three-day World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Main Event is set to begin at the crescent city’s Harrah's Hotel and Casino.

FBI Tapes Give Glimpse into the World of Illegal High Stakes Gambling in New York

Firat Dural — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:42:37 +0000

On Tuesday April 16, nearly three dozen people were charged in what investigators said was a Russian organized crime operation that included illegal, high-stakes poker games for the rich and famous and threats of violence to make sure customers paid their debts. FBI tapes reveal more information about the crackdown on illegal high stakes gambling ring in New York.

According to official court papers, FBI had an active surveillance on what federal authorities have described as two related multimillion-dollar money-laundering and gambling rings. According to the assistant United States attorney Harris Fischman, who is prosecuting the case, nine cellphone were tapped and as many as 25,000 calls were recorded by investigators. Calls were mostly in English but a few in Russian. Investigators also searches emails, houses and businesses, seizing computers and gathering bank records from 300 different bank accounts, producing thousands of pages of evidence.

Surveillance shows that illegal high stakes poker games were run out-of-sight settings like a suite at the Plaza Hotel or an apartment in skyscraper on Fifth Avenue. Top quality food and drinks were always available, as well as masseuses to help relieve the tension. With one pink chip worth $25,000, sometimes there was as much as $2 million on the table to be lost or won. Games were frequented by celebrities like Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

At one game, in an apartment Trump tower on Fifth Avenue, as the poker game continued, the Russian organizers suspected that a new player did fit in, although he had arrived with a regular. Two of them were kindly asked to leave. Apparently the Russians had a good hunch: The new player was an undercover F.B.I. agent.

Meanwhile the same Russian organizes were also busy with taking enormous bets on both college and professional sports. One man was heard betting 300.000$ on Super Bowl last year, and losing. Another punter placed a $1 million wager on another sporting event.

Many details of the poker games and the wagers were found in hundreds of conversations and text messages secretly captured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, exposing the shadowy and illegal world of high-stakes gambling in New York City. All the information led investigators come to the conclusion that there are two related multimillion-dollar money-laundering and gambling rings.

One of these rings were run by a very powerful art dealer family in New York who owns one of the largest collections of Impressionist and Modernist works in the world. This family is based in New York and Los Angeles and mostly served hedge fund managers, real estate magnates, A-list celebrities and famous athletes.

34 year old son of this New York family of enormous power in art world Hillel Nahmad, or Helly as called by his friends, was released on bail on 16 of April. He is charged with racketeering, gambling and money laundering.

The other illegal gambling ring mostly served to wealthy all over the world and was led by a Russian organized crime figure.

The course of the investigation is detailed in hundreds of pages of wiretap and search-warrant affidavits which contain several suspicious conversations and transactions. In one conversation, Helly a woman to wire $150,000 to the bank account of his father, who is not charged, and advises her to lie about the reason of the wire: “You just be like, Oh yeah, I bought a, you know, Picasso drawing or something.” He says to the woman. There are also pages of recordings of Mr. Nahmad taking bets over his cellphone.

On the Russian side of the gambling ring, a father Vadim Trincher, and his two sons, Illya and Eugene seem to have the leading role. One time Eugene picked up approximately $500,000 in cash from someone associated with an online gambling Web site, and then brought it home, saying to his dad: “Dad, give it to Mom for a couple of days so she’ll give it to somebody else.”

One other time, a bettor called “Tabor” won $600,000 from the illegal gambling ring betting on the New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012. However moving such an amount of money without drawing attention from authorities was a problem for Nahmad-Trincher organization. According to the records, Helly Nahmad received the wire information from “Tabor” and sent it to Illya Trincher on March 1 and the wire went through as planned. In April, Tabor felt that the money can be traced and planned to send all the money back.

Tapes also revealed the ugly side of this illegal gambling operation, involving another bettor called “NYU Dave”. According to the Prosecutors, NYU Dave lost $1.2 million and fell into debt, he eventually tried to pay his debt off by signing over %10 of his fashion company to to Mr. Trincher. Another unfortunate gambler, Peter Skyllas, eventually had to sign his company Titan Plumbing over to the gambling organization to save himself from his debt which was over $2 million. This incident apparently cheered Illya Trincher up, he joked that they had just gotten “some free plumbing work.”

Prosecutors believe that that one of the highest members of Russian mafia, Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, who was once accused of fixing 2002 Winter Olympics events, is also involved. However Mr Tokhtakhounov is still at large.

Oregon Poker Room Bill Debated

Bruno de Paiva — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:40:43 +0000

A bill that would close poker rooms in the US state of Oregon went under preliminary debate before a panel of state lawmakers this week.

The debate showed that the issue is divisive within Oregon’s legislature, with a number of representatives voicing their staunch opinions both for and against the bill. One view that was put forward for the bill was that of its sponsor, Republican Party Representative Julie Parrish. Ms Parrish, who had previously described poker rooms as being akin to “hookah lounges”, said that poker operations throughout Oregon were operating outside of social gaming statutes.

Ms Parrish elaborated on that assertion by stating poker rooms and clubs in the state charge cover fees for entry into their venues, act as the bank for poker chips and dealers often receive tips from players. This would be in breach of current Oregon laws which state poker rooms are only permitted to earn income from sales of food and beverages, not from the poker games taking place on their premises.

A lobbyist for a number of Oregon’s poker rooms and establishments was also present at the debate. Geoff Sugerman, who described himself as a frequent player of tournaments at poker clubs in the state, said poker rooms have done all they could to comply with existing laws they are obligated to operate under.

"We should be applauding and helping their entrepreneurial spirit, not trying to shut them down," Mr Sugarman said at the debate. “These folks are not felons. They have never been raided, shut down or even cited.”

Another pro-bill figure present at debate was attorney Tom Rask, who first aired concerns to Ms Parrish regarding Oregon poker rooms. Mr Rask said that there was “no question” that illegal poker facilities were operating in the state, especially in Portland, Oregon’s largest city.

Mr Rask, however, also represents poker and card rooms in the town of La Center in the state of Washington. La Center, a town of roughly 2,800 people, is situated approximately 42km from Portland and is home to four gaming establishments which only allow poker and other card games to be played.

Four card rooms in such a small town would more than likely mean that gaming is a solid contributor to La Center’s economy. Any legislative moves in Oregon that would result in the closure of Oregon poker rooms would, obviously, leave Oregionians with no legal place in their state to play the game.

This would make the card rooms at La Center a more favourable option for Oregonian poker players who still wish to play poker in a legal setting, given the reasonable distance between the two areas. It is unfair, at this stage, to imply and assume that Mr Rask has ulterior motives by speaking in support of the bill at the debate. However, it is fair to believe poker rooms in La Center would gain a greater number of clientele from Oregon if this bill passes and poker rooms in Oregon are forced to close down.

In its present from, the bill would limit the playing of poker to religious, fraternal and charitable organizations. At this stage, it is unclear whether or not the bill will be voted on in the Oregon legislature before August, which is when the legislature’s session ends.

WPT and TransGaming Announce Partnership

Bruno de Paiva — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:57:13 +0000

World Poker Tour (WPT) Enterprises has announced a partnership with social video games developer TransGaming to launch a new WPT-branded game on the GameTree TV gaming platform.

The new game will be made specifically for the Freebox Revolution, a ‘latest generation’ set-top box created by the French telecommunication company Free. TransGaming has said that the game will feature capabilities such as Multi-screen support and Multi-player gameplay which will give players an experience that “mirrors World Poker Tour TV programming”.

President for WPT Enterprises Adam Pliska said the partnership would give its fans a greater, better and more interactive involvement in poker via its newly created video game.

“WPT is known for providing its players with incredible poker experiences both in live events and online,” he said. “We couldn't be more pleased with our new game from TransGaming, which gives our global fan base an immersive and authentic WPT experience on their connected televisions.”

The game is also set to include an exact replica of the World Poker Tour stage as well as original voiceovers from the show's on-air personalities. It will also include a range of micro-transaction capabilities that will allow players to purchase products, such as poker chips, while they play a tournament.

Chief Executive Officer and President for TransGaming Vikas Gupta said the deal to produce the game will be mutually beneficial to TransGaming, WPT and poker fans alike. "When we saw the possibilities that GameTree TV offers, we felt strongly that World Poker Tour needed to be on it. It will be a true-to-life World Poker Tour experience that our fans will love,” Mr Gupta said.

“We have seen strong traction and revenue growth since our migration to a subscription-only model with GameTree TV and the availability of WPT is expected to catalyse this growth… We are going to set the bar for quality gaming with World Poker Tour that will drive gaming to the forefront of Smart TV based living room entertainment.”

While an exact date for the launch of the game has not yet been set, the Canadian-based software gaming company has said it is expected to be launched sometime in the fall.

New Jersey Posts Draft of Online Gambling Regulations

Charles Rettmuller — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:52:47 +0000

In anticipation of a projected November 16 launch date, New Jersey gaming officials have released a draft of the state's online gaming regulations to give interested parties the opportunity to comment.

The regulations will be published officially on June 2 in the New Jersey Register, but have been released a couple weeks early on the state's legislative website in order to allow those wishing to do so to peruse the regulations before a 60-day comment period commences. Comments will be permitted until August 2. The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) will look over and provide responses to the comments received.

The announcement of the egaming regulations being published has prompted DGE officials to toot their own horn with regards to the Garden State's online gambling legislation. David Rebuck, director of the DGE, told eGR that the state has "proven to be in the forefront of casino gaming with the development of Internet wagering regulations for all casino games.” Rebuck added that he commends the DGE staff "for their commitment and diligence to developing regulations that ensure both effective oversight and the integrity of operations.”

The launch of online poker and casino games in New Jersey is now only six months away. State law requires an official announcement to be made by the DGE at least 45 days before virtual gaming begins. Prior to the launch, the DGE is seeking to hire Internet gaming consultants to assist in the implementation of the regulatory framework.

“We are looking forward to having additional technical resources and expertise as we enter into a new era of gaming regulations and anticipate completion of this process in the near future,” Rebuck said.

Poker's 'The Don' Gets Four More Years for Fraud

Khurram Aziz — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:47:46 +0000

Achilleas Kallakis, known in poker circles as “The Don”, has just had four more years slapped onto his seven-year sentence for committing the biggest mortgage fraud in British history.

The multimillionaire tycoon, nephew of a Greek shipping magnate, will now serve 11 years in total, dating back to his January sentencing, for conspiring to defraud two banks of £740 million ($1.1 billion).

According to Bloomberg, the money was used to “to pay for trophy property, private planes, a yacht in Monaco, luxury cars, helicopters and artwork”.

Kallakis was a regular feature in live poker tournaments between 2005 and 2009, where he is said to have won $300,000 during this period. The highlight of his careers appears to have been a third place finish during the Pacific Poker Open which netted him a bonus of $100,000.

Prosecutors had asked for another four years on his sentence after convincing the judge that the original verdict was too lenient.

Bloomberg sites judge Christopher Pitchford as saying that Kallakis and co-conspirator Alexander Williams used “determination and audacious dishonesty to commit a commercial fraud with international proportions”.

Solicitor General Oliver Heald, who made the case in one of the few instance where the government’s law officers were seeking longer sentences, said, “We welcome the Court’s finding that ‘the culpability of the offenders was at the highest level because they set out and persisted over a significant period with planning, determination and audacious dishonesty to commit a commercial fraud with international proportion.

“We are pleased that the Court agreed that consecutive sentences were required to reflect the fact that two separate banks fell victim to the offenders.”

The 44-year-old, along with Williams, spent five years between 2003 and 2008 forging documents, sham legal letters and bogus guarantees to mislead the banks, which eventually lost £60 million when the scam folded.

George Carter-Stephenson QC, defending Kallakis, is reported in the Daily Mail as saying, “One has to wonder whether there was ever an intended loss, ie whether the defendants ever thought there would be a loss to the bank, given that these transactions were taking place during the course of what may be described as a major property boom when nobody saw an end to it and the events of 2008 took many bankers as well as ordinary people by surprise.”

Both defendants will now first proceedings to confiscate their assets as a means of repaying some of the money lost.

Gov. Brian Sandoval Looking To Cooperate With Other States On Internet Poker

Firat Dural — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:30:47 +0000

Yesterday, during a tour of the new corporate headquarters in Las Vegas for BMM International, one of two laboratories that tests gaming equipment for Nevada regulators, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said that he had preliminary talks with other state governors on partnering with Nevada on Internet poker.

He didn´t say which states he was in preliminary talks with but gaming sources close to the governor´s office think Texas could be a target.

Gov. Sandoval said “I’ve talked with a few governors and I’m introducing the concept of compacting, it’s very much in the early stages and we have a great opportunity because we have the infrastructure and other states have the players,” and he added “I’m hopeful we’ll continue to talk.”

Nevada is the first state to have the only active and legal internet poker website in the nation, however it won´t be the only one for long. New Jersey and Delaware have already passed bills and made the way for licensing and several other states like California, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Iowa, are exploring their options.

Gov. Brian Sandoval is known to be very enthusiastic about allowing internet poker in Nevada since the beginning. In February, it took less than 7 hours for Nevada lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 114 and Sandoval to sign the measure into law. Assembly Bill 114 allowed Gov. Brian Sandoval to move ahead with online poker without needing any federal legalization. Eventually on April 30, Ultimate Poker became the first legal real money poker website in Nevada. Ultimate Poker, which is owned by Station Casinos, already dealt its 1 millionth hand last Tuesday.

Ultimate Poker won´t be alone for too long though. Other websites already applied for licenses and they are in the process of being approved by testing labs and Nevada gaming regulators.

“We’re already ahead of other markets, people are signing up (for Ultimate Poker) from all over the world. Other companies are in the queue.” said Gov. Brian Sandoval and he added: “There are some things that have to happen in other states before compacts can be signed. Texas, for example, needs to legalize Internet poker and lawmakers have until May 27 to pass the measure before the regular legislative session ends.”

Sandoval is happy with Nevada’s progress in Internet gaming although the websites seem to be slow in coming to market. “(The Gaming Control Board) needs to be extremely careful on how they do this,” Sandoval said. “Over time, people will forget about that part and see how successful it will become.” His tour of BMM International´s new corporate headquarters in Las Vegas for BMM International was more than a regular visit for Gov. Sandoval. BMM, which worked on Ultimate Poker approval, moved from a 7,500-square-foot facility on Eastern Avenue, to a 23,500-square-foot building on Pilot Road in the McCarran Executive Center and BMM Vice President of Operations Travis Foley said the number of employees at the facility has doubled since the move to 65. BBM plans to hire another 100 employees depending on the increase in business.

Gov. Sandoval was delighted: “This is exactly what we had hoped for when the law was approved, BMM is a wonderful Nevada success story.”

California Native American Tribes Present New Poker Bill

Wootae Min — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:21:07 +0000

A new California online poker bill has been introduced by leaders of eight tribes. The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2012 is being supported by the powerful Pechanga tribe and is the second tribe-backed bill to be introduced in the past year.

The new bill contains stipulations that place strict restrictions on the regulation of online poker in the state of California. Under this legislation, California Native American owned card rooms would be the only eligible operators to apply for an online poker license. Furthermore, license applicants would need to establish an online poker business utilizing its own assets and credit. This clause would exclude most, if not all, out of state and international operators from “buying” their way to a license in the manner of 888 in Nevada, and potentially, PokerStars in New Jersey.

The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act would also require the state of California to opt out of any future federal legislation. This bill would also restrict the ability to increase player liquidity by banning compacts with state and international jurisdictions. A “bad actor” clause is included in the bill to ban operators or related companies from building online poker products in California.

The new bill also has financial clauses that are generally friendly towards the potential tribal operators, especially the controlling powers. Licensing fees would be relatively low and the tax rate would be a modest 10% on gross gaming revenue. Operators would need to have a land based establishment that has been in operation for 5 years in order to apply for a license. Most importantly to the tribes, the great majority of online poker revenues would go to the Native American tribes.

California’s new online poker bill contains protectionist language that provides the greatest benefit to the Native American tribes. Although California boasts a large number of card rooms and poker players among its 27.7 million inhabitants, it has struggled to develop legislation that satisfies the gambling community and the desires of the tribes. Mainly, gambling interests have been unable to agree upon a revenue sharing structure and online poker licensing regulations.

The constant struggle to develop a suitable and agreeable legislation in California has led to several failed bills and the introduction of clashing, simultaneous bills. The new bill will be the third one in circulation with Senator Wright’s and the San Manuel tribes’ potential legislations. Senator Wright’s bill would provide a more lenient stance on operators in California and leaves the possibility of a federal bill and online poker compacts.

The San Manuel tribes’ bill has similar language and stipulations to new bill. Sources have stated that the two bills may be combined in order to gain more support, although the COPA consortium was disbanded due to online poker disagreements. Nevertheless, all tribes have voiced strong opposition to the Wright Bill that would essentially allow racetracks to participate in online poker and force tribes to relinquish sovereignty during the licensing process.

California is currently feeling pressured to pass a bill in the near future with neighboring state, Nevada, already in operation. Some predict that new legislation will be passed before the end of the year, but a 2014 time table seems to be more reasonable at this point. The new tribal bill will also face some issues in the Senate Governmental Organisation Committee that will oversee the new online poker legislation. Currently, Senator Wright chairs this committee and is committed to pushing his bill through the state government.

Illinois Gaming Bill Up For Debate

Bruno de Paiva — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:24:23 +0000

The legislature in the US state of Illinois is set to debate the legislation of most forms of online gaming – of which poker is included – after a State Senator circulated proposals for his bill.

A new bill dedicated solely to online gaming was created after it was originally part of a broader gaming expansion bill before online gaming aspects were removed from it in April. The current bill being put forward by Senator John Cullerton would not permit online sports betting to take place but would allow other forms of gaming over the internet.

A licence fee of US$20 million would be charged to online gaming services wishing to operate in the state, with taxes on gaming revenue set to be between 7.5 per cent and 20 per cent. The bill would also lead to the creation of a Division of Online Gaming, which would help regulate the market along with the already established Illinois Lottery.

A measure to block online gaming companies which had illegally accepted bets from US players in the last decade was originally included in the bill. This has been removed from the bill, however, and only persons and companies convicted of illegally accepting bets would be banned from obtaining an Illinois licence.

The upcoming debate on the Illinois online gaming bill is the latest of a series of legislative events relating to poker in the US. Recently, Governments in the states of New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada have all passed legislation to permit online poker and online gaming in general. A bill in Pennsylvania to legalise online poker is set to be viewed by a state Government committee in the future.

While at present, the Illinois bill has many legislative hurdles to go through, the trend towards legislating online poker means that there is certainly a realistic chance it may pass. A date for the bill’s debate has not yet been confirmed. However, it is widely believed that State Senator Cullerton will attempt to give the bill its first committee hearing later this week.

WSOP Conference Call Roundup: What to Expect from This Year’s Tournaments

Khurram Aziz — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:48:18 +0000

The World Series of Poker held its annual preview conference call yesterday, offering members of the media an opportunity to ask questions regarding this year’s series.

WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart and WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel were on hand to discuss what players can expect from the upcoming tournament season and answered all the pertinent questions.

Opening week spectacle

With the world-championship Main Event now annually scheduled as the final tournament of the summer, the WSOP always ends on a high note. But this year, it will also open with a spectacle.

“One of our big goals over the past few years has been to kick off the series with a bang,” Stewart said, according to Poker Network.

The first day of the series will feature a $5,000 buy-in, eight-handed no-limit hold’em tournament that will attract a field of elite professionals. A $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament that starts Saturday should draw more casual players and guarantees the winner at least a $1 million prize.

ESPN partnership

The WSOP is again partnering with ESPN to provide some forty hours of televised coverage of a number of WSOP events, starting with coverage of the WSOP-APac Main Event which Daniel Negreanu won earlier this year, airing on July 23rd, followed by the July 30th broadcast of the National Championship from New Orleans.

Every hand of the WSOP Main Event final table will be live-streamed, with all hole cards, on a thirty minute delay. In addition, WSOP.com will feature live streaming of all final tables, one per day, with enhanced production including hole cards of those players who are in the action or hold the winning hand.

WSOP.com will launch real money events

Pending approval from Nevada gaming, WSOP.com will come on line sometime during the series, with players who register onsite at the Rio eligible for special promotions. This real money, online poker site will be even easier to access thanks to the free WiFi that will be available at the Rio.

According to Vegas Inc, WSOP.com will become the second website in Nevada to offer real-money poker games.

“I think the market is ready for a first-class product,” Stewart said. “We’re absolutely thrilled to get WSOP.com up and ready concurrent with our signature offline series.”

The World Series of Poker held its annual preview conference call yesterday, offering members of the media an opportunity to ask questions regarding this year’s series.

Opening week spectacle

With the world-championship Main Event now annually scheduled as the final tournament of the summer, the WSOP always ends on a high note. But this year, it will also open with a spectacle.

“One of our big goals over the past few years has been to kick off the series with a bang,” Stewart said, according to Poker Network.

ESPN partnership

WSOP.com will launch real money events

According to Vegas Inc, WSOP.com will become the second website in Nevada to offer real-money poker games.

“I think the market is ready for a first-class product,” Stewart said. “We’re absolutely thrilled to get WSOP.com up and ready concurrent with our signature offline series.”

The Carnivale of Poker is back

At one time, this was the second largest poker event in the world, but it only ran for two years between 1998 and 2000.

This year, the Carnivale will offer 21 tournaments, primarily NLHE, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m., with buy-ins ranging from $365-$1,675, similar to the WSOP circuit. On days when there are no WSOP events at 5 p.m., the Carnivale of Poker will instead feature various mixed games. Winners will receive gold and diamond medallions and there will be a prize pool for top point earners with the top ten splitting $100K.

At one time, this was the second largest poker event in the world, but it only ran for two years between 1998 and 2000. This year, the Carnivale will offer 21 tournaments, primarily NLHE, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m., with buy-ins ranging from $365-$1,675, similar to the WSOP circuit. On days when there are no WSOP events at 5 p.m., the Carnivale of Poker will instead feature various mixed games. Winners will receive gold and diamond medallions and there will be a prize pool for top point earners with the top ten splitting $100K.

Doyle Brunson Bows Out Of WSOP Tournaments

Khurram Aziz — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:12:37 +0000

Doyle Brunson, a living legend of the game and Poker Hall of Famer, tweeted that he will be passing on tournament play at the WSOP this summer.

At 79 years old, Brunson, who won the event in 1976 and 1977, said age was catching up with him.

Afraid I am finally gonna give in to Father Time and pass on tournament play at WSOP. #toomanyhours
— Doyle Brunson (@TexDolly) May 15, 2013

Brunson finished 17th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the last time he would place in the money, taking home £31,198. The last of his 10 gold bracelets came in the 2005, accompanied by a $367,800 jackpot, which at the time was one of the largest cash wins of his career, propelling him amongst the all time greats of the game.

Plaudits for the aging poker master have trickled in across the web. In its article on Boyle’s semi-retirement, the website Poker News Daily said, “During the better part of the last decade, one of the highlights of the WSOP has been the day Brunson sits down at the Main Event. The eyes of the room are always trained on him, as everyone wants to see if it is going to be the year he makes a deep run. And when he does finally get knocked out, he always gets a standing ovation upon his departure.”

The last time he made the money in the traditional WSOP Main Event was in 2004 when he placed 53rd.

Station Casinos Revenue Drops in First Quarter

Bruno de Paiva — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:07:29 +0000

First quarter revenue for Station Casinos dipped slightly after it fell two per cent from revenues at the same time last year.

The company attributed this mainly to customers’ gambling less throughout the period as a result of increased taxes and delayed tax refunds. Station Casinos’ Chief Financial Officer Marc Falcone said that while there were a number of reasons for the revenue decrease, revenues appeared to be improving once again.

“Net revenues in the first quarter were impacted by a combination of the increase in Social Security payroll tax, federal tax refund delays and one less day in February this year versus last year,” he said. “Results improved meaningfully in March.”

Station Casinos recently made headlines in the poker world after the launch of Ultimate Poker in the US state of Nevada. The company owns 57 percent of the parent company of Ultimate Poker, which is the first and currently only real money online poker service to operate in the state.

While Ultimate Poker appears to have had a solid start, Mr Falcone did not want to be drawn to the company with regards to Station Casinos’ first quarter revenue performance. “It’s too early to understand revenues and profitability of this start-up business at this point,” Mr Falcone said.

He did add, however, that Ultimate Poker’s launch had exceeded the company’s expectations and that the company is viewing online poker as an increasingly significant area of its total business following the launch. “We are committed to expanding our presence in Nevada while, at the same time, expanding our reach to other states as online poker becomes legalized on a broader scale,” Mr Falcone said.

Ultimate Poker is currently 36^thon Pokerscout’s Online Poker Traffic list, with a seven-day average of 167 players on the site. The poker site dealt its one millionth hand on Tuesday, two weeks after its anticipated launch.

Aldergott the Super High Roller at EPT Monaco

Bruno de Paiva — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:42:01 +0000

He was an outsider going into the EPT Monaco Super High Roller final table let alone the event itself, but Max Altergott proved that didn’t matter as he won the event in Monte Carlo last night.

It is the first ever recorded live tournament cash win for the Austrian-based German, who is better known for playing high stakes cash games. He’s now shown that no matter the style of poker game, he can dominate as long as there’s big money on the line.

All eyes were on American Jason Mercier going into the final table as he held a commanding chip lead over the other players at the start of the day. However, Mercier was unable to continue the fine run he had going in the previous days of the tournament, with his chip lead gradually diminishing as Altergott and Canadian Sorel Mizzi increased their stacks.

Mizzi was knocked out by Aldergott after the German hit a full house with his Pocket Jacks, beating Mizzi’s King Queen. It was not a hugely sad ending for Mizzi, however, as he still took home a respectable €679,100 (around US$878,000) for three days of solid poker play.

This left Aldergott and Mercier to battle it out for first and second place. While Aldergott had the chip lead going into heads-up play, Mercier was able to retake it after the first few hands and it looked like Mercier found his rhythm once again.

Aldergott, on the other hand, had other ideas and effectively crushed all hopes of a Mercier comeback after winning a huge hand against the American.

The German, who had Pocket Queens, raised to one million preflop after a series of back and forth raises. Mercier called with King Seven of Diamonds and a flop of Jack of Diamonds, Eight of Spades and Seven of Hearts was shown. Mercier called Altergott’s post-flop bet of 700,000 and the turn brought the Four of Diamonds.

Mercier checked, which prompted Altergott to bet a further 1.2 million into the ever growing pot. The two-time WSOP Gold Bracelet winner would not be deterred, responding to the bet by moving all-in, a move that was eventually called by Aldergott. While the German’s Queens were ahead at that point, Mercier had 14 outs that could have won him the event.

The Two of Clubs came on the river, which meant Aldergott’s Queens stood and Mercier was now severely short stacked. After shoving a short time later with a Ten Six of Diamonds, Mercier was knocked out of the tournament after Aldergott’s Jack Nine hit a straight on the river.

Aldergott won €1,746,400 (around US$$2,259,100) for his stellar play in the Super High Roller event. Mercier, on the other hand, won €1,115,700 (around US$$1,443,000), a great ending to his time at the EPT Monaco after winning the €2,000 open-face Chinese poker re-entry event and finishing seventh in the Main Event.

Lawsuit Aims to Curb Wisconsin Tribe's Electronic Poker Games

Charles Rettmuller — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:33:53 +0000

A federal lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General is attempting to shut down electronic poker games played at the Ho-Chunk Casino in Madison, Wisconsin.

The case centers around a dispute between Wisconsin authorities and the Ho-Chunk tribe. An arbitrator's ruling last year determined that the compact agreement between the parties does not permit poker at the tribe's land-based operation in Madison, the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported. However, U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb later vacated that order. Crabb ruled that the arbitrator overstepped his authority to make such a determination, allowing electronic poker games to resume.

That angered the Attorney General's office, who promptly filed papers seeking an injunction. "Poker, including the form of poker being offered at (the Madison facility), is not explicitly authorized and is explicitly prohibited by the laws of the State of Wisconsin," the complaint read.

The Ho-Chunk tribe points to the fact that poker differs from other casino games in that gamblers compete against one another and the casino has no preference in the outcome, merely collecting a rake for hosting the games. Tribal leaders believe electronic poker falls under the state's Class II gaming statute, which would allow electronic poker to be offered without a compact agreement. The state argues that poker is a Class III game that requires a compact.

The classification of poker and casino games is in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Ho-Chunk tribe has several gaming locations throughout the state. Some are permitted to offer slot machines, craps and roulette, while others are restricted to Class II games such as bingo.

Electronic poker speeds up the game as players compete in a live setting. Players are dealt cards automatically that are displayed on private screens. A large screen available to all players provides general information. Some casinos are in favor of the practice due to the increased revenue seen from a greater number of hands dealt per hour. It also reduces labor costs by negating the need for a live dealer.

Babakhani Wins Canada Spring Championship

Bruno de Paiva — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:23 +0000

Amir Babakhani is $442,248 richer after taking out the 2013 PartyPoker World Poker Tour Canadian Spring Championship in Montreal.

The Canadian was the player to watch out for well before the final table given his strong play throughout the tournament. Babakhani had over 6.6 million chips going into the last day, over two million chips more than the second highest chip stack at the time.

His dominant play continued at the final table as he knocked out all but one player on the last day of play. Babakhani particularly shone when the tournament came down to the last three players, knocking out Jason Duval with an Ace high. Duval shoved all-in pre-flop with a suited Queen Nine of Spades, which was called by Babakhani, who had Ace Four off suit.

The Jack of Hearts, Ten of Hearts and Three of Spades on the flop gave Duval an open ended straight draw, potentially putting him back in the game. The Jack of Spades on the turn did not help Duval, however, leaving Babakhani ahead with his Ace. The river brought the Three of Hearts, which meant Duval missed his straight draw and was knocked out in third place with a little under $200,000 won.

This left just Babakhani and fellow Canadian Barry Kruger in heads-up play. Kruger had also done well for himself throughout the event, something seen by the fact he was second on the chip ladder coming into the final table. He was going to need everything in his poker arsenal to beat Babakhani, however, who looked unstoppable up to that point.

Babakhani would keep up that unstoppable streak in heads-up play, obtaining a whopping 10 to 1 chip lead over Kruger after winning 10 of the first 14 hands. Kruger would not give up though, winning two major hands to drop Babakhani’s chip lead to 2.5 to 1.

It was not enough for Kruger as both players flopped trip fives on the final hand. Kruger, with Five Four of Hearts, check-called Babakhani’s post-flop bet of 600,000. With Five Eight off suit, Babakhani had the higher kicker and was on his way to winning the tournament.

Kruger moved all-in, which was promptly called, after the Two of Clubs came on the turn. The Queen of Clubs on the river did not help Kruger’s cause and he was the last player knocked out of the tournament, leaving Babakhani as the last man sitting.

It was a surprise victory for Babakhani given that his previous live poker earnings totalled around US$16,000. He won CAD$442,248 (around US$431,000) by taking out the 2013 PartyPoker World Poker Tour Canadian Spring Championship, absolutely eclipsing all of his previous winnings.

Partouche Poker Site Closing

Charles Rettmuller — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Partouche.fr will close its virtual doors prior to this summer season in what may result in a call for French gaming regulators to make changes in the country's rigid tax structure and ring-fenced player base.

Currently ranked 36th on PokerScout's worldwide rankings with a seven-day average of 167 cash game players, Partouche.fr trails other French sites in player traffic such as Winamax, PokerStars.fr, both iPoker and PartyPoker's France offerings, and Barrierepoker.fr.

Group Partouche has come under heavy criticism in recent months beginning last year when the popular Partouche Poker Tour failed to reach its guaranteed €5 million prize pool and group chairman Patrick Partouche attempted to renege on the guarantee. After being pressured by angry poker players and the media, Partouche decided to kick in the additional €736,880 to honor the €5 million commitment. But in an angry tirade, Partouche cancelled the tour following the 2012 season.

Another controversy erupted earlier this year when pokerenligne.com was first to broadcast a video that allegedly shows the top two finishers in the 2009 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event cheating by using hand signals to reveal their hole cards to each other. Jean-Paul Pasqualini and Cedric Rossi collected a combined €1,600,000 by soft-playing each other until they were the last two remaining players.

That discovery followed German player Ali Tekintamgac being kicked off the final table of the 2010 Main Event also for cheating. Tekintamgac was in cahoots with others posing as journalists who fed him information about his opponents' hole cards via hand signals. Tekintamgac and his chips were removed from the final table and the remaining eight players finished the event.

The latest issue to sully the Partouche name ocurred less than three months ago when French regulator ARJEL announced that Group Partouche was under investigation for permitting employees and family members to play at Partouche.fr and receive cash rewards and free entries to tournaments. Regulators scrutinized 40 accounts for possible improprieties.

The demise of Partouche.fr was first reported on PokerUpdate as early as September of last year. Rampant rumors circulated that the site was on the outs. The controversies that followed appear to have sealed the fate of Group Partouche and their French poker site, as evidenced by posters on 2 + 2 and a poker52 article.

Poker rooms in France are subject to strict regulations that include a heavy tax rate and a player pool confined within French borders. There has been talk of the need to allow for increased liquidity and a relaxing of the tax structure to allow for greater profitability for operators.

Mercier Leads Going In Super High Roller Final Table

Bruno de Paiva — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:30:32 +0000

While the EPT Grand Final Monaco Main Event is well and truly over, the event’s Super High Roller tournament has just established its final table.

When the final day of the tourney begins later today, it will be American Jason Mercier who will have the chip lead out of the seven remaining players. It will be a huge chip lead too – with a stack of 4,165,000, Mercier will over 2 million more chips than second placed Vladimir Troyanovsky, who will enter the final table with 2,150,000 chips.

All expectations will be on Mercier to use the huge lead to win the event at the end of the night. It will be somewhat of a happy ending for the 26-year-old two time World Series Of Poker bracelet winner after he finished in seventh place in the Main Event. With a cash prize of €1,746,000 going to the first placed player in the Super High Roller event, it would certainly be a great bounce back for Mercier.

Despite the gap between Mercier and the rest of the table, it is unfair to count some of the remaining players out just yet. It would take just one double-up or a few good hands for Troyanovsky to pose a great threat to Mercier and his dominant run.

For those in the know, it will be no surprise if this happens; the Russian has found a niche in high roller tournaments, having placed second in January’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller Event. He also placed seventh in the Caribbean Adventure’s $98,000 Super High Roller Event, winning a combined total of over $1 million in a little over one week of play.

Canadian Sorel Mizzi is also a realistic threat to Mercier’s stranglehold on the chip lead. Currently third on the chip tally, 27-year-old Mizzi is a regular at the WSOP and many other professional poker tournaments. He came in tenth spot at last week’s €25,000 High Roller tourney at the EPT Monaco, but he is in a good position to go one better and take first place in this event.

A bunch of household names in poker were knocked out on Day 2, including Issac Haxton and Victor Blom. WSOP Asia Pacific Main Event winner Daniel Negreanu was also eliminated as was the Magician Antonio Esfandiari and Malta-based American Justin Bonomo, who won last year’s Super High Roller event.

Steven Silverman won the EPT Monte Carlo High Roller event on Tuesday, beating Tony Gregg in heads-up play to take out the top prize. He won €775,400 in the event after agreeing a three-way deal between himself, Gregg and third-placed Fady Kamar.

UK Hedge fund Tycoon Gambles Away More than €1 million in Monte Carlo Poker Game

Khurram Aziz — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:19:54 +0000

They say you need quick wits and ice-cold nerves to become one of London’s richest hedge fund tycoons, but that didn’t seem to help Talal Shakerchi who lost more than €1 million (£850,000) in Europe’s biggest cash poker game.

The Midlands-born financier was one of six high-rollers who staked €500,000 each to join an unofficial game at the final of the European Poker Tour in Monaco over the weekend. With as much as €4 million rumoured on the table, poker experts said that it was probably the biggest sum ever wagered in a public game on European soil.

Shakerchi, whose hedge fund Meditor has around £3 billion of assets under management, is known in the amateur poker circuits and has reportedly won more than £1 million in live tournaments over the last few years.

He began playing the game as a hobby before moving on to play in live events, but luck was not on his side on Saturday. According to the Daily Mail, the 49-year-old lost his buy-in within hours and went on to lose more than a million on the table.

He was up against four of the world’s top professional players, including Sam Trickett, the UK’s biggest winner in live tournaments with £13 million in recorded career earnings, and Paul Newey, another highly-regarded UK amateur who made an estimated £220 million fortune through a Midlands-based consumer lender.

“I was lucky to be in a position to play in high buy-in events, which gave me the chance to observe,” Shakerchi once said, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Despite losing, he was heard to say at the end of play: “Goodbye, see you guys tomorrow,” to the remaining two players, according to the Independent.

The news site also published tweets from Pokerstars.com commentator Frank Op de Woerd, who was at the event.

"While they're playing 100k+ pots the conversation is very friendly and all 3 of them are laughing a lot. £whatalife,” said one tweet from de Woerd.

“Talal seems very unlucky and running very bad - can't seem to win a hand,” he wrote later.

Shakerchi, who is worth an estimated £100 million, is regarded as a generous philanthropist, but is little known outside the City where those in financial circles say he is one of the best stock-pickers of his generation.

Of Kurdish descent, he joined BP’s graduate training scheme in the 1980s and later worked at Old Mutual before setting up his own hedge fund, Meditor, in 1998.

Here's a clip of Mr Shakerchi in action, at the Party Poker Premier League VI, during more fruitful times: