Wall Street Journal Opinion Article Attacks Gambling Industry, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 2nd January 2009
In an opinion piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal newspaper on Tuesday, Dale Buss authored “Will Gambling Continue to Grow? All Bets Are Off.” In it, he described the apparent downfall of gambling and quoted Annenberg Public Policy Center Director Dan Romer, who labeled poker as a “fad.”
The Wall Street Journal piece begins by noting that a group of 100 people from Casino-Free Philadelphia gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The reason, according to Buss, is as follows: “They were able to commemorate success in keeping casinos out of Philadelphia despite the fact that two huge gambling operators desperately want to locate there.” In essence, the end-of-year party served as another successful crusade by Casino-Free Philadelphia to keep mega-establishments out of the City of Brotherly Love.
Joe Brennan, the Chairman of the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) and a native of Philadelphia, told Poker News Daily why casinos have yet to make inroads in the East Coast city: “The claims that Buss makes on behalf of the group of 100 in Philadelphia are outlandish. They are not responsible for casinos not being built in Philly. It all comes down to zoning. It’s an argument over location.” Foxwoods Casino, for example, is looking at potentially setting up shop in Chinatown. The waterfront and the airport are also possible locations for casinos looking to enter the Philadelphia market.
Buss then states that the dramatic downturn in the economy and falling gambling revenues mean that the industry is affected just like any other: “Battered incomes last year proved in spades that this is not a ‘recession-proof’ business.” Brennan retorted, “The only thing that stopped gambling this year is the economy.” Nevada gambling revenue was down 22% in October of 2008 in comparison to October of 2007. However, the entire economy is also noticeably off. Crude oil, for example, which once traded at $147 per barrel in July, has now plummeted to $45 at the time of writing, a drop of 69%. GM stock was trading at $14.62 in July. It is now down to $3.20, a dive of 78%. Several car manufacturers have gone so far as to shut down plants during the early part of 2009, laying off workers in the process. Buss, however, points out that “Native American casinos are laying off workers from Connecticut to California.”
The Wall Street Journal opinion piece also notes, “Three casinos have opened in Detroit, but the city looks as desiccated as ever, and one of the operators is embroiled in bankruptcy court.” Brennan responded, “It can all be tied to the economy. He’s trying to imply that bankruptcy is a judgment. It’s the soft economy.” Much of the real estate market has crashed as well, which also affects casinos and the value of the land they sit on.
Dan Romer from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania stated, “The fad has peaked,” referring to poker. Brennan explained, “He’s saying that poker peaked in popularity in 2004 and it has been down ever since. When you look at online poker, it could be attributed to Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) being enacted.” The UIGEA was passed into law in the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The UIGEA’s passage eliminated many of the deposit options available to players from the United States. In turn, it could be argued that casual fans have been deterred from trying to play on their computers.
Despite the label as a “fad,” the popularity of the World Series of Poker ballooned in 2008. ESPN television ratings for the November final table were up 50% in 2008 in comparison to 2007. The 2.08 rating for the second hour of that telecast was the highest mark for a poker show since 2004. There were 59,767 total entrants in WSOP events, which was up 9% from 2007. Hailing from Denmark, Peter Eastgate became the youngest Main Event Champion ever at age 22 and took home the second largest WSOP prize ever doled out, $9.1 million. The total WSOP prize pool was $190 million, up 13% from the previous year.
Buss, who is described by the newspaper as a “journalist and author,” is from Michigan. He has published “Family Man,” which is a biography of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. The organization is a staunch opponent of gambling. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Saturday, January 03, 2009
Brandon Davis plans to gamble at Crown Casino, Melbourne - The Daily Telegraph - 3rd January 2008
Brandon Davis has luck on his mind again - with plans to play cards in Australia.
Before joining Paris Hilton in Queensland, US oil heir Brandon Davis is expected to hit the poker tables at Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Davis has something of a reputation at the poker tables. New York newspapers have reported that his wealthy family cut him off after he lost a bundle playing cards with high-rollers in Las Vegas.
So Davis must hope Lady Luck smiles on him when he takes part in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship tomorrow.
Davis, here a year ago, was detained by customs then for failing to declare $10,000 cash.
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Brandon Davis has luck on his mind again - with plans to play cards in Australia.
Before joining Paris Hilton in Queensland, US oil heir Brandon Davis is expected to hit the poker tables at Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Davis has something of a reputation at the poker tables. New York newspapers have reported that his wealthy family cut him off after he lost a bundle playing cards with high-rollers in Las Vegas.
So Davis must hope Lady Luck smiles on him when he takes part in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship tomorrow.
Davis, here a year ago, was detained by customs then for failing to declare $10,000 cash.
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Friday, January 02, 2009
Update: Has Dikshit Alienated Other PartyGaming Founders?
December 30, 2008 (InfoPowa News) -- The $300 million "settlement" and Wire Act guilty plea by PartyGaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit earlier this month was discussed in an interesting article in The Times over the holiday weekend, which suggested that his unilateral and independent move to clean the slate with the U.S. Department of Justice may not have gone down well with his fellow founders.
"Dikshit's decision has created a rift with his former Party Gaming colleagues, in particular the three other entrepreneurs who helped launch what was once the world's biggest internet poker service -- Ruth Parasol, her husband Russell De Leon, and their marketing guru Vikrant Bhargava," the article reports. "It will also have troubled executives at other big online gaming companies, such as 888 Holdings. And it could have grave implications for the entire online gambling industry, estimated to be worth more than $12 billion a year."
Describing the former software engineer's guilty plea as a significant coup for the DoJ, The Times recaps on DoJ actions against online gambling executives like David Carruthers, who has been under house arrest in the U.S. for more than two years with no trial date yet in sight.
According to the piece, Dikshit's motivation was the determination of the American authorities to pursue those involved in online gambling, and it quotes close associates as saying that for him, it was simply a means of bringing the affair to a personal end, even if it cost $300 million.
"It is money he can afford to lose, argue his friends. He has already made more than £500 million from the sale of PartyGaming shares, and retains a 27.7 percent stake in the business, worth £213 million."
The Times quotes an unidentified online gambling executive as saying: "It's a dangerous precedent. If he's admitting wrong, I don't like it."
Dikshit's decision to break ranks has provoked anger among former colleagues, the article claims. "According to one person who knows them well, the other three founders of PartyGaming are upset because it leaves them feeling 'guilty by association'. They believe they have done nothing wrong, maintaining that until the U.S. explicitly banned online gaming in October 2006, offering poker online to American citizens was not illegal," it reports.
His former colleagues think that Dikshit has, in poker parlance, folded, the report suggests. "They believe that with the change in administration in America next month, pursuing those involved in online gambling will fall off the agenda. Why, they argue, pay huge sums to settle these disputes if the authorities will be looking elsewhere in just a few weeks?
"According to executives close to them, the PartyGaming entrepreneurs are convinced that the U.S. will regulate the entire industry within the next two years, not least for the valuable revenue it will generate in taxes."
Dikshit had apparently been negotiating for a resolution since summer 2006, and in that time has travelled to America only once -- for this month's court appearance. An American law firm led the negotiations with the U.S. authorities on his behalf. He has had little contact with his former colleagues, described by friends as "drifiting apart" from them, although some said that it was on the advice of his legal representatives.
PartyGaming has already issued a statement (see previous reports) distancing itself from Dikshit's decision, which it described as personal and independent. The company did, however, reveal that its own protracted negotiations with the DoJ were in the final stages with a no-plea settlement likely at considerably less than Dikshit has agreed to pay.
The Times opines that once settlements are agreed, the sector is likely to undergo a rapid round of consolidation. In the recent past, deals, such as a mooted tie-up between Ladbrokes, the bookmaker, and 888 have come to nothing because of the risk of American litigation. That could all change with a settlement.
Ivor Jones, an analyst at Evolution Securities, told the newspaper: "Party Gaming and 888, as two of the largest companies, look likely to start the process. We believe combining the two would release at least $70 million of synergies." (Credit: InfoPowa News)
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December 30, 2008 (InfoPowa News) -- The $300 million "settlement" and Wire Act guilty plea by PartyGaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit earlier this month was discussed in an interesting article in The Times over the holiday weekend, which suggested that his unilateral and independent move to clean the slate with the U.S. Department of Justice may not have gone down well with his fellow founders.
"Dikshit's decision has created a rift with his former Party Gaming colleagues, in particular the three other entrepreneurs who helped launch what was once the world's biggest internet poker service -- Ruth Parasol, her husband Russell De Leon, and their marketing guru Vikrant Bhargava," the article reports. "It will also have troubled executives at other big online gaming companies, such as 888 Holdings. And it could have grave implications for the entire online gambling industry, estimated to be worth more than $12 billion a year."
Describing the former software engineer's guilty plea as a significant coup for the DoJ, The Times recaps on DoJ actions against online gambling executives like David Carruthers, who has been under house arrest in the U.S. for more than two years with no trial date yet in sight.
According to the piece, Dikshit's motivation was the determination of the American authorities to pursue those involved in online gambling, and it quotes close associates as saying that for him, it was simply a means of bringing the affair to a personal end, even if it cost $300 million.
"It is money he can afford to lose, argue his friends. He has already made more than £500 million from the sale of PartyGaming shares, and retains a 27.7 percent stake in the business, worth £213 million."
The Times quotes an unidentified online gambling executive as saying: "It's a dangerous precedent. If he's admitting wrong, I don't like it."
Dikshit's decision to break ranks has provoked anger among former colleagues, the article claims. "According to one person who knows them well, the other three founders of PartyGaming are upset because it leaves them feeling 'guilty by association'. They believe they have done nothing wrong, maintaining that until the U.S. explicitly banned online gaming in October 2006, offering poker online to American citizens was not illegal," it reports.
His former colleagues think that Dikshit has, in poker parlance, folded, the report suggests. "They believe that with the change in administration in America next month, pursuing those involved in online gambling will fall off the agenda. Why, they argue, pay huge sums to settle these disputes if the authorities will be looking elsewhere in just a few weeks?
"According to executives close to them, the PartyGaming entrepreneurs are convinced that the U.S. will regulate the entire industry within the next two years, not least for the valuable revenue it will generate in taxes."
Dikshit had apparently been negotiating for a resolution since summer 2006, and in that time has travelled to America only once -- for this month's court appearance. An American law firm led the negotiations with the U.S. authorities on his behalf. He has had little contact with his former colleagues, described by friends as "drifiting apart" from them, although some said that it was on the advice of his legal representatives.
PartyGaming has already issued a statement (see previous reports) distancing itself from Dikshit's decision, which it described as personal and independent. The company did, however, reveal that its own protracted negotiations with the DoJ were in the final stages with a no-plea settlement likely at considerably less than Dikshit has agreed to pay.
The Times opines that once settlements are agreed, the sector is likely to undergo a rapid round of consolidation. In the recent past, deals, such as a mooted tie-up between Ladbrokes, the bookmaker, and 888 have come to nothing because of the risk of American litigation. That could all change with a settlement.
Ivor Jones, an analyst at Evolution Securities, told the newspaper: "Party Gaming and 888, as two of the largest companies, look likely to start the process. We believe combining the two would release at least $70 million of synergies." (Credit: InfoPowa News)
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Poker for the Homeless Returns with All-Star Line-Up
24th December 2008
Europe's premier charity poker event -- formerly known as Simon Poker Day -- moves on to Galway as online poker rooms dig deep at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship event.
Dublin, Ireland (PRWEB) December 24, 2008 -- Poker for the Homeless (formerly Simon Poker Day), returns in early 2009 with the support of some of Europe's leading online poker rooms at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship.
The €330 charity event, which has so far raised over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland, takes place on the final day of the festival, Sunday January 4, 2009, will see a host of big name players take to the felt including Noel Furlong, Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Scott Gray, Ciaran O'Leary, Mad Marty Wilson, and Surinder Sunar.
€100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
Many of Europe's leading online poker rooms are digging deep with PartyPoker.com, Ladbrokespoker.com, Boylepoker.com, BrucePoker.com, and PokerTrillion.com having offered generous support for the fundraising tournament.
Padraig Parkinson, one of the organisers of Poker for the Homeless, said, "We're moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we've had from our sponsors. Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way."
Previous winners of the event include former world champion Noel Furlong and Waterford man Pat Storan.
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24th December 2008
Europe's premier charity poker event -- formerly known as Simon Poker Day -- moves on to Galway as online poker rooms dig deep at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship event.
Dublin, Ireland (PRWEB) December 24, 2008 -- Poker for the Homeless (formerly Simon Poker Day), returns in early 2009 with the support of some of Europe's leading online poker rooms at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship.
The €330 charity event, which has so far raised over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland, takes place on the final day of the festival, Sunday January 4, 2009, will see a host of big name players take to the felt including Noel Furlong, Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Scott Gray, Ciaran O'Leary, Mad Marty Wilson, and Surinder Sunar.
€100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
Many of Europe's leading online poker rooms are digging deep with PartyPoker.com, Ladbrokespoker.com, Boylepoker.com, BrucePoker.com, and PokerTrillion.com having offered generous support for the fundraising tournament.
Padraig Parkinson, one of the organisers of Poker for the Homeless, said, "We're moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we've had from our sponsors. Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way."
Previous winners of the event include former world champion Noel Furlong and Waterford man Pat Storan.
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Additional Events Scheduled for 2009 Irish Poker Championship, by Brett Collson - Poker News Daily - 31st December 2008
The PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship (IPC) will kick off on January 2nd from the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway, Ireland. On top of the intense play at the tables, event organizers have also added a “Main Event” of different sorts this time around in the form of a singing contest. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Jon “Skalie” Kalmar, and Kenna James will take to the microphone in what should be an entertaining exhibition as part of the four-day event.
“The Radisson SAS Hotel on Galway Bay is soundproofed and ready to go. We’re just surprised that there is no sign of Marcel Luske yet,” a PartyPoker spokesman said. “In all seriousness, however, this promises to be a fun spectacle. Skalie used to be the lead singer of a punk band, the Devilfish is well known for his excellence in tickling the ivories, while James has recorded his own material and received great reviews. We suspect that no matter how good they are, though, whoever steps up to sing the first Irish song is likely to get the best reception!” The identity of the panel of judges has not yet been publicly revealed.
Europe’s first major poker tournament of 2009, the Irish Poker Championship Main Event is a €2,000 buy-in event and is expected to attract many of the world’s top players. Among the latest confirmations for the Main Event are Julian Gardner, Poker News Daily columnist and World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, Padraig Parkinson, Surinder Sunar, Noel Furlong, BoylePoker pro Marty Smyth, Ciaran O’Leary, and Andy Black.
Last year’s PartyPoker IPC Main Event champion was Jude Ainsworth, who took €180,000 and a crystal trophy back to his home in Galway City by defeating runner-up Mike McCool heads-up. Ainsworth was a crowd favorite at the 2008 IPC and will return to defend his title in the New Year.
In addition to the Main Event, there will be a number of side events and satellites taking place, while a special party will be thrown on New Year’s Day featuring a full bar, food, and entertainment.
Europe’s premier charity poker event, Poker for the Homeless, will also take place in conjunction with the IPC. The €330 charity event, formerly known as Simon Poker Day, has so far generated over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland. It will take place on Sunday, January 4th and see a host of big-name players take to the felt. €100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
“We’re moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we’ve had from our sponsors,” said Parkinson, one of the organizers of Poker for the Homeless. “Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way.” (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship (IPC) will kick off on January 2nd from the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway, Ireland. On top of the intense play at the tables, event organizers have also added a “Main Event” of different sorts this time around in the form of a singing contest. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Jon “Skalie” Kalmar, and Kenna James will take to the microphone in what should be an entertaining exhibition as part of the four-day event.
“The Radisson SAS Hotel on Galway Bay is soundproofed and ready to go. We’re just surprised that there is no sign of Marcel Luske yet,” a PartyPoker spokesman said. “In all seriousness, however, this promises to be a fun spectacle. Skalie used to be the lead singer of a punk band, the Devilfish is well known for his excellence in tickling the ivories, while James has recorded his own material and received great reviews. We suspect that no matter how good they are, though, whoever steps up to sing the first Irish song is likely to get the best reception!” The identity of the panel of judges has not yet been publicly revealed.
Europe’s first major poker tournament of 2009, the Irish Poker Championship Main Event is a €2,000 buy-in event and is expected to attract many of the world’s top players. Among the latest confirmations for the Main Event are Julian Gardner, Poker News Daily columnist and World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, Padraig Parkinson, Surinder Sunar, Noel Furlong, BoylePoker pro Marty Smyth, Ciaran O’Leary, and Andy Black.
Last year’s PartyPoker IPC Main Event champion was Jude Ainsworth, who took €180,000 and a crystal trophy back to his home in Galway City by defeating runner-up Mike McCool heads-up. Ainsworth was a crowd favorite at the 2008 IPC and will return to defend his title in the New Year.
In addition to the Main Event, there will be a number of side events and satellites taking place, while a special party will be thrown on New Year’s Day featuring a full bar, food, and entertainment.
Europe’s premier charity poker event, Poker for the Homeless, will also take place in conjunction with the IPC. The €330 charity event, formerly known as Simon Poker Day, has so far generated over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland. It will take place on Sunday, January 4th and see a host of big-name players take to the felt. €100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
“We’re moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we’ve had from our sponsors,” said Parkinson, one of the organizers of Poker for the Homeless. “Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way.” (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Thursday, January 01, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Media Man Australia Top 5 Online Casinos Of The Year
The Media Man Australia top 5 online casinos for 2008, based on ethics, usability, game play, customer service, management, affiliate service and overall experience, starting from #1 through to #5 are:
Virgin Casino - Virgin Games
PartyCasino.com
PKR Casino
888.com / Pacific Poker
JackpotCity
Congratulations to all the finalists, and extra kudos to Virgin Casino in 1st place.
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The Media Man Australia top 5 online casinos for 2008, based on ethics, usability, game play, customer service, management, affiliate service and overall experience, starting from #1 through to #5 are:
Virgin Casino - Virgin Games
PartyCasino.com
PKR Casino
888.com / Pacific Poker
JackpotCity
Congratulations to all the finalists, and extra kudos to Virgin Casino in 1st place.
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PokerStars Sets Numerous World Records, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 30th December 2008
Recently, World Record Week was held on PokerStars. Already the Web’s largest poker site, PokerStars sought to expand its player base and notoriety by attempting to shatter two key industry records: The Largest Online Poker Tournament and the Most Players to Simultaneously Play Poker Online. At the end of the weekend, PokerStars managed to set the bar high for itself and its competition.
A Guinness World Record attempt for the Largest Online Poker Tournament brought in exactly 35,000 players. Each coughed up $11 to play in a $500,000 guaranteed tournament. The unofficial record to break was 26,517 players, a number that was set by PokerStars late last year. Its promotional offering during the Christmas holiday week was focused on generating as much traffic and publicity as possible.
By bringing in so many players for the $500,000 Guaranteed event, PokerStars also broke the record for the Most Players to Simultaneously Play Poker Online. The mark to beat was 213,000, set by the online poker room on November 30th of this year. Prior to that, 151,758 players took to the felts exactly one year ago today, December 30th, 2007. On Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm Eastern Time, 250,500 players were logged into the online poker site, a new world record. About 14% of those players were trying to become a part of history in the Guinness World Record Tournament.
PokerStars dished out over $12 million in tournament winnings to its members. A sizable chunk of that occurred during the largest Sunday Million ever held. It featured a $2.5 million guarantee, which was up 67% from its usual prize pool of $1.5 million. As a result of the increased cash up for grabs, a flood of players participated. In fact, 16,260 PokerStars members each posted the $215 buy-in, creating a $3.2 million prize pool. A total of 2,475 players finished in the money, with Swedish player lp_SakiSaki ultimately emerging victorious.
Not to be outdone, the Sunday Warm-Up had its prize pool boosted from $750,000 to $1 million. There were 5,836 players who turned out, the largest showing ever for the weekend tournament on PokerStars. “Hr_Herman” defeated Australian poker pro “Andy McLEOD” heads-up in the Warm-Up. The abbreviated heads-up play lasted just nine hands in total. “Hr_Herman” was seventh in chips entering final table play.
Also held over the weekend was a Team PokerStars Pro Championship Match. The tournament was held in order to select a captain for the PokerStars All-Star Weekend, which the online poker room claims is “a new online team competition debuting next year.” No additional information has been released, but Victor Ramdin defeated the field of 30 Team PokerStars Pro members. PokerStars kicked in $30,000 to the prize pool to be given away to the charities of choosing by the top three finishers. Ramdin defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up. The latter can be found on the virtual felts of PokerStars under the name “KidPoker.” Others at the final table included Chad Brown, Hevad Khan, Bill Chen, and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.
Other events occurring on PokerStars included bonus money given out to players involved in every one-millionth hand. The amount awarded depended on the table’s stakes as well as a player’s VIP status. In addition, a series of $1 buy-in 10,000 player tournaments with $10,000 added to the prize pool appeared in the PokerStars lobby. The result of the promotional effort was the breaking of several landmark records and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Recently, World Record Week was held on PokerStars. Already the Web’s largest poker site, PokerStars sought to expand its player base and notoriety by attempting to shatter two key industry records: The Largest Online Poker Tournament and the Most Players to Simultaneously Play Poker Online. At the end of the weekend, PokerStars managed to set the bar high for itself and its competition.
A Guinness World Record attempt for the Largest Online Poker Tournament brought in exactly 35,000 players. Each coughed up $11 to play in a $500,000 guaranteed tournament. The unofficial record to break was 26,517 players, a number that was set by PokerStars late last year. Its promotional offering during the Christmas holiday week was focused on generating as much traffic and publicity as possible.
By bringing in so many players for the $500,000 Guaranteed event, PokerStars also broke the record for the Most Players to Simultaneously Play Poker Online. The mark to beat was 213,000, set by the online poker room on November 30th of this year. Prior to that, 151,758 players took to the felts exactly one year ago today, December 30th, 2007. On Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm Eastern Time, 250,500 players were logged into the online poker site, a new world record. About 14% of those players were trying to become a part of history in the Guinness World Record Tournament.
PokerStars dished out over $12 million in tournament winnings to its members. A sizable chunk of that occurred during the largest Sunday Million ever held. It featured a $2.5 million guarantee, which was up 67% from its usual prize pool of $1.5 million. As a result of the increased cash up for grabs, a flood of players participated. In fact, 16,260 PokerStars members each posted the $215 buy-in, creating a $3.2 million prize pool. A total of 2,475 players finished in the money, with Swedish player lp_SakiSaki ultimately emerging victorious.
Not to be outdone, the Sunday Warm-Up had its prize pool boosted from $750,000 to $1 million. There were 5,836 players who turned out, the largest showing ever for the weekend tournament on PokerStars. “Hr_Herman” defeated Australian poker pro “Andy McLEOD” heads-up in the Warm-Up. The abbreviated heads-up play lasted just nine hands in total. “Hr_Herman” was seventh in chips entering final table play.
Also held over the weekend was a Team PokerStars Pro Championship Match. The tournament was held in order to select a captain for the PokerStars All-Star Weekend, which the online poker room claims is “a new online team competition debuting next year.” No additional information has been released, but Victor Ramdin defeated the field of 30 Team PokerStars Pro members. PokerStars kicked in $30,000 to the prize pool to be given away to the charities of choosing by the top three finishers. Ramdin defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up. The latter can be found on the virtual felts of PokerStars under the name “KidPoker.” Others at the final table included Chad Brown, Hevad Khan, Bill Chen, and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker.
Other events occurring on PokerStars included bonus money given out to players involved in every one-millionth hand. The amount awarded depended on the table’s stakes as well as a player’s VIP status. In addition, a series of $1 buy-in 10,000 player tournaments with $10,000 added to the prize pool appeared in the PokerStars lobby. The result of the promotional effort was the breaking of several landmark records and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Countdown To Europe's First Major Tournament Of 2009 - The PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship
COUNTDOWN TO EUROPE’S FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT OF 2009!
WHO IS POKER’S ‘POP IDOL’?
29th December 2008 – Europe’s first major poker tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com, takes place from January 2 to 5, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway, Ireland. Coverage of the lively Galway main event will be televised on RTÉ and then distributed internationally. Organizers have recently confirmed that they have added another ‘main event,’ in the form of a singing contest. Simon Cowell will be quaking in his boots as the Devilfish, Jon ‘Skalie’ Kalmar and Kenna James take to the microphone!
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The Radisson SAS Hotel on Galway Bay is soundproofed and ready to go – we’re just surprised that there is no sign of Marcel Luske yet. In all seriousness, however, this promises to be a fun spectacle. Skalie used to be the lead singer of a punk band, the Devilfish is well known for his excellence in tinkling the ivories, while Kenna James has recorded his own material and received great reviews. We suspect that no matter how good they are though that whoever steps up to sing the first Irish song is likely to get the best reception! The identity of the judging panel is currently a closely guarded secret.”
“One of the major problems of last year’s event has been completely ironed out after the near revolution in 2008. The staff at the Radisson SAS Hotel will not try and shut the bar too early on the night of the final table and have to have a change of heart!”
Last year’s PartyPoker.com IPC champion was Galway’s Jude Ainsworth, with the runner-up Mick McCool from Nottingham. In addition to the main event there are a number of good value side events and satellites taking place.
See http://www.pokerevents.ie/ipc/IPC2009/tabid/210/Default.aspx for more information. The craic and hospitality of the event is well known and a player party is being thrown on New Years Day at 6pm, where a full bar, food and entertainment is the order of the day. One man who will be at the New Year’s Day shindig is the Devilfish who said: “I haven’t missed a party in 20 years so I won’t be starting now.”
Amongst the latest confirmations for the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship main event include Julian Gardner, Marc Goodwin and John Kabbaj. They join a top line-up that will include Ambassador of Poker’ Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Benjamin Kang, Surinder Sunar, Jon ‘Skalie’ Kalmar, Mad ‘Marty’ Wilson, Mickey Wernick, Alan Vinson and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. They join the Irish contingent that includes recent Poker Million winner Marty Smyth, Poker Million finalists Liam Flood and Ciaran O’Leary, Noel Furlong, Donnacha O’Dea, Padraig Parkinson, Scott Gray, Premier League II winner Andy Black, Dave Callaghan, Tony Cascarino, Rory Liffey and last year’s champion Jude Ainsworth. France will be represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, while Spain’s challenge is led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open II star May Maceiras.
On Sunday 4th January at 9pm there will be a special charity event ‘Poker for the Homeless,’ where a percentage from each buy-in goes to worthy charities in Dublin and Galway.
The PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship is organized by Pokerevents.ie, with the tournament coverage produced by Winmedia Ireland Ltd. Winmedia Ireland Ltd is an industry leader in producing this kind of tournament coverage and this year they have created a specially designed Irish pub set that will host the televised table and two feeder tables.
PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship, Radisson SAS, Galway, Ireland – Main Event - 4th-6th January 2008. The 298 runners built a prize pool of €542,500.
Jude Ainsworth (Galway) €180,000
Michael McCool (Nottingham, UK) €100,000
Tommy Watson (Athlone) €60,000
Trevor Dineen (Cork) €35,000
Michael Moran (London) €25,000
Keith McFadden (Donegal) €18,000
Glen McCabe (Lurgan) €15,000
Bernard Brady (Galway) €12,000
Final table chip stacks:
Keith McFadden (Donegal) -- 698,000
Jude Ainsworth (Galway) -- 527,000
Trevor Dineen (Cork) -- 385,000
Tommy Watson (Athlone) -- 300,000
Bernard Brady (Galway) -- 300,000
Michael Moran (London) -- 296,000
Michael McCool (Enniskillen) -- 249,500
Glen McCabe (Lurgan) -- 150,000
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyPoker.com
Europe
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COUNTDOWN TO EUROPE’S FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT OF 2009!
WHO IS POKER’S ‘POP IDOL’?
29th December 2008 – Europe’s first major poker tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com, takes place from January 2 to 5, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway, Ireland. Coverage of the lively Galway main event will be televised on RTÉ and then distributed internationally. Organizers have recently confirmed that they have added another ‘main event,’ in the form of a singing contest. Simon Cowell will be quaking in his boots as the Devilfish, Jon ‘Skalie’ Kalmar and Kenna James take to the microphone!
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The Radisson SAS Hotel on Galway Bay is soundproofed and ready to go – we’re just surprised that there is no sign of Marcel Luske yet. In all seriousness, however, this promises to be a fun spectacle. Skalie used to be the lead singer of a punk band, the Devilfish is well known for his excellence in tinkling the ivories, while Kenna James has recorded his own material and received great reviews. We suspect that no matter how good they are though that whoever steps up to sing the first Irish song is likely to get the best reception! The identity of the judging panel is currently a closely guarded secret.”
“One of the major problems of last year’s event has been completely ironed out after the near revolution in 2008. The staff at the Radisson SAS Hotel will not try and shut the bar too early on the night of the final table and have to have a change of heart!”
Last year’s PartyPoker.com IPC champion was Galway’s Jude Ainsworth, with the runner-up Mick McCool from Nottingham. In addition to the main event there are a number of good value side events and satellites taking place.
See http://www.pokerevents.ie/ipc/IPC2009/tabid/210/Default.aspx for more information. The craic and hospitality of the event is well known and a player party is being thrown on New Years Day at 6pm, where a full bar, food and entertainment is the order of the day. One man who will be at the New Year’s Day shindig is the Devilfish who said: “I haven’t missed a party in 20 years so I won’t be starting now.”
Amongst the latest confirmations for the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship main event include Julian Gardner, Marc Goodwin and John Kabbaj. They join a top line-up that will include Ambassador of Poker’ Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Benjamin Kang, Surinder Sunar, Jon ‘Skalie’ Kalmar, Mad ‘Marty’ Wilson, Mickey Wernick, Alan Vinson and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. They join the Irish contingent that includes recent Poker Million winner Marty Smyth, Poker Million finalists Liam Flood and Ciaran O’Leary, Noel Furlong, Donnacha O’Dea, Padraig Parkinson, Scott Gray, Premier League II winner Andy Black, Dave Callaghan, Tony Cascarino, Rory Liffey and last year’s champion Jude Ainsworth. France will be represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, while Spain’s challenge is led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open II star May Maceiras.
On Sunday 4th January at 9pm there will be a special charity event ‘Poker for the Homeless,’ where a percentage from each buy-in goes to worthy charities in Dublin and Galway.
The PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship is organized by Pokerevents.ie, with the tournament coverage produced by Winmedia Ireland Ltd. Winmedia Ireland Ltd is an industry leader in producing this kind of tournament coverage and this year they have created a specially designed Irish pub set that will host the televised table and two feeder tables.
PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship, Radisson SAS, Galway, Ireland – Main Event - 4th-6th January 2008. The 298 runners built a prize pool of €542,500.
Jude Ainsworth (Galway) €180,000
Michael McCool (Nottingham, UK) €100,000
Tommy Watson (Athlone) €60,000
Trevor Dineen (Cork) €35,000
Michael Moran (London) €25,000
Keith McFadden (Donegal) €18,000
Glen McCabe (Lurgan) €15,000
Bernard Brady (Galway) €12,000
Final table chip stacks:
Keith McFadden (Donegal) -- 698,000
Jude Ainsworth (Galway) -- 527,000
Trevor Dineen (Cork) -- 385,000
Tommy Watson (Athlone) -- 300,000
Bernard Brady (Galway) -- 300,000
Michael Moran (London) -- 296,000
Michael McCool (Enniskillen) -- 249,500
Glen McCabe (Lurgan) -- 150,000
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyPoker.com
Europe
Poker News
Casino News
This week on the Road to Vegas…
Play heads-up in the World Series!
This week on the Road to Vegas - freeroll for a seat in the 2009 World Series of Poker* Heads-up with a package worth a whopping $12,000! Earn your starting stack playing heads-up Sit & Go’s on PKR where you’ll get one freeroll chip for every dollar you win.
How variable stacks work
Earn your chips for this variable stack freeroll by playing real money heads-upt Sit & Go’s on PKR - you get one freeroll chip for every dollar you win. Win $500 playing six seat Sit & Go's and get 500 chips - win $2,000 and get 2,000 chips and so on.
Begin your journey on the Road to Vegas!
Before this year's Main Event champ has been uncovered, we've begun our search for the 33 members of next year's Team PKR. Book your place in that hallowed roll-call with our most valuable, varied, challenging and exciting promotion yet!
33 weeks
33 packages worth $200,000
Huge range of bracelet events
One winner per week, every week!
Each week, starting from early September, players can aim for the unique weekly Road to Vegas (R2V) Freeroll - an invite-only tournament with specific qualifying criteria. One WSOP package will be available, one winner crowned. As the weeks progress, Team PKR will take shape, with players from every level, every genre of poker, joining the ranks. Cash game shark, Sit & Go stalwart or tournament titan, you'll find many opportunities that match your game and even more that catch your eye!
All things to all men (and women!)
Each week, the qualifying criteria will feature something different, from PKR point races to tournament ranking results, high hand jackpots to community participation. Details will be posted on the PKR website along with results from each week. This format should continually surprise and challenge everyone - veterans and novices, pros and pleasure-seekers!
The facts
Over a period of 33 weeks, we'll give away one package each week. Each package will include at least $1,500 for travel and accommodation. Players may choose which event they enter, if there are multiple options eg. $1,500 NL events. Championship events are unique and as such, no alternative will be available. Despite no announcement of the 2009 WSOP schedule as yet, we've used recent schedules as a guide, and will amend any aspect of our promotion which differs as a result.
Bracelet events - a slice of history
Ask most poker players and they're answer will be the same - "A World Series bracelet!". The question - "What's the ultimate achievement in poker?" Ask Jabba and he'll say "Twelve bracelets!".
Whatever your goals, the chance to compete on the world stage against the best is a recurring theme among players. Competing for a piece of poker history and a title that can never been taken away (not to mention the fame, cash, glory, glamour and TV time) could be fairly called the Holy Grail of Poker, and at PKR we've got the tools to set you on that road.
No Limit Hold 'em
Limit Hold 'em
Heads Up
Pot Limit Omaha
Despite it's legendary status, it's not all about the Main Event. With packages for Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Holdem, Ladies Events, Heads Up plus a whole host of speed and six-handed variants, we've given PKR's Community every stage upon which to showcase their skills...
Best of luck on what will be a fascinating road!
Casino News Media Profiles
PKR Poker
PKR Casino
World Series of Poker
Casino News
Play heads-up in the World Series!
This week on the Road to Vegas - freeroll for a seat in the 2009 World Series of Poker* Heads-up with a package worth a whopping $12,000! Earn your starting stack playing heads-up Sit & Go’s on PKR where you’ll get one freeroll chip for every dollar you win.
How variable stacks work
Earn your chips for this variable stack freeroll by playing real money heads-upt Sit & Go’s on PKR - you get one freeroll chip for every dollar you win. Win $500 playing six seat Sit & Go's and get 500 chips - win $2,000 and get 2,000 chips and so on.
Begin your journey on the Road to Vegas!
Before this year's Main Event champ has been uncovered, we've begun our search for the 33 members of next year's Team PKR. Book your place in that hallowed roll-call with our most valuable, varied, challenging and exciting promotion yet!
33 weeks
33 packages worth $200,000
Huge range of bracelet events
One winner per week, every week!
Each week, starting from early September, players can aim for the unique weekly Road to Vegas (R2V) Freeroll - an invite-only tournament with specific qualifying criteria. One WSOP package will be available, one winner crowned. As the weeks progress, Team PKR will take shape, with players from every level, every genre of poker, joining the ranks. Cash game shark, Sit & Go stalwart or tournament titan, you'll find many opportunities that match your game and even more that catch your eye!
All things to all men (and women!)
Each week, the qualifying criteria will feature something different, from PKR point races to tournament ranking results, high hand jackpots to community participation. Details will be posted on the PKR website along with results from each week. This format should continually surprise and challenge everyone - veterans and novices, pros and pleasure-seekers!
The facts
Over a period of 33 weeks, we'll give away one package each week. Each package will include at least $1,500 for travel and accommodation. Players may choose which event they enter, if there are multiple options eg. $1,500 NL events. Championship events are unique and as such, no alternative will be available. Despite no announcement of the 2009 WSOP schedule as yet, we've used recent schedules as a guide, and will amend any aspect of our promotion which differs as a result.
Bracelet events - a slice of history
Ask most poker players and they're answer will be the same - "A World Series bracelet!". The question - "What's the ultimate achievement in poker?" Ask Jabba and he'll say "Twelve bracelets!".
Whatever your goals, the chance to compete on the world stage against the best is a recurring theme among players. Competing for a piece of poker history and a title that can never been taken away (not to mention the fame, cash, glory, glamour and TV time) could be fairly called the Holy Grail of Poker, and at PKR we've got the tools to set you on that road.
No Limit Hold 'em
Limit Hold 'em
Heads Up
Pot Limit Omaha
Despite it's legendary status, it's not all about the Main Event. With packages for Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Holdem, Ladies Events, Heads Up plus a whole host of speed and six-handed variants, we've given PKR's Community every stage upon which to showcase their skills...
Best of luck on what will be a fascinating road!
Casino News Media Profiles
PKR Poker
PKR Casino
World Series of Poker
Casino News
Monday, December 29, 2008
PokerStars Go For World Record Attempt - 19th December 2008
Obviously the tournament organisers at PokerStars got a bit bored and decided to break their own record. Previously the Guinness World Records entry for ‘largest ever online poker tournament’ was one week of the $11 Sunday Hundred Grand which was capped at 20,000 players.
Now the site is going for glory with an $11 tournament capped at 35,000 players. With a massive prize pool overlay of over $100,000 they should have no problem getting a slice of their millions of players to enter.
The huge number of entrants planned for makes it necessary to be run as a "turbo" event, with ten-minute levels and ten players per table. So far, over 3,500 players have registered for the tournament.
Interested players can search for the event by its tournament number (#126551369), or look for it by selecting the "Tournaments" and "Special" tabs from the main PokerStars lobby. Should you have an incredible amount of luck and actually win the behemoth, you’ll get yourself a cool $30,000.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars.com
Poker News
Casino News
Obviously the tournament organisers at PokerStars got a bit bored and decided to break their own record. Previously the Guinness World Records entry for ‘largest ever online poker tournament’ was one week of the $11 Sunday Hundred Grand which was capped at 20,000 players.
Now the site is going for glory with an $11 tournament capped at 35,000 players. With a massive prize pool overlay of over $100,000 they should have no problem getting a slice of their millions of players to enter.
The huge number of entrants planned for makes it necessary to be run as a "turbo" event, with ten-minute levels and ten players per table. So far, over 3,500 players have registered for the tournament.
Interested players can search for the event by its tournament number (#126551369), or look for it by selecting the "Tournaments" and "Special" tabs from the main PokerStars lobby. Should you have an incredible amount of luck and actually win the behemoth, you’ll get yourself a cool $30,000.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars.com
Poker News
Casino News
Joe Hachem & Shane Warne Announce Charity Poker Tournament - Bluff Europe
Yes, we know Australia isn't in Europe, but when poker does something worthwhile we like to give them a shout. Aussies Hachem and Warne have announced they are running a tournament to help sick and underprivileged children down under. The tournament will be hosted at the Crown Casino in Melbourne – home of the Aussie Millions – with all proceeds going to the Shane Warne Foundation.
The event offers a guaranteed first prize of $25,000, with a $1,000 buy-in and $500 buy-ins. With a charity netting the cash, the action is sure to be a little more laggy than normal.
The tournament is being supported by a list of Australian celebrities from sport and television, and you can expect some of the biggest players in that neck of the woods to turn up too. There's also an auction of poker and lifestyle-themed items, with the proceeds going to Warne's charity, which has already raised over $1.7 million. Howzat? Very good indeed, Mr Warne. (Credit: Bluff Europe)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Joe Hachem
Shane Warne
Aussie Millions
Crown Casino
Poker News
Casino News
Yes, we know Australia isn't in Europe, but when poker does something worthwhile we like to give them a shout. Aussies Hachem and Warne have announced they are running a tournament to help sick and underprivileged children down under. The tournament will be hosted at the Crown Casino in Melbourne – home of the Aussie Millions – with all proceeds going to the Shane Warne Foundation.
The event offers a guaranteed first prize of $25,000, with a $1,000 buy-in and $500 buy-ins. With a charity netting the cash, the action is sure to be a little more laggy than normal.
The tournament is being supported by a list of Australian celebrities from sport and television, and you can expect some of the biggest players in that neck of the woods to turn up too. There's also an auction of poker and lifestyle-themed items, with the proceeds going to Warne's charity, which has already raised over $1.7 million. Howzat? Very good indeed, Mr Warne. (Credit: Bluff Europe)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Joe Hachem
Shane Warne
Aussie Millions
Crown Casino
Poker News
Casino News
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Poker for the Homeless Returns with All-Star Line-Up in Ireland
PartyPoker Irish Poker Championships
The first major festival of the year has announced the return of the Poker for the Homeless event as a side event at the Galway festival.
The €330 charity event, which has so far raised over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland, takes place on the final day of the festival, Sunday January 4, 2009, will see a host of big name players take to the felt including Noel Furlong, Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Ciaran O'Leary, Mad Marty Wilson, and Surinder Sunar.
€100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
Irish Poker legend Padraig Parkinson, said, "We're moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we've had from our sponsors. Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way."
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PartyCasino.com
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PartyPoker Irish Poker Championships
The first major festival of the year has announced the return of the Poker for the Homeless event as a side event at the Galway festival.
The €330 charity event, which has so far raised over €100,000 for homeless charities in Ireland, takes place on the final day of the festival, Sunday January 4, 2009, will see a host of big name players take to the felt including Noel Furlong, Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Marty Smyth, Ciaran O'Leary, Mad Marty Wilson, and Surinder Sunar.
€100 from each buy-in goes directly to the charity.
Irish Poker legend Padraig Parkinson, said, "We're moving to Galway for this event and are very grateful for all the support we've had from our sponsors. Local homeless charities will benefit directly from this event and, as usual at an Irish tournament, we plan to have some fun along the way."
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Poker News
Casino News
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