888Poker To Hold Benefit Tournament For Australian Wildfire Victims, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 19th February 2009
People worldwide have been watching with dismay as one of the largest wildfires in Australian history has ravaged the country. Since it started on February 7th, the southern part of Victoria state has seen nearly 2,000 homes destroyed and, worse yet, 201 people killed during what is alleged to have been an intentionally set fire. In an effort to help those who have been affected by the tragedy, an online poker site will be having a charity poker tournament to help out.
888Poker will be having “The Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament” this Sunday, which has also been designated a national day of mourning in Australia. The No Limit Hold’em tournament will donate all of the funds generated from the $30 buy in and rebuys to benefit The Variety and Shane Warne Foundation Bushfire Relief Fund, which is raising money for those families affected by the wildfires. Instead of using the buy ins to raise a prize pool, 888Poker is offering payouts and bounties to draw players to help with the cause.
The tournament, which begins at 8:30PM Australian time (roughly 9:30AM in London) on Sunday, will pay out the winner with a $500 prize. Second and third places will also earn cash, with $300 and $200 being paid out respectively. The remainder of the final table - places fourth through tenth - will earn an entry into the New Zealand Poker Championships Sunday Qualifier on March 1st, a seat that is worth $120.
888Poker will also have celebrity bounties that players can earn some extra cash through eliminating. 888 ambassadors Brendan Fevola (bfevola25) and Jeff Fenech (fenech888) will be taking part in the tournament and, for the fortunate player who eliminates them from the event, that player will receive a $50 bounty prize. While these prizes are great for the players, the major point will be in remembering the tragedy that occurred in Australia and raising funds for those families that have been affected. Jennifer Huxley, the spokesman for 888Poker, stated,
“888Poker is deeply saddened by the tragic events that have occurred and we hope this tournament will help in a small way those that have been affected.”
The fires, now under control after ravaging the bush areas of the state of Victoria since February 7th, have had a devastating impact on the Australian people as well as their resources. The wildfires, fanned by high winds and dry conditions, have blackened more than 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 1,800 homes. Most importantly, 201 people have perished from the fires, with the latest person killed a firefighter who was working to extinguish the blaze around the Yarra Ranges National Park, a region hit hard by the fires, on Tuesday. Brendan Solaluk, 39, is facing one count of deadly arson and one of lighting a wildfire in connection to one of hundreds of blazes that swept southern Victoria state around Geelong.
While American poker players cannot participate in the offerings of 888Poker, it is an opportunity for the game to once again show its philanthropic side. For more details on the tournament and to participate in The Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament, visit 888Poker to learn more. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
*pitched by Media Man Australia
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
888 Pitches in to Raise Funds for Australian Fire Victims
$30 buy-in online poker tourney planned
February 18, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- Kudos to 888.com on a new initiative it has launched to assist victims of the recent and tragic bushfires in Australia.
The Gibraltar-based online gambling group will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help the families impacted by the Victoria territory tragedy, which has so far claimed 200 lives.
The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT with a $30 buy-in, and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief fund.
888 will be awarding prizes in the event, and expects a major turnout from player around the world looking to help a worthy cause and enjoy some great competitive poker with a very reasonable buy-in at the same time.
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$30 buy-in online poker tourney planned
February 18, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- Kudos to 888.com on a new initiative it has launched to assist victims of the recent and tragic bushfires in Australia.
The Gibraltar-based online gambling group will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help the families impacted by the Victoria territory tragedy, which has so far claimed 200 lives.
The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT with a $30 buy-in, and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief fund.
888 will be awarding prizes in the event, and expects a major turnout from player around the world looking to help a worthy cause and enjoy some great competitive poker with a very reasonable buy-in at the same time.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
iPhones and Casino Blackjack Card Counting - Gambling911 - 17th February 2009
Ten years ago who would have guessed we would be taking photographs with cell phones? Now it seems the iPhone is being used for something quite clever - casino Blackjack card counting.
The Australian press has caught onto this mighty fast.
Many of you have seen the film "21" about a group of Ivy League college students who learned the great art of Blackjack card counting. Back then the iPhone was yet to be invented but probably would have come in handy.
Gambling911.com's man on the scene - Greg Tingle - says it is something the Australian casinos are becoming more vigilante about.
"Blackjack Card Counter, developed by an Australian named Travis Yates, is among the most popular applications for iPhone," Tingle says. "And it can be purchased for under $10."
And it's not just Australian casinos that are keeping a close eye out for the latest iPhone app.. The State Gaming Control Board of Nevada has already warned about its usage.
This Blackjack Card Counting program can be utilized on either the Apple I-Phone or the Apple IPod touch (portable music player). Once this program is installed on the phone through the I-tunes website it can make counting cards easy. The program calculates the "True Count" and does it significantly more accurately. The card counting program uses a choice of four (4) card counting strategies. For each strategy the user presses the button that contains the face cards as they are drawn from the deck. Depending on the strategy and on the value of the card the button will either add or subtract 1 or 2 from the "Running Count". The program can utilize the following card counting methods including Hi-Low, Hi-Op I, Hi- Op II, and Omega II.
This program can be used in the "Stealth Mode". When the program is used in the "Stealth Mode" the screen of the phone will remain shut off, and as long as the user knows where the keys are located the program can be run effortlessly without detection.
Card counting involves keeping a running tally of the number of high cards compared with low cards.
When a higher balance of low cards have already been played, you have a probability advantage and so should place a bet.
Many casinos throw players out if they suspect them of counting cards but using a device to do the maths is strictly outlawed.
The iPhone application, which trains players using simulation blackjack hands, can operate in stealth mode while in a player's pocket. The gambler simply needs to know where to press the screen, depending on whether the card is valued at less than or higher than 10, and the phone will vibrate when it's time to place a bet.
Yates claims he would typically sell 10 copies of the application per day, but immediately following a profile on CNN, sales shot to 500 copies.
"I developed the app so people could practise card counting and use it with friends at home," he said. (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
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Poker News
Ten years ago who would have guessed we would be taking photographs with cell phones? Now it seems the iPhone is being used for something quite clever - casino Blackjack card counting.
The Australian press has caught onto this mighty fast.
Many of you have seen the film "21" about a group of Ivy League college students who learned the great art of Blackjack card counting. Back then the iPhone was yet to be invented but probably would have come in handy.
Gambling911.com's man on the scene - Greg Tingle - says it is something the Australian casinos are becoming more vigilante about.
"Blackjack Card Counter, developed by an Australian named Travis Yates, is among the most popular applications for iPhone," Tingle says. "And it can be purchased for under $10."
And it's not just Australian casinos that are keeping a close eye out for the latest iPhone app.. The State Gaming Control Board of Nevada has already warned about its usage.
This Blackjack Card Counting program can be utilized on either the Apple I-Phone or the Apple IPod touch (portable music player). Once this program is installed on the phone through the I-tunes website it can make counting cards easy. The program calculates the "True Count" and does it significantly more accurately. The card counting program uses a choice of four (4) card counting strategies. For each strategy the user presses the button that contains the face cards as they are drawn from the deck. Depending on the strategy and on the value of the card the button will either add or subtract 1 or 2 from the "Running Count". The program can utilize the following card counting methods including Hi-Low, Hi-Op I, Hi- Op II, and Omega II.
This program can be used in the "Stealth Mode". When the program is used in the "Stealth Mode" the screen of the phone will remain shut off, and as long as the user knows where the keys are located the program can be run effortlessly without detection.
Card counting involves keeping a running tally of the number of high cards compared with low cards.
When a higher balance of low cards have already been played, you have a probability advantage and so should place a bet.
Many casinos throw players out if they suspect them of counting cards but using a device to do the maths is strictly outlawed.
The iPhone application, which trains players using simulation blackjack hands, can operate in stealth mode while in a player's pocket. The gambler simply needs to know where to press the screen, depending on whether the card is valued at less than or higher than 10, and the phone will vibrate when it's time to place a bet.
Yates claims he would typically sell 10 copies of the application per day, but immediately following a profile on CNN, sales shot to 500 copies.
"I developed the app so people could practise card counting and use it with friends at home," he said. (Credit: Gambling911)
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888.com Hosts Charity Poker Tournament for Australia Wildfire Victims - Gambling911 - 17th February 2009
Gambling911.com applauds 888.com for its efforts in trying to raise money for those affected by the wildfires in Australia last week. Our friend, The Media Man, has advised that 888.com will be hosting an online poker tournament to help Australia wildfire victims. The publicly traded online gambling firm has been making some serious inroads into Australia over the last year.
Sadly, the wildfire death toll heading into Wednesday (Australia time) had reached 200.
A judge launched an inquiry into the deadly Australian wildfires on Tuesday as authorities announced they would find ways to make the region safer before the next season of inevitable blazes.
Media Man, Greg Tingle, questioned why one individual had been fined by environmentalists for clearing trees and brush away from his property prior to the fires.
"He was the only survivor in his neighborhood," said Tingle.
The nightmarish blazes tore across Victoria with 400 fires destroying more than 1,800 homes and scorching about 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) of farms, forests and towns.
Police suspect at least two of the fires were deliberately set, and have charged one man with arson causing death and lighting a wildfire. Brendan Sokaluk, 39, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years on the first charge and 15 years on the second. He was being held in protective custody to prevent revenge attacks against him.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against electricity supplier SP AusNet, alleging that defective power lines caused losses and damage in connection with one of the fires. SP AusNet, which is 51 percent owned by the Singapore Power Group, said it would "vigorously defend" the claim.
As for the online poker tournament, details appear below:
Due to the tragic events caused by the bushfires in the Victoria region,
888 will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help
families in need. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place
on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT. The buy-in for this tournament
will be $30 and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief
efforts. Entrants to this special tournament will be playing for great
prizes donated by 888;
1st place: $500 US
2nd place: $300 US
3rd place: $200 US
4th-10th place: Free entry into the 888 NZ Poker Champs Sunday Qualifier
on March 1 ($120 Value)
As well as these great prizes, if you knock out 888 ambassadors Brendan Fevola (bfevola25) or Jeff Fenech (fenech888) you will receive an $50 bounty prize (credited next day).
We hope you take this opportunity to Enjoy The Game while helping your fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for your support.
What: Tournament- "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament"
Buy-in: $30 with optional $30 rebuys (all going to charity)
When: February 22nd @ 8:30pm AEDT
Charity: The Variety and Shane Warne Foundation Bushfire Relief Fund
Where: 888Poker
To download and join 888Poker please click on the link below:
DOWNLOAD HERE
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Gambling911.com applauds 888.com for its efforts in trying to raise money for those affected by the wildfires in Australia last week. Our friend, The Media Man, has advised that 888.com will be hosting an online poker tournament to help Australia wildfire victims. The publicly traded online gambling firm has been making some serious inroads into Australia over the last year.
Sadly, the wildfire death toll heading into Wednesday (Australia time) had reached 200.
A judge launched an inquiry into the deadly Australian wildfires on Tuesday as authorities announced they would find ways to make the region safer before the next season of inevitable blazes.
Media Man, Greg Tingle, questioned why one individual had been fined by environmentalists for clearing trees and brush away from his property prior to the fires.
"He was the only survivor in his neighborhood," said Tingle.
The nightmarish blazes tore across Victoria with 400 fires destroying more than 1,800 homes and scorching about 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) of farms, forests and towns.
Police suspect at least two of the fires were deliberately set, and have charged one man with arson causing death and lighting a wildfire. Brendan Sokaluk, 39, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years on the first charge and 15 years on the second. He was being held in protective custody to prevent revenge attacks against him.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against electricity supplier SP AusNet, alleging that defective power lines caused losses and damage in connection with one of the fires. SP AusNet, which is 51 percent owned by the Singapore Power Group, said it would "vigorously defend" the claim.
As for the online poker tournament, details appear below:
Due to the tragic events caused by the bushfires in the Victoria region,
888 will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help
families in need. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place
on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT. The buy-in for this tournament
will be $30 and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief
efforts. Entrants to this special tournament will be playing for great
prizes donated by 888;
1st place: $500 US
2nd place: $300 US
3rd place: $200 US
4th-10th place: Free entry into the 888 NZ Poker Champs Sunday Qualifier
on March 1 ($120 Value)
As well as these great prizes, if you knock out 888 ambassadors Brendan Fevola (bfevola25) or Jeff Fenech (fenech888) you will receive an $50 bounty prize (credited next day).
We hope you take this opportunity to Enjoy The Game while helping your fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for your support.
What: Tournament- "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament"
Buy-in: $30 with optional $30 rebuys (all going to charity)
When: February 22nd @ 8:30pm AEDT
Charity: The Variety and Shane Warne Foundation Bushfire Relief Fund
Where: 888Poker
To download and join 888Poker please click on the link below:
DOWNLOAD HERE
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888
Pacific Poker
Jeff Fenech
Shane Warne
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Australian Casino News
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
PartyPoker.com European Open V Live Reporting Continues
London – 11th February 2009 – The PartyPoker.com European Open V runs until Friday 13 February.
Heat 11 is currently underway and features Annette Obrestad, Stuart Rutter, former champion Liam Flood, Christophe Haller, Paul Bracken and Richard Wheatley.
Amongst the players who signed up to play in the famous 72 runner $7,000 buy-in event include Roland de Wolfe, Vicky Coren, Juha Helppi, Ciaran O’Leary, Eoghan O’Dea, Ian Frazer, Surinder Sunar, Barny Boatman, James Akenhead, Padraig Parkinson, Julian Thew, Donnacha O’Dea, May Maceiras, Marc Goodwin, Thomas Bihl, Robin Keston, Neil Channing, Roberto Romanello and UK Open champion Michael Keiner.
The Matchroom Sport organized tournament features 12 six seat heats and two six seat turbo runner-up heats. There will be two seven seat semi finals and one six seat final. The top three players in each of the semi-finals take their chip stacks through to the final. The total prize pool is $504,000 with first place scooping $200,000. Coverage of the event will be first broadcast on Five in the UK and then distributed internationally. Coverage of the PartyPoker.com European Open is amongst the best distributed in the world and commentary will be led by the one and only Jesse May.
45-year-old Nick Slade, a professional from Preston, Lancashire in the UK took down the biggest title of his career when he scooped $200,000 and the European Open IV title last year. Slade ended up heads-up with 45-year-old Worcester internet sports trader Craig Burgess and both were regarded as outsiders on a final table that also included WSOP Europe winner Annette Obrestad, Juha Helppi, Ian Frazer and Josh Tyler.
PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN OPEN IV – 3 Mills, London 1st-8th February 2008
1st Nick Slade $200,000
2nd Craig Burgess $100,000
3rd Ian Frazer $50,000
4th Annette Obrestad $30,000
5th Josh Tyler $25,000
6th Juha Helppi $20,000
PARTYPOKER EUROPEAN OPEN IV - CHIP COUNTS AT THE START OF THE FINAL TABLE
Ian Frazer – 469,000
Josh Tyler – 351,000
Annette Obrestad – 235,000
Nick Slade – 124,000
Juha Helppi – 114,000
Craig Burgess – 107,000
Casino News Media Profiles
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London – 11th February 2009 – The PartyPoker.com European Open V runs until Friday 13 February.
Heat 11 is currently underway and features Annette Obrestad, Stuart Rutter, former champion Liam Flood, Christophe Haller, Paul Bracken and Richard Wheatley.
Amongst the players who signed up to play in the famous 72 runner $7,000 buy-in event include Roland de Wolfe, Vicky Coren, Juha Helppi, Ciaran O’Leary, Eoghan O’Dea, Ian Frazer, Surinder Sunar, Barny Boatman, James Akenhead, Padraig Parkinson, Julian Thew, Donnacha O’Dea, May Maceiras, Marc Goodwin, Thomas Bihl, Robin Keston, Neil Channing, Roberto Romanello and UK Open champion Michael Keiner.
The Matchroom Sport organized tournament features 12 six seat heats and two six seat turbo runner-up heats. There will be two seven seat semi finals and one six seat final. The top three players in each of the semi-finals take their chip stacks through to the final. The total prize pool is $504,000 with first place scooping $200,000. Coverage of the event will be first broadcast on Five in the UK and then distributed internationally. Coverage of the PartyPoker.com European Open is amongst the best distributed in the world and commentary will be led by the one and only Jesse May.
45-year-old Nick Slade, a professional from Preston, Lancashire in the UK took down the biggest title of his career when he scooped $200,000 and the European Open IV title last year. Slade ended up heads-up with 45-year-old Worcester internet sports trader Craig Burgess and both were regarded as outsiders on a final table that also included WSOP Europe winner Annette Obrestad, Juha Helppi, Ian Frazer and Josh Tyler.
PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN OPEN IV – 3 Mills, London 1st-8th February 2008
1st Nick Slade $200,000
2nd Craig Burgess $100,000
3rd Ian Frazer $50,000
4th Annette Obrestad $30,000
5th Josh Tyler $25,000
6th Juha Helppi $20,000
PARTYPOKER EUROPEAN OPEN IV - CHIP COUNTS AT THE START OF THE FINAL TABLE
Ian Frazer – 469,000
Josh Tyler – 351,000
Annette Obrestad – 235,000
Nick Slade – 124,000
Juha Helppi – 114,000
Craig Burgess – 107,000
Casino News Media Profiles
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Monday, February 16, 2009
European Open Semi Finals Set - 13th February 2009
The much coveted Party Poker European Open has been running heats in Maidstone for over a week now and we have finally reached the semi final stages after the heats and second chance turbo heats have run their course. The final three players from each heat will progress into the final with the chips they end their semi final on. Its a nice mix of old school and new school UK players with Bambos Charalambos, Neil Channing and Marc Goodwin representing the old guard and Karl Mahrenholz, Andy Ward and Roberto Romanello flying the flag for the new breed of poker players. They will play to a winner over the weekend with the eventual champion scooping $200,000.
SEMI-FINAL 1 – Thursday 12 February
SEAT 1 - Chris Bury
SEAT 2 - Bambos Charalambos
SEAT 3 - David Rudling
SEAT 4 - Karl Mahrenholz
SEAT 5 - Andy Ward
SEAT 6 – Marc Goodwin
SEAT 7 - Craig Burgess
SEMI-FINAL 2 – Friday 13 February
Neil Channing
Peter Wood
Paul Marrow
Soraya Homam
Christoph Haller
William Taylor
Roberto Romanelllo
Casino News Media Profiles
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PartyCasino.com
Poker News
The much coveted Party Poker European Open has been running heats in Maidstone for over a week now and we have finally reached the semi final stages after the heats and second chance turbo heats have run their course. The final three players from each heat will progress into the final with the chips they end their semi final on. Its a nice mix of old school and new school UK players with Bambos Charalambos, Neil Channing and Marc Goodwin representing the old guard and Karl Mahrenholz, Andy Ward and Roberto Romanello flying the flag for the new breed of poker players. They will play to a winner over the weekend with the eventual champion scooping $200,000.
SEMI-FINAL 1 – Thursday 12 February
SEAT 1 - Chris Bury
SEAT 2 - Bambos Charalambos
SEAT 3 - David Rudling
SEAT 4 - Karl Mahrenholz
SEAT 5 - Andy Ward
SEAT 6 – Marc Goodwin
SEAT 7 - Craig Burgess
SEMI-FINAL 2 – Friday 13 February
Neil Channing
Peter Wood
Paul Marrow
Soraya Homam
Christoph Haller
William Taylor
Roberto Romanelllo
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Poker News
888Poker Presents The "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament"
Due to the tragic events caused by the bushfires in the Victoria region,
888 will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help
families in need. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place
on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT. The buy-in for this tournament
will be $30 and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief
efforts. Entrants to this special tournament will be playing for great
prizes donated by 888;
1st place: $500 US
2nd place: $300 US
3rd place: $200 US
4th-10th place: Free entry into the 888 NZ Poker Champs Sunday Qualifier
on March 1 ($120 Value)
As well as these great prizes, if you knock out 888 ambassadors Brendan
Fevola (bfevola25) or Jeff Fenech (fenech888) you will receive an $50
bounty prize (credited next day).
We hope you take this opportunity to Enjoy The Game while helping your
fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for
your support.
What: Tournament- "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament"
Buy-in: $30 with optional $30 rebuys (all going to charity)
When: February 22nd @ 8:30pm AEDT
Charity: The Variety and Shane Warne Foundation Bushfire Relief Fund
Where: 888Poker
To download and join 888Poker please click on the link below:
Download here
We hope you take this opportunity to "Enjoy The Game" while helping your
fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for
your support
Media Man Australia Profiles
Pacific Poker
888
Poker News
Due to the tragic events caused by the bushfires in the Victoria region,
888 will be hosting the "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament" to help
families in need. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournament will take place
on Sunday, February 22nd at 8:30pm AEDT. The buy-in for this tournament
will be $30 and all buy-ins (and re-buys) will be donated to the relief
efforts. Entrants to this special tournament will be playing for great
prizes donated by 888;
1st place: $500 US
2nd place: $300 US
3rd place: $200 US
4th-10th place: Free entry into the 888 NZ Poker Champs Sunday Qualifier
on March 1 ($120 Value)
As well as these great prizes, if you knock out 888 ambassadors Brendan
Fevola (bfevola25) or Jeff Fenech (fenech888) you will receive an $50
bounty prize (credited next day).
We hope you take this opportunity to Enjoy The Game while helping your
fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for
your support.
What: Tournament- "Bushfire Relief Charity Tournament"
Buy-in: $30 with optional $30 rebuys (all going to charity)
When: February 22nd @ 8:30pm AEDT
Charity: The Variety and Shane Warne Foundation Bushfire Relief Fund
Where: 888Poker
To download and join 888Poker please click on the link below:
Download here
We hope you take this opportunity to "Enjoy The Game" while helping your
fellow Australian families during this difficult time. Thank you for
your support
Media Man Australia Profiles
Pacific Poker
888
Poker News
WPT Invitational To Have Charitable Side, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 13th February 2009
For the first time in the tournament’s seven year history, the 2009 World Poker Tour Invitational - which caps off the month long L. A. Poker Classic at the Commerce Casino on February 28th - will feature rebuys for the invite-only tournament that will entirely go to charity.
The WPT Invitational has become one of the signature stops on the tour since its inception. Drawing celebrities from the movie, music and television worlds, as well as the cream of the top professional poker players on the circuit, the tournament has traditionally been an event that is as much fun as it is a competition. In the announcement on Thursday, the WPT will add a charitable aspect to the proceedings by teaming up with actor Mekhi Phifer’s pet charity, The Vine Group USA.
For the first two hours of the start of the tournament at the end of the month, players will be able to rebuy back into the tournament for a minimum $200 donation. The entirety of these donations will be donated to Phifer’s TVG, a non-profit organization set up to provide educational assistance in the form of scholarships, textbooks, and technological equipment to academic institutions in various English-speaking countries in Africa.
During the announcement, Phifer - who serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the organization - stated, “The Vine Group USA is very pleased to partner with the World Poker Tour and Commerce Casino for the Invitational. This is an event that everyone loves to be a part of. Attendees will be able to have fun at the tables while learning about our organization and the important cause it supports.” Steve Lipscomb, the founder and CEO of the WPT, echoed Phifer’s statements when he commented, “The Invitational is always one of the most exciting and entertaining events on our schedule. It is the one event where celebrities gawk at poker players who gawk at celebrities.”
The change to the traditional freeze out tournament will certainly make for a different experience for those at the tables, admitted Lipscomb. “The rebuy factor will certainly add a whole new flavor to the WPT Invitational and we couldn’t be happier that it also supports a great organization like The Vine Group.”
Past tournaments have featured such celebrity poker players as actors Vince Vaughn, former California state poker champion Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle and PokerStars sponsored player Jason Alexander and actresses Mena Suvari, Camryn Manheim and Cheryl Hines, who starred in the poker-themed movie “The Grand.” Top pros make this a “must play” event on their schedules, with players such as Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman and 2006 WPT Invitational champion Barry Greenstein partaking of the festivities in the past few years.
The tournament, which awards the champion with a seat at the WPT Invitational at the Bellagio in April, will be a three day event. The players who survive the first day will return for action on March 1st and the final table is scheduled to be played out on March 2nd. Fans will be able to watch the action in two separate one hour segments of the broadcast of Season Seven action on Fox Sports Network in May. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Poker Tour
Poker News
For the first time in the tournament’s seven year history, the 2009 World Poker Tour Invitational - which caps off the month long L. A. Poker Classic at the Commerce Casino on February 28th - will feature rebuys for the invite-only tournament that will entirely go to charity.
The WPT Invitational has become one of the signature stops on the tour since its inception. Drawing celebrities from the movie, music and television worlds, as well as the cream of the top professional poker players on the circuit, the tournament has traditionally been an event that is as much fun as it is a competition. In the announcement on Thursday, the WPT will add a charitable aspect to the proceedings by teaming up with actor Mekhi Phifer’s pet charity, The Vine Group USA.
For the first two hours of the start of the tournament at the end of the month, players will be able to rebuy back into the tournament for a minimum $200 donation. The entirety of these donations will be donated to Phifer’s TVG, a non-profit organization set up to provide educational assistance in the form of scholarships, textbooks, and technological equipment to academic institutions in various English-speaking countries in Africa.
During the announcement, Phifer - who serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the organization - stated, “The Vine Group USA is very pleased to partner with the World Poker Tour and Commerce Casino for the Invitational. This is an event that everyone loves to be a part of. Attendees will be able to have fun at the tables while learning about our organization and the important cause it supports.” Steve Lipscomb, the founder and CEO of the WPT, echoed Phifer’s statements when he commented, “The Invitational is always one of the most exciting and entertaining events on our schedule. It is the one event where celebrities gawk at poker players who gawk at celebrities.”
The change to the traditional freeze out tournament will certainly make for a different experience for those at the tables, admitted Lipscomb. “The rebuy factor will certainly add a whole new flavor to the WPT Invitational and we couldn’t be happier that it also supports a great organization like The Vine Group.”
Past tournaments have featured such celebrity poker players as actors Vince Vaughn, former California state poker champion Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle and PokerStars sponsored player Jason Alexander and actresses Mena Suvari, Camryn Manheim and Cheryl Hines, who starred in the poker-themed movie “The Grand.” Top pros make this a “must play” event on their schedules, with players such as Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman and 2006 WPT Invitational champion Barry Greenstein partaking of the festivities in the past few years.
The tournament, which awards the champion with a seat at the WPT Invitational at the Bellagio in April, will be a three day event. The players who survive the first day will return for action on March 1st and the final table is scheduled to be played out on March 2nd. Fans will be able to watch the action in two separate one hour segments of the broadcast of Season Seven action on Fox Sports Network in May. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Poker Tour
Poker News
Sunday, February 15, 2009
NHL's defence of Sundin's PokerStars promotion is on shaky ground, By David Baines - Vancouver Sun - 14th February 2009
For several months now, hockey star Mats Sundin has been promoting a free, strictly-for-fun gambling website called PokerStars.net.
A television commercial shows him playing hockey, enthusiastically shooting the puck and decking opponents, interspersed with shots of him playing poker, enthusiastically trumping his opponents with aces and scooping up the spoils.
"Same buzz, different game," the commercial states, suggesting that playing poker can be as much fun as playing hockey.
When the commercial was made, Sundin was not signed with any NHL team. But he has since joined the Vancouver Canucks, and despite his return to professional hockey, the commercial is still playing.
Is there anything wrong with this?
Offering online gambling services for real cash is illegal in Canada and the United States. The U.S. Justice Department, in particular, has been waging war against companies that offer such services to U.S. citizens.
But PokerStars.net doesn't use real cash. It's strictly for fun. So technically speaking, it's legal. This is the argument the National Hockey League uses to defend Sundin's promotion of PokerStars.net.
"The NHL has no objection with Mats having a relationship with and endorsing the free, educational website PokerStars.net," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told me in an e-mail this week.
He added that "many of our Clubs have similar relationships." (The Toronto Maple Leafs, for one, have a sponsorship arrangement with PokerStars.net.)
On the other hand, he said, "We do not allow endorsement or sponsorship relationships with 'for money' gaming websites of any kind."
In my view, this is a specious argument. Industry experts agree the real purpose of these free "dot-net" gambling sites (nearly all the major online gambling companies have them) is to groom players for their "dot-com" cash gambling sites.
In this case, PokerStars.net serves as the introductory site for PokerStars.com, where the real business is transacted.
"Obviously, it makes a lot of sense," says Chris Costigan, founder and editor of Gambling911.com, a Miami-based firm that provides news about the online gambling industry. "Once people are on their dot-net site, the operators hope they can pull them into the real-cash poker site and get them to deposit real money."
For Costigan, there's nothing ambiguous about the link between the two: "These guys don't make money on free sites, they make money on the real cash sites. They wouldn't be in business if they just relied on their free websites."
Keep in mind that Costigan has nothing against online gambling, whether it's for free or for cash. In fact, he is in favour of legalizing it. All he is doing is stating the obvious, that the free sites are there to promote the cash sites.
So what we essentially have here is an NHL hockey player promoting for-cash Internet gambling, an activity that is illegal in both Canada and the United States, and the NHL turning a blind eye to it. (Where the Canucks stand is not clear. They did not return my calls on Thursday or Friday.)
Gambling is a regulated activity in most major countries for good reason. First, governments want to ensure the games are fair. Second, they want to ensure the people running the businesses are of good character, so that the companies aren't being used for illicit purposes such as laundering drug money. Third, they want to ensure that these businesses pay taxes, just like any other business.
In Canada, several land-based casino operators have sponsorship arrangements with NHL teams. The Canucks, for example, have a sponsorship arrangement with Richmond-based Great Canadian Gaming Corp. But these companies are fully licensed and regulated to do business in Canada.
At present, neither Canada nor the U.S. has licensed any private "for-cash" Internet gambling firms. That means anybody who offers such services in either country is acting illegally.
Still, PokerStars.com, like many other online gambling firms, continues to offer for-cash games to Canadian citizens. To date, the government has been loathe to intervene, mainly because many of these operators are located in the Kahnawake Reserve in Quebec, which native leaders consider to be sovereign soil. The government is not anxious to walk into another Oka-type confrontation.
All other operators are located in offshore tax and secrecy havens, such as Antigua and Costa Rica, which make prosecution problematic. (PokerStars -- both the dot-net and dot-com versions -- is located on the Isle of Man, and the majority owner is Isai Scheinberg of Israel.)
In the United States, however, it's been a different story. The U.S. Justice Department has been aggressively pursuing offshore operators that take bets from U.S. residents.
In July 2006, FBI agents arrested David Carruthers, chief executive officer of BetonSports Plc, a publicly traded British company that owns several Internet sportsbooks and casinos, at the Ft. Worth, Tex., airport. He was changing planes en route to Costa Rica, where BetonSports has operations. Ten other individuals and four companies were similarly indicted on 22 counts of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
In October 2006, the U.S. Congress, aiming to attack online gambling at its roots, passed legislation prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from processing credit card, cheque or electronic fund transfers for online betting.
In January 2007, John Lefebvre of Saltspring Island, founder of online money processor NETeller Inc., was arrested in Malibu by FBI agents and charged with conspiring to promote illegal gambling. His partner, Stephen Lawrence, was similarly charged.
Bodog, an Antigua-based online gambling empire formerly run by ex-Vancouver resident Calvin Ayre, has been under similar pressure. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has seized $24 million of Bodog's funds from U.S. payment processors and is pressing for more. Concerned about possible indictment, Ayre does not dare step foot on U.S. soil.
In December, Anurag Dikshit, one of the founders of London-based Party Gaming PLC, entered into a plea bargain with the U.S. Justice Department for his participation in taking wagers from U.S. citizens. He agreed to pay a fine of $300 million, and still faces a possible jail sentence. His firm no longer takes bets from U.S. citizens.
Despite this strong response, PokerStars.com still takes bets from U.S. residents. In doing so, it is essentially thumbing its nose at U.S. authorities. (It also takes bets from Canadian residents, although authorities here have not publicly raised any concerns.)
This is the legal context in which our hockey star, Mats Sundin, is promoting this seemingly benign "educational" website. As in all forms of gambling -- whether based on land or in cyberspace, whether licensed or unlicensed -- there is also a moral context.
As Costigan notes, gambling for free naturally leads to gambling for cash, which can be a nasty business. It can take over people's lives. It can financially ruin people. It can wreck entire homes.
Why the NHL and apparently the Canucks allow Sundin, who is supposedly a role model for young people, to promote this potentially ruinous activity is beyond me. (Credit:
The Vancouver Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
PokerStars
Poker News
For several months now, hockey star Mats Sundin has been promoting a free, strictly-for-fun gambling website called PokerStars.net.
A television commercial shows him playing hockey, enthusiastically shooting the puck and decking opponents, interspersed with shots of him playing poker, enthusiastically trumping his opponents with aces and scooping up the spoils.
"Same buzz, different game," the commercial states, suggesting that playing poker can be as much fun as playing hockey.
When the commercial was made, Sundin was not signed with any NHL team. But he has since joined the Vancouver Canucks, and despite his return to professional hockey, the commercial is still playing.
Is there anything wrong with this?
Offering online gambling services for real cash is illegal in Canada and the United States. The U.S. Justice Department, in particular, has been waging war against companies that offer such services to U.S. citizens.
But PokerStars.net doesn't use real cash. It's strictly for fun. So technically speaking, it's legal. This is the argument the National Hockey League uses to defend Sundin's promotion of PokerStars.net.
"The NHL has no objection with Mats having a relationship with and endorsing the free, educational website PokerStars.net," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told me in an e-mail this week.
He added that "many of our Clubs have similar relationships." (The Toronto Maple Leafs, for one, have a sponsorship arrangement with PokerStars.net.)
On the other hand, he said, "We do not allow endorsement or sponsorship relationships with 'for money' gaming websites of any kind."
In my view, this is a specious argument. Industry experts agree the real purpose of these free "dot-net" gambling sites (nearly all the major online gambling companies have them) is to groom players for their "dot-com" cash gambling sites.
In this case, PokerStars.net serves as the introductory site for PokerStars.com, where the real business is transacted.
"Obviously, it makes a lot of sense," says Chris Costigan, founder and editor of Gambling911.com, a Miami-based firm that provides news about the online gambling industry. "Once people are on their dot-net site, the operators hope they can pull them into the real-cash poker site and get them to deposit real money."
For Costigan, there's nothing ambiguous about the link between the two: "These guys don't make money on free sites, they make money on the real cash sites. They wouldn't be in business if they just relied on their free websites."
Keep in mind that Costigan has nothing against online gambling, whether it's for free or for cash. In fact, he is in favour of legalizing it. All he is doing is stating the obvious, that the free sites are there to promote the cash sites.
So what we essentially have here is an NHL hockey player promoting for-cash Internet gambling, an activity that is illegal in both Canada and the United States, and the NHL turning a blind eye to it. (Where the Canucks stand is not clear. They did not return my calls on Thursday or Friday.)
Gambling is a regulated activity in most major countries for good reason. First, governments want to ensure the games are fair. Second, they want to ensure the people running the businesses are of good character, so that the companies aren't being used for illicit purposes such as laundering drug money. Third, they want to ensure that these businesses pay taxes, just like any other business.
In Canada, several land-based casino operators have sponsorship arrangements with NHL teams. The Canucks, for example, have a sponsorship arrangement with Richmond-based Great Canadian Gaming Corp. But these companies are fully licensed and regulated to do business in Canada.
At present, neither Canada nor the U.S. has licensed any private "for-cash" Internet gambling firms. That means anybody who offers such services in either country is acting illegally.
Still, PokerStars.com, like many other online gambling firms, continues to offer for-cash games to Canadian citizens. To date, the government has been loathe to intervene, mainly because many of these operators are located in the Kahnawake Reserve in Quebec, which native leaders consider to be sovereign soil. The government is not anxious to walk into another Oka-type confrontation.
All other operators are located in offshore tax and secrecy havens, such as Antigua and Costa Rica, which make prosecution problematic. (PokerStars -- both the dot-net and dot-com versions -- is located on the Isle of Man, and the majority owner is Isai Scheinberg of Israel.)
In the United States, however, it's been a different story. The U.S. Justice Department has been aggressively pursuing offshore operators that take bets from U.S. residents.
In July 2006, FBI agents arrested David Carruthers, chief executive officer of BetonSports Plc, a publicly traded British company that owns several Internet sportsbooks and casinos, at the Ft. Worth, Tex., airport. He was changing planes en route to Costa Rica, where BetonSports has operations. Ten other individuals and four companies were similarly indicted on 22 counts of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
In October 2006, the U.S. Congress, aiming to attack online gambling at its roots, passed legislation prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from processing credit card, cheque or electronic fund transfers for online betting.
In January 2007, John Lefebvre of Saltspring Island, founder of online money processor NETeller Inc., was arrested in Malibu by FBI agents and charged with conspiring to promote illegal gambling. His partner, Stephen Lawrence, was similarly charged.
Bodog, an Antigua-based online gambling empire formerly run by ex-Vancouver resident Calvin Ayre, has been under similar pressure. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has seized $24 million of Bodog's funds from U.S. payment processors and is pressing for more. Concerned about possible indictment, Ayre does not dare step foot on U.S. soil.
In December, Anurag Dikshit, one of the founders of London-based Party Gaming PLC, entered into a plea bargain with the U.S. Justice Department for his participation in taking wagers from U.S. citizens. He agreed to pay a fine of $300 million, and still faces a possible jail sentence. His firm no longer takes bets from U.S. citizens.
Despite this strong response, PokerStars.com still takes bets from U.S. residents. In doing so, it is essentially thumbing its nose at U.S. authorities. (It also takes bets from Canadian residents, although authorities here have not publicly raised any concerns.)
This is the legal context in which our hockey star, Mats Sundin, is promoting this seemingly benign "educational" website. As in all forms of gambling -- whether based on land or in cyberspace, whether licensed or unlicensed -- there is also a moral context.
As Costigan notes, gambling for free naturally leads to gambling for cash, which can be a nasty business. It can take over people's lives. It can financially ruin people. It can wreck entire homes.
Why the NHL and apparently the Canucks allow Sundin, who is supposedly a role model for young people, to promote this potentially ruinous activity is beyond me. (Credit:
The Vancouver Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
PokerStars
Poker News
London analyst's advisory raises some intriguing possibilities
February 13, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- A recommendation this week from a London analyst firm, Daniel Stewart & Company, that investors switch their holdings from PartyGaming to 888 has industry observers trying to second guess what may soon be in the corporate works.
The recommendation is based on the possibility that 888 is “likely” to consolidate or outsource its online poker interests in 2009, although little in the way of specifics is available. The analyst reports that 888 recently produced strong end-of-year accounts, but that poker revenues suffered, while PartyGaming continued to post mixed results with poker revenue falling but player numbers growing.
The Stewart note also reprised the optimistic note in a recent Ernst and Young assessment by advising that the gambling sector was outperforming the market, up 9.5 percent, with more to come. Other major online firms with poker interests remain on the "buy" recommendation list.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
888
Casino News
Poker News
February 13, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- A recommendation this week from a London analyst firm, Daniel Stewart & Company, that investors switch their holdings from PartyGaming to 888 has industry observers trying to second guess what may soon be in the corporate works.
The recommendation is based on the possibility that 888 is “likely” to consolidate or outsource its online poker interests in 2009, although little in the way of specifics is available. The analyst reports that 888 recently produced strong end-of-year accounts, but that poker revenues suffered, while PartyGaming continued to post mixed results with poker revenue falling but player numbers growing.
The Stewart note also reprised the optimistic note in a recent Ernst and Young assessment by advising that the gambling sector was outperforming the market, up 9.5 percent, with more to come. Other major online firms with poker interests remain on the "buy" recommendation list.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
888
Casino News
Poker News
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