Rory Rees Brennan Crowned Irish Poker Championship Winner, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 7th January 2009
There were 255 players in the 2009 PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship, which was held recently at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway. At the end of the day, Dublin native Rory Rees Brennan collected €160,000 for winning the tournament, which boasted a €2,000 buy-in. The 23 year-old is good friends with Poker Million runner up Eoghan O’Dea.
In a press release distributed by parent company Party Gaming, Brennan commented, “It’s unbelievable to take down this tournament. I went to the final table as chip leader, but at times I thought I was down and out. I am proud of how I played and, in particular, how I changed gears at key times.” The tournament paid out to the top 26 finishers and attracted such notable names as Poker News Daily columnist and World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton, Boyle Poker pro Marty Smyth, “Cowboy” Kenna James, and its 2008 winner, Jude Ainsworth.
The money bubble burst at the very end of Day 2, meaning that everyone who returned for the third day of play would take home a little extra cash. David Curtis and Derek Murray represented the hometown crowd of Galway at the final table and pacing the field was chip leader Ben Vinson. At the end of the day, Chris Dowling committed all of his chips with 6-9 offsuit and found himself dominated by Brennan’s A-10. Although a nine came off on the flop, Brennan spiked an ace on the turn, sealing the victory for the young gun. Here were the top ten finishers in the PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship along with their payouts:
1st Place: Rory Rees Brennan, €160,000
2nd Place: Chris Dowling, €90,000
3rd Place: Ben Vinson, €55,000
4th Place: David Poole, €30,000
5th Place: David Curtis, €20,000
6th Place: Krzysztof Gwvszko, €15,000
7th Place: Peter Murphy, €12,500
8th Place: Derek Murray, €10,000
9th Place: Rory Liffey, €8,000
10th Place: Rory Brown, €7,000
In addition to the Main Event, a €750 buy-in side tournament was also held. Its final table included David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Surinder Sunar, and Ainsworth. When the smoke cleared in this highly publicized “bust out” event, Ulliott ran away with the field and pocketed €33,000. In a press release distributed by Devilfish Gaming, which operates Devilfish Poker, Ulliott stated, “I got a lot of chips early in the tournament, which meant players were moving in with all sorts of marginal hands. I got lucky once against Paul Jackson with A-J against his queens and when I got heads-up against Surindar Sunar, I don’t think he won a hand.” One of the original “Bad Boys of Poker,” Ulliott won a $2,000 buy-in Pot Limit Hold’em tournament during the 1997 World Series of Poker. Sunar recently took down a Pot Limit Omaha event at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam.
Also held as part of the festivities was the Poker for the Homeless charity tournament. The event raised €40,000 for the Capuchin Day Center. For the second year, a player from Waterford took down the title. This time around, it was Nicky Power. Last year, Noel Furlong emerged victorious in the event, which gave €100 of its €330 buy-in directly to the charity. Irish poker pro Padraig Parkinson, who was one of the main faces behind the benefit, said after the event, “We’d like to thank everyone who played and all of the companies who contributed financially to the success of the event. Without them, it wouldn’t exist and we’re deeply grateful.”
The Irish Poker Championship Tour traveled to numerous casinos between August and December, including the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin and Park Hotel in Kiltimagh. Perched atop its leader board when the season concluded was Jaye Renehan, who grabbed €11,400 in total winnings.
One day after busting out of the Main Event, Sexton told tournament officials about the atmosphere in the European country: “When you come to Ireland to play these poker tournaments, it’s as much about the social aspects as it is the poker. You spend a lot of time in the pub and it’s a lot of fun.” (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Thursday, January 08, 2009
The countdown is over... the 2009 Aussie Millions is here - 8th January 2009
The 2009 Aussie Millions is finally here, starting tomorrow with Day One of the $1,100 No Limit Holdem Opening Event.
With 18 official events to choose from, you’re bound to find something that floats your boat.
Don’t forget you can still win your seat in the $10,500 Main Event with satellites running daily until Monday 19 January 2009. Check out the Win Your Seat section of the Aussie Millions website for more details.
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The 2009 Aussie Millions is finally here, starting tomorrow with Day One of the $1,100 No Limit Holdem Opening Event.
With 18 official events to choose from, you’re bound to find something that floats your boat.
Don’t forget you can still win your seat in the $10,500 Main Event with satellites running daily until Monday 19 January 2009. Check out the Win Your Seat section of the Aussie Millions website for more details.
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Rory Rees Brennan Wins 2009 PartyPoker.com IPC - All Power To Poker For The Homeless
**Coverage from PartyPoker.com Premier League III started last night on Channel 4 in the UK. The next episode airs Tuesday 13th January/Wednesday 14th January at 12.45am on Channel 4 in the UK. Phil Hellmuth, Tom ‘Durrrr’ Dwan, Tony G, Vicky Coren, Nenad Medic and Juha Helppi take to the table. Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott joins Jesse May in the commentary box. Check out the great trailer at: http://www.matchroompoker.com/promo3.php
RORY REES BRENNAN IS THE 2009 PARTYPOKER.COM IPC WINNER!
HOT PROSPECT SCOOPS €160,000 IN FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT OF 2009
ALL POWER TO POKER FOR THE HOMELESS
7th January 2009 - 23-year-old Dubliner Rory Rees Brennan celebrated late into the night after scooping €160,000 and the title at the first major poker tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com. The Pokerevents.ie organized event took place at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway between the 2 - 4 January and attracted 255 runners.
Brennan has been a professional poker player since he left University College Dublin in 2006 after completing a course in commerce. He has been widely tipped for great things by the Irish poker community and is best friends with Eoghan O'Dea, who has also recently exploded on to the live circuit with his recent runner-up finish in the Poker Million. Brennan has already had great success online and is a member of PartyPoker.com's new Palladium Lounge for top players. http://www.palladiumlounge.com
"It's unbelievable to take down this tournament," said Brennan. "I went on to the final table as chip leader but at times I thought i was down and out. I am proud of how I played and, in particular, how I changed gears at key times"
Brennan now plans to use his big windfall as a bankroll for more tournaments with the Aussie Millions and the Asian Poker Tour Philippines in his sights. He also said that the winnings would be useful for purchasing a new car and eventually starting a business.
The runner-up was 30-year-old Ballymore Eustace electrician Chris Dowling, who went home with €90,000. Late into the night Dowling was heard commenting how it would be good if the tournament concluded soon as he had to pick up his apprentice and go to work that morning! Dowling had previously cashed at small Irish festivals and plans to use his winnings to contribute towards building a new house.
The key hand came when Dowling pushed all in with 96 off-suit. Rees Brennan quickly called with A10 off-suit and his heart was in his mouth when a 9 came on the flop. The turn came an A to give the young Irish sensation victory and send his big supporting group into rapturous applause. The third place finisher was Ben Vinson from Essex in the UK, the son of poker professional Alan Vinson. Vinson jr dazzled with his creative play at the final table but eventually came unstuck. Fourth place went to Manchester’s David Poole, with local success for Galway as David Curtis finished fifth. Sixth place went to Poland’s Krystof Gwvsko, who qualified through a unique IPC satellite at the Olympic Casino in Warsaw. Seventh was Peter Murphy from South Armagh, with David Curtis from Galway in eighth. The televised table bubble boy in ninth was popular pro Rory Liffey.
The €750 side event produced an awesome final table including David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott, Surinder Sunar, 2008 IPC champion Jude Ainsworth, Paul Jackson and Marc Goodwin. The Fish was dominant throughout and picked up first place and €33,000. Full results for the main event, side event, logs, videos and information can be found at http://www.partypokeripc.com
Plenty of top class Irish pros flocked to Galway including Marty Smyth, Ciaran O'Leary, Liam Flood, Donnacha O'Dea and Padraig Parkinson. There was also a big international contingent in attendance including 'Ambassador of Poker' Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Mad Marty Wilson, Julian Gardner and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. France was represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, Poland by television presenter and boxing champion Agnieszka Rylik, while Spain's charge was led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women's World Open II star May Maceiras.
Also in attendance were 16 online qualifiers who won packages for the main event on PartyPoker.com. The package was worth $5,000, including the $2,800 buy-in, $1,000 spending money and accommodation in a luxury hotel. A large contingent qualified for only $3!!!
Coverage of the main event will be televised on RTÉ from January 18th, with final table commentary provided by Jesse May and Neil Channing. The event was organized by Pokerevents.ie and the coverage provided by Winmedia Ltd. Coverage of the event will be distributed internationally later in the year.
The Poker for the Homeless (formerly Simon Poker Day) charity tournament at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship was won by Waterford man Nicky Power. It was the second year the southwest Irish city triumphed in the event with Pat Storan having lifted the honours in 2008. Power also follows in the footsteps of former world champion Noel Furlong who won the event in 2007. The €330 event, of which €100 went directly to homeless charities in Ireland, raised €18,200 for Galway Simon and once all pledges are collected is expected to reach €40,000, with Dublin Simon and Brother Kevin of the Capuchin Day Centre the beneficiaries.
Padraig Parkinson, one of the organizers of the event, added, “We’d like to thank everyone who played and all the companies who contributed financially to the success of the event. Without them it wouldn’t exist and we’re deeply grateful.”
Poker for the Homeless will return later in the year and full information about the event at the IPC can be found at http://www.partypokeripc.com
2009 PARTYPOKER.COM IPC MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE PRIZE PAYOUT
FIRST - Rory Rees Brennan (Dublin) €160,000
SECOND – Chris Dowling (Ballymore Eustace) €90,000
THIRD – Ben Vinson (Essex, Eng) €55,000
FOURTH – David Poole (Manchester) €30,000
FIFTH – David Curtis (Galway) €20,000
SIXTH - Krystof Gwvsko (Warsaw, Poland) €15,000
SEVENTH - Peter Murphy (South Armagh) €12,500
EIGHTH – Derek Murray (Galway) €10,000
FINAL TABLE CHIP STACKS
SEAT ONE - Peter Murphy (South Armagh) 94,500
SEAT TWO - David Curtis (Galway) 146,500
SEAT THREE - Ben Vinson (Essex) 581,580
SEAT FOUR - David Poole (Manchester) 181,100
SEAT FIVE - Chris Dowling (Kildare) 147,000
SEAT SIX - Derek Murray (Galway) 183,500
SEAT SEVEN - Krystof Gwvsko (Warsaw, Poland) 304,000
SEAT EIGHT - Rory Brennan (Dublin) 1,058,000
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**Coverage from PartyPoker.com Premier League III started last night on Channel 4 in the UK. The next episode airs Tuesday 13th January/Wednesday 14th January at 12.45am on Channel 4 in the UK. Phil Hellmuth, Tom ‘Durrrr’ Dwan, Tony G, Vicky Coren, Nenad Medic and Juha Helppi take to the table. Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott joins Jesse May in the commentary box. Check out the great trailer at: http://www.matchroompoker.com/promo3.php
RORY REES BRENNAN IS THE 2009 PARTYPOKER.COM IPC WINNER!
HOT PROSPECT SCOOPS €160,000 IN FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT OF 2009
ALL POWER TO POKER FOR THE HOMELESS
7th January 2009 - 23-year-old Dubliner Rory Rees Brennan celebrated late into the night after scooping €160,000 and the title at the first major poker tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com. The Pokerevents.ie organized event took place at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway between the 2 - 4 January and attracted 255 runners.
Brennan has been a professional poker player since he left University College Dublin in 2006 after completing a course in commerce. He has been widely tipped for great things by the Irish poker community and is best friends with Eoghan O'Dea, who has also recently exploded on to the live circuit with his recent runner-up finish in the Poker Million. Brennan has already had great success online and is a member of PartyPoker.com's new Palladium Lounge for top players. http://www.palladiumlounge.com
"It's unbelievable to take down this tournament," said Brennan. "I went on to the final table as chip leader but at times I thought i was down and out. I am proud of how I played and, in particular, how I changed gears at key times"
Brennan now plans to use his big windfall as a bankroll for more tournaments with the Aussie Millions and the Asian Poker Tour Philippines in his sights. He also said that the winnings would be useful for purchasing a new car and eventually starting a business.
The runner-up was 30-year-old Ballymore Eustace electrician Chris Dowling, who went home with €90,000. Late into the night Dowling was heard commenting how it would be good if the tournament concluded soon as he had to pick up his apprentice and go to work that morning! Dowling had previously cashed at small Irish festivals and plans to use his winnings to contribute towards building a new house.
The key hand came when Dowling pushed all in with 96 off-suit. Rees Brennan quickly called with A10 off-suit and his heart was in his mouth when a 9 came on the flop. The turn came an A to give the young Irish sensation victory and send his big supporting group into rapturous applause. The third place finisher was Ben Vinson from Essex in the UK, the son of poker professional Alan Vinson. Vinson jr dazzled with his creative play at the final table but eventually came unstuck. Fourth place went to Manchester’s David Poole, with local success for Galway as David Curtis finished fifth. Sixth place went to Poland’s Krystof Gwvsko, who qualified through a unique IPC satellite at the Olympic Casino in Warsaw. Seventh was Peter Murphy from South Armagh, with David Curtis from Galway in eighth. The televised table bubble boy in ninth was popular pro Rory Liffey.
The €750 side event produced an awesome final table including David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott, Surinder Sunar, 2008 IPC champion Jude Ainsworth, Paul Jackson and Marc Goodwin. The Fish was dominant throughout and picked up first place and €33,000. Full results for the main event, side event, logs, videos and information can be found at http://www.partypokeripc.com
Plenty of top class Irish pros flocked to Galway including Marty Smyth, Ciaran O'Leary, Liam Flood, Donnacha O'Dea and Padraig Parkinson. There was also a big international contingent in attendance including 'Ambassador of Poker' Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Mad Marty Wilson, Julian Gardner and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. France was represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, Poland by television presenter and boxing champion Agnieszka Rylik, while Spain's charge was led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women's World Open II star May Maceiras.
Also in attendance were 16 online qualifiers who won packages for the main event on PartyPoker.com. The package was worth $5,000, including the $2,800 buy-in, $1,000 spending money and accommodation in a luxury hotel. A large contingent qualified for only $3!!!
Coverage of the main event will be televised on RTÉ from January 18th, with final table commentary provided by Jesse May and Neil Channing. The event was organized by Pokerevents.ie and the coverage provided by Winmedia Ltd. Coverage of the event will be distributed internationally later in the year.
The Poker for the Homeless (formerly Simon Poker Day) charity tournament at the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship was won by Waterford man Nicky Power. It was the second year the southwest Irish city triumphed in the event with Pat Storan having lifted the honours in 2008. Power also follows in the footsteps of former world champion Noel Furlong who won the event in 2007. The €330 event, of which €100 went directly to homeless charities in Ireland, raised €18,200 for Galway Simon and once all pledges are collected is expected to reach €40,000, with Dublin Simon and Brother Kevin of the Capuchin Day Centre the beneficiaries.
Padraig Parkinson, one of the organizers of the event, added, “We’d like to thank everyone who played and all the companies who contributed financially to the success of the event. Without them it wouldn’t exist and we’re deeply grateful.”
Poker for the Homeless will return later in the year and full information about the event at the IPC can be found at http://www.partypokeripc.com
2009 PARTYPOKER.COM IPC MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE PRIZE PAYOUT
FIRST - Rory Rees Brennan (Dublin) €160,000
SECOND – Chris Dowling (Ballymore Eustace) €90,000
THIRD – Ben Vinson (Essex, Eng) €55,000
FOURTH – David Poole (Manchester) €30,000
FIFTH – David Curtis (Galway) €20,000
SIXTH - Krystof Gwvsko (Warsaw, Poland) €15,000
SEVENTH - Peter Murphy (South Armagh) €12,500
EIGHTH – Derek Murray (Galway) €10,000
FINAL TABLE CHIP STACKS
SEAT ONE - Peter Murphy (South Armagh) 94,500
SEAT TWO - David Curtis (Galway) 146,500
SEAT THREE - Ben Vinson (Essex) 581,580
SEAT FOUR - David Poole (Manchester) 181,100
SEAT FIVE - Chris Dowling (Kildare) 147,000
SEAT SIX - Derek Murray (Galway) 183,500
SEAT SEVEN - Krystof Gwvsko (Warsaw, Poland) 304,000
SEAT EIGHT - Rory Brennan (Dublin) 1,058,000
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PKR.com launch huge game update
Press Release
7th January 2009
Not content with developing ‘the world’s most advanced poker room’ the pioneers at PKR.com have raised the bar yet again with the release of their latest game update.
With over 50 new features, tweaks, and improvements to PKR.com’s market leading poker software, ‘Version 1.7’ is the site’s biggest update ever and players are already enjoying the new offerings:
New environments
Topping the must-see list are three exciting new game environments designed to immerse players in some of the coolest poker locations ever. A Chinese themed casino gives players a taste of the orient while an Egyptian themed poker room transports players to the days when magical kingdoms ruled the Nile. To top things off an underground wine bar caters to the smooth sophistication of PKR’s hip, young card sharks.
Even more realistic
Players will also enjoy even more enhanced gameplay. Tournaments will now end with an eye-popping celebration sequence and PKR’s team of crack developers have also added slick new physics modelling that makes hair move realistically when players perform emotes. Christmas costumes were also added to the mix to cater for the festive seasons.
Better games
Of course PKR has always been more than just a pretty face and the site is always improving the games it offers players. The addition of re-buy tournaments is bound to spice up MTT action with even more excitement and bigger guaranteed prizes.
PKR COO Leon Walters said, “This is our biggest update yet and our development team are really proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish – we think the improvements and enhancements to the game are going to be a massive hit”.
And more...
PKR have also responded to player feedback by reducing the load time of the game even further and introducing a wider range of payment options. Players can now top up their PKR account (and cash out their winnings) with the paysafecard and ClickandBuy. And, with the addition of PKR.ru, Russian has been added to the list of 12 languages that PKR offer customers.
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Press Release
7th January 2009
Not content with developing ‘the world’s most advanced poker room’ the pioneers at PKR.com have raised the bar yet again with the release of their latest game update.
With over 50 new features, tweaks, and improvements to PKR.com’s market leading poker software, ‘Version 1.7’ is the site’s biggest update ever and players are already enjoying the new offerings:
New environments
Topping the must-see list are three exciting new game environments designed to immerse players in some of the coolest poker locations ever. A Chinese themed casino gives players a taste of the orient while an Egyptian themed poker room transports players to the days when magical kingdoms ruled the Nile. To top things off an underground wine bar caters to the smooth sophistication of PKR’s hip, young card sharks.
Even more realistic
Players will also enjoy even more enhanced gameplay. Tournaments will now end with an eye-popping celebration sequence and PKR’s team of crack developers have also added slick new physics modelling that makes hair move realistically when players perform emotes. Christmas costumes were also added to the mix to cater for the festive seasons.
Better games
Of course PKR has always been more than just a pretty face and the site is always improving the games it offers players. The addition of re-buy tournaments is bound to spice up MTT action with even more excitement and bigger guaranteed prizes.
PKR COO Leon Walters said, “This is our biggest update yet and our development team are really proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish – we think the improvements and enhancements to the game are going to be a massive hit”.
And more...
PKR have also responded to player feedback by reducing the load time of the game even further and introducing a wider range of payment options. Players can now top up their PKR account (and cash out their winnings) with the paysafecard and ClickandBuy. And, with the addition of PKR.ru, Russian has been added to the list of 12 languages that PKR offer customers.
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Dwan's Challenge, Accepted!
Three well-known poker players, including Phil Ivey, accept the challenge
January 7, 2009 -- U.K. Poker News is reporting that three "of the most intimidating names in live and online poker" have accepted Thomas 'Durrr' Dwan's recent, well-publicized "3-to-1" challenge
"I'm making this heads-up challenge to the world," Dwan told Bluff Magazine last week. "Anyone can accept. Four tables, minimum of $200/$400, and I’ll put up $1.5 million to their $500,000. We play 50,000 hands minimum and if they end up a dollar after rake they keep the side money or whatever. So basically, if you and I played and you won a dollar, you would get my $1.5 million and if I won a dollar I would win your $500,000. So I'm giving a million dollars free if anyone thinks they can do it."
And the three top-tier players who have accepted the challenge? David Benyamine, Phil Ivey, and Patrik Antonius.
Receiving the most attention of these three is Phil Ivey. Ivey, who announced that he would accept Dwan's challenge yesterday, admitted that he may be in for a run for his money.
"You know what, the funny thing is he probably does have an edge," PokerListings quoted Ivey as saying. "But you know, like, I don't know, it's just something tempting about that million and a half to that $500,000."
The PokerListings article continues: "He admits durrrr will initially have the edge as he adjusts to playing four tables at once, but he's counting on durrrr not realizing how many hands 50,000 hands really is. He'll have time to catch up, and it's likely someone will go broke in this challenge." (Credit: CAP)
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Three well-known poker players, including Phil Ivey, accept the challenge
January 7, 2009 -- U.K. Poker News is reporting that three "of the most intimidating names in live and online poker" have accepted Thomas 'Durrr' Dwan's recent, well-publicized "3-to-1" challenge
"I'm making this heads-up challenge to the world," Dwan told Bluff Magazine last week. "Anyone can accept. Four tables, minimum of $200/$400, and I’ll put up $1.5 million to their $500,000. We play 50,000 hands minimum and if they end up a dollar after rake they keep the side money or whatever. So basically, if you and I played and you won a dollar, you would get my $1.5 million and if I won a dollar I would win your $500,000. So I'm giving a million dollars free if anyone thinks they can do it."
And the three top-tier players who have accepted the challenge? David Benyamine, Phil Ivey, and Patrik Antonius.
Receiving the most attention of these three is Phil Ivey. Ivey, who announced that he would accept Dwan's challenge yesterday, admitted that he may be in for a run for his money.
"You know what, the funny thing is he probably does have an edge," PokerListings quoted Ivey as saying. "But you know, like, I don't know, it's just something tempting about that million and a half to that $500,000."
The PokerListings article continues: "He admits durrrr will initially have the edge as he adjusts to playing four tables at once, but he's counting on durrrr not realizing how many hands 50,000 hands really is. He'll have time to catch up, and it's likely someone will go broke in this challenge." (Credit: CAP)
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PartyGaming Files Lawsuit - iGaming Business - 7th January 2009
Leading online gaming operator PartyGaming, the firm behind popular online poker domain PartyPoker.com, has filed a lawsuit against Livermore Investments Group Limited.
The action was filed in London on December 23 according to a report from news service Bloomberg.com and surrounds PartyGaming’s 2006 takeover of Livermore’s Internet gambling business at Empire Online.
According to Bloomberg.com, Gibraltar-based PartyGaming alleges that Livermore ‘failed to deliver a certain amount of income under an acquisition made three years ago’.
British Virgin Islands-registered Livermore previously operated as the online gaming firm Empire Online until PartyGaming purchased its gambling business for $38 million. Livermore is run by Chief Executive Officer Noam Lanir and changed its name following the sale before beginning operations as an investment business.
According to John Shepherd, spokesperson for PartyGaming, the value of the claim is ‘six figures’ but he declined to give additional details.
PartyGaming was also in the news late last month after its largest shareholder, India-born Anurag Dikshit, pled guilty to in a New York court to violating sections of the 1961 Wire Act. Thirty-seven-year-old Dikshit helped start PartyGaming in 1997 by creating its software platform and agreed to pay $300 million in fines and assist authorities with their investigations while awaiting sentencing in two years. (Credit: iGaming Business)
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Leading online gaming operator PartyGaming, the firm behind popular online poker domain PartyPoker.com, has filed a lawsuit against Livermore Investments Group Limited.
The action was filed in London on December 23 according to a report from news service Bloomberg.com and surrounds PartyGaming’s 2006 takeover of Livermore’s Internet gambling business at Empire Online.
According to Bloomberg.com, Gibraltar-based PartyGaming alleges that Livermore ‘failed to deliver a certain amount of income under an acquisition made three years ago’.
British Virgin Islands-registered Livermore previously operated as the online gaming firm Empire Online until PartyGaming purchased its gambling business for $38 million. Livermore is run by Chief Executive Officer Noam Lanir and changed its name following the sale before beginning operations as an investment business.
According to John Shepherd, spokesperson for PartyGaming, the value of the claim is ‘six figures’ but he declined to give additional details.
PartyGaming was also in the news late last month after its largest shareholder, India-born Anurag Dikshit, pled guilty to in a New York court to violating sections of the 1961 Wire Act. Thirty-seven-year-old Dikshit helped start PartyGaming in 1997 by creating its software platform and agreed to pay $300 million in fines and assist authorities with their investigations while awaiting sentencing in two years. (Credit: iGaming Business)
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Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Party Gaming CEO Discusses Future of Online Poker, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 6th January 2009
The recent news in December of Party Gaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit’s plea bargain with the U.S. Department of Justice thrust the company back into the spotlight. Now, in a December 28th interview with Financial Times, new Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan has announced his plans for returning the company to the lofty perch it once held.
The article, written by Roger Blitz, points out that it has been a very difficult couple of years for the one-time monolith in the online poker world. After its initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange in 2005, Party Gaming was valued at almost £5 billion. Since the departure of U.S. players due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 and the subsequent decision by then-CEO Mitch Garber to withdraw from the market, Party Gaming’s value has fallen to under £1 billion. However, as Blitz states, there could be “a light at the end of what has been a long, dark tunnel” for Party Gaming.
The light that Blitz refers to is the mid-December decision by Dikshit to succumb to Department of Justice pressures and plead guilty to violations of the Wire Act of 1961. In submitting his guilty plea, Dikshit paid a $300 million fine and could face a two year jail term, although sentencing will not occur until 2010. He continues to assist the United States Government in its investigations into online gaming.
In the article, Ryan - who took over for Gerber in June of 2008 - states that Party Gaming is currently in discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the company’s liabilities, but wouldn’t go into great detail. The article did discuss that the shares of Party Gaming on the London Exchange have grown to 200 pence each and that a deal with the U.S. government is looming sometime this month.
When asked about the future of the company, Ryan was upbeat about Party Gaming’s abilities in not only online poker, but also in a realm of online gaming options. “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Ryan is quoted as saying in the Financial Times article by Blitz. “We have been chasing quarterly profits, but the market has become so competitive, you’ve got to know where you’re going. We’re not so much slowing down, but keeping ourselves focused.”
The three year plan that Ryan has set for Party Gaming is something that he believes that other online gaming companies want to do, but his company already does. The Financial Times quotes Ryan as saying that the company, since its exodus from the U.S. market, has built a complete gaming operation that is focused on all aspects of the online world, including poker, casino, sports betting, bingo, and backgammon. “[We offer] different products with one back office platform,” he explains in Blitz’s article. “One deposit, one account – it’s a one stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors and we have it already.”
Ryan also states that he sees a day when the online gaming world will be vastly different than what is out there today. While poker remains the focus of Party Gaming, Ryan sees over the next three years that there will only be five online poker operators of any consequence. Party Gaming at this time ranks fourth in that equation - something that “hurts,” according to Ryan - but his quote in the Financial Times piece looms large: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.” (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The recent news in December of Party Gaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit’s plea bargain with the U.S. Department of Justice thrust the company back into the spotlight. Now, in a December 28th interview with Financial Times, new Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan has announced his plans for returning the company to the lofty perch it once held.
The article, written by Roger Blitz, points out that it has been a very difficult couple of years for the one-time monolith in the online poker world. After its initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange in 2005, Party Gaming was valued at almost £5 billion. Since the departure of U.S. players due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 and the subsequent decision by then-CEO Mitch Garber to withdraw from the market, Party Gaming’s value has fallen to under £1 billion. However, as Blitz states, there could be “a light at the end of what has been a long, dark tunnel” for Party Gaming.
The light that Blitz refers to is the mid-December decision by Dikshit to succumb to Department of Justice pressures and plead guilty to violations of the Wire Act of 1961. In submitting his guilty plea, Dikshit paid a $300 million fine and could face a two year jail term, although sentencing will not occur until 2010. He continues to assist the United States Government in its investigations into online gaming.
In the article, Ryan - who took over for Gerber in June of 2008 - states that Party Gaming is currently in discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the company’s liabilities, but wouldn’t go into great detail. The article did discuss that the shares of Party Gaming on the London Exchange have grown to 200 pence each and that a deal with the U.S. government is looming sometime this month.
When asked about the future of the company, Ryan was upbeat about Party Gaming’s abilities in not only online poker, but also in a realm of online gaming options. “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Ryan is quoted as saying in the Financial Times article by Blitz. “We have been chasing quarterly profits, but the market has become so competitive, you’ve got to know where you’re going. We’re not so much slowing down, but keeping ourselves focused.”
The three year plan that Ryan has set for Party Gaming is something that he believes that other online gaming companies want to do, but his company already does. The Financial Times quotes Ryan as saying that the company, since its exodus from the U.S. market, has built a complete gaming operation that is focused on all aspects of the online world, including poker, casino, sports betting, bingo, and backgammon. “[We offer] different products with one back office platform,” he explains in Blitz’s article. “One deposit, one account – it’s a one stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors and we have it already.”
Ryan also states that he sees a day when the online gaming world will be vastly different than what is out there today. While poker remains the focus of Party Gaming, Ryan sees over the next three years that there will only be five online poker operators of any consequence. Party Gaming at this time ranks fourth in that equation - something that “hurts,” according to Ryan - but his quote in the Financial Times piece looms large: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.” (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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PartyGaming
Poker News
Casino News
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
PartyGaming Plans For The Future - iGaming Business - 5th January 2009
The Chief Executive Officer for embattled online gaming operator PartyGaming, Jim Ryan, gave an interview over the Christmas period to The Financial Times newspaper and revealed his plans for the future.
Canada-born Ryan took over the helm for PartyGaming in May from countryman Mitch Garber. He is a highly experienced Internet and technology executive with 22 years of experience including serving as Chief Executive Officer for St Minver Limited. He revealed that he was sticking to a three-year plan that has been designed to see PartyGaming return to its former dominant position in the world of online poker.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Ryan.
“We have been chasing quarterly profits but the market has become so competitive you’ve got to know where you’re going. We’re not so much slowing down but keeping ourselves focused.”
The 46-year-old stated that he does not know whether online gambling will become legal in the US under new President Barack Obama but that he would ‘prepare the company for that day’.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back”, said Ryan.
“It may cost us more.”
Ryan stated that there will only be five online poker operators of any consequence in next three years and that PartyGaming would be one of them.
“That being said, our job is to acquire more casino players, more sports betting players,” he stated.
“We need to have less focus on cross-selling, more on acquiring players.”
He also talked up the operator’s completely integrated platform that offers poker, casino, sportsbetting, bingo, backgammon and party markets from one site.
“We offer six different products with one back office platform,” said Ryan.
“One deposit, one account. It’s a one-stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors. We have it already.”
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Casino News
Poker News
The Chief Executive Officer for embattled online gaming operator PartyGaming, Jim Ryan, gave an interview over the Christmas period to The Financial Times newspaper and revealed his plans for the future.
Canada-born Ryan took over the helm for PartyGaming in May from countryman Mitch Garber. He is a highly experienced Internet and technology executive with 22 years of experience including serving as Chief Executive Officer for St Minver Limited. He revealed that he was sticking to a three-year plan that has been designed to see PartyGaming return to its former dominant position in the world of online poker.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Ryan.
“We have been chasing quarterly profits but the market has become so competitive you’ve got to know where you’re going. We’re not so much slowing down but keeping ourselves focused.”
The 46-year-old stated that he does not know whether online gambling will become legal in the US under new President Barack Obama but that he would ‘prepare the company for that day’.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back”, said Ryan.
“It may cost us more.”
Ryan stated that there will only be five online poker operators of any consequence in next three years and that PartyGaming would be one of them.
“That being said, our job is to acquire more casino players, more sports betting players,” he stated.
“We need to have less focus on cross-selling, more on acquiring players.”
He also talked up the operator’s completely integrated platform that offers poker, casino, sportsbetting, bingo, backgammon and party markets from one site.
“We offer six different products with one back office platform,” said Ryan.
“One deposit, one account. It’s a one-stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors. We have it already.”
Casino News Media Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Casino News
Poker News
World Poker Tour Debuts on Fox Sports Net, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 5th January 2009
On Sunday night, the seventh season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) kicked off. Part one of Bellagio Cup IV aired, which featured a final table that included Mike Watson, David Benyamine, Luke Staudenmaier, Ralph Perry, John Phan, and Gabriel Thaler. It was the first WPT tournament to be sponsored by FullTiltPoker.net, which received a sizable amount of exposure throughout the one hour episode on Fox Sports Net.
The first of 26 installments hit the airwaves on Sunday night. The Bellagio Cup IV was actually the second WPT tournament of Season VII. In May, a non-televised Spanish Championship took place in Barcelona. The Bellagio Cup IV took place in July, just after the start of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. For Season VII, the WPT inked a sponsorship agreement with FullTiltPoker.net. As such, the educational gaming site received an ample amount of publicity throughout the show, including in its opening.
Each of the on-screen displays of chip counts featured a FullTiltPoker.net logo, as did the graphic that appears when players peek at their cards. One of the most noticeable changes included the felt in the center of the table, which contained a digitally-produced FullTiltPoker.net logo. This were added in during post-production of the episodes, as Full Tilt did not sign on as a presenting sponsor until November, four months after the tournament was filmed.
Two other companies also received a considerable amount of exposure. Southwest Airlines, one of the major carriers in the United States, is also a sponsor of the seventh season of the WPT. As such, it received prominent placement, including a voiceover by WPT Co-Host Vince Van Patten, who claimed, “Tonight’s broadcast sponsored in part by Southwest Airlines.” The WPT also featured its ClubWPT MySpace page in signage on the Bellagio Cup IV set. The advertisements directed viewers to view the subscription-based online poker room’s MySpace page, located at myspace.com/worldpokertour.
On the inside walls of the tables were logos for the WPT Boot Camp, a roving educational seminar on cash games and tournaments that features such brand name pros as Kenna James, Poker News Daily Columnist Linda Johnson, T.J. Cloutier, Tom McEvoy, and Jan Fisher. The next ring game Boot Camp is scheduled for January 17th and 18th at the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood, California.
In addition to its MySpace presence, ClubWPT also received a multitude of advertising spots. The commercials noted that players competed for over $100,000 in monthly prizes and that membership is $19.95 per month. ClubWPT is open to customers of the United States due to its subscription status. It is one of the last subscription sites standing, as two of its competitors, Zosoz and Fleet Street Games, closed their doors near the end of the 2008 calendar year.
The presence of WPT Live Updates hostess Amanda Leatherman is also a noticeable difference. During Sunday’s episode, she appeared on screen interviewing Erica Schoenberg, the fiancée of tournament competitor David Benyamine. The Frenchman won his first WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight or Better for $535,000 in June.
Phan is fresh off being named Bluff Magazine’s 2008 Player of the Year. He donned both of his WSOP bracelets on set for the Bellagio Cup IV. Along with Benyamine, he gave Full Tilt even more exposure, as both were wearing the online poker room’s gear. Benyamine and Watson entered the final table as the two chip leaders; the two would eventually finish first and second, respectively.
Because of the episode being an hour long, only two eliminations (Phan and Thaler) were shown. The end of the show featured a preview for next week, which consisted of each of the four remaining players moving all in and Van Patten reacting strongly to the result of a hand. The WPT is slated to launch a Channel Finder in the near future in order to assist fans with finding its programming. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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World Poker Tour
Fox Sports
Poker News
On Sunday night, the seventh season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) kicked off. Part one of Bellagio Cup IV aired, which featured a final table that included Mike Watson, David Benyamine, Luke Staudenmaier, Ralph Perry, John Phan, and Gabriel Thaler. It was the first WPT tournament to be sponsored by FullTiltPoker.net, which received a sizable amount of exposure throughout the one hour episode on Fox Sports Net.
The first of 26 installments hit the airwaves on Sunday night. The Bellagio Cup IV was actually the second WPT tournament of Season VII. In May, a non-televised Spanish Championship took place in Barcelona. The Bellagio Cup IV took place in July, just after the start of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. For Season VII, the WPT inked a sponsorship agreement with FullTiltPoker.net. As such, the educational gaming site received an ample amount of publicity throughout the show, including in its opening.
Each of the on-screen displays of chip counts featured a FullTiltPoker.net logo, as did the graphic that appears when players peek at their cards. One of the most noticeable changes included the felt in the center of the table, which contained a digitally-produced FullTiltPoker.net logo. This were added in during post-production of the episodes, as Full Tilt did not sign on as a presenting sponsor until November, four months after the tournament was filmed.
Two other companies also received a considerable amount of exposure. Southwest Airlines, one of the major carriers in the United States, is also a sponsor of the seventh season of the WPT. As such, it received prominent placement, including a voiceover by WPT Co-Host Vince Van Patten, who claimed, “Tonight’s broadcast sponsored in part by Southwest Airlines.” The WPT also featured its ClubWPT MySpace page in signage on the Bellagio Cup IV set. The advertisements directed viewers to view the subscription-based online poker room’s MySpace page, located at myspace.com/worldpokertour.
On the inside walls of the tables were logos for the WPT Boot Camp, a roving educational seminar on cash games and tournaments that features such brand name pros as Kenna James, Poker News Daily Columnist Linda Johnson, T.J. Cloutier, Tom McEvoy, and Jan Fisher. The next ring game Boot Camp is scheduled for January 17th and 18th at the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood, California.
In addition to its MySpace presence, ClubWPT also received a multitude of advertising spots. The commercials noted that players competed for over $100,000 in monthly prizes and that membership is $19.95 per month. ClubWPT is open to customers of the United States due to its subscription status. It is one of the last subscription sites standing, as two of its competitors, Zosoz and Fleet Street Games, closed their doors near the end of the 2008 calendar year.
The presence of WPT Live Updates hostess Amanda Leatherman is also a noticeable difference. During Sunday’s episode, she appeared on screen interviewing Erica Schoenberg, the fiancée of tournament competitor David Benyamine. The Frenchman won his first WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight or Better for $535,000 in June.
Phan is fresh off being named Bluff Magazine’s 2008 Player of the Year. He donned both of his WSOP bracelets on set for the Bellagio Cup IV. Along with Benyamine, he gave Full Tilt even more exposure, as both were wearing the online poker room’s gear. Benyamine and Watson entered the final table as the two chip leaders; the two would eventually finish first and second, respectively.
Because of the episode being an hour long, only two eliminations (Phan and Thaler) were shown. The end of the show featured a preview for next week, which consisted of each of the four remaining players moving all in and Van Patten reacting strongly to the result of a hand. The WPT is slated to launch a Channel Finder in the near future in order to assist fans with finding its programming. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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World Poker Tour
Fox Sports
Poker News
WSOP Europe to Air on February 1st, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 5th January 2009
Move over, Super Bowl. There’s a new sheriff in town. On Sunday, February 1st, the first four of episodes of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event will air on ESPN at 6:00pm ET; there will be eight episodes in total. The Super Bowl, which is one of the world’s most watched sporting events, kicks off at 6:30pm ET.
At 10:00pm ET on February 1st, an encore presentation of the first two episodes will air on ESPN2 for those who were watching “The Big Game.” The WSOP Europe festivities consisted of four separate tournaments, culminating in a £10,350 buy-in event that drew 362 players. At the end of the day, Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda became just the second WSOP Europe Main Event champion ever, joining Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who won the prestigious title in 2007.
ESPN Senior Director of Communications, George McNeilly, told Poker News Daily, “An opportunity presented itself to air the WSOP-Europe in prime time on ESPN. We always strive to serve the widest variety of sports fans and we hope poker fans tune in for the prime time episodes.”
The WSOP Europe tournaments were held at the Casino at the Empire in London’s Leicester Square. The epicenter of the city’s theater district, Leicester Square also houses several casinos. Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, commented in a press release that the atmosphere of this event is vastly different than the one filmed at the Rio in Las Vegas: “The intimate look and feel of this tournament is different from other WSOP events we produced in the United States.” The press release explains that players at the Casino at the Empire were seated “in a side room, under the stairs, behind the bar, near the roulette tables, and in front of an ice cream shop.”
ESPN is also employing a mobile hole card camera in order to be able to show what players hold in key hands no matter where they are seated. In the past, ESPN has used the Henry Orenstein invention only for its feature table as well as “Table 2.” Jamie Horowitz, ESPN’s Senior Sports Producer, explained the importance of this addition for WSOP Europe’s coverage: “We believe the Mobile Hole Card Camera will provide fans a great understanding of the overall story behind the tournament, and how the players advanced to the final table.”
Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Tampa, Florida on February 1st. The game pits the top team from the National Football Conference (NFC) against the top team from the American Football Conference (AFC). The game kicks off at 6:30pm ET and will go head to head with ESPN’s WSOP Europe coverage. The Super Bowl is viewed in dozens of countries around the world and advertising spots regularly come with a seven-figure price tag. The NFL playoffs will enter their Divisional round this weekend, with the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and San Diego Chargers remaining in the hunt for the AFC. In the NFC, the defending champion New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and Philadelphia Eagles are still in contention.
The schedule for the WSOP Europe on ESPN2 is as follows:
Sunday, February 1st
10:00pm: Episode #1
11:00pm: Episode #2
Sunday, February 8th
10:00pm: Episode #3
11:00pm: Episode #4
Sunday, February 15th
10:00pm: Episode #5
11:00pm: Episode #6
Sunday, March 1st
10:00pm: Episode #7
11:00pm: Episode #8
The WSOP Europe Main Event attracted all of the heavy hitters in the poker world. The final table featured WSOP November Nine member Ivan Demidov, who became the first person ever to reach the final tables of both the WSOP and WSOP Europe Main Events in the same year; Demidov finished third in London and second in Las Vegas for well over $6 million total. Also seated at the WSOP Europe Main Event final table are Daniel Negreanu and Scott Fischman. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad will provide commentary for the event.
The schedule for the 2009 WSOP has not yet been released. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WSOP
ESPN
Poker News
Move over, Super Bowl. There’s a new sheriff in town. On Sunday, February 1st, the first four of episodes of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event will air on ESPN at 6:00pm ET; there will be eight episodes in total. The Super Bowl, which is one of the world’s most watched sporting events, kicks off at 6:30pm ET.
At 10:00pm ET on February 1st, an encore presentation of the first two episodes will air on ESPN2 for those who were watching “The Big Game.” The WSOP Europe festivities consisted of four separate tournaments, culminating in a £10,350 buy-in event that drew 362 players. At the end of the day, Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda became just the second WSOP Europe Main Event champion ever, joining Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who won the prestigious title in 2007.
ESPN Senior Director of Communications, George McNeilly, told Poker News Daily, “An opportunity presented itself to air the WSOP-Europe in prime time on ESPN. We always strive to serve the widest variety of sports fans and we hope poker fans tune in for the prime time episodes.”
The WSOP Europe tournaments were held at the Casino at the Empire in London’s Leicester Square. The epicenter of the city’s theater district, Leicester Square also houses several casinos. Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, commented in a press release that the atmosphere of this event is vastly different than the one filmed at the Rio in Las Vegas: “The intimate look and feel of this tournament is different from other WSOP events we produced in the United States.” The press release explains that players at the Casino at the Empire were seated “in a side room, under the stairs, behind the bar, near the roulette tables, and in front of an ice cream shop.”
ESPN is also employing a mobile hole card camera in order to be able to show what players hold in key hands no matter where they are seated. In the past, ESPN has used the Henry Orenstein invention only for its feature table as well as “Table 2.” Jamie Horowitz, ESPN’s Senior Sports Producer, explained the importance of this addition for WSOP Europe’s coverage: “We believe the Mobile Hole Card Camera will provide fans a great understanding of the overall story behind the tournament, and how the players advanced to the final table.”
Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Tampa, Florida on February 1st. The game pits the top team from the National Football Conference (NFC) against the top team from the American Football Conference (AFC). The game kicks off at 6:30pm ET and will go head to head with ESPN’s WSOP Europe coverage. The Super Bowl is viewed in dozens of countries around the world and advertising spots regularly come with a seven-figure price tag. The NFL playoffs will enter their Divisional round this weekend, with the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and San Diego Chargers remaining in the hunt for the AFC. In the NFC, the defending champion New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and Philadelphia Eagles are still in contention.
The schedule for the WSOP Europe on ESPN2 is as follows:
Sunday, February 1st
10:00pm: Episode #1
11:00pm: Episode #2
Sunday, February 8th
10:00pm: Episode #3
11:00pm: Episode #4
Sunday, February 15th
10:00pm: Episode #5
11:00pm: Episode #6
Sunday, March 1st
10:00pm: Episode #7
11:00pm: Episode #8
The WSOP Europe Main Event attracted all of the heavy hitters in the poker world. The final table featured WSOP November Nine member Ivan Demidov, who became the first person ever to reach the final tables of both the WSOP and WSOP Europe Main Events in the same year; Demidov finished third in London and second in Las Vegas for well over $6 million total. Also seated at the WSOP Europe Main Event final table are Daniel Negreanu and Scott Fischman. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad will provide commentary for the event.
The schedule for the 2009 WSOP has not yet been released. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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WSOP
ESPN
Poker News
Pamela Anderson May Play in Aussie Millions, by Brett Collson - Poker News Daily - 5th January 2009
Former “Baywatch” television star Pamela Anderson is rumored to be taking another dip into the poker scene later this month. Several sources are reporting that the sex symbol will be participating in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, which kicks off on January 9th and runs through the 26th.
Anderson was scheduled to make an appearance at the Aussie Millions Main Event last year, but couldn’t fit the annual tournament into her schedule. It is believed that her management is in talks with tournament organizers for the former actress to take part as a celebrity player in 2009. She’ll join some of the top poker pros on the planet in the pursuit of the AUD $2 million first place prize.
Poker has long been an interest for Anderson. In 2006, she launched PamelaPoker.com, a sister site to Doyle’s Room, but the venture was shut down after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law later that year. Sites that vacated the U.S. market around that time included PartyPoker and Paradise Poker.
Anderson was formerly married to film producer and poker player Rick Salomon. The marriage lasted for only for ten weeks before the couple separated; it was finally annulled just six months after the wedding. According to Anderson during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the couple began dating because Salomon promised to pay off her poker debts. Salomon is most famously known for his starring role in “One Night in Paris,” which was the first Paris Hilton Sex tape.
Along with her role as C.J. Parker on “Baywatch,” Anderson appeared in the hit television sitcom “Home Improvement” and starred in shows such as “V.I.P.” and “Stacked.” She most recently stumbled upon the giant that is reality television and became of the center of attention in her own show on the E! Network called “Pam: Girl on the Loose.”
Others believed to be making an appearance at this year’s Aussie Millions Main Event are former tennis star Mark Philippoussis and ex-rugby player Kris Smith, the husband of Australian singer Danielle Minogue. Both are supposedly looking for sponsors in the event. Past celebrities to make the trip to Crown Casino were actress-turned-poker player Shannon Elizabeth, tennis superstar Andy Roddick, and actor Michael Vartan.
The 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event will kick off on January 18th. A winner will be named six days later. Alexander Kostritsyn was crowned as last year’s champion, besting 778 players for a first place prize of $1.4 million. Kostritsyn beat Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel after two hours of heads-up play. Other past winners of the Main Event include Gus Hansen (2007), Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson (2006), and Tony Bloom (2004). (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Aussie Millions
Crown Casino
Poker News
Former “Baywatch” television star Pamela Anderson is rumored to be taking another dip into the poker scene later this month. Several sources are reporting that the sex symbol will be participating in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, which kicks off on January 9th and runs through the 26th.
Anderson was scheduled to make an appearance at the Aussie Millions Main Event last year, but couldn’t fit the annual tournament into her schedule. It is believed that her management is in talks with tournament organizers for the former actress to take part as a celebrity player in 2009. She’ll join some of the top poker pros on the planet in the pursuit of the AUD $2 million first place prize.
Poker has long been an interest for Anderson. In 2006, she launched PamelaPoker.com, a sister site to Doyle’s Room, but the venture was shut down after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law later that year. Sites that vacated the U.S. market around that time included PartyPoker and Paradise Poker.
Anderson was formerly married to film producer and poker player Rick Salomon. The marriage lasted for only for ten weeks before the couple separated; it was finally annulled just six months after the wedding. According to Anderson during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the couple began dating because Salomon promised to pay off her poker debts. Salomon is most famously known for his starring role in “One Night in Paris,” which was the first Paris Hilton Sex tape.
Along with her role as C.J. Parker on “Baywatch,” Anderson appeared in the hit television sitcom “Home Improvement” and starred in shows such as “V.I.P.” and “Stacked.” She most recently stumbled upon the giant that is reality television and became of the center of attention in her own show on the E! Network called “Pam: Girl on the Loose.”
Others believed to be making an appearance at this year’s Aussie Millions Main Event are former tennis star Mark Philippoussis and ex-rugby player Kris Smith, the husband of Australian singer Danielle Minogue. Both are supposedly looking for sponsors in the event. Past celebrities to make the trip to Crown Casino were actress-turned-poker player Shannon Elizabeth, tennis superstar Andy Roddick, and actor Michael Vartan.
The 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event will kick off on January 18th. A winner will be named six days later. Alexander Kostritsyn was crowned as last year’s champion, besting 778 players for a first place prize of $1.4 million. Kostritsyn beat Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel after two hours of heads-up play. Other past winners of the Main Event include Gus Hansen (2007), Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson (2006), and Tony Bloom (2004). (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Aussie Millions
Crown Casino
Poker News
Monday, January 05, 2009
Rory Rees Brennan wins the 2009 Irish Poker Championship
The IPC was the first major Poker Tournament on the hectic 2009 calendar and the recent doom and gloom in the news did nothing to stop 255 people entering the €2000 buyin Main Event which was held in the Radisson Hotel in Galway which generated a total prizepool of €464,000 and a top prize of €160,000 – a nice New Years bonus for one lucky person.
It was a star-studded event with big names such as Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Marty Smyth and of course last years winner, Jude Ainsworth who was determined to defend his title and start 2009 on a high!
131 players failed to survive Day 1, meaning 124 players returned on Day 2, one step closer to the money. David Poole emerged as the runaway chipleader during the day, but it was the young Englishman, Ben Vinson, who was to emerge as the chipleader going into the third and final day with Chris Dowling within arms reach of him.
26 players were to make the money and it was 26 who returned on Day 3. The shortstacked players were quick to fall by the wayside and others, like the ever-determined Rory Brown, just couldn’t catch a break and often fell at the hands of the extremely active Ben Vinson who seemingly could do no wrong. Once we reached the final table however, the momentum looked set to change.
The final table consisted of an interesting bunch. Peter Murphy continued his recent good form in what was to be another final table for him. Derek Murray and David Curtis were the local Galway representation while Krzysztof Gwvszko was the sole Pole remaining in the event. The well known Rory Liffey found himself sat beside his namesake, Rory Brennan while David Poole and Chris Dowling had no intention of sitting back and letting themselves blind out! Chipleader Ben Vinson intended on continuing the dominance he had enjoyed since the beginning of the day.
It wasn’t to be Ben Vinson’s name engraved on the crystal trophy, however, after he was eliminated in 3rd place for €55,000. So it was left to Rory Rees Brennan and Chris Dowling to go head to head in an epic two and a half hour battle for the top prize of €160,000. Both players made few mistakes, but Rory finally forced Chris into making a small error when he went all-in with nine-six off-suit. Rory showed Ace-Ten and despite getting help in the form of a nine, Rory hit an ace to bury Chris and be crowned the 2009 IPC Champion, taking home the massive first prize of €160,000.
Casino News Media Profiles
Irish Poker Championship
PartyPoker.com
Poker News
The IPC was the first major Poker Tournament on the hectic 2009 calendar and the recent doom and gloom in the news did nothing to stop 255 people entering the €2000 buyin Main Event which was held in the Radisson Hotel in Galway which generated a total prizepool of €464,000 and a top prize of €160,000 – a nice New Years bonus for one lucky person.
It was a star-studded event with big names such as Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Marty Smyth and of course last years winner, Jude Ainsworth who was determined to defend his title and start 2009 on a high!
131 players failed to survive Day 1, meaning 124 players returned on Day 2, one step closer to the money. David Poole emerged as the runaway chipleader during the day, but it was the young Englishman, Ben Vinson, who was to emerge as the chipleader going into the third and final day with Chris Dowling within arms reach of him.
26 players were to make the money and it was 26 who returned on Day 3. The shortstacked players were quick to fall by the wayside and others, like the ever-determined Rory Brown, just couldn’t catch a break and often fell at the hands of the extremely active Ben Vinson who seemingly could do no wrong. Once we reached the final table however, the momentum looked set to change.
The final table consisted of an interesting bunch. Peter Murphy continued his recent good form in what was to be another final table for him. Derek Murray and David Curtis were the local Galway representation while Krzysztof Gwvszko was the sole Pole remaining in the event. The well known Rory Liffey found himself sat beside his namesake, Rory Brennan while David Poole and Chris Dowling had no intention of sitting back and letting themselves blind out! Chipleader Ben Vinson intended on continuing the dominance he had enjoyed since the beginning of the day.
It wasn’t to be Ben Vinson’s name engraved on the crystal trophy, however, after he was eliminated in 3rd place for €55,000. So it was left to Rory Rees Brennan and Chris Dowling to go head to head in an epic two and a half hour battle for the top prize of €160,000. Both players made few mistakes, but Rory finally forced Chris into making a small error when he went all-in with nine-six off-suit. Rory showed Ace-Ten and despite getting help in the form of a nine, Rory hit an ace to bury Chris and be crowned the 2009 IPC Champion, taking home the massive first prize of €160,000.
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John Phan Wins 2008 Bluff Player of the Year Award, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 4th January 2009
John Phan, affectionately named “The Razor” in the world of poker, was recently named Bluff Magazine’s 2008 Player of the Year, with $2.1 million in earnings translating into 1,214.1 points according to its rating system. He edged out Michael Binger, who hauled in $1.1 million for 1,183.7 points.
Phan started the year off in March by making the final table and finishing sixth in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event for $135,000. That tournament, which was won by Brandon Cantu, featured a final table that also included Steve Sung and Jennifer Harman. Then, it was on to the 2008 World Series of Poker, where Phan took down not one, but two bracelets, the coveted hardware awarded to the winner of each tournament. Phan conquered a field of 716 players in a $3,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, defeating John Neckar heads-up. Full Tilt Poker pro David Singer also reached that tournament’s final table.
One bracelet wasn’t enough for one of the most feared poker players in the world, however. Phan bested a field of 238 players en route to a win in a $2,500 buy-in 2-7 Triple Draw tournament (Event #40) for $151,911. The top six finishers in that event included poker author David Sklansky and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s brother, Robert. Also held in Las Vegas was the WPT’s Bellagio Cup IV, which occurred about two weeks after Phan’s second bracelet win. The $15,000 buy-in televised WPT event was ultimately won by Mike Watson. However, Phan once again found himself in the spotlight, taking fifth for $193,915; Watson won $1.6 million.
The highlight of the 2008 calendar year for the California native came in August, when Phan was crowned the winner of the WPT’s Legends of Poker. Truly a legend in his own right after his 2008 performance, he raked in $1.1 million for his efforts. The 373 player field saw Phan go toe to toe with online poker sensation Amit “amak316” Makhija, who took second in the Legends of Poker for over a half-million dollars.
Points are the ultimate determinant of Bluff’s Player of the Year standings. Last year, Bill Edler took first place with 707.57. This year, Phan trumped that total, capturing 1,214.1 points. David “The Dragon” Pham, J.C. Tran, Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, and Ted Lawson rounded out the top five on the leader board in 2007. This year, the top ten players in the standings were as follows:
1st Place: John “The Razor” Phan, 1,214.08 points
2nd Place: Michael Binger, 1,183.67 points
3rd Place: David “The Dragon” Pham, 1,148.05 points
4th Place: Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, 1,114.32 points
5th Place: Men “The Master” Nguyen, 1,090.31 points
6th Place: Toto Leonidas, 1,087.13 points
7th Place: Nam Le, 940.03 points
8th Place: David Benyamine, 905.07 points
9th Place: Shannon Shorr, 882.44 points
10th Place: Jason Mercier, 877.10 points
Other notable names who found themselves perched near the top of Bluff Magazine’s Player of the Year standings were:
11th Place: Erik Seidel, 844.30 points
12th Place: John Juanda, 822.18 points
18th Place: Hevad Khan, 741.33 points
22nd Place: David “Chino” Rheem, 729.93 points
24th Place: Peter Eastgate, 722.45 points
29th Place: Ivan Demidov, 694.50 points
30th Place: Mike Matusow, 665.15 points
Points are awarded based on a player’s finish, the amount of the tournament’s buy-in, and the number of entrants. Short-handed, shootout, and heads-up tournaments are treated differently than standard events. In addition, each variation of poker features a different point structure.
One of the world’s largest poker print periodicals, Bluff is based in Atlanta, Georgia and managed by Eric Morris. Eddy Kleid, Jeff Markley, and Michael Casselli all play a prominent role in the organization. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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John Phan, affectionately named “The Razor” in the world of poker, was recently named Bluff Magazine’s 2008 Player of the Year, with $2.1 million in earnings translating into 1,214.1 points according to its rating system. He edged out Michael Binger, who hauled in $1.1 million for 1,183.7 points.
Phan started the year off in March by making the final table and finishing sixth in the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star event for $135,000. That tournament, which was won by Brandon Cantu, featured a final table that also included Steve Sung and Jennifer Harman. Then, it was on to the 2008 World Series of Poker, where Phan took down not one, but two bracelets, the coveted hardware awarded to the winner of each tournament. Phan conquered a field of 716 players in a $3,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, defeating John Neckar heads-up. Full Tilt Poker pro David Singer also reached that tournament’s final table.
One bracelet wasn’t enough for one of the most feared poker players in the world, however. Phan bested a field of 238 players en route to a win in a $2,500 buy-in 2-7 Triple Draw tournament (Event #40) for $151,911. The top six finishers in that event included poker author David Sklansky and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s brother, Robert. Also held in Las Vegas was the WPT’s Bellagio Cup IV, which occurred about two weeks after Phan’s second bracelet win. The $15,000 buy-in televised WPT event was ultimately won by Mike Watson. However, Phan once again found himself in the spotlight, taking fifth for $193,915; Watson won $1.6 million.
The highlight of the 2008 calendar year for the California native came in August, when Phan was crowned the winner of the WPT’s Legends of Poker. Truly a legend in his own right after his 2008 performance, he raked in $1.1 million for his efforts. The 373 player field saw Phan go toe to toe with online poker sensation Amit “amak316” Makhija, who took second in the Legends of Poker for over a half-million dollars.
Points are the ultimate determinant of Bluff’s Player of the Year standings. Last year, Bill Edler took first place with 707.57. This year, Phan trumped that total, capturing 1,214.1 points. David “The Dragon” Pham, J.C. Tran, Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, and Ted Lawson rounded out the top five on the leader board in 2007. This year, the top ten players in the standings were as follows:
1st Place: John “The Razor” Phan, 1,214.08 points
2nd Place: Michael Binger, 1,183.67 points
3rd Place: David “The Dragon” Pham, 1,148.05 points
4th Place: Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, 1,114.32 points
5th Place: Men “The Master” Nguyen, 1,090.31 points
6th Place: Toto Leonidas, 1,087.13 points
7th Place: Nam Le, 940.03 points
8th Place: David Benyamine, 905.07 points
9th Place: Shannon Shorr, 882.44 points
10th Place: Jason Mercier, 877.10 points
Other notable names who found themselves perched near the top of Bluff Magazine’s Player of the Year standings were:
11th Place: Erik Seidel, 844.30 points
12th Place: John Juanda, 822.18 points
18th Place: Hevad Khan, 741.33 points
22nd Place: David “Chino” Rheem, 729.93 points
24th Place: Peter Eastgate, 722.45 points
29th Place: Ivan Demidov, 694.50 points
30th Place: Mike Matusow, 665.15 points
Points are awarded based on a player’s finish, the amount of the tournament’s buy-in, and the number of entrants. Short-handed, shootout, and heads-up tournaments are treated differently than standard events. In addition, each variation of poker features a different point structure.
One of the world’s largest poker print periodicals, Bluff is based in Atlanta, Georgia and managed by Eric Morris. Eddy Kleid, Jeff Markley, and Michael Casselli all play a prominent role in the organization. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Using distractions as advantages, by Steve Rosenbloom - Los Angeles Times - 4th January 2009
If you're playing in a typical no-limit hold 'em tournament at your local casino, you don't have to worry about such things as cameras and boom mikes crowding the table.
But if you play in the World Series of Poker, those things can become a factor, and wily pros such as Kirk Morrison will try to exploit them.
In this hand from the 2008 WSOP $10,000-buy-in main event at Las Vegas' Rio Hotel, with blinds at $50-$100, Morrison found K-10 suited on the button. The player in Seat 7, who had beaten Morrison in several earlier hands, open-raised to $350. The cutoff called, as did Morrison.
"I'd call with anything in position," said Morrison, owner of one WSOP bracelet. "I'd call with deuce-6 offsuit in position in this tournament."
The flop came Q-8-7, two hearts, giving Morrison the second-nut flush draw. Seat 7 bet out $650, the cutoff folded, and Morrison called.
"I thought he was strong," Morrison said. "At that point, I thought he had kings, even though I had the king of hearts."
The turn came the 9 of spades, giving Morrison an open-ended straight draw to the jack or the 6 to go with his flush draw. His opponent bet out $1,200.
"That was a scary board," said Morrison, who won more than $2 million when he finished second in the World Poker Tour Championship in 2007. "When he put out $1,200, I thought there was a good chance he might've flopped a set of queens or a set of 8s."
Morrison called. The river came the 4 of hearts, completing Morrison's flush. Seat 7 checked.
Morrison immediately said, "That's me," and he threw out a $5,000 chip.
"With this gentleman, if I take my time, he was capable of laying it down," Morrison said. "So I had to throw it in quickly and look like I was steaming. If I slow down, I don't think I'm going to get a call.
"Plus, there was a boom mike hanging over the top, the cameras were there, and people don't want to be bluffed. I tried to take advantage of all those nuances that don't get written about in books."
The player in Seat 7 said, "I don't think I can lay this hand down." He didn't. He called, then mucked his hand when he saw Morrison's flush.
"You have to decipher different people's mentality," Morrison said. "That kind of thing wouldn't have worked against 70 percent of the field. I wouldn't have gotten a call. He was the kind of guy who, when you have the cameras in there, he wouldn't want to have it shown that he was bluffed. With his personality, if I slow it down, it gives him more time to think. He probably would've made the correct laydown."
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Second-nut flush draw: Holding the second-highest card of a suit that would complete a flush. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)
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If you're playing in a typical no-limit hold 'em tournament at your local casino, you don't have to worry about such things as cameras and boom mikes crowding the table.
But if you play in the World Series of Poker, those things can become a factor, and wily pros such as Kirk Morrison will try to exploit them.
In this hand from the 2008 WSOP $10,000-buy-in main event at Las Vegas' Rio Hotel, with blinds at $50-$100, Morrison found K-10 suited on the button. The player in Seat 7, who had beaten Morrison in several earlier hands, open-raised to $350. The cutoff called, as did Morrison.
"I'd call with anything in position," said Morrison, owner of one WSOP bracelet. "I'd call with deuce-6 offsuit in position in this tournament."
The flop came Q-8-7, two hearts, giving Morrison the second-nut flush draw. Seat 7 bet out $650, the cutoff folded, and Morrison called.
"I thought he was strong," Morrison said. "At that point, I thought he had kings, even though I had the king of hearts."
The turn came the 9 of spades, giving Morrison an open-ended straight draw to the jack or the 6 to go with his flush draw. His opponent bet out $1,200.
"That was a scary board," said Morrison, who won more than $2 million when he finished second in the World Poker Tour Championship in 2007. "When he put out $1,200, I thought there was a good chance he might've flopped a set of queens or a set of 8s."
Morrison called. The river came the 4 of hearts, completing Morrison's flush. Seat 7 checked.
Morrison immediately said, "That's me," and he threw out a $5,000 chip.
"With this gentleman, if I take my time, he was capable of laying it down," Morrison said. "So I had to throw it in quickly and look like I was steaming. If I slow down, I don't think I'm going to get a call.
"Plus, there was a boom mike hanging over the top, the cameras were there, and people don't want to be bluffed. I tried to take advantage of all those nuances that don't get written about in books."
The player in Seat 7 said, "I don't think I can lay this hand down." He didn't. He called, then mucked his hand when he saw Morrison's flush.
"You have to decipher different people's mentality," Morrison said. "That kind of thing wouldn't have worked against 70 percent of the field. I wouldn't have gotten a call. He was the kind of guy who, when you have the cameras in there, he wouldn't want to have it shown that he was bluffed. With his personality, if I slow it down, it gives him more time to think. He probably would've made the correct laydown."
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Second-nut flush draw: Holding the second-highest card of a suit that would complete a flush. (Credit: Los Angeles Times)
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Stars Set To Play Poker For A Good Cause - Entertainment Tonight - 29th December 2008
A group of celebrities are getting their poker faces ready to compete in a star-studded game for charity.
Brad Garrett, Adam Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Judd Nelson, Chris McDonald and others will play in a celeb poker tournament that will benefit the Therapeutic Living Centers For The Blind (TLC) located in Reseda, Calif. The tournament will also benefit the TLC's new children's center.
The competition will take place at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif., on January 17. The grand prize for the event includes a seat at the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational and $2,500 in cash. The public can buy tickets for the event here.
TLC was founded 30 years ago and provides 'round-the-clock care services for people challenged with both blindness and developmental disabilities. (Credit: Entertainment Tonight)
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A group of celebrities are getting their poker faces ready to compete in a star-studded game for charity.
Brad Garrett, Adam Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Judd Nelson, Chris McDonald and others will play in a celeb poker tournament that will benefit the Therapeutic Living Centers For The Blind (TLC) located in Reseda, Calif. The tournament will also benefit the TLC's new children's center.
The competition will take place at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif., on January 17. The grand prize for the event includes a seat at the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational and $2,500 in cash. The public can buy tickets for the event here.
TLC was founded 30 years ago and provides 'round-the-clock care services for people challenged with both blindness and developmental disabilities. (Credit: Entertainment Tonight)
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PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship Underway Tonight
2nd January 2009
The focus of the poker world is on Galway in Ireland for the next few days as the first major tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com, gets underway after 6pm GMT TONIGHT.
The event runs until January 4, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel. Coverage of the main event will be televised on RTÉ and then distributed internationally. The event is organized by Pokerevents.ie, with the coverage produced by Winmedia Ireland Ltd. Live reporting of the event can be found at: http://www.partypokeripc.com
Irish poker is in the ascendancy after the Emerald Isle’s domination of the Poker Million and the top four who did their country so proud are all in attendance in Galway. Marty Smyth, Eoghan O’Dea, Ciaran O’Leary and Liam Flood join a fantastic line-up that also includes Donnacha O’Dea, Padraig Parkinson, Scott Gray, Ciaran O’Leary, Dave Callaghan, Roy Brindley, Tony Cascarino, Rory Liffey, John Magill and last year’s champion Jude Ainsworth.
There is also a big international contingent in Galway in search of victory and a good craic including ‘Ambassador of Poker’ Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Benjamin Kang, Surinder Sunar, Mad Marty Wilson, Julian Gardner, Sam Trickett, John Kabbaj, Michael Greco, Marc Goodwin, Paul Jackson, Mickey Wernick, Alan Vinson and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. France will be represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, Poland by television presenter and boxing champion Agnieszka Rylik, while Spain’s challenge is led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open II star May Maceiras.
Another player taking part will be Meath’s Jay Renehan, who was crowned the winner of special PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship Tour league leaderboard. Recent EPT Barcelona runner-up and Galway casino owner Fintan Gavin finished second, with Michael Graydon third. The Tour started on the 1st August at the Eglinton Casino in Galway and concluded with its eighth stop on Saturday 13th December at the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin. For more information on the Tour and the results see: http://www.partypokeripc.com.
Also in attendance are 16 online qualifiers who won packages for the main event on PartyPoker.com. The package was worth $5,000, including the $2,800 buy-in, $1,000 spending money and accommodation in a luxury hotel. A large contingent qualified for only $3!!! Last night a lively player’s party welcomed everybody to Galway – someone forgot to tell the Irish that it was New Year’s Eve the night before!
Last year’s champion was Galway’s Jude Ainsworth, with the runner-up Mick McCool from Nottingham in the UK. In addition to the main event there are a number of good value side events taking place.
See http://www.pokerevents.ie/ipc/IPC2009/tabid/210/Default.aspx for more information.
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.
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2nd January 2009
The focus of the poker world is on Galway in Ireland for the next few days as the first major tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com, gets underway after 6pm GMT TONIGHT.
The event runs until January 4, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel. Coverage of the main event will be televised on RTÉ and then distributed internationally. The event is organized by Pokerevents.ie, with the coverage produced by Winmedia Ireland Ltd. Live reporting of the event can be found at: http://www.partypokeripc.com
Irish poker is in the ascendancy after the Emerald Isle’s domination of the Poker Million and the top four who did their country so proud are all in attendance in Galway. Marty Smyth, Eoghan O’Dea, Ciaran O’Leary and Liam Flood join a fantastic line-up that also includes Donnacha O’Dea, Padraig Parkinson, Scott Gray, Ciaran O’Leary, Dave Callaghan, Roy Brindley, Tony Cascarino, Rory Liffey, John Magill and last year’s champion Jude Ainsworth.
There is also a big international contingent in Galway in search of victory and a good craic including ‘Ambassador of Poker’ Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, Benjamin Kang, Surinder Sunar, Mad Marty Wilson, Julian Gardner, Sam Trickett, John Kabbaj, Michael Greco, Marc Goodwin, Paul Jackson, Mickey Wernick, Alan Vinson and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. France will be represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, Poland by television presenter and boxing champion Agnieszka Rylik, while Spain’s challenge is led by Leo Margets and PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open II star May Maceiras.
Another player taking part will be Meath’s Jay Renehan, who was crowned the winner of special PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship Tour league leaderboard. Recent EPT Barcelona runner-up and Galway casino owner Fintan Gavin finished second, with Michael Graydon third. The Tour started on the 1st August at the Eglinton Casino in Galway and concluded with its eighth stop on Saturday 13th December at the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin. For more information on the Tour and the results see: http://www.partypokeripc.com.
Also in attendance are 16 online qualifiers who won packages for the main event on PartyPoker.com. The package was worth $5,000, including the $2,800 buy-in, $1,000 spending money and accommodation in a luxury hotel. A large contingent qualified for only $3!!! Last night a lively player’s party welcomed everybody to Galway – someone forgot to tell the Irish that it was New Year’s Eve the night before!
Last year’s champion was Galway’s Jude Ainsworth, with the runner-up Mick McCool from Nottingham in the UK. In addition to the main event there are a number of good value side events taking place.
See http://www.pokerevents.ie/ipc/IPC2009/tabid/210/Default.aspx for more information.
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.
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The Australian Poker Hall of Fame - 4th January 2009
This just in from PokerNetwork.com...
After stepping down as the Big Rooster of PokerNetwork to join my ‘feather duster’ mates in the poker room I have been able to take the time to oversee our poker history and to honour poker players and administrators with the establishment of our own Australian Hall of Fame.
It is with great pleasure that, in association with Crown Casino, Bluff magazine and PokerNetwork, I announce the formation of The Australian Poker Hall of Fame. The business name has been registered and a new “Hall of Fame” tab on the PokerNetwork website will be revealed shortly.
I have accepted the Chair of a Convening Committee with representatives of the Oz Casino Industry, Bluff Magazine, players and PokerNetwork and made preparations for a launch of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame at the Crown Casino 14 January 2009 during the VIP Event of the Aussie Millions.
On behalf of all the Australian and New Zealand poker players I extend a special thanks to Crown Casino for this privilege during the Aussie Millions and for the support from Bluff and PokerNetwork. It will be an occasion to remember and a full coming of age for the grand old game of poker in Australia, coming as it does with the record breaking million dollar buy in event.
In proposing this Australian Poker Hall of Fame, I have been driven by a long time desire to honour and set in stone, those poker players, Casinos and promoters who have done so much to bring the game to the standard of excellence as it is today.
In the selection of inductees, advice has been taken from numerous poker players and supporters and Casino administrators. I have examined domestic and international results to finalise the selections for induction 2008, but in the end, for this year, the final decisions have been mine and many champions miss out. Any “culpa” which may arise from this selection belongs to “mea” alone. (Credit: PokerNetwork.com)
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This just in from PokerNetwork.com...
After stepping down as the Big Rooster of PokerNetwork to join my ‘feather duster’ mates in the poker room I have been able to take the time to oversee our poker history and to honour poker players and administrators with the establishment of our own Australian Hall of Fame.
It is with great pleasure that, in association with Crown Casino, Bluff magazine and PokerNetwork, I announce the formation of The Australian Poker Hall of Fame. The business name has been registered and a new “Hall of Fame” tab on the PokerNetwork website will be revealed shortly.
I have accepted the Chair of a Convening Committee with representatives of the Oz Casino Industry, Bluff Magazine, players and PokerNetwork and made preparations for a launch of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame at the Crown Casino 14 January 2009 during the VIP Event of the Aussie Millions.
On behalf of all the Australian and New Zealand poker players I extend a special thanks to Crown Casino for this privilege during the Aussie Millions and for the support from Bluff and PokerNetwork. It will be an occasion to remember and a full coming of age for the grand old game of poker in Australia, coming as it does with the record breaking million dollar buy in event.
In proposing this Australian Poker Hall of Fame, I have been driven by a long time desire to honour and set in stone, those poker players, Casinos and promoters who have done so much to bring the game to the standard of excellence as it is today.
In the selection of inductees, advice has been taken from numerous poker players and supporters and Casino administrators. I have examined domestic and international results to finalise the selections for induction 2008, but in the end, for this year, the final decisions have been mine and many champions miss out. Any “culpa” which may arise from this selection belongs to “mea” alone. (Credit: PokerNetwork.com)
For the complete story visit PokerNetwork.com
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Sunday, January 04, 2009
Poker Legend Accuses Dikshit of Abandoning Industry - 4th January 2009
Anurag Dikshit, the co-founder of successful US online gambling company PartyGaming, was recently fined a staggering $300,000,000 by US courts. Now he faces a verbal attack from poker legend Doyle ‘Texas Dolly' Brunson.
Dikshit pleaded guilty to contravening the US federal wire act just a few weeks ago. He admitted to using the wires to transmit bets and wager information on interstate commerce and now also faces up to two years in jail.
Dikshit was one of the owners of Party Poker and became a multi-billionaire when Party went public,' Brunson wrote in his well-read blog. 'It looks like he would feel a sense of obligation to online poker, the industry that made him a rich man. Instead, he folded up like an accordion and pleaded guilty to breaking some kind of mystery law.
'It certainly created some ill will from the other online poker sites. I personally can't imagine what was going through his mind when he made the decision,' the respected Texan wrote. (Credit: CAP and Doyles Room)
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Anurag Dikshit, the co-founder of successful US online gambling company PartyGaming, was recently fined a staggering $300,000,000 by US courts. Now he faces a verbal attack from poker legend Doyle ‘Texas Dolly' Brunson.
Dikshit pleaded guilty to contravening the US federal wire act just a few weeks ago. He admitted to using the wires to transmit bets and wager information on interstate commerce and now also faces up to two years in jail.
Dikshit was one of the owners of Party Poker and became a multi-billionaire when Party went public,' Brunson wrote in his well-read blog. 'It looks like he would feel a sense of obligation to online poker, the industry that made him a rich man. Instead, he folded up like an accordion and pleaded guilty to breaking some kind of mystery law.
'It certainly created some ill will from the other online poker sites. I personally can't imagine what was going through his mind when he made the decision,' the respected Texan wrote. (Credit: CAP and Doyles Room)
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Winners Are Grinners - 22nd December 2008
With 555 entrants and well over 1,600 rebuys, the Free-to-Enter Mega Satellite saw three $10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event seats up for grabs.
To win a seat into the Main Event via the Free-to-Enter Mega Satellite is a players dream that became a reality for just a few. As the clock ticked past 9.30pm the bubble finally burst and the three winners (pictured L-R Declan Murphy, Shy Jachimowicz and Alf Frommer) rejoiced with hugs and hi-fives.
Later in the evening four more names were added to the Main Event entry list with the completion of the Saturday Night $550 direct entry Satellite. With 94 entrants, many of whom came through the daily satellites, four Main Event seats were awarded as well as three $1,650 Feature Event seats. The Main Event winners were Sherif Derias, Brett Daphne, Tim English and Paul Obrien.
With four more coming through from the Thursday Night Rebuy Satellite, and the whopping 25 during Aussie Millions Warm Up Week, this now brings a total of 40 Main Event Seats awarded in December, with more still to come. (Credit: Crown Poker)
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With 555 entrants and well over 1,600 rebuys, the Free-to-Enter Mega Satellite saw three $10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event seats up for grabs.
To win a seat into the Main Event via the Free-to-Enter Mega Satellite is a players dream that became a reality for just a few. As the clock ticked past 9.30pm the bubble finally burst and the three winners (pictured L-R Declan Murphy, Shy Jachimowicz and Alf Frommer) rejoiced with hugs and hi-fives.
Later in the evening four more names were added to the Main Event entry list with the completion of the Saturday Night $550 direct entry Satellite. With 94 entrants, many of whom came through the daily satellites, four Main Event seats were awarded as well as three $1,650 Feature Event seats. The Main Event winners were Sherif Derias, Brett Daphne, Tim English and Paul Obrien.
With four more coming through from the Thursday Night Rebuy Satellite, and the whopping 25 during Aussie Millions Warm Up Week, this now brings a total of 40 Main Event Seats awarded in December, with more still to come. (Credit: Crown Poker)
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Players Announced for Weekly Poker After Dark Episodes, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 3rd January 2009
NBC’s Poker After Dark has become synonymous with high-stakes cash games and six-man tournaments featuring World Poker Tour winners, World Series of Poker bracelet holders, and industry staples. The show airs as late as 2:20am Eastern Time in some markets and is currently entering its fifth season. Recently, the network station announced the line-up for the marquee poker series.
The 2009 broadcast schedule will feature new shows interspersed with “encore” broadcasts of popular episodes from previous seasons. Three of those “encore” broadcasts will make up much of the January schedule. This upcoming week (January 5th) will include only new material, called “Speak Your Mind” in an apparent reference to the players’ verbosity or previous commentary experience. The episode will feature professionals Phil Hellmuth, Phil Gordon, and “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan heading to battle on the felt.
The rest of January will be replete with “encore” shows, featuring amateur player Paul Featherstone’s “Dream Table” (Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Sexton, Jennifer Harman, and Gavin Smith) the week of January 19th and a gathering of the veterans of the legendary Mayfair Club featuring Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, and Steve Zolotow on January 26th.
February kicks off with another “encore” broadcast, but it is the new material which should draw the attention of many poker aficionados. The week of February 9th is “Brilliant Minds Week” and features such mathematical geniuses as Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, William Chen, and David Sklansky flexing their mental muscles on the table. The next week brings about a battle of the “Nets vs. Vets.” The show features internet gurus (CardRunners pros Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby and David “Raptor” Benefield) against the veterans of poker (Doyle Brunson and Eli Elezra).
February wraps up the week of the 23rd with what should prove to be a very contentious sit and go. Multiple World Poker Tour event winners Daniel Negreanu, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Erick Lindgren, and Gus Hansen should have plenty of fireworks to entertain viewers.
Highlights of the month of March include what could be called Poker After Dark’s version of “The Big Game.” The buy in for this round, to be broadcast the week of March 9th, has been upped to $50,000. The lineup is one poker fans won’t want to miss, with David Benyamine, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, and Allen Cunningham making their appearances. Benyamine will return later in the month, during the week of March 30th, for the “International Game” against 2008 Player of the Year John Phan and 2008 WSOP runner up Ivan Demidov.
Last, but certainly not least, this year’s PAD schedule includes a special cash game and roast of Phil Hellmuth, who has certainly provided his own highlight reel of exploits on the show. Called the “Hellmuth Bash Cash Game” and airing over a two week period beginning May 4th, Hellmuth will entertain fans and opponents. The episodes feature Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, noted cash game player Kenny Tran, and online veteran Tom “durrrr” Dwan. There will certainly be several jabs at the “Poker Brat” during this show, especially about Dwan’s outdraw against Hellmuth in the 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
As always, check your local listings for broadcast time (or if it airs, as all areas do not carry the show), but certainly be sure to check out the 2009 season of Poker After Dark on NBC. Although a bit heavy on Full Tilt Poker pros (one of the sponsors of the program), the poker should be entertaining and the chance to hear the pros banter back and forth without much commentary from the announcers is worth the price of admission. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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NBC’s Poker After Dark has become synonymous with high-stakes cash games and six-man tournaments featuring World Poker Tour winners, World Series of Poker bracelet holders, and industry staples. The show airs as late as 2:20am Eastern Time in some markets and is currently entering its fifth season. Recently, the network station announced the line-up for the marquee poker series.
The 2009 broadcast schedule will feature new shows interspersed with “encore” broadcasts of popular episodes from previous seasons. Three of those “encore” broadcasts will make up much of the January schedule. This upcoming week (January 5th) will include only new material, called “Speak Your Mind” in an apparent reference to the players’ verbosity or previous commentary experience. The episode will feature professionals Phil Hellmuth, Phil Gordon, and “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan heading to battle on the felt.
The rest of January will be replete with “encore” shows, featuring amateur player Paul Featherstone’s “Dream Table” (Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Sexton, Jennifer Harman, and Gavin Smith) the week of January 19th and a gathering of the veterans of the legendary Mayfair Club featuring Howard Lederer, Dan Harrington, and Steve Zolotow on January 26th.
February kicks off with another “encore” broadcast, but it is the new material which should draw the attention of many poker aficionados. The week of February 9th is “Brilliant Minds Week” and features such mathematical geniuses as Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, William Chen, and David Sklansky flexing their mental muscles on the table. The next week brings about a battle of the “Nets vs. Vets.” The show features internet gurus (CardRunners pros Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby and David “Raptor” Benefield) against the veterans of poker (Doyle Brunson and Eli Elezra).
February wraps up the week of the 23rd with what should prove to be a very contentious sit and go. Multiple World Poker Tour event winners Daniel Negreanu, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Erick Lindgren, and Gus Hansen should have plenty of fireworks to entertain viewers.
Highlights of the month of March include what could be called Poker After Dark’s version of “The Big Game.” The buy in for this round, to be broadcast the week of March 9th, has been upped to $50,000. The lineup is one poker fans won’t want to miss, with David Benyamine, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, and Allen Cunningham making their appearances. Benyamine will return later in the month, during the week of March 30th, for the “International Game” against 2008 Player of the Year John Phan and 2008 WSOP runner up Ivan Demidov.
Last, but certainly not least, this year’s PAD schedule includes a special cash game and roast of Phil Hellmuth, who has certainly provided his own highlight reel of exploits on the show. Called the “Hellmuth Bash Cash Game” and airing over a two week period beginning May 4th, Hellmuth will entertain fans and opponents. The episodes feature Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, noted cash game player Kenny Tran, and online veteran Tom “durrrr” Dwan. There will certainly be several jabs at the “Poker Brat” during this show, especially about Dwan’s outdraw against Hellmuth in the 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
As always, check your local listings for broadcast time (or if it airs, as all areas do not carry the show), but certainly be sure to check out the 2009 season of Poker After Dark on NBC. Although a bit heavy on Full Tilt Poker pros (one of the sponsors of the program), the poker should be entertaining and the chance to hear the pros banter back and forth without much commentary from the announcers is worth the price of admission. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Pamela to participate in 'Poker Championship'
Actress-turned poker player Pamela Anderson is reportedly keen to participate in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at Crown this month. It is believed that the former Baywatch babe's management is in talks with event organisers for the blonde to be a celebrity player in the world-renowned tournament, reports Herald Sun.
Anderson is not the only celebrity who will be chancing their luck in the high-stakes tournament. Former tennis ace Mark Philippoussis is desperate to take a seat in the Aussie Millions Main Event, which starts on January 18. However, Philippoussis is reportedly not putting his own money, he is looking for a sponsor to buy him into the game.
Dannii Minogue's handsome other half Kris Smith, a former rugby player and occasional model, is also said to be looking for a sponsor to buy him into the tournament. The Aussie Millions Poker Championship has become one of the 'must attend' tournaments on the international professional poker circuit.
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Actress-turned poker player Pamela Anderson is reportedly keen to participate in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at Crown this month. It is believed that the former Baywatch babe's management is in talks with event organisers for the blonde to be a celebrity player in the world-renowned tournament, reports Herald Sun.
Anderson is not the only celebrity who will be chancing their luck in the high-stakes tournament. Former tennis ace Mark Philippoussis is desperate to take a seat in the Aussie Millions Main Event, which starts on January 18. However, Philippoussis is reportedly not putting his own money, he is looking for a sponsor to buy him into the game.
Dannii Minogue's handsome other half Kris Smith, a former rugby player and occasional model, is also said to be looking for a sponsor to buy him into the tournament. The Aussie Millions Poker Championship has become one of the 'must attend' tournaments on the international professional poker circuit.
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Aussie Millions
Poker News
Saturday, January 03, 2009
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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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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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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Irish Poker Championship
PartyPoker.com
PartyPoker.com News
Poker News
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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Irish Poker Championship
PartyPoker.com
PartyPoker.com News
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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.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Casino News
Poker News
Online Casino News
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.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Casino News
Poker News
Online Casino News
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)
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker
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)
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker
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
Poker News
Casino News
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)
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Joe Hachem
Shane Warne
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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
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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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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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PartyPoker.com
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