Asian Poker Tour comes to Manila - 24th January 2009
After the success of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) events in Manila and Macau last year, the biggest and original poker tour in Asia once again holds its 2009 tour in Manila.
Just like last year, the Asian Poker Tour Philippines 2009 will attract top professional and amateur poker players around the world.
With an estimated $1-M in prize money, world-renowned poker masters and fans will gather to showcase their poker mastery and skills on Jan. 27 to Feb. 1 at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati.
It is estimated that more than 800 players will participate in the various tournaments. International poker superstars like Quinn Do, David “Chino” Rheem and Nam Le have confirmed their participation as well as other leading Filipino players.
The main tournament will be the No Limit Texas Hold’em event, which will be played in four days.
The tournament begins with two flights (1A and 1B), then Day 2 and the Final Day (Sunday) where big cash prizes await the winners. For walk-ins and those who are no longer playing in the main tournament, cash games will be running on-site, as well as special events such as the PKR Headhunter Tournament and the Dafa Poker “PLO” Pot Limit Omaha, which, incidentally, will be the first time this particular game is played in Asia at a major poker event.
Omaha, popular among European and North American poker players, is gaining a following in Asia. Local celebrities will be invited to join a charity poker event where their cash prizes will be donated to charity organizations of their choice.
Celebrities expected to participate include Dingdong Dantes, Maui Taylor, Rajo Laurel, Andrea del Rosario, Jinno Rufino, Mo Twister and Tessa Prieto-Valdes.
The Asian Poker Tour Philippines 2009 is owned and managed by the AsianLogic Limited, an Asia-Pacific on-line and land-based gaming company. For details, call 889-3413 or visit www.asianpt.com.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sport stars struggle at Aussie Millions - NineMSN - 23rd January 2009
Jan 23: As the Aussie Millions Main Event at Melbourne's Crown Casino heads towards its conclusion, the hopeful and the hopeless players have been winnowed away. From 651 entrants, 28 people whose skill and luck has held true are left to play the fourth day, and fight for a place on the final table.
The celebrities who showed up for the Main Event failed to make a lasting impression at the tables, and won’t see any of over $6.8 million dollars prize money on offer.
Cricket legend Shane Warne was quickly dismissed from the tournament. He spent almost as much time in a press conference for the event as he did at the tables, bowing out after two hours of play.
Tennis and reality TV star Mark Philippoussis could serve plenty of aces at his peak, but wasn’t lucky drawing them at the table. He was also out on Day One; unlucky when his two pair, Kings and Queens, was beaten by a flush.
Two other champs, boxer Jeff Fenech and jockey Shane Dye, failed to mimic their sporting success at the tables, and left without prize money.
It wasn’t just part-time players who struggled in the field, with plenty of big names falling by the wayside. Joe Hachem made an early exit, dropping out of the action during Day Three, while last year’s winner, Alexander Kostristsyn, only lasted one day of competition.
Keeping hopes alive for an Aussie victory tomorrow is Melbourne fashion designer, Christopher Chronis. He starts Day Four sitting nicely in third position. (Credit: NineMSN)
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Jan 23: As the Aussie Millions Main Event at Melbourne's Crown Casino heads towards its conclusion, the hopeful and the hopeless players have been winnowed away. From 651 entrants, 28 people whose skill and luck has held true are left to play the fourth day, and fight for a place on the final table.
The celebrities who showed up for the Main Event failed to make a lasting impression at the tables, and won’t see any of over $6.8 million dollars prize money on offer.
Cricket legend Shane Warne was quickly dismissed from the tournament. He spent almost as much time in a press conference for the event as he did at the tables, bowing out after two hours of play.
Tennis and reality TV star Mark Philippoussis could serve plenty of aces at his peak, but wasn’t lucky drawing them at the table. He was also out on Day One; unlucky when his two pair, Kings and Queens, was beaten by a flush.
Two other champs, boxer Jeff Fenech and jockey Shane Dye, failed to mimic their sporting success at the tables, and left without prize money.
It wasn’t just part-time players who struggled in the field, with plenty of big names falling by the wayside. Joe Hachem made an early exit, dropping out of the action during Day Three, while last year’s winner, Alexander Kostristsyn, only lasted one day of competition.
Keeping hopes alive for an Aussie victory tomorrow is Melbourne fashion designer, Christopher Chronis. He starts Day Four sitting nicely in third position. (Credit: NineMSN)
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Countdown is on to Asian Poker Tour Philippines
Manila, Philippines – 22nd January 2009 – The countdown is on to the keenly anticipated Asian Poker Tour Philippines, which gets underway on the 27th January and runs until the 1st February at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila.
The highlight is the $2500 + $200 No Limit Hold’em Main Event, which runs from the 29th January – 1st February. The latest news sees the confirmation of an FHM sponsored party, a celebrity event and a PKR sponsored bounty tournament.
Parties on the Asian Poker Tour in Manila and Macau last year have taken on legendary
status and have even won an award! One highlight for this year’s event is definitely the FHM/DafaPoker Player’s Party, which starts at 19.30 on the 31st January and promises to be ‘tastefully wild,’ with FHM planning to send plenty of their cover models. After the party, the Asian Poker Tour and FHM have hired party buses to take players around Manila’s hotspots. At 20.00 on the 27th January, the Asian Poker Tour Celebrity Challenge, presented by Ray Ban, FHM and JBet, also promises to be lively. 20 celebrities will take part and the Asian Poker Tour and sponsors will be donating a minimum of 200,000 pesos to the charities of the celebrities’ choice. More details are to follow on this event but expect a twist to proceedings!
The Asian Poker Tour is also delighted to introduce the PKR Headhunter Tournament to the fantastic range of side action at the event. Getting underway at 19.30 on the 28th January the $250 + $20 tournament will feature members of The Poker Pack as bounties including Nam Le, David ‘Chino’ Rheem, Quinn Do, Steve Sung and Kwang Soo Lee. A recent online bounty tournament featuring members of The Poker Pack, who are currently on a phenomenal run on the world circuit, broke all records on next generation site PKR.
DafaPoker is the official partner of the Asian Poker Tour in presenting the Pot-Limit
Omaha Hi tournament – a first for a major Asian Tour. The game is scheduled to take
place at 14.00 on the 31st January. The buy-in for this tournament will be $185 + $15. On the same day at 19.00 there will also be a hugely anticipated 13 card tournament featuring a $460 +$40 buy-in. Other highlights include the world’s first GREED tournament and a huge range of cash games, sit and gos and satellites into the Main Event. Registration for the Main Event starts on the 27th January with welcome ceremony cocktails on the evening of the 28th January.
Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour said: “The excitement is building as the clock ticks down to the Asian Poker Tour Philippines. Manila is one of the most fun cities in the world and the event will reflect this. We are delighted with our package of famous parties and the range of side action around our prestigious Main Event. This is one experience not to miss!”
Last year’s Asian Poker Tour Philippines winner was Australia’s David Saab, who scooped first place and $280,000. Coverage of this year’s Main Event will be televised and distributed internationally later in the year. Overseeing the action will be leading tournament director Matt Savage.
The Asian Poker Tour is supported by the iPoker Network, Titan, Dafa Poker, PKR,
PartyPoker, Everest, 888, JBet Poker, 32 Red Poker, Microgaming Network and Everleaf
Network. Full details can be found at http://www.asianpt.com
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Manila, Philippines – 22nd January 2009 – The countdown is on to the keenly anticipated Asian Poker Tour Philippines, which gets underway on the 27th January and runs until the 1st February at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila.
The highlight is the $2500 + $200 No Limit Hold’em Main Event, which runs from the 29th January – 1st February. The latest news sees the confirmation of an FHM sponsored party, a celebrity event and a PKR sponsored bounty tournament.
Parties on the Asian Poker Tour in Manila and Macau last year have taken on legendary
status and have even won an award! One highlight for this year’s event is definitely the FHM/DafaPoker Player’s Party, which starts at 19.30 on the 31st January and promises to be ‘tastefully wild,’ with FHM planning to send plenty of their cover models. After the party, the Asian Poker Tour and FHM have hired party buses to take players around Manila’s hotspots. At 20.00 on the 27th January, the Asian Poker Tour Celebrity Challenge, presented by Ray Ban, FHM and JBet, also promises to be lively. 20 celebrities will take part and the Asian Poker Tour and sponsors will be donating a minimum of 200,000 pesos to the charities of the celebrities’ choice. More details are to follow on this event but expect a twist to proceedings!
The Asian Poker Tour is also delighted to introduce the PKR Headhunter Tournament to the fantastic range of side action at the event. Getting underway at 19.30 on the 28th January the $250 + $20 tournament will feature members of The Poker Pack as bounties including Nam Le, David ‘Chino’ Rheem, Quinn Do, Steve Sung and Kwang Soo Lee. A recent online bounty tournament featuring members of The Poker Pack, who are currently on a phenomenal run on the world circuit, broke all records on next generation site PKR.
DafaPoker is the official partner of the Asian Poker Tour in presenting the Pot-Limit
Omaha Hi tournament – a first for a major Asian Tour. The game is scheduled to take
place at 14.00 on the 31st January. The buy-in for this tournament will be $185 + $15. On the same day at 19.00 there will also be a hugely anticipated 13 card tournament featuring a $460 +$40 buy-in. Other highlights include the world’s first GREED tournament and a huge range of cash games, sit and gos and satellites into the Main Event. Registration for the Main Event starts on the 27th January with welcome ceremony cocktails on the evening of the 28th January.
Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour said: “The excitement is building as the clock ticks down to the Asian Poker Tour Philippines. Manila is one of the most fun cities in the world and the event will reflect this. We are delighted with our package of famous parties and the range of side action around our prestigious Main Event. This is one experience not to miss!”
Last year’s Asian Poker Tour Philippines winner was Australia’s David Saab, who scooped first place and $280,000. Coverage of this year’s Main Event will be televised and distributed internationally later in the year. Overseeing the action will be leading tournament director Matt Savage.
The Asian Poker Tour is supported by the iPoker Network, Titan, Dafa Poker, PKR,
PartyPoker, Everest, 888, JBet Poker, 32 Red Poker, Microgaming Network and Everleaf
Network. Full details can be found at http://www.asianpt.com
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Kentucky Domain Seizures Struck Down by Appeals Court
PPA heralds ruling as "tremendous victory"
January 20, 2009 -- The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) website is reporting that the Kentucky Court of Appeals has ruled today that the state may not enforce its order attempting to seize 141 domain names, which was pending since last fall.
The PPA's Executive Director John Pappas has made this statement: "This is a tremendous victory for Internet freedom and the rights of Kentucky residents who enjoy playing online poker. We are pleased that the appeals court has forcefully reversed Judge Wingate's earlier ruling and confirmed many of the arguments that have been raised in opposition to the seizure effort. The Court of Appeals has agreed with the PPA's position that Judge Wingate did not have jurisdiction to issue the order that he entered against these domains and that Secretary Brown has no legitimate right to deprive the citizens of Kentucky of the legal right to play poker online."
"On behalf of the thousands of PPA members who live in Kentucky we hope that Governor Beshear and Secretary Brown will abandon this misguided effort and focus new energies into regulation and taxation of Internet poker," said Rich Muny, Kentucky State Director for the PPA, who resides in Union, KY. "This common-sense approach would benefit Kentucky's poker enthusiasts and the revenue will benefit the state as a whole. Rather than spending hard to find dollars on this case, the Governor could actually turn this into a much needed new revenue stream for the Commonwealth."
This quote comes courtesy of the Casino City Times website, which also stated that the ruling may be due to "powerful arguments from a strong coalition of independent voices who opposed the Franklin Circuit Court ruling. Groups like the PPA, the ACLU of Kentucky and the Electronic Frontier Foundation all successfully weighed in with the appellate court from a variety of legal perspectives."
This should be the end of this situation, although Kentucky Governor Beshear may continue to appeal or take other action if he is unwilling to accept this judgment. Still, an important victory has been won on behalf of the online gaming industry today.
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PPA heralds ruling as "tremendous victory"
January 20, 2009 -- The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) website is reporting that the Kentucky Court of Appeals has ruled today that the state may not enforce its order attempting to seize 141 domain names, which was pending since last fall.
The PPA's Executive Director John Pappas has made this statement: "This is a tremendous victory for Internet freedom and the rights of Kentucky residents who enjoy playing online poker. We are pleased that the appeals court has forcefully reversed Judge Wingate's earlier ruling and confirmed many of the arguments that have been raised in opposition to the seizure effort. The Court of Appeals has agreed with the PPA's position that Judge Wingate did not have jurisdiction to issue the order that he entered against these domains and that Secretary Brown has no legitimate right to deprive the citizens of Kentucky of the legal right to play poker online."
"On behalf of the thousands of PPA members who live in Kentucky we hope that Governor Beshear and Secretary Brown will abandon this misguided effort and focus new energies into regulation and taxation of Internet poker," said Rich Muny, Kentucky State Director for the PPA, who resides in Union, KY. "This common-sense approach would benefit Kentucky's poker enthusiasts and the revenue will benefit the state as a whole. Rather than spending hard to find dollars on this case, the Governor could actually turn this into a much needed new revenue stream for the Commonwealth."
This quote comes courtesy of the Casino City Times website, which also stated that the ruling may be due to "powerful arguments from a strong coalition of independent voices who opposed the Franklin Circuit Court ruling. Groups like the PPA, the ACLU of Kentucky and the Electronic Frontier Foundation all successfully weighed in with the appellate court from a variety of legal perspectives."
This should be the end of this situation, although Kentucky Governor Beshear may continue to appeal or take other action if he is unwilling to accept this judgment. Still, an important victory has been won on behalf of the online gaming industry today.
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Nobody calls Shane Warne's tattoo bluff - The Daily Telegraph - 21st January 2009
He has never been one to shy away from a grand entrance and it was no different yesterday when Shane Warne waltzed into Crown Casino in Melbourne sporting what appeared to be a brand new arm-length tattoo.
Smiling broadly as he walked into a press conference for the Aussie Millions Poker Championship - which he is competing in this week - Warne asked reporters if they liked his new ink.
He then rolled down the fake tattoo sleeve and pulled it from his arm.
"Gotcha, didn't I?" the spin king laughed.
Well, perhaps there could have been one member of the audience who had never before seen the joke tattoo sleeves (pictured) - though that seems doubtful.
Warne went on to explain he was wearing the sleeve to take the mickey out of current Aussie cricket star Michael Clarke, who last month hit the headlines with a huge new tattoo.
Clarke's elaborate piece of body art depicts a guardian angel sitting on a cross, with the initials of his fiancee Lara Bingle emblazoned at the top.
For Warne, the new addition to Clarke's body was the perfect opportunity for a bit of fun with a former teammate.
"I keep taking photos and sending them to Michael," Warne said.
The cricket legend-turned-poker pro will be among 850 players vying for a first prize of $2 million in the Aussie Millions tournament.
And just to add to the "has-been" feel of the event, Warne yesterday posed for photographs with fellow poker fans and former sports stars Jeff Fenech and Mark Philippoussis. (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
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He has never been one to shy away from a grand entrance and it was no different yesterday when Shane Warne waltzed into Crown Casino in Melbourne sporting what appeared to be a brand new arm-length tattoo.
Smiling broadly as he walked into a press conference for the Aussie Millions Poker Championship - which he is competing in this week - Warne asked reporters if they liked his new ink.
He then rolled down the fake tattoo sleeve and pulled it from his arm.
"Gotcha, didn't I?" the spin king laughed.
Well, perhaps there could have been one member of the audience who had never before seen the joke tattoo sleeves (pictured) - though that seems doubtful.
Warne went on to explain he was wearing the sleeve to take the mickey out of current Aussie cricket star Michael Clarke, who last month hit the headlines with a huge new tattoo.
Clarke's elaborate piece of body art depicts a guardian angel sitting on a cross, with the initials of his fiancee Lara Bingle emblazoned at the top.
For Warne, the new addition to Clarke's body was the perfect opportunity for a bit of fun with a former teammate.
"I keep taking photos and sending them to Michael," Warne said.
The cricket legend-turned-poker pro will be among 850 players vying for a first prize of $2 million in the Aussie Millions tournament.
And just to add to the "has-been" feel of the event, Warne yesterday posed for photographs with fellow poker fans and former sports stars Jeff Fenech and Mark Philippoussis. (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
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PartyGaming dealt blow as MD quits, by Roger Blitz - Financial Times - 19th January 2009
PartyGaming has suffered the loss of one of its key driving forces as John O’Malia, who missed out on the chief executive’s job last year, quit the online gaming company after only eight months as managing director.
The company said he would be stepping down at the end of next month to pursue other business interests.
Mr O’Malia’s departure comes at an important time for the company as it seeks to rebuild its once imperious position in the sector.
A settlement with the US department of justice, which would clear its liabilities in the US, is understood to be imminent, paving the way for possible deals.
Mr O’Malia, 39, joined PartyGaming in 2006 when it bought GameBookers, a sports betting operator, where he was chief executive.
He is widely credited with creating a casino product, for reforming the company’s flagship poker website and for providing the company with much of its intellectual firepower.
But when the chief executive position fell vacant last year following the resignation of Mitch Garber, Mr O’Malia was pipped to the job by Jim Ryan, a Canadian accountant who made his name in the high technology industry.
Industry experts said they believed Mr O’Malia was upset at not getting the top job and that the newly created job of managing director, as well as a board position, was insufficient to keep him at PartyGaming in the long term.
One expert said with the new poker site up and running since the autumn, this was one of the earliest opportunities for him to leave the company.
Mr O’Malia said: “We have made enormous strides in repositioning the group’s gaming portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on ... I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Mr Ryan, who will assume Mr O’Malia’s duties, said he had made a significant contribution to the transformation of PartyGaming in the past two and a half years.
The company was forced to rethink its strategy after a US clampdown on online gaming in 2006 forced its exodus from the US, along with other listed gaming companies.
“John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfil his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience,” said Mr Ryan said. (Credit: The Financial Times)
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PartyGaming has suffered the loss of one of its key driving forces as John O’Malia, who missed out on the chief executive’s job last year, quit the online gaming company after only eight months as managing director.
The company said he would be stepping down at the end of next month to pursue other business interests.
Mr O’Malia’s departure comes at an important time for the company as it seeks to rebuild its once imperious position in the sector.
A settlement with the US department of justice, which would clear its liabilities in the US, is understood to be imminent, paving the way for possible deals.
Mr O’Malia, 39, joined PartyGaming in 2006 when it bought GameBookers, a sports betting operator, where he was chief executive.
He is widely credited with creating a casino product, for reforming the company’s flagship poker website and for providing the company with much of its intellectual firepower.
But when the chief executive position fell vacant last year following the resignation of Mitch Garber, Mr O’Malia was pipped to the job by Jim Ryan, a Canadian accountant who made his name in the high technology industry.
Industry experts said they believed Mr O’Malia was upset at not getting the top job and that the newly created job of managing director, as well as a board position, was insufficient to keep him at PartyGaming in the long term.
One expert said with the new poker site up and running since the autumn, this was one of the earliest opportunities for him to leave the company.
Mr O’Malia said: “We have made enormous strides in repositioning the group’s gaming portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on ... I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Mr Ryan, who will assume Mr O’Malia’s duties, said he had made a significant contribution to the transformation of PartyGaming in the past two and a half years.
The company was forced to rethink its strategy after a US clampdown on online gaming in 2006 forced its exodus from the US, along with other listed gaming companies.
“John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfil his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience,” said Mr Ryan said. (Credit: The Financial Times)
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Monday, January 19, 2009
CryptoLogic to Shed Poker Network by March, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 18th January 2009
Recently, the CryptoLogic Network, whose online poker sites include InterPoker and, until January 29th, Playboy Poker, announced that the move of all of its rooms to Boss Media will occur by the end of March. Poker News Daily spoke with Justin Thouin, Vice President of Product Development for CryptoLogic, to discuss the future of the mammoth software development company, which is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “CRYP.”
Thouin told Poker News Daily why the decision was made for CryptoLogic to shed its online poker network. He explained, “If you look at the online gaming industry, it’s becoming more difficult to be a generalist. The companies that are succeeding now and will succeed in the future are those who can specialize. We saw an opportunity to differentiate ourselves in the online casino space.” Currently, the company offers more than 200 casino games, including 60 that can be played within a customer’s web browser. Among the latest rollouts is European Blackjack, which does not give the dealer a down card as in the traditional version of the game.
Celeb Poker and Paradise Poker are two rooms that make their homes on the Boss Network. Soon, the survivors from CryptoLogic will join them. Thouin describes the challenges of competing in the online poker industry in today’s economy: “In the online poker industry, it is hard to differentiate yourself. Players cared about liquidity. It was difficult to have the requisite liquidity given how much competition there was. We’ve cut $12 million in costs.” The company is aiming for $9 to $10 million in net profits during 2009 and plans to cut its server and office rental costs by 75%. Its worldwide headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland.
Since the company was founded 14 years ago, CryptoLogic has had to adapt to a market that was constantly in flux. It partnered with leading brands such as Marvel and Activision for its casino suite. Recently, it has allowed internet gambling companies to select which games to incorporate, rather than insist that new customers adopt the entire CryptoLogic catalog. On the industry’s future, Thouin predicts, “You’ll see more specialization. This is still a very attractive industry. Online gaming is still growing quickly. You’ll see it become a much more competitive space. Partnerships will form in ways there haven’t been before.” For example, this month, CryptoLogic forged a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, whose clients include 888 and bwin. Party Gaming has already incorporated 30 of CryptoLogic’s cutting edge games.
When most players sign onto an online poker room, they may assume that, from the site’s standpoint, very little staff and resources are required. Customer interactions are mostly automated. However, Thouin describes the requirements needed to operate a profitable online poker room: “You need poker room managers to set up tournaments. You need to interact with land-based events in order to have feeder systems. You have to have full fraud and collusion teams. The barriers to entry are fairly high. However, the rewards are also there.” Other publicly traded companies besides CryptoLogic include Party Gaming, 888, and Ladbrokes, all of which can be found on the London Stock Exchange. Playtech, William Hill, and Neovia (formerly Neteller) are traded in London as well.
CryptoLogic’s restructuring efforts are expected to cost the company $3.5 million in cash and up to $20 million in “non-cash charges,” according to a press statement released last week. Playboy Poker, which makes its home on the network, has announced that it will cease operations on January 29th. Customers will be encouraged to deposit on InterPoker and InterCasino. Betsafe is moving to the Ongame Network from CryptoLogic, although the timing for the departure is not yet known. Sun Poker and Poker Plex both packed up shop and headed to Playtech’s iPoker Network from CryptoLogic. Thouin told Poker News Daily that each licensee was given the option to join to the Boss Network.
Poker News Daily will keep you posted as the 2009 calendar year continues. We would like to thank Justin Thouin, Vice President of Product Development for CryptoLogic, for talking with us. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Recently, the CryptoLogic Network, whose online poker sites include InterPoker and, until January 29th, Playboy Poker, announced that the move of all of its rooms to Boss Media will occur by the end of March. Poker News Daily spoke with Justin Thouin, Vice President of Product Development for CryptoLogic, to discuss the future of the mammoth software development company, which is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “CRYP.”
Thouin told Poker News Daily why the decision was made for CryptoLogic to shed its online poker network. He explained, “If you look at the online gaming industry, it’s becoming more difficult to be a generalist. The companies that are succeeding now and will succeed in the future are those who can specialize. We saw an opportunity to differentiate ourselves in the online casino space.” Currently, the company offers more than 200 casino games, including 60 that can be played within a customer’s web browser. Among the latest rollouts is European Blackjack, which does not give the dealer a down card as in the traditional version of the game.
Celeb Poker and Paradise Poker are two rooms that make their homes on the Boss Network. Soon, the survivors from CryptoLogic will join them. Thouin describes the challenges of competing in the online poker industry in today’s economy: “In the online poker industry, it is hard to differentiate yourself. Players cared about liquidity. It was difficult to have the requisite liquidity given how much competition there was. We’ve cut $12 million in costs.” The company is aiming for $9 to $10 million in net profits during 2009 and plans to cut its server and office rental costs by 75%. Its worldwide headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland.
Since the company was founded 14 years ago, CryptoLogic has had to adapt to a market that was constantly in flux. It partnered with leading brands such as Marvel and Activision for its casino suite. Recently, it has allowed internet gambling companies to select which games to incorporate, rather than insist that new customers adopt the entire CryptoLogic catalog. On the industry’s future, Thouin predicts, “You’ll see more specialization. This is still a very attractive industry. Online gaming is still growing quickly. You’ll see it become a much more competitive space. Partnerships will form in ways there haven’t been before.” For example, this month, CryptoLogic forged a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, whose clients include 888 and bwin. Party Gaming has already incorporated 30 of CryptoLogic’s cutting edge games.
When most players sign onto an online poker room, they may assume that, from the site’s standpoint, very little staff and resources are required. Customer interactions are mostly automated. However, Thouin describes the requirements needed to operate a profitable online poker room: “You need poker room managers to set up tournaments. You need to interact with land-based events in order to have feeder systems. You have to have full fraud and collusion teams. The barriers to entry are fairly high. However, the rewards are also there.” Other publicly traded companies besides CryptoLogic include Party Gaming, 888, and Ladbrokes, all of which can be found on the London Stock Exchange. Playtech, William Hill, and Neovia (formerly Neteller) are traded in London as well.
CryptoLogic’s restructuring efforts are expected to cost the company $3.5 million in cash and up to $20 million in “non-cash charges,” according to a press statement released last week. Playboy Poker, which makes its home on the network, has announced that it will cease operations on January 29th. Customers will be encouraged to deposit on InterPoker and InterCasino. Betsafe is moving to the Ongame Network from CryptoLogic, although the timing for the departure is not yet known. Sun Poker and Poker Plex both packed up shop and headed to Playtech’s iPoker Network from CryptoLogic. Thouin told Poker News Daily that each licensee was given the option to join to the Boss Network.
Poker News Daily will keep you posted as the 2009 calendar year continues. We would like to thank Justin Thouin, Vice President of Product Development for CryptoLogic, for talking with us. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Virgin Poker - Newcastle, UK 4 - 5th April 2009
What?
The Virgin Poker Festival is heading to Newcastle's Aspers Casino for the fifth ever Virgin Poker Festival. These are the most downright fun poker events in the business and with eyewatering added value it all adds up to a cracking weekend. Here's what Virgin are promising:
A 150 Euro two day deep stacked poker event
£5,000 added to the main event prize pool
£1,000 worth bounties and prizes
All the usual favourites will be there such as, fun value added side events, Virgin girls, a bar promotion and prizes for the Nintendo Mario Kart Wii to ensure that everyone is throughly entertained throughout the weekend.
How can players qualify?
Players must qualify online on Virgin Poker take a look at how you can get on the road to qualification.
Virgin Festival Sat (€1.65 + €0.15) - These run everyday at 8pm (GMT) starting on Monday 8th December. 1 in 10 players will win a seat to the Virgin Festival Final.
Virgin Festival Final (€15 + €1.50) - These run every Sunday at 6pm(GMT). 1 in 10 players will win a seat to the Virgin Poker Festival main event in Newcastle.
Festival Super Sat (€7.50 + €0.70) - These rebuy tournaments will have one main event qualifier for every €150 added to the prize pot. They run every Thursday at 8.30pm (GMT).
Good luck and hopefully we'll see you in Newcastle!
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What?
The Virgin Poker Festival is heading to Newcastle's Aspers Casino for the fifth ever Virgin Poker Festival. These are the most downright fun poker events in the business and with eyewatering added value it all adds up to a cracking weekend. Here's what Virgin are promising:
A 150 Euro two day deep stacked poker event
£5,000 added to the main event prize pool
£1,000 worth bounties and prizes
All the usual favourites will be there such as, fun value added side events, Virgin girls, a bar promotion and prizes for the Nintendo Mario Kart Wii to ensure that everyone is throughly entertained throughout the weekend.
How can players qualify?
Players must qualify online on Virgin Poker take a look at how you can get on the road to qualification.
Virgin Festival Sat (€1.65 + €0.15) - These run everyday at 8pm (GMT) starting on Monday 8th December. 1 in 10 players will win a seat to the Virgin Festival Final.
Virgin Festival Final (€15 + €1.50) - These run every Sunday at 6pm(GMT). 1 in 10 players will win a seat to the Virgin Poker Festival main event in Newcastle.
Festival Super Sat (€7.50 + €0.70) - These rebuy tournaments will have one main event qualifier for every €150 added to the prize pot. They run every Thursday at 8.30pm (GMT).
Good luck and hopefully we'll see you in Newcastle!
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
PartyPoker Introduces Monthly $1 Million Guaranteed, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 17th January 2009
Beginning on Sunday, February 1st, PartyPoker will host a $640 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed tournament once per month. Aptly called the Monthly Million, it will take place at 17:45 GMT on the first Sunday of every month. Qualifiers start as low as $1 and are running constantly on one of the largest online poker rooms that does not accept U.S. players.
A PartyPoker spokesperson explained in a press release distributed on Friday, “With $1,000,000 up for grabs in the Monthly Million, the first Sunday of every month is definitely not a day of rest at PartyPoker.com.” The tournament utilizes a Championship blind structure. For $1, players can enter rebuys that feed into either a $70 Monthly Million Qualifier with 18 seats guaranteed or a $35 Super Satellite Saturday with 25 seats guaranteed. Alternately, on Fridays, PartyPoker players can take advantage of a $55 buy-in tournament that doles out at least 30 seats into the Monthly Million. Country specific freerolls and points qualifiers are additional ways to enter, so check out the online poker room’s tournament lobby for more information.
Currently, PartyPoker’s premier tournament is the $300,000 Guaranteed, which takes place every Sunday at 17:45 GMT. The buy-in for the event is $215 and it will likely be replaced by the Monthly Million on the first Sunday of each month. Last week’s $300,000 Guaranteed was taken down by Rev_Hwy61, who bested a field of 1,451 entrants en route to a $60,000 first place payday. The turnout meant that the event had a $9,800 overlay, which occurs when the guaranteed prize pool of a tournament exceeds its actual prize pool. Finishing as the runner up was HOTEL_, who pocketed $30,000. Others who landed atop the field included paskwal (third place for $20,700), DoiNW8BeTs (fourth place for $16,350), Merseylad (fifth place for $13,800), Sonygolf (sixth place for $10,350), og1512 (seventh place for $7,950), RAGEUNIT22 (eighth place for $5,250), Poortwacht3r (ninth place for $4,050), and BrngMrRssns (tenth place for $2,850).
PartyPoker recently launched the Palladium Lounge for members who generate more than 5,000 points in a calendar month. Perks include 24 hour customer service, exclusive promotions, and additional deposit methods. Palladium Lounge Elite is available for players who accrue 75,000 points per quarter and 300,000 points per year. Benefits of Elite status include “snowboarding trips and adventure getaways” as well as the chance to “represent PartyPoker.com in televised events.”
Its parent company, Party Gaming, is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.” In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. He agreed to shell out $300 million to the U.S. Government in three installments. Dikshit may also face up to two years in jail, although a sentencing hearing is not scheduled until December of next year. In the process, Dikshit sent shares of Party Gaming climbing, as his actions may serve to clear the air legally of any wrongdoing by the company in the eyes of the U.S. Government. Party Gaming was one of several publicly traded companies to withdraw from the U.S. market following the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, PartyPoker ranks as the fourth busiest worldwide by the number of cash game players, boasting a seven day running average of 4,500. It trails only PokerStars (23,200), Full Tilt Poker (9,900), and the iPoker Network (5,700) in that department. The iPoker Network, which like PartyPoker does not accept U.S. customers, is owned by Playtech.
Recently, PartyPoker added Quick Seat and table preview features to its lobby. Players also now have the ability to open similar tables to the ones they’re playing on without having to visit the lobby. Tiling and manual resizing of tables are also available. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Beginning on Sunday, February 1st, PartyPoker will host a $640 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed tournament once per month. Aptly called the Monthly Million, it will take place at 17:45 GMT on the first Sunday of every month. Qualifiers start as low as $1 and are running constantly on one of the largest online poker rooms that does not accept U.S. players.
A PartyPoker spokesperson explained in a press release distributed on Friday, “With $1,000,000 up for grabs in the Monthly Million, the first Sunday of every month is definitely not a day of rest at PartyPoker.com.” The tournament utilizes a Championship blind structure. For $1, players can enter rebuys that feed into either a $70 Monthly Million Qualifier with 18 seats guaranteed or a $35 Super Satellite Saturday with 25 seats guaranteed. Alternately, on Fridays, PartyPoker players can take advantage of a $55 buy-in tournament that doles out at least 30 seats into the Monthly Million. Country specific freerolls and points qualifiers are additional ways to enter, so check out the online poker room’s tournament lobby for more information.
Currently, PartyPoker’s premier tournament is the $300,000 Guaranteed, which takes place every Sunday at 17:45 GMT. The buy-in for the event is $215 and it will likely be replaced by the Monthly Million on the first Sunday of each month. Last week’s $300,000 Guaranteed was taken down by Rev_Hwy61, who bested a field of 1,451 entrants en route to a $60,000 first place payday. The turnout meant that the event had a $9,800 overlay, which occurs when the guaranteed prize pool of a tournament exceeds its actual prize pool. Finishing as the runner up was HOTEL_, who pocketed $30,000. Others who landed atop the field included paskwal (third place for $20,700), DoiNW8BeTs (fourth place for $16,350), Merseylad (fifth place for $13,800), Sonygolf (sixth place for $10,350), og1512 (seventh place for $7,950), RAGEUNIT22 (eighth place for $5,250), Poortwacht3r (ninth place for $4,050), and BrngMrRssns (tenth place for $2,850).
PartyPoker recently launched the Palladium Lounge for members who generate more than 5,000 points in a calendar month. Perks include 24 hour customer service, exclusive promotions, and additional deposit methods. Palladium Lounge Elite is available for players who accrue 75,000 points per quarter and 300,000 points per year. Benefits of Elite status include “snowboarding trips and adventure getaways” as well as the chance to “represent PartyPoker.com in televised events.”
Its parent company, Party Gaming, is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.” In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. He agreed to shell out $300 million to the U.S. Government in three installments. Dikshit may also face up to two years in jail, although a sentencing hearing is not scheduled until December of next year. In the process, Dikshit sent shares of Party Gaming climbing, as his actions may serve to clear the air legally of any wrongdoing by the company in the eyes of the U.S. Government. Party Gaming was one of several publicly traded companies to withdraw from the U.S. market following the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, PartyPoker ranks as the fourth busiest worldwide by the number of cash game players, boasting a seven day running average of 4,500. It trails only PokerStars (23,200), Full Tilt Poker (9,900), and the iPoker Network (5,700) in that department. The iPoker Network, which like PartyPoker does not accept U.S. customers, is owned by Playtech.
Recently, PartyPoker added Quick Seat and table preview features to its lobby. Players also now have the ability to open similar tables to the ones they’re playing on without having to visit the lobby. Tiling and manual resizing of tables are also available. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Saturday, January 17, 2009
3D Poker Site's Membership Hits 2.4 Million
40,000 registrations in 11 days ... and a new concurrent players benchmark reached
January 16, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- The U.K.-based 3D online poker site PKR.com continued to set new company records going into the new year, according to the PKR Nation company forum. Between December 24 2008 and January 4 2009, the poker site recorded 40,000 new registrations, bringing the total player base to 2.4 million.
And on January 4th another record fell -- 15,000 simultaneous users were on the website and taking part in games. According to the independent online poker analyst site Pokerscout.com, recent developments have made PKR one of the fastest growing Internet venues for poker cash game action anywhere.
"We are going from strength to strength and it is encouraging to see us maintaining a healthy growth in this tough market," said marketing manager Simon Prodger. "Our ultra-realistic software, innovative gaming offering, and vibrant community are proving to be a big draw to new and current players alike." (Credit: InfoPowa News)
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40,000 registrations in 11 days ... and a new concurrent players benchmark reached
January 16, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- The U.K.-based 3D online poker site PKR.com continued to set new company records going into the new year, according to the PKR Nation company forum. Between December 24 2008 and January 4 2009, the poker site recorded 40,000 new registrations, bringing the total player base to 2.4 million.
And on January 4th another record fell -- 15,000 simultaneous users were on the website and taking part in games. According to the independent online poker analyst site Pokerscout.com, recent developments have made PKR one of the fastest growing Internet venues for poker cash game action anywhere.
"We are going from strength to strength and it is encouraging to see us maintaining a healthy growth in this tough market," said marketing manager Simon Prodger. "Our ultra-realistic software, innovative gaming offering, and vibrant community are proving to be a big draw to new and current players alike." (Credit: InfoPowa News)
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Party Poker Review - Poker News Daily - 23rd June 2008
The Quick Summary
Party Poker is a monster among online poker sites. They are one of the biggest rooms with tremendous player action at any time of the day. They did suffer a costly hit to their player base when they decided to exclude US customers as a response to US legislation towards online gaming. Party Poker’s outstanding marketing efforts have resulted in a rebound of player traffic and they are once again on the rise.
Popularity: 9 of 10 – Excellent
No doubt about it: if you want action, you got it at Party Poker. They have more players than most any other poker site. Party Poker got a popularity boost when they acquired broadcasting rights for the World Poker Tour, an advantage they have taken care not to lose by constantly coming up with promotions that appeal to players around the world. You can expect to find action at any table stakes at all times of the day and night.
Security: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Even with such a massive volume of players, Party Poker has not faced any significant security or financial breaches. They are audited by ItechLabs and – since they are listed on the London Stock Exchange Market – all their financial information and security procedures are available for public inspection.
Player Competition: 8 of 10 – Excellent
The competition at Party Poker is soft. They have instituted a very friendly advertising campaign equating poker with a more light-hearted party approach rather than a hard core grinder mentality. Expect loose play if not a bit unorthodox thanks to the droves of new poker players brought in by Party Poker’s marketing programs. This is mostly true for the lower limit games but you can find soft games even at $2/$4 in No Limit and $5/$10 in Fixed Limit.
Site Software: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker uses proprietary software, meaning that it is not part of a network, but rather it has been independently developed to have unique features and great functionality.
Tables have a nice design, but the avatars and graphics are not extraordinary. The sound effects are crisp and appropriate but players who prefer it quiet can turn them off completely. Players can also choose from a selection of cartoon avatars which goes with the light-hearted party theme of the poker room. The software is fast and easy to use. The hand history feature is functional and useful, as is the note-taking feature. The lobby provides useful statistics such as average pot size and hands played by hour. On top of this, Party Poker’s software supports the automated import of tournament and ring-game data to Poker Tracker.
At Party Poker you can multi-table up to twelve tables at the same time, confident that the software will run smoothly and free of problems or disconnections. You also have the option to resize all tables save for Omaha and Seven-Card Stud games.
Customer Support: 5 of 10 – Ok
Party Poker has great customer service support through either 24-hr toll free number or e-mail. The phone support is excellent: agents are knowledgeable and friendly, always reminding players of the latest promotions and perks. E-mail support has been known to occasionally take too long to respond, although replies are always accurate. A major letdown with Party Poker is their lack of live chat support, which is very convenient for today’s busy players.
Company Ethics: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker is committed to ensuring responsible gaming. They comply with all legislations and regulations. Party Poker also provides self-exclusion tools, customer deposit limits, as well as not allowing access to minors. As one of the biggest online poker sites, they are fully committed with GamCare, a foundation that develops policies and practices to target problem gambling in accordance with their Social Responsibility Code of Conduct.
Site Promotions: 8 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker offers a good variety of promotions and bonuses: given their high player volume they can afford more generous bonuses than smaller sites. Another attractive Party Poker feature is their large number of exclusive tournaments, both online – such as the Sunday 300K Guaranteed – and live events, such as the lavish Party Poker Million tourney played every year on a cruise ship.
Overall Review: 7.86 of 10 – Excellent
Final Result: We give Party Poker a final overall score of 8.14 out of 10. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The Quick Summary
Party Poker is a monster among online poker sites. They are one of the biggest rooms with tremendous player action at any time of the day. They did suffer a costly hit to their player base when they decided to exclude US customers as a response to US legislation towards online gaming. Party Poker’s outstanding marketing efforts have resulted in a rebound of player traffic and they are once again on the rise.
Popularity: 9 of 10 – Excellent
No doubt about it: if you want action, you got it at Party Poker. They have more players than most any other poker site. Party Poker got a popularity boost when they acquired broadcasting rights for the World Poker Tour, an advantage they have taken care not to lose by constantly coming up with promotions that appeal to players around the world. You can expect to find action at any table stakes at all times of the day and night.
Security: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Even with such a massive volume of players, Party Poker has not faced any significant security or financial breaches. They are audited by ItechLabs and – since they are listed on the London Stock Exchange Market – all their financial information and security procedures are available for public inspection.
Player Competition: 8 of 10 – Excellent
The competition at Party Poker is soft. They have instituted a very friendly advertising campaign equating poker with a more light-hearted party approach rather than a hard core grinder mentality. Expect loose play if not a bit unorthodox thanks to the droves of new poker players brought in by Party Poker’s marketing programs. This is mostly true for the lower limit games but you can find soft games even at $2/$4 in No Limit and $5/$10 in Fixed Limit.
Site Software: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker uses proprietary software, meaning that it is not part of a network, but rather it has been independently developed to have unique features and great functionality.
Tables have a nice design, but the avatars and graphics are not extraordinary. The sound effects are crisp and appropriate but players who prefer it quiet can turn them off completely. Players can also choose from a selection of cartoon avatars which goes with the light-hearted party theme of the poker room. The software is fast and easy to use. The hand history feature is functional and useful, as is the note-taking feature. The lobby provides useful statistics such as average pot size and hands played by hour. On top of this, Party Poker’s software supports the automated import of tournament and ring-game data to Poker Tracker.
At Party Poker you can multi-table up to twelve tables at the same time, confident that the software will run smoothly and free of problems or disconnections. You also have the option to resize all tables save for Omaha and Seven-Card Stud games.
Customer Support: 5 of 10 – Ok
Party Poker has great customer service support through either 24-hr toll free number or e-mail. The phone support is excellent: agents are knowledgeable and friendly, always reminding players of the latest promotions and perks. E-mail support has been known to occasionally take too long to respond, although replies are always accurate. A major letdown with Party Poker is their lack of live chat support, which is very convenient for today’s busy players.
Company Ethics: 9 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker is committed to ensuring responsible gaming. They comply with all legislations and regulations. Party Poker also provides self-exclusion tools, customer deposit limits, as well as not allowing access to minors. As one of the biggest online poker sites, they are fully committed with GamCare, a foundation that develops policies and practices to target problem gambling in accordance with their Social Responsibility Code of Conduct.
Site Promotions: 8 of 10 – Excellent
Party Poker offers a good variety of promotions and bonuses: given their high player volume they can afford more generous bonuses than smaller sites. Another attractive Party Poker feature is their large number of exclusive tournaments, both online – such as the Sunday 300K Guaranteed – and live events, such as the lavish Party Poker Million tourney played every year on a cruise ship.
Overall Review: 7.86 of 10 – Excellent
Final Result: We give Party Poker a final overall score of 8.14 out of 10. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Hitwise Top 10 "Gambling -- Poker" week ending Dec. 27, 2008 (based on visits):
Australia
1. (14.18%) Pacific Poker - www.pacificpoker.com
2. (11.75%) PKR Poker - www.pkr.com
3. (8.16%) PokerRoom.com - www.pokerroom.com
4. (5.44%) UltimateBet.com - www.ultimatebet.com
5. (4.90%) Play APL - www.playapl.com
6. (3.30%) National Poker League - www.npl.com.au
7. (3.10%) PartyPoker.net - www.partypoker.net
8. (2.74%) Poker Network - www.pokernetwork.com
9. (2.66%) PokerStars.com - www.pokerstars.com
10. (2.23%) Official Poker Rankings - www.officialpokerrankings.com
United Kingdom
1. (13.65%) Mansion Poker - www.mansionpoker.com
2. (13.42%) PKR Poker - www.pkr.com
3. (11.38%) Pacific Poker - www.pacificpoker.com
4. (8.78%) Sky Poker - www.skypoker.com
5. (6.56%) LadbrokesPoker.com - www.ladbrokespoker.com
6. (3.04%) Littlewoods Poker - www.littlewoodspoker.com
7. (3.01%) Paddy Power Poker - www.paddypowerpoker.com
8. (2.75%) Betfairpoker.com - www.betfairpoker.com
9. (2.62%) SharkScope - www.sharkscope.com
10. (2.31%) VC Poker UK - www.vcpoker.com
United States
1. (18.36%) Littlewoods Poker - www.littlewoodspoker.com
2. (7.55%) Pitbull Poker - www.pitbullpoker.com
3. (6.83%) PokerStars.com - www.pokerstars.com
4. (5.87%) PokerStars.net - www.pokerstars.net
5. (5.45%) VideoPoker.com - www.videopoker.com
6. (5.29%) Full Tilt Poker - www.fulltiltpoker.com
7. (4.83%) Railbirds - www.railbirds.com
8. (3.09%) Bodog Poker - poker.bodoglife.com
9. (2.87%) PartyPoker.net - www.partypoker.net
10. (2.87%) Absolute Poker - www.absolutepoker.com
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Australia
1. (14.18%) Pacific Poker - www.pacificpoker.com
2. (11.75%) PKR Poker - www.pkr.com
3. (8.16%) PokerRoom.com - www.pokerroom.com
4. (5.44%) UltimateBet.com - www.ultimatebet.com
5. (4.90%) Play APL - www.playapl.com
6. (3.30%) National Poker League - www.npl.com.au
7. (3.10%) PartyPoker.net - www.partypoker.net
8. (2.74%) Poker Network - www.pokernetwork.com
9. (2.66%) PokerStars.com - www.pokerstars.com
10. (2.23%) Official Poker Rankings - www.officialpokerrankings.com
United Kingdom
1. (13.65%) Mansion Poker - www.mansionpoker.com
2. (13.42%) PKR Poker - www.pkr.com
3. (11.38%) Pacific Poker - www.pacificpoker.com
4. (8.78%) Sky Poker - www.skypoker.com
5. (6.56%) LadbrokesPoker.com - www.ladbrokespoker.com
6. (3.04%) Littlewoods Poker - www.littlewoodspoker.com
7. (3.01%) Paddy Power Poker - www.paddypowerpoker.com
8. (2.75%) Betfairpoker.com - www.betfairpoker.com
9. (2.62%) SharkScope - www.sharkscope.com
10. (2.31%) VC Poker UK - www.vcpoker.com
United States
1. (18.36%) Littlewoods Poker - www.littlewoodspoker.com
2. (7.55%) Pitbull Poker - www.pitbullpoker.com
3. (6.83%) PokerStars.com - www.pokerstars.com
4. (5.87%) PokerStars.net - www.pokerstars.net
5. (5.45%) VideoPoker.com - www.videopoker.com
6. (5.29%) Full Tilt Poker - www.fulltiltpoker.com
7. (4.83%) Railbirds - www.railbirds.com
8. (3.09%) Bodog Poker - poker.bodoglife.com
9. (2.87%) PartyPoker.net - www.partypoker.net
10. (2.87%) Absolute Poker - www.absolutepoker.com
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Friday, January 16, 2009
A tournament where you can win millions, by Alex Lavelle - The Age - 16th January 2009
Australian Open organisers raised the winner's prizemoney to $2 million last week, which they said was because of a weaker Australian dollar, but could just as easily have been so that the other big show in town this month, the Aussie Millions poker tournament, didn't boast a greater first prize.
The winner of the main event at Crown casino will also receive $2 million, and endorsements worth plenty more. No wonder Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who complained that tennis players weren't paid enough, ignored Andre Agassi's advice to take his tennis prizemoney and buy some perspective and instead bought a heap of poker chips.
Among the 800 or so players attempting to snare the $2 million next week will be Shane Warne, who incidentally receives around $500,000 just to turn up to a handful of tournaments each year, and poker legends Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem and Phil Ivey.
There will also be plenty of AFL footballers keeping an eye on proceedings.
Brendan Fevola, who made it through to day two of the main event last year, would be there again if Carlton was not heading off to Malaysia for a pre-season training camp.
Texas hold 'em has become a favourite leisure pursuit among many footballers. After a night game, plenty of players will wind down with a few hands in the poker room at Crown or online at home.
"I'll often get online with 888.com after a night game. Obviously the adrenalin's still pumping and it's a good way to wind down," said Fevola, who played in the opening event of the Aussie Millions last Friday and lasted four hours before his ace-high flush was beaten by a full house.
"I love poker. It was a good feeling playing with good players and getting some more experience and I thought I played pretty well."
Many of the Carlton players hold a regular home game, and it may be no coincidence that former World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem is a Blues fan. "It gets pretty competitive among the boys, but it's a good way to get the players together," said Fevola.
That was a sentiment shared by Hawthorn star Luke Hodge, who also played in the opening event. There are a dozen or so Hawks who play regularly. "Playing poker is a good way to relax and unwind and socialise with the boys," he said.
Hodge, who said he felt mentally drained after playing for six hours in the tournament last Friday, rates skipper Sam Mitchell as one of the handier poker players in the team and Clinton Young as the luckiest. One thing Hodge accepts, though, is that playing a lot of poker is easier when you are single.
"I've had to cut down a little. We've got a six-month-old, Cooper, who needs a bit more attention!"
Alex Lavelle lost almost half his chips in the first hand of the opening event on a bluff. He crashed out three hours later. If he had won any prizemoney, he would have given at least half to charity. Honest. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Australian Open organisers raised the winner's prizemoney to $2 million last week, which they said was because of a weaker Australian dollar, but could just as easily have been so that the other big show in town this month, the Aussie Millions poker tournament, didn't boast a greater first prize.
The winner of the main event at Crown casino will also receive $2 million, and endorsements worth plenty more. No wonder Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who complained that tennis players weren't paid enough, ignored Andre Agassi's advice to take his tennis prizemoney and buy some perspective and instead bought a heap of poker chips.
Among the 800 or so players attempting to snare the $2 million next week will be Shane Warne, who incidentally receives around $500,000 just to turn up to a handful of tournaments each year, and poker legends Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem and Phil Ivey.
There will also be plenty of AFL footballers keeping an eye on proceedings.
Brendan Fevola, who made it through to day two of the main event last year, would be there again if Carlton was not heading off to Malaysia for a pre-season training camp.
Texas hold 'em has become a favourite leisure pursuit among many footballers. After a night game, plenty of players will wind down with a few hands in the poker room at Crown or online at home.
"I'll often get online with 888.com after a night game. Obviously the adrenalin's still pumping and it's a good way to wind down," said Fevola, who played in the opening event of the Aussie Millions last Friday and lasted four hours before his ace-high flush was beaten by a full house.
"I love poker. It was a good feeling playing with good players and getting some more experience and I thought I played pretty well."
Many of the Carlton players hold a regular home game, and it may be no coincidence that former World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem is a Blues fan. "It gets pretty competitive among the boys, but it's a good way to get the players together," said Fevola.
That was a sentiment shared by Hawthorn star Luke Hodge, who also played in the opening event. There are a dozen or so Hawks who play regularly. "Playing poker is a good way to relax and unwind and socialise with the boys," he said.
Hodge, who said he felt mentally drained after playing for six hours in the tournament last Friday, rates skipper Sam Mitchell as one of the handier poker players in the team and Clinton Young as the luckiest. One thing Hodge accepts, though, is that playing a lot of poker is easier when you are single.
"I've had to cut down a little. We've got a six-month-old, Cooper, who needs a bit more attention!"
Alex Lavelle lost almost half his chips in the first hand of the opening event on a bluff. He crashed out three hours later. If he had won any prizemoney, he would have given at least half to charity. Honest. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
Party Gaming Boss Predicts Industry Consolidation - 9th January 2009
Hard times will see only five major online poker sites on the Net, says Ryan
Party Gaming CEO Jim Ryan opines that in three year's time there will be only five major online poker sites of any consequence due to industry consolidation....and he intends to ensure that Party Poker is one of them.
Speaking to the UK newspaper The Financial Times, Ryan said: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back.”
But, he admitted, the increased competition in Europe may make it more expensive for his group to achieve its aims as current industry high-rollers like Poker Stars and Full Tilt up the ante when it comes to media buys and teaming up with marketing affiliates.
The FT reported that Ryan is finding it frustrating that Poker Stars and Full Tilt continue to take the risk of operating in the United States market, something Party Gaming ceased to do following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. This created a significant competitive disadvantage for Party Poker, but he was nevertheless preparing the online poker site for the day when it might be able to legally re-enter the US market in the event of a change in the legislative landscape and a successful "clean slate" deal with the US Department of Justice.
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Hard times will see only five major online poker sites on the Net, says Ryan
Party Gaming CEO Jim Ryan opines that in three year's time there will be only five major online poker sites of any consequence due to industry consolidation....and he intends to ensure that Party Poker is one of them.
Speaking to the UK newspaper The Financial Times, Ryan said: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back.”
But, he admitted, the increased competition in Europe may make it more expensive for his group to achieve its aims as current industry high-rollers like Poker Stars and Full Tilt up the ante when it comes to media buys and teaming up with marketing affiliates.
The FT reported that Ryan is finding it frustrating that Poker Stars and Full Tilt continue to take the risk of operating in the United States market, something Party Gaming ceased to do following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. This created a significant competitive disadvantage for Party Poker, but he was nevertheless preparing the online poker site for the day when it might be able to legally re-enter the US market in the event of a change in the legislative landscape and a successful "clean slate" deal with the US Department of Justice.
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Playboy Gaming to Close Online Poker Site January 29th, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 14th January 2009
According to a customer service e-mail received on Wednesday, Playboy Gaming, the parent company of Playboy Poker, will shut its doors on January 29th. The e-mail read, in part, “In response to your email, I can confirm that Playboy Gaming will no longer have a poker site and will not be moving to another network.” Poker News Daily has also confirmed the news with CryptoLogic, the network Playboy Poker belongs to.
No mention of a shut down is given on Playboy Poker’s website at the time of writing. Playboy Poker is a site on the CryptoLogic Network and has no plans to head to another group of sites. Other CryptoLogic rooms include Interpoker, Betsafe, and William Hill. The Network is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in the United States under the symbol “CRYP.” Midday on Wednesday, it was trading up $0.42 to $3.17. The stock price was buoyed by a report that it had entered into a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, which develops casino software. Its current clientele includes Unibet, 888, Expekt, and bwin.
In 2007, Playboy Gaming added a casino to its suite of offerings. Its Rewards Club is one of the major features that separates Playboy Poker from its competition. The site offers a variety of experiences that can be purchased with player points, including lunch with Playboy Playmates and Bunnies, a party at the Playboy Mansion in California, and a trip to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas. Playboy merchandise and poker paraphernalia are also available. The site takes its name from the popular magazine and adult film company founded by Hugh Hefner. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “PLA.”
Sun Poker and PokerPlex recently bolted from CryptoLogic to join the iPoker Network, which is owned and operated by software developer Playtech. Littlewoods recently completed a move to 888 from CryptoLogic and Classic Poker is set to follow suit in the near future. In November, CryptoLogic announced that its online poker sites would become a part of the popular Boss Network in the beginning of 2009. However, no formal date has been given for the move. A press release distributed by William Hill stated that January of 2009 was the target date for the transition.
Poker News Daily confirmed the shutdown with a source at CryptoLogic, who stated that the reason for the closure was that the site “just didn’t do as well financially as we had hoped. The response to the Playboy brand wasn’t as great as we hoped.” The brand is well-known in the United States. However, outside of Playboy’s home country, its name takes on a different meaning. CryptoLogic officials described Playboy as a “lifestyle brand” in the U.S. The online poker room will encourage its customers to head to InterPoker and InterCasino.
On Thursday at 8:30am ET, CryptoLogic will be hosting a conference call “to update investors on the progress of its plan to return to growth and profitability in 2009,” according to a statement posted on the company’s website. In the third quarter of 2008, CryptoLogic posted a net loss of $5.9 million.
In 2006, the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States sent many online poker sites packing from the market. Sites like Playboy Gaming, therefore, lost their target audience. PartyPoker, the largest online poker room in the world at the time, also vacated the U.S. For-profit online poker rooms that continue to accept U.S. customers include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Bodog, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker.
Playboy Gaming officials, based in London, could not be reached for comment at press time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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According to a customer service e-mail received on Wednesday, Playboy Gaming, the parent company of Playboy Poker, will shut its doors on January 29th. The e-mail read, in part, “In response to your email, I can confirm that Playboy Gaming will no longer have a poker site and will not be moving to another network.” Poker News Daily has also confirmed the news with CryptoLogic, the network Playboy Poker belongs to.
No mention of a shut down is given on Playboy Poker’s website at the time of writing. Playboy Poker is a site on the CryptoLogic Network and has no plans to head to another group of sites. Other CryptoLogic rooms include Interpoker, Betsafe, and William Hill. The Network is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in the United States under the symbol “CRYP.” Midday on Wednesday, it was trading up $0.42 to $3.17. The stock price was buoyed by a report that it had entered into a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, which develops casino software. Its current clientele includes Unibet, 888, Expekt, and bwin.
In 2007, Playboy Gaming added a casino to its suite of offerings. Its Rewards Club is one of the major features that separates Playboy Poker from its competition. The site offers a variety of experiences that can be purchased with player points, including lunch with Playboy Playmates and Bunnies, a party at the Playboy Mansion in California, and a trip to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas. Playboy merchandise and poker paraphernalia are also available. The site takes its name from the popular magazine and adult film company founded by Hugh Hefner. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “PLA.”
Sun Poker and PokerPlex recently bolted from CryptoLogic to join the iPoker Network, which is owned and operated by software developer Playtech. Littlewoods recently completed a move to 888 from CryptoLogic and Classic Poker is set to follow suit in the near future. In November, CryptoLogic announced that its online poker sites would become a part of the popular Boss Network in the beginning of 2009. However, no formal date has been given for the move. A press release distributed by William Hill stated that January of 2009 was the target date for the transition.
Poker News Daily confirmed the shutdown with a source at CryptoLogic, who stated that the reason for the closure was that the site “just didn’t do as well financially as we had hoped. The response to the Playboy brand wasn’t as great as we hoped.” The brand is well-known in the United States. However, outside of Playboy’s home country, its name takes on a different meaning. CryptoLogic officials described Playboy as a “lifestyle brand” in the U.S. The online poker room will encourage its customers to head to InterPoker and InterCasino.
On Thursday at 8:30am ET, CryptoLogic will be hosting a conference call “to update investors on the progress of its plan to return to growth and profitability in 2009,” according to a statement posted on the company’s website. In the third quarter of 2008, CryptoLogic posted a net loss of $5.9 million.
In 2006, the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States sent many online poker sites packing from the market. Sites like Playboy Gaming, therefore, lost their target audience. PartyPoker, the largest online poker room in the world at the time, also vacated the U.S. For-profit online poker rooms that continue to accept U.S. customers include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Bodog, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker.
Playboy Gaming officials, based in London, could not be reached for comment at press time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Drop out's a poker ace at just 20, with millions in the bank, by Michael Lallo - The Sydney Morning Herald - 14th January 2009
Among a group of men huddled around a poker table in Crown Casino sits a 20-year-old Norwegian woman named Annette Obrestad.
She is short, confident and stylish; her hot-pink leggings and shiny black boots stand in stark contrast to the T-shirts and beer bellies of her competitors.
And if things go her way during the month-long Aussie Millions Championship, she will leave our shores a couple of million dollars richer.
Obrestad is a poker phenomenon: a high-school drop-out and under-age gambler who has become a record-breaking champion.
"I realised I was talented after I started winning more through poker than my mum was earning in her job," she says during a short break from play. "I've made lots of money. I'm not going to say how much, but it's quite a bit."
According to some reports, she has won at least $US3.3 million, including $US2 million in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) tournament and $US500,000 from various Pokerstars online tournaments.
Obrestad got her start after seeing an advertisement for an online poker website.
"It sounded like fun, so I played a few games and did pretty well," she says. "I was only 15 at the time, so I guess what I did was technically illegal. But I never deposited the money, so I don't feel like I did anything wrong."
At 18, Obrestad became the youngest ever winner of the WSOP Europe tournament, and her $US2 million prize is the biggest single-event payout to a female player. She has since won several other live and online tournaments. Not bad considering she can't even compete in WSOP events in the United States until she turns 21.
"I dropped out of high school when I was 17," she says. "I just didn't see the point of getting a degree. All it would have done is stopped me from doing what I really want to do for another three years."
Not surprisingly, nearly all her competitors are men.
"You're lucky if one in 10 players are girls. The women I've played are much older. They only come to the casino because their husbands drag them along. And to be honest, most of them suck."
Obrestad says she prefers playing online, even though she cannot gauge her competitors' physical reactions.
"I find it easier because I first played online," she says. "You notice other players doing the same things with certain hands. And a lot of them have taught themselves on poker training websites. Often, they all end up using the same tactics, so it's not that hard to beat them."
Given Obrestad scored her first payout of $US9 in a tournament with no entry fee, she claims she has never gambled any cash she hadn't previously won.
"I'm pretty good with money," she said. "I obviously have to risk what I've earned to win more, but I've never lost more than I've won. My only big purchase is the house that I bought for my mum. Apart from that, I got some new clothes and invested the rest."
Obrestad's tournament entry fees are paid by her sponsor, an online betting agency, and she allegedly pays her own travel and accommodation costs. But anti-gambling campaigners warn against others being tempted to emulate her good fortune.
"Most people gamble in the belief they will make a quick buck," says Mark Zirnsak, chair of the Interchurch Gambling Task Force. "But that's a false belief. The odds are always stacked against you."
Zirnsak says anyone who gambles should set a limit and stick to it, gamble only what they can afford to lose, leave their bank cards at home, and always attend gambling venues with a friend. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Among a group of men huddled around a poker table in Crown Casino sits a 20-year-old Norwegian woman named Annette Obrestad.
She is short, confident and stylish; her hot-pink leggings and shiny black boots stand in stark contrast to the T-shirts and beer bellies of her competitors.
And if things go her way during the month-long Aussie Millions Championship, she will leave our shores a couple of million dollars richer.
Obrestad is a poker phenomenon: a high-school drop-out and under-age gambler who has become a record-breaking champion.
"I realised I was talented after I started winning more through poker than my mum was earning in her job," she says during a short break from play. "I've made lots of money. I'm not going to say how much, but it's quite a bit."
According to some reports, she has won at least $US3.3 million, including $US2 million in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) tournament and $US500,000 from various Pokerstars online tournaments.
Obrestad got her start after seeing an advertisement for an online poker website.
"It sounded like fun, so I played a few games and did pretty well," she says. "I was only 15 at the time, so I guess what I did was technically illegal. But I never deposited the money, so I don't feel like I did anything wrong."
At 18, Obrestad became the youngest ever winner of the WSOP Europe tournament, and her $US2 million prize is the biggest single-event payout to a female player. She has since won several other live and online tournaments. Not bad considering she can't even compete in WSOP events in the United States until she turns 21.
"I dropped out of high school when I was 17," she says. "I just didn't see the point of getting a degree. All it would have done is stopped me from doing what I really want to do for another three years."
Not surprisingly, nearly all her competitors are men.
"You're lucky if one in 10 players are girls. The women I've played are much older. They only come to the casino because their husbands drag them along. And to be honest, most of them suck."
Obrestad says she prefers playing online, even though she cannot gauge her competitors' physical reactions.
"I find it easier because I first played online," she says. "You notice other players doing the same things with certain hands. And a lot of them have taught themselves on poker training websites. Often, they all end up using the same tactics, so it's not that hard to beat them."
Given Obrestad scored her first payout of $US9 in a tournament with no entry fee, she claims she has never gambled any cash she hadn't previously won.
"I'm pretty good with money," she said. "I obviously have to risk what I've earned to win more, but I've never lost more than I've won. My only big purchase is the house that I bought for my mum. Apart from that, I got some new clothes and invested the rest."
Obrestad's tournament entry fees are paid by her sponsor, an online betting agency, and she allegedly pays her own travel and accommodation costs. But anti-gambling campaigners warn against others being tempted to emulate her good fortune.
"Most people gamble in the belief they will make a quick buck," says Mark Zirnsak, chair of the Interchurch Gambling Task Force. "But that's a false belief. The odds are always stacked against you."
Zirnsak says anyone who gambles should set a limit and stick to it, gamble only what they can afford to lose, leave their bank cards at home, and always attend gambling venues with a friend. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Taiwan Legalizes Casino Gambling, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 12th January 2009
The outlying islands of Taiwan will now be open to legal land-based gambling, according to Bloomberg. However, its mainland will remain inaccessible to companies such as MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previously, gambling anywhere in Taiwan was not permitted.
Bloomberg notes the number of casinos that will be permitted is undetermined. Taiwanese Nationalist Party spokesperson Justin Chou told the news outlet, “Because Taiwan’s economy is now falling, the belief is that these resort projects can help spur the economy.” Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that Asia remains a viable location for new gambling enterprises: “It’s one of the reasons why Las Vegas has done so well. The city is a magnet for high-stakes gamblers from the Far East. That’s part of the reason that Macau took off. Its success has had a cascade effect around the Far East.”
Macau plays host to a variety of high-profile tournaments held as part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and Asian Poker Tour (APT). The latter tournament series invited U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to its most recent Macau event; Phelps was in nearby Beijing winning a record eight gold medals, but did not turn out for the APT festivities. The Venetian Macau, according to a 2007 USA Today article, is the largest building by area in all of Asia, coming in at 10.5 million square feet. In addition, the casino boasts 3,000 hotel rooms.
With gambling revenues in Nevada dropping nearly 15% in November of 2008 in comparison to the same time period in 2007, the industry has been hit hard by the sagging economy. Nevertheless, Taiwan will look to compete with Macau and Singapore to bring much-needed revenue to its economy. Brennan explained that the usual process of integrating casinos into a country is to permit it in outlying areas first. Macau, for example, is accessible by helicopter or ferry from the more populous Hong Kong. Many states in the U.S. only allow gambling if it the casino is located over water. Extensive land-based casino markets have cropped up only in Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi.
The Central News Agency added that residents of the outlying islands must first approve the measure in order for it to be enacted; over 50% of voters must give their endorsement. The casino gambling law also calls for the establishment of an “outlying island development fund” of nearly $1 billion. No timeline for when a vote would take place was given nor was any indication of when the newly-approved casinos may begin to spring up.
The Las Vegas Sands Corporation is looking forward to the opening of its Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The 2,600 room hotel features a “Sky Park” that stretches across the roofs of its three towers. The $2.7 billion property is set to welcome gamblers later this year. Analyst Lawrence Klatzkin told the Associated Press, “We expect the fourth-quarter opening of Singapore will result in the opening of the most profitable casino in the world.” The Marina Bay will also feature an indoor canal and ice skating rink, as well as the ArtScience Museum.
Bloomberg expects an investigation into the possibility of legalized gambling on Taiwan’s mainland “only after two or three years of successful operation on the outlying islands.” Despite the news coming out of Asia, shares of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LVS,” were down $0.90, or 12.88%, by midday Monday. Shares of MGM Mirage, also found on the NYSE, were down $0.86 to $12.53, a fall of 6.42% on the day. Finally, shares of Trump Entertainment, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TRMP,” were at $0.27, up 3.65% on the day. Over the last 52 weeks, TRMP had traded as high as $4.80.
Edward Sabat took down the most recent APPT Macau Main Event for USD $453,000. The PokerStars sponsored tournament played out at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino, drawing 538 players. The 2008 Macau stop on the Asian Poker Tour was won by Yevgeniy Timoshenko, known as “atimos” in the online poker world. Timoshenko grabbed USD $500,000 for his efforts. That tournament series is run by AsianLogic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The outlying islands of Taiwan will now be open to legal land-based gambling, according to Bloomberg. However, its mainland will remain inaccessible to companies such as MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previously, gambling anywhere in Taiwan was not permitted.
Bloomberg notes the number of casinos that will be permitted is undetermined. Taiwanese Nationalist Party spokesperson Justin Chou told the news outlet, “Because Taiwan’s economy is now falling, the belief is that these resort projects can help spur the economy.” Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that Asia remains a viable location for new gambling enterprises: “It’s one of the reasons why Las Vegas has done so well. The city is a magnet for high-stakes gamblers from the Far East. That’s part of the reason that Macau took off. Its success has had a cascade effect around the Far East.”
Macau plays host to a variety of high-profile tournaments held as part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and Asian Poker Tour (APT). The latter tournament series invited U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to its most recent Macau event; Phelps was in nearby Beijing winning a record eight gold medals, but did not turn out for the APT festivities. The Venetian Macau, according to a 2007 USA Today article, is the largest building by area in all of Asia, coming in at 10.5 million square feet. In addition, the casino boasts 3,000 hotel rooms.
With gambling revenues in Nevada dropping nearly 15% in November of 2008 in comparison to the same time period in 2007, the industry has been hit hard by the sagging economy. Nevertheless, Taiwan will look to compete with Macau and Singapore to bring much-needed revenue to its economy. Brennan explained that the usual process of integrating casinos into a country is to permit it in outlying areas first. Macau, for example, is accessible by helicopter or ferry from the more populous Hong Kong. Many states in the U.S. only allow gambling if it the casino is located over water. Extensive land-based casino markets have cropped up only in Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi.
The Central News Agency added that residents of the outlying islands must first approve the measure in order for it to be enacted; over 50% of voters must give their endorsement. The casino gambling law also calls for the establishment of an “outlying island development fund” of nearly $1 billion. No timeline for when a vote would take place was given nor was any indication of when the newly-approved casinos may begin to spring up.
The Las Vegas Sands Corporation is looking forward to the opening of its Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The 2,600 room hotel features a “Sky Park” that stretches across the roofs of its three towers. The $2.7 billion property is set to welcome gamblers later this year. Analyst Lawrence Klatzkin told the Associated Press, “We expect the fourth-quarter opening of Singapore will result in the opening of the most profitable casino in the world.” The Marina Bay will also feature an indoor canal and ice skating rink, as well as the ArtScience Museum.
Bloomberg expects an investigation into the possibility of legalized gambling on Taiwan’s mainland “only after two or three years of successful operation on the outlying islands.” Despite the news coming out of Asia, shares of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LVS,” were down $0.90, or 12.88%, by midday Monday. Shares of MGM Mirage, also found on the NYSE, were down $0.86 to $12.53, a fall of 6.42% on the day. Finally, shares of Trump Entertainment, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TRMP,” were at $0.27, up 3.65% on the day. Over the last 52 weeks, TRMP had traded as high as $4.80.
Edward Sabat took down the most recent APPT Macau Main Event for USD $453,000. The PokerStars sponsored tournament played out at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino, drawing 538 players. The 2008 Macau stop on the Asian Poker Tour was won by Yevgeniy Timoshenko, known as “atimos” in the online poker world. Timoshenko grabbed USD $500,000 for his efforts. That tournament series is run by AsianLogic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Aussie Millions Crowns Two Champions - Bluff Europe - 12th January 2009
One of the “big three” tournament series and the first of 2009 has started in Australia. The 2009 Aussie Millions has begun in Melbourne’s Crown Casino with an AU$1,100 No-Limit Hold ‘em event and an AU$1,050 No-Limit Hold ‘em event played on PokerPro electronic tables (guess it was last thing on a Friday afternoon in the “new tournament ideas” office).
The first title went to Germany’s Christian Heich after he bested a record 732-strong field in the $1,100 event. He started off the final table as third-place by chip count but through some lucky cards and skilled moves he reached the heads-up battle with Steve Topakas at a slight chip disadvantage.
Soon he regained the lead and eventually all the money went in – Topakas held nothing but a draw; Heich had trapped him with a flopped set that avoided the dangerous river cards to hold up and win the German $150,000.
The PokerPro event saw a turnout of 83 players including online tournament masters Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad and BluffEurope.com contributor Wesley “tEh_R3aLde4L” Whybrew The PokerPro tables are dealerless and fully electronic, with a touchscreen for player actions. The event was won by Aussie native Mitchell Carle, who received $25,000. (Credit: Bluff Europe)
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One of the “big three” tournament series and the first of 2009 has started in Australia. The 2009 Aussie Millions has begun in Melbourne’s Crown Casino with an AU$1,100 No-Limit Hold ‘em event and an AU$1,050 No-Limit Hold ‘em event played on PokerPro electronic tables (guess it was last thing on a Friday afternoon in the “new tournament ideas” office).
The first title went to Germany’s Christian Heich after he bested a record 732-strong field in the $1,100 event. He started off the final table as third-place by chip count but through some lucky cards and skilled moves he reached the heads-up battle with Steve Topakas at a slight chip disadvantage.
Soon he regained the lead and eventually all the money went in – Topakas held nothing but a draw; Heich had trapped him with a flopped set that avoided the dangerous river cards to hold up and win the German $150,000.
The PokerPro event saw a turnout of 83 players including online tournament masters Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad and BluffEurope.com contributor Wesley “tEh_R3aLde4L” Whybrew The PokerPro tables are dealerless and fully electronic, with a touchscreen for player actions. The event was won by Aussie native Mitchell Carle, who received $25,000. (Credit: Bluff Europe)
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Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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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Google Allows Poker Affiliates to Bid on Search Terms, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 10th January 2009
The world of Google AdWords is about to change, as the site recently announced a modification of its policy towards gambling. Affiliates of internet gambling sites can now bid on popular industry terms, such as “online poker,” according to a press release distributed Friday by Income Access. The opportunity, for the moment, is limited to the United Kingdom.
The site, which is a marketing agency for the internet gambling market, has been advising affiliates on how to bid on search terms effectively. Operators in the industry, such as the sites themselves, have been allowed to pursue pay per click (PPC) advertising since November of 2008. Now, affiliates will be able to take part as well, likely bidding up prices of popular search terms related to online poker and online casinos. Several of the world’s largest internet gambling companies, such as William Hill, Sportingbet, 888, and Party Gaming, are all traded on the London Stock Exchange. None of the four caters to the U.S. market.
Income Access’ Daniel Bakerman told Poker News Daily why affiliates are important customers to the mammoth search engine: “Google has a vested interest in making sure affiliates are successful. They are huge spenders and represent a good market for Google.” The Income Access press release notes that affiliates will not be able to bid on the sites they promote, such as the terms “PartyPoker” or “Paradise Poker.” Operators, on the other hand, are able to bid on their competition’s names.
Bakerman added that search engine traffic is an important source of revenue for affiliates not just in online poker, but also in other industries: “Affiliates make a lot of money using PPC advertising in industries such as retail. If it’s done well, it’s a way to attract targeted traffic to your site. You can get your ads displayed right in front of people who are searching for what you’re offering. Another benefit is that you get an instantaneous result for the money you put in.” For example, rather than increasing a site’s ranking in Google organically, which can take months of publishing relevant unique content, AdWords allows sites to be pushed to the top of search returns quickly.
Sponsored links for the search term “poker book” include links to eBay and Amazon as well as a host of private sites. These links appear to the right of the traditional list of search returns. In some cases, Google returns shopping links at the top as well. Income Access, meanwhile, has created a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) branch to help affiliates wade through the sometimes confusing world of AdWords. Bakerman explained, “Income Access also built in a lot of tools for affiliates they can use in conjunction with PPC advertising that will let them calculate their return on investment. We provide tools that operators can use to track players and show reports.”
Google gives advertisers access to click stats and conversion rates. However, because affiliates must use third party online poker sites in order to validate that a player is properly tracked, conversion rates are sometimes difficult to quantify. Income Access, in several cases, also created the software operators use to track affiliate revenue. For example, the company works with Canbet, Ladbrokes, and Unibet in the poker vertical. It also has relationships with Paradise Poker, Sportingbet, Victor Chandler, and Purple Lounge.
According to The Telegraph, in order for an operator to be able to advertise with Google, it must be registered with the Gambling Commission or the European Economic Area “provided they are registered with their national regulator.” The advertisements will not appear in search engine filters that regularly block out inappropriate content. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The world of Google AdWords is about to change, as the site recently announced a modification of its policy towards gambling. Affiliates of internet gambling sites can now bid on popular industry terms, such as “online poker,” according to a press release distributed Friday by Income Access. The opportunity, for the moment, is limited to the United Kingdom.
The site, which is a marketing agency for the internet gambling market, has been advising affiliates on how to bid on search terms effectively. Operators in the industry, such as the sites themselves, have been allowed to pursue pay per click (PPC) advertising since November of 2008. Now, affiliates will be able to take part as well, likely bidding up prices of popular search terms related to online poker and online casinos. Several of the world’s largest internet gambling companies, such as William Hill, Sportingbet, 888, and Party Gaming, are all traded on the London Stock Exchange. None of the four caters to the U.S. market.
Income Access’ Daniel Bakerman told Poker News Daily why affiliates are important customers to the mammoth search engine: “Google has a vested interest in making sure affiliates are successful. They are huge spenders and represent a good market for Google.” The Income Access press release notes that affiliates will not be able to bid on the sites they promote, such as the terms “PartyPoker” or “Paradise Poker.” Operators, on the other hand, are able to bid on their competition’s names.
Bakerman added that search engine traffic is an important source of revenue for affiliates not just in online poker, but also in other industries: “Affiliates make a lot of money using PPC advertising in industries such as retail. If it’s done well, it’s a way to attract targeted traffic to your site. You can get your ads displayed right in front of people who are searching for what you’re offering. Another benefit is that you get an instantaneous result for the money you put in.” For example, rather than increasing a site’s ranking in Google organically, which can take months of publishing relevant unique content, AdWords allows sites to be pushed to the top of search returns quickly.
Sponsored links for the search term “poker book” include links to eBay and Amazon as well as a host of private sites. These links appear to the right of the traditional list of search returns. In some cases, Google returns shopping links at the top as well. Income Access, meanwhile, has created a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) branch to help affiliates wade through the sometimes confusing world of AdWords. Bakerman explained, “Income Access also built in a lot of tools for affiliates they can use in conjunction with PPC advertising that will let them calculate their return on investment. We provide tools that operators can use to track players and show reports.”
Google gives advertisers access to click stats and conversion rates. However, because affiliates must use third party online poker sites in order to validate that a player is properly tracked, conversion rates are sometimes difficult to quantify. Income Access, in several cases, also created the software operators use to track affiliate revenue. For example, the company works with Canbet, Ladbrokes, and Unibet in the poker vertical. It also has relationships with Paradise Poker, Sportingbet, Victor Chandler, and Purple Lounge.
According to The Telegraph, in order for an operator to be able to advertise with Google, it must be registered with the Gambling Commission or the European Economic Area “provided they are registered with their national regulator.” The advertisements will not appear in search engine filters that regularly block out inappropriate content. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Aussie Millions Begins Today - Card Player - 10th January 2009
Highlights Include $100,000 Event and $10,000 Main Event
The first event at the 2009 Aussie Millions tournament series began today with the start of $1,100 no-limit hold’em opening event at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. There will be 18 events featured in all, running from today until Jan. 26 at the fourth edition of this tournament. A collection of professionals are expected to make the trip to the land down under, but numbers are slated to be down without the sponsorship of Full Tilt behind the event. The series will feature a robust collection of tournaments to kick off the year in the following games: limit and no-limit hold’em, limit Omaha eight-or-better, H.O.R.S.E., pot-limit Omaha, heads-up no-limit hold’em, and six-handed no-limit hold’em. Hometown world champion Joe Hachem is sure to make appearances in tournament fields throughout the series and kiwi Lee Nelson has mentioned that he will be playing many events as well. The highlights are sure to be the $100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge (Jan. 17-18), and the $10,500 no-limit hold’em main event (Jan. 18-24). Card Player will feature news stories about these two marquee events.
Here is a look at the full schedule of events and the full schedule for the main event:
Note: All dollar amounts are AUD
Event No. 1 ($1,100 no-limit hold’em): Jan. 9-11
Event No. 2 ($1,050 no-limit hold’em event): Jan. 11
Event No. 3 ($1,100 Omaha eight-or-better): Jan. 12
Event No. 4 ($1,100 limit hold’em): Jan. 13
Event No. 5 ($1,100 H.O.R.S.E.): Jan. 14-15
Event No. 6 ($1,150 no-limit hold’em w/rebuys): Jan. 15-16
Event No. 7 ($1,650 bounty event): Jan. 16-17
Event No. 8 ($100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge): Jan. 17-18
Event No. 9 ($10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event)
Day 1A: Jan. 18 (all tournament days begin at 12:30 p.m. local time)
Day 1B: Jan. 19
Day 1C: Jan. 20
Day 2: Jan. 21
Day 3: Jan. 22
Day 4: Jan. 23
Final Table: Jan. 24
Event No. 10 ($5,300 heads-up championship): Jan. 20-22
Event No. 11 ($1,100 pot-limit Omaha): Jan. 21
Event No. 12 ($3,250 pot-limit Omaha w/rebuys): Jan. 22
Event No. 13 ($1,100 mixed hold’em): Jan. 22
Event No. 14 ($2,200 six-handed no-limit hold’em): Jan. 23-24
Event No. 15: ($2,200 no-limit hold’em teams event): Jan. 24
Event No. 16: ($10,200 H.O.R.S.E.): Jan. 24-25
Event No. 17: ($1,100 no-limit hold’em turbo): Jan. 25
Event No. 18: ($1,100 2 card Manila championship w/rebuys): Jan. 26
2008 Aussie Millions:
Main Event
Buy-in: $10,500
Number of Entries: 750
Total Prize Pool: $7,800,000
First-Place Prize: $1,650,000
Places Paid: 81
Final-Table Results:
1: Alexander Kostritsyn -- $1,650,000
2: Erik Seidel -- $1,000,000
3: Michael Chrisanthopoulos -- $700,000
4: Peter Ling -- $500,000
5: Nino Marotta -- $400,000
6: Antonio Casale -- $300,000
7: Peter Mobbs -- $225,000
8: Nico Behling -- $175,000
9: Robert Akery -- $175,000
$100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge
Buy-in: $100,000
Number of Entries: 25
Total Prize Pool: $2,500,000
First-Place Prize: $1,250,000
Places Paid: 5
Final-Table Results:
1: Howard Lederer -- $1,250,000
2: Mark Teltscher -- $650,000
3: Michael Sampoerna -- $350,000
4: Jeffrey Lisandro -- $150,000
5: Nikolaus Jedlicka -- $100,000 (Credit: CardPlayer.com)
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Highlights Include $100,000 Event and $10,000 Main Event
The first event at the 2009 Aussie Millions tournament series began today with the start of $1,100 no-limit hold’em opening event at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. There will be 18 events featured in all, running from today until Jan. 26 at the fourth edition of this tournament. A collection of professionals are expected to make the trip to the land down under, but numbers are slated to be down without the sponsorship of Full Tilt behind the event. The series will feature a robust collection of tournaments to kick off the year in the following games: limit and no-limit hold’em, limit Omaha eight-or-better, H.O.R.S.E., pot-limit Omaha, heads-up no-limit hold’em, and six-handed no-limit hold’em. Hometown world champion Joe Hachem is sure to make appearances in tournament fields throughout the series and kiwi Lee Nelson has mentioned that he will be playing many events as well. The highlights are sure to be the $100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge (Jan. 17-18), and the $10,500 no-limit hold’em main event (Jan. 18-24). Card Player will feature news stories about these two marquee events.
Here is a look at the full schedule of events and the full schedule for the main event:
Note: All dollar amounts are AUD
Event No. 1 ($1,100 no-limit hold’em): Jan. 9-11
Event No. 2 ($1,050 no-limit hold’em event): Jan. 11
Event No. 3 ($1,100 Omaha eight-or-better): Jan. 12
Event No. 4 ($1,100 limit hold’em): Jan. 13
Event No. 5 ($1,100 H.O.R.S.E.): Jan. 14-15
Event No. 6 ($1,150 no-limit hold’em w/rebuys): Jan. 15-16
Event No. 7 ($1,650 bounty event): Jan. 16-17
Event No. 8 ($100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge): Jan. 17-18
Event No. 9 ($10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event)
Day 1A: Jan. 18 (all tournament days begin at 12:30 p.m. local time)
Day 1B: Jan. 19
Day 1C: Jan. 20
Day 2: Jan. 21
Day 3: Jan. 22
Day 4: Jan. 23
Final Table: Jan. 24
Event No. 10 ($5,300 heads-up championship): Jan. 20-22
Event No. 11 ($1,100 pot-limit Omaha): Jan. 21
Event No. 12 ($3,250 pot-limit Omaha w/rebuys): Jan. 22
Event No. 13 ($1,100 mixed hold’em): Jan. 22
Event No. 14 ($2,200 six-handed no-limit hold’em): Jan. 23-24
Event No. 15: ($2,200 no-limit hold’em teams event): Jan. 24
Event No. 16: ($10,200 H.O.R.S.E.): Jan. 24-25
Event No. 17: ($1,100 no-limit hold’em turbo): Jan. 25
Event No. 18: ($1,100 2 card Manila championship w/rebuys): Jan. 26
2008 Aussie Millions:
Main Event
Buy-in: $10,500
Number of Entries: 750
Total Prize Pool: $7,800,000
First-Place Prize: $1,650,000
Places Paid: 81
Final-Table Results:
1: Alexander Kostritsyn -- $1,650,000
2: Erik Seidel -- $1,000,000
3: Michael Chrisanthopoulos -- $700,000
4: Peter Ling -- $500,000
5: Nino Marotta -- $400,000
6: Antonio Casale -- $300,000
7: Peter Mobbs -- $225,000
8: Nico Behling -- $175,000
9: Robert Akery -- $175,000
$100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge
Buy-in: $100,000
Number of Entries: 25
Total Prize Pool: $2,500,000
First-Place Prize: $1,250,000
Places Paid: 5
Final-Table Results:
1: Howard Lederer -- $1,250,000
2: Mark Teltscher -- $650,000
3: Michael Sampoerna -- $350,000
4: Jeffrey Lisandro -- $150,000
5: Nikolaus Jedlicka -- $100,000 (Credit: CardPlayer.com)
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Saturday, January 10, 2009
PKR Launch New Updates To Their Online Poker Room - 9th January 2009
As if the state-of-the-art software and graphics weren’t impressive enough, PKR have decided to one-up the competition yet again by including over 50 new updates and changes to their online poker room.
“Version 1.7” is the site’s biggest-ever update and players are already enjoying the changes. New environments and table settings are top of the list, including a China-themed casino; an Egyptian theme and an underground wine bar.
The games are now even more realistic than before. Tournaments will now end with a triumphant celebration of the winning player and PKR’s software gurus have added top-of-the-range physics modelling that means the players’ hair moves realistically at the slightest motion.
Of course, they’ve improved the actual poker, too. Re-buy tournaments will cater to all the Negreanus out there and PKR’s MTTs are being given bigger and better 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.”
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As if the state-of-the-art software and graphics weren’t impressive enough, PKR have decided to one-up the competition yet again by including over 50 new updates and changes to their online poker room.
“Version 1.7” is the site’s biggest-ever update and players are already enjoying the changes. New environments and table settings are top of the list, including a China-themed casino; an Egyptian theme and an underground wine bar.
The games are now even more realistic than before. Tournaments will now end with a triumphant celebration of the winning player and PKR’s software gurus have added top-of-the-range physics modelling that means the players’ hair moves realistically at the slightest motion.
Of course, they’ve improved the actual poker, too. Re-buy tournaments will cater to all the Negreanus out there and PKR’s MTTs are being given bigger and better 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.”
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PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Sets Attendance Records, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 8th January 2009
In 2004, there were 221 entrants into the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). At the time, the World Poker Tour sanctioned event was held on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Voyager of the Seas. In fact, its final table played out above the ship’s ice rink. In 2009, a whopping 1,347 runners hit the felts in The Bahamas, creating the largest live poker tournament held outside of Las Vegas, according to a PokerStars press release distributed on Thursday.
Of the 1,347 entrants, 1,061 were members of the world’s largest online poker room. In addition, 735 (or 55% of the field) qualified through one of the many satellites that PokerStars ran prior to the first cards being dealt. The $10,000 buy-in PCA Main Event has a total prize pool of $12.6 million and will award a healthy $3 million to its winner on Saturday. The tournament regularly attracts a wealth of online poker players due to the extensive qualifiers held on PokerStars. However, its status as a European Poker Tour event has also brought out some of the “big guns,” including Mark Seif, Kathy Liebert, Tom Franklin, “Miami” John Cernuto, Nenad Medic, and Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, all of whom have survived to see Day 3 on Thursday.
By 2005, the PCA had grown to 461 players and found new digs at the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. One of the world’s most famous vacation destinations, the Atlantis’ famed Bridge Suite attracts celebrities from the four corners of the Earth. In 2006, the PCA field ballooned to 724 players and was won by Steven Paul Ambrose. The next year, the field nearly topped 1,000. Winning it was Ryan “Daut44” Daut, who took down the title on a cold blustery day in The Bahamas. Daut’s win marked the last time a PCA winner would also be a World Poker Tour champion, as the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States essentially stunted its promotion of live tournaments sponsored by online poker rooms.
Last year’s PCA marked the first time the European Poker Tour stopped in the Western Hemisphere for an event. There were 1,136 combatants and, at the end of the day, Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier took home $2 million for the win. The final table also featured Hafiz Khan and David “The Dragon” Pham. The PCA has displayed consistent growth over time and now owns the record for the largest poker tournament held outside of Sin City.
To put its 1,347 player attendance figure in perspective, the Main Event of the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe festivities drew 363. The European Poker Tour’s recent London stop drew 596 players. Halfway across the world in Macau, 538 players packed the Asia Pacific Poker Tour event there in September.
This year, the top 199 players in the PCA will finish in the money, with its winner becoming $3 million richer. Other places will pay out as follows:
1st Place: $3,000,000
2nd Place: $1,700,000
3rd Place: $1,100,000
4th Place: $750,000
5th Place: $550,000
6th Place: $400,000
7th Place: $300,000
8th Place: $234,000
9th Place: $175,000
10th Place: $150,000
At the time of writing, there are 102 players remaining as the PCA enters Day 3 on Thursday. David “Bakes” Baker continues to lead the pack with 925,000 chips. Other notable stacks in the Atlantis Hotel include:
11. Mark Seif, 505,000
12. Eric Liu, 472,000
19. Kathy Liebert, 401,500
27. Hafiz Khan, 320,500
28. Rep Porter, 317,500
31. “Captain” Tom Franklin, 308,500
38. “Miami” John Cernuto, 286,500
55. Vicky Coren, 200,000
62. Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, 187,500
63. Grant Hinkle, 186,000
64. Nenad Medic, 184,500
67. Ylon Schwartz, 178,000
88. Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, 106,000
89. Jeff Madsen, 106,000 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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In 2004, there were 221 entrants into the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). At the time, the World Poker Tour sanctioned event was held on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Voyager of the Seas. In fact, its final table played out above the ship’s ice rink. In 2009, a whopping 1,347 runners hit the felts in The Bahamas, creating the largest live poker tournament held outside of Las Vegas, according to a PokerStars press release distributed on Thursday.
Of the 1,347 entrants, 1,061 were members of the world’s largest online poker room. In addition, 735 (or 55% of the field) qualified through one of the many satellites that PokerStars ran prior to the first cards being dealt. The $10,000 buy-in PCA Main Event has a total prize pool of $12.6 million and will award a healthy $3 million to its winner on Saturday. The tournament regularly attracts a wealth of online poker players due to the extensive qualifiers held on PokerStars. However, its status as a European Poker Tour event has also brought out some of the “big guns,” including Mark Seif, Kathy Liebert, Tom Franklin, “Miami” John Cernuto, Nenad Medic, and Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, all of whom have survived to see Day 3 on Thursday.
By 2005, the PCA had grown to 461 players and found new digs at the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. One of the world’s most famous vacation destinations, the Atlantis’ famed Bridge Suite attracts celebrities from the four corners of the Earth. In 2006, the PCA field ballooned to 724 players and was won by Steven Paul Ambrose. The next year, the field nearly topped 1,000. Winning it was Ryan “Daut44” Daut, who took down the title on a cold blustery day in The Bahamas. Daut’s win marked the last time a PCA winner would also be a World Poker Tour champion, as the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States essentially stunted its promotion of live tournaments sponsored by online poker rooms.
Last year’s PCA marked the first time the European Poker Tour stopped in the Western Hemisphere for an event. There were 1,136 combatants and, at the end of the day, Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier took home $2 million for the win. The final table also featured Hafiz Khan and David “The Dragon” Pham. The PCA has displayed consistent growth over time and now owns the record for the largest poker tournament held outside of Sin City.
To put its 1,347 player attendance figure in perspective, the Main Event of the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe festivities drew 363. The European Poker Tour’s recent London stop drew 596 players. Halfway across the world in Macau, 538 players packed the Asia Pacific Poker Tour event there in September.
This year, the top 199 players in the PCA will finish in the money, with its winner becoming $3 million richer. Other places will pay out as follows:
1st Place: $3,000,000
2nd Place: $1,700,000
3rd Place: $1,100,000
4th Place: $750,000
5th Place: $550,000
6th Place: $400,000
7th Place: $300,000
8th Place: $234,000
9th Place: $175,000
10th Place: $150,000
At the time of writing, there are 102 players remaining as the PCA enters Day 3 on Thursday. David “Bakes” Baker continues to lead the pack with 925,000 chips. Other notable stacks in the Atlantis Hotel include:
11. Mark Seif, 505,000
12. Eric Liu, 472,000
19. Kathy Liebert, 401,500
27. Hafiz Khan, 320,500
28. Rep Porter, 317,500
31. “Captain” Tom Franklin, 308,500
38. “Miami” John Cernuto, 286,500
55. Vicky Coren, 200,000
62. Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, 187,500
63. Grant Hinkle, 186,000
64. Nenad Medic, 184,500
67. Ylon Schwartz, 178,000
88. Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, 106,000
89. Jeff Madsen, 106,000 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Shuffle up and deal, by Brendan Cormick - The Australian - 9th January 2009
Come and sit down. Never played Texas hold'em poker before? It's the Cadillac of poker, according to the Americans. It'll take you a minute to learn and, maybe, a lifetime to master.
Let's play. You can learn as we go. Those are your starting chips. Not worth a red cent anywhere else, but they're worth $2000 at these tables. The green ones are $25, black are valued at $100, the purple chips are $500. Collect the yellow ones, they're worth $1000.
Don't be put off by the language. It's not blue, though poker has a jargon that conjures up all sorts of images. I mean last week that guy over there flopped the nuts and splashed the pot, which nobody likes. I was under the gun, but I had a backdoor flush opportunity and went all-in behind him. It is no different from other sports such as surfing in that regard, though it could be argued there is more intellect involved in poker.
Loosely translated: that guy over there got the best hand when the first three community cards (the flop) were revealed and he threw his chips into the centre among the chips already bet in the pot. I had a chance to make a flush (five cards of the one suit) and put all my chips in danger by going all-in.
POKER has taken hundreds of years to evolve and become an overnight sensation. The phenomenon known as Texas hold'em has become a favourite over the past decade. Made-for-television tournaments, where concealed cameras reveal each player's cards to the viewer, have elevated the game to a spectator sport.
The game received another boost when an unknown, Chris Moneymaker, won the World Series of Poker in 2003, ending the professional domination and motivating thousands to try and emulate his feat.
Casinos conduct the bulk of cash games and tournaments, but as a means of providing a new entertainment option for clubs and pubs, free poker leagues have developed since 2005. They were seen initially as a fad but are now a thriving business.
EMMA'S going to deal. She's 18 and works at a supermarket checkout. She'd never played before the start of last year. In fact a game of snap was the closest she'd come to a card deck, but she came along one night with her girlfriends and now she plays often.
Brian is 48 and an electrician by trade. The father of three loves playing cards and, though his wife would like him home every night, Tuesday night is his to shuffle up and deal.
Maria is 35 and about to manage an RSL in country Victoria. She has always enjoyed card games, though Texas hold'em was new to her when she started playing free tournaments. Her husband Darren, 37, also plays. It is true when they say the family that plays together stays together.
Justin is a 25-year-old shop assistant who came with his mates and has made several new friends. He admits to being average when he started playing, though he is now a solid player, a formidable opponent. He is sitting next to Mick, a 48-year-old businessman who likes to have a few ales and some friendly banter while putting his chips at risk. The deeper into the tournament he goes, the greater the risks he takes.
Con is 31 and works overnight as a cook. He plays most days before work at several different venues and has been exposed to cards from a young age. He has been playing for three years and says he is still learning.
THE Australian Poker League runs 4000 free poker games a month with anywhere up to 200 games on a given day of the week nationally. The National Poker League holds 2000 events each month. Between them, they cater to more than 500,000 players.
An APL venue in Melbourne will draw between 60 and 80 players to a game in a club or hotel, comparing favourably with patronage in Brisbane. In Sydney, numbers can swell to 200-300.
"In Sydney it is very much a club culture and they have bigger memberships and the facilities to hold the bigger numbers. You find in Melbourne that the RSL and golf and other sporting clubs are smaller," APL's Peter Kavanagh says.
The demographics signify the universal nature of the card game. If you want to see how multicultural Australia is, venturing into a poker tournament provides a great window. Rivalling the variation in origins of the players is their age. Teenagers to pensioners are represented and they range from the unemployed to invalids, white collar workers and blue collar workers.
"It can vary from game to game. You'll see the 18-year-old and you'll see the 75 or 80-year-old and everything in between," Kavanagh says.
"Looking at them again, you'll see different ethnic origins as well as professional backgrounds and non-professional backgrounds.
"It's a game for all parts of the community. It's not like a football game, when you've hit 30 you're gone. It's the pastime that people can take up when they're fresh out of school or well past pension age."
YOU get two cards dealt to you. A pair of aces is the best, but a pair of kings is good. Brian raises to $200 and Maria folds. Justin tosses his cards into the muck. That is what you call the pile of discards.
Mick takes a risk and calls by putting out $200. Con is playing tight (only when he has good cards) and folds his hand. I'm out, so it's up to you. Call for $200 or raise. Call. Let's see the flop: the first three community cards that are revealed simultaneously.
POKER leagues have detailed websites that promote their venues, but most games are advertised in local newspapers.
Word of mouth, however, is the best means of drawing new players, according to APL franchisee Cliff Ferrer, who is a district manager in the southeast suburbs of Melbourne, but he adds that the poker boom on TV has played a huge part in creating interest.
"I would say word of mouth is a huge thing for this kind of business," Ferrer says. "It is very important for people to come and have a good time, because what then happens is they tell their friends the next day. The poker industry, whether it be pub poker, online or in the casinos, is just booming due to the fact that it is being televised.
"People get to see the cards of the players and understand what's going on. The game has become more accessible and no longer has the stigma of being played in back rooms by men smoking cigars. It has been opened up to a wider demographic, still 70 per cent male but with a significant increase in female participation.
"I've seen a lot of things change with poker over time. I've seen people come as groups and meet others to become the best of friends and they now see each other away from APL events. I have even seen love blossom at the poker table. I know a couple that met at one of our games and they got married."
This pair, let's call them King and Queen, are yet to have a child, though Ace or Jack would be obvious choices for names.
THE flop is ace of spades, seven of diamonds and the nine of diamonds. Brian's the aggressor and bets $200 again. Mick thinks long and hard before tossing away his cards. It's up to you. What's that, you're raising to $500? Are you sure you've never played? Brian hesitates before putting in the extra $300 to call.
KAVANAGH says free poker provides the potential for a life-changing experience. APL held its first $1 million Tournament of Champions 18 months ago at Sydney's Luna Park, at which time then 31-year-old unemployed father of one, Rodney Davidson, had $250 to his name.
Davidson, from Bega on the NSW south coast, slept in his car for three nights but played shrewd poker and made it to the final table, vowing to get out of debt and buy a house if he won. A set of fours (three of a kind) gave him the tournament and the $300,000 winner's cheque, not to mention celebrity among the hundreds of thousands of players who aspire to be a poker champion.
The pubs and clubs are proving a breeding ground for tomorrow's cash tournament stars, though for each one that emerges there are dozens that lack the bravado, the confidence or the bankroll to pit themselves against the pros.
In February at Melbourne's Crown Casino, less than a month after the world's leading exponents of Texas hold'em have descended on the venue to battle it out in the tournaments that culminate in the main event at the Aussie Millions - the richest poker prize outside the US - a non-professional poker player will win $250,000 in the APL's Wild Turkey Poker Classic.
Four players will win a seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas next July, valued at more than $US10,000 ($14,700), and get a shot at about $US10 million.
THE fourth community card is called the turn. Emma peels the 10 of hearts off the deck. Brian checks (elects not to bet) and so do you. If one of you were to hold a six and a nine or a nine and a jack, you'd have made a straight. You get to see the final card for free, having checked. Known as the river, the fifth card revealed is the ace of clubs.
Brian checks. He was trying to make a flush with the two diamonds in his hand and the two diamonds among the community cards. He fell one diamond short.
You're all-in and push your remaining $1300 in chips out toward the centre of the table. Brian folds, the chips are yours to rake back and stack. Well done, you obviously had an ace. What's that you say with a sheepish grin, a stone cold bluff?
Are you sure you haven't played before? (Credit: The Australian)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Texas hold'em
World Series of Poker
Crown Casino
Aussie Millions
Poker News
Come and sit down. Never played Texas hold'em poker before? It's the Cadillac of poker, according to the Americans. It'll take you a minute to learn and, maybe, a lifetime to master.
Let's play. You can learn as we go. Those are your starting chips. Not worth a red cent anywhere else, but they're worth $2000 at these tables. The green ones are $25, black are valued at $100, the purple chips are $500. Collect the yellow ones, they're worth $1000.
Don't be put off by the language. It's not blue, though poker has a jargon that conjures up all sorts of images. I mean last week that guy over there flopped the nuts and splashed the pot, which nobody likes. I was under the gun, but I had a backdoor flush opportunity and went all-in behind him. It is no different from other sports such as surfing in that regard, though it could be argued there is more intellect involved in poker.
Loosely translated: that guy over there got the best hand when the first three community cards (the flop) were revealed and he threw his chips into the centre among the chips already bet in the pot. I had a chance to make a flush (five cards of the one suit) and put all my chips in danger by going all-in.
POKER has taken hundreds of years to evolve and become an overnight sensation. The phenomenon known as Texas hold'em has become a favourite over the past decade. Made-for-television tournaments, where concealed cameras reveal each player's cards to the viewer, have elevated the game to a spectator sport.
The game received another boost when an unknown, Chris Moneymaker, won the World Series of Poker in 2003, ending the professional domination and motivating thousands to try and emulate his feat.
Casinos conduct the bulk of cash games and tournaments, but as a means of providing a new entertainment option for clubs and pubs, free poker leagues have developed since 2005. They were seen initially as a fad but are now a thriving business.
EMMA'S going to deal. She's 18 and works at a supermarket checkout. She'd never played before the start of last year. In fact a game of snap was the closest she'd come to a card deck, but she came along one night with her girlfriends and now she plays often.
Brian is 48 and an electrician by trade. The father of three loves playing cards and, though his wife would like him home every night, Tuesday night is his to shuffle up and deal.
Maria is 35 and about to manage an RSL in country Victoria. She has always enjoyed card games, though Texas hold'em was new to her when she started playing free tournaments. Her husband Darren, 37, also plays. It is true when they say the family that plays together stays together.
Justin is a 25-year-old shop assistant who came with his mates and has made several new friends. He admits to being average when he started playing, though he is now a solid player, a formidable opponent. He is sitting next to Mick, a 48-year-old businessman who likes to have a few ales and some friendly banter while putting his chips at risk. The deeper into the tournament he goes, the greater the risks he takes.
Con is 31 and works overnight as a cook. He plays most days before work at several different venues and has been exposed to cards from a young age. He has been playing for three years and says he is still learning.
THE Australian Poker League runs 4000 free poker games a month with anywhere up to 200 games on a given day of the week nationally. The National Poker League holds 2000 events each month. Between them, they cater to more than 500,000 players.
An APL venue in Melbourne will draw between 60 and 80 players to a game in a club or hotel, comparing favourably with patronage in Brisbane. In Sydney, numbers can swell to 200-300.
"In Sydney it is very much a club culture and they have bigger memberships and the facilities to hold the bigger numbers. You find in Melbourne that the RSL and golf and other sporting clubs are smaller," APL's Peter Kavanagh says.
The demographics signify the universal nature of the card game. If you want to see how multicultural Australia is, venturing into a poker tournament provides a great window. Rivalling the variation in origins of the players is their age. Teenagers to pensioners are represented and they range from the unemployed to invalids, white collar workers and blue collar workers.
"It can vary from game to game. You'll see the 18-year-old and you'll see the 75 or 80-year-old and everything in between," Kavanagh says.
"Looking at them again, you'll see different ethnic origins as well as professional backgrounds and non-professional backgrounds.
"It's a game for all parts of the community. It's not like a football game, when you've hit 30 you're gone. It's the pastime that people can take up when they're fresh out of school or well past pension age."
YOU get two cards dealt to you. A pair of aces is the best, but a pair of kings is good. Brian raises to $200 and Maria folds. Justin tosses his cards into the muck. That is what you call the pile of discards.
Mick takes a risk and calls by putting out $200. Con is playing tight (only when he has good cards) and folds his hand. I'm out, so it's up to you. Call for $200 or raise. Call. Let's see the flop: the first three community cards that are revealed simultaneously.
POKER leagues have detailed websites that promote their venues, but most games are advertised in local newspapers.
Word of mouth, however, is the best means of drawing new players, according to APL franchisee Cliff Ferrer, who is a district manager in the southeast suburbs of Melbourne, but he adds that the poker boom on TV has played a huge part in creating interest.
"I would say word of mouth is a huge thing for this kind of business," Ferrer says. "It is very important for people to come and have a good time, because what then happens is they tell their friends the next day. The poker industry, whether it be pub poker, online or in the casinos, is just booming due to the fact that it is being televised.
"People get to see the cards of the players and understand what's going on. The game has become more accessible and no longer has the stigma of being played in back rooms by men smoking cigars. It has been opened up to a wider demographic, still 70 per cent male but with a significant increase in female participation.
"I've seen a lot of things change with poker over time. I've seen people come as groups and meet others to become the best of friends and they now see each other away from APL events. I have even seen love blossom at the poker table. I know a couple that met at one of our games and they got married."
This pair, let's call them King and Queen, are yet to have a child, though Ace or Jack would be obvious choices for names.
THE flop is ace of spades, seven of diamonds and the nine of diamonds. Brian's the aggressor and bets $200 again. Mick thinks long and hard before tossing away his cards. It's up to you. What's that, you're raising to $500? Are you sure you've never played? Brian hesitates before putting in the extra $300 to call.
KAVANAGH says free poker provides the potential for a life-changing experience. APL held its first $1 million Tournament of Champions 18 months ago at Sydney's Luna Park, at which time then 31-year-old unemployed father of one, Rodney Davidson, had $250 to his name.
Davidson, from Bega on the NSW south coast, slept in his car for three nights but played shrewd poker and made it to the final table, vowing to get out of debt and buy a house if he won. A set of fours (three of a kind) gave him the tournament and the $300,000 winner's cheque, not to mention celebrity among the hundreds of thousands of players who aspire to be a poker champion.
The pubs and clubs are proving a breeding ground for tomorrow's cash tournament stars, though for each one that emerges there are dozens that lack the bravado, the confidence or the bankroll to pit themselves against the pros.
In February at Melbourne's Crown Casino, less than a month after the world's leading exponents of Texas hold'em have descended on the venue to battle it out in the tournaments that culminate in the main event at the Aussie Millions - the richest poker prize outside the US - a non-professional poker player will win $250,000 in the APL's Wild Turkey Poker Classic.
Four players will win a seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas next July, valued at more than $US10,000 ($14,700), and get a shot at about $US10 million.
THE fourth community card is called the turn. Emma peels the 10 of hearts off the deck. Brian checks (elects not to bet) and so do you. If one of you were to hold a six and a nine or a nine and a jack, you'd have made a straight. You get to see the final card for free, having checked. Known as the river, the fifth card revealed is the ace of clubs.
Brian checks. He was trying to make a flush with the two diamonds in his hand and the two diamonds among the community cards. He fell one diamond short.
You're all-in and push your remaining $1300 in chips out toward the centre of the table. Brian folds, the chips are yours to rake back and stack. Well done, you obviously had an ace. What's that you say with a sheepish grin, a stone cold bluff?
Are you sure you haven't played before? (Credit: The Australian)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Texas hold'em
World Series of Poker
Crown Casino
Aussie Millions
Poker News
Friday, January 09, 2009
Is The EPT Surpassing The WPT?, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 8th January 2009
When it began just over six years ago, the World Poker Tour was the only game in town. Sure, the World Series of Poker was showing its usual mild growth, but it was a tournament schedule that didn’t have any draw other than its traditional April-to-May run. There wasn’t a great deal of poker action at the time and casinos were closing poker rooms across the United States in favor of the more lucrative banks of slot machines that didn’t have to have human operation to bring in the money.
The World Poker Tour changed many of the facets of poker, making it the “hip” thing to do as the first decade of the 21st century rumbled along. The WPT’s tournaments, broadcast on the cable network The Travel Channel, suddenly became highly popular as the game’s television ratings soared and players, professional and amateur, suddenly flocked to take part in the events. With this outpouring of players and, more importantly, the money that went along with it, other organizations began to put together their own tours to compete against the WPT.
In 2004, PokerStars decided to attack the untapped market that was Europe with their own tour, the European Poker Tour. Starting with a minuscule seven tournaments, the EPT found a foothold in the European arena and has since seen incredible growth as they continue their fifth season. While there have been other tours that have also started during this same time frame (the WSOP Circuit events, WSOP Europe, the Heartland Poker Tour, APPT, etc.), the EPT and the WPT have been the big draws for many poker players from around the world. It leads many to ask which is the better tournament schedule and, in this writer’s opinion, ask the more serious question as to whether or not the EPT has passed the WPT in popularity.
Location, Location, Location
When the World Poker Tour started back in 2002, it featured tournaments around the world and took viewers and players to locales that many would probably never venture. Las Vegas, Costa Rica, Aruba, the islands of the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Paris, France were just some of the opulent stops that the tour made in its early history and the playing sites were featured almost as much as the players were at the tables. As the WPT has moved into its seventh season, though, these grandiose destinations have dropped away from the schedule.
Aruba was dropped when the WPT started their own poker room and Ultimate Bet, as the sponsor of the Aruba event, didn’t figure into the mix. Same was also true for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the PartyPoker Millions. The yearly stop at the chic Aviation Club in Paris was derailed by the online gaming laws of France and the creeping schedule of the WSOP. Other locations such as Spain (while part of the Season Seven schedule, it was not taped for broadcast in the U. S.) and the Turks and Caicos were simply dropped due to lack of turnout.
As the seventh season of the WPT is playing, here is a list of the locations where they currently have stops: Las Vegas (four times), Los Angeles, Atlantic City and Connecticut (twice) and once each in Canada, Biloxi, MS and San Jose, CA. The WPT doesn’t reach off of the North American continent anymore, a distinct change from their early days.
The EPT started with seven tournaments and has been steadily expanding their reach on European soil. This year’s schedule has 11 tournaments and features such exotic ports of call such as Barcelona, London, Budapest, Copenhagen and San Remo. It all wraps up in 2009 with their traditional Grand Final, played in potentially the swankiest of all locations, Monte Carlo.
When faced with a decision, what tour sounds more desirable to the top professionals and amateurs who happen to make it there?
The Numbers Don’t Lie
From its start in 2002 and through most of its fifth season in 2006, the WPT showed astronomically strong growth in its field sizes. Since the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in mid-2006, though, the numbers coming to the tables for the $10,000 WPT championship events have dropped off. While the allure of winning a WPT title is still strong, there are several reasons that this has occurred.
The UIGEA effectively cut off many online rooms from sending their players to the tournaments. Whereas pre-UIGEA the rooms could put the players in the particular WPT satellites that they had won directly, now they were barred from doing so. When a player wins one of the online satellites now, he is gifted with the buy in, airfare and hotel accommodations as a chunk of money in their online account with the hope that he/she will use it for that purpose. When faced with two possibilities for spending upwards of possibly $20,000 – entering a tournament that may return you nothing or taking the money and running – It could be argued that many kept the money in their pocket (this has been seen at the WSOP Championship Event as well).
Add into this scenario the downturn in the economy over the past two years, where even the gaming haven of Las Vegas is having a tough time, and it shows why the smaller fields in WPT events have been happening.
On the other side, the EPT has seen each year of their stable of events grow consistently and has kept their buy-ins surprisingly low (when you look at the conversion rates). With the smaller poker rooms that are present in Europe, the EPT couldn’t, in its early years, draw as well as the WPT. Now, with its burgeoning popularity, the EPT routinely sets a cap on their tournaments and then passes it by allowing stand by players to enter the events after they have started. Each stop on this year’s EPT schedule has seen this happen.
There are several advantages that the EPT has in this area over the WPT. Because their primary sponsor is PokerStars, there is a constant stream of online players who win their way into tournaments and can be entered in by the sponsor. Without being hamstrung by the legalities that hamper the U. S., you could conceivably have a field that is entirely made up of online qualifiers. The minimum gaming age of eighteen also allows online wunderkind who have learned the game on the internet to step to the tables opposite their idols and exposes them to the poker world at least a couple years before they could legally step into a North American casino (Annette Obrestad comes to mind here).
The power of European currency also has a huge effect. With the Euro and other continental denominations stacking up well against the American dollar, it makes more sense for those professionals who ply their trade to stay home and potentially rake in a significant win, rather than spend a sizeable chunk of their bankroll for potentially nothing. If you could go to a tournament that pays the champion a $1 million-plus payday outside your back door versus heading across the pond for that same chance, which option would you take?
So Who Gets The Nod?
While the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and its marathon two month (or potentially longer now, with the final table move to November this year) schedule, will always be the marquee event in poker, the European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour seem to be battling for the same territory. It is possible that both could continue to be highly successful on their own frontiers of North America and Europe (and a little aside here - wouldn’t it be great to see a EPT Champions versus WPT Champions “Poker Superstars International” made-for-television event?), but poker players only have so much time, health and, most importantly, bankroll to be able to expend. So which one is the better tournament schedule now as they continue to drive further into the poker landscape? It is only a question that can be answered as their respective tours motor along. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker News
When it began just over six years ago, the World Poker Tour was the only game in town. Sure, the World Series of Poker was showing its usual mild growth, but it was a tournament schedule that didn’t have any draw other than its traditional April-to-May run. There wasn’t a great deal of poker action at the time and casinos were closing poker rooms across the United States in favor of the more lucrative banks of slot machines that didn’t have to have human operation to bring in the money.
The World Poker Tour changed many of the facets of poker, making it the “hip” thing to do as the first decade of the 21st century rumbled along. The WPT’s tournaments, broadcast on the cable network The Travel Channel, suddenly became highly popular as the game’s television ratings soared and players, professional and amateur, suddenly flocked to take part in the events. With this outpouring of players and, more importantly, the money that went along with it, other organizations began to put together their own tours to compete against the WPT.
In 2004, PokerStars decided to attack the untapped market that was Europe with their own tour, the European Poker Tour. Starting with a minuscule seven tournaments, the EPT found a foothold in the European arena and has since seen incredible growth as they continue their fifth season. While there have been other tours that have also started during this same time frame (the WSOP Circuit events, WSOP Europe, the Heartland Poker Tour, APPT, etc.), the EPT and the WPT have been the big draws for many poker players from around the world. It leads many to ask which is the better tournament schedule and, in this writer’s opinion, ask the more serious question as to whether or not the EPT has passed the WPT in popularity.
Location, Location, Location
When the World Poker Tour started back in 2002, it featured tournaments around the world and took viewers and players to locales that many would probably never venture. Las Vegas, Costa Rica, Aruba, the islands of the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Paris, France were just some of the opulent stops that the tour made in its early history and the playing sites were featured almost as much as the players were at the tables. As the WPT has moved into its seventh season, though, these grandiose destinations have dropped away from the schedule.
Aruba was dropped when the WPT started their own poker room and Ultimate Bet, as the sponsor of the Aruba event, didn’t figure into the mix. Same was also true for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the PartyPoker Millions. The yearly stop at the chic Aviation Club in Paris was derailed by the online gaming laws of France and the creeping schedule of the WSOP. Other locations such as Spain (while part of the Season Seven schedule, it was not taped for broadcast in the U. S.) and the Turks and Caicos were simply dropped due to lack of turnout.
As the seventh season of the WPT is playing, here is a list of the locations where they currently have stops: Las Vegas (four times), Los Angeles, Atlantic City and Connecticut (twice) and once each in Canada, Biloxi, MS and San Jose, CA. The WPT doesn’t reach off of the North American continent anymore, a distinct change from their early days.
The EPT started with seven tournaments and has been steadily expanding their reach on European soil. This year’s schedule has 11 tournaments and features such exotic ports of call such as Barcelona, London, Budapest, Copenhagen and San Remo. It all wraps up in 2009 with their traditional Grand Final, played in potentially the swankiest of all locations, Monte Carlo.
When faced with a decision, what tour sounds more desirable to the top professionals and amateurs who happen to make it there?
The Numbers Don’t Lie
From its start in 2002 and through most of its fifth season in 2006, the WPT showed astronomically strong growth in its field sizes. Since the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in mid-2006, though, the numbers coming to the tables for the $10,000 WPT championship events have dropped off. While the allure of winning a WPT title is still strong, there are several reasons that this has occurred.
The UIGEA effectively cut off many online rooms from sending their players to the tournaments. Whereas pre-UIGEA the rooms could put the players in the particular WPT satellites that they had won directly, now they were barred from doing so. When a player wins one of the online satellites now, he is gifted with the buy in, airfare and hotel accommodations as a chunk of money in their online account with the hope that he/she will use it for that purpose. When faced with two possibilities for spending upwards of possibly $20,000 – entering a tournament that may return you nothing or taking the money and running – It could be argued that many kept the money in their pocket (this has been seen at the WSOP Championship Event as well).
Add into this scenario the downturn in the economy over the past two years, where even the gaming haven of Las Vegas is having a tough time, and it shows why the smaller fields in WPT events have been happening.
On the other side, the EPT has seen each year of their stable of events grow consistently and has kept their buy-ins surprisingly low (when you look at the conversion rates). With the smaller poker rooms that are present in Europe, the EPT couldn’t, in its early years, draw as well as the WPT. Now, with its burgeoning popularity, the EPT routinely sets a cap on their tournaments and then passes it by allowing stand by players to enter the events after they have started. Each stop on this year’s EPT schedule has seen this happen.
There are several advantages that the EPT has in this area over the WPT. Because their primary sponsor is PokerStars, there is a constant stream of online players who win their way into tournaments and can be entered in by the sponsor. Without being hamstrung by the legalities that hamper the U. S., you could conceivably have a field that is entirely made up of online qualifiers. The minimum gaming age of eighteen also allows online wunderkind who have learned the game on the internet to step to the tables opposite their idols and exposes them to the poker world at least a couple years before they could legally step into a North American casino (Annette Obrestad comes to mind here).
The power of European currency also has a huge effect. With the Euro and other continental denominations stacking up well against the American dollar, it makes more sense for those professionals who ply their trade to stay home and potentially rake in a significant win, rather than spend a sizeable chunk of their bankroll for potentially nothing. If you could go to a tournament that pays the champion a $1 million-plus payday outside your back door versus heading across the pond for that same chance, which option would you take?
So Who Gets The Nod?
While the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and its marathon two month (or potentially longer now, with the final table move to November this year) schedule, will always be the marquee event in poker, the European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour seem to be battling for the same territory. It is possible that both could continue to be highly successful on their own frontiers of North America and Europe (and a little aside here - wouldn’t it be great to see a EPT Champions versus WPT Champions “Poker Superstars International” made-for-television event?), but poker players only have so much time, health and, most importantly, bankroll to be able to expend. So which one is the better tournament schedule now as they continue to drive further into the poker landscape? It is only a question that can be answered as their respective tours motor along. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker News
PokerStars Launches New Tour Down Under - 8th January 2009
PokerStars announced the launch Wednesday of a new poker tour to be played across Australia and New Zealand in 2009.
The Australia and New Zealand Poker Tour, or ANZPT, is scheduled to begin on February 4 at Adelaide's SKY City Casino, the casino that originally introduced Texas Hold 'em to Australia way back in 1987.
The league format for the tour means players will be awarded points based on how many events they enter and the position they finish in.
Some of the biggest names in Australian poker will compete in the tournament, including Eric Assadourian, Tony Hachem, Grant Levy, Celina Lin and Emad Tahtouh.
"Following the success of the second season of the APPT earlier this year, we are excited to be expanding poker further throughout the region," said ANZPT spokesperson Danny McDonagh. "The ANZPT will provide Australian and New Zealand poker players with a professionally-executed tour in their own backyard."
Qualifying begins online at PokerStars.net on January 1. The first ANZPT season will run until June 2009.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
PokerStars announced the launch Wednesday of a new poker tour to be played across Australia and New Zealand in 2009.
The Australia and New Zealand Poker Tour, or ANZPT, is scheduled to begin on February 4 at Adelaide's SKY City Casino, the casino that originally introduced Texas Hold 'em to Australia way back in 1987.
The league format for the tour means players will be awarded points based on how many events they enter and the position they finish in.
Some of the biggest names in Australian poker will compete in the tournament, including Eric Assadourian, Tony Hachem, Grant Levy, Celina Lin and Emad Tahtouh.
"Following the success of the second season of the APPT earlier this year, we are excited to be expanding poker further throughout the region," said ANZPT spokesperson Danny McDonagh. "The ANZPT will provide Australian and New Zealand poker players with a professionally-executed tour in their own backyard."
Qualifying begins online at PokerStars.net on January 1. The first ANZPT season will run until June 2009.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PokerStars
Poker News
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