PKR the 14th biggest online poker room
20 March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- PKR.com continues to grow and is now officially the 14th biggest poker room on the web according to Pokerscout.com, the respected industry source for online traffic rankings.
Eclipsing rival poker room Bodog in the rankings table, the next-gen site – which has only been operating since 2006 – picked up a second Hitwise award at the tail end of 2008 on top of scooping the prestigious eGaming Review award for Hotshot Operator of the Year.
PKR.com received the Hitwise award after gaining the largest market share of visits among all UK websites in the Gambling – Poker category.
Hitwise is the leading online competitive intelligence service, providing insight into the interactions between over 8 million internet users and more than one million websites in the UK. PKR.com saw off major competitors such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair to claim the top spot.
PKR.com Marketing Director Simon Prodger said, "We are very pleased to win this award, which is representative of the outstanding growth we continue to experience. We have never taken US bets and our UK user-base represents our most local community – to achieve this ranking twice in one year is fantastic."
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Hitwise
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Friday, March 20, 2009
InterPoker and ParBet Move to International Poker Network, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 19th March 2009
Thursday marks the official move of InterPoker and ParBet from the CryptoLogic Network to Boss Media's International Poker Network (IPN). The move stems from a November agreement between the two networks whereby Boss would absorb CryptoLogic's remaining online poker sites.
The past two days have seen the final rooms on the CryptoLogic Network make their way to Boss. On Tuesday, Extreme Poker jumped to IPN. Yesterday saw the moves of Classic Poker, Opoker, DTD Poker, and BetJacks. Atul Bali, President of GTECH's New Media and Sports Betting Company, commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “With the addition of six new poker licensees including InterPoker and ParBet, we are significantly increasing the liquidity that can be offered to both the new licensees' players as well as our existing customers' player base. We look forward to further developing our relationship with CryptoLogic and further increasing the size of the IPN over time." GTECH is the parent company of Boss Media and is based in Providence, Rhode Island.
According to a market update issued by CryptoLogic on Tuesday, the move of InterPoker and ParBet on Thursday represents the final "integration of all poker customers." The company will instead focus its efforts on creating industry-leading online casino software. In 2008, it signed on 10 new customers in total, including 888.com, Party Gaming, BSkyB, and GigaMedia. The developers at CryptoLogic rolled out 34 new casino games last year featuring such well-known brands as Street Fighter, Sub-Mariner, and King Kong.
The 2008 calendar year saw CryptoLogic post revenues of $61.5 million, which it claimed was in line with market expectations. Comparatively, revenues were $73.7 million in 2007, meaning a drop of 17% occurred. Two years ago, CryptoLogic posted a net profit of $5.5 million. Last year, the company incurred a net loss of $32.7 million, which it pinned on "write downs of impaired assets, non-recurring restructuring costs, and currency factors." Fourth quarter revenues of $11.7 million in 2008 were half of the $20.4 million that the company posted during the final quarter of 2007.
Information available on InterPoker's website reveals that the process for players involves downloading IPN's new software. Funds will automatically be transferred over. However, My Poker Points (MPPs) will become merely a vestige, as InterPoker and other CryptoLogic players transition to using Frequent Player Points (FPPs).
As a result of the influx of new customers, IPN has grown leaps and bounds. It includes CelebPoker, Fortune Poker Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven and is currently the ninth largest site worldwide in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 1,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount.
Brian Hadfield, President and CEO of CryptoLogic, commented in the same release, “GTECH and Boss Media are the right partners for CryptoLogic, thanks to their independence and commitment to innovation and technology. This is all part of CryptoLogic’s commitment to a superior experience for our customers and to profitability and growth for our shareholders.” CryptoLogic is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol "CRYP." At the time of writing, its shares are unchanged on the day at $4.27. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has fetched anywhere between $2.00 and $21.97.
Just behind the IPN is the 10th largest network worldwide, the Cake Poker Network. It recently saw the additions of Doyle's Room and Poker Host to its already impressive lineup of PlayersOnly, Lock Poker, and Red Star Poker. Its flagship site is, of course, Cake Poker. Unlike the IPN, the Cake Poker Network accepts customers from the United States, which has helped fuel its growth.
Recent online poker sites that left the CryptoLogic Network included Betsafe, which joined the Ongame Network last month. In December, Sun Poker became a part of the iPoker Network, the largest that does not accept U.S. customers. Playboy Gaming shut down entirely in January. In November, a for-profit online poker room operated by the World Poker Tour (WPT) referred its members to InterPoker; the WPT's site had been part of the CryptoLogic Network. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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CryptoLogic
Boss Media
Poker News
Thursday marks the official move of InterPoker and ParBet from the CryptoLogic Network to Boss Media's International Poker Network (IPN). The move stems from a November agreement between the two networks whereby Boss would absorb CryptoLogic's remaining online poker sites.
The past two days have seen the final rooms on the CryptoLogic Network make their way to Boss. On Tuesday, Extreme Poker jumped to IPN. Yesterday saw the moves of Classic Poker, Opoker, DTD Poker, and BetJacks. Atul Bali, President of GTECH's New Media and Sports Betting Company, commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “With the addition of six new poker licensees including InterPoker and ParBet, we are significantly increasing the liquidity that can be offered to both the new licensees' players as well as our existing customers' player base. We look forward to further developing our relationship with CryptoLogic and further increasing the size of the IPN over time." GTECH is the parent company of Boss Media and is based in Providence, Rhode Island.
According to a market update issued by CryptoLogic on Tuesday, the move of InterPoker and ParBet on Thursday represents the final "integration of all poker customers." The company will instead focus its efforts on creating industry-leading online casino software. In 2008, it signed on 10 new customers in total, including 888.com, Party Gaming, BSkyB, and GigaMedia. The developers at CryptoLogic rolled out 34 new casino games last year featuring such well-known brands as Street Fighter, Sub-Mariner, and King Kong.
The 2008 calendar year saw CryptoLogic post revenues of $61.5 million, which it claimed was in line with market expectations. Comparatively, revenues were $73.7 million in 2007, meaning a drop of 17% occurred. Two years ago, CryptoLogic posted a net profit of $5.5 million. Last year, the company incurred a net loss of $32.7 million, which it pinned on "write downs of impaired assets, non-recurring restructuring costs, and currency factors." Fourth quarter revenues of $11.7 million in 2008 were half of the $20.4 million that the company posted during the final quarter of 2007.
Information available on InterPoker's website reveals that the process for players involves downloading IPN's new software. Funds will automatically be transferred over. However, My Poker Points (MPPs) will become merely a vestige, as InterPoker and other CryptoLogic players transition to using Frequent Player Points (FPPs).
As a result of the influx of new customers, IPN has grown leaps and bounds. It includes CelebPoker, Fortune Poker Paradise Poker, and Poker Heaven and is currently the ninth largest site worldwide in terms of cash game traffic, according to PokerScout.com. It boasts a seven day running average of 1,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is nearly double that amount.
Brian Hadfield, President and CEO of CryptoLogic, commented in the same release, “GTECH and Boss Media are the right partners for CryptoLogic, thanks to their independence and commitment to innovation and technology. This is all part of CryptoLogic’s commitment to a superior experience for our customers and to profitability and growth for our shareholders.” CryptoLogic is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol "CRYP." At the time of writing, its shares are unchanged on the day at $4.27. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has fetched anywhere between $2.00 and $21.97.
Just behind the IPN is the 10th largest network worldwide, the Cake Poker Network. It recently saw the additions of Doyle's Room and Poker Host to its already impressive lineup of PlayersOnly, Lock Poker, and Red Star Poker. Its flagship site is, of course, Cake Poker. Unlike the IPN, the Cake Poker Network accepts customers from the United States, which has helped fuel its growth.
Recent online poker sites that left the CryptoLogic Network included Betsafe, which joined the Ongame Network last month. In December, Sun Poker became a part of the iPoker Network, the largest that does not accept U.S. customers. Playboy Gaming shut down entirely in January. In November, a for-profit online poker room operated by the World Poker Tour (WPT) referred its members to InterPoker; the WPT's site had been part of the CryptoLogic Network. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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CryptoLogic
Boss Media
Poker News
Betfair Banned: CEO Outraged - Gambling911 - 19th March 2009
Following leakage of an Australian "Ban List", Betfair CEO Andrew Twaits expressed outraged with government officials. Twaits was unaware that his company's website had been blacklisted as part of an effort to prevent viewing of child pornography.
"We didn't know [about the ban]. We've been licensed to operate in Australia for three years and have never received a complaint or any allegation that Betfair locally or globally is not allowed usage by Australians.
"The global Betfair site is used by Australians every day."
The implications are enormous. Earlier today, Gambling911.com reported on how the list of websites blacklisted in Australia expanded to over 2300. These included YouTube links and some Christian websites along with online poker portals.
"We're will the madness end? The report stats that Betfair bas been banned in Australia! Is horse racing betting, boxing betting and eating meat pies and driving Holden Cars going to be banned also?" asked Australian Media Man Greg Tingle. "That's the direction things are heading in".
"I will repeat my thoughts on on a worldwide trend when things get "banned"... Citizens (and business) revolved and industries go underground, sometimes generating more money, however the risks increase and consumers and the industry no longer enjoy the same safeguards as it becomes unregulated".
"In addition, matters of insurance can becoming tricky, as an insurance company may be hesitant to insure a business sector which the government of the day deems "illegal". I have a strong suspicion some of the stuff the Australian government is doing is actually illegal. As they say, the law is an ass, and it appears that Australia has too many jackasses in political office at the moment."
Perhaps Tingle was referring to The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, who on Thursday condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses."
But Tingle believes Conroy is doing more harm than good with such assertions and attempts to censor.
"I predict that these jackass submissions by government are going cause more problems than they cure". (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Betfair
Sports Betting
Casino News
Poker News
Following leakage of an Australian "Ban List", Betfair CEO Andrew Twaits expressed outraged with government officials. Twaits was unaware that his company's website had been blacklisted as part of an effort to prevent viewing of child pornography.
"We didn't know [about the ban]. We've been licensed to operate in Australia for three years and have never received a complaint or any allegation that Betfair locally or globally is not allowed usage by Australians.
"The global Betfair site is used by Australians every day."
The implications are enormous. Earlier today, Gambling911.com reported on how the list of websites blacklisted in Australia expanded to over 2300. These included YouTube links and some Christian websites along with online poker portals.
"We're will the madness end? The report stats that Betfair bas been banned in Australia! Is horse racing betting, boxing betting and eating meat pies and driving Holden Cars going to be banned also?" asked Australian Media Man Greg Tingle. "That's the direction things are heading in".
"I will repeat my thoughts on on a worldwide trend when things get "banned"... Citizens (and business) revolved and industries go underground, sometimes generating more money, however the risks increase and consumers and the industry no longer enjoy the same safeguards as it becomes unregulated".
"In addition, matters of insurance can becoming tricky, as an insurance company may be hesitant to insure a business sector which the government of the day deems "illegal". I have a strong suspicion some of the stuff the Australian government is doing is actually illegal. As they say, the law is an ass, and it appears that Australia has too many jackasses in political office at the moment."
Perhaps Tingle was referring to The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, who on Thursday condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses."
But Tingle believes Conroy is doing more harm than good with such assertions and attempts to censor.
"I predict that these jackass submissions by government are going cause more problems than they cure". (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Betfair
Sports Betting
Casino News
Poker News
Australia Banning Online Poker Sites - Gambling911 - 19th March 2009
In a leaked report obtained by the website WikiLeaks.com, it was revealed that Australia's list of 2395 "banned website" stretched well beyond the realm of child pornography and "how to murder" websites that most other civilized nations also deem "inappropriate".
The Sydney Morning Herald included - among other things - sites pertaining to gay and straight porn, euthanasia, a few Christian websites and some YouTube links.
But most disturbing of all perhaps: The list included banned online poker portals.
"It does look like there will be several online poker and online gambling sites that will soon be blocked at the ISP level by the Australian Government," suggests the website AintLuck.com.
That said, the Australian government has run into quite a bit of opposition with its plan to block websites.
University of Sydney associate professor Bjorn Landfeldt said the leaked list "constitutes a condensed encyclopedia of depravity and potentially very dangerous material".
He called it "the concerned parent's worst nightmare" as curious children would inevitably seek it out.
"It seems to me as if just about anything can potentially get on the list," Landfelt said.
The blacklist is maintained by ACMA and provided to makers of internet filtering software that parents can opt to install on their PCs.
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for the online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the leak was not surprising and would only get worse once the list was sent to hundreds of Australian ISPs as part of the Government's mandatory internet filtering policy.
He said the Government could be considered a "promoter and disseminator of links to some pretty unsavoury material".
"The list itself should concern every Australian - although plenty of the material is unsavoury or even illegal, the presence of sites like YouTube, MySpace, gambling or even Christian sites on the list raises a lot of questions," he said.
Australian Media Man, Greg Tingle, expressed deep concern over this issue with Gambling911.com.
"Big Brother is at it again. Telling us what's right, what's wrong, what to read, what not to, what to look at on the web, what not to, what not to say et al. Given I'm a qualified journalist and speaking out against censorship, I guess I should expect to be arrested next."
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses." (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker News
In a leaked report obtained by the website WikiLeaks.com, it was revealed that Australia's list of 2395 "banned website" stretched well beyond the realm of child pornography and "how to murder" websites that most other civilized nations also deem "inappropriate".
The Sydney Morning Herald included - among other things - sites pertaining to gay and straight porn, euthanasia, a few Christian websites and some YouTube links.
But most disturbing of all perhaps: The list included banned online poker portals.
"It does look like there will be several online poker and online gambling sites that will soon be blocked at the ISP level by the Australian Government," suggests the website AintLuck.com.
That said, the Australian government has run into quite a bit of opposition with its plan to block websites.
University of Sydney associate professor Bjorn Landfeldt said the leaked list "constitutes a condensed encyclopedia of depravity and potentially very dangerous material".
He called it "the concerned parent's worst nightmare" as curious children would inevitably seek it out.
"It seems to me as if just about anything can potentially get on the list," Landfelt said.
The blacklist is maintained by ACMA and provided to makers of internet filtering software that parents can opt to install on their PCs.
Colin Jacobs, spokesman for the online users' lobby group Electronic Frontiers Australia, said the leak was not surprising and would only get worse once the list was sent to hundreds of Australian ISPs as part of the Government's mandatory internet filtering policy.
He said the Government could be considered a "promoter and disseminator of links to some pretty unsavoury material".
"The list itself should concern every Australian - although plenty of the material is unsavoury or even illegal, the presence of sites like YouTube, MySpace, gambling or even Christian sites on the list raises a lot of questions," he said.
Australian Media Man, Greg Tingle, expressed deep concern over this issue with Gambling911.com.
"Big Brother is at it again. Telling us what's right, what's wrong, what to read, what not to, what to look at on the web, what not to, what not to say et al. Given I'm a qualified journalist and speaking out against censorship, I guess I should expect to be arrested next."
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today condemned the reported leak and publication of a list which includes prohibited internet addresses.
"The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children," Senator Conroy said.
"Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime."
"No-one interested in cyber-safety would condone the leaking of these addresses." (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker News
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Ultimate Bet Sponsors WWE WrestleMania, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Poker, d'oh - Fairfax - 17th March 2009
Making money in commercial TV is always a bit of a gamble. Especially for a network whose parent company is playing Russian roulette with its bankers. So good luck to Ten's Nick Falloon. Talk is he's replacing Big Brother not with just a cooking show but a new reality concept: live poker. And we were looking forward to repeats of The Simpsons.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Network Ten
Reality TV
Poker News
Making money in commercial TV is always a bit of a gamble. Especially for a network whose parent company is playing Russian roulette with its bankers. So good luck to Ten's Nick Falloon. Talk is he's replacing Big Brother not with just a cooking show but a new reality concept: live poker. And we were looking forward to repeats of The Simpsons.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
Network Ten
Reality TV
Poker News
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Australia Gambling News: Reports on Playtech, Tabcorp, Bodog - Gambling911 - 15th March 2009
Our man on the scene in Australia reports that business is booming and everyone wants in on the burgeoning online gambling industry. Even with news that certain politicians are trying to block the Internet through filtering systems (now deemed as a "failed attempt"), few operators and affiliates of online gambling seem at all concerned.
Playtech
Tingle, who heads up Media Man Australia and gaming offshoot, Casino News Media, reports a rise in profits and has expanded his online portfolio to 6 website portals (4 specifically gaming), and thus far has managed to avoid the more negative side of news, in an industry known for journalists attacking their own. Tingle's background includes 5 years in journalism, with numerous leading news stories to his name. In recent years Tingle's has expanded on his early successes in the online gaming b2b and publicity side of things, notably with Virgin Games - Virgin Casino, PKR, JackpotCity and some hits and misses with PokerListings. Tingle has just signed up a major new client, William Hill, which is proving to be a most profitable and go ahead venture, and has also struck a considerable deal with the head of Online Gambling Insider.
Tingle advises that he's just putting the final finishing touches on their Marvel Slots Online, ready to capitalize on the recent Marvel Entertainment - Playtech deal (Marvel slots were previously all but exclusive to InterCasino). William Hill now runs off Playtech software, so it stands to reason that a number of Marvel themed slot games will soon be available under the William Hill banner, and quite possible via other casinos employing Playtech software.
PartyGaming and their PartyCasino.com are expected to make more announcements regarding the Playtech and Marvel happenings in the near future industry insiders are saying, and the industry awaits good news or bad news from InterCasino and PartnerLogic, which have been effected by the recent wunderkind deal involving Marvel Entertainment, William Hill and Playtech. We will spare you the actual figures and share prices of InterCasino, Marvel, William Hill and Playtech, but InterCasino is looking down, whist the outlook looks brighter for the latter.
Tabcorp Holdings
Suffering a very public major embarrassment, being stung with a 12 million dollar dud cheque from a well known "chronic gambler" (a former casino "whale" we understand), Tabcorp appear to be spending up big on PR. They are also looking for return on investment of their 475 million revamp of their Star City Casino in Sydney. Their casino chain which also includes Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast has been not surprisingly watching out for users of Apple ipod card counting software, some of which is said to be going under a name as "card shark"!
Bodog
Americas and Canadian favorite online casino whipping boy, Calvin Ayre of Bodog infamy is still M.I.A., but numerous residences of his are up for sale in what must be the "fire sale of the century". Bodog was once one of the world's Hitwise and industry sector "top ten" websites, but those days are clearly ancient history, as will be his mansions if the squatters are not removed soon. Tingle believes Bodog could enjoy success in Australia, even with the "ghost of Calvin" since his Playboy image would go over well there. Bodog is expected to make some moves Down Under in the coming year. (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Playtech
William Hill
PartyGaming
InterCasino.com
Bodog
Poker Listings
JackpotCity.com
Marvel Slots Online
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
Our man on the scene in Australia reports that business is booming and everyone wants in on the burgeoning online gambling industry. Even with news that certain politicians are trying to block the Internet through filtering systems (now deemed as a "failed attempt"), few operators and affiliates of online gambling seem at all concerned.
Playtech
Tingle, who heads up Media Man Australia and gaming offshoot, Casino News Media, reports a rise in profits and has expanded his online portfolio to 6 website portals (4 specifically gaming), and thus far has managed to avoid the more negative side of news, in an industry known for journalists attacking their own. Tingle's background includes 5 years in journalism, with numerous leading news stories to his name. In recent years Tingle's has expanded on his early successes in the online gaming b2b and publicity side of things, notably with Virgin Games - Virgin Casino, PKR, JackpotCity and some hits and misses with PokerListings. Tingle has just signed up a major new client, William Hill, which is proving to be a most profitable and go ahead venture, and has also struck a considerable deal with the head of Online Gambling Insider.
Tingle advises that he's just putting the final finishing touches on their Marvel Slots Online, ready to capitalize on the recent Marvel Entertainment - Playtech deal (Marvel slots were previously all but exclusive to InterCasino). William Hill now runs off Playtech software, so it stands to reason that a number of Marvel themed slot games will soon be available under the William Hill banner, and quite possible via other casinos employing Playtech software.
PartyGaming and their PartyCasino.com are expected to make more announcements regarding the Playtech and Marvel happenings in the near future industry insiders are saying, and the industry awaits good news or bad news from InterCasino and PartnerLogic, which have been effected by the recent wunderkind deal involving Marvel Entertainment, William Hill and Playtech. We will spare you the actual figures and share prices of InterCasino, Marvel, William Hill and Playtech, but InterCasino is looking down, whist the outlook looks brighter for the latter.
Tabcorp Holdings
Suffering a very public major embarrassment, being stung with a 12 million dollar dud cheque from a well known "chronic gambler" (a former casino "whale" we understand), Tabcorp appear to be spending up big on PR. They are also looking for return on investment of their 475 million revamp of their Star City Casino in Sydney. Their casino chain which also includes Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast has been not surprisingly watching out for users of Apple ipod card counting software, some of which is said to be going under a name as "card shark"!
Bodog
Americas and Canadian favorite online casino whipping boy, Calvin Ayre of Bodog infamy is still M.I.A., but numerous residences of his are up for sale in what must be the "fire sale of the century". Bodog was once one of the world's Hitwise and industry sector "top ten" websites, but those days are clearly ancient history, as will be his mansions if the squatters are not removed soon. Tingle believes Bodog could enjoy success in Australia, even with the "ghost of Calvin" since his Playboy image would go over well there. Bodog is expected to make some moves Down Under in the coming year. (Credit: Gambling911)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Playtech
William Hill
PartyGaming
InterCasino.com
Bodog
Poker Listings
JackpotCity.com
Marvel Slots Online
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
Monday, March 16, 2009
PartyGaming Returning to the U.S. Market? - Gambling911 - 14th March 2009
News that PartyGaming, the once largest online poker firm, looks to final settle with the U.S. government has been translated in some circles as the company will be returning to the United States market. They pulled out shortly after passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006 and lost millions of dollars in doing so. Their share price was riddled.
PartyGaming PLC reported its annual earnings on Wednesday with a profit of $66.9 million, which was a $25.3 million increase from 2007. Overall revenue fell 1 percent to $472.9 million.
When one looks at PartyGaming, they see a company that is almost stagnant, though not exactly in "survival mode". After all, Party is the 4th biggest online poker room in the world despite losing a lot of footing over the past two years.
"The reality is that PartyGaming was double the size of its nearest competitor, PokerStars, at the time it pulled out of the U.S. market," stated Payton O'Brien, matriarch of the Gambling911.com website. "Saying PartyGaming has lost significant market share is like saying China has lost half of its population. China would still have a larger population than the United States. India would become the new PokerStars in such a scenario."
PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan said this week that his company is making "good progress" in its discussions with the U.S. Attorney's office whereby they may have to pay a sizable fine for previously taking bets from online players in America. It is speculated that the fine will be around the $150 million mark, even though co-founder Anurag Dikshit recently plead guilty and must pay a $300 million fine.
As for returning to the U.S. market, that's not likely to happen in the next 12 months as legislative efforts to overturn the UIGEA will take some time, but Party is looking forward to "the right time" when "circumstances allow for a return".
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Casino News
Poker News
News that PartyGaming, the once largest online poker firm, looks to final settle with the U.S. government has been translated in some circles as the company will be returning to the United States market. They pulled out shortly after passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006 and lost millions of dollars in doing so. Their share price was riddled.
PartyGaming PLC reported its annual earnings on Wednesday with a profit of $66.9 million, which was a $25.3 million increase from 2007. Overall revenue fell 1 percent to $472.9 million.
When one looks at PartyGaming, they see a company that is almost stagnant, though not exactly in "survival mode". After all, Party is the 4th biggest online poker room in the world despite losing a lot of footing over the past two years.
"The reality is that PartyGaming was double the size of its nearest competitor, PokerStars, at the time it pulled out of the U.S. market," stated Payton O'Brien, matriarch of the Gambling911.com website. "Saying PartyGaming has lost significant market share is like saying China has lost half of its population. China would still have a larger population than the United States. India would become the new PokerStars in such a scenario."
PartyGaming chief executive Jim Ryan said this week that his company is making "good progress" in its discussions with the U.S. Attorney's office whereby they may have to pay a sizable fine for previously taking bets from online players in America. It is speculated that the fine will be around the $150 million mark, even though co-founder Anurag Dikshit recently plead guilty and must pay a $300 million fine.
As for returning to the U.S. market, that's not likely to happen in the next 12 months as legislative efforts to overturn the UIGEA will take some time, but Party is looking forward to "the right time" when "circumstances allow for a return".
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Casino News
Poker News
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Harrah’s Releases 2009 WSOP Player Conduct Rules, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 13th March 2009
After high-profile incidents in 2008 involving Scotty Nguyen and Phil Hellmuth, Harrah's officials are determined to curb player infractions in 2009 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). This week, tournament officials introduced player conduct guidelines for the 2009 WSOP, which kicks off in two months from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The 2009 WSOP rules, as you would expect, specifically outlaw any form of cheating at the poker tables. These include, but are not limited to, collusion, stealing chips, taking chips from one WSOP tournament and then using them in another, marking cards, switching out cards, "or the use of any kind of cheating device." Examples of collusion include chip dumping, soft play, players overtly or covertly telling each other what cards they have, and "sending or receiving signals from or to another player."
Breaking these and other rules can result in the loss of chips, forfeiture of prize money, or disqualification from the tournament. Infractions that could result in these penalties also include "any statement or action having… an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of the tournament as determined by Harrah's." Any players acting in "a disruptive or inappropriate manner" could also be subject to ejection from the tournament.
Last year during the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship, poker pro Scotty Nguyen acted abusively towards tournament staff. He made comments such as “The only thing I know how to say is nut nut" and harassed cocktail servers constantly. At one point, Nguyen told tablemate Erick Lindgren, a Full Tilt Poker pro, “I tried to protect your hand,” which raised issues of possible collusion. Nguyen later apologized, although the spectacle played out on ESPN. Phil Hellmuth, a front man for online poker room Ultimate Bet, talked down to his opponents fairly openly during the Main Event.
With regards to the use of inappropriate language, the 2009 rules state, "Harrah's prohibits the use of obscene or foul language in any public area of the casino at any time. Any player who uses such language or makes a foul, profane, obscene, or vulgar statement, or speaks abusively or in an intimidating manner to another player, a dealer, or tournament staff member will be penalized."
The excessive celebration rule, which was put in place after Hevad Khan's boisterous run through the 2007 WSOP Main Event, will also return. It states, "Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct will be subject to penalty." Khan took sixth in the Main Event two years ago, banking nearly $1 million. He is now a member of Team PokerStars Pro. Another rule on the books includes "repeated etiquette violations." These include touching another player's chip stack or hole cards while in a hand, purposely stalling, or "excessive chatter."
Penalties will range from a verbal warning to ousting from the tournament. Players can also be sidelined for one hand, one orbit, two orbits, three orbits, or four orbits. Poker News Daily columnist Linda Johnson, co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association, stated in a previous interview that many events have gone to penalties that force players to miss hands or rounds. Previously, tournaments had sidelined players for a predetermined amount of time. However, remaining players at the table would speed up or slow down their actions accordingly.
New for 2009 is a database that will keep track of player infractions. In its rules, Harrah's states, "Harrah's will maintain a written log of all penalties issued throughout the duration of the WSOP." The database will allow tournament staff to identify habitual rule violators. In addition, floor personnel will receive extra training in 2009.
Other tournament guidelines include continued enforcement of the "English only" rule, which states that only the English language is acceptable at the table. In addition, rabbit hunting is strictly forbidden. Players must keep their highest valued chips visible at all times and only music-playing devices that are unable to connect to the internet can be used. WSOP officials note that iPhones, iTouch, Treos, and Blackberrys are not allowed at the table.
Finally, those who violate Harrah's code of conduct may see their actions revealed to the general public. The guidelines state, "Any and all violations of this Code of Player Conduct may be publicly disclosed in an effort to deter future violations and to assist other poker tournaments in identifying players who engage in play or any action that is illegal, unethical, or constitutes cheating or collusion in any form." (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
World Series of Poker
Poker News
After high-profile incidents in 2008 involving Scotty Nguyen and Phil Hellmuth, Harrah's officials are determined to curb player infractions in 2009 at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). This week, tournament officials introduced player conduct guidelines for the 2009 WSOP, which kicks off in two months from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The 2009 WSOP rules, as you would expect, specifically outlaw any form of cheating at the poker tables. These include, but are not limited to, collusion, stealing chips, taking chips from one WSOP tournament and then using them in another, marking cards, switching out cards, "or the use of any kind of cheating device." Examples of collusion include chip dumping, soft play, players overtly or covertly telling each other what cards they have, and "sending or receiving signals from or to another player."
Breaking these and other rules can result in the loss of chips, forfeiture of prize money, or disqualification from the tournament. Infractions that could result in these penalties also include "any statement or action having… an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of the tournament as determined by Harrah's." Any players acting in "a disruptive or inappropriate manner" could also be subject to ejection from the tournament.
Last year during the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship, poker pro Scotty Nguyen acted abusively towards tournament staff. He made comments such as “The only thing I know how to say is nut nut" and harassed cocktail servers constantly. At one point, Nguyen told tablemate Erick Lindgren, a Full Tilt Poker pro, “I tried to protect your hand,” which raised issues of possible collusion. Nguyen later apologized, although the spectacle played out on ESPN. Phil Hellmuth, a front man for online poker room Ultimate Bet, talked down to his opponents fairly openly during the Main Event.
With regards to the use of inappropriate language, the 2009 rules state, "Harrah's prohibits the use of obscene or foul language in any public area of the casino at any time. Any player who uses such language or makes a foul, profane, obscene, or vulgar statement, or speaks abusively or in an intimidating manner to another player, a dealer, or tournament staff member will be penalized."
The excessive celebration rule, which was put in place after Hevad Khan's boisterous run through the 2007 WSOP Main Event, will also return. It states, "Excessive celebration through extended theatrics, inappropriate behavior, or physical actions, gestures, or conduct will be subject to penalty." Khan took sixth in the Main Event two years ago, banking nearly $1 million. He is now a member of Team PokerStars Pro. Another rule on the books includes "repeated etiquette violations." These include touching another player's chip stack or hole cards while in a hand, purposely stalling, or "excessive chatter."
Penalties will range from a verbal warning to ousting from the tournament. Players can also be sidelined for one hand, one orbit, two orbits, three orbits, or four orbits. Poker News Daily columnist Linda Johnson, co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association, stated in a previous interview that many events have gone to penalties that force players to miss hands or rounds. Previously, tournaments had sidelined players for a predetermined amount of time. However, remaining players at the table would speed up or slow down their actions accordingly.
New for 2009 is a database that will keep track of player infractions. In its rules, Harrah's states, "Harrah's will maintain a written log of all penalties issued throughout the duration of the WSOP." The database will allow tournament staff to identify habitual rule violators. In addition, floor personnel will receive extra training in 2009.
Other tournament guidelines include continued enforcement of the "English only" rule, which states that only the English language is acceptable at the table. In addition, rabbit hunting is strictly forbidden. Players must keep their highest valued chips visible at all times and only music-playing devices that are unable to connect to the internet can be used. WSOP officials note that iPhones, iTouch, Treos, and Blackberrys are not allowed at the table.
Finally, those who violate Harrah's code of conduct may see their actions revealed to the general public. The guidelines state, "Any and all violations of this Code of Player Conduct may be publicly disclosed in an effort to deter future violations and to assist other poker tournaments in identifying players who engage in play or any action that is illegal, unethical, or constitutes cheating or collusion in any form." (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
World Series of Poker
Poker News
PKR rewards a poker Big Shot
13th March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Swedish PKR stalwart fatboyflex beat off a classy field of 70 participants, including fierce rival Scopey on his way to pocketing over $10,000 in PKR.com's inaugural Saturday Big Shot.
This latest triumph for the 20 year-old deep stack specialist marks the pinnacle of his PKR.com career – his list of achievements including a PKR Open title and numerous final table appearances.
PKR.com forum favourite Discomonkey finished the $500 buy-in event in third spot, continuing the rich vein of form which steered him to the final table of a GUKPT Walsall event last month.
The Saturday Big Shot runs every week on PKR.com with satellites offering the chance to qualify daily for as little as $5. Designed to cater for the experienced player, 20 minute levels and 10,000 starting stacks make for a highly playable tournament which is the biggest buy-in event to be found online on a Saturday night.
PKR Cardroom Manager Neil Wright said, "The very first Saturday Big Shot has proved an attractive tournament for high rollers. With over $34K in the prize pool for the debut, we are looking forward to this event becoming even bigger over the next few weeks."
Media Man Australia Profiles
PKR
PKR Poker
Poker News
13th March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Swedish PKR stalwart fatboyflex beat off a classy field of 70 participants, including fierce rival Scopey on his way to pocketing over $10,000 in PKR.com's inaugural Saturday Big Shot.
This latest triumph for the 20 year-old deep stack specialist marks the pinnacle of his PKR.com career – his list of achievements including a PKR Open title and numerous final table appearances.
PKR.com forum favourite Discomonkey finished the $500 buy-in event in third spot, continuing the rich vein of form which steered him to the final table of a GUKPT Walsall event last month.
The Saturday Big Shot runs every week on PKR.com with satellites offering the chance to qualify daily for as little as $5. Designed to cater for the experienced player, 20 minute levels and 10,000 starting stacks make for a highly playable tournament which is the biggest buy-in event to be found online on a Saturday night.
PKR Cardroom Manager Neil Wright said, "The very first Saturday Big Shot has proved an attractive tournament for high rollers. With over $34K in the prize pool for the debut, we are looking forward to this event becoming even bigger over the next few weeks."
Media Man Australia Profiles
PKR
PKR Poker
Poker News
Friday, March 13, 2009
PartyPoker Net Revenues Fall 7% in 2008, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 11th March 2009
In its end of year results released to the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Party Gaming's Net Revenue was up 3% to $472.9 million during the 2008 calendar year in comparison to 2007. PartyPoker, which is the company's well-known online poker room, saw its Net Revenue sink by 7% to $274 million over the same period.
Party Gaming is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "PRTY." In its earnings release on Wednesday, the company noted that "soft performance in poker [was] offset by solid growth in all other verticals." Online casino revenues for Party Gaming soared 22.2% to $176.0 million in 2008, rising from $144.2 million in 2007. Online sports betting revenues also rose in 2008. For that market segment, Party Gaming reported an 11.9% increase in revenue from $16.1 million during the 2007 calendar year to $18.0 million in 2008.
Party Gaming's Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan noted in the company's earnings release to the London Stock Exchange, "Our brands and market position are strong and we have a healthy balance sheet with which to execute our business strategy. I believe that we are in an excellent position… to achieve our long-term objective of becoming the world's most valuable online gaming company." The company has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2009 calendar year. During the first five weeks of the New Year, new poker sign-ups numbered 1,494 per week, on average. In the four weeks that ended on March 4th, that number grew to 1,550.
The company attributed its 7% drop in online poker revenues to "increased promotion costs around the launch of the next generation of PartyPoker, a delay in the launch of a new loyalty program, and continued competitive pressures, particularly from sites still accepting U.S. players." PartyPoker vacated the U.S. market after the passage of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in deference to shareholder interests. PartyPoker ran its second Monthly Million on March 1st and launched brand new software last September.
In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. His decision, which prompted poker legend Doyle Brunson to say he was "appropriately named," sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Dikshit agreed to pay the U.S. Government $300 million and may face up to two years in jail. Sentencing is scheduled for December of 2010. The company also announced on Wednesday that the company is in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Government. An agreement may help put Party Gaming in good graces with the United States for its transgressions prior to 2006. No timeline for a possible settlement has been given.
Its online casino business has grown due in part to the launch of Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, The Godfather, Terminator, and Gone With The Wind titles in 2008. The well-known brands helped grow Party Gaming's wagers by a combined $143 million last year. The company also entered into a relationship with CIRSA, which will "seek to exploit online gaming opportunities in Spanish speaking countries." CIRSA is primarily known for its presence in Spain. However, it is also booming throughout Latin America.
Company-wide new player sign-ups from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were 536,000 in 2008, down 6% from 572,000 in 2007. New players from the Americas were 66,000 in 2008, a drop of 15% from 2007. Asia Pacific sign-ups were 27,000 in 2008, off by 20% year over year. In 2008, the company boasted a total of 26.4 million active players, which was down from 28.4 million in 2007, a drop of 7%.
PartyPoker posted mixed results. The number of average daily players fell 12% to 57,000 in 2008 in comparison to 65,000 in 2007. The number of real money sign-ups dove 22% to 444,000 in 2008 from 573,000 in 2007. However, the number of unique active players rose by 3% in 2008 to 947,000. The company tagged the "exceptional marketing push in the first quarter of 2007 to preserve liquidity immediately following the UIGEA" as the reason for the sharp fall in real money players last year.
Party Gaming has undergone a bevy of changes to its Board of Directors in recent months. Ryan became the company's new CEO in June. The Managing Director of Party Gaming's Board of Directors, John O'Malia, resigned at the end of February. Non-Executive Chairman Michael Jackson was replaced by Rod Perry in August. Finally, Rami Lerner supplanted John Davy last week.
Its stock soared at the close of business on Wednesday after the earnings results were released. PRTY rose 17.75 to close at 249.00. It is inching back towards its 52 week high of 312.000. In November, it had closed below 100. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
*currency figures in Pounds.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Poker News
In its end of year results released to the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Party Gaming's Net Revenue was up 3% to $472.9 million during the 2008 calendar year in comparison to 2007. PartyPoker, which is the company's well-known online poker room, saw its Net Revenue sink by 7% to $274 million over the same period.
Party Gaming is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "PRTY." In its earnings release on Wednesday, the company noted that "soft performance in poker [was] offset by solid growth in all other verticals." Online casino revenues for Party Gaming soared 22.2% to $176.0 million in 2008, rising from $144.2 million in 2007. Online sports betting revenues also rose in 2008. For that market segment, Party Gaming reported an 11.9% increase in revenue from $16.1 million during the 2007 calendar year to $18.0 million in 2008.
Party Gaming's Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan noted in the company's earnings release to the London Stock Exchange, "Our brands and market position are strong and we have a healthy balance sheet with which to execute our business strategy. I believe that we are in an excellent position… to achieve our long-term objective of becoming the world's most valuable online gaming company." The company has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2009 calendar year. During the first five weeks of the New Year, new poker sign-ups numbered 1,494 per week, on average. In the four weeks that ended on March 4th, that number grew to 1,550.
The company attributed its 7% drop in online poker revenues to "increased promotion costs around the launch of the next generation of PartyPoker, a delay in the launch of a new loyalty program, and continued competitive pressures, particularly from sites still accepting U.S. players." PartyPoker vacated the U.S. market after the passage of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in deference to shareholder interests. PartyPoker ran its second Monthly Million on March 1st and launched brand new software last September.
In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. His decision, which prompted poker legend Doyle Brunson to say he was "appropriately named," sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Dikshit agreed to pay the U.S. Government $300 million and may face up to two years in jail. Sentencing is scheduled for December of 2010. The company also announced on Wednesday that the company is in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Government. An agreement may help put Party Gaming in good graces with the United States for its transgressions prior to 2006. No timeline for a possible settlement has been given.
Its online casino business has grown due in part to the launch of Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, The Godfather, Terminator, and Gone With The Wind titles in 2008. The well-known brands helped grow Party Gaming's wagers by a combined $143 million last year. The company also entered into a relationship with CIRSA, which will "seek to exploit online gaming opportunities in Spanish speaking countries." CIRSA is primarily known for its presence in Spain. However, it is also booming throughout Latin America.
Company-wide new player sign-ups from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were 536,000 in 2008, down 6% from 572,000 in 2007. New players from the Americas were 66,000 in 2008, a drop of 15% from 2007. Asia Pacific sign-ups were 27,000 in 2008, off by 20% year over year. In 2008, the company boasted a total of 26.4 million active players, which was down from 28.4 million in 2007, a drop of 7%.
PartyPoker posted mixed results. The number of average daily players fell 12% to 57,000 in 2008 in comparison to 65,000 in 2007. The number of real money sign-ups dove 22% to 444,000 in 2008 from 573,000 in 2007. However, the number of unique active players rose by 3% in 2008 to 947,000. The company tagged the "exceptional marketing push in the first quarter of 2007 to preserve liquidity immediately following the UIGEA" as the reason for the sharp fall in real money players last year.
Party Gaming has undergone a bevy of changes to its Board of Directors in recent months. Ryan became the company's new CEO in June. The Managing Director of Party Gaming's Board of Directors, John O'Malia, resigned at the end of February. Non-Executive Chairman Michael Jackson was replaced by Rod Perry in August. Finally, Rami Lerner supplanted John Davy last week.
Its stock soared at the close of business on Wednesday after the earnings results were released. PRTY rose 17.75 to close at 249.00. It is inching back towards its 52 week high of 312.000. In November, it had closed below 100. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
*currency figures in Pounds.
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
Poker News
Additional Rules for World Series of Poker
"Play nice" will be important
March 12, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- World Series of Poker organizers Harrah's Entertainment released new WSOP rules this week that include a "play nice" provision under the heading "Code of Player Conduct". The rules cover the use of profane language and provocative conduct at the tables, along with restrictions on sponsor logos at televised feature and final tables and an admonition not to engage in any illegal or unethical actions, cheating or collusion, examples of which are provided.
"Civility and courtesy" are expected at the World Series of Poker, the guide reminds players and spectators alike, and that includes "excessive celebration."
For those who transgress, penalties include: forfeiture of chips; forfeiture of prize money; ejection from the tournament; exclusion from future tournaments; exclusion from the property and public exposure of the transgression.
Although the rule against profanity is restricted to language directed at, or about, another player, dealer or tournament staff member, the organizers have left themselves with room to maneuver by including a clause that Harrah's can at any time " ... impose a zero-tolerance policy for profane language whether directed at another person or not."
The 2009 WSOP Tournament Rules can be found at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pdfs/2009/2009WSOPRulesFinal392009.pdf.
Harrah's has also announced that pre-registration for the 2009 WSOP is now open. There is a cap on the number of contestants that can be accommodated at the biggest land poker championship in the world which runs from May 26 through July 15 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, with the "November Nine" returning to play the Main Event final table November 7-10 as was done in 2008.
Once the maximum number of entrants has been reached in each of the 57 events, that event will be declared a fully booked. "As is now customary, no alternates will be seated," said Jack Effel, WSOP tournament director. "We encourage players to pre-register early to guarantee their seats, which will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis."
Buy-ins range from $1,000 to $50,000, depending on the event chosen.
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
Poker
Poker News
"Play nice" will be important
March 12, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- World Series of Poker organizers Harrah's Entertainment released new WSOP rules this week that include a "play nice" provision under the heading "Code of Player Conduct". The rules cover the use of profane language and provocative conduct at the tables, along with restrictions on sponsor logos at televised feature and final tables and an admonition not to engage in any illegal or unethical actions, cheating or collusion, examples of which are provided.
"Civility and courtesy" are expected at the World Series of Poker, the guide reminds players and spectators alike, and that includes "excessive celebration."
For those who transgress, penalties include: forfeiture of chips; forfeiture of prize money; ejection from the tournament; exclusion from future tournaments; exclusion from the property and public exposure of the transgression.
Although the rule against profanity is restricted to language directed at, or about, another player, dealer or tournament staff member, the organizers have left themselves with room to maneuver by including a clause that Harrah's can at any time " ... impose a zero-tolerance policy for profane language whether directed at another person or not."
The 2009 WSOP Tournament Rules can be found at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pdfs/2009/2009WSOPRulesFinal392009.pdf.
Harrah's has also announced that pre-registration for the 2009 WSOP is now open. There is a cap on the number of contestants that can be accommodated at the biggest land poker championship in the world which runs from May 26 through July 15 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, with the "November Nine" returning to play the Main Event final table November 7-10 as was done in 2008.
Once the maximum number of entrants has been reached in each of the 57 events, that event will be declared a fully booked. "As is now customary, no alternates will be seated," said Jack Effel, WSOP tournament director. "We encourage players to pre-register early to guarantee their seats, which will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis."
Buy-ins range from $1,000 to $50,000, depending on the event chosen.
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Series of Poker
Poker
Poker News
Thursday, March 12, 2009
PKR Teaming Up With Bluefire Poker
11 March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Next-generation online poker room PKR.com has today revealed plans to team up with Bluefire Poker, the new poker training resource highlighted by the site's lead pro, high stakes legend and WSOP bracelet winner Phil Galfond.
PKR.com will act as Bluefire Poker's exclusive partner across Europe, and will see Bluefire pros providing regular and original strategy content for both the PKR.com website and PKR TV. PKR's 2.5 million players will also be able to purchase Bluefire Poker subscriptions using loyalty points in the PKR Shop.
Started in January as collaboration between Galfond and entrepreneur Billy Murphy, Bluefire Poker has shown tremendous growth and is expected to become the top training resource on the net due to their increasing catalogue of high quality material and a thriving community.
Simon Prodger, PKR.com Marketing Director said, "We're delighted that PKR.com will be Bluefire's exclusive European partner as we fully expect them to become the most interesting and important web based poker training service available. We look forward to bringing their uniquely insightful poker analysis and tutelage to our 2.5 million strong player base."
Bluefire Poker founder Billy Murphy added, "Our relationship with PKR is exciting in that it enables us to be involved with another company that is dedicated to their customers, and looks to exceed their expectations, which is a rare quality in our industry. Bluefire Poker was created to drastically speed up the learning curve for players at all levels, by providing the highest quality training resource on the net. If someone wants to learn how to make a little side income, our pros will show them how. If someone is motivated to make a substantial amount of money from poker, our team will help them do that too. We're a personal training program for poker players."
Media Man Australia Profiles
PKR.com
PKR Poker
Poker News
11 March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Next-generation online poker room PKR.com has today revealed plans to team up with Bluefire Poker, the new poker training resource highlighted by the site's lead pro, high stakes legend and WSOP bracelet winner Phil Galfond.
PKR.com will act as Bluefire Poker's exclusive partner across Europe, and will see Bluefire pros providing regular and original strategy content for both the PKR.com website and PKR TV. PKR's 2.5 million players will also be able to purchase Bluefire Poker subscriptions using loyalty points in the PKR Shop.
Started in January as collaboration between Galfond and entrepreneur Billy Murphy, Bluefire Poker has shown tremendous growth and is expected to become the top training resource on the net due to their increasing catalogue of high quality material and a thriving community.
Simon Prodger, PKR.com Marketing Director said, "We're delighted that PKR.com will be Bluefire's exclusive European partner as we fully expect them to become the most interesting and important web based poker training service available. We look forward to bringing their uniquely insightful poker analysis and tutelage to our 2.5 million strong player base."
Bluefire Poker founder Billy Murphy added, "Our relationship with PKR is exciting in that it enables us to be involved with another company that is dedicated to their customers, and looks to exceed their expectations, which is a rare quality in our industry. Bluefire Poker was created to drastically speed up the learning curve for players at all levels, by providing the highest quality training resource on the net. If someone wants to learn how to make a little side income, our pros will show them how. If someone is motivated to make a substantial amount of money from poker, our team will help them do that too. We're a personal training program for poker players."
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
PKR.com Poker Terminator Tournaments
Terminator tournaments
No pity. No remorse. No fear. Play Terminator tournaments and get paid for every player you knock out … but watch your back because there’s a price on your head too.
With a portion of the prize pool going to a bounty on every player’s head, Terminator tournaments are all about taking the other guy down. A portion of the prize pool goes on to every player’s head (usually 50% but watch out for special tournaments where the proportion changes). If you take that player out of the tournament, their bounty is yours. The value of each player’s bounty is displayed on the table above their username.
What’s more, the more bounties you claim, the higher your bounty gets too – so you become a more attractive target.
Full information on the set up of each Terminator tournament can be found in the in the ‘bounty info’ tab for the tournament. There you’ll see information including; the number of heads each player has eliminated, the total prize amount claimed from bounties and each player’s existing bounty value.
Terminator two
A heads-up MTT with your entire buy-in on your head! Played on two-seater tables, players are allocated a heads-up opponent - as players are eliminated tables are balanced. When eliminating a player, the surviving player claims a portion of the opponent’s bounty value, with the remainder being added to their own head.
Terminator Xtreme Sit & Go’s
Ten seat Sit & Go’s where 100% of the prize pool is allocated to bounty prizes! As each player is eliminated, a portion of the bounty prize is awarded to the player with the winning hand, with the remainder added to their own bounty prize. If you knock everyone out – you win the entire prize pool!
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Terminator tournaments
No pity. No remorse. No fear. Play Terminator tournaments and get paid for every player you knock out … but watch your back because there’s a price on your head too.
With a portion of the prize pool going to a bounty on every player’s head, Terminator tournaments are all about taking the other guy down. A portion of the prize pool goes on to every player’s head (usually 50% but watch out for special tournaments where the proportion changes). If you take that player out of the tournament, their bounty is yours. The value of each player’s bounty is displayed on the table above their username.
What’s more, the more bounties you claim, the higher your bounty gets too – so you become a more attractive target.
Full information on the set up of each Terminator tournament can be found in the in the ‘bounty info’ tab for the tournament. There you’ll see information including; the number of heads each player has eliminated, the total prize amount claimed from bounties and each player’s existing bounty value.
Terminator two
A heads-up MTT with your entire buy-in on your head! Played on two-seater tables, players are allocated a heads-up opponent - as players are eliminated tables are balanced. When eliminating a player, the surviving player claims a portion of the opponent’s bounty value, with the remainder being added to their own head.
Terminator Xtreme Sit & Go’s
Ten seat Sit & Go’s where 100% of the prize pool is allocated to bounty prizes! As each player is eliminated, a portion of the bounty prize is awarded to the player with the winning hand, with the remainder added to their own bounty prize. If you knock everyone out – you win the entire prize pool!
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Details on New WSOP Tournament Structure with Triple Stacks, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 10th March 2009
When players take to the felts for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Rio in Las Vegas, they'll notice a stark difference instantaneously. The starting chip stacks, which were doubled in 2008, will be tripled in 2009. In addition, tournament directors have added several levels to event structures. Poker News Daily sat down with Tournament Director Jack Effel to learn more about what players can expect when the WSOP begins in just two short months.
On the decision to triple the starting stacks, Effel told Poker News Daily, "At 2x chips, players didn’t feel like they got a lot of play in the smaller events. With 3x chips, you can play around with the structure and add more levels." The $1,000 buy-in "stimulus" tournament, for example, will give players a stack of 3,000 to go to battle with. Added levels include 75-150 as well as 1,200-2,400, which is included in $1,500 buy-in and up events. The Main Event will award 30,000 in starting chips and has a bevy of levels, each lasting two hours.
Deep stack tournaments were popularized by the Venetian in Las Vegas, among other places. Now, you can find these tournaments around the world. Effel commented, "It's a very competitive industry with a lot of tournaments moving to a deep stack format. However, putting on a successful event is difficult unless you really understand the math behind it." The WSOP has based its model on playing time per day. Tournament officials are aiming for eight to ten hours of play for the first two days of a tournament. In an economic drought, Effel explained the importance of allowing players time to make moves at the table: "It gives players plenty of game for their money."
As a result of 30,000 in starting chips, Effel expects each tournament to take an extra two levels to complete, or about four hours' time for the Main Event. He explained, "You'll feel that in the beginning. It gives players more of an opportunity to make moves and use strategy. It's going to benefit both the little guy who won his way in and it's also going to benefit the pros, who have additional time to perfect their strategy." Play on each of the four starting days in the Main Event is scheduled to last for five levels. Last year, 6,844 players turned out. For the first time, its final table was postponed until November in order to create additional hype. The result was a 50% jump in television ratings for the final table telecast, which aired on ESPN within 24 hours of filming.
In the Pot Limit Omaha tournaments, players will begin with a starting stack equal to the buy-in. Players can then elect to add on twice at any point during the first three levels in lieu of a rebuy. All entrants will be required to add on at the end of three levels of play. The Rio's massive Amazon Room and surrounding tournament areas can accommodate up to 300 tables. Registration for events is scheduled to open this week, but was not yet available at the time of writing. All rebuy events were eliminated from the 2009 WSOP schedule after input received from the Players Advisory Council.
The 2008 WSOP was marred by incidents involving Scotty Nguyen and Phil Hellmuth. The former won the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship allegedly intoxicated. The latter lambasted his competition throughout the Main Event. Both were featured prominently on ESPN. Effel noted that, in 2009, floor staff will receive additional training for the enforcement of player conduct rules: "When you have a rule, employees are less likely to use their own interpretation. Sometimes what you think is acceptable is not acceptable to others. It's tough in certain situations to figure out whether a player was being abusive. Obviously, we learned a lot from last year."
Effel noted that Nguyen received several warnings during his antics at the HORSE final table. However, he was not penalized. Effel explained, "Some of the things he said weren’t heard by the floor person. Unless you're standing over the dealer, you may not catch something. That's pretty much what happened." This year, Harrah's staff will utilize a player tracking database that will log any penalty or warning. For the first time, tournament staff will be armed with a history of player infractions.
Visit the 2009 WSOP schedule to review structure sheets for each event. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Rio. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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When players take to the felts for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Rio in Las Vegas, they'll notice a stark difference instantaneously. The starting chip stacks, which were doubled in 2008, will be tripled in 2009. In addition, tournament directors have added several levels to event structures. Poker News Daily sat down with Tournament Director Jack Effel to learn more about what players can expect when the WSOP begins in just two short months.
On the decision to triple the starting stacks, Effel told Poker News Daily, "At 2x chips, players didn’t feel like they got a lot of play in the smaller events. With 3x chips, you can play around with the structure and add more levels." The $1,000 buy-in "stimulus" tournament, for example, will give players a stack of 3,000 to go to battle with. Added levels include 75-150 as well as 1,200-2,400, which is included in $1,500 buy-in and up events. The Main Event will award 30,000 in starting chips and has a bevy of levels, each lasting two hours.
Deep stack tournaments were popularized by the Venetian in Las Vegas, among other places. Now, you can find these tournaments around the world. Effel commented, "It's a very competitive industry with a lot of tournaments moving to a deep stack format. However, putting on a successful event is difficult unless you really understand the math behind it." The WSOP has based its model on playing time per day. Tournament officials are aiming for eight to ten hours of play for the first two days of a tournament. In an economic drought, Effel explained the importance of allowing players time to make moves at the table: "It gives players plenty of game for their money."
As a result of 30,000 in starting chips, Effel expects each tournament to take an extra two levels to complete, or about four hours' time for the Main Event. He explained, "You'll feel that in the beginning. It gives players more of an opportunity to make moves and use strategy. It's going to benefit both the little guy who won his way in and it's also going to benefit the pros, who have additional time to perfect their strategy." Play on each of the four starting days in the Main Event is scheduled to last for five levels. Last year, 6,844 players turned out. For the first time, its final table was postponed until November in order to create additional hype. The result was a 50% jump in television ratings for the final table telecast, which aired on ESPN within 24 hours of filming.
In the Pot Limit Omaha tournaments, players will begin with a starting stack equal to the buy-in. Players can then elect to add on twice at any point during the first three levels in lieu of a rebuy. All entrants will be required to add on at the end of three levels of play. The Rio's massive Amazon Room and surrounding tournament areas can accommodate up to 300 tables. Registration for events is scheduled to open this week, but was not yet available at the time of writing. All rebuy events were eliminated from the 2009 WSOP schedule after input received from the Players Advisory Council.
The 2008 WSOP was marred by incidents involving Scotty Nguyen and Phil Hellmuth. The former won the $50,000 buy-in HORSE Championship allegedly intoxicated. The latter lambasted his competition throughout the Main Event. Both were featured prominently on ESPN. Effel noted that, in 2009, floor staff will receive additional training for the enforcement of player conduct rules: "When you have a rule, employees are less likely to use their own interpretation. Sometimes what you think is acceptable is not acceptable to others. It's tough in certain situations to figure out whether a player was being abusive. Obviously, we learned a lot from last year."
Effel noted that Nguyen received several warnings during his antics at the HORSE final table. However, he was not penalized. Effel explained, "Some of the things he said weren’t heard by the floor person. Unless you're standing over the dealer, you may not catch something. That's pretty much what happened." This year, Harrah's staff will utilize a player tracking database that will log any penalty or warning. For the first time, tournament staff will be armed with a history of player infractions.
Visit the 2009 WSOP schedule to review structure sheets for each event. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Rio. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Sunday, March 08, 2009
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Thursday, March 05, 2009
PKR Springfest 2009
4th March 2009
PKR.com is one of the world's most popular online poker sites. The operator provides 3D poker gaming for customers who can choose their physical appearance, clothing and personality.
PKR will be holding its popular annual Springfest tournament beginning on 14th March, with users playing for the chance to win part of the $360,000 in guaranteed cash as well as a WSOP package.
Springfest attracts all level players and this is one of the reasons for its popularity with many PKR customers. Various tournaments take place with rebuys, double chance games and six seaters all featuring in the event.
The festival will end with a massive $100,000 PKR masters, a $50,000 Sunday class game as well as a Tournament of Champions event, where one player will win a WSOP package worth $12,500.
Neil Wright, Cardroom Manager at PKR said, “Our festivals keep getting bigger and better and Springfest ‘09 is no exception. It’s still extremely accessible for everyone and now we’ve also doubled the duration of the series and added lots more in prizes, making this an event not to be missed.”
To enter the games players will either be able to play through satellite tournaments or buy directly in.
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4th March 2009
PKR.com is one of the world's most popular online poker sites. The operator provides 3D poker gaming for customers who can choose their physical appearance, clothing and personality.
PKR will be holding its popular annual Springfest tournament beginning on 14th March, with users playing for the chance to win part of the $360,000 in guaranteed cash as well as a WSOP package.
Springfest attracts all level players and this is one of the reasons for its popularity with many PKR customers. Various tournaments take place with rebuys, double chance games and six seaters all featuring in the event.
The festival will end with a massive $100,000 PKR masters, a $50,000 Sunday class game as well as a Tournament of Champions event, where one player will win a WSOP package worth $12,500.
Neil Wright, Cardroom Manager at PKR said, “Our festivals keep getting bigger and better and Springfest ‘09 is no exception. It’s still extremely accessible for everyone and now we’ve also doubled the duration of the series and added lots more in prizes, making this an event not to be missed.”
To enter the games players will either be able to play through satellite tournaments or buy directly in.
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Wednesday, March 04, 2009
iMEGA Request to Supplement UIGEA Case Denied by DOJ, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 3rd March 2009
On Tuesday, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), which is suing to declare the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) unconstitutional, learned that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) denied its request to supplement the record. iMEGA had petitioned to include the complications arising in the New Hampshire and North Dakota state lotteries.
An article that appeared in the Union Leader newspaper in the Northeastern state of New Hampshire noted that a reclassification of lottery purchases by credit card companies caused many of their customers’ transactions to be denied. The newspaper explains that such “sales used to be filed under ‘government service’ by the big card makers, Visa and MasterCard.” Lottery sales in New Hampshire have been down overall given the economy; customers experiencing headaches in order to purchase online subscriptions are undoubtedly exacerbating the issue. A similar issue has also occurred in North Dakota.
In Illinois, lawmakers in the home state of new U.S. President Barack Obama are investigating selling lottery tickets or subscriptions online. However, an Associated Press article also notes that complications are arising from “card companies classifying the subscriptions as a gambling purchase instead of a government service, triggering additional fees and red tape for customers [in other states].” Illinois also has legalized riverboat gambling.
iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that, as a matter of professional courtesy, it’s customary to ask the other party involved in a legal suit before adding material to the record. Nicholas Bagley, Attorney for the Civil Division of the DOJ, told iMEGA on Monday that the U.S. Government would not give its consent for the additions. Now, the organization must file a motion to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Brennan explained, “It’s ridiculous because this deals with the real-world impact of the UIGEA. I’m not surprised, though, because this inclusion makes our case for us. Visa and MasterCard have, in their new operating rules, stated that they’re going to over-block lottery transactions even though there is a carve-out in the UIGEA for state lotteries.” iMEGA charges that the UIGEA should be “void for vagueness,” exemplified by Visa and MasterCard’s actions.
The UIGEA’s regulations went into effect on January 19th, 2009. The entire financial services industry, which is in the midst of the worst economy in 80 years, must come into full compliance by December 1st. The regulations of the UIGEA were passed as “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush Administration. iMEGA’s fight to declare the UIGEA unconstitutional began with the organization being granted standing by Judge Mary L. Cooper of the U.S. District Court of New Jersey last March. In the process, she also disagreed with many of the trade organization’s main points. iMEGA subsequently appealed to the Third Circuit.
Brennan told Poker News Daily that the ability to add evidence to the record hinges on whether “that there has been a change in the rule.” In this case, iMEGA’s brief to the Third Circuit was filed on November 13th, about two weeks prior to the final regulations of the UIGEA being unveiled. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would not review the Child Online Protection Act (COPA). An Appeals Court stated that technological filters would be sufficient to “protect children from inappropriate content online,” according to the Associated Press, a notion that the Supreme Court agreed with. Brennan summarized, “All of this has occurred since we filed our brief, so of course the Third Circuit would want to consider it. It clearly falls within the definition of supplementing the record.”
iMEGA is also a leading party in a lawsuit involving 141 internet gambling domain names in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In January, a three judge Court of Appeals panel ruled by a two to one margin that domain names do not constitute “gambling devices” as outlined by Kentucky state law and therefore could not be seized. The State announced its appeal and filed a brief with its Supreme Court. Kentucky’s attorneys had originally asked for 30 more pages in its brief or 10 days to pare it down to the customary 50. The State filed a 56 page brief (64 with the Table of Contents and headers) before the Court responded. Now, it awaits word whether it will have to adjust the length of its brief.
Brennan commented, “This gives us more time to pull brief apart until the Court rules on it.” iMEGA does not have to file a response until the State’s brief is approved. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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On Tuesday, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), which is suing to declare the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) unconstitutional, learned that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) denied its request to supplement the record. iMEGA had petitioned to include the complications arising in the New Hampshire and North Dakota state lotteries.
An article that appeared in the Union Leader newspaper in the Northeastern state of New Hampshire noted that a reclassification of lottery purchases by credit card companies caused many of their customers’ transactions to be denied. The newspaper explains that such “sales used to be filed under ‘government service’ by the big card makers, Visa and MasterCard.” Lottery sales in New Hampshire have been down overall given the economy; customers experiencing headaches in order to purchase online subscriptions are undoubtedly exacerbating the issue. A similar issue has also occurred in North Dakota.
In Illinois, lawmakers in the home state of new U.S. President Barack Obama are investigating selling lottery tickets or subscriptions online. However, an Associated Press article also notes that complications are arising from “card companies classifying the subscriptions as a gambling purchase instead of a government service, triggering additional fees and red tape for customers [in other states].” Illinois also has legalized riverboat gambling.
iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that, as a matter of professional courtesy, it’s customary to ask the other party involved in a legal suit before adding material to the record. Nicholas Bagley, Attorney for the Civil Division of the DOJ, told iMEGA on Monday that the U.S. Government would not give its consent for the additions. Now, the organization must file a motion to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Brennan explained, “It’s ridiculous because this deals with the real-world impact of the UIGEA. I’m not surprised, though, because this inclusion makes our case for us. Visa and MasterCard have, in their new operating rules, stated that they’re going to over-block lottery transactions even though there is a carve-out in the UIGEA for state lotteries.” iMEGA charges that the UIGEA should be “void for vagueness,” exemplified by Visa and MasterCard’s actions.
The UIGEA’s regulations went into effect on January 19th, 2009. The entire financial services industry, which is in the midst of the worst economy in 80 years, must come into full compliance by December 1st. The regulations of the UIGEA were passed as “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush Administration. iMEGA’s fight to declare the UIGEA unconstitutional began with the organization being granted standing by Judge Mary L. Cooper of the U.S. District Court of New Jersey last March. In the process, she also disagreed with many of the trade organization’s main points. iMEGA subsequently appealed to the Third Circuit.
Brennan told Poker News Daily that the ability to add evidence to the record hinges on whether “that there has been a change in the rule.” In this case, iMEGA’s brief to the Third Circuit was filed on November 13th, about two weeks prior to the final regulations of the UIGEA being unveiled. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would not review the Child Online Protection Act (COPA). An Appeals Court stated that technological filters would be sufficient to “protect children from inappropriate content online,” according to the Associated Press, a notion that the Supreme Court agreed with. Brennan summarized, “All of this has occurred since we filed our brief, so of course the Third Circuit would want to consider it. It clearly falls within the definition of supplementing the record.”
iMEGA is also a leading party in a lawsuit involving 141 internet gambling domain names in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In January, a three judge Court of Appeals panel ruled by a two to one margin that domain names do not constitute “gambling devices” as outlined by Kentucky state law and therefore could not be seized. The State announced its appeal and filed a brief with its Supreme Court. Kentucky’s attorneys had originally asked for 30 more pages in its brief or 10 days to pare it down to the customary 50. The State filed a 56 page brief (64 with the Table of Contents and headers) before the Court responded. Now, it awaits word whether it will have to adjust the length of its brief.
Brennan commented, “This gives us more time to pull brief apart until the Court rules on it.” iMEGA does not have to file a response until the State’s brief is approved. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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PKR gears up for Springfest - 3rd March 2009
LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Online poker room PKR.com has announced the return of Springfest. This fantastic series of events kicks off on March 14 and rolls for more then two weeks with over $360,000 in guaranteed prizes and a World Series package to be won.
Designed to appeal to players of varying bankrolls and abilities, the 18 events will give people the chance to test their skills in a wide range of exciting formats. Deep stack and six-seaters, rebuys and double chance tournaments all find their place on the schedule with big prize pools up for grabs.
On top of this, the festival will serve up a memorable finale with the $100,000 PKR Masters and $50,000 Sunday Classic, while the unique Tournament of Champions boasts a $12,500 WSOP Main Event package. Final tables of premium events will also be televised on PKR.tv.
Cardroom Manager Neil Wright said, "Our festivals keep getting bigger and better and Springfest '09 is no exception. It's still extremely accessible for everyone and now we've also doubled the duration of the series and added lots more in prizes, making this an event not to be missed."
Players will be able to buy-in direct or satellite into the biggest Springfest events with qualifying opportunities already up and running in the PKR.com tournament lobby.
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LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Online poker room PKR.com has announced the return of Springfest. This fantastic series of events kicks off on March 14 and rolls for more then two weeks with over $360,000 in guaranteed prizes and a World Series package to be won.
Designed to appeal to players of varying bankrolls and abilities, the 18 events will give people the chance to test their skills in a wide range of exciting formats. Deep stack and six-seaters, rebuys and double chance tournaments all find their place on the schedule with big prize pools up for grabs.
On top of this, the festival will serve up a memorable finale with the $100,000 PKR Masters and $50,000 Sunday Classic, while the unique Tournament of Champions boasts a $12,500 WSOP Main Event package. Final tables of premium events will also be televised on PKR.tv.
Cardroom Manager Neil Wright said, "Our festivals keep getting bigger and better and Springfest '09 is no exception. It's still extremely accessible for everyone and now we've also doubled the duration of the series and added lots more in prizes, making this an event not to be missed."
Players will be able to buy-in direct or satellite into the biggest Springfest events with qualifying opportunities already up and running in the PKR.com tournament lobby.
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Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Lineup For 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship Announced, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 24th February 2009
As players battle it out in Los Angeles at the World Poker Tour’s L. A. Poker Classic, players are also looking forward to the upcoming 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship, which will be played out from March 5th to the 8th at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In preparing for what has become one of the most cherished championships in the poker world, officials for Caesars and their broadcast partner NBC have released the list of the 64 players who have been invited to participate in this year’s event.
Yielding perhaps to criticism over player selection in the previous four years of the tournament, the officials of the NHUPC and NBC created a list of criteria for those who would be invited to play in the event. The criteria established included being a former champion of the event, the runner-up in the tournament for the past two years, the players who were in the semi-finals of the previous year, the past three World Series of Poker Main Event champions and last year’s runner-up, multiple bracelet winners of the previous year’s WSOP and the titleholders of the WSOP Player of the Year, the WSOP Heads Up Champion, the WSOP Europe, the WPT Player of the Year, the European Poker Tour Grand Final and the reigning Players of the Year as decided by both CardPlayer and Bluff Magazines.
Just from this criteria alone, the players who have earned an automatic berth into the fifth edition of this tournament - which for the first time will have a sponsor in GoDaddy.com - read like a who’s who of poker. Previous champions Phil Hellmuth (2005), Ted Forrest (2006), Paul Wasicka (2007) and defending champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson lead a list that, by the criteria established, also includes Andy Bloch, Chad Brown, Huck Seed, Phil Ivey, Scott Fischman, Peter Eastgate, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold, Ivan Demidov, John Phan, Erick Lindgren, Kenny Tran, John Juanda, Jonathan Little and Glen Chorny. While these players have earned their way in through their performance over the past few years, they have a tremendous challenge in the invited players they will be battling over the four days in Las Vegas.
Former WSOP champions Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem lead a list that also includes PokerStars sponsored players Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu, Full Tilt Poker teammates Howard Lederer, Mike Matusow and Erik Seidel, and first time invitees Gavin Griffin and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. The ladies will be represented by Annie Duke, Clonie Gowen, Jennifer Harman, Vanessa Rousso, Vanessa Selbst and actress/poker player Jennifer Tilly. There will also be a celebrity presence with legendary baseball player Orel Hershiser, “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan and actor Brad Garrett, who will be making his first appearance in the NHUPC.
Caesars Palace has been allotted two satellite qualifiers for the tournament and one of those have already been taken by Jeffrey Ishbia. There will be four online qualifiers as well, with Leon Yanovski already assured of a trip to Las Vegas for the tournament. Overall the tournament should be one of the most competitive in history, with 119 WSOP bracelets, 27 WPT titles and over $290 million in career earnings garnered by the participants vying for the $500,000 first place prize.
The festivities for the 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship will kick off on March 5th with the draw party being held at Pure, the highly exclusive nightclub on the Caesars Palace grounds. Three days of poker will whittle the field down to the champion and NBC will be there to record all of the action. The broadcast of this year’s NHUPC will start on NBC on April 12th and will work down to the title match over the next six weeks. For a full list of the players that have been invited to participate and details on earning a spot in the tournament through the online qualifiers, visit NBC’s dedicated site for the 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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As players battle it out in Los Angeles at the World Poker Tour’s L. A. Poker Classic, players are also looking forward to the upcoming 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship, which will be played out from March 5th to the 8th at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In preparing for what has become one of the most cherished championships in the poker world, officials for Caesars and their broadcast partner NBC have released the list of the 64 players who have been invited to participate in this year’s event.
Yielding perhaps to criticism over player selection in the previous four years of the tournament, the officials of the NHUPC and NBC created a list of criteria for those who would be invited to play in the event. The criteria established included being a former champion of the event, the runner-up in the tournament for the past two years, the players who were in the semi-finals of the previous year, the past three World Series of Poker Main Event champions and last year’s runner-up, multiple bracelet winners of the previous year’s WSOP and the titleholders of the WSOP Player of the Year, the WSOP Heads Up Champion, the WSOP Europe, the WPT Player of the Year, the European Poker Tour Grand Final and the reigning Players of the Year as decided by both CardPlayer and Bluff Magazines.
Just from this criteria alone, the players who have earned an automatic berth into the fifth edition of this tournament - which for the first time will have a sponsor in GoDaddy.com - read like a who’s who of poker. Previous champions Phil Hellmuth (2005), Ted Forrest (2006), Paul Wasicka (2007) and defending champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson lead a list that, by the criteria established, also includes Andy Bloch, Chad Brown, Huck Seed, Phil Ivey, Scott Fischman, Peter Eastgate, Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold, Ivan Demidov, John Phan, Erick Lindgren, Kenny Tran, John Juanda, Jonathan Little and Glen Chorny. While these players have earned their way in through their performance over the past few years, they have a tremendous challenge in the invited players they will be battling over the four days in Las Vegas.
Former WSOP champions Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem lead a list that also includes PokerStars sponsored players Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu, Full Tilt Poker teammates Howard Lederer, Mike Matusow and Erik Seidel, and first time invitees Gavin Griffin and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. The ladies will be represented by Annie Duke, Clonie Gowen, Jennifer Harman, Vanessa Rousso, Vanessa Selbst and actress/poker player Jennifer Tilly. There will also be a celebrity presence with legendary baseball player Orel Hershiser, “High Stakes Poker” announcer Gabe Kaplan and actor Brad Garrett, who will be making his first appearance in the NHUPC.
Caesars Palace has been allotted two satellite qualifiers for the tournament and one of those have already been taken by Jeffrey Ishbia. There will be four online qualifiers as well, with Leon Yanovski already assured of a trip to Las Vegas for the tournament. Overall the tournament should be one of the most competitive in history, with 119 WSOP bracelets, 27 WPT titles and over $290 million in career earnings garnered by the participants vying for the $500,000 first place prize.
The festivities for the 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship will kick off on March 5th with the draw party being held at Pure, the highly exclusive nightclub on the Caesars Palace grounds. Three days of poker will whittle the field down to the champion and NBC will be there to record all of the action. The broadcast of this year’s NHUPC will start on NBC on April 12th and will work down to the title match over the next six weeks. For a full list of the players that have been invited to participate and details on earning a spot in the tournament through the online qualifiers, visit NBC’s dedicated site for the 2009 National Heads Up Poker Championship. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Annie Duke Responds to Celebrity Apprentice Critics, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 2nd March 2009
On Sunday night, the second season of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” debuted. The show featured eight men against eight women in a race to see who could raise the most money for charity by selling cupcakes in New York City. In the end, the all-female team emerged victorious. However, poker player Annie Duke, a contestant on the show, received staunch criticism from Project Manager and talk show host Joan Rivers, “Deal or No Deal” model Claudia Jordan, reality star Khloe Kardashian, and Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick. Duke revealed her reaction to Poker News Daily.
Poker News Daily: Give us your feedback on how your character was portrayed on the season premiere of “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Duke: Is very hard to sit there and have people say shit about you. I understand that this is a business and it’s not about having people like you. Donald Trump votes you off, not your own team. The Celebrity Apprentice is not about making friends.
We had six hours to bake 1,000 cupcakes. You have to get it done and Joan Rivers, our Project Manager, put me in charge of the kitchen. I was clear about what needed to be done. I had it organized and knew how it needed to go. I wanted to get on the show and make sure that Trump knew me. The bigger the celebrity, the more you are in his eyes. I’m not a big mainstream celebrity, so I needed to make noise right away.
It’s just like poker. You don’t raise because you want to raise. There has to be a reason for what you’re doing. I needed to get noticed, but also needed to do it with a purpose. In that sense, I’m playing a game. I’m intense when I’m at the poker table, but who I am at in that setting is not who I am in real life. Away from the game, I’m very smiley.
PND: React to some of the comments given by Jordan, Rivers, Kardashian, and Roderick.
Duke: It’s very difficult on the national stage to see people say nasty things about me. Obviously I’m a strong woman, I’m very direct. I’m used to dealing with that on a personal level and I’ve learned not to care about it. It’s hard to watch it on the national stage.
Then, I think about it logically. Here’s Claudia criticizing me, but what did she do? She didn’t decorate the truck. That was Melissa Rivers. She didn’t bake the cupcakes. What did she do that she felt the need to criticize me?
Then they showed Brande criticizing me and Khloe criticizing me. Did they not understand you had to raise money and get these cupcakes made? I didn’t care what anyone said about me. For me, it was about winning the task. Right after Brande and I fought, we immediately made up, but it wasn’t televised. In general, I appreciate someone telling me to my face if they have constructive criticism. I said to her, “We’re both really tired. I was on my feet baking cupcakes and I’m sorry I allowed that to show.” We were friendly after that. Brande was the rock star on that task. She worked hard. They don’t have any private interviews with her talking shit about me.
Similarly, they don’t have any clips of me talking shit about anyone because I didn’t. There’s no guessing with me. There’s no wondering if I’m saying one thing to your face and another thing behind your back. People aren’t used to that. People prefer other people not to be direct. That’s what I appreciate about Brande.
PND: Talk about the argument with Roderick, who wanted to sell a flat of cupcakes to a donor. You were worried about the inventory running out.
Duke: We did run out of cupcakes and it was right after selling a whole flat. I knew the donor was going to hand her the $9,000 check for just one cupcake. Brande realized where I was coming from in the end. I can’t say that they edited me badly. I thought they gave an accurate portrayal of me. They showed me working hard, raising money, and being direct.
PND: Talk about your reaction to Joan Rivers’ comment about your leadership style, “Mussolini made the trains run on time, but no Italian smiled at him when they got on and off.”
Duke: It’s painful. Joan was Project Manager. I didn’t see her doing a lot of leading except that she suggested our team name should be “Ball-Busters.” If our team loses, she’s on the hot seat. Two people made sure that her ass wasn’t on the line, Brande and I. We raised enough money to beat the guys by ourselves. I made sure as manager of the kitchen that it all got done. If I were Joan, I wouldn’t be criticizing me. The Mussolini comment didn’t acknowledge the work I put in and comparing anyone on Celebrity Apprentice to the person who committed one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century is offensive. It trivializes that man’s actions.
PND: Describe the purpose of Refugees International, your chosen charity. How does it relate to Ante Up for Africa, which you founded?
Duke: Refugees International is a long-standing charity. Ante Up for Africa raises money, but doesn’t give it directly to people. Instead, we partner with charities that we know are doing amazing things. Refugees International is one of those. It’s an advocacy group for refugees around the world. There are over 40 million refugees who are displaced, living in tents and camps with no water.
It’s hard for people to care about that because what is happening here [in the United States] is awful. However, we have very high-class problems in comparison to someone in a refugee camp. From a political standpoint, there is no doubt that the more refugees there are, the more political instability there is in the world. That’s what Refugees International is about. Only 7% of the money raised goes towards administrative fees. They do not take any government money, which is important because an organization like that has to be neutral. They don’t have any political pressure to ignore people.
PND: How have poker players perceived the show?
Duke: We don’t take anything personally. When a friend of ours check-raises us all-in and makes us fold, you go have dinner with them. Poker players are good at compartmentalizing. What happens in the business setting is never personal. I’ve had to play that way against my brother [Howard Lederer]. I’m guessing that poker players bought what I did better than others. They understood I was playing a game. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Annie Duke
Reality TV
Poker News
On Sunday night, the second season of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” debuted. The show featured eight men against eight women in a race to see who could raise the most money for charity by selling cupcakes in New York City. In the end, the all-female team emerged victorious. However, poker player Annie Duke, a contestant on the show, received staunch criticism from Project Manager and talk show host Joan Rivers, “Deal or No Deal” model Claudia Jordan, reality star Khloe Kardashian, and Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick. Duke revealed her reaction to Poker News Daily.
Poker News Daily: Give us your feedback on how your character was portrayed on the season premiere of “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Duke: Is very hard to sit there and have people say shit about you. I understand that this is a business and it’s not about having people like you. Donald Trump votes you off, not your own team. The Celebrity Apprentice is not about making friends.
We had six hours to bake 1,000 cupcakes. You have to get it done and Joan Rivers, our Project Manager, put me in charge of the kitchen. I was clear about what needed to be done. I had it organized and knew how it needed to go. I wanted to get on the show and make sure that Trump knew me. The bigger the celebrity, the more you are in his eyes. I’m not a big mainstream celebrity, so I needed to make noise right away.
It’s just like poker. You don’t raise because you want to raise. There has to be a reason for what you’re doing. I needed to get noticed, but also needed to do it with a purpose. In that sense, I’m playing a game. I’m intense when I’m at the poker table, but who I am at in that setting is not who I am in real life. Away from the game, I’m very smiley.
PND: React to some of the comments given by Jordan, Rivers, Kardashian, and Roderick.
Duke: It’s very difficult on the national stage to see people say nasty things about me. Obviously I’m a strong woman, I’m very direct. I’m used to dealing with that on a personal level and I’ve learned not to care about it. It’s hard to watch it on the national stage.
Then, I think about it logically. Here’s Claudia criticizing me, but what did she do? She didn’t decorate the truck. That was Melissa Rivers. She didn’t bake the cupcakes. What did she do that she felt the need to criticize me?
Then they showed Brande criticizing me and Khloe criticizing me. Did they not understand you had to raise money and get these cupcakes made? I didn’t care what anyone said about me. For me, it was about winning the task. Right after Brande and I fought, we immediately made up, but it wasn’t televised. In general, I appreciate someone telling me to my face if they have constructive criticism. I said to her, “We’re both really tired. I was on my feet baking cupcakes and I’m sorry I allowed that to show.” We were friendly after that. Brande was the rock star on that task. She worked hard. They don’t have any private interviews with her talking shit about me.
Similarly, they don’t have any clips of me talking shit about anyone because I didn’t. There’s no guessing with me. There’s no wondering if I’m saying one thing to your face and another thing behind your back. People aren’t used to that. People prefer other people not to be direct. That’s what I appreciate about Brande.
PND: Talk about the argument with Roderick, who wanted to sell a flat of cupcakes to a donor. You were worried about the inventory running out.
Duke: We did run out of cupcakes and it was right after selling a whole flat. I knew the donor was going to hand her the $9,000 check for just one cupcake. Brande realized where I was coming from in the end. I can’t say that they edited me badly. I thought they gave an accurate portrayal of me. They showed me working hard, raising money, and being direct.
PND: Talk about your reaction to Joan Rivers’ comment about your leadership style, “Mussolini made the trains run on time, but no Italian smiled at him when they got on and off.”
Duke: It’s painful. Joan was Project Manager. I didn’t see her doing a lot of leading except that she suggested our team name should be “Ball-Busters.” If our team loses, she’s on the hot seat. Two people made sure that her ass wasn’t on the line, Brande and I. We raised enough money to beat the guys by ourselves. I made sure as manager of the kitchen that it all got done. If I were Joan, I wouldn’t be criticizing me. The Mussolini comment didn’t acknowledge the work I put in and comparing anyone on Celebrity Apprentice to the person who committed one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century is offensive. It trivializes that man’s actions.
PND: Describe the purpose of Refugees International, your chosen charity. How does it relate to Ante Up for Africa, which you founded?
Duke: Refugees International is a long-standing charity. Ante Up for Africa raises money, but doesn’t give it directly to people. Instead, we partner with charities that we know are doing amazing things. Refugees International is one of those. It’s an advocacy group for refugees around the world. There are over 40 million refugees who are displaced, living in tents and camps with no water.
It’s hard for people to care about that because what is happening here [in the United States] is awful. However, we have very high-class problems in comparison to someone in a refugee camp. From a political standpoint, there is no doubt that the more refugees there are, the more political instability there is in the world. That’s what Refugees International is about. Only 7% of the money raised goes towards administrative fees. They do not take any government money, which is important because an organization like that has to be neutral. They don’t have any political pressure to ignore people.
PND: How have poker players perceived the show?
Duke: We don’t take anything personally. When a friend of ours check-raises us all-in and makes us fold, you go have dinner with them. Poker players are good at compartmentalizing. What happens in the business setting is never personal. I’ve had to play that way against my brother [Howard Lederer]. I’m guessing that poker players bought what I did better than others. They understood I was playing a game. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Annie Duke
Reality TV
Poker News
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Media Man Australia Top Three Poker Companies - February 2009
Australian based media and publicity company, Media Man Australia, has announced that for the month of February 2009, the following are voted as the world's top 3 online poker rooms based on usability, ethics, customer feedback, customer service, affiliate experience and overall customer experience:
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyPoker.com
PKR Poker
Virgin Poker
*results do not include poker tour brands such as World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, Asian Poker Tour, Aussie Millions, Canadian Poker Tour and Irish Poker Tour
Australian based media and publicity company, Media Man Australia, has announced that for the month of February 2009, the following are voted as the world's top 3 online poker rooms based on usability, ethics, customer feedback, customer service, affiliate experience and overall customer experience:
Media Man Australia Profiles
PartyPoker.com
PKR Poker
Virgin Poker
*results do not include poker tour brands such as World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, Asian Poker Tour, Aussie Millions, Canadian Poker Tour and Irish Poker Tour
Online Satellites Begin at Party Poker for the 2009 Canadian Open Poker Championships
18th February 2009
The Canadian Poker Tour, owned and operated by HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., is pleased to announce that exclusive online satellites have begun at Party Poker to qualify for the Main Event of the Canadian Open Poker Championships. The event will be held at the Stampede Casino in Calgary, Alberta, May 13-17, 2009. As one of Canada's premier poker tournaments the event will be televised on The Score Television Network, official broadcaster of the Canadian Poker Tour.
With a series of events running throughout the week, over $1,000,000 in estimated prize pools will be up for grabs cumulating with the 128 player, $5000 buy in, heads up main event. Last year's event attracted professional poker players and celebrities from around the world and this year looks to be even bigger and better. "This is best structure of any heads up event I have played in", commented 2005 WSOP Champion Joe Hachem.
As the official online partner of the Canadian Poker Tour, players can qualify for as little as $4 at Party Poker to earn a package including travel, accommodations and buy in to the Main Event. "This is a terrific opportunity for players around the world to compete in what I believe to be the purest form of the game" stated President and CEO Kelly B. Kellner. "The heads up bracket format with best 2 out of 3 matches, $10,000 in starting chips and 20 minute blinds allows the cream to rise to the top and I look forward to crowning a new champion in May." Last years Main Event was won by 1996 WSOP Champion Huckleberry Seed.
For more details on the event please go to www.canadianpokertour.tv and to enter to qualify for the event online all details can be found at www.partypoker.com.
About HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc.
HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc. is a global media and entertainment company engaged in the creation of branded entertainment through the development, production and marketing of televised programming based on poker and other entertainment themes. For more information see the Company's website www.headsupentertainment.com.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Canadian Poker Tour
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
18th February 2009
The Canadian Poker Tour, owned and operated by HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., is pleased to announce that exclusive online satellites have begun at Party Poker to qualify for the Main Event of the Canadian Open Poker Championships. The event will be held at the Stampede Casino in Calgary, Alberta, May 13-17, 2009. As one of Canada's premier poker tournaments the event will be televised on The Score Television Network, official broadcaster of the Canadian Poker Tour.
With a series of events running throughout the week, over $1,000,000 in estimated prize pools will be up for grabs cumulating with the 128 player, $5000 buy in, heads up main event. Last year's event attracted professional poker players and celebrities from around the world and this year looks to be even bigger and better. "This is best structure of any heads up event I have played in", commented 2005 WSOP Champion Joe Hachem.
As the official online partner of the Canadian Poker Tour, players can qualify for as little as $4 at Party Poker to earn a package including travel, accommodations and buy in to the Main Event. "This is a terrific opportunity for players around the world to compete in what I believe to be the purest form of the game" stated President and CEO Kelly B. Kellner. "The heads up bracket format with best 2 out of 3 matches, $10,000 in starting chips and 20 minute blinds allows the cream to rise to the top and I look forward to crowning a new champion in May." Last years Main Event was won by 1996 WSOP Champion Huckleberry Seed.
For more details on the event please go to www.canadianpokertour.tv and to enter to qualify for the event online all details can be found at www.partypoker.com.
About HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc.
HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc. is a global media and entertainment company engaged in the creation of branded entertainment through the development, production and marketing of televised programming based on poker and other entertainment themes. For more information see the Company's website www.headsupentertainment.com.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Canadian Poker Tour
PartyPoker.com
PartyCasino.com
Saturday, February 28, 2009
California Considering Legalising Online Poker - 27th February 2009
Legislators in the American state of California are so intent on legalising online poker that they are reportedly looking to attend an upcoming iGaming conference in order to meet with prospective operators.
According to a report from online news portal Gambling911.com, the western state is looking towards online poker as a way to help solve its troubled economy, which has the second highest foreclosure rate in the country and near double-digit unemployment.
However, Gambling911.com reported that the state would not be speaking with PartyGaming due to Anurag Dikshit, the online operator’s billionaire co-founder who recently pled guilty and agreed to pay a $300 million fine.
'Too much baggage,' Gambling911.com quoted a source.
'California is not going to have an online poker room licensed in the state where one of the founders pleaded guilty before he was even charged with a crime.
'888.com is one that's been mentioned. They are looking at companies that are publicly traded and 888.com fits the bill. They are also trying to settle any issues with the US Government in relation to their taking bets from US customers prior to passage of poker prohibition in 2006, much like PartyGaming, but nobody there is turning themselves in.'
Although California is the world’s eighth largest economy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reached a compromise with legislators this week that increased taxes and cut services in order to close a $42 million budget deficit.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Gambling911
Poker News
Online Casino News
Legislators in the American state of California are so intent on legalising online poker that they are reportedly looking to attend an upcoming iGaming conference in order to meet with prospective operators.
According to a report from online news portal Gambling911.com, the western state is looking towards online poker as a way to help solve its troubled economy, which has the second highest foreclosure rate in the country and near double-digit unemployment.
However, Gambling911.com reported that the state would not be speaking with PartyGaming due to Anurag Dikshit, the online operator’s billionaire co-founder who recently pled guilty and agreed to pay a $300 million fine.
'Too much baggage,' Gambling911.com quoted a source.
'California is not going to have an online poker room licensed in the state where one of the founders pleaded guilty before he was even charged with a crime.
'888.com is one that's been mentioned. They are looking at companies that are publicly traded and 888.com fits the bill. They are also trying to settle any issues with the US Government in relation to their taking bets from US customers prior to passage of poker prohibition in 2006, much like PartyGaming, but nobody there is turning themselves in.'
Although California is the world’s eighth largest economy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reached a compromise with legislators this week that increased taxes and cut services in order to close a $42 million budget deficit.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Gambling911
Poker News
Online Casino News
Friday, February 27, 2009
Annie Duke Breaks Down Celebrity Apprentice, by Annie Duke - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
Well, the Celebrity Apprentice cat is out of the bag now. The cast has been announced and, yes, I am part of it. Okay, so what would make me do this show? I mean I have tried to avoid reality TV. Over the years, I have had a few offers to do a reality show about my poker life with four kids. My answer is always that I won’t put my kids on TV, so they quietly go away. I really value my private life and protecting the privacy of my kids. So then why on Earth would I agree to do this show?
Here is how it went: My manager called and told me that he had a meeting for me with the Celebrity Apprentice people. I was not happy about it because I wasn’t really interested in being on a reality show. We had had this argument before about “Dancing with the Stars.” He kept saying he wanted to pitch me for it. I kept saying a) I am not a big enough celebrity by any stretch of the imagination and b) I can’t dance.
My boyfriend teases me when I dance and imitates me (making sure I never ever dance in his presence, by the way). Joe is an amazingly good dancer, made more amazing by the fact that he is a 200+ pound burly dude with crazy long curly hair who doesn’t look like he could dance his way out of a paper bag. Yet, he used to break dance for money on the streets of Boston as a kid and got his first job in Hollywood as a dancer. I once even had the pleasure of witnessing a dance-off between Joe and Jeff Donovan (the star of the show “Burn Notice”). That was pretty awesome and really too close to call. It has to go down as one of the funniest dance-offs I have ever seen because both of them were doing some kick ass dancing while trying to be funnier at it than the other one. Imagine doing some popping and locking while essentially miming going down on each other in the middle of a club. It was pretty hilarious. Okay, I have really digressed.
The point is I was not interested in Dancing with the Stars. OMG that would be humiliating. And I was not interested in Celebrity Apprentice either, particularly since I can be, shall we say, snarky and I didn’t really want that to be seen in all its glory on national television. But, then I went in for the meeting and, not having watched the previous season, was shocked to find out that the cast had raised $1 million for charity during the run of the show. I thought to myself that I have to do this show because that is a lot of money for charity and would be really good for Ante Up for Africa. You see, I didn’t know the show was for charity and now I realized it would be hard for me to say no.
To be honest, it is a game. I mean a game. And we all know I love a good game. This was a pretty cool game that involved managing your opponents, raising money for charity, and doing some pretty cool marketing tasks. It seemed to me that maybe I was pretty well-suited for that particular type of game since I play one for a living, one that also involves managing your opponents. I also do marketing work for Ultimate Bet and have raised $2 million with Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein for Ante Up for Africa in the last two years.
Game. Charity. Cool.
So I decided I should do it. I got the last season on DVD and started studying the tapes madly… you know, because that is what I do. If I am going to agree to a competition, I am going to make sure I analyze how the game is played and come in super prepared knowing exactly what people did right the last season and what people did wrong. I am going to have a good handle on it and get all of my ducks in a row money raising-wise and all that. I analyzed the whole last season and starting working a formula for how much money I needed to raise and what the highest percentage part of the tasks was to do to make sure you didn’t get fired, but also got noticed and impressed Donald Trump. I was obsessed for the couple of weeks before doing the show.
So, of course, I cannot tell you anything about how it all turned out, right? That annoys me because I want to talk about the game because I LOVE talking about games. You are going to have to watch to see how I do and whether my preparation pays off. The thing is that, well, I am direct. That is a nice way to put it: direct. The thing I was most worried about going into the game was that my fellow players would not really get my interpersonal style. When people first meet me, they sometimes come away with the impression that I am a jerk. To be fair, I can be a jerk, particularly if I think someone is saying something stupid. I suffer fools very poorly and I have to remember to work on that more. I was really concerned because even though this is an individual game, you still have to have your teammates like you so they don’t throw you under the bus and I am just not good at making nice nice and pretending that I can deal with everyone. It probably comes from doing a job my whole adult life where you only have to answer to yourself. Oh, and I have stupidly high expectations of people.
With all of that going on in my head, knowing that I had analyzed the hell out of last season, but also knowing that I might have some issues with my teammates liking me, I headed off to New York to try my hand at the game. March 1st, everyone. That is when you can start seeing how I do! (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Annie Duke
Reality TV
Poker News
Well, the Celebrity Apprentice cat is out of the bag now. The cast has been announced and, yes, I am part of it. Okay, so what would make me do this show? I mean I have tried to avoid reality TV. Over the years, I have had a few offers to do a reality show about my poker life with four kids. My answer is always that I won’t put my kids on TV, so they quietly go away. I really value my private life and protecting the privacy of my kids. So then why on Earth would I agree to do this show?
Here is how it went: My manager called and told me that he had a meeting for me with the Celebrity Apprentice people. I was not happy about it because I wasn’t really interested in being on a reality show. We had had this argument before about “Dancing with the Stars.” He kept saying he wanted to pitch me for it. I kept saying a) I am not a big enough celebrity by any stretch of the imagination and b) I can’t dance.
My boyfriend teases me when I dance and imitates me (making sure I never ever dance in his presence, by the way). Joe is an amazingly good dancer, made more amazing by the fact that he is a 200+ pound burly dude with crazy long curly hair who doesn’t look like he could dance his way out of a paper bag. Yet, he used to break dance for money on the streets of Boston as a kid and got his first job in Hollywood as a dancer. I once even had the pleasure of witnessing a dance-off between Joe and Jeff Donovan (the star of the show “Burn Notice”). That was pretty awesome and really too close to call. It has to go down as one of the funniest dance-offs I have ever seen because both of them were doing some kick ass dancing while trying to be funnier at it than the other one. Imagine doing some popping and locking while essentially miming going down on each other in the middle of a club. It was pretty hilarious. Okay, I have really digressed.
The point is I was not interested in Dancing with the Stars. OMG that would be humiliating. And I was not interested in Celebrity Apprentice either, particularly since I can be, shall we say, snarky and I didn’t really want that to be seen in all its glory on national television. But, then I went in for the meeting and, not having watched the previous season, was shocked to find out that the cast had raised $1 million for charity during the run of the show. I thought to myself that I have to do this show because that is a lot of money for charity and would be really good for Ante Up for Africa. You see, I didn’t know the show was for charity and now I realized it would be hard for me to say no.
To be honest, it is a game. I mean a game. And we all know I love a good game. This was a pretty cool game that involved managing your opponents, raising money for charity, and doing some pretty cool marketing tasks. It seemed to me that maybe I was pretty well-suited for that particular type of game since I play one for a living, one that also involves managing your opponents. I also do marketing work for Ultimate Bet and have raised $2 million with Don Cheadle and Norman Epstein for Ante Up for Africa in the last two years.
Game. Charity. Cool.
So I decided I should do it. I got the last season on DVD and started studying the tapes madly… you know, because that is what I do. If I am going to agree to a competition, I am going to make sure I analyze how the game is played and come in super prepared knowing exactly what people did right the last season and what people did wrong. I am going to have a good handle on it and get all of my ducks in a row money raising-wise and all that. I analyzed the whole last season and starting working a formula for how much money I needed to raise and what the highest percentage part of the tasks was to do to make sure you didn’t get fired, but also got noticed and impressed Donald Trump. I was obsessed for the couple of weeks before doing the show.
So, of course, I cannot tell you anything about how it all turned out, right? That annoys me because I want to talk about the game because I LOVE talking about games. You are going to have to watch to see how I do and whether my preparation pays off. The thing is that, well, I am direct. That is a nice way to put it: direct. The thing I was most worried about going into the game was that my fellow players would not really get my interpersonal style. When people first meet me, they sometimes come away with the impression that I am a jerk. To be fair, I can be a jerk, particularly if I think someone is saying something stupid. I suffer fools very poorly and I have to remember to work on that more. I was really concerned because even though this is an individual game, you still have to have your teammates like you so they don’t throw you under the bus and I am just not good at making nice nice and pretending that I can deal with everyone. It probably comes from doing a job my whole adult life where you only have to answer to yourself. Oh, and I have stupidly high expectations of people.
With all of that going on in my head, knowing that I had analyzed the hell out of last season, but also knowing that I might have some issues with my teammates liking me, I headed off to New York to try my hand at the game. March 1st, everyone. That is when you can start seeing how I do! (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Annie Duke
Reality TV
Poker News
PKR Launch Massive Saturday Tournament - 26th February 2009
The fastest growing poker room in the world, PKR Poker are really putting themselves on the map this weekend by boasting the biggest buy-in tournament anywhere in online poker on Saturday night. The $500 Saturday Big Shot will be the biggest tournament of the night at 8pm GMT and has one of the best structures, with 10,000 chips and 20 minute levels. Players can parlay their way into the event for as little as $5.06 round the clock on PKR Poker.
Neil Wright of PKR commented "We're delighted to be able to introduce the Saturday Big Shot. There's been a growing demand from our players for a big buy-in event with an ultra-playable structure and we're happy to oblige. It shows just how far we've come that Saturday night's biggest buy-in tournament will be at PKR."
Media Man Australia Profiles
PKR
PKR Poker
The fastest growing poker room in the world, PKR Poker are really putting themselves on the map this weekend by boasting the biggest buy-in tournament anywhere in online poker on Saturday night. The $500 Saturday Big Shot will be the biggest tournament of the night at 8pm GMT and has one of the best structures, with 10,000 chips and 20 minute levels. Players can parlay their way into the event for as little as $5.06 round the clock on PKR Poker.
Neil Wright of PKR commented "We're delighted to be able to introduce the Saturday Big Shot. There's been a growing demand from our players for a big buy-in event with an ultra-playable structure and we're happy to oblige. It shows just how far we've come that Saturday night's biggest buy-in tournament will be at PKR."
Media Man Australia Profiles
PKR
PKR Poker
Virgin Poker Festival Shows its Poker Face in Newcastle - 26th February 2009
The Virgin Poker Festival will be returning to Newcastle with its biggest prize pool yet - £32,500.
Following the success of last year's festival in the city, the ultimate poker experience will be taking place at the Aspers Casino on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5.
Set to be bigger and better than last year, the 2009 Newcastle Virgin Poker Festival, will give poker fans the opportunity to compete in a two-day live poker tournament as well as a variety of activities taking place alongside the main event for players of all abilities.
The main event at the festival will be a €150 Texas Hold'em No Limit Freezeout tournament for up to 200 players, with 10,000 starting stacks, 40 minute levels and £5,000 added to the prize pool.
Players wanting to secure a place at the main event will need to qualify via online satellites at www.virginpoker.com
Fun is definitely the name of the game at the Virgin Poker Festival, with a variety of side events taking place alongside the main tournament to give everyone an opportunity to get involved – regardless of their poker playing abilities.
Practice tables will offer 'live play classes' for less experienced players, whilst Wii bowling will be taking place over the weekend in search of a player worthy of the Wii bowling crown.
Virgin Poker is also offering local Newcastle residents a shot at winning a seat at the Virgin Poker Festival through a series of pre-tournament sessions which will be held at the Aspers Casino week commencing March 2.
To add a further twist to the Virgin Poker Festival, players will be able to knock-out key poker professional opponents whose heads carry bounties of fantastic Virgin giveaways.
Poker pros Maria Demetriou, Shelley Rubenstein, Kara Scott and Nick Wealthall will all be in attendance to ensure players have an all round jam-packed winning weekend.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Poker
Poker News
The Virgin Poker Festival will be returning to Newcastle with its biggest prize pool yet - £32,500.
Following the success of last year's festival in the city, the ultimate poker experience will be taking place at the Aspers Casino on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5.
Set to be bigger and better than last year, the 2009 Newcastle Virgin Poker Festival, will give poker fans the opportunity to compete in a two-day live poker tournament as well as a variety of activities taking place alongside the main event for players of all abilities.
The main event at the festival will be a €150 Texas Hold'em No Limit Freezeout tournament for up to 200 players, with 10,000 starting stacks, 40 minute levels and £5,000 added to the prize pool.
Players wanting to secure a place at the main event will need to qualify via online satellites at www.virginpoker.com
Fun is definitely the name of the game at the Virgin Poker Festival, with a variety of side events taking place alongside the main tournament to give everyone an opportunity to get involved – regardless of their poker playing abilities.
Practice tables will offer 'live play classes' for less experienced players, whilst Wii bowling will be taking place over the weekend in search of a player worthy of the Wii bowling crown.
Virgin Poker is also offering local Newcastle residents a shot at winning a seat at the Virgin Poker Festival through a series of pre-tournament sessions which will be held at the Aspers Casino week commencing March 2.
To add a further twist to the Virgin Poker Festival, players will be able to knock-out key poker professional opponents whose heads carry bounties of fantastic Virgin giveaways.
Poker pros Maria Demetriou, Shelley Rubenstein, Kara Scott and Nick Wealthall will all be in attendance to ensure players have an all round jam-packed winning weekend.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Poker
Poker News
Hopes for Online gambling ban to be repealed - 25th February 2009
In 2006 congress passed a bill to ban gambling in America. This was then signed into law by President George Bush. The law made online gambling illegal in America and there were heavy penalties put into place for those who profited from internet gambling. Even companies that promoted online gambling were penalized.
This law forced European companies such as PartyGaming and 888.com out of the US market. These European companies still face criminal prosecution for their activities before the ban was imposed. The founder of PartyGaming, Anurag Dikshit pleaded guilty to online gambling charges and agreed to pay $300million in fines. He could still face a custodial sentence.
EU officials claim the US put pressure on Dikshit to make a deal and that the US justice department had crossed the line. An industry petition has lead the European Commission to begin formal investigation to ascertain whether the US was only singling out European companies.
As a result of this, one US lawmaker is eager to have the ban on internet gambling repealed. He claims that the anti-gambling law is affecting the relationship between the EU and the United States and has already hurt trade ties between them.
Media Man Australia
European Gaming
PartyGaming
888
Online Casino News
Casino News
Poker News
In 2006 congress passed a bill to ban gambling in America. This was then signed into law by President George Bush. The law made online gambling illegal in America and there were heavy penalties put into place for those who profited from internet gambling. Even companies that promoted online gambling were penalized.
This law forced European companies such as PartyGaming and 888.com out of the US market. These European companies still face criminal prosecution for their activities before the ban was imposed. The founder of PartyGaming, Anurag Dikshit pleaded guilty to online gambling charges and agreed to pay $300million in fines. He could still face a custodial sentence.
EU officials claim the US put pressure on Dikshit to make a deal and that the US justice department had crossed the line. An industry petition has lead the European Commission to begin formal investigation to ascertain whether the US was only singling out European companies.
As a result of this, one US lawmaker is eager to have the ban on internet gambling repealed. He claims that the anti-gambling law is affecting the relationship between the EU and the United States and has already hurt trade ties between them.
Media Man Australia
European Gaming
PartyGaming
888
Online Casino News
Casino News
Poker News
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Poker News Media Profiles Updated
World Series of Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker Tournaments
Poker News
Online Casino News
World Series of Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker Tournaments
Poker News
Online Casino News
PKR increase Sunday Classic Prize Pot - 24th February 2009
Revolutionary online poker operator, PKR.com, have increased the prize pool of their popular Sunday classic game to $50,000.
PKR is famous for it's unique style of online poker gaming, allowing users to create virtual avatar characters with their own dress code, personality and strategy.
The site holds several hundred games every day of the year, many of which have huge prize pots. There most popular event is the Sunday Classic tournament which will now have a $50,000 prize pool.
Previous Sunday Classics have attracted thousands of players all hoping to win the guaranteed prize pot of $30,000. The weekly buy in will continue to be an affordable $65, allowing for any experienced player to join in the fun.
Neil Wright Cardroom manager at PKR said, “We’re delighted to be able to increase a big money tournament guarantee by such a large amount. Not only does the re-structure offer players the chance to participate for a big prize, but with a manageable field size it strikes the perfect balance between playability and reward.”
Casino News Media Profiles
PKR
PKR Casino
PKR Poker
Poker News
Online Casino News
Revolutionary online poker operator, PKR.com, have increased the prize pool of their popular Sunday classic game to $50,000.
PKR is famous for it's unique style of online poker gaming, allowing users to create virtual avatar characters with their own dress code, personality and strategy.
The site holds several hundred games every day of the year, many of which have huge prize pots. There most popular event is the Sunday Classic tournament which will now have a $50,000 prize pool.
Previous Sunday Classics have attracted thousands of players all hoping to win the guaranteed prize pot of $30,000. The weekly buy in will continue to be an affordable $65, allowing for any experienced player to join in the fun.
Neil Wright Cardroom manager at PKR said, “We’re delighted to be able to increase a big money tournament guarantee by such a large amount. Not only does the re-structure offer players the chance to participate for a big prize, but with a manageable field size it strikes the perfect balance between playability and reward.”
Casino News Media Profiles
PKR
PKR Casino
PKR Poker
Poker News
Online Casino News
Money Bubble Bursts at World Poker Tour LAPC Event, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 24th February 2009
There are 63 players remaining in the World Poker Tour (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic, which originates from the Commerce Casino. Online poker pro Jeff “ActionJeff” Garza eliminated Patrick Stemper from contention in 64th place, leaving the survivors to finish in the money. Now, the field will have to change gears in this marquee WPT event as players jockey for the $1.6 million first place prize.
Kofi Farkye, a former winner of the Nordic Masters of Poker, sits with the chip lead entering Tuesday’s play with 837,500. He’s tailed by Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers, a savvy online and live poker pro with considerable final table experience. Sowers holds 741,500, or 97,000 fewer chips than Farkye. At the bottom of the field is World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder David Daneshgar, who has just 4,000 chips to his name, the equivalent of one big blind. He survived an all-in on the money bubble and asked Tournament Director Matt Savage if he could forfeit his chips and not return to play on Tuesday. Savage, however, declined his request.
On Sunday, Antonio Esfandiari was a commanding chip leader. However, he found the rails on Monday, sent packing after coming out on the losing end of a bad beat against Sowers. Esfandiari held A-K and was in favorable shape to double up against Sowers’ A-Q. The flop came A-J-J, giving both players aces up. However, a queen on the turn gave Sowers a better two pair and the river was no help to The Magician, as the 2004 L.A. Poker Classic winner hit the exit.
Here is a look at the top 10 chip stacks entering play on Tuesday:
1st: Kofi Farkye - 837,500
2nd: Mike Sowers - 741,500
3rd: Donald D’Auria - 666,500
4th: Jeremy Kottler - 574,500
5th: Chris Karagulleyan - 543,000
6th: Daniel O’Brien - 534,500
7th: Anthony Venturini - 508,000
8th: Dan The Lu - 507,500
9th: Chris Ferguson - 468,500
10th: Matt Woodward - 420,000
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson is a five-time WSOP bracelet holder whose most recent piece of hardware came after winning a $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em and Seven Card Stud tournament during the 2003 tournament series, one of two bracelets he won that year. Since 2005, he’s taken down Circuit Event featured tournaments at Harrah’s Rincon, Harrah’s Las Vegas, and Harvey’s Tahoe. All told, he has six Circuit Event cashes to his name for $1.3 million. Ferguson is a card-carrying member of Team Full Tilt along with Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius, among others. He’s also a proponent of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the main lobbying voice of the online poker industry.
Other notable names remaining in the 63 player field include:
13th: Nick Schulman – 321,000
16th: Peter “Nordberg” Feldman – 302,500
17th: Andre Akkari – 296,000
18th: Jeff “ActionJeff” Garza – 290,000
20th: Nancy Todd Tyner – 247,000
22nd: Hoyt Corkins – 233,500
30th: Greg “FBT” Mueller – 156,500
35th: Daniel Shak – 144,000
36th: Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier – 143,500
44th: Nenad Medic – 115,000
45th: Men “The Master” Nguyen – 107,500
48th: Erica Schoenberg – 96,500
49th: Paul Wasicka – 90,500
50th: Maria Ho – 89,500
56th: Steven Paul-Ambrose – 59,000
57th: Paul Darden – 41,000
60th: David “The Dragon” Pham – 16,500
63rd: David Daneshgar – 4,000
The average chip stack is 220,865. When play concluded on Monday, blinds were 2,000-4,000 with a 500 chip ante. Haralobos Voulgaris, who sits in 24th place, told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after play had concluded, “I started the day with 210,000 chips and I went to 280,000 right away. Then, I lost every hand for an hour and a half or two hours. I got really unlucky in a bunch of hands.” Voulgaris, the runner up in the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, has 214,500 chips entering Day 4.
The tournament will crown a champion on Thursday. Each player at the six-handed final table will receive at least $240,000. Here’s a look at the scheduled payouts for the televised table:
1st Place: $1,686,760
2nd Place: $935,424
3rd Place: $654,797
4th Place: $430,963
5th Place: $310,694
6th Place: $240,538
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT L.A. Poker Classic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker News
There are 63 players remaining in the World Poker Tour (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic, which originates from the Commerce Casino. Online poker pro Jeff “ActionJeff” Garza eliminated Patrick Stemper from contention in 64th place, leaving the survivors to finish in the money. Now, the field will have to change gears in this marquee WPT event as players jockey for the $1.6 million first place prize.
Kofi Farkye, a former winner of the Nordic Masters of Poker, sits with the chip lead entering Tuesday’s play with 837,500. He’s tailed by Mike “SowersUNCC” Sowers, a savvy online and live poker pro with considerable final table experience. Sowers holds 741,500, or 97,000 fewer chips than Farkye. At the bottom of the field is World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder David Daneshgar, who has just 4,000 chips to his name, the equivalent of one big blind. He survived an all-in on the money bubble and asked Tournament Director Matt Savage if he could forfeit his chips and not return to play on Tuesday. Savage, however, declined his request.
On Sunday, Antonio Esfandiari was a commanding chip leader. However, he found the rails on Monday, sent packing after coming out on the losing end of a bad beat against Sowers. Esfandiari held A-K and was in favorable shape to double up against Sowers’ A-Q. The flop came A-J-J, giving both players aces up. However, a queen on the turn gave Sowers a better two pair and the river was no help to The Magician, as the 2004 L.A. Poker Classic winner hit the exit.
Here is a look at the top 10 chip stacks entering play on Tuesday:
1st: Kofi Farkye - 837,500
2nd: Mike Sowers - 741,500
3rd: Donald D’Auria - 666,500
4th: Jeremy Kottler - 574,500
5th: Chris Karagulleyan - 543,000
6th: Daniel O’Brien - 534,500
7th: Anthony Venturini - 508,000
8th: Dan The Lu - 507,500
9th: Chris Ferguson - 468,500
10th: Matt Woodward - 420,000
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson is a five-time WSOP bracelet holder whose most recent piece of hardware came after winning a $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em and Seven Card Stud tournament during the 2003 tournament series, one of two bracelets he won that year. Since 2005, he’s taken down Circuit Event featured tournaments at Harrah’s Rincon, Harrah’s Las Vegas, and Harvey’s Tahoe. All told, he has six Circuit Event cashes to his name for $1.3 million. Ferguson is a card-carrying member of Team Full Tilt along with Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius, among others. He’s also a proponent of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the main lobbying voice of the online poker industry.
Other notable names remaining in the 63 player field include:
13th: Nick Schulman – 321,000
16th: Peter “Nordberg” Feldman – 302,500
17th: Andre Akkari – 296,000
18th: Jeff “ActionJeff” Garza – 290,000
20th: Nancy Todd Tyner – 247,000
22nd: Hoyt Corkins – 233,500
30th: Greg “FBT” Mueller – 156,500
35th: Daniel Shak – 144,000
36th: Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier – 143,500
44th: Nenad Medic – 115,000
45th: Men “The Master” Nguyen – 107,500
48th: Erica Schoenberg – 96,500
49th: Paul Wasicka – 90,500
50th: Maria Ho – 89,500
56th: Steven Paul-Ambrose – 59,000
57th: Paul Darden – 41,000
60th: David “The Dragon” Pham – 16,500
63rd: David Daneshgar – 4,000
The average chip stack is 220,865. When play concluded on Monday, blinds were 2,000-4,000 with a 500 chip ante. Haralobos Voulgaris, who sits in 24th place, told WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman after play had concluded, “I started the day with 210,000 chips and I went to 280,000 right away. Then, I lost every hand for an hour and a half or two hours. I got really unlucky in a bunch of hands.” Voulgaris, the runner up in the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, has 214,500 chips entering Day 4.
The tournament will crown a champion on Thursday. Each player at the six-handed final table will receive at least $240,000. Here’s a look at the scheduled payouts for the televised table:
1st Place: $1,686,760
2nd Place: $935,424
3rd Place: $654,797
4th Place: $430,963
5th Place: $310,694
6th Place: $240,538
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WPT L.A. Poker Classic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker
World Poker Tour
Poker News
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
ICOP Poker - €600,000 Guaranteed Prizepool!
London, 21 February 2009
We know it’s a bit early, but we could not keep quiet about this fantastic promotion we have lined up for your players in March! So get ready to prepare your players for the ‘International Championships of Poker’ (ICOP), where we are guaranteeing a cool €600,000 in prize pool.
Held over the period of the 9th to the 15th of March, the ‘International Championships of Poker’ is a truly inclusive poker promotion, designed to test players overall poker skills. Buy-ins for this promotion range from just €5 with tournament formats ranging from Hold’em to 7 Card Stud!
Plus Virgin Poker is holding back 3% of the prize pools, which will be given to the top three overall performers. So whoever wins this promotion, will have the ultimate poker bragging rights!
Casino News Media Profiles
Virgin Poker
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Website
Virgin Casino
London, 21 February 2009
We know it’s a bit early, but we could not keep quiet about this fantastic promotion we have lined up for your players in March! So get ready to prepare your players for the ‘International Championships of Poker’ (ICOP), where we are guaranteeing a cool €600,000 in prize pool.
Held over the period of the 9th to the 15th of March, the ‘International Championships of Poker’ is a truly inclusive poker promotion, designed to test players overall poker skills. Buy-ins for this promotion range from just €5 with tournament formats ranging from Hold’em to 7 Card Stud!
Plus Virgin Poker is holding back 3% of the prize pools, which will be given to the top three overall performers. So whoever wins this promotion, will have the ultimate poker bragging rights!
Casino News Media Profiles
Virgin Poker
Virgin Games
Virgin Casino
Website
Virgin Casino
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