Olivier Busquet Wins WPT Borgata Poker Open, by Dan Cypra - 25th September 2009
Down 20:1 in chips heads-up, Olivier Busquet mounted the comeback of the century and won the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Poker Open. Busquet entered the six-handed televised final table as the chip leader.
Beginning the day with just five big blinds to his name, Kenny Nguyen was the first to go, exiting on the third hand of final table play. Nguyen pushed with pocket eights pre-flop only to run into Busquet’s pocket kings. The board ran out A-J-2-10-7 and Busquet scooped the pot, sending Nguyen packing $156,000 richer for his efforts.
Fifteen hands later in a battle of the blinds, Keith Crowder hit the skids in fifth place, earning $188,000. Prior to Crowder moving all-in, Jeremy Brown told him, “I will felt you if you move all-in.” Crowder shoved from the small blind with a scant 10-4 of spades and Brown called from the big blind with pocket eights. The board came 4-2-2-5-J and Brown boosted his chip stack to nearly eight million.
Yanick Brodeur’s run through the WPT Borgata Poker Open came to an end on the 53rd hand of final table play. Brodeur went out on a bad beat, calling Brown’s all-in pre-flop with A-K. Brown turned over A-Q and found himself way behind. The flop came 9-8-6, keeping Brodeur in the lead, but a queen on the turn would be his demise. No king hit the river and Brodeur was shown the door in fourth place for $216,000, not a bad return on investment for his $3,500 buy-in.
Ivan Mamuzic was ousted in third place for $251,000. Brown raised from the button and Mamuzic pushed all-in over the top. Mamuzic flipped over pocket threes, while Brown showed pocket sixes, a 4:1 favorite pre-flop. Brown spiked another six on the flop and running tens secured his victory in the hand, setting up a heads-up showdown with Busquet. Having eliminated Mamuzic, Brodeur, and Crowder, Brown held a 3:1 edge in chips entering heads-up play.
By 20 hands into heads-up action, Brown had improved his edge to 20:1, holding 29.2 million chips to Busquet’s 1.4 million. Then, Busquet mounted a comeback of epic proportions. Busquet doubled up with pocket queens against 9-7 after Brown’s straight and flush draws failed to hit to narrow the lead to 5:1. On a flop of 8-7-6, Brown pushed all-in over the top of a raise by Busquet, who called for his tournament life with 9-10 for the nuts. Brown showed J-8 for top pair and Busquet was suddenly just a 3:2 underdog in chips.
Busquet took the chip lead after picking off Brown’s bluff with Q-2 on a board of A-K-6. Then, Brown struck back. On a board of Q-9-10-K-Q, Busquet bet out 1.5 million and Brown raised to 4.5 million. Busquet called the three million chip raise only to see Brown table K-Q for a boat. The hand sent Brown back into the chip lead by a 3:2 margin. The two were nearly even in chips until Busquet made top pair on a J-9-5-9-4 board with J-10, enough to rake the six million chip pot and reclaim the chip lead for good.
On the final hand of the Borgata Poker Open, Brown raised to 1.2 million pre-flop and Busquet called to see a flop of 4-4-3. The chips quickly found their way into the middle, with Brown showing 5-2 for an open-ended straight draw and Busquet revealing A-4 for trips. The turn came a seven and, calling for an ace or six, Brown watched as the river was a five, shipping the $925,000 first place prize to Busquet. Second place was worth $453,000.
Here is how the final table shook out at the WPT Borgata Poker Open:
1st Place: Olivier Busquet - $925,514
2nd Place: Jeremy Brown - $453,519
3rd Place: Ivan Mamuzic - $251,955
4th Place: Yanick Brodeur - $216,681
5th Place: Keith Crowder - $188,126
6th Place: Kenny Nguyen - $156,212
Next up for the WPT on U.S. soil is the Festa al Lago, which kicks off on October 21st from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In the interim, WPT Marrakech will take place from October 11th through 18th. The non-televised event brings the WPT brand to the African continent for the first time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Saturday, September 26, 2009
France Set To Deliver Boost To U.K. Gambling - 23rd September 2009
PartyGaming Plc, William Hill Plc and 888 Holdings Plc, U.K. gambling companies facing a slowing market at home, may get a boost as neighboring France opens its online-betting market to foreign operators next year.
A bill that comes before the French parliament Oct. 7 would let foreign companies offer sports betting and poker, ending the monopolies of state lottery provider Groupe Francaise des Jeux and Pari Mutuel Urbain, which runs gambling on horseracing. All other online betting is currently banned.
“The size of the population and the appetite for gambling, and the group’s historically cautious approach to France make this a particularly exciting opportunity for us,” said Jim Ryan, chief executive officer of PartyGaming, the owner of the PartyPoker.com brand and the U.K.’s biggest online-gaming company by revenue. (Credit: Bloomberg) *full story
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PartyGaming Plc, William Hill Plc and 888 Holdings Plc, U.K. gambling companies facing a slowing market at home, may get a boost as neighboring France opens its online-betting market to foreign operators next year.
A bill that comes before the French parliament Oct. 7 would let foreign companies offer sports betting and poker, ending the monopolies of state lottery provider Groupe Francaise des Jeux and Pari Mutuel Urbain, which runs gambling on horseracing. All other online betting is currently banned.
“The size of the population and the appetite for gambling, and the group’s historically cautious approach to France make this a particularly exciting opportunity for us,” said Jim Ryan, chief executive officer of PartyGaming, the owner of the PartyPoker.com brand and the U.K.’s biggest online-gaming company by revenue. (Credit: Bloomberg) *full story
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory - Media Man Australia News Update - 24th September 2009
PartyCasino.com releases Tarzan and High Noon online slots, and Multi-Hand Blackjack Pro
Virgin Games to release Bejeweled classic in coming days
CAP Down Under II coming to Australia, March 2010, land based casinos have interest
Ric Flair's NC Education Lottery Wooooo! scratch card a winner
Hulk Hogan may expand on igaming deals, The Hulkamania Experience and Marvel's "The Hulk" may be just the tip of the iceberg
Titan Poker to back European Championship of Online Poker V
James Packer's City Of Dreams, Macau, on the upswing, casino commissions on track
Crown Casino continues to attract world class entertainment acts, with Aussie Millions coming in January 2010
Crown Casino Brownlow Medal awards night see over indulgence of drinking
Harrah’s Entertainment debt restructure
Google may build upon igaming, following Monopoly City Streets
Playtech - Sega "Sonic" deal on cards this October
Multi currency casino options a favorite of gamblers
European Union legal outcomes may see online gaming go underground
PartyBets.com ramps up UFC and boxing sports betting, eating into BetUS.com, others
Sports betting - fixing and corruption can be linked to small % of athletes officials
Slots tournaments popular with punters
Horse racing slot machines may hit Australian TAB suburban outlets
Bingo online sector still growing
Gaming Entrepreneurs - reputation, deals, associates and bottom line show real industry power players... spin free zone
Macau caps junket fees at 1.25%, cutting casino costs
Media Man Australia and Casino News Media company and web network will add more sites
Cleopatra casino classic still world's #1 online casino game
Captain Cooks Casino enjoying strong popularity with Aussies, Asia Pacific region
Mobile casino game market still growing
Domain names investment trend continues, Media Man Australia and Global Gaming Directory in leading pack
Hitwise - Media Man Australia website makes top ten (January - June 2009)
Online casinos further ramp up safe gambling awareness
PartyGaming continues global domination on world's online casino, gaming markets, World Poker Tour, Noble Poker and Hollywood themed casino portfolio to further expand
Virgin Unite - Virgin Games campaign supported by Media Man Australia
Asia Pacific sector remains "promised land" for some igaming companies
PartyCasino.com wins Media Man Australia "Online Casino Of The Month" again
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PartyCasino.com releases Tarzan and High Noon online slots, and Multi-Hand Blackjack Pro
Virgin Games to release Bejeweled classic in coming days
CAP Down Under II coming to Australia, March 2010, land based casinos have interest
Ric Flair's NC Education Lottery Wooooo! scratch card a winner
Hulk Hogan may expand on igaming deals, The Hulkamania Experience and Marvel's "The Hulk" may be just the tip of the iceberg
Titan Poker to back European Championship of Online Poker V
James Packer's City Of Dreams, Macau, on the upswing, casino commissions on track
Crown Casino continues to attract world class entertainment acts, with Aussie Millions coming in January 2010
Crown Casino Brownlow Medal awards night see over indulgence of drinking
Harrah’s Entertainment debt restructure
Google may build upon igaming, following Monopoly City Streets
Playtech - Sega "Sonic" deal on cards this October
Multi currency casino options a favorite of gamblers
European Union legal outcomes may see online gaming go underground
PartyBets.com ramps up UFC and boxing sports betting, eating into BetUS.com, others
Sports betting - fixing and corruption can be linked to small % of athletes officials
Slots tournaments popular with punters
Horse racing slot machines may hit Australian TAB suburban outlets
Bingo online sector still growing
Gaming Entrepreneurs - reputation, deals, associates and bottom line show real industry power players... spin free zone
Macau caps junket fees at 1.25%, cutting casino costs
Media Man Australia and Casino News Media company and web network will add more sites
Cleopatra casino classic still world's #1 online casino game
Captain Cooks Casino enjoying strong popularity with Aussies, Asia Pacific region
Mobile casino game market still growing
Domain names investment trend continues, Media Man Australia and Global Gaming Directory in leading pack
Hitwise - Media Man Australia website makes top ten (January - June 2009)
Online casinos further ramp up safe gambling awareness
PartyGaming continues global domination on world's online casino, gaming markets, World Poker Tour, Noble Poker and Hollywood themed casino portfolio to further expand
Virgin Unite - Virgin Games campaign supported by Media Man Australia
Asia Pacific sector remains "promised land" for some igaming companies
PartyCasino.com wins Media Man Australia "Online Casino Of The Month" again
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Titan Poker Hosting Next European Championship of Online Poker - 23rd September 2009
Euro Partners poker brand, Titan Poker, is hosting the European Championship of Online Poker V.
This year’s ECOOP events begin on 23rd November and runs till 6th December 2009.
The total prize pool exceeds a guaranteed $4,550,000.
Every day one new tournament will take place, and players will enjoy the option of playing in each game if they choose.
The main event will have $1.5 million guaranteed.
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Euro Partners poker brand, Titan Poker, is hosting the European Championship of Online Poker V.
This year’s ECOOP events begin on 23rd November and runs till 6th December 2009.
The total prize pool exceeds a guaranteed $4,550,000.
Every day one new tournament will take place, and players will enjoy the option of playing in each game if they choose.
The main event will have $1.5 million guaranteed.
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Crown's Packer talks with News; iGaming - Aussie wrestling connection, by Greg Tingle - 24th September 2009
The Australian's Rebecca Urban penned a ripper story on James Packer's meeting with News Limited's John Hartigan. For our money, the line that made the piece, coming from "Our James" was "Listen mate, I'm here for a business meeting,". Yes folks, not even the red dust could stop our home grown Aussie gambling and media tycoon. Given the venue of choice being Rupert Murdoch's main business den, just maybe Mr Packer is taking more of a liking to news media these days, in more ways that one. ConsMedia remains a co owner of Foxtel, saddled by Telstra and News. Meantime, Packer's Crown Macau is doing great business, as Macau's politicians wrestle with casino commissions. Macau will limit the commissions paid to junket operators to 1.25 percent of the betting chips purchased by high rollers, helping cut casino operators’ costs. In the meantime Crown Casino remains open to b2b igaming and gaming business opportunities, with firms such as PartyGaming's PartyPoker, Noble Poker and Euro Partner's Titan Casino offering satellites to play poker at Crown. iGaming Business - Affiliate Media and a number of other igaming entities remain keen to do business with Crown Casino, and information is leaking about an upcoming igaming conference to be held in Australia in the coming months, following on from last years CAP Down Under. In the meantime, Hulk Hogan, pro wrestling legend and business tycoon, just returned to the United States, having spent a week of doing ultra impressive promos and appearance in Australia to plug his Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin tour, which kicks off in late November. Hogan (and his named opponent, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair), also have a number of gaming and igaming business interests. Hogan has a Hulkamania Experience pokie found in some U.S casinos and Mr Flair is currently the face of the NC Education Lottery, with his unmissable "Woooooo!" scratch cards. A media man or two reckon a meeting may be order soon for Hogan, Flair and Packer, and PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming may be a logical choice of business partner for igaming ventures. NextGen Gaming has developed an Andre The Giant online slot game. Incidentally, the late, great, Kerry Packer was rumoured to has sat ringside for at least one major American wrestling tour that occurred in Australia in circa 2002. Mr Packer and co have a wealth of opportunities to explore. It's hard to get rid of the wrestling and media bug, Hulkamania, Goanna or not. Casino moguls everywhere are looking forward to blockbuster movie to be, 'Casino Jack', but a few Australian politicians, namely one or two Labor Party MP's, wouldn't mind seeing the movie never be screened on Australia soil. A certainly Australian film producer is very interested to do is own 'Casino Jack' style movie, but showcasing Australia's links between casinos and politicians. Go Aussie, go. Packer, Branson, Ho, Murdoch, Ayre, Stokes, Ryan... gentlemen, you're throw of the dice.
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The Australian's Rebecca Urban penned a ripper story on James Packer's meeting with News Limited's John Hartigan. For our money, the line that made the piece, coming from "Our James" was "Listen mate, I'm here for a business meeting,". Yes folks, not even the red dust could stop our home grown Aussie gambling and media tycoon. Given the venue of choice being Rupert Murdoch's main business den, just maybe Mr Packer is taking more of a liking to news media these days, in more ways that one. ConsMedia remains a co owner of Foxtel, saddled by Telstra and News. Meantime, Packer's Crown Macau is doing great business, as Macau's politicians wrestle with casino commissions. Macau will limit the commissions paid to junket operators to 1.25 percent of the betting chips purchased by high rollers, helping cut casino operators’ costs. In the meantime Crown Casino remains open to b2b igaming and gaming business opportunities, with firms such as PartyGaming's PartyPoker, Noble Poker and Euro Partner's Titan Casino offering satellites to play poker at Crown. iGaming Business - Affiliate Media and a number of other igaming entities remain keen to do business with Crown Casino, and information is leaking about an upcoming igaming conference to be held in Australia in the coming months, following on from last years CAP Down Under. In the meantime, Hulk Hogan, pro wrestling legend and business tycoon, just returned to the United States, having spent a week of doing ultra impressive promos and appearance in Australia to plug his Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin tour, which kicks off in late November. Hogan (and his named opponent, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair), also have a number of gaming and igaming business interests. Hogan has a Hulkamania Experience pokie found in some U.S casinos and Mr Flair is currently the face of the NC Education Lottery, with his unmissable "Woooooo!" scratch cards. A media man or two reckon a meeting may be order soon for Hogan, Flair and Packer, and PartyGaming and NextGen Gaming may be a logical choice of business partner for igaming ventures. NextGen Gaming has developed an Andre The Giant online slot game. Incidentally, the late, great, Kerry Packer was rumoured to has sat ringside for at least one major American wrestling tour that occurred in Australia in circa 2002. Mr Packer and co have a wealth of opportunities to explore. It's hard to get rid of the wrestling and media bug, Hulkamania, Goanna or not. Casino moguls everywhere are looking forward to blockbuster movie to be, 'Casino Jack', but a few Australian politicians, namely one or two Labor Party MP's, wouldn't mind seeing the movie never be screened on Australia soil. A certainly Australian film producer is very interested to do is own 'Casino Jack' style movie, but showcasing Australia's links between casinos and politicians. Go Aussie, go. Packer, Branson, Ho, Murdoch, Ayre, Stokes, Ryan... gentlemen, you're throw of the dice.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
WSOP Europe On The Way - 21st September 2009
World Series of Poker Europe kicked off over the weekend at the Empire’s Casino in London.
The player line up includes:
Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Peter Eastgate, and Ivan Demidon.
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World Series of Poker Europe kicked off over the weekend at the Empire’s Casino in London.
The player line up includes:
Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Peter Eastgate, and Ivan Demidon.
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Poker News Media Website Network Updated
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Poker Promoter Sells Seat at Table, by Joel Russell - Los Angeles Business Journal - 21st September 2009
GAMING: L.A.’s WPT folds hand after luck runs out
After seven years in the game, poker pioneer WPT Enterprises is cashing in its chips.
The Miracle Mile-based tournament producer that helped fuel the poker craze rode a winning streak to the top. At one point, its market cap was $500 million. But more competitors elbowed into the game and suddenly WPT got on a losing streak. When it agreed to a sale last month, its value had dropped to $20 million.
What happened? For one thing, the craze cooled: TV ratings for poker shows have dropped as much as 20 percent. For another, WPT started producing too many tournaments to keep up with competitors. What’s more, other tournament producers found ways of presenting the game in TV-friendly ways and WPT didn’t keep up.
As a result, entry fees and ad sales, the two main sources of WPT’s income, have been decimated.
The company announced last month that it will sell its assets, including the namesake World Poker Tour, for $12.3 million plus a share of future profits from PartyGaming Plc, a British online poker company. Shares of WPT last week traded at about $1, down from $1.06 when the sale was announced – a long drop from a 2004 high of $25.
“Growth of the poker boom is slowing down and there are new people getting into the business,” said Matthew Rousu, an assistant professor of economics at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Penn., who specializes in game theory and competes in professional poker tournaments.
Rousu said the WPT’s main competitor, World Series of Poker, is the undisputed champ among tournaments. At one time, WPT was second, but was surpassed by the European Poker Tour.
“WPT might have made a couple of mistakes,” Rousu said. “They tried to produce a vast number of tournaments. There are only so many times people are going to plunk down $5,000 or $25,000 to enter a poker game.”
Executives at WPT declined interview requests for this story.
Stanley Sludikoff, a poker event organizer and publisher of the Poker Player newspaper in Inglewood, said there is now an Asian-Pacific tournament, a Latin American tournament, and various regional tournaments within the United States.
Also, WPT couldn’t find a stable TV partner. For its first six years, the tournament was on Travel Channel, then it switched for a year to Game Show Network and this year it is being aired on Fox Sports. In contrast, World Series of Poker has a lucrative long-term deal with ESPN.
WPT is now in the midst of its 2009-10 season and its Borgata Poker Open Tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., will be Sept. 19 through 24. PartyGaming has not announced what may occur with WPT’s television schedule.
Rousu credits ESPN with repairing one of poker’s major flaws as a spectator sport – namely, it’s tough to show a live game on TV. A typical poker championship lasts 12 hours with about 300 hands dealt, but the TV version is only two hours with about 20 hands. Because shows are taped and heavily edited, they usually broadcast weeks after the live event; in the meantime, serious poker fans know who won the pot.
In 2008, ESPN addressed the issue by compressing the tournament schedule. Instead of following a traditional calendar with tournament rounds held every four weeks, the World Series staged a whirlwind of poker in June and early July to decide nine finalists. Tape from those rounds was shown during the summer and fall.
Although fans knew the finalists, they didn’t know the winner. The last round of the tournament occurred in November on a Sunday and Monday, and ESPN quickly edited the play and aired it Tuesday, keeping it fresh.
“The ratings were huge,” said Rousu. “It really built up the excitement, but WPT has not followed suit.”
And a new tournament format is in the works. World Team Poker features groups from different countries that compete in a league, in the style of an Olympic event. Viewers will watch matches on the Internet, with interactive features allowing the spectators to offer advice to team captains and wager on the outcome of hands.
The league, a brainchild of Downey-based poker pro Robert Turner, launched Aug. 5 at the Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens.
“Having players interact with the audience via the Internet will totally change the experience,” said David Stratton, editor of trade newspaper Gaming Today in Las Vegas. “You almost have to be a poker player just to watch it.”
It might be time for innovation. Ratings for World Series shows have slipped significantly from their peak. In 2004, the World Series of Poker championship had Nielsen ratings of 2.1, or an audience of 2.4 million households. The most recent World Series final in 2008 had a 1.65 rating, or 1.9 million homes – a 21 percent drop from four years before, although up from 2007 thanks to the compressed schedule.
Two technological developments fueled the poker boom starting in 2003.
The first development was Internet poker rooms, which allowed people to play anytime at home, without the need of assembling a group of players. That got more people playing, and created a bigger audience for poker shows and tournaments such as WPT’s.
Televised poker really took off in 2003, when Chris Moneymaker, (yes, that’s his real name) a 27-year-old accountant from Tennessee, paid $39 to enter a local tournament and ended up winning the World Series of Poker’s grand prize of $2.5 million.
“That is universally accepted as the defining moment,” said Rousu. “It exploded after that.”
WPT, which had launched in 2002, was well-positioned to capitalize on the game’s sudden popularity with its innovation, the “hole camera” that shows players’ hidden cards to TV viewers.
“World Poker Tour really brought the game to television,” said Sludikoff.
The company has announced that the proceeds from its asset divestiture will not be returned to shareholders and the company won’t go out of business. Rather, the company “plans to use the cash to develop or acquire a nonpoker-related business” which it has yet to specify, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
WPT’s chairman, Lyle Berman, owns 11.4 percent of the stock; his son, Bradley Berman, owns 10.1 percent; and Chief Executive Steve Lipscomb, owns 11 percent.
Sludikoff said that Lipscomb comes from the TV industry and so he will probably launch another show – just not about poker.
“They haven’t done as well as they thought with poker,” he said. “Therefore they want their money back to try something else.” (Credit: Los Angeles Business Journal)
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GAMING: L.A.’s WPT folds hand after luck runs out
After seven years in the game, poker pioneer WPT Enterprises is cashing in its chips.
The Miracle Mile-based tournament producer that helped fuel the poker craze rode a winning streak to the top. At one point, its market cap was $500 million. But more competitors elbowed into the game and suddenly WPT got on a losing streak. When it agreed to a sale last month, its value had dropped to $20 million.
What happened? For one thing, the craze cooled: TV ratings for poker shows have dropped as much as 20 percent. For another, WPT started producing too many tournaments to keep up with competitors. What’s more, other tournament producers found ways of presenting the game in TV-friendly ways and WPT didn’t keep up.
As a result, entry fees and ad sales, the two main sources of WPT’s income, have been decimated.
The company announced last month that it will sell its assets, including the namesake World Poker Tour, for $12.3 million plus a share of future profits from PartyGaming Plc, a British online poker company. Shares of WPT last week traded at about $1, down from $1.06 when the sale was announced – a long drop from a 2004 high of $25.
“Growth of the poker boom is slowing down and there are new people getting into the business,” said Matthew Rousu, an assistant professor of economics at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Penn., who specializes in game theory and competes in professional poker tournaments.
Rousu said the WPT’s main competitor, World Series of Poker, is the undisputed champ among tournaments. At one time, WPT was second, but was surpassed by the European Poker Tour.
“WPT might have made a couple of mistakes,” Rousu said. “They tried to produce a vast number of tournaments. There are only so many times people are going to plunk down $5,000 or $25,000 to enter a poker game.”
Executives at WPT declined interview requests for this story.
Stanley Sludikoff, a poker event organizer and publisher of the Poker Player newspaper in Inglewood, said there is now an Asian-Pacific tournament, a Latin American tournament, and various regional tournaments within the United States.
Also, WPT couldn’t find a stable TV partner. For its first six years, the tournament was on Travel Channel, then it switched for a year to Game Show Network and this year it is being aired on Fox Sports. In contrast, World Series of Poker has a lucrative long-term deal with ESPN.
WPT is now in the midst of its 2009-10 season and its Borgata Poker Open Tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., will be Sept. 19 through 24. PartyGaming has not announced what may occur with WPT’s television schedule.
Rousu credits ESPN with repairing one of poker’s major flaws as a spectator sport – namely, it’s tough to show a live game on TV. A typical poker championship lasts 12 hours with about 300 hands dealt, but the TV version is only two hours with about 20 hands. Because shows are taped and heavily edited, they usually broadcast weeks after the live event; in the meantime, serious poker fans know who won the pot.
In 2008, ESPN addressed the issue by compressing the tournament schedule. Instead of following a traditional calendar with tournament rounds held every four weeks, the World Series staged a whirlwind of poker in June and early July to decide nine finalists. Tape from those rounds was shown during the summer and fall.
Although fans knew the finalists, they didn’t know the winner. The last round of the tournament occurred in November on a Sunday and Monday, and ESPN quickly edited the play and aired it Tuesday, keeping it fresh.
“The ratings were huge,” said Rousu. “It really built up the excitement, but WPT has not followed suit.”
And a new tournament format is in the works. World Team Poker features groups from different countries that compete in a league, in the style of an Olympic event. Viewers will watch matches on the Internet, with interactive features allowing the spectators to offer advice to team captains and wager on the outcome of hands.
The league, a brainchild of Downey-based poker pro Robert Turner, launched Aug. 5 at the Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens.
“Having players interact with the audience via the Internet will totally change the experience,” said David Stratton, editor of trade newspaper Gaming Today in Las Vegas. “You almost have to be a poker player just to watch it.”
It might be time for innovation. Ratings for World Series shows have slipped significantly from their peak. In 2004, the World Series of Poker championship had Nielsen ratings of 2.1, or an audience of 2.4 million households. The most recent World Series final in 2008 had a 1.65 rating, or 1.9 million homes – a 21 percent drop from four years before, although up from 2007 thanks to the compressed schedule.
Two technological developments fueled the poker boom starting in 2003.
The first development was Internet poker rooms, which allowed people to play anytime at home, without the need of assembling a group of players. That got more people playing, and created a bigger audience for poker shows and tournaments such as WPT’s.
Televised poker really took off in 2003, when Chris Moneymaker, (yes, that’s his real name) a 27-year-old accountant from Tennessee, paid $39 to enter a local tournament and ended up winning the World Series of Poker’s grand prize of $2.5 million.
“That is universally accepted as the defining moment,” said Rousu. “It exploded after that.”
WPT, which had launched in 2002, was well-positioned to capitalize on the game’s sudden popularity with its innovation, the “hole camera” that shows players’ hidden cards to TV viewers.
“World Poker Tour really brought the game to television,” said Sludikoff.
The company has announced that the proceeds from its asset divestiture will not be returned to shareholders and the company won’t go out of business. Rather, the company “plans to use the cash to develop or acquire a nonpoker-related business” which it has yet to specify, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
WPT’s chairman, Lyle Berman, owns 11.4 percent of the stock; his son, Bradley Berman, owns 10.1 percent; and Chief Executive Steve Lipscomb, owns 11 percent.
Sludikoff said that Lipscomb comes from the TV industry and so he will probably launch another show – just not about poker.
“They haven’t done as well as they thought with poker,” he said. “Therefore they want their money back to try something else.” (Credit: Los Angeles Business Journal)
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Friday, September 18, 2009
Casino News Media - Media Man Australia - Global Gaming News Update
PartyCasino.com still most popular online casino in Australia, Asia Pacific
Cleopatra remains #1 online casino game globally
Trump Plaza - Casino dealers seek to end representation under UAW
PartyGaming, 888 Holdings focused on global strategy, strategic growth
Harrah's Entertainment buys a slice of Planet Hollywood's debt
Betfair Shock Poker Ad Suggestive 15 Year Old
Crown Casino wins on table deal, despite investigation and protests
Crown Casino prepares for potential record breaking Aussie Millions this January
Virgin Casino access denied errors in Australia, still strong in Europe, UK; PartyCasino, Captain Cooks Casino capitalize
Virgin Games - Virgin Unite - charity drive - Bright-On Target-Virgin Games Set to Raise 10k for Charity
Marvel Entertainment - Disney's purchase of Marvel Entertainment not effecting popularity on Marvel themed online slot games to date
Aspers Damian Aspinall and company quite of late, company restructure rumours
Playtech - Sega sonic slot deal moves forward, CAP, iGaming Business follows up
Playtech powered online casino comp heats up, Casino Las Vegas, Casino King, Casino Swiss, Titan Casino, Casino Tropez, Europa Casino, battle for punters
PKR ramps up online slots, sports betting on the way
Income Access - brand shuffle continues
Mob Candy Magazine, on again, off again dealings with Media Man
Bodog remains keen on South American and coffee deals et al
Argentinean government may regular online gambling this year
Asia Pacific region "the next Macau and promised land" says Media Man Australia
Casino reviews - punters prefer strong, established, proven brands
NRL - some teams and players under spotlight over "tanking", alleged betting on matches
UFC - PartyBets may challenge BetUS.com dominance, Gamebookers ramps up
Las Vegas wild parties at casino - hotels - resorts
Domain name buy ups trend continues in igaming, gaming, online casino space
Hitwise Australia - Media Man Australia network holding dominance, others want in
Multi currency casino options remains an industry favorite
Google pushes forward with online gaming - Monopoly City Streets hits web
Virtual worlds - PartyCasino.com Live Dealer, PKR Casino challenge Second Life's hold
Global Gaming Directory launch pushes Media Man Australia into world's top 50 gaming, igaming most influential
Classic Slots Online and Classic Casino Games niche remains strong
Media companies in Australia starting to push forward sports betting, igaming, following European business model
Poker tournaments - competition heats up between World Poker Tour (PartyGaming), World Series of Poker (Harrah's Entertainment tie in), and others
Poker Cup Australia - PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker and Titan Poker satellites send players to Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia
YouTube.com popular site for potential and existing online casino game players
Casino legal? - check your local laws in state, city and country
Online gambling - could be more addictive than other forms of gambling says experts
CasinoNewsMedia.com website traffic triples, following GlobalGamingDirectory.com launch
PartyCasino.com wins Media Man Australia - Casino News Media "online casino of the month"
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PartyCasino.com still most popular online casino in Australia, Asia Pacific
Cleopatra remains #1 online casino game globally
Trump Plaza - Casino dealers seek to end representation under UAW
PartyGaming, 888 Holdings focused on global strategy, strategic growth
Harrah's Entertainment buys a slice of Planet Hollywood's debt
Betfair Shock Poker Ad Suggestive 15 Year Old
Crown Casino wins on table deal, despite investigation and protests
Crown Casino prepares for potential record breaking Aussie Millions this January
Virgin Casino access denied errors in Australia, still strong in Europe, UK; PartyCasino, Captain Cooks Casino capitalize
Virgin Games - Virgin Unite - charity drive - Bright-On Target-Virgin Games Set to Raise 10k for Charity
Marvel Entertainment - Disney's purchase of Marvel Entertainment not effecting popularity on Marvel themed online slot games to date
Aspers Damian Aspinall and company quite of late, company restructure rumours
Playtech - Sega sonic slot deal moves forward, CAP, iGaming Business follows up
Playtech powered online casino comp heats up, Casino Las Vegas, Casino King, Casino Swiss, Titan Casino, Casino Tropez, Europa Casino, battle for punters
PKR ramps up online slots, sports betting on the way
Income Access - brand shuffle continues
Mob Candy Magazine, on again, off again dealings with Media Man
Bodog remains keen on South American and coffee deals et al
Argentinean government may regular online gambling this year
Asia Pacific region "the next Macau and promised land" says Media Man Australia
Casino reviews - punters prefer strong, established, proven brands
NRL - some teams and players under spotlight over "tanking", alleged betting on matches
UFC - PartyBets may challenge BetUS.com dominance, Gamebookers ramps up
Las Vegas wild parties at casino - hotels - resorts
Domain name buy ups trend continues in igaming, gaming, online casino space
Hitwise Australia - Media Man Australia network holding dominance, others want in
Multi currency casino options remains an industry favorite
Google pushes forward with online gaming - Monopoly City Streets hits web
Virtual worlds - PartyCasino.com Live Dealer, PKR Casino challenge Second Life's hold
Global Gaming Directory launch pushes Media Man Australia into world's top 50 gaming, igaming most influential
Classic Slots Online and Classic Casino Games niche remains strong
Media companies in Australia starting to push forward sports betting, igaming, following European business model
Poker tournaments - competition heats up between World Poker Tour (PartyGaming), World Series of Poker (Harrah's Entertainment tie in), and others
Poker Cup Australia - PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker and Titan Poker satellites send players to Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia
YouTube.com popular site for potential and existing online casino game players
Casino legal? - check your local laws in state, city and country
Online gambling - could be more addictive than other forms of gambling says experts
CasinoNewsMedia.com website traffic triples, following GlobalGamingDirectory.com launch
PartyCasino.com wins Media Man Australia - Casino News Media "online casino of the month"
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Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tiffany Michelle Gives the Inside Scoop on Amazing Race, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 16th September 2009
On September 27th, the 15th installment of the CBS reality franchise “Amazing Race” will kick off at 8:00pm ET. Appearing will be professional poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. Michelle sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the season.
Poker News Daily: Congratulations on appearing on “Amazing Race.” Tell us how the opportunity came up.
Michelle: Maria Ho and I have been friends for a while and bonded even more recently. There was lots of talk of us doing a reality television show. We agreed that if we did anything, it’d be “Amazing Race.” We thought we’d be an interesting team. With the competition and challenge of the show, it’d be right up our alley. We could take our poker playing background and use it on “Amazing Race.” We had a chance to go through the casting process and were in Las Vegas playing tournaments when we got the call. It was definitely hard to head back to the tables during the WSOP knowing we’d be traveling the world soon.
PND: Had you watched previous seasons of “Amazing Race”?
Michelle: I hadn’t seen a full season, but saw the show on different occasions. It looked challenging and was out of my league. I think it looked fun.
PND: The cast features Harlem Globetrotters and a former Miss America. Talk about the competition that you’ll face on “Amazing Race.”
Michelle: We were surprised to learn that we were the only all-female team this season. We felt pressure to represent women and knew that no all-female team had ever won “Amazing Race.” We thought that our competition consisted of young, big, athletic people. That was going to be our weakness, but we knew that the race tests your mental and physical skills.
PND: Past seasons of “Amazing Race” have included stops in the four corners of the globe. Talk about being able to travel the world.
Michelle: It was a very life-changing experience. I live a wonderful and blessed life. I get to travel and stay in nice hotels. We have a life of luxury and don’t have to sweat it out. It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, mentally and emotionally. I came home and had a whole new appreciation for my life. I feel like I’m so full after the experience.
PND: Talk about your relationship with Maria Ho.
Michelle: I wouldn’t have done “Amazing Race” without her. You have to trust and feel comfortable with your partner. I was excited to share this experience with her. We travel together on the poker circuit already. We’re 10 times closer now.
PND: Is there anything you can take away from Annie Duke’s appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice” that could have helped you on “Amazing Race”?
Michelle: “Celebrity Apprentice” is a different format than “Amazing Race.” You’re competing against different people on your own. On the race, you have a team. There’s not that direct competition and you have the opportunity to work together in a group. We wanted to represent poker well after what happened between Annie and Joan Rivers. We wanted to come off the best that we could. We wanted to play a clean game and give poker players a good name. Also for us, we’re controversial and wanted to show people a different side.
PND: You’re hosting a Hollywood premier of “Amazing Race” that will likely include Tammy and Victor, who won last season’s installment of the reality show. Did they provide any advice before you set out?
Michelle: We got to go to a Labor Day barbeque at Victor’s house. A lot of people who were on “Amazing Race” were there and you felt like a big family. These people know exactly what you went through. Within a few minutes of being there, I felt like I had known them forever. It’s wonderful being a part of something special.
PND: What preparations did you make before the show began filming?
Michelle: I ran out and bought running shoes. I got my cardio up because I knew there was a lot of running involved. Also, we learned how to drive a stick shift. Maria was much better than I was at that, so she was responsible. We watched past episodes and talked about them. We prepped for the unknown as much as we could. I got my butt in the gym and got in touch with the outdoors.
PND: You mentioned in a blog entry before you left that poker will always be around, but doing “Amazing Race” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Was it hard walking away from this year’s WSOP Main Event to film?
Michelle: There wasn’t even a doubt in my mind that I wanted to do the show. What I did last year in the Main Event was amazing. As hopeful as I could be to repeat that, I was happy with that punctuation. The Main Event comes around every year and poker is always there. Not only was this an amazing challenge, but it was also an opportunity to be a part of an Emmy Award winning show. To get to do it with someone else sounded like a fun time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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On September 27th, the 15th installment of the CBS reality franchise “Amazing Race” will kick off at 8:00pm ET. Appearing will be professional poker players Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. Michelle sat down with Poker News Daily to preview the season.
Poker News Daily: Congratulations on appearing on “Amazing Race.” Tell us how the opportunity came up.
Michelle: Maria Ho and I have been friends for a while and bonded even more recently. There was lots of talk of us doing a reality television show. We agreed that if we did anything, it’d be “Amazing Race.” We thought we’d be an interesting team. With the competition and challenge of the show, it’d be right up our alley. We could take our poker playing background and use it on “Amazing Race.” We had a chance to go through the casting process and were in Las Vegas playing tournaments when we got the call. It was definitely hard to head back to the tables during the WSOP knowing we’d be traveling the world soon.
PND: Had you watched previous seasons of “Amazing Race”?
Michelle: I hadn’t seen a full season, but saw the show on different occasions. It looked challenging and was out of my league. I think it looked fun.
PND: The cast features Harlem Globetrotters and a former Miss America. Talk about the competition that you’ll face on “Amazing Race.”
Michelle: We were surprised to learn that we were the only all-female team this season. We felt pressure to represent women and knew that no all-female team had ever won “Amazing Race.” We thought that our competition consisted of young, big, athletic people. That was going to be our weakness, but we knew that the race tests your mental and physical skills.
PND: Past seasons of “Amazing Race” have included stops in the four corners of the globe. Talk about being able to travel the world.
Michelle: It was a very life-changing experience. I live a wonderful and blessed life. I get to travel and stay in nice hotels. We have a life of luxury and don’t have to sweat it out. It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, mentally and emotionally. I came home and had a whole new appreciation for my life. I feel like I’m so full after the experience.
PND: Talk about your relationship with Maria Ho.
Michelle: I wouldn’t have done “Amazing Race” without her. You have to trust and feel comfortable with your partner. I was excited to share this experience with her. We travel together on the poker circuit already. We’re 10 times closer now.
PND: Is there anything you can take away from Annie Duke’s appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice” that could have helped you on “Amazing Race”?
Michelle: “Celebrity Apprentice” is a different format than “Amazing Race.” You’re competing against different people on your own. On the race, you have a team. There’s not that direct competition and you have the opportunity to work together in a group. We wanted to represent poker well after what happened between Annie and Joan Rivers. We wanted to come off the best that we could. We wanted to play a clean game and give poker players a good name. Also for us, we’re controversial and wanted to show people a different side.
PND: You’re hosting a Hollywood premier of “Amazing Race” that will likely include Tammy and Victor, who won last season’s installment of the reality show. Did they provide any advice before you set out?
Michelle: We got to go to a Labor Day barbeque at Victor’s house. A lot of people who were on “Amazing Race” were there and you felt like a big family. These people know exactly what you went through. Within a few minutes of being there, I felt like I had known them forever. It’s wonderful being a part of something special.
PND: What preparations did you make before the show began filming?
Michelle: I ran out and bought running shoes. I got my cardio up because I knew there was a lot of running involved. Also, we learned how to drive a stick shift. Maria was much better than I was at that, so she was responsible. We watched past episodes and talked about them. We prepped for the unknown as much as we could. I got my butt in the gym and got in touch with the outdoors.
PND: You mentioned in a blog entry before you left that poker will always be around, but doing “Amazing Race” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Was it hard walking away from this year’s WSOP Main Event to film?
Michelle: There wasn’t even a doubt in my mind that I wanted to do the show. What I did last year in the Main Event was amazing. As hopeful as I could be to repeat that, I was happy with that punctuation. The Main Event comes around every year and poker is always there. Not only was this an amazing challenge, but it was also an opportunity to be a part of an Emmy Award winning show. To get to do it with someone else sounded like a fun time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thomas Bichon Wins WPT Cyprus, by Brett Collson - Poker News Daily - 15th September 2009
French pro Thomas Bichon outlasted a field of 181 players to win the inaugural World Poker Tour (WPT) Merit Cypus Classic on Sunday. Bichon collected his first WPT title and a prize of $579,165 after six days of grueling play.
The event, held at the luxurious travel destination in the Mediterranean, attracted many of the game’s most familiar names, including Patrik Antonius, Allen Cunningham, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Eli Elezra, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Annette Obrestad, Jeffrey Lisandro, Dan Harrington, Huck Seed, Antonio Esfandiari, Layne Flack, and November Nine member James Akenhead.
Day 1A of the event brought together 91 players and John Tabatabai ended play with the lead, bagging up 178,275 chips. Ludovic Lacay (140,780) and Tommy Vedes (122,125) trailed Tabatabai on the leaderboard. Day 1B drew another 90 entrants, generating a total prize pool of $1,755,700. Phil Gordon led the way as play ended with 157,000 chips. Jan Skampa (156,000) and Andreas Haden (138,000) finished close on his heels.
The 125 survivors from Day 1 joined together on Day 2 and more than half the field perished, including Tabatabai and Gordon. Leading the 55 players that survived the day was Nenad Medic with 277,000. Medic made a strong push at the end of the night to pass Rony Jazzar and Antony Lellouche for the chip lead. Other survivors in good shape were Vedes, Huck Seed, and Flack.
Day 3 played down to the final 21 before play concluded and, this time, it was Flack who soared to the chip lead, holding 915,000. Rep Porter was second going into Day 4 with 812,000, while Seed, Flack, Jazzar, Medic, and Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little were among the top 10.
With the top 18 players making money, it took just two levels to burst the bubble on Day 5. The unfortunate player left out was Anthony Aboukhalil, who moved all-in for his last 20,000 chips with Kc-6c and was called by Antony Lellouche’s As-Qh. The board was no help to Aboukhalil and he was eliminated in 19th place on the money bubble.
Day 5 wasn’t kind to the big names left in the field. Flack was the first to go in 10th place ($20,760); he was followed by Medic (ninth for $27,680) and Little (eighth for ($38,940). With the final table just one spot away, Huck Seed pushed the last of his stack in with Ad-Jd and Thomas Bichon called with Ks-Qd. Seed was left drawing thin after a Queen hit the flop and he was unable to improve, leaving the tournament in seventh place for $56,240.
The final six were in place for Sunday’s final table. Here’s how it looked going into the day:
Seat1: Thomas Bichon - 1.08 million
Seat 2: Steve Fung - 732,000
Seat 3: Uri Keidar - 1.75 million
Seat 4: Rony Jazzar - 1.80 million
Seat 5: Janar Kiivramees - 727,000
Seat 6: Rep Porter - 1.12 million
Jazar was the first casualty of the final table. On a board of Qs-7s-2h-5d, Jazzar pushed all-in with Kc-Qd for top pair and Keidar called with 8s-6s for flush and straight draws. The 10s river gave Keidar his flush and Jazzar was sent to the rail with $73,535.
Play slowed down quite a bit after Jazzar’s elimination, but Kiivramees (fifth place, $90,835) and Porter (fourth, $121,115) were the next to exit. Porter doubled his short stack several times, but eventually Keidar finished him off when Uri’s Ah-9h held up against Porter’s Kh-Jh. Keidar increased his stack to 1.6 million, but was well behind Bichon, the leader with more than five million. Meanwhile, Fung was nursing a 500,000 chip stack.
With the blinds eating away at his stack, Fung was forced to call an all-in bet out of the big blind with 9d-5d and found himself in bad shape against the Jd-5c of Bichon. Fung’s hand failed to get better and he exited with $216,275 for his third place finish.
Heads-up play between Bichon and Keidar lasted just two hands. First, Bichon limped on the button and Keidar pushed, inducing a fold from Bichon. On the second hand, with Bichon holding more than a 3-1 edge, Keidar raised to 350,000 and Bichon moved all-in. Keidar took some time before calling off his remaining 1.4 million with Jh-10d and was in a coin flip situation against Bichon’s pocket sevens.
Bichon took control when the flop brought As-Ks-7c, giving him a set and leaving Keidar needing a queen to stay alive. The 10h turn and 3s river were no help to Keidar and Bichon was crowned the champion of the inaugural WPT Merit Cyprus Classic. Here were the final results:
1st Place: Thomas Bichon - $579,165
2nd Place: Uri Keidar - $380,645
3rd Place: Steven Fung - $216,275
4th Place: Rep Porter - $121,115
5th Place: Janar Kiivramees - $90,835
6th Place: Rony Jazzar - $73,535 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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French pro Thomas Bichon outlasted a field of 181 players to win the inaugural World Poker Tour (WPT) Merit Cypus Classic on Sunday. Bichon collected his first WPT title and a prize of $579,165 after six days of grueling play.
The event, held at the luxurious travel destination in the Mediterranean, attracted many of the game’s most familiar names, including Patrik Antonius, Allen Cunningham, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, Eli Elezra, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Annette Obrestad, Jeffrey Lisandro, Dan Harrington, Huck Seed, Antonio Esfandiari, Layne Flack, and November Nine member James Akenhead.
Day 1A of the event brought together 91 players and John Tabatabai ended play with the lead, bagging up 178,275 chips. Ludovic Lacay (140,780) and Tommy Vedes (122,125) trailed Tabatabai on the leaderboard. Day 1B drew another 90 entrants, generating a total prize pool of $1,755,700. Phil Gordon led the way as play ended with 157,000 chips. Jan Skampa (156,000) and Andreas Haden (138,000) finished close on his heels.
The 125 survivors from Day 1 joined together on Day 2 and more than half the field perished, including Tabatabai and Gordon. Leading the 55 players that survived the day was Nenad Medic with 277,000. Medic made a strong push at the end of the night to pass Rony Jazzar and Antony Lellouche for the chip lead. Other survivors in good shape were Vedes, Huck Seed, and Flack.
Day 3 played down to the final 21 before play concluded and, this time, it was Flack who soared to the chip lead, holding 915,000. Rep Porter was second going into Day 4 with 812,000, while Seed, Flack, Jazzar, Medic, and Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little were among the top 10.
With the top 18 players making money, it took just two levels to burst the bubble on Day 5. The unfortunate player left out was Anthony Aboukhalil, who moved all-in for his last 20,000 chips with Kc-6c and was called by Antony Lellouche’s As-Qh. The board was no help to Aboukhalil and he was eliminated in 19th place on the money bubble.
Day 5 wasn’t kind to the big names left in the field. Flack was the first to go in 10th place ($20,760); he was followed by Medic (ninth for $27,680) and Little (eighth for ($38,940). With the final table just one spot away, Huck Seed pushed the last of his stack in with Ad-Jd and Thomas Bichon called with Ks-Qd. Seed was left drawing thin after a Queen hit the flop and he was unable to improve, leaving the tournament in seventh place for $56,240.
The final six were in place for Sunday’s final table. Here’s how it looked going into the day:
Seat1: Thomas Bichon - 1.08 million
Seat 2: Steve Fung - 732,000
Seat 3: Uri Keidar - 1.75 million
Seat 4: Rony Jazzar - 1.80 million
Seat 5: Janar Kiivramees - 727,000
Seat 6: Rep Porter - 1.12 million
Jazar was the first casualty of the final table. On a board of Qs-7s-2h-5d, Jazzar pushed all-in with Kc-Qd for top pair and Keidar called with 8s-6s for flush and straight draws. The 10s river gave Keidar his flush and Jazzar was sent to the rail with $73,535.
Play slowed down quite a bit after Jazzar’s elimination, but Kiivramees (fifth place, $90,835) and Porter (fourth, $121,115) were the next to exit. Porter doubled his short stack several times, but eventually Keidar finished him off when Uri’s Ah-9h held up against Porter’s Kh-Jh. Keidar increased his stack to 1.6 million, but was well behind Bichon, the leader with more than five million. Meanwhile, Fung was nursing a 500,000 chip stack.
With the blinds eating away at his stack, Fung was forced to call an all-in bet out of the big blind with 9d-5d and found himself in bad shape against the Jd-5c of Bichon. Fung’s hand failed to get better and he exited with $216,275 for his third place finish.
Heads-up play between Bichon and Keidar lasted just two hands. First, Bichon limped on the button and Keidar pushed, inducing a fold from Bichon. On the second hand, with Bichon holding more than a 3-1 edge, Keidar raised to 350,000 and Bichon moved all-in. Keidar took some time before calling off his remaining 1.4 million with Jh-10d and was in a coin flip situation against Bichon’s pocket sevens.
Bichon took control when the flop brought As-Ks-7c, giving him a set and leaving Keidar needing a queen to stay alive. The 10h turn and 3s river were no help to Keidar and Bichon was crowned the champion of the inaugural WPT Merit Cyprus Classic. Here were the final results:
1st Place: Thomas Bichon - $579,165
2nd Place: Uri Keidar - $380,645
3rd Place: Steven Fung - $216,275
4th Place: Rep Porter - $121,115
5th Place: Janar Kiivramees - $90,835
6th Place: Rony Jazzar - $73,535 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Poker Hall of Fame
In 1979, Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, created the the Poker Hall of Fame to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players.
Binion was known for the creative ways in which he marketed his Casino. In 1949, he convinced Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek to play high stakes poker where the public could watch them.
In 1970, he invited a group of poker players to compete in what would be the first World Series of Poker (WSOP).
In 1979, he created the Poker Hall of Fame to honor poker's greatest players and to serve as a tourist attraction to his casino.
When Harrah's Entertainment acquired the rights to the WSOP in 2004, they also assumed ownership of the Poker Hall of Fame. Today, membership to the Poker Hall of Fame is handled directly by the WSOP.
Although many of the best known poker players in the world are part of the Hall of Fame, very little is known about some of the earlier members. Many of the earliest pioneers in poker were road gamblers that developed reputations at the cash game before the advent of tournaments. As of 2009, 37 people have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Fifteen of those people are still living.
Although the original Hall of Fame was created by the Horseshoe Casino as a tourist attraction, the Hall no longer has a physical location; it only exists on paper.
Requirements
Before starting the 2009 WSOP, the WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that the process for becoming a member into the Poker Hall of Fame would undergo a slight modification. Starting in 2009, the Poker Hall of Fame started accepting nominations from the public. This move is intended to increase interest in the Hall. Almost immediately after this decision was announced, Party Poker started an on-line campaign to get its representative and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton elected to the Hall.
Other poker sites, namely PokerStars' Tom McEvoy, followed suit by pushing their own poker professionals.
The requirements for the Poker Hall of Fame are:
A gambler must have played poker against acknowledged top competition,
Played for high stakes,
Played consistently well, gained the respect of peers,
And stood the test of time.
Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
After receiving the nominations, the WSOP will announce a list of ten candidates eligible for the 2009 class at the WSOP Main Event. The ten players announced were, Phil Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Mike Sexton, Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Scotty Nguyen, Tom Dwan, Barry Greenstein, Men Nguyen, and Daniel Negreanu. When Chip Reese was inducted at the age of 40, he was the youngest person to join the Hall. Three of the finalists, Ivey, Negreanu, and Dwan, threaten that distinction. In August, the WSOP will review the nominations from the general public and add any that it deems necessary. Finally, the WSOP will send out ballots to each of the living Hall of Famers and a limited number of people in the media to vote for the 2009 class. The number of media ballots will not exceed the number of voting members from the Hall of Fame. Any person who receives at least 75% of the vote will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Main Event Final Table in November 2009.
The award
Being admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame is considered one of the biggest honors in poker. In his acceptance speech, T. J. Cloutier declared, "It's one of two things I've always wanted to win." Barbara Enright, the only woman in the Hall, considers her induction to be a "lifetime achievement honor".
Before being acquired by Harrah's Casino, R.S. Owens and Co was commissioned to design an award for Poker Hall of Famers. The award was an 8-inch-tall piece of glass with a hand of cards sandblasted at the bottom, the winner's name, and the words "Poker Hall of Fame" in a circle. The circle had a gold emblem bonded to the glass and had the Binion's Horseshoe Casino logo in it. There was a gold plated base with three gold-plated stacks of chips.
(Credit: Wikipedia)
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In 1979, Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, created the the Poker Hall of Fame to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players.
Binion was known for the creative ways in which he marketed his Casino. In 1949, he convinced Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek to play high stakes poker where the public could watch them.
In 1970, he invited a group of poker players to compete in what would be the first World Series of Poker (WSOP).
In 1979, he created the Poker Hall of Fame to honor poker's greatest players and to serve as a tourist attraction to his casino.
When Harrah's Entertainment acquired the rights to the WSOP in 2004, they also assumed ownership of the Poker Hall of Fame. Today, membership to the Poker Hall of Fame is handled directly by the WSOP.
Although many of the best known poker players in the world are part of the Hall of Fame, very little is known about some of the earlier members. Many of the earliest pioneers in poker were road gamblers that developed reputations at the cash game before the advent of tournaments. As of 2009, 37 people have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Fifteen of those people are still living.
Although the original Hall of Fame was created by the Horseshoe Casino as a tourist attraction, the Hall no longer has a physical location; it only exists on paper.
Requirements
Before starting the 2009 WSOP, the WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that the process for becoming a member into the Poker Hall of Fame would undergo a slight modification. Starting in 2009, the Poker Hall of Fame started accepting nominations from the public. This move is intended to increase interest in the Hall. Almost immediately after this decision was announced, Party Poker started an on-line campaign to get its representative and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton elected to the Hall.
Other poker sites, namely PokerStars' Tom McEvoy, followed suit by pushing their own poker professionals.
The requirements for the Poker Hall of Fame are:
A gambler must have played poker against acknowledged top competition,
Played for high stakes,
Played consistently well, gained the respect of peers,
And stood the test of time.
Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
After receiving the nominations, the WSOP will announce a list of ten candidates eligible for the 2009 class at the WSOP Main Event. The ten players announced were, Phil Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Mike Sexton, Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Scotty Nguyen, Tom Dwan, Barry Greenstein, Men Nguyen, and Daniel Negreanu. When Chip Reese was inducted at the age of 40, he was the youngest person to join the Hall. Three of the finalists, Ivey, Negreanu, and Dwan, threaten that distinction. In August, the WSOP will review the nominations from the general public and add any that it deems necessary. Finally, the WSOP will send out ballots to each of the living Hall of Famers and a limited number of people in the media to vote for the 2009 class. The number of media ballots will not exceed the number of voting members from the Hall of Fame. Any person who receives at least 75% of the vote will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Main Event Final Table in November 2009.
The award
Being admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame is considered one of the biggest honors in poker. In his acceptance speech, T. J. Cloutier declared, "It's one of two things I've always wanted to win." Barbara Enright, the only woman in the Hall, considers her induction to be a "lifetime achievement honor".
Before being acquired by Harrah's Casino, R.S. Owens and Co was commissioned to design an award for Poker Hall of Famers. The award was an 8-inch-tall piece of glass with a hand of cards sandblasted at the bottom, the winner's name, and the words "Poker Hall of Fame" in a circle. The circle had a gold emblem bonded to the glass and had the Binion's Horseshoe Casino logo in it. There was a gold plated base with three gold-plated stacks of chips.
(Credit: Wikipedia)
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WSOP on ESPN Ratings Reach Highest Levels of 2009, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 14th September 2009
With Day 3 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event set to kick off on Tuesday night on ESPN, network officials have announced that ratings for the September 8th broadcast were the highest of the 2009 season.
The preview for next week’s WSOP Main Event on ESPN broadcast features 11-time bracelet winner and 1989 Main Event champion Phil Hellmuth proclaiming, “Turbulence is coming.” However, it’s been smooth sailing so far for ESPN during the 2009 installment of the world’s most prestigious tournament series. The 8:00pm ET hour of last week’s telecast scored a 0.97 rating, while the second hour came in at 1.13. So far, the network is 11% ahead of last year’s resoundingly successful broadcast.
Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, told Poker News Daily, “We’re all very pleased with the ratings thus far. We try not to get too high or low on ratings, but it’s nice when things are moving in a positive direction, so we’re extremely pleased with it.” White was instrumental in keeping the WSOP on ESPN until at least April of 2018 under an extension inked one month ago.
The September 8th broadcast logged a 0.93 rating during the first hour and 0.73 rating during the second hour among males age 18 to 34. The telecast turned in a 0.88 average rating among males age 18 to 49 and 1.03 for males age 25 to 54. ESPN’s broadcast on September 8th netted 954,000 household impressions during the first hour and 1.11 million during the second hour.
ESPN’s WSOP ratings have trended upwards in recent weeks and the network will broadcast its 15th hour-long installment on Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET. On the rise in the ratings, White speculated, “I’d like to think it’s because the quality of our shows are great. Our talent has been tremendous and the production quality has been excellent.” Lon McEachern and Norman Chad once again provide commentary for two hours each week, with Chad recently falling to Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer in a chess match during the popular segment “The Nuts.”
Next week’s Day 3 coverage teases the presence of Hellmuth, Jeffrey Lisandro, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Humberto Brenes, Joe Hachem, Dennis Phillips, and Andy Black. In it, McEachern dramatically narrates, “With the field now united, it means our next Main Event champion is in the building. Amongst the players still in the hunt are some of the biggest names in the game, including one man who is the clear favorite to become Player of the Year.” McEachern alludes to Lisandro, who took home three bracelets in the preliminary tournaments leading up to the $10,000 buy-in Main Event for nearly $750,000 total.
The 2009 WSOP Main Event final table features an assortment of characters, including fan favorite Phil Ivey and CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who has threatened to throw away the Main Event bracelet should he win. On Shulman and Ivey’s presence at the final table, White commented, “I don’t know if it sways our audience positively or negatively, but it brings about discussion. People are talking about it and that’s a good thing. It means the final table is on people’s minds. It’s a fantastic opportunity for players to showcase their personalities and skills on the biggest stage in poker.”
Here is a look at the remaining first-run episodes of the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN. Replays also hit airwaves throughout the week on ESPN’s family of stations, so check local listings for more information. All times are Eastern:
September 15th to September 29th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
October 6th to November 3rd: 9:00pm to 11:00pm
November 10th: 9:00pm to 11:30pm: WSOP Main Event Final Table. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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With Day 3 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event set to kick off on Tuesday night on ESPN, network officials have announced that ratings for the September 8th broadcast were the highest of the 2009 season.
The preview for next week’s WSOP Main Event on ESPN broadcast features 11-time bracelet winner and 1989 Main Event champion Phil Hellmuth proclaiming, “Turbulence is coming.” However, it’s been smooth sailing so far for ESPN during the 2009 installment of the world’s most prestigious tournament series. The 8:00pm ET hour of last week’s telecast scored a 0.97 rating, while the second hour came in at 1.13. So far, the network is 11% ahead of last year’s resoundingly successful broadcast.
Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, told Poker News Daily, “We’re all very pleased with the ratings thus far. We try not to get too high or low on ratings, but it’s nice when things are moving in a positive direction, so we’re extremely pleased with it.” White was instrumental in keeping the WSOP on ESPN until at least April of 2018 under an extension inked one month ago.
The September 8th broadcast logged a 0.93 rating during the first hour and 0.73 rating during the second hour among males age 18 to 34. The telecast turned in a 0.88 average rating among males age 18 to 49 and 1.03 for males age 25 to 54. ESPN’s broadcast on September 8th netted 954,000 household impressions during the first hour and 1.11 million during the second hour.
ESPN’s WSOP ratings have trended upwards in recent weeks and the network will broadcast its 15th hour-long installment on Tuesday night at 8:00pm ET. On the rise in the ratings, White speculated, “I’d like to think it’s because the quality of our shows are great. Our talent has been tremendous and the production quality has been excellent.” Lon McEachern and Norman Chad once again provide commentary for two hours each week, with Chad recently falling to Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer in a chess match during the popular segment “The Nuts.”
Next week’s Day 3 coverage teases the presence of Hellmuth, Jeffrey Lisandro, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Humberto Brenes, Joe Hachem, Dennis Phillips, and Andy Black. In it, McEachern dramatically narrates, “With the field now united, it means our next Main Event champion is in the building. Amongst the players still in the hunt are some of the biggest names in the game, including one man who is the clear favorite to become Player of the Year.” McEachern alludes to Lisandro, who took home three bracelets in the preliminary tournaments leading up to the $10,000 buy-in Main Event for nearly $750,000 total.
The 2009 WSOP Main Event final table features an assortment of characters, including fan favorite Phil Ivey and CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, who has threatened to throw away the Main Event bracelet should he win. On Shulman and Ivey’s presence at the final table, White commented, “I don’t know if it sways our audience positively or negatively, but it brings about discussion. People are talking about it and that’s a good thing. It means the final table is on people’s minds. It’s a fantastic opportunity for players to showcase their personalities and skills on the biggest stage in poker.”
Here is a look at the remaining first-run episodes of the 2009 WSOP Main Event on ESPN. Replays also hit airwaves throughout the week on ESPN’s family of stations, so check local listings for more information. All times are Eastern:
September 15th to September 29th: 8:00pm to 10:00pm
October 6th to November 3rd: 9:00pm to 11:00pm
November 10th: 9:00pm to 11:30pm: WSOP Main Event Final Table. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Friday, September 11, 2009
Richard Toth Triumphs in Inaugural WPT Slovakia Event, by Jessica Welman - Poker News Daily - 7th September 2009
When the World Poker Tour (WPT) first announced it would be adding a stop in Slovakia for its eighth season, it was unclear how many big name pros would be willing to travel to Bratislava to participate in the event. The final numbers for last week’s Main Event were at a modest 100, but there were still some recognizable faces in the field and at the final table.
The €4,400 buy-in event was held at the Golden Vegas Casino in Bratislava in tandem with the Slovak Poker Sport Federation. The event will not be televised in the United States, but the WPT did add a little taste of the States to the event by flying in noted tournament director Steve Frezer and his crew to oversee all the tournament action.
Some of the other imports who came in for the event were American PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso, Full Tilt Pro Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen, DoylesRoom pro Alec “traheho” Torelli and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Peter “Belabacsi” Traply of Hungary.
Both Torelli and Traply found themselves at the final table of the event, which is familiar territory for the two pros. Torelli finished in 4th place at the WPT season-opening Bellagio Cup V, earning $271,165 and made an appearance at the televised final table of the $40,000 buy-in anniversary event of the WSOP back in May. He finished in 6th place in that event for $329,730. So far this year, Torelli has won $695,291.
Traply has had an equally successful run. In April of this year he made the final table of the European Poker Tour’s Grand Finale at Monte Carlo, finishing in 8th place for $241,238. Then, in June, the young Hungarian took down the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout Event at the WSOP for $348,755. The achievement was a benchmark not just for Traply, but for his country as it was Hungary’s first-ever WSOP title.
Hungary had a strong showing in Slovakia as well. Traply was joined at the final table by fellow Hungarian Richard Toth. According to Czech poker site Pokerzive.cz, Traply was the extreme short stack heading into final table play while Torelli came in with the chip lead. Here are the complete chip counts from the start of the final table:
Seat 1: Alec Torelli (1,064,000 chips)
Seat 2: Richard Toth (781,000 chips)
Seat 3: Boris Zelený (469,000 chips)
Seat 4: Saŝa Stenčič (439,000 chips)
Seat 5: Marec Tatar (160,000 chips)
Seat 6: Peter Traply (63,000 chips)
An early double up by Traply kept him alive long enough to avoid going out in 6th place. Marec Tatar, the other short stack at the table, was less fortunate and was the first to fall in 6th place. Traply’s comeback would be short-lived and he would be the next player eliminated. Despite beginning the day with the chip lead, Torelli made his exit in 4th, matching his previous WPT final table performance at the Bellagio. In the end it was the other Hungarian, Toth, who would emerge victorious at his first WPT final table. He earned €104,000 for the win and added a WPT victory to the rapidly growing list of Hungarian poker achievements.
The complete results from the final table are as follows:
1st: Richard Toth - €104,000
2nd: Boris Zelený - €66,000
3rd: Saŝa Stenčič - €42,000
4th: Alec Torelli - €31,000
5th: Peter Traply - €25,000
6th: Marec Tatar - €20,000
The next WPT international stop in Cyprus is already underway and after only one of two starting days, it appears as if it will draw a substantially larger crowd than its Slovakian counterpart. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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When the World Poker Tour (WPT) first announced it would be adding a stop in Slovakia for its eighth season, it was unclear how many big name pros would be willing to travel to Bratislava to participate in the event. The final numbers for last week’s Main Event were at a modest 100, but there were still some recognizable faces in the field and at the final table.
The €4,400 buy-in event was held at the Golden Vegas Casino in Bratislava in tandem with the Slovak Poker Sport Federation. The event will not be televised in the United States, but the WPT did add a little taste of the States to the event by flying in noted tournament director Steve Frezer and his crew to oversee all the tournament action.
Some of the other imports who came in for the event were American PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso, Full Tilt Pro Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen, DoylesRoom pro Alec “traheho” Torelli and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Peter “Belabacsi” Traply of Hungary.
Both Torelli and Traply found themselves at the final table of the event, which is familiar territory for the two pros. Torelli finished in 4th place at the WPT season-opening Bellagio Cup V, earning $271,165 and made an appearance at the televised final table of the $40,000 buy-in anniversary event of the WSOP back in May. He finished in 6th place in that event for $329,730. So far this year, Torelli has won $695,291.
Traply has had an equally successful run. In April of this year he made the final table of the European Poker Tour’s Grand Finale at Monte Carlo, finishing in 8th place for $241,238. Then, in June, the young Hungarian took down the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout Event at the WSOP for $348,755. The achievement was a benchmark not just for Traply, but for his country as it was Hungary’s first-ever WSOP title.
Hungary had a strong showing in Slovakia as well. Traply was joined at the final table by fellow Hungarian Richard Toth. According to Czech poker site Pokerzive.cz, Traply was the extreme short stack heading into final table play while Torelli came in with the chip lead. Here are the complete chip counts from the start of the final table:
Seat 1: Alec Torelli (1,064,000 chips)
Seat 2: Richard Toth (781,000 chips)
Seat 3: Boris Zelený (469,000 chips)
Seat 4: Saŝa Stenčič (439,000 chips)
Seat 5: Marec Tatar (160,000 chips)
Seat 6: Peter Traply (63,000 chips)
An early double up by Traply kept him alive long enough to avoid going out in 6th place. Marec Tatar, the other short stack at the table, was less fortunate and was the first to fall in 6th place. Traply’s comeback would be short-lived and he would be the next player eliminated. Despite beginning the day with the chip lead, Torelli made his exit in 4th, matching his previous WPT final table performance at the Bellagio. In the end it was the other Hungarian, Toth, who would emerge victorious at his first WPT final table. He earned €104,000 for the win and added a WPT victory to the rapidly growing list of Hungarian poker achievements.
The complete results from the final table are as follows:
1st: Richard Toth - €104,000
2nd: Boris Zelený - €66,000
3rd: Saŝa Stenčič - €42,000
4th: Alec Torelli - €31,000
5th: Peter Traply - €25,000
6th: Marec Tatar - €20,000
The next WPT international stop in Cyprus is already underway and after only one of two starting days, it appears as if it will draw a substantially larger crowd than its Slovakian counterpart. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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American Carter Phillips Wins EPT Barcelona, by Jessica Welman - Poker News Daily - 10th September 2009
It was a nearly wire to wire performance for 20-year old Carter Phillips at the final table of the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) recent tournament in Barcelona. Phillips came into the last day of play on Wednesday atop the chip counts and stayed there, briefly relinquishing his chip lead only once the entire day. Phillips capped off a remarkable poker performance with a memorable three hour-long heads-up match against popular British pro Marc Goodwin that pitted an online pro against a longtime brick and mortar grinder for the title of EPT Barcelona Season Six Champion.
For the first time in the EPT’s six-year history the Barcelona event did not open the season and that honor was bestowed on the newly added EPT Kiev spot instead. Perhaps because players were fresh off participating in that EPT event, the Barcelona stop saw a significant drop in participants this year, falling from a field of 619 last year to 478 players this year. The 23% decline can also be attributed to a number of major tournaments running in Europe at the same time. The World Poker Tour’s (WPT) newly added international stops at Slovakia and Cyprus both overlapped the Barcelona event and the Partouche Poker Tour is running as well. This is also the first indication that the EPT could potentially suffer the same kind of drop off in numbers that has been occurring Stateside for over a year.
Smaller field aside, the event was still packed with a wealth of talent from the online poker world like newly signed PokerStars Pro and EPT winner Jason Mercier, Lex “RasZi” Veldhuis, Faraz “The-Toliet” Jaka, Joe Serock and November Nine member Joe Cada. The live pros also turned out in full force with Full Tilt Pro Roland de Wolfe, Katja Thater, Freddy Deeb, Daniel Negreanu and “Miami” John Cernuto taking part as well.
As the field dwindled, there were three former EPT champions who all were making a run at another title. De Wolfe, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and two-time EPT winner Michael “Timex” McDonald all made it to the final three tables of the event. It was the youngest of the past winners, McDonald, who came the closest to the final table with an 11th place finish. It looked as though this year’s LA Poker Classic winner Cornell Andrew Cimpan was final table bound as well, but he was eliminated shortly after McDonald in 10th place.
While proven champions were falling left and right, Phillips was proving himself as a dangerous and talented young poker player. The American won three satellites into the event and chopped one of the smaller buy-in side events in Barcelona already and his hot streak carried over into the Main Event. His huge bluff with 6-8 against Goodwin’s A-K on an ace high board was the talk of the tournament room as play wound down and the final table was set.
The final table got off to a slow start as the mid-level stacks laid low waiting for the shortest-stacked players to bust. Gergios Kapalas was the first player eliminated, but the next one to fall actually started the day third in chips. Matt Lapossie developed a reputation for relentless aggression during his time in Spain and it was that aggression that led to his demise in 7th place when he shoved all-in holding J-4 to Toni Ojala’s pocket queens.
Local favorite Santiago Terrazas came into the final table with one of the shortest stacks, but he doubled up and picked up enough pots to end up in the final three. A Spanish EPT Barcelona was not in the cards though and his elimination set up the heads-up showdown between Goodwin and Phillips.
After battling back and forth for hours it would be a bluff that kept Goodwin from his first EPT title. Except this time it was Goodwin trying to pull off the semi-bluff while Phillips held top pair. With the board reading K-5-4-Q moved all-in for his last 4 million chips—nearly a million more than what was in the pot—and Phillips agonized over the decision before calling with K-J. Goodwin showed A-10 for a gutshot straight draw and when an ace or jack failed to materialize on the river, Phillips was the new EPT Barcelona Champion.
Here are the complete results from Wednesday’s final table:
1st: Carter Phillips - €850,000
2nd: Marc Goodwin - €530,000
3rd: Santiago Terrazas - €300,000
4th: Mihai Manole - €250,000
5th: Asa Smith - €200,000
6th: Toni Ojala - €160,000
7th: Matt Lapossie - €120,000
8th: Georgios Kapalas - €80,000 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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It was a nearly wire to wire performance for 20-year old Carter Phillips at the final table of the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) recent tournament in Barcelona. Phillips came into the last day of play on Wednesday atop the chip counts and stayed there, briefly relinquishing his chip lead only once the entire day. Phillips capped off a remarkable poker performance with a memorable three hour-long heads-up match against popular British pro Marc Goodwin that pitted an online pro against a longtime brick and mortar grinder for the title of EPT Barcelona Season Six Champion.
For the first time in the EPT’s six-year history the Barcelona event did not open the season and that honor was bestowed on the newly added EPT Kiev spot instead. Perhaps because players were fresh off participating in that EPT event, the Barcelona stop saw a significant drop in participants this year, falling from a field of 619 last year to 478 players this year. The 23% decline can also be attributed to a number of major tournaments running in Europe at the same time. The World Poker Tour’s (WPT) newly added international stops at Slovakia and Cyprus both overlapped the Barcelona event and the Partouche Poker Tour is running as well. This is also the first indication that the EPT could potentially suffer the same kind of drop off in numbers that has been occurring Stateside for over a year.
Smaller field aside, the event was still packed with a wealth of talent from the online poker world like newly signed PokerStars Pro and EPT winner Jason Mercier, Lex “RasZi” Veldhuis, Faraz “The-Toliet” Jaka, Joe Serock and November Nine member Joe Cada. The live pros also turned out in full force with Full Tilt Pro Roland de Wolfe, Katja Thater, Freddy Deeb, Daniel Negreanu and “Miami” John Cernuto taking part as well.
As the field dwindled, there were three former EPT champions who all were making a run at another title. De Wolfe, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and two-time EPT winner Michael “Timex” McDonald all made it to the final three tables of the event. It was the youngest of the past winners, McDonald, who came the closest to the final table with an 11th place finish. It looked as though this year’s LA Poker Classic winner Cornell Andrew Cimpan was final table bound as well, but he was eliminated shortly after McDonald in 10th place.
While proven champions were falling left and right, Phillips was proving himself as a dangerous and talented young poker player. The American won three satellites into the event and chopped one of the smaller buy-in side events in Barcelona already and his hot streak carried over into the Main Event. His huge bluff with 6-8 against Goodwin’s A-K on an ace high board was the talk of the tournament room as play wound down and the final table was set.
The final table got off to a slow start as the mid-level stacks laid low waiting for the shortest-stacked players to bust. Gergios Kapalas was the first player eliminated, but the next one to fall actually started the day third in chips. Matt Lapossie developed a reputation for relentless aggression during his time in Spain and it was that aggression that led to his demise in 7th place when he shoved all-in holding J-4 to Toni Ojala’s pocket queens.
Local favorite Santiago Terrazas came into the final table with one of the shortest stacks, but he doubled up and picked up enough pots to end up in the final three. A Spanish EPT Barcelona was not in the cards though and his elimination set up the heads-up showdown between Goodwin and Phillips.
After battling back and forth for hours it would be a bluff that kept Goodwin from his first EPT title. Except this time it was Goodwin trying to pull off the semi-bluff while Phillips held top pair. With the board reading K-5-4-Q moved all-in for his last 4 million chips—nearly a million more than what was in the pot—and Phillips agonized over the decision before calling with K-J. Goodwin showed A-10 for a gutshot straight draw and when an ace or jack failed to materialize on the river, Phillips was the new EPT Barcelona Champion.
Here are the complete results from Wednesday’s final table:
1st: Carter Phillips - €850,000
2nd: Marc Goodwin - €530,000
3rd: Santiago Terrazas - €300,000
4th: Mihai Manole - €250,000
5th: Asa Smith - €200,000
6th: Toni Ojala - €160,000
7th: Matt Lapossie - €120,000
8th: Georgios Kapalas - €80,000 (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Thursday, September 10, 2009
$140,000 in Rewards for Titan Poker Pot Limit Omaha Players
9th September 2009
Back by popular demand, the latest season of Titan Poker's Omaholics Promotion is being re-launched during the months of September and October.
Loyal Omaha poker players will be rewarded with huge cash prizes based on their game play, with more than $140,000 in prize money to be distributed to the top Pot Limit Omaha players. These players will be ranked based on the number of raked hands they have generated.
All players with raked hands at Pot Limit Omaha tables with $0.10/$0.20 and up are eligible to participate in the promotion. Players are ranked on leaderboards, posted on the Titan Poker website and updated regularly. The Omaholics Promotion runs from September 7, 2009, until midnight, October 18, 2009.
Titan Poker will also be staging a new weekly tournament called the Monday Night Omaha an additional attraction for Omaha poker enthusiasts. This series is specifically structured to provide plenty of play (5,000 in starting chips, 15 minute levels). The tournament will feature an $8,000 Guaranteed Prize and a $100 buy-in, and will be launched on September 21.
Titan Poker stages innovative and exciting promotions and tournaments, and awards seats to all the major poker tournaments around the world, including the World Series of Poker, the Asian Poker Tour, the Aussie Millions, the ECPokerTour, and the Irish Open. Titan Poker invites online poker players, both amateurs and poker enthusiasts, to enjoy the benefits of the improved Club Titan, the world’s most rewarding online VIP Poker Club.
About Titanpoker.com:
TitanPoker.com is the number one online poker room in Europe and part of the iPoker Network. Titan Poker's software is developed and maintained by Playtech, a public company and leading gaming software developer. With nearly 30,000 online players at peak hours, Titan Poker guarantees $16,000,000 in monthly prizes, features special sit 'n' go tournaments with progressive jackpots as high as $100,000, and awards players with entries to major worldwide poker tournaments. The Titan Poker brand is promoted exclusively by Euro Partners (http://www.europartners.com).
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9th September 2009
Back by popular demand, the latest season of Titan Poker's Omaholics Promotion is being re-launched during the months of September and October.
Loyal Omaha poker players will be rewarded with huge cash prizes based on their game play, with more than $140,000 in prize money to be distributed to the top Pot Limit Omaha players. These players will be ranked based on the number of raked hands they have generated.
All players with raked hands at Pot Limit Omaha tables with $0.10/$0.20 and up are eligible to participate in the promotion. Players are ranked on leaderboards, posted on the Titan Poker website and updated regularly. The Omaholics Promotion runs from September 7, 2009, until midnight, October 18, 2009.
Titan Poker will also be staging a new weekly tournament called the Monday Night Omaha an additional attraction for Omaha poker enthusiasts. This series is specifically structured to provide plenty of play (5,000 in starting chips, 15 minute levels). The tournament will feature an $8,000 Guaranteed Prize and a $100 buy-in, and will be launched on September 21.
Titan Poker stages innovative and exciting promotions and tournaments, and awards seats to all the major poker tournaments around the world, including the World Series of Poker, the Asian Poker Tour, the Aussie Millions, the ECPokerTour, and the Irish Open. Titan Poker invites online poker players, both amateurs and poker enthusiasts, to enjoy the benefits of the improved Club Titan, the world’s most rewarding online VIP Poker Club.
About Titanpoker.com:
TitanPoker.com is the number one online poker room in Europe and part of the iPoker Network. Titan Poker's software is developed and maintained by Playtech, a public company and leading gaming software developer. With nearly 30,000 online players at peak hours, Titan Poker guarantees $16,000,000 in monthly prizes, features special sit 'n' go tournaments with progressive jackpots as high as $100,000, and awards players with entries to major worldwide poker tournaments. The Titan Poker brand is promoted exclusively by Euro Partners (http://www.europartners.com).
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory - Media Man Australia News Update
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com Jackpot Exceeds 4 Million Euro
James Packer, Aussie media mogul resigns from Sunland Challenger, eyes U.S Casinos
Ocean’s Producer Claims Assistant Threatened Him With Gun
Gold Coast Titans, others, suspected of throwing games, News Limited reports
Online bingo still growing in Asia Pacific, United States, Europe
Bodog does Canada, global expansion plans
CryptoLogic talks re Disney buy of Marvel Entertainment, slots safe at least to 2012?
PartyCasino.com branded slot rumors; KISS, Bra Boys, Andre The Giant, Kerry Packer
Titan Casino offering huge sign up bonuses
Poker Cup Australia, satellites via PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker and Titan Poker
Egyptian themed online slot games mega popular, Cleopatra #1, Tomb Raider gains ground
Mobile casino games, mobile games - Australia's Media Man inundated by telco interest
Casino affiliate industry under spotlight, PartyPartners, Virgin Games, PKR, Rewards Affiliates remain strong
CAP Euro Rebranded Budapest Affiliate Conference
PKR Heads Up Event will feature Dwan and Schwartz
Bwin loses Portuguese monopoly challenge
Sky Vegas, Sky Bet, Sky Bingo, Sky Poker, Rupert Murdoch tries luck in igaming push
Virgin Casino gains with Rainbow Riches online slot
Media Man Australia website network approaching 3 million hits for month, Global Gaming Directory boosts figures
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PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com Jackpot Exceeds 4 Million Euro
James Packer, Aussie media mogul resigns from Sunland Challenger, eyes U.S Casinos
Ocean’s Producer Claims Assistant Threatened Him With Gun
Gold Coast Titans, others, suspected of throwing games, News Limited reports
Online bingo still growing in Asia Pacific, United States, Europe
Bodog does Canada, global expansion plans
CryptoLogic talks re Disney buy of Marvel Entertainment, slots safe at least to 2012?
PartyCasino.com branded slot rumors; KISS, Bra Boys, Andre The Giant, Kerry Packer
Titan Casino offering huge sign up bonuses
Poker Cup Australia, satellites via PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker and Titan Poker
Egyptian themed online slot games mega popular, Cleopatra #1, Tomb Raider gains ground
Mobile casino games, mobile games - Australia's Media Man inundated by telco interest
Casino affiliate industry under spotlight, PartyPartners, Virgin Games, PKR, Rewards Affiliates remain strong
CAP Euro Rebranded Budapest Affiliate Conference
PKR Heads Up Event will feature Dwan and Schwartz
Bwin loses Portuguese monopoly challenge
Sky Vegas, Sky Bet, Sky Bingo, Sky Poker, Rupert Murdoch tries luck in igaming push
Virgin Casino gains with Rainbow Riches online slot
Media Man Australia website network approaching 3 million hits for month, Global Gaming Directory boosts figures
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Tuesday, September 08, 2009
PartyGaming News Media Update
PartyGaming Friday reported a less-than-expected 6.5% fall in first-half earnings, hurt by the stronger dollar against the pound and fierce poker competition online, and said second-half trading so far has been in line with management's expectations.
Chief Executive Jim Ryan advised trading in the three weeks ended 18th August, which represents the peak holiday season in most of the group's core markets, has been "strong," inline with management's business expectations.
Mr Ryan said the company's three-year strategy is on track and that it remains "confident about the group's prospects and look forward to the rest of the year with confidence."
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization from continuing operations - the key figure watched by U.K. gaming analysts - fell 6.5% to $60.7 million in the first half to June 30, ahead of market expectations of $58.7 million. This compares with $64.9 million over the same period last year.
First-half net revenue dropped 21% to $201.3 million, inline with expectations, from $254.8 million a year earlier.
PartyGaming, the world's biggest listed-online gaming group by market capitalization, has been on the acquisition trail since its long-awaited settlement with U.S. authorities over its defunct gaming operations there in April.
Its first purchase was London-based bingo and casino operator Cashcade Ltd. for GBP95.9 million last month, and earlier this week it agreed to buy the bulk of WPT Enterprises Inc.'s operating assets for $12.3 million as well as 5% of the revenue generated by the assets.
Gibraltar-based PartyGaming didn't declare an interim dividend, in line with expectations, preferring to stock-pile money for "attractive consolidation opportunities." The U.K.-listed company hasn't paid a dividend since the U.S. government banned the online gaming industry in October 2006.
PartyGaming shares closed at 266 pence, valuing the company at GBP1.08 billion on the London Stock Exchange. The stock has risen 37% since January, fueled by its legal settlement with U.S. authorities and expansion plans.
PartyGaming's flagship brands are PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, and is looking to ramp up its recent purchased brands, World Poker Tour and Foxy Bingo.
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PartyGaming Friday reported a less-than-expected 6.5% fall in first-half earnings, hurt by the stronger dollar against the pound and fierce poker competition online, and said second-half trading so far has been in line with management's expectations.
Chief Executive Jim Ryan advised trading in the three weeks ended 18th August, which represents the peak holiday season in most of the group's core markets, has been "strong," inline with management's business expectations.
Mr Ryan said the company's three-year strategy is on track and that it remains "confident about the group's prospects and look forward to the rest of the year with confidence."
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization from continuing operations - the key figure watched by U.K. gaming analysts - fell 6.5% to $60.7 million in the first half to June 30, ahead of market expectations of $58.7 million. This compares with $64.9 million over the same period last year.
First-half net revenue dropped 21% to $201.3 million, inline with expectations, from $254.8 million a year earlier.
PartyGaming, the world's biggest listed-online gaming group by market capitalization, has been on the acquisition trail since its long-awaited settlement with U.S. authorities over its defunct gaming operations there in April.
Its first purchase was London-based bingo and casino operator Cashcade Ltd. for GBP95.9 million last month, and earlier this week it agreed to buy the bulk of WPT Enterprises Inc.'s operating assets for $12.3 million as well as 5% of the revenue generated by the assets.
Gibraltar-based PartyGaming didn't declare an interim dividend, in line with expectations, preferring to stock-pile money for "attractive consolidation opportunities." The U.K.-listed company hasn't paid a dividend since the U.S. government banned the online gaming industry in October 2006.
PartyGaming shares closed at 266 pence, valuing the company at GBP1.08 billion on the London Stock Exchange. The stock has risen 37% since January, fueled by its legal settlement with U.S. authorities and expansion plans.
PartyGaming's flagship brands are PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, and is looking to ramp up its recent purchased brands, World Poker Tour and Foxy Bingo.
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Monday, September 07, 2009
Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory - Media Man Australia News Update
PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com stays keen on branded slots
PartyCasino.com Naked Gun and Resident Evil already a hit
Crown Casino live poker events upcoming, Poker Cup Australia followed by Aussie Millions in January
Global Gaming Directory.com heading towards Hitwise top ten status, following Media Man Australia's recent Hitwise Award
Casino affiliate industry under spotlight, following Income Access - Smart Live situation
Multi currency options and global strategy very sound, experts agree
UIGEA, iMEGA can't stay out of the news, U.S legal debate continues
Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Murdoch company making forward progress
Hollywood branded mobile slots predicted to shake up Australian market
Horse Racing betting sector in Australia to go more digital, online
NRL - National Rugby League and club websites dominate Hitwise top ten, Betezy gains
Wrestling news - WWE and TNA open to more online gaming activity
Casino press - industry in battle for unique content, news breaking stories
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PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com stays keen on branded slots
PartyCasino.com Naked Gun and Resident Evil already a hit
Crown Casino live poker events upcoming, Poker Cup Australia followed by Aussie Millions in January
Global Gaming Directory.com heading towards Hitwise top ten status, following Media Man Australia's recent Hitwise Award
Casino affiliate industry under spotlight, following Income Access - Smart Live situation
Multi currency options and global strategy very sound, experts agree
UIGEA, iMEGA can't stay out of the news, U.S legal debate continues
Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Murdoch company making forward progress
Hollywood branded mobile slots predicted to shake up Australian market
Horse Racing betting sector in Australia to go more digital, online
NRL - National Rugby League and club websites dominate Hitwise top ten, Betezy gains
Wrestling news - WWE and TNA open to more online gaming activity
Casino press - industry in battle for unique content, news breaking stories
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Saturday, September 05, 2009
Richard Branson Plays Online Casino At? ... Virgin Casino From Virgin Games, by Greg Tingle
Ok, we admit, it's a headline and eyeball grabber, but hey, we're just following the lead by arguably the world's greatest publicity stunt guru, and celebrated business tycoon, Mr.. um, Sir Richard.
Sir Richard Branson has been publicly spotted at casinos a few times over the years. Most recently at The Palms in Vegas, where a stunt didn't go quite as planned, scraping the casino with his pants and hands, and fortunately escaping with his life, thus cheating death, something he's accustomed to with his planes, trains, automobiles and hot air balloons... oh, and now space ships.
Earlier this year Mr Branson was spotted with Australian media tycoon, James Packer, at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but Branson didn't try his luck at Crown, although Mr Tom Cruise (from Top Gun and Mission: Impossible fame) and family did a few months later. Branson also scored (or should that be campaigned) a cameo in Casino Royale a few years ago, if you want to include that "buy in", or gift in kind.
By the way, readers, unfortunately Australian players can't play online casino at Virgin Casino, due to technical reasons we will leave for the legal eagles, however punters can plan in person at Mr Packer's Crown Casino, TAB's Star City Casino, or online via our friends at PartyCasino.com or Captain Cooks Casino, and if poker is your poised and your based down under in Australia, try PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker or Titan Poker, and you might even quality to play at the Poker Cup at Crown Casino next month!
Aussie tongues are also wagging about the Aussie Millions coming up at Crown this January, and PartyGaming is setting the agenda on a global scale with their recent purchase of the World Poker Tour, for a cool 13 million or thereabouts.
Our friends in the national and international news media community provided more than adequate media coverage of the World Poker Tour deal, and they have been more than fair to Branson and his Virgin Group of Companies over the years also.
So, if online casino is your poison and your ISP or firewall will let you into VirginCasino.com, go for it, and if not, try the Global Gaming Directory, World Casino Directory, World Gaming Director or Multi Currency Casino, you might bypass Virgin, and end up at PartyCasino.com Mr Branson should forgive you if you have no other choice, and he might like to write to Australia's ACMA in the meantime to see if it's the Aussie great firewall playing games, or something else.
In any event, work hard and party hard, be it a Virgin, Party Casino animal, or World Poker Tour high flyer. Australia's Team Goanna and Gumleaf Mafia would be proud of the business and casino entrepreneurs efforts, and Mr Packer, CAP, Gambling911, GPWA, Poker News Daily and EGR, keep the bastards honest.
Branson, Packer, Ryan, Ayre, Garber, Weizer, Trump, Adelson, Wynn, Murdoch, Costigan... your're throw of the dice. Cheers me maties.
*Greg Tingle is the founder and director of the Media Man Australia group of companies.
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Ok, we admit, it's a headline and eyeball grabber, but hey, we're just following the lead by arguably the world's greatest publicity stunt guru, and celebrated business tycoon, Mr.. um, Sir Richard.
Sir Richard Branson has been publicly spotted at casinos a few times over the years. Most recently at The Palms in Vegas, where a stunt didn't go quite as planned, scraping the casino with his pants and hands, and fortunately escaping with his life, thus cheating death, something he's accustomed to with his planes, trains, automobiles and hot air balloons... oh, and now space ships.
Earlier this year Mr Branson was spotted with Australian media tycoon, James Packer, at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but Branson didn't try his luck at Crown, although Mr Tom Cruise (from Top Gun and Mission: Impossible fame) and family did a few months later. Branson also scored (or should that be campaigned) a cameo in Casino Royale a few years ago, if you want to include that "buy in", or gift in kind.
By the way, readers, unfortunately Australian players can't play online casino at Virgin Casino, due to technical reasons we will leave for the legal eagles, however punters can plan in person at Mr Packer's Crown Casino, TAB's Star City Casino, or online via our friends at PartyCasino.com or Captain Cooks Casino, and if poker is your poised and your based down under in Australia, try PartyPoker.com, Noble Poker or Titan Poker, and you might even quality to play at the Poker Cup at Crown Casino next month!
Aussie tongues are also wagging about the Aussie Millions coming up at Crown this January, and PartyGaming is setting the agenda on a global scale with their recent purchase of the World Poker Tour, for a cool 13 million or thereabouts.
Our friends in the national and international news media community provided more than adequate media coverage of the World Poker Tour deal, and they have been more than fair to Branson and his Virgin Group of Companies over the years also.
So, if online casino is your poison and your ISP or firewall will let you into VirginCasino.com, go for it, and if not, try the Global Gaming Directory, World Casino Directory, World Gaming Director or Multi Currency Casino, you might bypass Virgin, and end up at PartyCasino.com Mr Branson should forgive you if you have no other choice, and he might like to write to Australia's ACMA in the meantime to see if it's the Aussie great firewall playing games, or something else.
In any event, work hard and party hard, be it a Virgin, Party Casino animal, or World Poker Tour high flyer. Australia's Team Goanna and Gumleaf Mafia would be proud of the business and casino entrepreneurs efforts, and Mr Packer, CAP, Gambling911, GPWA, Poker News Daily and EGR, keep the bastards honest.
Branson, Packer, Ryan, Ayre, Garber, Weizer, Trump, Adelson, Wynn, Murdoch, Costigan... your're throw of the dice. Cheers me maties.
*Greg Tingle is the founder and director of the Media Man Australia group of companies.
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Friday, September 04, 2009
Poker in the Sky Takes Game to New Extremes, by Jessica Welman - Poker News Daily - 3rd September 2009
PartyPoker and Ace Magazine’s latest live poker event is taking the game to new heights—literally. In a move that will surely differentiate the upcoming Poker in the Sky event from others around Europe, the 22-person tournament will take place 150 feet in the air over Town Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The players are not just battling on the rooftop of a high rise, either. Instead, they will be seated at poker tables on a platform that will be hoisted 150 feet in the air by crane and stay for there for four hours until the event is complete. The tournament is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 11th.
PartyPoker customers who reside in Denmark were able to satellite their way into this unique event online and the winner of Poker in the Sky will receive a buy-in to October’s PartyPoker World Open V as well as hotel and airfare for the televised event. The World Open V is scheduled to take place at London’s Palm Beach Casino from October 11th to 15th. The Poker in the Sky qualifier will join a lineup of players that includes PartyPoker spokesperson Mike Sexton, Neil Channing, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz, and J.C. Tran.
In a statement released by PartyPoker, a spokesperson for the site explained the motivation behind creating such a unique venue for Poker in the Sky: “Poker is a high octane game and we want to give the Danish poker players a special experience that will really boost their adrenaline levels. We have an expectation that it will be the most spectacular poker event Copenhagen has ever seen.”
While the event will likely be both entertaining and exciting, it is not suited for everyone. A PartyPoker spokesperson told Poker News Daily that one qualifier already changed his mind about participating once he realized just how high up 150 feet really was. Despite the one player’s reservations, the tournament is scheduled to proceed as planned and PartyPoker has several surprises in the works, including two celebrity players participating in the event.
This is actually not the first time poker has taken to the skies. In July of 2006, the online poker site InterPoker hosted a poker tournament aboard a plane as part of its Extreme Poker Tour. Five players, including Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, participated in a sit and go tournament in which participants were forced to sky dive off once they were eliminated. The Extreme Poker events also included two tournaments that took place underwater and one that was held on an Arctic ice shelf in Finland.
Poker in the Sky may not require its players to bungee jump from the sky-high platform back to the ground, but there should still be plenty of excitement and nerve-wracking action. “We think it will be a great spectacle and it also offers our players a unique experience if they have a head for heights,” a PartyPoker representative told Poker News Daily. There is no word yet on whether the event will be televised and more details about Poker in the Sky will be revealed in the days leading up to it. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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PartyPoker and Ace Magazine’s latest live poker event is taking the game to new heights—literally. In a move that will surely differentiate the upcoming Poker in the Sky event from others around Europe, the 22-person tournament will take place 150 feet in the air over Town Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The players are not just battling on the rooftop of a high rise, either. Instead, they will be seated at poker tables on a platform that will be hoisted 150 feet in the air by crane and stay for there for four hours until the event is complete. The tournament is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 11th.
PartyPoker customers who reside in Denmark were able to satellite their way into this unique event online and the winner of Poker in the Sky will receive a buy-in to October’s PartyPoker World Open V as well as hotel and airfare for the televised event. The World Open V is scheduled to take place at London’s Palm Beach Casino from October 11th to 15th. The Poker in the Sky qualifier will join a lineup of players that includes PartyPoker spokesperson Mike Sexton, Neil Channing, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz, and J.C. Tran.
In a statement released by PartyPoker, a spokesperson for the site explained the motivation behind creating such a unique venue for Poker in the Sky: “Poker is a high octane game and we want to give the Danish poker players a special experience that will really boost their adrenaline levels. We have an expectation that it will be the most spectacular poker event Copenhagen has ever seen.”
While the event will likely be both entertaining and exciting, it is not suited for everyone. A PartyPoker spokesperson told Poker News Daily that one qualifier already changed his mind about participating once he realized just how high up 150 feet really was. Despite the one player’s reservations, the tournament is scheduled to proceed as planned and PartyPoker has several surprises in the works, including two celebrity players participating in the event.
This is actually not the first time poker has taken to the skies. In July of 2006, the online poker site InterPoker hosted a poker tournament aboard a plane as part of its Extreme Poker Tour. Five players, including Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, participated in a sit and go tournament in which participants were forced to sky dive off once they were eliminated. The Extreme Poker events also included two tournaments that took place underwater and one that was held on an Arctic ice shelf in Finland.
Poker in the Sky may not require its players to bungee jump from the sky-high platform back to the ground, but there should still be plenty of excitement and nerve-wracking action. “We think it will be a great spectacle and it also offers our players a unique experience if they have a head for heights,” a PartyPoker representative told Poker News Daily. There is no word yet on whether the event will be televised and more details about Poker in the Sky will be revealed in the days leading up to it. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Thursday, September 03, 2009
Casino News Media - Media Man Australia News Update
Global Gaming Directory Goes Live - 1st September 2009
Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment
Illegal bookmaker Approached Australian Ashes Player
Australian based Media Man Australia Affiliate Site Reports Happy Ending
Casino News Media - Media Man Australia News Update - 1st September 2009
Casino Attacks Continue in Australia - 26th August 2009
Million-Dollar Online Poker Tournament Next Month - August 2009
iPoker Network Launches Monthly Million Tournament
PartyCasino Releases More Slot Games - August 2009
PartyGaming Moves For World Poker Tour Assets With Superior Offer
Australian Pokies - most popular online slots
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Global Gaming Directory Goes Live - 1st September 2009
Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment
Illegal bookmaker Approached Australian Ashes Player
Australian based Media Man Australia Affiliate Site Reports Happy Ending
Casino News Media - Media Man Australia News Update - 1st September 2009
Casino Attacks Continue in Australia - 26th August 2009
Million-Dollar Online Poker Tournament Next Month - August 2009
iPoker Network Launches Monthly Million Tournament
PartyCasino Releases More Slot Games - August 2009
PartyGaming Moves For World Poker Tour Assets With Superior Offer
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Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Online firm buoyed by casino growth - 1st September 2009
Online gaming firm PartyGaming has said its casino operations had gone from "strength to strength" after a 17% surge in average daily revenues.
The owner of brands including PartyCasino and FoxyBingo said significant expansion in casino following the launch of 60 new games and a marketing drive helped deliver an "outstanding" first half performance for the division.
Underlying earnings in casino rose 34.8% to 36 million US dollars (£22.2 million) in the half year to June 30, with average daily revenues increasing 17% between the second and first quarters of the year.
The gains offset pressure on its PartyPoker division after strong competition left poker earnings 29% lower at 25.7 million US dollars (£15.8 million).
Overall group earnings from continuing operations fell to 60.7 million US dollars (£37.4 million) from 64.9 million US dollars a year earlier.
Chief executive Jim Ryan said: "Casino has been our star performer and continues to go from strength-to-strength, consolidating our position as the world's leading online casino."
Year-on-year currency movements meant total revenues fell to 201.3 million US dollars (£124.1 million), but the reverse impact on its cost base limited the fall in underlying earnings, the company said.
PartyGaming reported a bottom-line loss of 66.9 million US dollars (£41.2 million) due to payments associated with a non-prosecution agreement with US authorities.
The company offered internet gaming to players in the US, including poker, from 1997 until such services were banned in 2006. It voluntarily exited the market when the legislation came into force, but prior to October 2006 some US transactions were contrary to certain US laws.
It has agreed to pay 105 million US dollars (£70.7 million), payable in stages up until September 2012, in order to resolve the legacy issues.
Credit: PartyGaming, Wires, PA, Google News
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Online gaming firm PartyGaming has said its casino operations had gone from "strength to strength" after a 17% surge in average daily revenues.
The owner of brands including PartyCasino and FoxyBingo said significant expansion in casino following the launch of 60 new games and a marketing drive helped deliver an "outstanding" first half performance for the division.
Underlying earnings in casino rose 34.8% to 36 million US dollars (£22.2 million) in the half year to June 30, with average daily revenues increasing 17% between the second and first quarters of the year.
The gains offset pressure on its PartyPoker division after strong competition left poker earnings 29% lower at 25.7 million US dollars (£15.8 million).
Overall group earnings from continuing operations fell to 60.7 million US dollars (£37.4 million) from 64.9 million US dollars a year earlier.
Chief executive Jim Ryan said: "Casino has been our star performer and continues to go from strength-to-strength, consolidating our position as the world's leading online casino."
Year-on-year currency movements meant total revenues fell to 201.3 million US dollars (£124.1 million), but the reverse impact on its cost base limited the fall in underlying earnings, the company said.
PartyGaming reported a bottom-line loss of 66.9 million US dollars (£41.2 million) due to payments associated with a non-prosecution agreement with US authorities.
The company offered internet gaming to players in the US, including poker, from 1997 until such services were banned in 2006. It voluntarily exited the market when the legislation came into force, but prior to October 2006 some US transactions were contrary to certain US laws.
It has agreed to pay 105 million US dollars (£70.7 million), payable in stages up until September 2012, in order to resolve the legacy issues.
Credit: PartyGaming, Wires, PA, Google News
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