Poker

What are some of the hottest headlines in the world of poker? Here you will find all the latest juicy stories along with other important news and tournament results. A must read for the poker enthusiast with articles published throughout the day.

2012 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Day 1B Results

2012 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Day 1B results had Christ Summer leading in the chip count after Day 1B while combined results had Bryce Yockey as the two day chip leader. 

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Among the more recognizable names within the top 10 were Michael Mizrachi with 129,900 chips.  He sat in 6th place.

JC Tran was also among the top 10 chip leaders. 

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Mar/07/2012

Playtech Enters Into Online Gambling Agreement With Mexico’s Caliente

Online gambling software firm Playtech has entered into an agreement with Mexico’s land-based casino and sportsbook operator, Caliente, to provide the company with online gambling software.

Caliente is looking to provide a suite of casino games created by Playtech.

“We are delighted to have secured this agreement with one of Latin America's largest and most respected gaming operators with whom, over time, we expect to develop a valuable relationship,” said Mor Weizer, Chief Executive Officer for Playtech.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/06/2012

Wired.com: Uncle Sam’s Iron Grip on the .Com Domain Name

In light of several high profile seizures of .com domain names within the online gambling sector as well as Web streaming and imitation merchandise, Wired.com has published a well thought out piece regarding the current climate and how Uncle Sam is expected to continue going after .com domains.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/06/2012

Full Tilt Poker Head Ray Bitar: ‘I’m Sorry’

In his first interview since Full Tilt Poker went belly up last summer owing countless numbers of customers millions of dollars, CEO Ray Bitar tells the poker world “I’m sorry”

Bitar, along with other Internet poker execs from three different companies, were indicted last April, charged with bank fraud and money laundering.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mar/06/2012

Barron’s Maintains ‘Neutral’ Position on Shuffle Master

Following its announced intention to acquire the world’s 5th biggest Internet poker network by year’s end, OnGame, Shuffle Master has positioned itself at the forefront of a regulated US online poker market assuming either state or federal legislation becomes a reality. 

Still, Barron’s has decided to maintain a “neutral” position regarding Shuffle Master.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/06/2012

Poker Maximus Announces Increased Guaranteed Prize Pools

Poker Maximus has taken off once again as the three tournaments scheduled for today, March 6th, have all seen there guaranteed prize pools increase dramatically.

Submitted by Matt Skinner on, Mar/06/2012

Carbon Poker Bad Beat Jackpot Pays Out Nearly 200k Monday Night

The Carbon Poker Bad Beat Jackpot has paid out a whopping $184,526 Monday night.  Our friends from Carbon provided Gambling911.com with a breakdown as to exactly how it all went down.

Just a quick note:  These Bad Beat Jackpots have often paid out more than the amount we witnessed Monday night. 

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Mar/06/2012

NJ Sen. Jim Whelan: ‘I Feel Like I Am Being Blackmailed (By Horse Racing Association)’

A measure to legalized online gambling in New Jersey has moved one step closer to reality with a 3-0 passage in the state senate.  Horse racing groups have threatened a derailment of the bill after an earlier funding commitment was removed however.

Racing industry lobbyist Barbara DeMarco has hinted at possible legal action, telling the Daily Record:  “Undoubtedly the racing industry will push to have a constitutional amendment.”

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/06/2012

PartyPoker Widens Margin Between It and iPoker Network

After alternating between the number two and number three spot with the iPoker Network over the past 7 months, PartyPoker has finally taken a decisive lead over its closest rival. 

For the first week of March, Party had approximately 800 more players on average according to PokerScout.com, which monitors traffic on poker websites across the globe. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/06/2012

Zoom Poker to Begin Accepting Real Money Play Next Week

PokerStars variation of the now defunct Full Tilt Poker faced-paced ring game brand Rush Poker is set to begin accepting real money next week.

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The announcement comes just days after Stars released the product for test play.

From PokerFuse.com:

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/06/2012

Double-Murderer Poker Pro was Devout Mormon Opposed to Gambling

What's up with the Mormon Church and gambling?

Mormons are supposed to be against all vice, including premarital sex, smoking, drinking, drugs and even cursing.

And, of course, gambling is on that list.

But, in recent weeks, some of the most famous Mormons in the U.S. have expressed their love and affinity for gambling.

And now it has been revealed that one of the most infamous Mormons in the country is a true devotee of gambling who made a living at it!

Submitted by Thomas Somach on, Mar/05/2012

Online Poker Legalization in New Jersey Inches Closer to Reality

A New Jersey state Senate panel on Monday approved a revised bill that would allow state residents to gamble online, but an Assembly committee hearing earlier in the day did not lead to a vote.

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If a referendum is required, online poker may not become a reality in New Jersey until the earliest on November. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mar/05/2012

ShuffleMaster Enters Into Agreement to Purchase OnGame

The OnGame Poker Network may be coming to the US market now that ShuffleMaster has announced its agreement to purchase the European online poker firm. 

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The deal is actually contingent upon the US market opening up for real money play.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/05/2012

TwoPlusTwo.com Wins Summary Judgment Against Poker Pro Dutch Boyd

The popular poker forum and literature sales site, TwoPlusTwo.com announced this past weekend it had won a summary judgment against poker pro Dutch Boyd after his registration of a similar domain name.  The Owner and Publisher of TwoPlusTwo.com, Mason Malmuth, considered Boyd’s move a form of “cybersquatting” 

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Malmuth issued this statement on Friday. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/05/2012

Online Poker Room Allows Re-entry of Tournament After Busting Out, Join New Table

Talk about feeling invincible at the tables. US-friendly online poker site Americas Cardroom today announced the launch of Re-Entry tourneys, a new tournament feature that allows players to get back into a tourney after they've busted out, and join a new table with a refreshed chip stack as if nothing happened.

Submitted by Guest on, Mar/05/2012

Bodog Shuts Down Costa Rica Office

Bodog has shut down its Costa Rica based office.  Employees reported arriving to find they were locked out. 

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The company still operates from bases outside of Montreal, Quebec, Antigua and in London. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mar/05/2012

British Poker Player Faces Murder Charges in US: Allegedly Killed Wife

British poker player Marcus Bebb-Jones, 48,  is accused of killing his wife and dumping her body in western Colorado in 1997.  A preliminary hearing has been running from February 24 and is scheduled to end March 15.

A judge will decide if there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial. 

British police arrested Bebb-Jones in Worcestershire, England, in 2009. He was extradited only after prosecutors said they would seek a life sentence and not a death sentence if convicted of killing his then wife, Sabrina Bebb-Jones. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/05/2012

Ernie Scherer III Poker Murders Gets Heavy Traction With ’48 Hours Mysteries’

Saturday night turned out to be a banner night for Gambling911.com with mega traffic following the ’48 Hours Mysteries” segment on Ernie Scherer III, the man sentenced for the bludgeoning of both his parents in 2008. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Mar/04/2012

State Legislators Want Push to Legalize Online Gambling at Federal Level Stopped

The push to legalize Internet gambling at the federal level seems to be losing steam as individual states jump head first into the fray.

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The National Conference of State Legislatures has come out in opposition to the federal legalization of Internet poker, writing a letter addressed to both Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mar/02/2012

Cyprus Drops Gambling Charges Against Grannies

(Reuters) - Cyprus authorities say they will drop charges against dozens of elderly women for gambling after reports of their prosecution triggered disbelief among the public.

Some 42 women aged between 60 and 98 had received a summons to appear in court this month after police nabbed them playing a local version of gin rummy at a private residence in 2009.

Gambling for even the smallest amounts - in the women's case, police netted a total figure of about 100 euros ($130) - is banned on the east Mediterranean island.

Submitted by Guest on, Mar/02/2012

888 Poker Cam Ad Banned for Displaying Bikini Clad Female

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in Great Britain is at it again, this time condemning 888 Poker Cam for featuring an ad with a bikini-clad woman.

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The ASA calls the ad “suggestive” with the implied message being “gambling linked to seduction results in sexual success in bed”.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/02/2012

Memo to Calvin Ayre: Head for Hong Kong…or Zimbabwe!

They say Laos is lovely this time of year.

So are Qatar, Angola and Nepal.

Vietnam gets a little hot, however, as does Cambodia and Indonesia.

And of course Libya, Tunisia and Syria are hot spots right now too, but in a different way.

For Canadian billionaire and Bodog.com founder Calvin Ayre, however, these Third-World hell-holes might be looking like islands of paradise right about now.

Submitted by Thomas Somach on, Mar/02/2012

Poker Player Who Murdered Parents Ernie Scherer to be Profiled on 48 Hours Mystery

Gambling911.com was the first site to break the news that Ernie Scherer III, a poker player who killed both his parents in cold blood, would be profiled on the CBS news magazine “48 Hours Mystery”.  Saturday, March 3 at 10 pm EST, you can finally watch the segment. 

The Scherer story was already profiled on NBC’s “Dateline”, delivering significant traffic to the Gambling911.com website.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mar/01/2012

Largest Poker Room in Florida Opens: Best Bet at Regency in Jacksonville

March 1, 2012 marked the opening of Florida’s largest poker room, the Best Bet at the Regency in Jacksonville.

News 4 Jacksonville reported there was a line outside the door

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Mar/01/2012

Pirates Come to Ayre’s Defense

The Pirate Party of Canada has lashed out at the US Government’s indictment of native son and Bodog founder, Calvin Ayre. 

BetOnline

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/01/2012

Doyle Brunson: ‘Full Tilt Poker Deal Likely to Fall Apart’

Though Full Tilt Poker’s French suitors attorneys continue to insist the deal to acquire the troubled company is still in, Texas Dolly and poker icon Doyle Brunson agrees with a number of other pros who have come forward to express their concerns, suggesting the deal is likely to fall apart. 

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Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Mar/01/2012

98-Year-Old Woman, 40 Other Seniors Charged in Poker Raid

A 98-year-old woman and 40 other female senior citizens have been charged in Cyprus after a raid on their weekly poker party.  (woman shown in photo is not individual charged)

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Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Mar/01/2012

Zynga May Partner in Online Gambling Venture

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--Zynga Inc. (ZNGA) Chief Executive Mark Pincus said Wednesday he sees "mind blowing" possibilities for weaving real-money gambling into social games pending regulatory changes in the U.S., and suggested the company may partner with a traditional casino company before the end of this year.

Pincus, speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, said his San Francisco-based company sees a great deal of opportunity "to start to bring this gambling element into more than just casino games."

Submitted by Guest on, Feb/29/2012

Epic Failure: Epic Poker League Files for Chapter 11 Protection

There is no easy way to say this, but, at the end of the day yesterday, Federated Sports + Gaming filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Our company needs a new start.

Submitted by Guest on, Feb/29/2012

Think the US is Bad When it Comes to Online Gambling: The Dutch are Far Worse

When one thinks of the Netherlands, the first thing that typically pops into their mind is the European nation’s liberal stance on just about everything from smoking pot to legalized prostitution.  When it comes to online gambling, however, Holland’s approach has become even more hard line than that of the United States. 

The Dutch Supreme Court this week ordered Internet gambling firms that operate outside the country to install blocking software to prevent its citizens from gaining access to said sites. 

Say what? 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Feb/29/2012

Breaking News

Sweepstakes Casinos: A New Direction For Gambling

Sweepstakes Casinos: A New Direction For Gambling

The world of casino games is constantly evolving and we are seeing new trends emerge that might change the future of online gambling. The most recent viral trend that is taking the online casino industry by storm is called sweepstakes casinos. So, what are they and how they can change the entire industry?