Poker
Bachus Back Against The Wall: "I'm not Going to Let People Distort What I Do.”
While much of the attention on an “insider trading” scandal in the Congress has focused on Alabama Republican Spencer Bachus (perhaps rightfully so), this ardent supporter of online gambling prohibition wasn’t exactly alone in his craftiness.
Both Speaker John Boehner and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi also have egg on their respective faces right now following the airing of a “60 Minutes” piece this past Sunday.
Matusow Brothers Family Feud Tame Compared to These Rivalries (Video)
This week, the colorful poker playing Matusow brothers, Scott and Mike, went at it in a public forum. Scott accused his brother Mike of being a drug and gambling addict.
Scott had this to offer on his blog:
Full Tilt Poker’s Chris Ferguson Responds to US Justice Dept Complaint
Full Tilt Poker stakeholder and professional player Chris Ferguson filed motions with the US Southern District of New York Court on Tuesday requesting to bring on board an out-of-state attorney, Ian J. Imrich.
Some of those motions filed lay claim to funds seized as part of a massive probe into Full Tilt Poker and two company executives, both of whom were indicted on April 15. Charges included money laundering and bank fraud.
Family Dysfunction: Scott Matusow Calls Out Brother Mike as Gambling, Drug Addict
Two of the more colorful characters in the poker world, Mike and Scott Matusow, are apparently at odds, and it’s all taking place publicly a la Facebook.
TwoPlusTwo.com offered up the lively (and sometimes disturbing) chat between the two men.
Two Hearings on Internet Poker Scheduled for This Week
It’s a busy week for the Internet poker sector as two hearings will be held in Washington regarding the legalization and regulation of the activity in the USA. A previous hearing took place last month.
Thursday November 17 there will be a Senate Committee hearing that will focus exclusively on Indian affairs called “The Future of Internet Gaming, What’s at Stake for Tribes?”
Tax Free Poker: 2011 WSOP Champ Pius Heinz Will Keep Entire $8.7 Million
This year’s World Series of Poker champion Pius Heinz will not have to pay any taxes on his $8.7 million in winnings it was revealed on Tuesday. The German player outlasted 6865 players to win the 2011 WSOP last week.
From DailyFinance.com:
Tower Poker Moves to Cake Poker Network: Still Will Not Accept US Customers
Pro-friendly Tower Poker, owned by TowerGaming, has made the move to the Cake Poker Network from Ongame. While Cake Poker accepts US customers, Tower Poker will not be permitting players from the US.
Tower has a reputation for permitting unlimited reload bonuses and VIP promotions while accommodating more high-end players. In recent months, Ongame has focused more heavily on a recreational player base.
Cake Poker Online Poker Network Allowing HUDs Data
Cake Poker announced last week that it will officially begin permitting HUDS such as Poker Tracker and Hold’em Manager. HUDs stands for Heads-Up-Display, which is a third party software that permits data to be displayed right on the poker table.
HUDS provide better insight into an opponent’s behavior/play, allowing for better decision making and potential increase in profit.
Online Poker Traffic Crashes Nearly 8 Percent
The world’s online poker traffic fell a staggering 8 percent this week following the conclusion of PokerStars 70 billionth hand promotion. That site witnessed a remarkable 22 percent rise in overall traffic last week, which helped boost the industry overall to a 12.5 percent rise.
Calls for Spencer Bachus Resignation Following 60 Minutes Insider Trading Report (Video)
He is the most outspoken critic of legalized online gambling while remaining mostly silent on more serious issues like Wall Street insider trading. Now we might know why he has avoided delving into the later subject.
There is a public outcry for the resignation of Alabama Republican Congressman Spencer Bachus following a 60 Minutes report that aired this past Sunday linking him to the receipt of nonpublic information as a means of gaining an edge in the stock market (a la “insider trading”).
Meet Demo Kiriopoulos: The New $136K Winner of the Punta Cana Poker Classic (Video)
Demo Kiriopoulosis the new champion Punta Cana Poker Classic champion in the event’s sophomore year. He is the second Canadian to be crowned. Demo went head to head with Bodog Poker qualifier Evan Mauer.
The event’s sideline blogger, CrazyJulius, noted: “After 5 hours and 45 minutes of heads-up play he got all of his chips in holding A 10 and the poker gods were kind enough to give him a 10-K-10 board to take down the last pot of the Punta Cana Poker Classic.
Performa 11 Performance Art Festival to Feature 7 Days Straight Strip Poker Show (Video)
Forget the argument as to whether poker is a game of chance or skill, now it’s becoming an art form.
Participants in the Performa 11 performance art festival in the Tribeca section of New York City are taking part in the voyeuristic “I’ll Raise You One...,” a continuous strip poker session that Kicked off on November 12 and goes on for 7 days.
California and Tribal Casinos Gearing up for Legalized Internet Poker
Two bills have been drafted that would legalize Internet poker in the state of California. Many believe that a regulated Web poker industry in the world’s 8th largest economy could serve as the perfect cure for California’s financial woes.
From VegasInc.com:
Nevada to Begin Granting Internet Poker Licenses
Nevada’s state Gaming Control Board will begin issuing licenses for operation of Internet poker sites beginning in February. The licenses would be granted much faster for those casino firms already holding a gaming license in the state.
Once granted a license, companies would only be permitted to offer online poker within the state’s boundaries in specified settings such as in the casinos and racetracks themselves.
Demo Kirlopoulos Wins 2011 Punta Cana Classic: Canada Takes Crown Again
It was Evan Mauer vs. Demo Kirlopoulos or USA vs. Canada at this year’s Punta Cana Poker Classic following the eliminations of Greg Bastin in 3rd place (from the USA).
The final was decided at almost exactly 1 AM EST.
This matchup lasted for a number of hours after the third elimination was determined.
Demo Kirlopoulos: 5,100,000
Evan Mauer: 3,300,000
Kirlopoulos is one happy camper, having ultimately won the tournament, leaving with $136,949 and surviving a field of 415.
Four Remain at 2011 Punta Cana Poker Classic
Just prior to 7:30 pm local time, the 2011 Punta Cana Poker Classic bid farewell to two more players, leaving three to battle it out after the extended 1.5 hour dinner break.
The 4th place prize pays $33,615. The third place prize will pay $54,779, 2nd pays $82,791 and 1st place pays an amazing $136,949. That is close to three times as much as last year’s 1st place prize.
Gone are Jose Barria (6) and Engelberth Varela (5).
CrazyJulius called both:
Jose De La Guardia, Bill Wellman Out of Punta Cana Poker Classic (Video)
Two successful poker players have been eliminated from the 2011 Punta Cana Poker Classic final table with the field down to 7 by 6:30 pm local time Sunday.
Jose De La Guardia and William Wellmen were both eliminated.
Wellman took 1st place back in January at the Tunica World Series of Poker Circuit Event No Limit Hold’em.
Punta Cana Poker Classic Final Table Kicks Off Late: Jessica Bedoya Out (Video)
The 2011 Punta Cana Poker Classic Final got under way just before 4 pm local time (one hour before Eastern), almost an hour behind schedule.
The Second Chance Tournament, which attracted more than last year’s main event with 215 participants, got under way a little earlier.
Jessica Bedoya busted at 4 pm EST. She was the first to go, thus eliminating the chance of a female winning this year’s event. Nevertheless, congratulations go out to Ms. Bedova, who recently finished 3rd at this year’s LAPT Columbia.
BetCRIS.com Punta Cana Poker Qualifiers Were Huge in South America
A few years back, BetCRIS.com decided to focus its primary attention on the Latin American market. In fact, they completely exited the North American market all together.
As a result, BetCRIS has become the biggest online gambling website in Latin America that caters to both poker players and sports bettors.
Punta Cana Poker Classic 2011 Final Table Announced
The Punta Cana Poker Classic 2011 Final Table has been determined just shortly after 7 pm local time. Alberto Fonseca of Costa Rica has been eliminated in 10th place. Both he and his son were in the money.
The finalists appear below. We will have the chip count later on coming into Saturday’s final.
Jose de le Guardia
Engelberth Varela
Jessica Perez Eliminated From Punta Cana Poker Classic
After a great run, Cuban poker player Jessica Perez has been knocked out of the Punta Cana Poker Classic 2011 in 11th place. Only one other female remained as the Final table was to be determined.
CrazyJulius provided us with the breakdown….
Caesar’s Head Gary Loveman: “$5 Billion From Internet Poker in US a Conservative Figure”
Caesars Entertainment Corp. Chairman Gary Loveman, speaking during the company's third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts, said he believed his casino operation would have an Internet poker site up and running within 12 to 14 months of legislation passing in the US. He also balked at the idea that the industry would take in a mere $5 billion.
Punta Cana Classic 2011 Bubble Boy Is….
The poor sap who was on the bubble managed to get eliminated just before making it into the cashout category of 50 players Thursday evening.
Jose Luis Ruiz is our bubble boy. Jose Luis min-raise to 15,000, the small blinds moves out of the way and Jared Pacifie comes over the top, Jared made it to around 120,000 and put Jose’s life at risk. Jose thinks for a few minutes and decided to make the call.
WSOP Champ Pius Heinz The "Poker Pope" in Native Germany
2011 World Series of Poker champ Pius Heinz received a heroes welcome of sorts in his native Germany, where he is being hailed as the “Poker Pope”.
Heinz is the first German to win a WSOP main event. The 22-year-old from Cologne is bound to draw plenty of attention having won a whopping $8.7 million and some change.
Afterwards, he celebrated with fellow third place finisher and “Poker Player of the Year” Ben Lamb.
Tatjana Pasalic at the Punta Cana Poker Classic: “I Think It’s Awesome”
Sadly, the three big name Bodog Poker female pros, Tatjana Pasalic, Amanda Leatherman and Evelyn Ng all busted out of the 2011 Punta Cana Poker Classic before making the top 50 in-the-money.
Remaining Punta Cana Poker Classic Players Now in the Money
At approximately 10:45 pm local time Thursday evening, the 51st player was eliminated from this year’s Punta Cana Poker Classic. He goes home with….well….nothing.
50th place through 1st place will all finish in the money.
Among the notables still in: Panamanian pros Bolivar Palacios and Jose Miguel de la Guardia.
Punta Cana Poker Classic Day 2 Underway
Day 2 of the Punta Cana Poker Classic 2011 was underway with the field dropping fast. A dinner break was going from 7 pm local time to around 8 pm with play expected to last throughout the late evening.
It was a beautiful day here in Punta Cana with sunny skies and a brisk breeze off the ocean. The Gambling911.com crew spent much of the day sipping Pina Coladas on the beach as play was about to resume.
Someone on Saturday was going to win $136,950. Gambling911.com will be here to break the news who wins when it happens.
Follow Up Hearing On Internet Poker Scheduled
The US Government is inching closer to legalizing Internet poker as a follow up hearing has just been scheduled for November 18. Once again, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade will oversee the hearing. A list of speakers is yet to be finalized.
Last month’s hearing focused mostly on the pros of online poker with concerns expressed over Indian gaming sovereignty, under aged gambling and collusion in card rooms, specifically how to prevent so-called “bots”.
Jessica Perez of Cuba Making Waves at Punta Cana Classic: Tears Shed by Some
Cuban player Jessica Perez was among the chip leaders ending play early Thursday morning at this year’s Punta Cana Poker Classic. A total of 415 players ultimately registered. The second annual event required a room three times the size of last year’s event, which featured just over 200 players.
