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.
Free Online Poker Thriving as Zynga Continues to Lose Ground
There was yet another blow Tuesday to the once powerful Zynga, home to what is still the largest free online poker site in the world.
Long time head of Zynga Poker, Laurence "Lo" Toney, became the 7th key executive in less than a month to announce his resignation from the company.
Most Aggressive State Against Online Gambling Maryland Spends $35.7 for Casino Push
Maryland wants to woo its residents to the polls and vote for gambling expansion next month. To date, $35.7 million has been spent by both supporters and opponents of a proposed new casino at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County. State residents have been inundated with more gambling ads than those airing for the US Presidential race.
There is certainly a bit of irony in Maryland’s desire to expand gambling in the state.
Gaming Board Says Video Poker Now Live in Illinois
CHICAGO (Associated Press) - The Illinois Gaming Board says video poker machines have been activated at 65 bars, restaurants and other locations throughout Illinois.
The board released a statement Tuesday announcing the long-anticipated start of video gaming. It says it's processing license applications for more than 2,200 other establishments, including fraternal organizations and truck stops. Each site must undergo a background check.
The manager of Chino's Pizzeria in the Chicago suburb of Justice says the restaurant's three machines came on around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Man Who Brought Down World Sports Exchange to be Profiled on ‘American Greed’ (Video)
Sir Allen Stanford is the next reputed con artist to be featured on CNBC’s must watch series “American Greed”.
Episode 67: Allen Stanford: The Dark Knight will air Wednesday, October 10th 10p | 1a ET. Check your local listings for repeats.
Jason Tompkins Leads at 2012 EPT Sanremo
At some point today Jason Tompkins may just have felt he was beginning to own this main event (The EPT Sanremo). The Irishman was among the first to break the million mark, then wasted little time turning that into 1.5 million before his stack peaked tonight at 2,423,000.
Carbon Poker Fixed Limit Poker Rake Improvements Announced
Fully admitting their limit rake structure has not necessarily been in line with the rest of the online gambling industry, Carbon Poker on Tuesday announced fixed limit poker rake improvements that should make players more than happy.
PokerStars to Offer First Live Poker Room in London
The world’s largest “real money” online poker room has made an equity investment in London’s newly opened Hippodrome Casino.
As part of the deal, Stars will offer the Hippodrome its own online poker room at a future date. PokerStars will also refurbish and re-brand the poker deck at the Hippodrome, becoming home to a series of new tournaments.
Guy Templer, group strategy director for PokerStars, said, “The Hippodrome has dramatically raised the quality bar for the UK casino industry.
Zynga Poker Loses Long Time GM
A seventh executive has left Zynga over the last month alone. This time it is Laurence Toney, General Manager of Zynga Poker.
"My departure is less about Zynga and more about the vast number of opportunities that currently exist in the Valley," Toney said of his departure to Mashable. "I have been approached by several organizations to lead teams and companies that I find exciting and compelling. It is the right time for me in my career to move on."
Americas Cardroom Combines Two Tourneys For One Mammoth $100K Guaranteed Sunday
What's better than giving online poker players a shot at one massive $50,000 guaranteed prize pool? The answer: Giving them a shot at two $50,000 guaranteed prize pools – on the same day.
Full Tilt Poker Confirms Isle of Man License
The Isle of Man, perhaps the single most respected Internet gambling licensing jurisdiction on the planet, has officially landed Full Tilt Poker, now acquired by another Manx operator, PokerStars.com.
Full Tilt Poker is slated to reopen November 6, 2012.
Gambling Deal Lifts Stock of Online Game Maker Glu
NEW YORK (Associated Press) — Shares of Glu Mobile Inc. got a boost Monday after the mobile game developer said it signed a gambling deal with Probability PLC.
THE SPARK: Glu said U.K.-based Probability will use existing Glu games to create mobile slot games under the Glu brand. The games will be distributed in Probability's regulated markets, first in the U.K. and Italy.
Inge Forsmo Still Leads at EPT Sanremo 2012
Norwegian PokerStars qualifier Inge Forsmo kept the chip lead for almost the whole of Day 3 of EPT Sanremo - and is still chip leader going into Day 4 with 66 players left. The 24-year-old from Lillestrøm has 1,021,000. Other players that will carry big stacks into Day 3 are Angelo Racchia (851,000), Carmelo Vasta (Carmelo Vasta), Giuseppe Ottaviani (810,000) and Eric Nhouyvanisvong (763,000).
Poker Pro Vadim Trincher Sues Trump Tower Over ‘Rampant Mold’
A professional poker player, Vadim Trincher, is suing Trump Tower for a “rampant mold” problem in his 63rd-floor condo he claims ruined some custom-made furniture and made his wife sick.
Trincher and his wife blame the damages on renovations carried out in the duplex above, which was once owned by Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, according to the Daily Mail.
From The Daily Mail:
Disputed Phil Ivey Winnings at London Casino Referred to Gambling Commission
The British Gambling Commission will review the disputed $11.7 million (£7.3m) won by poker pro Phil Ivey at the Genting-owned Crockford’s Casino back in August. Crockford’s has withheld payment of the monies due to Ivey for reasons not entirely known.
Court Orders Online Casino to Pay Back $1 Million
An Austrian High Court has ordered that an online casino based out of Malta to pay back $1 million euro in losses to a gambler after ruling the website did not have a proper license to operate.
Poker Player, Convicted Killer Joran van der Sloot Impregnates Woman While in Prison
Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, accused of killing a woman he met at a Lima, Peru casino while following the Latin American Poker Tour, has reportedly impregnated a woman as he serves a 28-year sentence at the notorious Castro Castro prison.
EPT9 Sanremo Updates 8 October
After starting the day with 430 players, more than half of those players were gone with just 160 going after the €800,000 first prize.
Inge Forsmo, a 24-year-old PokerStars.com qualifier from Norway, was leading the pack late night Sunday.
Another Stars qualifier, Charly Marracchione, was also among the top three chip leaders Sunday night.
From EPT9 sponsor PokerStars.com:
The Amazing Sam Trickett Leads Going Into Day 2 of EPT Sanremo 2012
Sam Trickett, the UK's top live tournament player, is chip leader going into Day 2 of EPT Sanremo, with 178,000. The 26-year-old Aussie Millions champ already has total tournament winnings of more than $17.4 million and was runner-up to Antonio Esfandiari in the WSOP One Drop event in July for $10.1m. Close behind is Swedish pro Alex Roumeliotis, who came second in the IPT High Roller on Friday for €83,200, and American Justin Bonomo, who won the Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final Super High Roller event in April.
London’s Oldest Casino Crockfords Refusing to Pay Poker Pro Phil Ivey £7.3m Winnings
The Genting-owned Crockfords, London’s oldest casino, is withholding payment of £7.3m in winnings to poker pro Phil Ivey while it conducts an investigation into his two-night winning streak.
The casino has yet to explain the what, if anything, Ivey is accused of.
EPT9 Sanremo End of Day 1A
Italian player Erion Islamay, who min-cashed here last season, is chip leader at the end of Day 1a of the EPT Sanremo Main Event. The 27-year-old from Trieste has 162,300.
A total of 172 players survived the day from the 320 who started at 2pm. Of the seven members of Team PokerStars Pro who started Day 1a, five are still in: Jason Mercier, fresh from his WSOP-E final table in Cannes, and Leo Fernandez, who won LAPT Panama on Sunday for $171,930 as well as Ana Marquez, Jude Ainsworth and Victor Ramdin as well as PokerStars Team Online’s Mickey Petersen.
Zynga Stocks Continue to Slide: World’s Largest Free Poker Site in Danger
Shares in Zynga, home to the world’s largest free play online poker site, continued to slide on Friday as the company slashed its guidance.
Shares of Zynga fell a whopping 17 percent Friday following news of a weak demand for its web-based games, including the once uber popular FarmVille.
Poker Pro Phil Hellmuth ‘I Played the Best Poker of My Life in this Tournament’ (Video)
A jubilant Phil Hellmuth celebrated his 13th World Series of Poker win, breaking his own record for number of gold bracelets won.
“I played the best poker of my life in this tournament,” he proclaimed, having led throughout the Final Thursday and ultimately defeating Ukrainian Sergii Baranov.
The shout outs were prevalent throughout the Twitter universe, even resulting in the “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson uttering a rare curse word.
Phil Hellmuth The Greatest Poker Player Ever
Phil Hellmuth has won his 13th World Series of Poker bracelet. Hellmuth had led with chips throughout the entire Final.
Following Stephane Albertini’s elimination in third place, it was Hellmuth vs. Sergii Baranov at the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Baranov, the latest in a line of successful Russian poker players, had already amassed over $200,000 in live tournament play prior to the WSOPE Main Event with two 1st place finishes since 2010.
First place walks away with the bracelet and €1,022,376. Second place takes €632,592.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell May Push for Legalized Internet Gambling
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid desperately wants to push through legislation that would make online poker legal. And now Minority Leader Mitch McConnell might have an interest in doing so as well.
Boyd Gaming and Station Casinos Approved for Internet Poker in Nevada
The Nevada Gaming Board has temporarily approved applications filed by Boyd Gaming and Station Casinos to operate online poker rooms within the Silver State.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will take up the matter Oct. 18 to determine final long-term approval.
Phil Hellmuth Nearing His 13th WSOP Bracelet Win
Over the next few hours we will know if Phil Hellmuth has won his 13th WSOP bracelet.
Bodog Shuts Down Poker Room for UK, Euro Players
Bodog Poker announced Wednesday night it will no longer be servicing players in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Earlier this summer the company closed off accounts of those living in much of Eastern Europe.
Bodog claims it is focusing on the ex-pat market throughout Asia.
This was a notice sent out to affiliate partners of the site:
Dear Partners,
Phil Hellmuth Leads at Final Table of 2012 World Series of Poker Europe
Phil Hellmuth is gunning for his 13th World Series of Poker gold bracelet as he leads at the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) heading into the final. Hellmuth already holds the record for most bracelets won.
Also making the table is big name player Jason Mercier, who himself has two WSOP bracelets under his belt.
Here’s the final table lineup:
Revolution Gaming Nabs CarbBet.com Poker
With IGT/Entraction getting out of the online poker sector, numerous skins (cardrooms) have had to find new homes. It was announce this week that Cardbet.com Poker would be moving to the newly formed Revolution Gaming Network on November 1.
Cardbet owns four whitelabel skins: SuomiVegas.com, Metspoker.com, M8poker.com and Pro-factory.com.
Revolution Gaming is the largest US-friendly online poker network though Cardbet.com does not currently accept US players and has no plans to do so at the moment.
Full Tilt Poker Payment Processor Chad Elie Sentenced to Five Months in Prison
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - A man who processed money illegally for three Internet poker companies whose U.S. operations were shut down has been sentenced in New York to five months in prison by a judge who says he played a "catch me if you can" game with the government.
Las Vegas resident Chad Elie was sentenced Wednesday by federal Judge Lewis Kaplan. The judge says evidence showed Elie didn't really care he was committing crimes even after he realized others in the online poker conspiracy were getting arrested.
