Poker

Unshuffled Cards a Costly Headache for Atlantic City

Wayne Parry, Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — At first, it seemed like a coincidence, the kind of thing that happens from time to time at a casino, where the same number or same sequence of cards happens twice in a row.

But when the players at an April game of mini-baccarat at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City kept seeing the same sequence of cards dealt, over and over and over again, their eyes grew wide and their bets grew bigger, zooming from $10 a hand to $5,000.

Playtech, iPoker Internet Poker Network’s Teddy Sagi to Float Energy Company Genesis

Teddy Sagi, the Israeli billionaire who founded online gambling software firm Playtech and its Web poker network iPoker, is set to float his energy company on London’s AIM this week.

Genesis Energy, a Middle East focused gas explorer, is 40 percent owned by Sagi. 

It is his intent to raise between $90m-$120m through the Initial Public Offering, valuing the group’s equity at as much as £500m.

If successful, the IPO would be the largest on Aim this year.

Aku Joentausta Leads After Day 1A of 2012 EPT Barcelona Main Event

A total of 222 players made it through Day 1a of the €5,000 EPT Barcelona Main Event today, from the 403 who started at lunchtime. The chip leader is Finnish PokerStars qualifier Aku Joentausta with 236,200.

Seven members of Team PokerStars Pro are still in: Lex Veldhuis, Juan 
Manuel Pastor, Pius Heinz, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Henrique Pinho, 
Marcin Horecki and Matthias De Meulder.

The cap for Day 1b is set at 630.

Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom on Fire With Another $317k Online Poker Win

The Swedish poker wunderkind is on fire these days, winning yet another $317k.

That’s the take Viktor “Isildur1” Blom walked away with over the weekend playing against Great Britain’s Alex "Kanu7" Millar.

Blom engaged in an eight hour $100/$200 NLHE heads up marathon match with PokerStars leading NLHE money winner for the past two years.

From HighStakesDB.com: 

Steve O’Dwyer Leads at EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller 2012

America pro Steve O’Dwyer is leading the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller with 36 players remaining from the 54 who started the day. After eight levels of play, O’Dwyer was in good shape with a massive chip stack of 1,249,000, almost double his next rival, fellow American Erik Seidel. O’Dwyer, who hails from Pennsylvania, had a stonking year during last year’s EPT season, including runner-up finishes in the EPT London Main Event and the EPT Campione €10,000 event.

Jake Gyllenhaal to Star in Latest Gambling Flick ‘Mississippi Grind’

Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal is getting set to film the latest gambling themed film, “Mississippi Grind”.

The directing duo of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are behind the project.  Both previously directed Ryan Gosling to a best actor Oscar nomination for “Half Nelson”.

Hollywood Reporter provided a description of the upcoming film: 

Zynga Poker Coming to Nokia Asha Touch Devices

Nokia today announced they will bring Zynga Inc.'s global hit games, Draw Something and Zynga Poker, to Nokia Asha Touch devices in Q3 2012 as part of their partnership announced earlier this summer. Nokia Asha Touch users can soon challenge their friends to a round of the popular social drawing and guessing game, or enjoy their own virtual poker match. Zynga's Draw Something and Zynga Poker will both be free to download from the Nokia Store.

Howard Lederer Parties it Up in Las Vegas as DOJ Now ‘Flush With Full Tilt Poker Money’

Wendeen H. Eolis of Poker Player Newspaper was the first to reveal that great news was on tap for those owed monies by Full Tilt Poker.  She’s proven to be an excellent resource for the poker community. 

On Thursday, Ms. Eolis reveals that the “face behind Full Tilt Poker” over the past several years, Howard Lederer, was seen partying it up in Las Vegas after the deal was made official. 

Zynga Adds Real Money Gambling: Spends $75k on Lobbying Efforts

The Wall Street Journal late Wednesday reported that Zynga, the publicly traded social gaming behemoth, has spent upwards of $75,000 lobbying in the United States to legalize online gambling.  The primary focus up to this point appears to be in the state of California, where a current measure to legalize Web poker in the Golden State is expected to die by month’s end.

Facebook Insider Lockup Ending, Share Impact to be Seen Thursday

On Thursday (August 16, 2012) we will get to see how Wall Street reacts to a deluge of Facebook shares hitting the market following the end of a so-called “lockup period”.

Since the largest social media network went public back in May, the share price has fallen from a peak of $45 to Wednesday’s closing price of $20.74. 

Reuters Doris Frankel suggests the stock's slump may actually work in Facebook’s favor this week as insider’s may be less inclined to dump the 271 million shares that are unlocked on Thursday, hopeful of a fast recovery. 

Book on Absolute Poker to be Written by Ben Mezrich (Video)

Appearing on CNBC’s “The Squawk Box” Wednesday, author Ben Mezrich revealed he is writing a book about Absolute Poker, an online poker site caught up in a series of indictments last year.

The author of “Bringing Down The House” and “The Accidental Billionaires” sure will have plenty of material to work with.  In addition to last year’s indictments that resulted in the ultimate shutdown of Absolute Poker and its sister site, UB.com, the online poker room was once embroiled in an “insider cheating scandal” that would later be profiled by the CBS news magazine show “60 Minutes”. 

Friends Fear Michael Phelps Wants to Become Poker Pro, Will Squander His $45 Mil (Video)

With one of the greatest poker players to ever live, Phil Hellmuth, gushing all over one of the greatest Olympians who has ever lived, Michael Phelps, it’s no wonder the rumor mill is alive with talk that Phelps is preparing to embark on a professional poker career.

Poker Phenom Viktor Blom Ends Sponsorship Deal With PokerStars

Famed Swedish online poker player Viktor “Isildur1” Blom has ended his representation of the world’s largest online poker room, PokerStars, after nearly a two-year relationship.

DOJ Help Wanted Ad Looking for Full Tilt Poker Claims Administrator

The DOJ is hiring thanks to Full Tilt Poker.

A Help Wanted ad posted this week is requesting the assistance of an independent Claims Administrator to assist in the facilitation of payments to those owed monies by Full Tilt Poker customers.