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.
Early Christmas Gift: Department of Justice Changes Position on Internet Gambling
The DOJ was playing Santa Claus for the Internet poker industry coming into this Christmas weekend.
The Department of Justice on Friday announced it has changed its long held stance related to Internet gambling. The federal Wire Act of 1961 will now only apply to sports betting and not to online poker.
“The Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”) has analyzed the scope of the Wire Act, 18 U.S.c § 1084, and concluded that it is limited only to sports betting,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in a letter on Friday.
Are WSOP Main Event Winners Jinxed?
2010 Champ Duhamel Latest to Court Lady Luck Then Madam Misfortunate
Is the World Series of Poker Main Event jinxed?
Or more precisely, is the winner of that prestigious annual tournament jinxed?
Looks like.
Jonathan Duhamel, winner of the 2010 WSOP Main Event, this week became just the latest WSOP Main Event champ to be struck by a stroke of major bad luck not long after winning the title.
Jonathan Duhamel WSOP Bracelet Stolen in Home Invasion
Jonathan Duhamel, last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event winner, became the victim of a brutal home invasion Wednesday. Two masked men forced their way into his home in a suburb of Montreal, beating up Duhamel and getting away with his diamond encrusted WSOP bracelet.
World Series of Poker Champ Jonathan Duhamel Hospitalized After Brutal Home Invasion
The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner, Jonathan Duhamel, was released from a hospital after being attacked during a home invasion Wednesday.
The crime occurred at his home outside Montreal in the Boucherville borough, which is known to have a relatively low crime rate.
Quadjacks Thursday 5 PM EST: PPA Director to Discuss I. Nelson Rose Joe Bartton Flap
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Richard Muny is slated to appear on the popular Quadjacks.com Live Internet Radio Stream Thursday afternoon to offer his opinion on the controversy swirling around noted industry attorney I. Nelson Rose and his disparaging comments about Republican Texas Congressman Joe Barton.
Rep. Barton has sponsored a bill that would allow online poker at the federal level.
Wall Street Journal: Nevada Sets Stage for Online Poker
The Wall Street Journal released an article on Wednesday focusing on what will soon become Nevada’s intrastate online poker industry. The Silver State hopes to ultimately serve as the hub for a national industry once federal legislation is passed.
The state's gambling regulator will vote Thursday on rules that would allow companies to apply for licenses to operate poker websites in Nevada.
Absolute Poker Founder Brent Buckley No Rat Says Website
The founder of an online poker website, Brent Buckley, plead guilty on Tuesday to violation of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and money laundering/bank fraud. As a result, he is expected to serve up to 18 months in prison. Based on past cases involving similar charges, it is doubtful Mr. Buckley will serve more than a year behind bars. Buckley was among those charged April 15 as part of a multiyear investigation into three online poker ventures including Mr.
PartyPoker to Make Multi-Table Tournaments Rake Free in January (2012)
PartyPoker, which has been alternating with rival iPoker Network, for the coveted second most trafficked online poker room, has announced it will make multi-table tournaments rake free during the month of January.
PartyPoker.com attempted a similar scheme back in the summer following the collapse of then number two Web poker room, Full Tilt Poker.
Poker Pro Peter Eastgate Jumps Into Ice Cold Harbor (Video)
Danish poker pro Peter Eastgate took the plunge into the icy waters of the Copenhagen harbor this week.
Eastgate, the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event winner, accepted a $6000 bet to jump into the freezing cold water then run home 2.6 miles in his soaking wet clothing.
Gavin Cochrane, Viktor Blom, Dimedroll Win Some, Give Some Back
Gavin Cochrane, also known as “gavz101” online, managed to win $130K this week, digging himself out of a $350K hole from last week. His play involved stakes from $25/$50 up to $100/$200 PLO in three bursts of play through the day.
Minted Poker Bug Exposes Mucked Hole Cards Without Showdown
The PokerFuse.com website was reporting on Tuesday that a bug on the Everleaf Network’s biggest online poker room skin, Minted Poker, was exposing mucked hole cards without a showdown.
PokerFuse.com reported:
The hand replayer in the browser client of Minted Poker was revealing the hole cards of all players – even of those that folded before showdown.
Poker Players Alliance Lashes Out at iGaming Attorney I. Nelson Rose’s Attacks on Barton
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) came out swinging Tuesday, expressing frustration with noted Internet gambling attorney I. Nelson Rose. The attorney has, in recent interviews, attacked Texas Republican Joe Barton, author of a bill to legalize online poker in the US.
Carbon, Merge Poker Traffic Up 74 Percent, Bodog Traffic Stabilizes
Merge Gaming Network climbed to ninth place after spending seven weeks in 10th, according to the popular traffic monitoring website PokerScout.com.
Online Poker Founder Brent Beckley Pleads Guilty in U.S. Fraud Case
By Thom Weidlich - Dec 20, 2011 12:02 PM ET
(Bloomberg) - Brent Beckley, a founder of Absolute Poker of Costa Rica, pleaded guilty in a U.S. illegal-gambling case that seeks at least $3 billion in forfeitures and penalties.
California Online Poker Bill on Back Burner Until the Summer
California wants online poker legalized and they need online poker legalized to help pay the bills.
But for once maybe, the state legislature wants to sit back and “do things right”.
That will happen after they return from a three-month vacation. Yes, this is the state that is dead broke and the state legislators get to take a three month vacation.
Barney Frank Has Joined the Infamous Club of Celebrity Nip Slips (Video)
Yes it’s true, Democratic Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank has joined the infamous club of celebrity nip slips.
Frank, who has been a huge supporter of one’s right to gamble online, appeared in a CSPAN video recently with a wardrobe malfunction.
From PerezHilton.com:
Chris Klodnicki Wins Epic Poker League Main Event Number 3
Chris Kladnicki was crowned the winner of the Epic Poker League Main Event number 3 and the $801,680 that went with it.
888 Strong End to 2011
(Reuters) - British online gaming company 888 Holdings Plc. said it expects core profit for 2011 to be significantly above market expectations, aided by strength in its casino and poker businesses.
Cash-strapped Britons are staying at home more, watching TV and gambling online, updates from consumer-facing companies showed, as fears grow that the UK will slip back into recession.
The company, which operates 888 casino, poker, sport and bingo brands, said on Monday it would invest in several newly-regulated markets across Europe.
Lucietta Ivey Receives $12 Million Purse Collection as Part of Phil Ivey Divorce Settlement
Lucietta Ivey, the ex-wife of poker pro Phil Ivey, has received a purse collection worth more than $1.2 million, jewelry valued at more than $1 million and $180,000 a month in alimony as part of her divorce settlement with the poker star.
Shufflemaster, OpenBet Apply for Nevada Online Poker License
CardPlayer.com is reporting that Shufflemaster, the global supplier of automatic card shufflers, slot machines and, more importantly, wireless gaming solutions, has applied for a license to operate an online poker venture in the state of Nevada.
Nevada is set to begin allowing intrastate online poker as early as February ahead of potential federal legislation.
Zynga Stock Market Debut a Disappointment
Online game-maker Zynga raised an amazing $1 billion in the single biggest Internet IPO since Google in 2004. The company made its stock market debut on Friday with results essentially flat.
After rising 10 percent above the $10 offering price, it fell to as low as $9.50, then recovered to around its original $10.
From Time.com:
Online Poker Felon Bill Sponsor Senator Marquerite Prentice May be Gerrymandered Out
A Washington State Senator, Marguerite Prentice, may lose her seat due to so-called gerrymandering. Prentice helped co-sponsor a controversial bill that made playing online poker in the state a Class C felony with the punishment comparable to that of a multiple drunk driving offender and child molester. Washington is the only state that criminalizes actual online gamblers.
The Seattle Times noted that Prentice, a Democrat, will have to compete with other Democrats to remain in the legislature.
Xmas Gifts We’d Like to See for Poker Players, Online Gambling Folks, Politicians More…
With Christmas just around the corner, Gambling911.com takes this opportunity to tell you what Christmas gifts we'd like to give to some of our friends in the gambling industry.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owners Howard "The Professor" Lederer and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, who've been accused by the U.S. government of running a ponzi scheme: A "Get out of Jail Free" card.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owner Phil "Poison" Ivey, who's now suing Full Tilt Poker: A copy of the best-selling book "How to Sue Yourself."
Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson Committed to Building Pro Roster in 2012
Lock Poker’s CEO Jennifer Larson sees the poker pros as ambassadors to the game. While other online rooms, most notably PokerStars, continue to purge their pros, Larson has other ideas.
“We’ll have more coming on board in 2012 and we are considering at least two other retreats like what we hosted in the South of France back in October,” said Larson.
PokerStars, Joe Hachem Part Ways
2005 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Joe Hachem and PokerStars have parted ways, it was announced on Friday.
“It’s been a great run with PokerStars and I’m proud of my association with the people and the company,” Hachem said in the official announcement. “But it’s time for me to pursue other career opportunities and it will be fun to have some down time to spend with my family. I look forward to the future with much excitement and anticipation and will always have fond memories of my time at PokerStars.”
Nevada May Have Enough of a Player Pool to Support Intrastate Online Poker
Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, David Schwartz, told CardPlayer.com Friday that he believed Nevada would be one of those states that could support legalized online poker at the intrastate level.
Former Bermuda Premier’s Son, Celebrity Poker Tournament Organizer Sentenced
A physician and son of the former Premier of Bermuda was sentenced this week to serve up to 17 years in prison.
Government Spending Bill: Chances of Online Poker Attachment Slim
The much talked about Government Spending Bill that would allow the US Government to continue running into 2012 has been suggested as something a measure to legalize Internet poker could latch onto.
Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton in his own words last week:
“There’s going be an omnibus bill of some sort of in the next 3 weeks with a continued resolution to fund the government through next September. This bill could be a component of that if there are revenues in the bill,” said the Congressman.
Jajajeet Chiba: Bovada = Stupada
I have been trying….oh have I been trying….to make some sense of the new Bodog.com rebranding to Bovada.lv. I even resorted to some heavy hookah smoking last evening to no avail.
What’s in a name?
Mine, Jagajeet Chiba, means “One Who Has Conquered the Earth”. Betcha didn’t know that.
My wife, Sadhvi, her name means “Chaste, Virtuous, Honest and Noble to Her Husband”.
Bovada?
I think there might have been a female sacred cow living up the street from me back in my native India with that name.
Erik Seidel Leads Third Epic Poker League Event
The biggest cash winner in poker today, Erik Seidel, led the pack at the third Epic Poker League tournament after Day 1.
Seidel, who has 160 cashes and just shy of $17 million lifetime winnings, came in 2nd and 4th, respectively, at the first two Epic Poker Tournament events.
Noted female pro Vanessa Selbst, who was profiled on Gambling911.com just the other day, had the third largest chip count.
There will be 61 players after Day 1 returning to the Palms Casino in Las Vegas to take part in seven-handed tables.
