Racetrack owners have gotten into the recent conversation on online gambling in poker. Earlier this week, the Canadian Minister of Justice suggested steps may be taken to stop online poker and gambling sites licensed by the Kahnawake nation, along the lines of a U.S.-type UIGEA ��...full article
Racetrack owners have gotten into the recent conversation on online gambling in poker. Earlier this week, the Canadian Minister of Justice suggested steps may be taken to stop online poker and gambling sites licensed by the Kahnawake nation, along the lines of a U.S.-type UIGEA bill.
Racetrack owners have told the government that they would like to see online gambling stop altogether in Canada, or they would like be allowed access to the market.
According to pokerpages.org:
Track owners say that while they add to local employment and pay taxes, they labor under many restrictions. Most important, they are allowed to take online bets only in their local areas, while offshore operators can take all sorts of sporting bets from anywhere without supporting the local industry.
“It’s having a severe impact on our business,” said Jane Holmes, vice-president of corporate affairs for Woodbine Entertainment Group, whose holdings include Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. She estimates it has lost about $200 million to other sites.
Liberal MP Roy Cullen, whose Etobicoke North riding includes Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack, said he plans to follow the Minister of Justice’s lead by introducing a private members’ bill that would require financial institutions and credit card companies to block Internet betting transactions.
Joe Delaronde, spokesperson for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, said it has no objection to other segments of Canadian business entering the online gambling fray. “If the Canadian government changes their laws and allows that, it’s free enterprise, it’s a competitive market,” Delaronde said.
Full Tilt adds Team Cardrunners to its team
Team CardRunners and Full Tilt Poker have joined forces, with Cardrunners signing a deal with the online poker site to have its players play exclusively at FTP. Team CardRunners consists of Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby, Andrew “muddywater” Wiggins, Brain “sbrugby” Townsend, Brian “Stinger885″ Hastings, Eric “p3achy_keen” ��...full article
Team CardRunners and Full Tilt Poker have joined forces, with Cardrunners signing a deal with the online poker site to have its players play exclusively at FTP.
Team CardRunners consists of Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby, Andrew “muddywater” Wiggins, Brain “sbrugby” Townsend, Brian “Stinger885″ Hastings, Eric “p3achy_keen” Liu, Mike “Schneids” Schneider, and Cole “cts” South. Cardrunners.com, a poker education site, cThose players offer tiTeam CardRunners offers online video lessons, and lessons and advice via hand histories, chats, and blog posts on www.CardRunners.com.
According to a release on their Web site:
Because they are all strong believers in practicing what they preach, the members of Team CardRunners can regularly be found playing in high-stakes ring games and tournaments on www.FullTiltPoker.com. As the newest additions to the Full Tilt Poker pro roster, Team CardRunners join more than 100 other elite pros in representing the world’s second-largest poker room both online and at live events around the world.
“Poker and education go hand in hand,” said Team Full Tilt member Howard Lederer. “I’m thrilled that one of the most innovative poker education sites has joined the team.”
“The biggest names in poker all play at Full Tilt, so it was a natural alignment,” said Taylor Caby, co-founder of CardRunners.com. “I am excited to showcase the CardRunners strategies, secrets, and work ethic in front of Full Tilt’s highly ambitious, extremely loyal player base.”
Here’s a story on www.poker-king.com.
Bodog Poker Open Event 4 goes to foldpreflop85
foldpreflop85 didn't live down to his screen name, working his way through a roster of opponents that included Team Bodog poker pros David Williams, Josh Arieh and Jean-Robert Bellande.
Some other notable Bodog Poker regulars were in the mix as well. Joe "Dyzalot" Morneau, daisyxoxo, iLLNuGWichie, Smith "nevertilt22" Collins, Jonathan "UFPokerStar" Wester and Matt "thatsNice" Larsh also put up the $215 buy-in for this Pot-Limit Hold'em event.
Despite plenty of success on the poker site, none of those players landed in the top spot. That honor went to foldpreflop85 as he pocked $14,100 and a seat in the main event for the win.
The final-table results were:
| Place | Name | Prize |
| 1st | foldpreflop85 | $14,100 |
| 2nd | shipthechezz | $9,400 |
| 3rd | alcarmo | $5,593 |
| 4th | basebaldy | $3,760 |
| 5th | Jack Splat | $3,055 |
| 6th | MOBstar | $2,350 |
| 7th | cmizzles3687 | $1,645 |
| 8th | PROMETHEUS | $1,222 |
| 9th | vinnyb9 | $799 |
Players keeping an eye on the Bodog Poker Open results may notice an interesting pattern forming. Once again, alcarmo made the final table of an event, finishing third in Event 4. He has already made a sixth-place finish in Event 2 and landed in fourth place in Event 3; now this third-place finish is further evidence of his prowess.
It also gives him a total of $17,628.50 so far in the Bodog Poker Open, and Bodog is touting him as a possible favorite to win the Main Event.
The final preliminary event of the series gets under way today at 8 p.m. (EST) with a $150+$10 Limit Hold'em event. Bodog Poker will also be sweetening the pot by adding another $10,000 to the prize pool.
The series will take a break on Saturday to focus on satellites into the main event. Starting at 6 a.m. (EST), satellites will be running at least every hour leading all the way up to the main event on Sunday.
On Sunday at 9 a.m. (EST), satellites will begin running at least every half hour, with Last Chance qualifiers running every 15 minutes as the start of the main event nears.
The $500 Bodog Poker main event is scheduled to start Sunday, March 9, at 4 p.m. (EST). Bodog Poker will be adding $25,000 in additional money to the prize pool.
Related Articles:
- PckAces Is Good at Bodog Poker Open Event 3
- Bodog Poker Open Event 2 Goes to 3pounder
- Bodog Pros Flying High at Bodog Poker Open
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Bodog Poker Open main event kicks off tonight
The $470+$30 buy-in main event will likely be one of the largest tournaments ever held by Bodog to date and the show starts at 4 p.m. (EST) today.
Bodog has already awarded nearly $300,000 to winners in preliminary events 1-5, and over 1,000 poker players have taken part in the prestigious online series. Bodog added an extra $10,000 to every event and will be adding an astounding $25,000 to the prize pool for the main event. In addition the winner will receive an Omega Speedmaster watch valued at $4,400.
Professional poker players have been out in full force during the BPO with Team Bodog members David Williams, Evelyn Ng and Josh Arieh leading the charge. Event 1 of the BPO saw Evelyn Ng and Josh Arieh finish second and third.
Many well-known pros have played in the BPO thus far, with Annette Obrestad, Kevin Saul, Eric Lynch, Scott Hamby, Thayer Rasmussen and Jon Turner all getting into the mix.
Despite the extra attention from the pros the majority of the winners have been Bodog regulars. PckAces, 3pounder, bigcatfish and foldpreflop85 all won coveted BPO titles.
No one has been better than rusostreet who won Event 1 and made the final table of Event 6. rusostreet is currently on the top of the leaderboard at Bodog Poker for points this week.
It's been a successful run so far for the newly formed online series and the best is yet to come with the main event scheduled for today.
It's possible to qualify for the BPO main event during satellites that run daily for $69+$6 but if you miss out on the qualifiers you can buy right in and take a shot at Bodog cash and glory.
Related Articles:
- Bodog Poker Open Event 5 goes to bigcatfish
- foldpreflop85 Victorious at Bodog Poker Open Event 4
- PckAces Is Good at Bodog Poker Open Event 3
- Bodog Poker Open Event 2 Goes to 3pounder
- Bodog Pros Flying High at Bodog Poker Open
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Two automated poker table giants going to court
Under such a setup, there's no poker paraphernalia (chips, cards, etc.) or dealer. Players sit at individual electronic screens around a table, and a computer program divides up the chips, keeps track of all the action and determines the winner.
As much as this innovation may appear to be the wave of the future, a war is brewing that could have repercussions for automated poker.
In what could be a pivotal battle for the future of automated poker tables in casinos, Lightning Poker, which owns and sells the Lightning Poker gaming table, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against PokerTek and its PokerPro automated poker tables.
On March 4, Lightning Poker, a subsidiary of Shuffle Master, Inc., filed a complaint in the United States District Court in New Jersey alleging that PokerTek's development infringes on the patent that was filed by Lightning Poker in 2004 for electronic poker tables.
PokerTek is accused of using, selling and offering for sale poker tables that infringe Lightning Poker's U.S. patent. The complaint is seeking unspecified monetary damages from PokerTek as well as a permanent nationwide injunction barring the use and sale of all of PokerTek products.
"Although Lightning Poker recognizes and respects the constant innovation in gaming technology, we cannot permit willful infringement of our valuable intellectual property. PokerTek has exploited the innovations covered by our patent for its own benefit in the face of our patent," said Brian D. Haveson, president and CEO of Lightning Poker.
"Lightning Poker is a pioneer in automated poker and annually invests millions of dollars in research and development to create technologies that bring significant value to our customers and players. We are determined to remain a leader by leveraging our superior functionality and high reliability, and by vigorously defending our intellectual property," Haveson continued.
Responding to the lawsuit yesterday, PokerTek CEO Chris Halligan stated that the case is without merit and that PokerTek looks forward to defending its interests in court.
"This is not the first time Lightning Poker has sued us," Halligan commented. "Its last lawsuit was unsuccessful and we will work to ensure a similar outcome here. We remain focused on growing our business and extending our lead in the marketplace."
Halligan noted that PokerTek has more than 40 patents itself and will use those patents to prove that it hasn't violated Lightning Poker's intellectual property rights.
Timing could prove pivotal in the case. Lightning Poker filed its application in 2004, but it wasn't granted until December 2007. PokerTek's patent application for the PokerPro table was filed in March 2005 and was also granted in 2007.
Thus, resolution of the dispute may require that a patent arbitrator determine which of the two companies holds the intellectual property rights or, alternatively, that they simply developed a similar product independently of each other.
With both companies traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange and a loss in the courts potentially affecting their trading prices, the battle between Lightning Poker and PokerTek for the future of automated poker tables could be a major one.
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PPA takes on new policy expert
Drew Lesofski, former senior federal policy adviser from Washington, D.C., has joined the PPA as director of Grassroots and External Affairs. His previous position under Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons had him dealing with a variety of issues, such as immigration, health care, education and gaming.
This is not Lesofski's first involvement with a grassroots political organization. He had worked and volunteered with a number of local, state and federal campaigns prior to his tenure in Washington.
Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the PPA, welcomed Lesofski by saying, "As we get closer to reaching the million-member milestone, it is more important than ever for PPA to find new ways to energize and mobilize our members. Drew's policy and political campaign experience will be an asset to PPA as we further refine and augment our grassroots program."
About The Poker Players Alliance (from www.pokerplayersalliance.org)
The Poker Players Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 900,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game, ensure its integrity, and, most importantly, to protect poker players' rights.
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UltimateBet responds to cheating allegations
UltimateBet released a press release today concerning allegations that one of its members, “NioNio” may have been cheating in some way while playing on the site. There are also rumors about other players. In a statement that was released on 2+2, UltimateBet talks about the allegations:
UltimateBet released a press release today concerning allegations that one of its members, “NioNio” may have been cheating in some way while playing on the site. There are also rumors about other players.
In a statement that was released on 2+2, UltimateBet talks about the allegations:
#361 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #11 – Opinions Are Like A-Holes; Everybody Has One
I took a quick bathroom break right after the Hearts/Diamonds round of 32 concluded. I heard one side of the following cell phone conversation from one of the stalls:...
Ziigmund turns a quick $200k
But to those in the know, he may be the most entertaining - and most feared - high-stakes player online.
He's got all the ingredients - a seemingly bottomless bankroll, a relentlessly aggressive playing style and a recklessness at the tables that produces wild swings, from down $500k one minute to up a cool $1 million the next.
And is if that weren't enough, he also has an acid tongue to go along with it, often belittling the game's best players in the chat box in the process of dismantling their bankrolls.
So when Sahamies sits, it's always a bit of a spectacle for the railbirds.
It wasn't much, but they got a small taste this morning as he sat for a couple of quick heads-up sessions of $200/$400 No-Limit Hold'em at Full Tilt Poker.
And much like Antonius, Sahamies also doesn't shy away from the toughest opponents he can find, choosing to tangle with both Full Tilt Pro (and Cardrunners instructor) Brian Hastings (aka $tinger88/LucLongley) and equally renowned online specialist Cole South (aka cts).
The result: roughly $200k in the black for Sahamies, including the biggest hold'em pot online today for $91,196 after getting all-in pre-flop with #Ah-#Kh against Hastings' #As-#Qc and having it hold up.
How the action played out:
Full Tilt Poker Game #5578636741: Table Pimento (heads up) - $200/$400 - No Limit Hold'em - 9:25:24 PST - 2008/03/10
Seat 1: Brian Hastings ($45,598)
Seat 2: Ziigmund ($77,195)
Ziigmund posts the small blind of $200
Brian Hastings posts the big blind of $400
The button is in seat #2
HOLE CARDS
Ziigmund raises to $1,200
Brian Hastings raises to $4,200
Ziigmund has 15 seconds left to act
Ziigmund raises to $12,400
Brian Hastings has 15 seconds left to act
Brian Hastings raises to $45,598, and is all in
Ziigmund calls $33,198
Brian Hastings shows #Ah-#Kh
Ziigmund shows #As-#Qc
To see how the board came down, more big pots from both sessions and more of the biggest Hold'em pots won online over the last day, week and month, jump over to the PokerListings.com MarketPulse section.Visit PokerListings.com
WPT Shooting Star returns players to spotlight
The tournament, a $10,000 buy-in event, has been on the WPT schedule since the second year of the organization's existence. While it has generated huge prize pools for the victors in the past, the unique feature of this tournament is the bounties that are placed on 50 of the top names in the game.
Each bounty player has a $5,000 bounty placed on them (the figure dates from the buy-in in the early years of the event). The money, along with a commemorative T-shirt that immortalizes the victory, is awarded to the player who eliminates a given bounty-holder from the tournament.
By the looks of the names on the bounty list this year, it could be a daunting task to knock one of them out.
On Day 1a of the tournament, none other than World Champion Jerry Yang is expected to be on hand with a bounty on his head. As if that wasn't enough, players such as Todd Brunson, Hoyt Corkins, Kristy Gazes, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, current PokerListings Player of the Year leader Men "The Master" Nguyen, Vanessa Rousso, Erik Seidel and WPT champion Roy Winston are also on the bounty list.
Players bellying up to the felt on Day 1b will find the likes of the legendary T.J. Cloutier, Allen Cunningham, defending Shooting Star champion Ted Forrest, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman and Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, and former world champions Phil Hellmuth, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy and Joseph Hachem on the bounty list. For the full bounty list visit Bay101.com.
While the bounty carriers will be on hand representing the pros, players can also expect to see some non-bountied pros taking their shot at the top prize in the tournament and making sure that next year they won't be overlooked for the bounty list.
For a bounty tournament, professionals have done rather well in this event. Tiltboy Phil Gordon was the first champion of the tournament back in 2004, defeating the reigning world champion, Chris Moneymaker.
Newcomer Danny Nguyen captured a $1 million prize the next year with Gus Hansen and Men Nguyen at the final table. Professional Nam Le was the victor in 2006 with David Williams and Chad Brown at the final table and Forrest outlasted Joanne "JJ" Liu last year.
The playing field for the event is capped at 500. If it meets that number, the top prize in the event is expected to pay out an estimated $1,200,450 and a seat at April's WPT Championship to the winner.
PokerListings.com's reporting team will be there for every turn of the card and details on the shot-down bounties, so be sure to tune in to the Live Tournaments section today for all the action at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star.
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