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Archive for April, 2010
Friday, April 30th, 2010
 Online poker giant PokerStars has announced the launch of their new poker television show titled PokerStars Big Game. the new show is a high stakes cash game tournament with a slight twist. The show will see poker pros and top amateur players competing in the high stakes cash game with the twist of an online qualifier from PokerStars in the mix.
The qualifier will be called the Loose Cannon and that qualifier will be given $100,000 to compete in the tournament, as that is the buy-in amount. Those interested in competing on the show can participate in daily qualifiers at PokerStars which take place four times each day.
The show is being produced by M&M Productions and the Hollybrook Regency Inc. the show will air in one hour segments and it will begin filming in May in Las Vegas. The show will then be broadcast on the FOX network five days a week beginning on June 14th.
During the show each player will sit down at the felt with $100,000 to $500,000 of their own money. The blinds will begin at $200/$400 and a $100 ante. Each session will last 150 hands and the Loose Cannon will be able to keep anything he or she earns over the original $100,000 they are given to compete. if the Loose Cannon makes a profit they can choose to keep the money or return for a make or break session to win more or lose it all.
Several players have already confirmed to compete in the new high stakes poker show. The confirmed pros are: Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso, Jason Mercier, Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer.
Daniel Negreanu will be choosing a PokerStars SuperNova Elite to sit at the table as well during the competition. Negreanu commented: “This show has all the necessary bells and whistles to make it a monster success on television. It’s a cash game, which all die hard poker fans prefer and it’s guaranteed to be action packed with the introduction of the Loose Cannon. For the viewer and fan, not only will they get an inside look into how pros think about the game, but they’ll also get a chance to actually appear on the show. I can’t wait to play!”
Tags: Amateur Players, Barry Greenstein, Bells And Whistles, Big Game, Cash Game, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Fox Network, Game Tournament, Greg Raymer, High Stakes Poker, Hollybrook, Loose Cannon, M Productions, Mercier, online poker, Poker Fans, Poker Pros, PokerStars, Pokerstars Supernova Elite, Television Show, Vanessa Rousso
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Thursday, April 29th, 2010
The Merge Poker Network has grown considerably over the past few weeks as they have added new poker sites to their network. Many thought that the poker networks would suffer from lower traffic volumes moving from their existing network but that was not the case.
Merge Poker Network welcomed the Players Only, Super Book and Sportsbook to their network in the past few weeks and the network has since reported an increase in traffic by 160%. PokerScout.com confirmed these statistics and the Merge Poker Network now sits at 17th in the poker networks list climbing from the 20th spot in just one week.
Not only do the new sites benefit with the increase but existing sites benefit as well. The Merge Poker Network is now reporting around 1000 players at peak time which is good numbers for the network. The new poker rooms used to operate on the Cake Poker Network and many in the poker industry though that the Cake Poker Network would suffer from the loss but they have held their spot at number 10 on the list.
Since the three poker rooms left the Cake Poker Network, they have only seen a 16% decline in traffic. The network still powers such sites as Cake Poker of course and Doyles Room, both of which continue to bring in players.
Overall the two competing networks are great for the poker industry. Both are accepting of United States players so we all win as the two fight to bring the best gaming offerings, promotions and tournaments to their players.
Tags: Best Gaming, Decline, Existing Network, Increase Traffic, Merge Gaming Network, Moving, Network Reporting, Offerings, Peak Time, Players Only, Poker Network, Poker Players, Poker Rooms, Poker Sites, Promotions, Sportsbook, Statistics, Super Bowl, Traffic Volumes, United States
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
 Cake Poker is a leading online poker provider in the gambling industry and they recently announced they are testing a new poker client. The new poker client has been anticipated by many in the industry and Cake Poker is currently testing the new client in a private beta.
Lee Jones the Card Room Manager for Cake Poker has worked hard to get the client to the beta stage and he had this to say: “We are excited to launch the private beta for our new Cake Poker client and to get some further feedback on our efforts. We are delighted at how the client is currently operating and looking forward to being able to offer an improved online poker experience to all our players.”
The new poker software will see many changes made to the Cake Poker website. Some of the new features include a new lobby that stretches both vertically and horizontally, a multi-field sorting system that is like Excel as well as an advanced filtering for detailed game/tournament choices.
The new software also provides direct registration for tournaments as well as a tournament lobby that links to satellites. Tables have been scaled down to the industry standard minimum size and the chat box detaches for a player to manage in a separate window. Players can also customize their card backs as well as the table felt and carpet.
To create the new poker client the software developers at Cake consulted with cash and tournament players to try and make the needed and wanted changes. Once the new software has gone through the private beta the software will be ready for launch in a public beta. Once the public beta launches, players will be able to use it in parallel with the existing client for a short period of time. During the testing phase, Cake Poker will still be taking player feedback and integrating it into the new client.
Tags: Beta phase, Beta Stage, Cake Poker, Carpet, Chat Box, Choices, Game Tournament, Launch, New Features, New Software, online poker, Period Of Time, Player Feedback, Poker Client, Poker Experience, Poker Software, Private Beta, Public Beta, Satellites, Short Period, Software Developers, Sorting System
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The month of April has been a good month for poker players in France. The country has moved to legalized online gambling throughout the country. The move was introduced to try and shut down the black market of online gaming by creating an alternative that is legal.
After the bill was approved in France, a flurry of deals were signed between media outlets and online gaming sites. Ladbrokes and Canal+, Mangas Gaming and the M6 Group of France are just a few of the companies cutting deals.
The most recent deal was signed between PartyGaming and the French television broadcaster the AB Groupe. This deal comes right after PartyGaming signed a deal with Pari Mutuel Urbain. The AB Groupe has over fifty million of paid subscribers in France and other French speaking countries.
The new deal will see the two groups combining their talents to create a new poker room called LuckyJeux. The new poker room will be on the PartyGaming on their French poker network. The AB Groupe will be promoting the new poker room on their television and online network.
Jim Ryan the CEO of PartyGaming made a statement after the deal was announced: “AB Groupe is a first rate addition to our French poker network and is consistent with our stated strategy of combining B2C and B2B offerings in newly regulated markets. Together with our recently announced alliance with PMU, we are in great shape ahead of the market opening and are excited about our prospects”
Tags: AB Groupe, france, partygaming
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Monday, April 26th, 2010
 Daniel Tzvetkoff was recently arrested during a conference in Las Vegas for charges associated with a gambling money laundering scheme. The twenty eight year old operated an e-processing company and has been accused of laundering $540 million in internet poker and blackjack money.
Tzvetkoff was arrested and then was released on bail. The prosecutors opposed the release of Tzvetkoff because they said he was a flight risk. Prosecutors claimed that Tzvetkoff may still have secret stashes of cash that could be in excess of $100 million.
Even though Tzvetkoff lost his home and other assets due to the crash of his Intabill e-processing company, he still seems to have access to cash as he has hired Robert Goldstein as his lawyer. Goldstein is a high profile lawyer based in Boston.
Helping his son be released on bail, Kim Tzvetkoff volunteered to put up his home in Brisbane which is worth $1.17 million. Tzvetkoff also offered to drive his son across the country from Las Vegas to New York where the case is set to be tried.
The Judge agreed to grant the bail to Tzvetkoff with very strict conditions. Nicholas Dickinson the prosecutor tried to describe Tzvetkoff as a flight risk stated that he was an Australian citizen with no times in the US. The prosecutor also commented that $100 million from the Intabill business is still unknown as to where the funds are and he stated that Tzvetkoff could have used the cash to flee the country.
Leen did not believe the prosecutors argument by stating: “if he was a US citizen this would be a no-brainer. He would be released.”
Tzvetkoff’s lawyer described the man as a good young man of good character and that he is a devoted father of a young son. He also commented that Tzvetkoff was desperate to prove he is innocent of all charges.
The judge agreed to release the accused on bail by ordering the must surrender his passport as well as submit to electronic monitoring and maintain his residence in New York. He must also abide by a curfew.
Tags: Daniel Tzvetkoff, laundering scheme, online gambling
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Friday, April 23rd, 2010
 Many areas in North America are considering adding online gambling options to their area. The latest to consider this option is Manitoba, which is a Canadian province. Steve Ashton the Lotteries Minister commented that there has been no final decision but the government is considering the option of launching online gambling in a legal and regulated environment.
The province is considering the above option as well as possibly partnering with other provinces in Canada to create a common site that would offer poker and online casino games. Players would then be able to play at the online site which would be regulated by the government. The government regulation would provide safeguards for players such as age checks, secure payments and transfer limits.
Ashton commented: “The vast majority of people if they are involved in gaming would prefer a regulated site, I would think.”
The government has realized that millions of Canadians have been gambling offshore so they might as well begin offering online gambling so Canada can benefit from the funds it would raise. Though they are considering the option, the government has not produced a timeline.
It seems as though even the most opposed to the addition of online gambling in Manitoba have changed their tune. John Boroday the Chief Executive Officer for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba commented: “Let’s not put our heads in the sand. It is out there. Let’s look at opportunities here. There’s an opportunity to intervene and that can only be done through a government site.”
Tags: Canada, Canadian province online gambling, Manitoba
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
 The state of Florida is so close to offering players more in the game of poker. the state has a piece of legislation that has moved through all the appropriate channels and likes only to be approved by the Florida House and then signed by Governor Charlie Crist to be legalized.
The new legislation will see the state offering higher limits and longer hours for their poker players. The Senate Bill 622 was passed with a vote of 19-9. The bill approves the gaming compact that Crist and the Seminole Tribe came to agreement to just a short time ago. The bill puts in effect poker laws that were passed in the 2009 legislative session but were never enacted. The laws were not enacted because the gaming compact deal was never agreed upon last year.
Now poker players will be able to play poker at casino and game rooms with any limit the room decides to offer. Players will no longer be limited to small limits of $5 or just $100maximum bets. Poker rooms can now set their own limits.
Poker rooms will also be able to stay open longer. They used to be limited to just twelve hours a day but now they can remain open for eighteen hours a day Monday through Friday and twenty four hours on Saturdays, Sundays and certain holidays.
Other changes are also coming with the new laws. Some poker rooms will be able to add additional facilities while the state’s tax on poker for most of the pari-mutuel rooms have also been eliminated which would give the facilities more cash to put into their businesses.
The changes will go into effect on July 1st and will apply to all Indian poker rooms and pari-mutuel. The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering will most likely be holding rulemaking sessions with poker room directors to figure out how the changes will look as they go into practice.
Tags: Florida, legislature, poker
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Absolute poker and the Cereus network have announced new changes that might just make you stop and wonder if they don’t set out at the beginning of their work day looking to destroy their own reputation.
There are very few people left in the Online Poker industry that don’t immediately think of the cheating scandal involving Absolute Poker in 2007. That scandal was of course followed up with some similar accusations and findings at Ultimate Bet.
Needless to say, now is the time the company should either re-brand entirely, or work toward earning the trust of poker affiliates, and poker players yet again.
They’ve got another plan altogether though it would seem. Chipleader, the affiliate program in charge of managing affiliates for both Absolute Poker and UB has announced a change in the way that new registering and depositing players will be credited to affiliates.
Since April 19th, any new player is only allowed one account to be tagged and/or commission to be paid on the CEREUS network. It’s a little confusing, so we’ll break it down for you.
Let’s say Player Joe signs up for an Absolute Poker account by clicking a banner on your website, the later, he signs up for an account at UB, he while shopping for a new site.
The player likes UB, you as his referring affilaite already got credit for him at Absolute Poker, and since serious has decided that they won’t pay for the second referall, no one gets credit for him at UB.
Chipleader now gets the rake from this player at UB for free. Even if the player transferred their cash from their Absolute Poker account using the option available to them in the lobby.
Tags: absolute poker, cereus, ub
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Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
 Joe Lentol is a New York Assemblyman who has proposed to legalize poker. Lentol is a democrat who represents the Williamsburg area and he stated he was inspired to create the proposal because of the needs of young gamblers.
Lentol commented that poker is a game that most people want to play now. He commented that New Yorkers watch the game on television and they play online and many want to be able to go out and play the game. Lentol added: ‘We’ve been seeing the enthusiasm for poker for a number of years now. We’re still doing types of gambling that may no longer appeal to gambles in this century. Times have changed, the technology has changed. They don’t need Off Track Betting parlors.”
The Off Track Betting in New York is currently taking a hit and the governor of the state has decided not to bail out of offering the betting. Without this type of betting gamblers of New York will probably move on to Atlantic City which would hurt the state in revenues.
Lentol’s poker proposal is looking to amend the state constitution by adding social card games as determined by the legislature to the list of games of chance that already exist such as bingo that will be allowed by the state.
Back in 2008 the state Senate committee worked to specifically penalize internet poker gaming but their attempt failed. Lentol is very optimistic that the legislation can pass this year for poker. Lentol went on to comment that there have been few times when illegal poker rings have been found which is supported by the Kings County DA Charles Hynes.
Hynes has commented on the record that he cannot recall any poker busts in the past five years which is far different from the illegal sports gambling that has taken place, which is more of a concern. Lentol will now have to get his proposal passed both houses and then have it signed by Governor Paterson. The proposal also requires a Constitutional amendment to be adopted by voters through a referendum as well.
Tags: Joe Lentol, legalized poker, New York
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
 Harrah’s Entertainment has responded to the claims by Everest Poker of an agreement breach. Everest Poker claims that Harrah’s broke their sponsorship deal after they showed another logo on the felt of their poker tables. Harrah’s Entertainment is now disputing the allegations in a lawsuit filed by Everest Poker.
Ultra Internet Media S.A. owns Everest Poker and they filed the lawsuit to sue the WSOP in federal court in Las Vegas on April 1st. Everest Poker said that Harrah’s posted a Full Tilt Poker Logo on their poker tables instead of their logo which was part of their $22.5 million sponsorship deal.
Everest Poker says the company is in breach of the contract as the ESPN affiliate in Europe the RTL9 network broadcast footage of a tournament in France and the company electronically replaced the Everest Poker image with the logo of Full Tilt Poker.
Everest Poker has paid Harrah’s each year since 2008, millions of dollars, and they do not believe they should have to pay the final $8.4 million for this year’s WSOP which starts next month. Everest Poker was to be the exclusive sponsor for the WSOP through 2010.
Harrah’s filed papers in court last Friday and the papers stated that Harrah’s denies the allegation that they breached the sponsorship agreement. Harrah’s stated the deal with Everest Poker was to primarily give the poker room exposure in the United States and the agreement does not require the event be broadcast in any particular country and France is not mentioned in their agreement.
“Nobody from Harrah’s made any representation during any of the negotiations or in the promotional agreement concerning any ESPN distribution or WSOP programming in France,” Harrah’s attorneys said in their filing.
“Indeed, at the time of the negotiations, UIM did not have an online gaming license recognized by French authorities. It was broadly observed that poker programming was not distributed by French television stations unless tournaments were sponsored by a French licensee,” the filing said.
“In 2008 and 2009 the WSOP was broadcast by ESPN and parties with whom it has contracted in over 170 countries, including the United States, collectively to over 250 million households, for over 6,000 hours. Thus, UIM has certainly gained all the exposure for the everestpoker.net website that it could have hoped for, and more,” Harrah’s said in the filing.
In 2009 Everest Poker and UIM showed concern about French broadcasts and a ‘make good’ arrangement was agreed to. This agreement stated that ESPN would find a broadcaster for the WSOP in Spain and Italy at no extra cost. Harrah’s also agreed that Everest Poker would be the presenting sponsor of the WSOP during broadcasts in certain European countries but not France.
“While UIM now complains that on several dozen additional RTL9 broadcasts of the WSOP into France, the name of its alleged competitor still appeared on the poker tables, that is entirely consistent with the discussions with ESPN and subsequent resolution for make-good exposure in early 2009,” the Harrah’s filing said.
Tags: Everest Poker, Harrah's Entertainment, WSOP
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Online poker giant PokerStars has announced the launch of their new poker television show titled PokerStars Big Game. the new show is a high stakes cash game tournament with a slight twist. The show will see poker pros and top amateur players competing in the high stakes cash game with the twist of an online qualifier from PokerStars in the mix.
