Poker News

Additional Haiti Earthquake Relief Online Poker Tournaments Announced

This week, members of the online poker community wishing to donate to victims of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti last week can take advantage of several tournaments being held across cyberspace.

Today, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Haiti, the strongest aftershock to date according to the Associated Press. Roughly 200,000 people may have died due to the original quake last week and 1.5 million people, or nearly 20% of the country’s population, are now homeless. The Associated Press reported that 40 aftershocks have rumbled through the island nation. On the magnitude 6.1 tremor that hit on Wednesday, a geophysicist told the American news service, "Aftershocks sometimes die out very quickly. In other cases they can go on for weeks, or if we're really unlucky it could go on for months."

On Wednesday, UB.com, which makes its home on the CEREUS Network, will host a $5 rebuy online poker tournament to raise funds for the victims. The event gets underway at 20:30 ET and the field is capped at 750 players. In a generous gesture, UB.com officials will match the entirety of the prize pool and then donate the sum to the Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief Fund. In addition, $10,000 in prizes will be on the line, consisting of entries to Ultimate Bet Online Championship (UBOC) tournaments and satellites. The charity poker tournament is dubbed “Play for Haiti” and can be found in the UB.com lobby. The site happily accepts players from the United States.

Also hosting a charity event on Wednesday night is DoylesRoom, which resides on the USA-facing Cake Poker Network. DoylesRoom is running the “Haiti Relief Celebrity Bounty,” taking the place of its regularly scheduled Bounty tournament. Those in the field will include site namesake Doyle Brunson, “The Wrestler” actor Mickey Rourke, Brunson 10 member Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark, and “The Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. The tournament kicks off at 9:30pm ET and DoylesRoom is matching all bounty money won and donating the total to relief efforts. In addition, DoylesRoom will ship any first-time player’s $27.50 buy-in to charity.

Ongame Network site Betsafe is offering a $5 tournament called “Help Haiti” on Wednesday at 20:45 CET. Unlimited rebuys will be permitted during the first hour and Betsafe will donate the funds to charity. A press release distributed by the site explains, “Betsafe will match the fee generated and we guarantee to give a minimum of $1,000. There is no maximum of the amount that we will match, so make sure to register for the tournament and help the victims of Haiti!” To sweeten the pot, Betsafe officials have added three $200 Grand Series of Poker (GSOP) event tickets to the prize pool, or $600 total. Other online poker rooms on the mammoth Ongame Network include Hollywood Poker, PokerLoco, and RedKings.

Finally, the Microgaming Network, which has recently tried to curb datamining by not allowing observed hand histories to be stored on a player’s computer, is holding a €10 + €10 buy-in tournament on Friday, January 22nd. The €10 juice will be donated to the Haitian Health Foundation and players can sign up for the event by visiting any Microgaming Network site like Betway, GNUF, Ladbrokes, Nordic Bet, PokerTime, and Unibet. The event issues its virtual “Shuffle up and deal” command at 6:30pm GMT. A press release distributed by Microgaming notes, “Over 92 percent of funds collected by Haitian Health Foundation go directly towards services for the poor, so players can be assured that donations generated from the tournament will be used to maximum benefit.” Neither the Microgaming nor Ongame Networks accept players from the United States.

These tournaments have complimented efforts at other major online poker sites like Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Cake Poker, each of which has reached into its database of players to give to the cause. Play in the Haiti relief tournaments taking place this week across some of the world’s largest sites.

Poker Expansion Realized in Pennsylvania

A flood of table games will soon be headed to casinos in Pennsylvania after the state’s House and Senate approved measures allowing their introduction into 14 casinos. Currently, only slot machines are allowed.

According to the Associated Press, the Pennsylvania House voted by a margin of 103 to 89 to approve the introduction of table games. Only 12 Republicans voted for the measure, while just 10 Democrats voiced their opposition to it in a vote split largely along party lines. In the Senate, a total of 28 “yays” and 22 “nays” were recorded in a similar margin of victory. Now, games like poker, blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette will be rolled out throughout the state.

In response to the passage, the Mason-Dixon Resort and Casino declared that it would apply for a license to open a property near the historic town of Gettysburg, the site of the infamous Civil War battle. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell would have been forced into a quandary if the bill hadn’t passed, as Reuters reported that the state would have had to lay off nearly 1,000 of its staff due to a lack of revenue. Under the measure, funds will be pouring in from casinos, which will be allowed up to 250 table games, while resorts will be permitted to have up to 50. Licenses would run $16.5 million and $7.5 million, respectively. Table games are taxed at a rate of 16% for the first two years and 14% thereafter.

Pennsylvania gambling establishments will compete head-to-head with casinos in Atlantic City, which, like the rest of the world, have seen revenues fall since the latter part of 2008 due to a global recession. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stops twice annually in Atlantic City. During the 2009-2010 schedule, Circuit staff popped into Harrah’s Atlantic City from December 4th to 20th. Between March 3rd and 20th, the epicenter of the Circuit universe will be Caesars Atlantic City; both are Harrah’s-owned properties.

The World Poker Tour (WPT) journeyed to the Borgata in Atlantic City in September. The buy-in for the feature tournament of the Borgata Poker Open was slashed to $3,500 due to the rough macroeconomic environment and, as a result, a mob of 1,018 players turned out. In the end, Olivier Busquet banked $925,000 for the win, defeating Jeremy Brown heads-up. The Borgata stop was the only visit to New Jersey for the WPT during its eighth season, which will air on Fox Sports Net.

The Associated Press noted that the introduction of table games may take six months to come to fruition. According to the news outlet, the opposition to the expansion of gambling was quite fierce: “Critics called the expansion of the 5-year-old slots gambling law fatally flawed and said that bolstered ethics rules for casino and Gaming Control Board employees were insufficient. They also said the bill should not have earmarked funding for certain pet projects.”

Democratic State Representative Dante Santoni told Reuters, "This is a common sense, bipartisan piece of legislation that makes our gaming facilities more competitive, improves the public's confidence in gaming, raises money we desperately need in these tough financial times, and - most importantly -helps put thousands of people to work in a brand new industry." Over 12 million people call Pennsylvania home as the eighth largest state in the Union.

As expected, Pennsylvania poker players were ecstatic to hear that table games would soon be coming to their fair state. On PocketFives.com, Ambler native “krispykreme” explained that he was looking forward to a shorter drive to gamble: “Finally. I was just talking to someone at work about this. Now, we are all going to go broke every day since it will only be like 20 minutes to the casinos, instead of 2 hours to AC.”

KYW News Radio in Philadelphia reported that under the new law, casinos will be able to extend credit to their players. The media outlet revealed the Governor’s mindset to the entire issue, which was drummed up arguments from both pro and anti-gambling residents: “The reality, says Rendell, is that if not having casinos in Pennsylvania would keep state residents away from gambling, he wouldn’t have pursued legalized gaming in the first place.”

Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast List Released, No Poker Players

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich headlines an ensemble “Celebrity Apprentice” cast. The 14 names announced by NBC on Monday do not include any poker players, as first reported by Poker News Daily in October.

Three months ago, the cast was spotted filming the show’s opening credits in the Meat Packing District of New York City. Embattled politician Blagojevich is perhaps the most controversial name on the list. NBC officials tried to land the former Governor for its Costa Rica-based “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here,” which aired in June, but legal woes kept him from competing. Instead, Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, appeared on the show. Blagojevich landed in hot water after allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat previously occupied by President Barack Obama.

Also on the new cast is comedian Carol Leifer, who will try to follow in the shoes of “Celebrity Apprentice” Season 2 winner Joan Rivers. The latter defeated UB.com poker pro Annie Duke in the finals last year. Leifer told the Associated Press, "I'm certainly not a household name. I'm not surprised that Joan Rivers won (last season), because, as a standup comic, you're a one-man band — it makes you very prepared for stressful situations to be able to react to a lot of pressure. Humor is a weapon anywhere and everywhere!" Leifer is 20 years younger than Rivers, but her television writing resume includes hits like “Seinfeld,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Poison hasn’t released an album since 2007, but that hasn’t stopped Bret Michaels from becoming a household name. The band’s lead singer will appear on the upcoming season of “Celebrity Apprentice” and currently can be found on the VH1 reality series “Rock of Love.” Joining him on the all-male team dubbed “Rocksolid” is Bill Goldberg, former World Heavyweight Champion of WWE and WCW. The former NFL player was last seen in a WWE ring six years ago during WrestleMania XX, when he squared off against Brock Lesnar. Goldberg told the Associated Press that he plans to keep his fiery edge in the boardroom with show host and real estate mogul Donald Trump: "I know I'm going to explode during this show at some point and say things I probably don't mean."

Another embattled celebrity to join the cast of the NBC reality show’s third cycle is Darryl Strawberry. The former New York Met, who dealt with child support non-payments, prostitution, probation violations, and drug use following his baseball career, is now 47 and will look to right the ship on “Celebrity Apprentice.” Competing opposite Strawberry will be “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osbourne, whose fellow judge on the show, Piers Morgan, won the original installment of “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2008.

Last time out, Rivers defeated Duke amid a tidal wave of name-calling, including numerous references to Hitler. Rivers’ onslaught included such memorable lines as, “You’re a poker player. A poker player! That’s beyond white trash. Poker players are trash,” and, “You have a Nazi and a follower. I don’t work with scum.” Duke then fired back, telling “Celebrity Apprentice” cameras, “Joan is completely full of shit in everything she does. There’s a reason she got fired by the TV Guide Channel: She’s a bitch.”

For the most part, the poker world rallied behind one of their own and Duke raised a colossal $731,000 for Refugees International. However, Rivers, who was playing for God’s Love We Deliver, took down the title of “Celebrity Apprentice” and earned $526,000 for charity. Others who appeared on the show’s second installment with Rivers and Duke included Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, country music star Clint Black, reality star Khloe Kardashian, and comedian Tom Green.

Here’s the complete cast list for the third season of “Celebrity Apprentice:”

Rocksolid: Rod Blagojevich, Darryl Strawberry. Curtis Stone, Sinbad, Bret Michaels, Bill Goldberg, Michael Johnson

Tenacity: Sharon Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper, Summer Sanders, Holly Robinson Peete, Maria Kanellis, Carol Leifer, Selita Ebanks

The new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” kicks off on March 14th on NBC.

South Carolina Attorney General Appeals Poker Skill Game Ruling

The fight for five poker players in South Carolina is far from over. According to the Associated Press, the state’s Attorney General will appeal the October ruling that Texas Hold’em, the world’s premier poker genre, is a skill game.

It’s a familiar debate as the poker industry enters 2010. Is Texas Hold’em a game of skill or is it ultimately determined by chance? South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster filed an appeal with the state’s Supreme Court, the Associated Press explained on Thursday: “McMaster's appeal says he doesn't think whether there is skill or just chance involved has anything to do with lawmakers' attempt to ban gambling. The attorney general skipped the Court of Appeals and filed with the state Supreme Court, saying the question deals with the constitution's wording on gambling.”

Five poker players were charged in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina back in 2006. According to the favorable ruling by Judge Markley Dennis in October, the buy-ins for a weekly home game in the South Carolina town varied between $5 and $20. The small blind was $0.25 and the big blind was $0.50, with pots ranging between $5 and $10. Fifty cents was taken from several pots in order to provide food and drink for players, but the “house” did not profit from the game.

The game got ugly on April 12th, 2006, when police officers raided it and began arresting participants on the grounds that they were playing in a “house used as a place of gambling.” The defendants, under the guidance of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), argued that poker is a game of skill, not chance, and therefore did not constitute illegal gambling. The trial court heard the case in February, which featured World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton recap hands played on the roving tournament series to demonstrate poker’s skill component.

Dr. Robert Hannum was also brought in to testify last February. The October ruling explains, “Dr. Hannum also testified that a statistical analysis of professional poker players demonstrated that past performance was a reliable indicator of future success, establishing that the skill of the player was the predominant factor in determining wins and losses.” The lower court ruled that poker was a game of skill. However, because South Carolina’s laws were vague on whether that mattered, the five defendants were found guilty.

An appeal was filed, setting up October’s ruling. Judge Dennis candidly explained, “This Court agrees with Appellants that the South Carolina Supreme Court, if faced with the question, would adopt the dominant factor test for the purpose of defining gambling.” He added, “It should also be noted that the South Carolina Attorney General has consistently applied the dominant factor test when providing opinions about whether certain activities are legal.”

Judge Dennis harped on the overwhelmingly broad nature of South Carolina’s gambling statute, which could be construed to mean that nearly any game played with cards or dice is illegal. Judge Dennis specifically called out Bunco, Go Fish, and Solitaire as possible infractions of state law, saying, “Simply put, [the law], as written, has the potential to make criminals of virtually every man, woman, and child in the state of South Carolina.” Twenty of the original defendants pled guilty to gambling charges, while five fought against the state.

According to the Charleston Post and Courier newspaper, the filing by the Attorney General was 57 pages long and McMaster is a Republican candidate for Governor. The Courier revealed, “No timetable has been set on when the case will be heard, and more rounds of legal filings are expected. The legislature is expected to take up a bill legalizing social card games next year.”

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2009

With all that quality front page poker news there were a number of stories that almost fell through the cracks here at PL.com.

Fortunately, we publish our Poker News in Brief feature every Sunday and we’re going to recount some of the lesser-known stories below.

This week we’ll take a look at the original WSOP location shutting down its hotel, an Australian going back-to-back at the APPT High Roller’s event, a UB Poker pro winning a side event at Bellagio and more.

Binions Hotel Shuts Doors

Binions Gambling Hall & Hotel, the original location of the World Series of Poker, will be shutting down the hotel component of the business, according to a statement from owners this week.

Lisa Robinson, a spokesperson for Owners TLC Casino Enterprises, told the Associated Press the decision was made to keep the rest of the property operational.

She went on to say the facility was heavily affected by the economic downturn and the hotel rooms were no longer competitive.

The casino and legendary poker room will remain in business.

The property was originally known as Binion’s Horseshoe and it was there that Benny Binion conceived the WSOP.

The WSOP brand was sold to Harrah’s in 2004 and the next year the tournament was moved to the Rio All-Suites Hotel.

Graham goes back to back at APPT Sydney High Rollers Event

Jarred Graham pulled off an unlikely repeat performance as the APPT Sydney High Roller champion this week.

The young Australian outlasted 26 players including notables Jeff Lisandro, David Steicke and Terrence Chan to take down the $156,000 (AUD) first place prize.

This is the second year the $15,300 (AUD) buy-in event has been held and last year was actually more difficult for Graham, as he had to beat 36 players.

Graham now has life-time tournament earnings of $468,602, which puts him 21^st on the Australian all-time money list.

PartyGaming Wins Poker Operator of the Year

PartyPoker won Poker Operator of the Year honors at the eGaming Review Awards (EGR) in London this week.

An independent judging panel recognized that PartyPoker had made the most headway in the real-money poker sector over the last year. The judges were looking at originality, growth, scale, usability, payment processing and marketing.

Other notable poker winners included PKR for Best Online Marketing Campaign with special mentions to Betfair for Mobile Gaming Operator and ChiliPoker for Rising Star of the Year.

Russian Takes European Masters of Poker Slovenia

A Russian stole the show at the Slovenia leg of the second season of the European Masters of Poker this week.

Vladimir Mefodichev outlasted 252 opponents to take down the €58,190 first place prize in the three-day event.

The €1,000 buy-in event drew players from across the globe and the final table had players from Denmark, Russia, Israel, Sweden, France and Romania.

The European Masters of Poker now heads to Casino Las Canaria, Spain for the next tournament, which takes place Jan. 28-31.

Michael Binger Wins Five Diamond Side-Event

UB sponsored pro Michael Binger added yet another side event title at the 2009 Bellagio Five Diamond series this week.

Binger outlasted 127 players to win the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $124,160.

Since bursting onto the poker scene with a third place finish in the 2006 WSOP Main Event for $4.1 million, Binger has taken down the 2008 WSOPC Lake Tahoe title for $181,379 and side events at the L.A. Poker Classic and Five Star World Poker Classic.

Adding in numerous cashes from around the globe, Binger has slightly more than $6.2 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Power Hours on UB, Absolute Poker

Absolute Poker and UB players now have opportunity to earn twice the frequent player points during certain times.

Starting this week both sites will offer Power Hours from Monday-Saturday between the hours of 1-4 a.m. ET and 1-4 p.m. PT where players will earn twice the UB or AP points. The promotion is open to both tournament and cash-game players.

On Sunday, all players can earn double points between the hours of 1-4 a.m. ET with a special 1-5 p.m. ET session just for cash game players.

Players do not need to sign up and the points will simply be added to their account balance.

Full Tilt Signs Jani Vilmunen

It appears that Full Tilt Poker has signed Jani “KObyTAPOUT” Vilmunen as their latest red pro.

At the start of the week, the Finnish PLO-expert was still playing by his KObyTAPOUT alias but by mid-week a red Jani Vilmunen showed up at the tables on Full Tilt.

Vilmunen is most well-known as a fierce high stakes online cash game player, but he’s also had success in tournaments. Vilmunen won the Pot-Limit Omaha event at the WSOPE this fall for $336,396 and he also won the $2,100 PLO Six-Max WCOOP event on PokerStars for $172,140.

Full Tilt has yet to publicly confirm it has signed Vilmunen.

UB, Poker Player Magazine Hold Tournament for Armed Forces

Poker Player Magazine and UB Poker will host a freeroll this January to benefit those serving in the United States armed services.

All members of the armed forces, including veterans, are encouraged to participate, but the event is open to all players who would like to show their appreciation for men and women in uniform.

“This is a great event for everyone,” said Poker Pro Media Vice President Will Jordan, a former Marine. “But it is especially gratifying because we will be getting our servicemen and women involved. They deserve our gratitude, and this is just one small way to show it.”

The grand prize will be a $10,000 seat in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, along with $2,000 in expense money.

To sign up for the freeroll simply go to UB.com by Dec. 27 and use the promotion code PKRPRO.

Visit PokerListings.com

Former World Series of Poker Home Binion’s Closing Hotel

Binion’s, located in Downtown Las Vegas, is shuttering its 365-room hotel effective December 14th. The hotel served as the home of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) until 2005, when the event picked up shop and moved across town to the Rio.

TLC Enterprises owns both Binion’s and the nearby Four Queens on Fremont Street. Company spokesperson Lisa Robinson told Poker News Daily, “We plan to reopen it, but we can’t speculate when that will happen. Las Vegas has been hit so hard with the dramatic drop in visitor spending and the average daily room rate has plummeted. Our hotel rooms were no longer competitive in the market. We had to make cuts where our biggest drains were, the hotel and coffee shop.”

According to the Associated Press, the casino, sports book, and nostalgic poker room will remain open. Also keeping its doors open for business is Binion’s Ranch Steakhouse, which sits on the 24 floor of the building. Conversely, its hotel, coffee shop, and keno parlor will all be closed down. In the process, 100 of Binion’s 800 employees will lose their jobs, or 13% of the casino’s workforce. The property is referring prospective hotel guests to Four Queens, which has nearly 700 rooms.

Poker players were up in arms that the WSOP’s former digs were closing, at least in part. Tournament director Matt Savage commented via Twitter on Monday, “Binions Horseshoe was both hated and loved by poker players over the years, but it is definitely missed by those that played the WSOP there!” The current Binion’s poker room has 10 tables, according to the casino’s website, and 11 televisions. It’s well-known for its Gallery of Champions, which portrays the history of the 40 year-old WSOP.

Binion’s opened in 1951 and, according to the Associated Press, “The aging hotel-casino ran into financial trouble after Benny Binion’s daughter, Becky Behnen, acquired it in 1998. It closed in January 2004 after U.S. marshals seized cash from the casino to pay outstanding employee benefits.” That year, Harrah’s purchased the rights to the WSOP and sold the casino to MTR Gaming Group as Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel. TLC Enterprises has owned it since March of 2008.

At the time of writing, hotel room rates varied between $21 and $23 during the week and $49 to $54 on weekends. All rooms are listed as “Sold Out” beginning on December 14th and availability is displayed through the end of February. TwoPlusTwo poster “dgiharris” noted that he was not surprised to see the hotel go given its antiquated rooms lacking wireless internet: “I argued saying that it is 2009 and everyone, even a mom and pop hotel has at least WiFi but Binion’s said they weren’t interested in that. BTW, their [internet] kiosk was one of those 1996 credit card <=> internet kiosks that charge you a dollar a minute.”

TwoPlusTwo poster “DayTripping” relayed his experience with an aging television in a Binion’s room, “I stayed there once a couple of years ago. The TV had an actual dial on it. That’s what I remember most and it should tell you something about how up-to-date the rooms were.” No room amenities are listed on Binion’s website, which instead touts the hotel’s 25th floor pool.

In 2005, the final days of the $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event took place at Binion’s and, the following year, the entire duration of the schedule played out at the Harrah’s-owned Rio. In 2008, the WSOP Main Event saw its final table delayed four months until early November for the first time ever. The November Nine, as the final table participants are now known, occurred once again in 2009, with 21 year-old Joe Cada ultimately emerging victorious to become the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever, earning $8.5 million.

UIGEA Regulations Officially Delayed Six Months

Online poker players in the United States have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. On Friday, CNBC and the Associated Press confirmed that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had granted requests to delay the mandatory compliance date of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by six months to June 1st, 2010.

Word of a potential delay first broke on Wednesday from Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Executive Director Joe Brennan. However, no official comment had been handed down from Geithner, Bernanke, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), or the office of Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Around 12:15pm ET on Friday, cable station CNBC ran a segment touting the successful six-month delay and an Associated Press article had hit cyberspace 15 minutes earlier.

The six-month delay will take the internet gambling industry to June 1st, 2010. In the interim, the theory goes that sensible legislation governing the industry in the United States will be passed. Frank introduced HR 2267 back in May. The bill, which has attracted 63 co-sponsors, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for online gaming outfits to solicit U.S. customers.

An Associated Press article sourced both the Treasury and Federal Reserve as saying that the UIGEA’s regulations would indeed be pushed off until mid-2010. The news service explained, “The delayed rules would curb online gambling by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online wagers. The financial industry complained that the new rules would be difficult to enforce because they did not offer a clear definition of what constitutes internet gambling.” Since the UIGEA was approved in 2006, a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stated that the legality of internet gambling may depend on state law, similar to the way that the brick-and-mortar version is governed.

Next Thursday, December 3rd, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing discussing the merits of HR 2266 and HR 2267. The former bill delays mandatory industry compliance with the UIGEA regulations by one year to December 1st, 2010. Its relevance given Friday’s confirmation that the regulations would be pushed back six months is up in the air. The hearing kicks off at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses for the informational hearing have not yet been announced and the proceedings can be followed via a live webcast accessible from the Committee’s website.

Potential overblocking by credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard led the PPA, two horse racing organizations, and members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation to petition Geithner and Bernanke, urging that the regulations of the UIGEA be shuttled back to December 1st of next year. PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “Many believe what you’ll see is overblocking of legitimate transactions. It’s not a good thing for players. It won’t just affect poker; it’ll affect horse racing, lotteries, and other online entities.”

Around 1:00pm ET, the PPA confirmed the news. The organization’s Chairman, Alfonse D’Amato, commented in a press release, “The PPA is extremely pleased with the decision by the Federal Reserve and Treasury to grant the six month extension. This is a great victory for poker, but an even greater victory for advocates of good and fair public policy.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news and events from Capitol Hill.

Jeffrey Pollack Resigns from Harrah’s, WSOP

In breaking news from Las Vegas, World Series of Poker (WSOP) Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack has resigned from his post at the WSOP and Harrah’s, according to the Associated Press and his Twitter feed. Today, Friday, November 13th, is Pollack’s last day on the job.

Pollack told the news service on Friday, “It’s bittersweet, but I’m leaving with just great memories and a really nice sense of it being a great run. More than anything else, I’m just appreciative of the opportunity to have been part of the WSOP.” The WSOP entered its 40th year in 2009, with Michigan pro Joe Cada having been crowned its latest champion earlier this week. The youngster became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 21 and defeated Maryland logger Darvin Moon heads-up. Cada will celebrate his 22nd birthday next week.

The Associated Press reported, “Series spokesman Seth Palansky said there were no immediate intentions to replace Pollack.” Back in May, Pollack teamed with former Party Gaming CEO Mitch Garber to lead Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment, the casino giant’s newly-formed online arm. Pollack was slated to be its President and Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman commented in a press release announcing the launch, “As the world’s largest gaming company, Harrah’s is taking a proactive approach toward international and interactive expansion. It is important we position ourselves to explore new markets as well as new technologies with our best in class brands.”

Pollack was instrumental in growing the WSOP since 2005. The annual festivities from Las Vegas picked up shop and moved from Binion’s in the Downtown area to the Harrah’s-owned Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino off the Strip. 2005 saw Australian Joe Hachem take down the $10,000 buy-in Main Event to the tune of $7.5 million. A total of 5,619 players entered, a number that would swell to 8,773 in 2006, the year that Hollywood agent Jamie Gold claimed victory.

Pollack told the Associated Press that his next career move remains up in the air: “I really wanted to see this year through, see this series through. I’m leaving on an absolute high note.” No indication was given to media on-hand at the Rio last weekend that Pollack was departing, as the Commissioner seemed in high spirits. Pollack awarded Mike Sexton his Poker Hall of Fame trophy in a ceremony held during Saturday’s play in the Main Event that saw the field trimmed from nine players to two, Cada and Moon.

Under Pollack’s leadership, the WSOP brand hopped “The Pond” for WSOP Europe. The festivities began in 2007, with Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad becoming the youngest bracelet winner ever by taking down the Main Event, defeating fellow Betfair pro John “Kunkuwap” Tabatabai heads-up. The inaugural Main Event drew 362 entrants. In 2008, Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda took down the title, defeating Russian poker players Stanislav Alekhin and Ivan Demidov. In 2009, Barry Shulman, father of WSOP November Nine member Jeff Shulman, claimed victory in the WSOP Europe feature tournament. A total of 57 events in Las Vegas and four more in Europe were held this year.

Palansky told Poker News Daily, “We appreciate Jeffrey’s contributions over the past four years and wish him the best in the future. The World Series of Poker remains the market leader with this year’s tournament exceeding all expectations and we are well positioned for the future. There is no intention at this time to replace the Commissioner role.”

Pollack also held positions with the NBA and NASCAR and is the half-brother of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. On his Twitter page, Pollack boasted on Friday, “Thank you for allowing me to be part of the #WSOP these last few years. I will always be a fan and friend to the poker community.”

Dani Stern (ansky451) Signs with DoylesRoom

Over the weekend, Dani “ansky451” Stern, star of the G4 online poker reality series “2 Months, $2 Million,” signed with DoylesRoom to become the newest member of the Brunson 10. Poker News Daily sat down with site namesake Doyle Brunson to learn more.

Poker News Daily: Tell us why you selected Stern to become the fifth member of the Brunson 10.

Brunson: Everything I heard about him was nice. He’s pretty levelheaded and he’s not one to showboat. He seems like a nice young man, so he seemed like a good addition. Also, he’s a good player.

PND: You told the assembled media that the Brunson 10 will soon be complemented by two female players to commemorate your 10-2 hand. That’s a great idea! When will you make the next selections?

Brunson: It wasn’t the plan to start with, but I came up with that idea. We’ll get two girls next year sometime.

PND: What feedback have you received from your autobiography, “The Godfather of Poker,” which was released on November 10th?

Brunson: I’ve only seen one review and it was really flattering. I know that my author (Mike Cochran) is a very good writer. He’s won numerous awards over 40 years with the Associated Press and he did a good job. I’m happy with it overall.

PND: You had mentioned that you stopped writing the book six times because you weren’t comfortable making certain aspects of your life public. What are some examples of what readers can expect when they check out the book?

Brunson: My early years and some of the things I went through. In the last 20 or 30 years, it’s been pretty obvious what I’ve done, but there were some pretty trying times back in the early days. I saw a lot of violence and I didn’t know how people would receive that.

PND: You mentioned in the book that your father didn’t tell your family that he was a poker player. Talk about the moment you found out.

Brunson: I went home for Christmas one time and we accidentally started a poker game. He made a couple of plays and I asked how he could do those. He said he’s been seeing those plays for 40 years and I told him I didn’t even know he played. My dad never said much about anything, but maybe it’s in the genes.

PND: Have you thought about what life would have been like had you not had that accident and instead played for the Minneapolis Lakers?

Brunson: I know for sure what would have happened. I was a little ahead of my time and think I would have made the pros. I would have played my career out, married my college sweetheart, and been teaching somewhere.

PND: Which life would you have rather had?

Brunson: They both have their merits. Obviously, I have to say this one.

PND: Tell us about the future of DoylesRoom given your ever-growing stable of Brunson 10 members.

Brunson: We’re just trying to get promotions going that nobody else can give. We have what we call the Vegas Experience, where they’re giving prizes to winners of events to come spend the weekend in Vegas. I’ll have dinner with them and my son and daughter will take them around to some of the night spots. We’ll try to show them the life outside of the Strip.

PND: Give us a blonde joke, which have become the theme of your Twitter account.

Brunson: Why did the blonde stare at the refrigerator? Because the orange juice had concentrate.

Berman and Lakes Entertainment to Invest in Ohio Casinos

Tueday’s state election in Ohio brought good news for Lakes Entertainment and its Chairman Lyle Berman. A ballot initiative to bring casinos to four major Ohio cities passed by a 53% margin on Tuesday and Berman and Lakes Entertainment stand to profit from all four of the newly approved Ohio casino projects.

The casino initiative, known as Issue 3 on this year’s Ohio ballot, was a polarizing issue within the Midwestern state, with those opposing the initiative suggesting that it stands to benefit casinos, but not the people of Ohio. Those in favor of the bill pointed to the presence of casinos in the neighboring state of Indiana and suggested that Ohio is missing out on a viable revenue source during this economic recession.

In the end, casino supporters won out and new casinos are scheduled to be built in Cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland, and Columbus. The two groups behind the new gaming establishments are Penn Ventures and Rock Gambling Ventures, but Lakes Entertainment has a stake in all four of the properties as well. Berman and Lakes tried to spearhead a failed effort to bring gaming to Ohio in 2008 and recently cut a deal with both Rock Gambling and Penn shortly before Election Day to ensure they would be involved in this latest attempt. The deal stipulates that Lakes will fund 10% of the cost of the ballot initiative and, in turn, will have the option to own a 10% share in each of the new casinos.

According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), Lakes filed the deal with the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) on October 29th, just days before the November 4th election. The AP also reported that campaign finance documents of Issue 3 show that the campaign cost $35 million. The SEC filing indicated that Lakes already made an initial payment of $1.9 million to Penn Ventures and $2.4 million to Rock Gambling. Penn will oversee the construction and operation of the Columbus and Toledo casinos, while Rock will handle the Cincinnati and Cleveland sites.

Bob Tenenbaum of the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee spoke with the AP about Berman’s involvement in the campaign. “At the time this was raised as a campaign issue, which was Oct. 6, Berman had no role in any of this,” he explained. “He never became involved in the campaign, but he did reach out to both Penn National and Rock Ohio Ventures in the last week of the campaign and asked if he could become involved.”

The union between Berman and Penn is an unexpected one considering the two were bitter rivals during the previous campaign to bring gambling to a single destination in Clinton County. The campaign turned so ugly that Berman and Lakes filed a defamation lawsuit against Penn, which counter-sued for defamation, libel, and slander. The AP reported that both suits have since been dropped, but that does not mean Berman and Lakes will have extensive involvement in the day-to-day operations of the new casinos.

A spokesperson for Rock, the business development company of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert told the AP that Lakes would be playing a purely financial role in the casino projects. Berman and Lakes are not new to gaming in the Midwest and South. They currently own and operate several properties, including the Vicksburg Casino in Mississippi, the Four Winds Casino outside of Chicago, and the Cimarron and Ioway City Casinos in Oklahoma.

DoylesRoom Redesigns Online Casino

Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson continues to prove to the poker world that age is not slowing him down at all.  In addition to offering his thoughts on this year’s November Nine to major media outlets like the Associated Press, Brunson is finding time to log hours in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, share blonde jokes on Twitter, and launch a revamped version of the online gaming destination DoylesCasino.com.

A press release from DoylesCasino announced the launch of the newly-redesigned website on November 3rd and outlined some of its major changes over the past few months.  Earlier this year, the online casino switched software providers, adopting the Realtime Gaming platform, which DoylesCasino believes will “offer players a faster, more realistic casino experience.”

The revamped casino lobby features large icons touting the key promotions of the day and tickers logging the more than $5 million in progressive jackpot prizes up for grabs.  The site offers a range of casino games, including roulette, craps, video poker, and slot machines.  DoylesCasino, like its partner site DoylesRoom, currently accepts USA customers.

In addition to staying busy with his DoylesCasino venture, Brunson is also logging several hours on the felts.  Brunson, Mike Caro, and the latest addition to the Brunson 10, Chris “moorman1″ Moorman, have all been spending time at the DoylesRoom cash game tables searching for the next member of the Brunson 10.  Moorman, Alec “traheho” Torelli, Amit “amak316″ Makhija, and Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark are the first four members of the select group, but Brunson is still searching for six more guys and two ladies to join his squad of young online superstars.

According to his personal blog, Brunson and several other high-stakes pros have also been keeping the action going at Bobby’s Room in the Bellagio.  With the vast majority of poker’s high rollers congregating in Las Vegas to watch the November Nine festivities and tape the latest season of “High Stakes Poker,” it seems likely that there will be more big Bellagio action in the coming weeks.

While most of the poker community is rooting for Phil Ivey to take down this year’s Main Event, Brunson opted to put money on chip leader and professed amateur Darvin Moon.  Brunson explained in his blog that Daniel Negreanu offered him a must-win bet in which Negreanu would take Ivey and Brunson could have Moon.  Brunson explained that the decision to bet against Ivey was nothing personal in his latest blog entry: “I had to take Moon who has 5 times the chips of Ivey. It is a must-win bet so probably we won’t have action. Sorry Phil, I won’t be rooting for you now. Business is business.”  What Brunson means by a must-win bet is that in order for him to win, Moon must take down the coveted Main Event bracelet and vice versa for Negreanu and Ivey.

Brunson will be one of the several spectators on hand for the final table of the Main Event, which resumes play on Saturday, November 7th.  The poker legend will even take part in the event, announcing the “Shuffle Up and Deal” command to kick off the festivities.

If you hadn’t noticed, that is quite a busy schedule for a 76-year old.  Brunson does not appear to be slowing down any time soon and will be spending the coming weeks promoting his official biography, “The Godfather of Poker,” which comes out on November 11th.

Doyle Brunson Autobiography “Godfather of Poker” Debuts November 11th

On November 11th, “The Godfather of Poker” will hit bookstores and online retailers. The autobiography of “Texas Dolly” himself, Doyle Brunson, includes 372 pages of indelible tales and never-before-seen images of poker’s marquee ambassador. Poker News Daily reviews an advanced copy.

The publication officially runs $26.95 in the United States and $34.99 in Canada. It opens with a bang, literally, as Brunson recalls a fateful day, April 19th, 1998. He began, “When a man points a gun at your head, you’ve got to take stock of things quickly.” The day after winning his eighth World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, Brunson returned home to his gated Las Vegas community only to be robbed by two men at gunpoint on his doorstep. The attackers flung Brunson inside his house, where he yelled, “I’m having a heart attack!”

The alarm went off, causing its company to call in order to ensure that all was normal. He explained, “I mumbled some false numbers because I knew the alarm was probably my best chance, if not my only chance, to summon help.” His wife Louise was also at home and came downstairs into the fray, telling the security company under duress, “This is Mrs. Brunson, everything is all right.” The end of “Book 1” leaves readers in suspense, with Brunson admitting, “I knew Louise and I could die at any moment.”

Brunson’s father was a poker player, making the game the family pastime. However, his elder never spoke of it to his family. Brunson explained, “Dad had played poker for years and years and helped support us with his winnings, but never talked about it.” Brunson’s college, Hardin-Simmons University, also frowned upon his extracurricular activity: “Hardin-Simmons disapproved of my poker playing, and I eventually wound up in front of the disciplinary board five times for gambling.”

Brunson was destined for the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers before a freak accident derailed the dream. Consequently, he entered the world of poker, then a backroom game with ties to organized crime and Wild West. Brunson recalls countless transgressions, including, “Another night I saw a man get stabbed in a bar [and] one day I saw what looked like an ‘OK Corral’ shootout on Exchange Avenue. All the shooters were behind cars and firing away, and I saw two of them gunned down. Both died, and both were friends of mine.”

In 1958, Brunson became exposed to Hold’em. He noted, “Hold’em was a fun poker variation, and it moved faster than most games. That’s why it eventually became so popular. I know I enjoyed it right away.” The same year, when he was just 25 years-old, he lost his father, brother, grandmother, and two aunts. He lamented, “It was a tragic merry-go-round that year, going back and forth to Longworth and all the family funerals.” When family members would ask young Brunson what his profession was, his answer was working for Convair, an aircraft manufacturer in Dallas.

In 1962, Brunson was told that he was on the verge of death due to melanoma. He recalled, “Melanoma cancer had spread through my body like wildfire… They said it was too widespread to even consider further surgery.” The cancer had emanated from a mole that Brunson had removed one year prior and he learned that “there was no chance I would live to see our baby born.” Brunson underwent a 15-hour “radical head and neck surgery” and, soon after, the cancer had miraculously disappeared. However, Brunson was warned that the disease could strike at any moment in the future.

Ten years later, Brunson entered the festivities at the 1972 WSOP. However, with media and television cameras roving the event, Brunson questioned whether winning would be the optimal strategy: “I was afraid of the publicity that winning this event would bring, and the terrible shame it would bring to my family.” Many interviews with Brunson in the present day reveal how surprised “Texas Dolly” is that poker has become a legitimate sport and profession; from reading “The Godfather of Poker,” you can easily grasp why.

Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder coined the term “Texas Dolly” when Brunson refused to allow him to use his last name. Instead, he was referred to as “Texas Doyle,” which later became “Texas Dolly.” The new nickname appeared in an Associated Press article and the rest is history. Besides the two-word nickname, Brunson is also immortalized in the starting hand 10-2. He candidly admitted, “I didn’t particularly like the ten-deuce being immortalized in my name because it isn’t a quality hand.”

“The Godfather of Poker” includes a foreword by Mike Cochran and its cover features endorsements from Bluff Magazine, Nolan Dalla, Mike Sexton, Mike Caro, and Allyn Jaffrey Shulman. Look for “The Godfather of Poker” on November 11th.

PokerStars hosting benefit for WSOP hero

You might remember Kent Senter as an inspirational story on the WSOP Main Event broadcast this year as he made it all the way to Day 2 before finally busting out.

PokerStars actually sent the entire Senter family out to the Main Event so they could cheer on their hero as he attempted to defy the odds.

The Senter family were featured in several TV segments on the ESPN Main Event broadcast where they talked about his illness and his dream of playing poker.

Now PokerStars is attempting to give back a little more to the Senter family by running a special $10 re-buy tournament with the proceeds going to the Cancer patient.

"I'm so grateful and there's no way to thank everyone for what they've done," said Kent's wife Patty. "A 'random act of kindness' doesn't even describe what these generous people have done. This is something we will never forget and are forever grateful."

Kent was diagnosed with Multiple Myelome in 2007 and he's been battling the illness ever since.

Although Kent missed the money at the Main Event he did generate a great deal of media buzz as USA Today, the Associated Press and the local Pittsburgh media all did stories on his journey.

2003 WSOP Main Event champion and Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker said he is inspired by Kent's story.

"Kent is a great guy and he has an amazing family," said Moneymaker. "I had the opportunity to spend some time with them during the Main Event and really enjoyed getting to know them. It's amazing to see PokerStars step up when appropriate to help out one of its members."

The re-buy tournament to benefit Kent will take place on PokerStars on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. EST.

The goal of the event is to raise money to help pay for Kent's medical bills that have put him and his family into debt.

Visit PokerListings.com

MA Attorney General Coakley Rejects Online Poker Ballot Initiative

Last week Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley told members of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) that she would be rejecting their bid to include an online poker initiative on Massachusetts ballots in 2010. Citing a failure to meet the legal requirements to make it onto the ballot, Coakley’s decision is the latest setback for the PPA and other lobbying groups trying to expand gambling in Massachusetts.

The gambling initiative was not the only question that failed to meet Coakley’s standards. The Associated Press reported that she also rejected two mortgate-related proposals and an initiative to put a percentage of the state budget towards local aid. According to Coakley’s official website the online poker petition was rejected on the grounds that it was not in the proper form. John Pappas of the PPA explained that Coakley objected to the use of the words “license” and “register” to describe a proposed 5% fee on internet gambling. The alternate descriptors left Coakley unable to determine the full ramifications of the initiative, resulting in the petition’s rejection.

The petition, filed on August 5th by Randy Castonguay, sought to clarify internet gambling’s legal standing in the state and proposed regulation and taxation measures as well and is just the latest initiative in the extensive lobbying campaign of the PPA and other pro-gambling groups in the state of Massachusetts. A recent article by the Associated Press reported that lobbying groups have spent over $5 million over the past four years funding their efforts. That money has gone towards a number of different legal initiatives including bringing brick and mortar casinos to the state and regulating online poker.

Coakley is an outspoken opponent of the internet gambling cause and her official website claims any form of online gambling is illegal, despite the fact that Massachusetts is not one of the six states with laws expressly banning the activity. With the recent ruling in the iMEGA case that positioned the legal standing of online poker and other forms of online gambling as something to be determined by individual states, Coakley’s stance has many online poker enthusiasts up in arms.

Of even more concern to the PPA and other lobbying groups is Coakley’s recent announcement that she will be running in the race to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s now-empty Senate seat. So far Coakley and fellow Democrat Rep. Stephen Lynch have announced their candidacy and Lynch’s fellow House members Michael Capuano and Edward Markey are also rumored to be considering campaigns. Joseph Kennedy II, the son of late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, still remains undecided about whether or not he will try and carry on the Kennedy’s political legacy.

In the wake of Coakley’s announcement she will be running in the Senate race, she has been leveled with criticism suggesting the time-consuming campaign will affect her ability to continue on as the state’s Attorney General. In addition to occupying the bulk of her time between now and Election Day, these critics are also concerned that political aspirations will mar her ability to make impartial judicial decisions. Coakley told the Boston Herald she is still fully dedicated to her current position. “I am still AG,” she explained. “They can reach me 24/7. I have been and will remain involved in the major decisions in the office.”

Coakley’s campaign has already hit an early snag as a group of Republicans filed a complaint against her with state Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the Federal Election Commission for improperly allocating funds from her state campaign to pay for polling and other expenses related to her Senate campaign.

Poker News in Brief: Aug. 3-9, 2009

As part of our ongoing News in Brief feature we've compiled a list of stories that didn't quite make the front page this week but are worth mentioning to hardcore poker fans.

This week sees an infamous golfer/poker player give up his case against the USGA, a new way to transfer money between sites and Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu making their picks for the Poker Hall of Fame.

Brunson, Negreanu pick Sexton for Poker Hall of Fame

The nominees for this year's poker hall of fame include Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy, Men Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Eric Seidel, Daniel Negreanu and Mike Sexton.

Both Doyle Brunson and Negreanu have come out overwhelmingly in favor of Sexton as their number one pick.

It's hard to argue with their logic as Sexton has been around at the highest levels of poker for many years and has, perhaps more importantly, been one of the best ambassadors for poker in history.

You can check out Brunson's post here while Negreanu's is here.

SendMyChips opens site-to-site transfers

It's an idea that's been around for a long time but SendMyChips.com appears to have finally solved the challenge of getting money from one poker site to a competing one.

The site currently works with Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, Cake Poker and Ultimate Bet, although it does charge a fee to get money from one site to the other.

The service is already endorsed by several well-known pros, most notably Dave Colclough, Marc Goodwin and Paul Jackson.

Apparently the company also works with results tracker SharkScope.com to provide a credibility check to prevent fraud. The more history a player has the more they can transfer using SendMyChips.com.

Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt withdraws USGA lawsuit

Online poker player and amateur golfer Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt got into some serious trouble with the United States Golf Association when he offered a $1 million challenge to anyone that would play him in eight 9-hole golf matches and 10 heads-up poker matches back in March.

USGA didn't take kindly to Schmidt offering to play golf for money and promptly revoked his amateur status.

Schmidt responded by filing a lawsuit against the USGA, which he finally decided to drop this week, according to a story with the Associated Press.

Now that Schmidt has dropped the lawsuit he apparently going to work on his game and attempt to play some professional events.

More poker programming?

Poker seems to be making an all-out assault on television lately. We've already seen the premiere of Face the Ace, ESPN's Inside Deal and 2 Months 2 Million will debut next week, but Pokerati is reporting that even more poker TV shows may be in the works.

According to a Craigslist ad that was sent to Pokerati there will be four poker shows filmed at Binions Casino, Las Vegas, and they are currently recruiting hosts, writers and production crew. You can check out the complete ad for yourself here.

FTOPS XIII begins

With the sheer number of FTOPS even it's getting harder and harder to keep track of them all.

Nonetheless FTOPS XIII started on Wednesday with a $200+$16 No-Limit Hold'em event hosted by Russian super poker player Vitaly Lunkin. The eventual winner was DeceptionPT who grabbed $107,518 for first place.

Like most online series held by Full Tilt, FTOPS XIII will offer an extensive schedule with more than 25 events and $18 million in guaranteed prize money. There is even a special Ante Up for Africa event hosted by Don Cheadle.

For a complete look at the schedule go to Full Tilt Poker.

Visit PokerListings.com

Dusty Schmidt (Leatherass) Drops USGA Lawsuit

Poker News Daily has learned that Dusty Schmidt, known in the online poker world as “Leatherass,” will drop his lawsuit against the United States Golf Association (USGA). He will likely play professional golf and continue his poker career.

A preliminary injunction originally scheduled for Monday, July 13th was delayed one day. The U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon heard arguments as to why Schmidt should have his amateur status reinstated after USGA officials revoked it due to his now-infamous poker/golf challenge. The prop bet focused on whether anyone could defeat Schmidt over 72 holes of golf and 10 heads-up poker matches. No poker player or golf pro took Schmidt up on his challenge. However, the USGA still revoked his amateur status. Schmidt’s challenge was worth $1 million.

Schmidt told Poker News Daily on Wednesday, “I lost the preliminary injunction on July 14th. I didn’t lose it because I was in the wrong from a golf rules perspective. The judge gave the impression that what the USGA did to me was not right. But from a legal perspective, I did not have a strong enough legal remedy for him to rule in my favor. He equated it to a church excommunicating a member unfairly and there not necessarily being a legal remedy under which a judge can force the church to reinstate that member.”

The USGA’s website has a section devoted to gambling that reads, “The definition of an amateur golfer provides that an amateur golfer is one who plays the game as a non-remunerative and non-profit-making sport. When gambling motives are introduced, problems can arise which threaten the integrity of the game.” Promotions designed to “create cash prizes” are frowned upon by the USGA, which is located in Far Hills, New Jersey and serves as golf’s governing body in the United States and Mexico.

According to the Oregonian, a trial date in Schmidt’s lawsuit was set for September 22nd. He candidly told the Northwest news outlet, “The USGA is pretty ingeniously designed. The way their rules are set up, they’re almost impenetrable from a legal perspective. I don’t think I could win with O.J.’s lawyers. No matter what angle you tried to go for, they had the loophole covered. There was just no way.” His amateur status was officially revoked in mid-June after an e-mail received three days earlier cautioned Schmidt that participating in the challenge could jeopardize his amateur status.

What’s left for Schmidt now that playing golf as an amateur is no longer an option? The golfer and poker player told Poker News Daily, “At this point, I am going to continue to work with my instructor, two-time PGA tour winner Brian Henninger, and when the time is right, likely make the decision to reenter pro golf.” According to stats posted on PGA.com, Henninger has over $3.3 million in lifetime earnings from PGA events, including 44 finishes in the Top 25. His wins came in the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in 1994 and the Southern Farm Bureau Classic five years later.

In an article that appeared in July, the Associated Press noted that the USGA gave Schmidt the green light to reapply for amateur status, but “the process wasn’t timely enough because of the registration fees he’d already paid to compete in events over the summer.” In a July interview, Schmidt told Poker News Daily why maintaining amateur status was vital: “They have no professional events here [in Oregon]. I have a baby girl on the way and want to enjoy playing competitive golf close to home. If I have to play only in professional events, I’ll be forced to go on the road. I have no opportunity to play competitive golf here.”

Dusty Schmidt Loses Amateur Status After Poker/Golf Challenge; Seeks Injunction

After posting a $1 million prop bet involving golf and poker, Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt had his amateur status revoked by the U.S. Golf Association (USGA). In the U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon on Monday, Schmidt will plead his case over why a preliminary injunction should be granted.

The challenge was laid out to any player in the worlds of poker or golf that could defeat Schmidt over 72 holes and 10 heads-up matches. When asked if he had though about the possibility of losing his amateur status as a result of the prop bet, Schmidt told Poker News Daily, “The potential for losing amateur status if I participated in the event was something I saw coming and was aware of. This happening in light of me not competing completely blindsided me.” In the end, no one took Schmidt up on his poker/golf challenge. However, the USGA still revoked his amateur status.

Schmidt recalled that on June 8th, he received an e-mail from the USGA stating that if he participated in the challenge, he risked losing his amateur status. Schmidt played by the rules and explained to Poker News Daily, “I told them I was aware of that and asked for an advisory opinion of how to move forward. The rules of golf allowed me to seek an opinion. In the end, it was determined that only if someone took me up on it, I would have an issue.”

Three days later, Schmidt received another e-mail stating that the USGA official who issued the advisory opinion had changed his mind. Instead of being in the clear, his amateur status was revoked as a result of issuing the challenge in the first place. The Associated Press notes that the USGA told Schmidt that he could re-apply for amateur status, but “the process wasn’t timely enough because of the registration fees he’d already paid to compete in events over the summer.”

Schmidt was up in arms over the change of heart and noted to Poker News Daily, “The rules of competitive events say that if you get a ruling that’s later deemed to be incorrect, they’re obligated to stand by it, and so I initially didn’t think much of it. Not only did they take my amateur status away, but they also gave me no recourse.” Instead, Schmidt will seek a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court in Portland. If successful, his amateur status may be immediately reinstated.

The online poker player asked USGA officials to comb through data on-hand to determine if a similar situation had occurred before. In the end, none was found over the past five years. Maintaining his status as an amateur is important to Schmidt, a native of Oregon. He explained, “They have no professional events here. I have a baby girl on the way and want to enjoy playing competitive golf close to home. If I have to play only in professional events, I’ll be forced to go on the road. I have no opportunity to play competitive golf here.” The PGA Tour, for example, offers numerous tournaments in California, but does not host events in Oregon or Washington.

In Oregon, golf tournaments typically occur from the middle of May until the middle of October, leaving Schmidt ample time to compete for the duration of the 2009 season. However, he noted, “I’ve missed out on events that are important to me. I didn’t do anything wrong, though. I asked for an advisory opinion and they said it was fine.”

Schmidt noted that the USGA charges violations of the “spirit of the game.” The same Associated Press article quoted USGA court documents saying, “Having promoted his prize money golf/poker contest for two months and having obtained tremendous publicity for himself, his entrepreneurial website and his prize money scheme, Mr. Schmidt cannot unring the bell no matter how hard he tries.” The news outlet also revealed that Schmidt will represent himself in court.

2009 WSOP Main Event to Pay $8.5 Million First Place Prize

Despite turning away more than 500 players on Monday, the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event will shell out $8.5 million to its victor, who will be crowned in November. The total number of entrants nearly topped 6,500.

The top 648 places will pay out, with the 63 best on the leaderboard earning at least six-figures for their efforts. The tournament is the third largest of all-time, trailing only the 6,844 who turned out for last year’s feature event and the 8,773 who posted the $10,000 buy-in three years ago. The final starting day attracted a whopping 2,809 entrants, pushing the total to 6,494. Day 1A of the 2009 WSOP Main Event attracted 1,116 players, while Day 1B, which occurred on the Fourth of July holiday in the United States, generated a cozy field of just 873. A total of 1,696 poker players showed up for Day 1C on Sunday, leading to Monday’s sellout.

The Main Event’s runner-up will see their bank account boosted by $5,182,601. Third place will pocket $3,479,485, while fourth place takes home $2,502,787. The fifth place finisher in the 2009 WSOP Main Event will receive a check for $1,953,395, edging out the sixth place player’s payday of $1,587,133. Seventh place will grab $1,404,002, while eighth place will earn $1,300,228. The final member of the November Nine will receive $1,263,602. The event’s total prize pool swelled to just over $61 million. However, that figure does not include interest on the money paid out to November Nine members, who will reconvene at the Rio that month to play down to a winner after a 100 day respite.

A bevy of brand name poker pros were shut out of Day 1D after the field reached its capacity, according to the Associated Press. Among those left out in the cold were Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius, who, along with Tom Dwan, has been blanked at the 2009 WSOP. Antonius made the final table and finished seventh in last year’s $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em, earning $124,000. In 2007, Antonius finished third in the World Championship of Pot Limit Omaha for $311,000. Antonius’ back has been ailing him for much of this year’s tournament series. Now, the Full Tilt Poker pro will likely resume his battle against Dwan in the Million Dollar Challenge, which is nearing its halfway point. Dwan played on Day 1D and finished with a stack of 24,000.

Also on the outside looking in was 2006 Poker Hall of Fame inductee T.J. Cloutier, who owns six WSOP bracelets. Cloutier was the runner-up to Bill Smith in the 1985 WSOP Main Event and won his first bracelet the following year in a $1,000 buy-in Limit Omaha tournament for $72,000. Other bracelets have come in Omaha High-Low, Pot Limit Hold’em, Seven Card Razz, and No Limit Hold’em. Ted Forrest joined him on the rails, unable to register for the sold out Main Event. Forrest has five WSOP bracelets, three of which he won during the 1993 tournament series (Limit Seven Card Stud, Limit Razz, and Limit Omaha High-Low).

WSOP officials employed 308 tables to accommodate players on Day 1D, the most for any tournament so far. The end-of-day report focused on turning away over 500 poker hopefuls: “This issue will most certainly be discussed following this year’s tournament as the WSOP attempts to accommodate as many players as possible, while encouraging and emphasizing the importance of early registration – particularly into widely-popular events such as the Main Event championship which are in serious danger of reaching full capacity.” The Miranda Room, Brazilia Room, Rio poker room, and Buzio’s Seafood Restaurant were all used to accommodate players.

The tournament now begins the first of two Day 2s. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Alex Bolotin Wins WSOP Ante Up for Africa; Mike Tyson Enters

The 2009 installment of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ante Up for Africa charity tournament brought out Hollywood’s elite and poker’s biggest names. In the end, Alex “Diesel” Boloton emerged victorious, winning $176,000 and donating half of his earnings to the ENOUGH Project and International Rescue Committee.

A total of 137 players took to the felts inside the Amazon Room for the Ante Up for Africa event, one of four tournaments that will be televised as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 WSOP. In 2007, the charity gala attracted 167 runners, while just 88 turned out last year. Prior to the festivities kicking off on Thursday, Ante Up for Africa Co-Founder and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke told reporters, “I knew how effective poker was as a fundraising tool. However, you can throw as much money at a problem as you want, but ESPN will help get awareness of things going on.” The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up added, “Poker players know how fortunate they are. We have a different view of money and what money is for. A lot of poker players are very socially responsible.”

A red carpet entrance preceded the festivities, with a bevy of stars lending their names to the $5,000 buy-in charity event. Among the first entrants down the red carpet was “Everybody Loves Raymond” star Brad Garrett, who told reporters that he’d want his tombstone to read, “I could smell it from here.” Following Garrett was former professional basketball star and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who explained that he was frustrated after poor performances in the Ante Up for Africa event over the past two years. He told People Magazine that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Shaquille O’Neal was “a really good pickup.”

WSOP bracelet winner Jason Mercier, fresh off inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars, explained, “This feels really weird. I’m here with celebrities and stars of the poker world.” When asked what celebrity he ogled the most, Mercier responded, “Charles Barkley – I watched him play basketball since I was a little kid.” Mercier then joked, “Watch me take this down.” Others who followed Mercier down the red carpet included comedian Sarah Silverman, NBA on TNT analyst Kenny Smith, actor Dean Cain, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck, “Rounders” star Matt Damon, and rapper Nelly.

One of the surprise turnouts to the 2009 WSOP Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who has recently gained a cult following as a result of his cameo in the box office blockbuster “The Hangover.” Tyson told Poker News Daily that he does not regularly play poker, but was looking forward to competing. A tiger did not accompany him down the red carpet. Media outlets in attendance included US Weekly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the L.A. Times, ABC Radio, the Hollywood Reporter, the Associated Press, and a variety of local television stations and Hollywood photo services.

Poker’s elite dominated the final standings, with Rafe Furst, Full Tilt Poker pro Erik Seidel, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Steve Zolotow, and Ultimate Bet pro Matt “mattg1983” Graham all making the money. Other poker stars that turned out included 2008 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing Tiffany Michelle, Andy Bloch, Brandon Cantu, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Barry Greenstein, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson III, Dennis Phillips, Ylon Schwartz, Peter Eastgate, and Victor Ramdin.

The tournament ran for 10 hours, about twice as long as WSOP officials had estimated prior to the event. At the end of the day, $362,000 was raised for charity. The top 10 finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Bolotin - $176,449
2. Adam Richardson - $109,194
3. Rafe Furst - $72,308
4. Erik Seidel - $51,601
5. Chris Ferguson - $38,550
6. Phil Gordon - $30,760
7. John Hennigan - $25,900
8. Matt Kay - $22,970
9. Jennifer Harman - $21,439
10. Phillip Tom - $15,713

Betfair Suspects cheating in Wimbledon

One of Great-Britains biggest bookies, Betfair, has reported a gambling oddity in one of the first round matches of the Wimbledon Tennis tournament.

Betfair contacted the authorities because of an unusually big amount of bets. In the match between Wayne Odesnik and Jurgen Melzer the bets valued over $980,000. Normally the value of a first round match is less than $163,000.

Mark Davies from betfair said a few words for Associated Press afterwards:

“I doubt that there was any wrongdoing.” He continued explaining why the report was made: “Because of the transparency … we pass that info on to the Tennis Integrity Unit,” Davies told the press. “Then they can make a judgment. But having heard the commentary on the match, I don’t suspect that this is going to turn out to be any kind of corruption story.”

Odds changed by the commentator

During the game, the commentator claimed that Odesnik would be suffering of an injured thigh. Due to this Melzers multiplier dropped significantly. In the end Melzer did win, but Odesnik denied that he had been playing while injured. ESPN spoke with Odesnik after the match, they reported the following conversation:

“I don’t have an injury! I called a trainer after the first set when I felt a tiny something in my hamstring. He put hot cream on it during the chageover — I didn’t even call an injury timeout — and it went away. The trainer waited a game and asked me and I said it was fine. It didn’t affect the outcome of the match.
“I have no injury — I’m perfectly fine.”

The obscene amount of betting seems odd,  but hard evidence remains to be seen.

Source: 4flush

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Betfair Suspects cheating in Wimbledon

Uncensored Poker Show to Debut on Playboy TV

Television producer Sam Simon, who is best known for his work on “The Simpsons” animated series, will bring his home game to Playboy TV, according to the Associated Press. The show is uncensored and features some of the entertainment industry’s marquee names.

Simon described his home game to the Associated Press: “The stakes aren’t the biggest, the players aren’t the best, but the game is definitely the funniest.” The show, dubbed “Sam’s Game,” currently airs on Thursday nights on Playboy TV and was filmed at the Palms in Las Vegas. Poker fans will remember that the off-Strip casino played host to the second season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker.” ESPN followed Simon in paparazzi fashion during his World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event run in 2007, which ended with “The Simpsons” producer hitting the exits in 329th place for $39,000.

In addition to his five-figure Main Event cash two years ago, Simon took 16th in a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys tournament in 2007 for $35,000. Three of his four WSOP cashes are in rebuy events, which were stricken from the schedule in 2009 on the grounds that they favor deep-pocketed players. Simon appeared on the recently-completed Season 5 of “High Stakes Poker,” but abruptly left the show and was replaced by Tom “durrrr” Dwan. In his final hand, Simon dropped a $128,000 pot to Patrik Antonius after his A-Q was out-flopped by Antonius’ A-2. No explanation for his departure was given.

Besides Simon, a host of other combatants will take to the felts of Playboy TV’s “Sam’s Game.” They include comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Norm MacDonald, who took 20th in a $3,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event during the 2007 WSOP for $14,000. Also appearing are Dave Attell, Artie Lange, and Jeff Ross. Fans of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” will recognize former Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick, whose friendship with show runner-up Annie Duke ignited a storm of conspiracy theories from television producer Melissa Rivers. Upon being fired, Rivers went on a profanity-laced tirade against Roderick, Duke, and “Celebrity Apprentice” staff that unfolded in front of a national viewing audience. Joan Rivers ultimately won the NBC reality show.

Poker fans will recognize Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly. The latter was formerly married to Simon, but the couple divorced in the early 1990s. Tilly won a bracelet during the 2005 WSOP in the $1,000 buy-in Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship, banking $158,000 and besting a final table that included Cecelia Mortensen, 2008 Ladies Event runner-up Anh Le, and Beth Shak. Laak has yet to win a coveted gold bracelet. In fact, he’s only made two final tables at the WSOP during his poker career. The first came in 2005, when he finished in second in a $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament for $156,000, falling to 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan heads-up. In 2008, he received television time on ESPN for his ninth place showing in the World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em, the first bracelet win for Full Tilt Poker pro Nenad Medic.

According to the Associated Press, the concept of “Sam’s Game” came from Playboy TV executives. Simon explained, “I’ve spent years in development to try to get shows on the air. When a network calls and says we want to shoot this…. the answer is yes.”  According to the Internet Movie Database, Simon was a Consulting Producer on the “Drew Carey Show” and was the Executive Producer of the “George Carlin Show.” However, he is best known for being a Co-Creator of “The Simpsons,” which has aired for 20 years. The franchise even released a feature length movie in 2007.

Catch “Sam’s Game” featuring producer Sam Simon every Thursday night on Playboy TV.

South Carolina Poker Bills Pass Senate Judiciary Committee

Live and online poker players in South Carolina have been jumping for joy at the news that Senate Bills 535 and 628 have cleared the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee. Both bills explicitly legalize social games of poker.

Senators McConnell, Mulvaney, Ford, Land, Knotts, and Davis introduced senate Bill 535. It outlines what forms of gambling are legal in the state, noting, “Gambling in a private home where no house player, house bank, or house odds exist and where the house receives no part of any of the money or other thing of value that is risked or wagered in the gambling in the private home is social gambling and is not unlawful.” Senate Bill 535 also outlines the process for a non-profit organization to obtain a gaming license, although 90% of the money raised in an event must go directly to the charity. The measure was approved in Committee by a 12-8 vote after being introduced back in March.

Senate Bill 628 and Senate Bill 535 were both amended to include what the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the major lobbying force for the poker industry, calls a “predominance test.” The move follows a decision by Judge Larry Duffy in February that five poker players caught during a raid of a home game were guilty despite “overwhelming” evidence that poker is a game of skill. Judge Duffy noted that no clear direction existed from the South Carolina Legislature as to whether games predominantly determined by skill were considered gambling. The amendment, which was implemented with the help of the PPA, may clarify South Carolina’s position.

On Wednesday of last week, the Associated Press noted that the two bills had “virtually no chance of passing this year” because the legislative session had just five days remaining. PPA Executive Director John Pappas alluded to the time crunch at hand, noting in a press release distributed by the one million member strong organization, “We urge the South Carolina Senate to quickly bring these pieces of legislation to the floor for a vote before the end of the session.” Senate Bill 628 allows players to utilize a defense of social gambling against a charge of “unlawful gambling.” More importantly, it notes that games deemed predominated by skill are “not unlawful.”

The PPA has 10,000 members in South Carolina. In 2006, Bob Chimento, Jeremy Brestel, Scott Richards, Michael Williamson, and John T. Willis were arrested as part of an allegedly friendly home game in Mount Pleasant. Appearing at the trial of the five defendants was World Poker Tour (WPT) Host and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Mike Sexton, who came armed with videos showing how hands were won via a player’s skill. Also appearing was University of Denver Statistics Professor Robert Hannum, who outlined the results of a study conducted by Cigital and PokerStars which found that, out of 103 million cash game hands on the popular online poker site, three-quarters did not go to showdown. Instead, a player’s skill in betting earned them a win in the hand.

PPA South Carolina State Director John Ridgeway commented, “The thousands of poker players in the state are now one step closer to being allowed to enjoy a game of poker online or with their friends around the kitchen table without the fear of being accused of a crime under outdated state laws.” The gambling law currently on the books is over 200 years old. The PPA notes that the effect of the two bills extends well beyond just poker. Games like Bunko and Bridge would also become explicitly legal.

The two bills’ approval by the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee comes the same week as Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced comprehensive legislation to legalize and regulate the internet gambling industry in the United States. A separate measure introduced by Frank calls for the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to be delayed for one year.

Barney Frank Introduces Comprehensive Internet Gambling Legislation

On Wednesday morning, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) unveiled the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, which establishes a comprehensive licensing and regulatory framework for the industry in the United States. Legislation to delay the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year was also introduced.

Although the bill has not yet been formally assigned a number, Frank’s licensing measure focuses squarely on protecting consumers when they gamble online. The bill states, “Internet gambling in the United States should be controlled by a strict Federal licensing and regulatory framework to protect underage and otherwise vulnerable individuals, to ensure the games are fair, to address the concerns of law enforcement, and to enforce any limitations on the activity established by the States and Indian tribes.” Operators must be in good legal and financial standing, utilize proper safeguards to thwart underage and problem gambling, and have systems in place to prevent money laundering. These concerns have been brought up repeatedly in markup hearings of past internet gambling bills introduced by Frank.

The Secretary of the United States Treasury is charged with overseeing the industry and licensing the companies that would be allowed to accept U.S. customers. Applicants may be asked to provide criminal records, credit histories, comprehensive financial statements, an outline of the corporation’s structure, and their methodologies to combat underage, compulsive, and problem gambling. Licensees must also protect against “fraud, money laundering, and terrorist finance.” Licenses last for five years each and may be renewed at the end of that time period. The bill also calls for the establishment of a “program to alert the public to the existence, consequences, and availability of the self-exclusion list, and shall prepare and promulgate written materials to be used in such a program.”

Sports betting or any wager that would be considered a violation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is not allowed under Frank’s legislation. However, fantasy sports and other “simulation games” are exempted. The bill does not overturn the UIGEA, which was passed in 2006. Instead, it exempts licensees from the three year-old law.

The bill appears to require a companion measure to provide for taxation of the industry. During the last Congress, that piece of the puzzle came in the form of HR 2607, which prescribed that 2% of the funds deposited online be taxed. PricewaterhouseCoopers released a study utilizing a similar bill along with Frank’s HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, to reveal that up to $52 billion could be raised over a 10 year period by taxing and regulating the industry. However, that figure relied heavily on the involvement of professional sports leagues.

A separate bill introduced by Frank on Wednesday, dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act, called for the regulations of the UIGEA to be enacted on December 1st, 2010, one year after the scheduled date. The House Financial Services Committee website explains, “The legislation will stop Federal regulators from enforcing the UIGEA until Congress has had a chance to decide national policy.” In essence, lawmakers on Capitol Hill will have an extra year under Frank’s second bill in order to pass legislation concerning internet gambling. The regulations of the UIGEA were approved in November as midnight rules and implemented on January 19th, one day prior to U.S. President Barack Obama taking office. As it currently stands, the financial services industry must come into full compliance by December 1st, 2009.

Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Chairman and former three-term Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato commented in a press release, “Online poker is a legal, thriving industry and poker players deserve the consumer protections and the freedom to play that are provided for in this legislation. We are grateful for Chairman Frank’s leadership and will be activating our grassroots army made up of over one million members to help him drive legislation.” In an article published by the Associated Press last month, it was revealed that the PPA is planning to sink $3 million into lobbying efforts during the current Congressional session.

Barney Frank Internet Gambling Bill Delayed Until Week of May 4th

According to an article released by Reuters on Tuesday, legislation to alter the landscape of the internet gambling industry in the United States will not be introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) until next week.

Frank had originally stated that a bill favorable to the industry would be introduced in March. Then, an interview with The Hill revealed that it would not be seen until after Congress’ Easter recess. Now, legislation to overturn or clarify the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will likely become a reality during the week of May 4th. A source close to Poker News Daily explained that pressure from “the guys writing checks” to release a bill may be taking precedence. In order to see time on the floor of the House of Representatives, past bills have undergone mark-ups and received amendments. Therefore, the bill Frank ultimately introduces may not be the final legislation enacted.

Frank told Reuters, "We'll be introducing it next week and I plan to move on it.” His previous attempt at creating a full licensing and regulatory framework for the industry came in the form of the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, which was introduced in 2007 and numbered HR 2046. The bill, along with a companion tax bill that was introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), would have generated up to $52 billion in revenue over a 10 year period for the U.S. Government, according to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. On the reason for the two month delay, Reuters explained, “Frank said his Committee has been busy with other measures addressing the credit crisis and proposals to reform financial regulation.”

Frank made two attempts to clarify the UIGEA during the 110th Congress. Together with former Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), Frank sponsored HR 5767, the first version of the Payments System Protection Act. However, amid pushback from Congressman Spencher Bachus (R-AL) as well as the failure of an amendment by Congressman Peter King (R-NY), HR 5767 failed to make it out of the House Financial Services Committee. In a June vote, King’s amendment was trumped by virtue of a 32-32 tie vote. An oral vote on HR 5767 saw the “Nays” outnumber the “Yays.”

In September, Frank introduced HR 6870, the second installment of the Payments System Protection Act. The bill passed out of Committee by a 30-19 vote, but then fell by the wayside as the global economy sputtered shortly thereafter. HR 6870 called for the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to collaborate with the Attorney General’s office in order to determine what is legal and illegal under the UIGEA. The bill would have also suspended the UIGEA except for its directives related to online sports betting.

Despite being allowed to opt out of HR 6870, professional sports leagues such as the NFL came out against it. In March, the New York City-based NFL hired Jeff Miller to be its first full-time in-house lobbyist. His is charged with monitoring events on Capitol Hill and has pledged to support enforcement of the UIGEA. Miller told the Associated Press last month, “We want to maintain the integrity of the game, and gambling threatens that." The NFL completed its annual Draft over the weekend, with University of Georgia standout Matthew Stafford being chosen first overall by the Detroit Lions. Stafford received a six-year contract with over $40 million guaranteed.

Although a final copy of the proposed legislation has not been publicly released, Reuters claimed it “would overturn a law imposed during the Bush administration that has hurt U.S. trade ties with the European Union. Frank said the bill was being drafted this week.” Late last month, investigators from the European Commission found the United States to be in violation of its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations due to the country’s stance on internet gambling. The Commission’s findings came as a result of a complaint filed by the Remote Gambling Association.

A call placed to Frank’s press secretary was not returned as of press time. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news from Capitol Hill.

Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative Launches New Website

With Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) poised to introduce legislation to clarify or overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) as early as this week, the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) has rolled out a brand new website.

The organization is among the many involved in the fight to preserve the rights of online poker players in the United States. Its new look was officially introduced last Tuesday. Frank told The Hill that he would introduce legislation favorable to internet gambling before the beginning of May, although as of press time, no indication of if the deadline will be met has been given. SSIGI spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily about the impetus for the brand new web portal: “Development of the new site is part of a coordinated effort to educate and engage key audiences, including decision makers on Capitol Hill and our grassroots supporters. For the policy to change, we need decision makers to understand the benefits of regulation.” He added, “We also need supporters to have a voice in the legislative process, which could include using the website to e-mail members of Congress and encourage others to get involved.”

The site is similar in some respects to the look and feel of the Poker Players Alliance homepage. Featured links include “Key Issues,” “Legislation,” “News Center,” and “Action Center.” The latter includes a sign-up form to receive action alerts, access to a special RSS feed for news headlines, and the ability to obtain votes of Congressional members via weekly e-mail. In addition, links to tell a friend as well as insert a “web sticker” on any site are also available. Finally, the Action Center includes access to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate schedules for the current day.

Currently, the centerpiece of the SSIGI website is a link to encourage members of Congress to support Frank’s bill, although the legislation in question is HR 2046, which was last session’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act. The bill outlined a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the industry. A study by U.S.-based PricewaterhouseCoopers used HR 2046 and a companion tax bill by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) to reveal that up to $52 billion could be raised from internet gambling over a ten year period. The form to e-mail members of Congress allows concerned citizens to insert their own text, but also includes a series of pre-written talking points that can be added. They contain statements such as, “Rather than legislate an individual's leisure activities, Congress should regulate Internet gambling and implement controls to protect consumers and ensure safe Internet gambling transactions.”

Legislative news articles on the site highlight the latest mainstream media attention paid to the internet gambling issue. Current inclusions focus on whether Frank’s legislation will come to fruition with analysis from the Baltimore Examiner and Associated Press. The latest opinion articles to be printed are also displayed prominently and include recent pieces that appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, European Voice, and The Hill. Press releases from the SSIGI are archived on the organization’s revamped website, as are videos linked from the popular social networking outlet YouTube.

The SSIGI is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and endorsed by a variety of industry staples including the UC Group, Baker Tilly, eCOGRA, Secure Trading, the Remote Gambling Association, GamCare, and the European Gaming and Betting Association. The organization utilizes Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to interact with its constituents and focuses heavily on protecting children online, formulating compulsive gambling safeguards, ensuring secure financial transactions, highlighting new government revenue sources, devising regulated and licensed environments, and pointing out international ramifications.

The SSIGI, along with the entire industry, now awaits potential internet gambling legislation from Congressman Frank. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.

Poker Players Alliance to Spend $3 Million for Lobbying Efforts

In a recent article by the Associated Press, it was revealed that the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the major lobbying force for the poker industry, plans to spend $3 million for lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill during the current Congressional session.

The online poker industry is on the cusp of seeing new internet gambling legislation introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). It will need to sway a Congress that is engulfed with a struggling economy and ongoing war in Iraq to address the need for internet gambling or online poker legislation. The PPA’s method will be to lay out $3 million during the 111th Congress, which began in January and runs through the end of 2010. According to the Associated Press, The group gets its money from the “Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), a Vancouver, British Columbia-based trade association for online casinos, as well as from its poker player members.”

The PPA has over one million members worldwide, a number that it reached last year, and offers premium versions for a one-time fee of $20. Many of its constituents, however, are of the free variety. Benefits of upgrading to a premium membership include access to the PPA’s extensive Litigation Network, which puts poker players in need of legal counsel in touch with local pre-screened lawyers, as well as a discount program that touts potential savings of over $2,000 per year. Other benefits of the $20 membership include a PPA card protector and window decal, discounts on PPA merchandise, and the ability to donate to the organization’s Poker Political Action Committee (PAC).

The National Football League (NFL) has been among the advocates of continuing the enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed into law during the final minutes of the 2006 Congressional session. Last month, it was revealed that the NFL had hired lobbyist Jeff Miller, who will serve as its first in-house counsel and keep the pulse of Capitol Hill. In an interview with the Associated Press, when asked whether he would continue to support upholding the UIGEA and Wire Act, Miller responded, "We want to maintain the integrity of the game, and gambling threatens that."

The UIGEA does not clarify what is legal and illegal under it. Instead, the doctrine defers to existing federal, state, and tribal laws and charges the financial services industry with its enforcement. The Associated Press article notes that half of the $16 billion internet gambling industry is “fueled by bettors in the United States.” The entire industry underwent a makeover as a result of the 2006 law, which sent the largest online poker site at the time, PartyPoker, packing from the market. In addition, payment processors such as Neteller and Citadel Commerce fled. A subsidiary of a publicly traded company, PartyPoker is now the fourth largest site or network worldwide according to PokerScout.com. It has also rebounded to become the second largest that does not accept players from the United States.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press, “We understand that illegal gambling currently occurs, but there is little we can do about that. However, we can exercise our right to oppose Internet betting on our games. Gambling on our games – online or offline – threatens the integrity of our games and all the values they represent.” A recent study by U.S.-based PricewaterhouseCoopers noted that up to $52 billion could be raised by taxing and regulating the internet gambling industry over a ten year period. However, that figure relied heavily on professional sports leagues opening up betting on their games, a concept the NFL appears to be ardently opposed to.

Frank told the Associated Press in a previous interview that he plans to introduce internet gambling legislation before the end of April. Congress was on a recess for the Easter holiday last week. The Chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee had originally intended to submit a bill in March, but it was ultimately postponed due to the ongoing economic meltdown. What form the legislation will take is also not yet known.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.

Legend lost: Slim breaks his silence Pt. 2

Part two focuses on the legal proceedings with regards to the indecency charges, Slim's strained relationships with his family and the poker community's reaction to the controversy. If you haven't read part one catch up here.

NOLAN DALLA: Let's talk about the legal case. You ended up pleading guilty to assault charges.

Editor's note: Despite Nolan and Slim referring to his plea as "guilty," Slim actually pled no contest.

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, to get this over with. God damn, it's breaking up my family. It was the best thing to do. All I had to do was accept the charges and get probation. That wasn't anything.

There were no felonies. I could accept that. And the main reason was I didn't want to be in the courthouse as an enemy to my wife and family, and especially my grandbaby. I'm going to end up being the enemy, if we go to court. I can't stand for that.

NOLAN DALLA: But the bottom line remains that you pled guilty to assault charges. You stated in a court of law that you were guilty. Why would you ever plead guilty to something you did not do if you were truly an innocent man?

AMARILLO SLIM: When my lawyer told me there's an easy way to end all this, I asked him "How?" And he said to do a plea bargain. So, I said yeah - go ahead and do it.

So, he came out of court and said I got you probation and you pay a $4,000 fine. I was told it was just a misdemeanor for simple assault, whatever that means.

I asked him what he thought about the plea bargain, and he said - this will keep your family out of the courthouse and end it. See, I was trying to protect my family.

NOLAN DALLA: You decided to plead guilty to assault. Before that, did you fear a felony conviction and being sentenced to prison?

AMARILLO SLIM: No! The felony charges were already dismissed. I didn't even have a bond set. Don't you think that if I'd had felonies against me they would have arrested me and made me post bail?

NOLAN DALLA: Some have speculated as to the reasons for your guilty plea. They suggest it might be justifiable for a man in his late 70s, facing possible jail time, to accept any deal which would keep him out of a Texas prison.

AMARILLO SLIM: That's not it. I would not have had to fight the case in court much. It would have been very easy for me [to win]. But I didn't want my family dragged through a trial and being made my enemy in the court. I didn't want my 12-year-old granddaughter to have to take the stand.

NOLAN DALLA: You must have known the public would hear about this controversy and suspect you might be guilty of worse crimes. Weren't you afraid of the harm this might do to your reputation?

AMARILLO SLIM: No, I'm not even scared of a big old grizzly bear. I just did what was appropriate - or at least what I thought was appropriate.

NOLAN DALLA: Were you depressed?

AMARILLO SLIM: [Expletive] yes. Everything I loved was gone. It was taken away from me.

NOLAN DALLA: But now you say you have your family's support. At what point did they come back to you and want to move on?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yeah. They came to me when they realized they had it all wrong. I can't remember when exactly that was, but all of a sudden everybody was calling and visiting and everything.

We were all sitting in the same room, eating the same food, swimming in the same pool. Everybody did a complete 360.

NOLAN DALLA: I think you'd acknowledge that you have a reputation as a master manipulator and a hustler. You know how to get things done. You can fix things. In short, you are capable of just about anything. Did you buy these people off?

AMARILLO SLIM: No. People might think that, but they can think what they want. Just so they know I didn't molest a child or fondle a child or anything like that. I didn't.

NOLAN DALLA: Let's discuss the public's reaction to the controversy.

AMARILLO SLIM: The Associated Press found out about it but they didn't want to touch it. Why not, I don't know. Then, John L. Smith [a writer with the Las Vegas Review-Journal] wrote the most damaging article you ever saw in your life.

But I never talked to him and there is nothing factual in the entire thing. He said they now call me "Amarillo Slime." I haven't heard that. I might interview him with a baseball bat.

NOLAN DALLA: But Smith was basing his article, as are most writers, on court records and ...

AMARILLO SLIM: On the word of an assistant district attorney.

NOLAN DALLA: Yeah, but also the fact that you did plead guilty to three charges.

AMARILLO SLIM: I already told you how that was.

NOLAN DALLA: Yes, I can appreciate and even respect that. But you did plead guilty - yes?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, because I was advised to plead guilty. Because - we needed to end all that mess. It was also to assault, not to being a molester or doing something like that.

Then, everyone got a hold of it and the next thing I read was that I had pled guilty to whatever it was, being a child molester, and a pedophile. It just got worse and worse.

And it wasn't true. I can't even say the word pedophile. I resent it. I resent it with every bone in my body. I was 77 years old and all of a sudden I'm going to start molesting kids?

Huh? Not a lot of logic there, is it? There was a site [WickedChopsPoker] which called me a pedophile. I'm considering suing them if they don't publish a retraction because none of it is true.

Back when I could have sex, I don't have it anymore - I can't help that - I would have had it when I could. How come I waited until I was impotent to do something like this?

NOLAN DALLA: But can you see how a writer or journalist following this story might conclude that since you pled guilty in a court of law, then that opens you up to speculation about what really happened?

AMARILLO SLIM: I guess so. But saying I committed molestation? No. That's when I fight back. You want to know how many psychiatrists and child counselors I went and saw? Five. The D.A. set all these up while I was being investigated. To a person, every one of them said "There's nothing we can do for this man. He's no more a sex molester than I am."

NOLAN DALLA: If you could do this all over again, would you do things differently?

AMARILLO SLIM: I have tried to have an understanding with all of my family about what I was doing [during the court case]. Now, they know what I was doing. I know it, and they know it. I was trying to protect my family. Hell yes, I would do the same thing over again.

NOLAN DALLA: But when you walk into a poker room today, some of the people in that room who once respected you might think differently.

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes, and that bothered me. But I have never had anyone say anything negative to me. Whether I was playing, or not playing. I think there are a bunch of hypocrites in the poker world and a lot of them are obligated to me.

Not a one of them has showed up and stood beside me ... I don't hear from them anymore. Some of them could have said something and shown their support. But they didn't.

NOLAN DALLA: Care to name any names?

AMARILLO SLIM: They know who they are.

NOLAN DALLA: Did you get support from anyone in the poker community?

AMARILLO SLIM: No, I didn't seek any. But I sure should have had some. I will say that one person did speak up and say that what I was charged with couldn't have possibly happened.

He told everybody that we had traveled together for years and slept in the same room. He said it never could have happened what was said about me.

NOLAN DALLA: Was Doyle Brunson the player who spoke up?

AMARILLO SLIM: Yes.

NOLAN DALLA: No matter what, some people are still going to say, he's Amarillo Slim. He beat the rap. He beat the legal system. That's who he is, and he's guilty. What do you say to that?

AMARILLO SLIM: They don't know the truth. They are wrong to condemn someone without any substance whatsoever. There's not one single person who ever got up and testified I did something wrong.

The little girl never saw any counselors, because it never happened. The [felony] charges were dismissed against me. The grand jury never heard that I passed a lie detector test.

All of my family is on my side now, including my grandbaby. I don't know how I can make it more clear that all of this was wrong. And now, I am ready to do something about it and speak out.

Special thanks to Michael Hirschensohn for his efforts in setting up the interview.

Click through to read part one of this exclusive story.

Visit PokerListings.com

BetOnSports Ex-CEO David Carruthers Pleads Guilty

In breaking news out of St. Louis, former BetOnSports CEO David Carruthers has pled guilty to “federal racketeering conspiracy charges,” according to the Associated Press. He faces up to 33 months in prison and sentencing is scheduled for October 2nd.

According to a statement released by iGamingNews on Wednesday, “Mr. Carruthers agreed to not appeal provided that the sentence doesn't exceed 33 months, which is under the terms of the agreement, as well as to not engage in offshore gambling businesses during the time of supervised released or thereafter.” Carruthers also agreed to cooperate against BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan and others still in custody.

Carruthers has been under house arrest since 2006 and even ran the St. Louis Marathon during his detention, posting a time of four hours, five minutes, and 27 seconds. He was originally detained in Texas while in transit from the United Kingdom to Costa Rica before being moved to St. Louis. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper, despite believing that internet gambling and sports wagering may have been illegal in the United States under laws such as the Wire Act of 1961 and Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), Carruthers “continued to advertise to U.S. customers that the company was 'legal and licensed' while 'furtively or covertly' collecting bets and paying out money owed to gamblers.”

Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan speculated as to why Carruthers would finally plead guilty, ending the three year ordeal. He told Poker News Daily, “Carruthers is a citizen of the United Kingdom and isn't a resident of the United States. He was a foreign national that had been detailed in transit. He went three years trying to make the best of a bad situation and wants to go home.”

In July of 2006, Carruthers was fired as CEO of BetOnSports. The company stated at the time, "Clearly, while he remains in the custody of the U.S. government, he is unable to perform his duties.” In August of that year, the company vacated the U.S. market entirely, two months prior to then-President George W. Bush signing the SAFE Port Act and its accompanying UIGEA rider into law. Brennan noted that while BetOnSports was navigating its future business plans, Carruthers was still held up in Missouri: “The U.S. Government won a war of attrition. He's an older guy who hasn't been home in three years. He was under house arrest with no trial.”

The admission of guilt comes on the heels of a plea bargain made by former Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit in a New York court room last December. Dikshit agreed to pay $300 million over three installments and faces up to two years in prison. However, his sentencing has been delayed until December of 2010. Comparing the two high profile internet gambling proceedings, Brennan explained, “Carruthers' case is obviously more severe than Anurag's, who is free to go wherever. It's disappointing to see a guy who has been standing on his principles beaten down enough to forge a plea.”

Visiting BetOnSports.com from the United States yields the text, “This website does not accept wagers on sports or sporting events from persons in the United States. It is a violation of United States Law to transmit sports wagers or betting information to this website from the United States.”

We'll have more for you on this breaking story has it develops right here on Poker News Daily.

New NFL Lobbyist Seeks to Protect UIGEA

Recently, the National Football League (NFL) enlisted the services of Jeff Miller, who will serve as its chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill. According to an article authored by the Associated Press, Miller seeks to preserve the ban on internet gambling in the United States.

In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was ushered through Congress at the last minute by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). Although the UIGEA did not define what was legal and illegal under its jurisdiction, its effect was driving some of the world's largest online poker sites out of the U.S. market. Now, only a handful of rooms, such as PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Carbon Poker, accept U.S. residents. In addition, the UIGEA also eradicated payment processors such as Neteller and Citadel Commerce from the market.

On January 19th, the regulations of the UIGEA finally came to fruition as “midnight rules” passed by the outgoing Bush Administration. Many in the internet gambling industry questioned the role of Special Assistant to George W. Bush William Wichterman, who had also served as an NFL lobbyist. Whether the urging of Wichterman resulted in the UIGEA's regulations being pushed through remains unknown. However, his involvement prompted a letter by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN).

The NFL's newest hire, Miller told the Associated Press, "I'm a lifelong NFL fan, grew up in Wisconsin, [and] rooted for the Packers at my father's knee every Sunday. I had had opportunities in the past to leave the Hill and do other things, such as work at a law firm and lobby firm. But when the NFL calls, you can't turn that down." When asked about the upholding the existing internet gambling legislation, which consists of both the UIGEA and Wire Act of 1961, Miller responded, "We want to maintain the integrity of the game, and gambling threatens that."

The Associated Press article added that Miller will be at the forefront of sports leagues' efforts to preserve the status quo with regards to internet gambling. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has led the effort to overturn the UIGEA, or at least clarify it for the benefit of the financial services industry. HR 6870, the second version of the Payments System Protection Act, was passed out of the House Financial Services Committee, of which Frank is the Chair, by a 30-19 vote last September. However, due to the then-emerging economic crisis in the United States, it did not see time on the House floor.

According to the Associated Press, the NFL previously sought outside counsel. Miller's hiring bucks that trend. He explained, "The emphasis is to have a full-time person spending every waking moment thinking about how what Congress or the administration is doing is going to affect the NFL's business model." The NFL held its annual owners' meetings last week in California, instituting a number of rule changes as well as adjusting the draft order based on a team's finish in the playoffs. Fantasy sports received a specific exemption from the UIGEA, although the law forced industry websites to guarantee prize pools and not allow a manager to have all of his players come from the same team.

Joe Brennan, Chairman of the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), told Poker News Daily why sports betting has received such a bad rap: “It's the only type of betting where the courts have been explicit. The Wire Act arose out of a couple of sports betting scandals back in the 1950s. It always comes back to trying to protect the integrity of the game.” iMEGA is suing to declare the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. The case has been assigned to Chief Judge Garrett E. Brown, Jr. of the New Jersey District Court.