Poker News

Poker News in Brief Jan. 18-24, 2010

The 2010 Aussie Millions main event kicked Sunday with hundreds of players looking to strike Australian gold.

You can read all about the tournament in our news section or live tournaments area, but as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature we’re going to take a look at a few lesser-known poker stories below.

This week we’ll look at Annette Obrestad crushing an Aussie Millions prelim, David Singer falling fourth on the Heartland Poker Tour, Phil Galfond doing some TV work and more.

Obrestad Wins Aussie Millions Pot-Limit Omaha Event

Annette Obrestad wasted no time getting busy at the 2010 Aussie Millions.

The former World Series of Poker Europe Main Event winner won the $1,000(AUD) buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event for $40,000(AUD) this week.

Obrestad outlasted 159 players including a couple of veteran rounders in Emad Tahtouh and Tony Bloom.

Although Obrestad continues to find success online, the win in the Aussie Millions was actually her first live victory since winning the WSOPE.

Obrestad did, however, finish second at EPT Dublin in 2007 for €297,800.

This year, Obrestad will make her first appearance at the WSOP after finally turning 21 this past September.

Alec Torelli Moves to Victory Poker

Online star Alec “traheho” Torelli has parted ways with Doyles Room to sign a sponsorship deal with the up-and-coming Victory Poker.

Torelli was hand-picked by Doyle Brunson this summer to be a member of the Brunson 10.

The team has never come close to approaching 10 players, however, and currently Chris “Moorman1” Moorman, Zachary Clark, Amit Makhija and Dani “anksy” Stern are its only members.

Victory Poker has yet to be released, but it will be a part of the Everleaf Gaming network, which includes Red Cherry Poker and Poker Royale.

Torelli will join a Victory Poker team that is rumored to include Antonio Esfandiari, Brian Rast and Paul Wasicka.

Rousing Final to HPT Vegas

The blue-collar Heartland Poker Tour ventured into Vegas for the second time this week and the final table did not disappoint.

It included a bona fide pro in Full Tilt’s David Singer, an HPT veteran in Theodore Kearly and an inspirational story in unemployed Cambodian refugee Kimbo Ung.

Ung managed to outlast all five opponents at the final table and take down a first place prize of $125,901.

Singer finished fourth for $29,377, which brings his lifetime tournament winnings up to just over $4.3 million.

The event, which drew 433 players, was an overwhelming success according to organizers.

“We didn’t how the Vegas market would respond to our brand,” said HPT President Todd Anderson. “It turns out we blew the roof off.”

PKR TV Showcases Phil Galfond

Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond does not have a major poker room sponsor, but will be doing some work for PKR TV.

Galfond will be doing commentary on some of the best ring game action on PKR.com and footage from the special “Galfond TV Cash Game,” which saw some of the elite PKR players take him on.

“We are thrilled to have Phil in the studio to become a PKR TV commentator,” said PKR marketing manager Erika Schwartz. “It will be fantastic for our players to get someone of his reputation watching the action and giving some advice on their play.”

PKR TV and the Galfond TV Cash Game will be broadcast on The Poker Channel in 13 countries across Europe. Air dates have yet to be confirmed.

Police Raid South Carolina Poker Game

Police busted yet another poker game in South Carolina last week.

Officers confiscated more than $64,000 in cash, chips and tables from a Greenville County home.

Twenty-seven people were charged for unlawful betting after a citizen’s tip led deputies to the house.

The raid is nothing new for the region. In 2007, a game was busted in neighboring North Carolina that included noted poker pros Mike Gracz and Chris Bell.

Amazing Race 16 Cast Does Not Feature Poker Players

The cast for the 16th cycle of the Emmy Award winning CBS reality series “Amazing Race” does not include any poker players. In its last season, the show featured Maria Ho and UB.com pro Tiffany Michelle.

Ho and Michelle represented the last women standing in the 2007 and 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively. The duo finished sixth in the around-the-world competition after their journey abruptly ended in the Netherlands, where a series of intense physical challenges proved to be too much for Ho and Michelle. A high striker, a common carnival game, proved fatal on one-half of the leg’s Detour, while windy conditions made a unique game of golf using wooden shoes unbearable on the other half.

A total of 11 teams will set out on the “Amazing Race” course for Season 16. Headlining the group are two “Big Brother” cast members from Season 11, Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder. The couple is “newly dating” according to CBS and will mark the latest pair to join “Amazing Race” after appearing on another CBS reality franchise. Schroeder is 31 years-old and from Norridge, Illinois, while Lloyd is nine years younger and hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. Lloyd lists her lifetime goals as, “to be a dental hygienist, and to get married and have kids.”

Also appearing on the 16th running of “Amazing Race” is Caitlin Upton, who will travel to the four corners of the Earth with her boyfriend, Brent Home. Upton was Miss Teen South Carolina USA 2007 and famously uttered the following response to a question about people being unable to locate the United States on a map: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children."

Upton’s phrases “the Iraq,” “U.S. Americans.” and “like such as” have become staples of modern lingo, although the beauty queen is now three years removed from her escapade. In a video posted on CBS.com, Upton commented, “I’m stubborn and I hate losing, probably more than he does, and I have a very short fuse, so if somebody gets in my way, there’s going to be some trouble and I’m going to need somebody there to calm me down.” The couple may soon be engaged; both are models.

Cleveland Indians third base coach Steve Smith, 57 years of age, will run the “Amazing Race” with his daughter, Allie Smith, who is 23 and works in marketing. Smith was a coach on the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team that won it all in 2008 and also worked with the Florida Marlins and Texas Rangers. The elder Smith lists his biggest challenge as “not getting lost because we tend to get lost in our own neighborhood.” “Amazing Race” requires a keen sense of direction, as racers travel to countries where English is not the primary language, so road signs and other markers can often be confusing.

Rumored locations that teams will travel to this season include Bariloche, Argentina; Puerto Varas, Chile; and Singapore. The rumored departure city is Los Angeles. The show premieres on Sunday, February 14th at 8:00pm ET on CBS, the same time slot as it held last season.

Dating couple Meghan and Cheyne took down the 15th installment of “Amazing Race,” whose finish line was ironically in Las Vegas. Besides Ho and Michelle, notable cast members vying for the $1 million top prize last time out included Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy and Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, who ran the race with her husband, Brian.

Bunch of big winners on Full Tilt Poker

Gus Hansen has been the most dominant player on Full Tilt Poker in January - he has won 1,24 million dollars already. But now there’s competition. Cole South, Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies and Di “Urindanger” Dang have all managed to win almost million dollars.

The Great Dane - Gus Hansen

All the aforementioned players have won around million dollars in January - South has made 965,000 dollars, Sahamies and Dang a bit over 950.000 dollars.

Cole South leads all the way against Ilari Sahamies and Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro in a $601k pot:

And when there’s winners, there has to be losers

Richard Ashby has taken the lead on the loser side of the field, he has lost about 780k dollars.

There’s still one missing, Isildur1. Where is the Swede? Let’s hope he will make a fast comeback.

Source: Highstakesdb

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Bunch of big winners on Full Tilt Poker

South Wins First Monster Pot of 2010

Starting at around noon yesterday a handful of players including Sahamies, South, LarsLuzak and Richard Ashby, took seats at $300/$600 Pot-Limit Omaha, beginning one of the first true high-stakes sessions of the year.

South played around 1,100 hands on the day, netting a total profit of over $290k.

Despite losing the massive $601k pot to South, Sahamies still managed to grind a $186k profit on the day while playing only 431 hands.

Hac “trex313” Dang also had a big day, earning over $341k in his 392 hand session. Dang’s largest pot of the day was a $192k loss to South. Fortunately, Dang had won a $132k pot from South just eight minutes earlier.

Di “Urindanger” Dang (Hac Dang’s brother) bounced around playing almost a dozen small sessions throughout the day. Urindanger put together enough small wins to finish the day with a $140k profit.

On the losing end for the day came Full Tilt pro Richard Ashby who lost on almost every table he sat at, netting over $421k in losses across 660 hands of PLO.

Tom "durrrr" Dwan had a big day playing 2,622 hands across multiple games and limits. His day included sessions in PLO, No-Limit Hold'em (all mostly at $100/$200) and even 1,591 hands of $1,000/$2,000 Fixed-Limit Hold'em. In the end Dwan suffered a loss of over $348k.

LarsLuzak, who continues his struggles from last year, lost $96k on the digital felt in just 293 hands.

Below you can watch replays of the three largest PLO pots of the day, including the $601k pot from South. To see more replays, head to MarketPulse.

Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen on Top

Now, just two weeks into 2010, the two biggest losers have made their way to the top of the winner’s list.

After another session of nose-bleed stakes 7-Game on Full Tilt last night, Dwan had earned himself almost $400k in profit, enough to put him into second place for the year’s biggest winners with almost $530k.

Hansen ground his way into being the second most profitable player of the night, earning over $383k for his efforts. This profit puts Hansen in first place overall for the year with $726k.

Richard Ashby came out of the session as the largest loser, down over $457k in his 2,315 hand session.

Despite playing more hands than any other player to make the lists, Cole South became the night’s second largest loser with over $264k in losses.

Fortunately for both Ashby and South, profits made earlier in the year help keep these players from getting too far sunk into the red.

One player who has struggled out of the gate has been Chau “La Key U” Giang.

Giang, known for his regular appearances in Bobby’s room, has been somewhat of a consistent loser since the beginning of the year. Adding the $136k he lost last night, Giang tops the biggest losers list with over $590k worth of losses on the year.

With the PCA through, and the weekend just getting under way, the high-stakes action is set to erupt on Full Tilt. Keep yourself posted to MarketPulse to stay on top of all the action.

Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen on Top

Now, just two weeks into 2010, the two biggest losers have made their way to the top of the winner’s list.

After another session of nose-bleed stakes 7-Game on Full Tilt last night, Dwan had earned himself almost $400k in profit, enough to put him into second place for the year’s biggest winners with almost $530k.

Hansen ground his way into being the second most profitable player of the night, earning over $383k for his efforts. This profit puts Hansen in first place overall for the year with $726k.

Richard Ashby came out of the session as the largest loser, down over $457k in his 2,315 hand session.

Despite playing more hands than any other player to make the lists, Cole South became the night’s second largest loser with over $264k in losses.

Fortunately for both Ashby and South, profits made earlier in the year help keep these players from getting too far sunk into the red.

One player who has struggled out of the gate has been Chau “La Key U” Giang.

Giang, known for his regular appearances in Bobby’s room, has been somewhat of a consistent loser since the beginning of the year. Adding the $136k he lost last night, Giang tops the biggest losers list with over $590k worth of losses on the year.

With the PCA through, and the weekend just getting under way, the high-stakes action is set to erupt on Full Tilt. Keep yourself posted to MarketPulse to stay on top of all the action.

WSOP Champ Joe Cada Not Dating Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole

Extra! Extra! In a thread posted on TwoPlusTwo, an image of 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winner Joe Cada allegedly with his arm around former Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole sparked rumors that the two were dating.

Poker News Daily can independently confirm that the rumblings are completely false. Cada’s agent, Dan Frank, told Poker News Daily that the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever played a few hands of blackjack with Nicole, but that was as heated as it got between the two during the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Cada entered Tuesday’s action in the tournament series’ $25,000 buy-in High Roller event fourth in chips.

In the fuzzy photo, Cada appears dressed in a Hawaiian shirt with a PokerStars hat on flipped backwards. The woman purported to be Nicole, whose back faces the camera, is wearing a black and white striped skirt and a white top. She is noticeably taller than Cada, although high heels may be to blame. The two are intently watching a table game adjacent to a roulette wheel at the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the site of the 2010 PCA. The first response to the photo came in from “robreardon6,” who scientifically evaluated, “1000-1 against this kid getting any action from jayde.”

Cada purportedly told PokerRoad that he was “just friends” with Nicole. Nevertheless, Poker players speculated on the impact that Cada dating Nicole would have on the industry: “wsop champ dating playmate of the year would be awesome for poker,” wrote TwoPlusTwo member “Krax.” Nicole, who is a regular on the MTV reality series “The Hills,” recently separated from Brody Jenner, son of Olympic decathlon star Bruce Jenner. The elder, of course, is married to Kris Jenner, matriarch of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

Nicole was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for January 2007 and the Playboy Playmate of the Year in 2008. She hails from the poker-friendly nation of Canada and appeared as a celebrity challenger on the first season of the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” game show on Fox. Nicole was the adversary of Sergeant Denny Luna on the series’ second episode, ultimately falling to the PokerStars qualifier. Liquor salesman Brian Barboza also made mince meat of the Playboy personality. Both Barboza and Luna reached the final table of the show, which saw 9/11 first responder Mike Kosowski emerge victorious; he went on to defeat Daniel Negreanu heads-up to win $1 million.

Martin Kendell, a “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” qualifier who faced off against new North American Poker Tour (NAPT) hostess Joanna Krupa, told Poker News Daily that he wanted to match up with Nicole due to her lackluster poker skills: “I was hoping to get Jayde Nicole. She’s a Canadian girl and we would have had something to talk about since I am Canadian. I also didn’t think that she was a good player.” Although Nicole could greatly improve her skills on the felt by dating Cada, it does not appear to be in the cards in the foreseeable future.

Cada has been linked in recent weeks to a variety of women, including WKQI Detroit’s Mojo in the Morning. His girlfriend in November was instrumental in helping Cada survive the rigors of the WSOP Main Event final table and fielded phone calls for the poker pro during Sunday’s off-day while Cada rested. Several players at the 2010 PCA, meanwhile, reported that Nicole was seen leaving the PokerStars party in the Bahamas arm in arm with “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier, who plays Vincent Chase on the HBO franchise.

In November, Cada became the youngest winner ever of the WSOP Main Event at age 21; he has since turned 22 years-old. Nicole will celebrate her 24th birthday in February.

Poker News in Brief: Jan. 4-10, 2010

The 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure drew a record 1,529 players to generate a $14.8 million prize pool – the seventh biggest in poker history.

Plus, there was some poker news that happened outside of the Bahamas and we’re breaking it down for you below in our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.

This week we’ll look at a new poker film coming to DVD, Pennsylvania legalizing live poker and table games, Belgium moving to nationalize online poker and Bodog making a big brag.

Legal Poker for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania legalized poker, blackjack and other table games at Casinos this week in an attempt to generate extra revenue for the State.

Previously, casinos in Pennsylvania had been restricted to slot machines only.

It will be six months before games start being dealt in Pennsylvania, but the State stands to make millions in licensing fees.

Several neighboring states are taking notice and Indiana is considering allowing riverboat gambling in Lake Michigan and the Ohio River. Back in November, Ohio voters passed a law that will see four casinos constructed in four cities.

The Pennsylvania law change could have a potentially negative effect on neighboring Atlantic City if Pennsylvania residents opt to gamble closer to home.

Poker Film “Shark City” to See DVD Release

Indie poker flick Shark City is scheduled to be released on DVD on Feb. 16 though Morningstar Entertainment and Stardust Pictures.

The film stars Vivica A. Fox, Carlo Rota, Jefferson Brown and David J. Phillips and it centers around around the story of two friends who get mixed up with the daughter of a gangster. The two attempt to con a group of gangsters through a poker game and the plan goes awry.

High stakes poker, both live and online, is central to the theme of the film.

Shark City won the John Muir award at the Yosemite Film Festival.

To learn more go to the film’s website.

Belgium Attempts to “Nationalize” Online Poker

Belgium appears to be the latest country that is trying to restrict its citizens to only playing on local online poker rooms.

A recent story in Belgian newspaper Da Standaard claims the government has plans to demand Internet Service Providers block any foreign online poker sites.

This could potentially have huge ramifications for sites like PokerStars, Full Tilt or PartyPoker as they would have to set up regional offices in the country to continue operations.

The changes are scheduled to become law before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is reportedly not pleased with Belgium’s decision claiming it goes against the free trade agreement made by members of the European Union.

Despite the European Commission’s objections, Italy currently restricts its online poker market to rooms that have a presence in the country.

Study Shows Bodog Best Brand

Bodog may not have the most players, but according to a recent independent study it carries the strongest brand recognition.

The report was conducted by gaming consultant Josh Apiafi using Google to understand the brand strength of the top 10 online poker websites including PokerStars, William Hill, 888.com, Bet365, Betfair, bwin, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, PartyPoker and Bodog.

“We had a hunch since I first rolled out the Bodog brand and business model that we are considered interesting,” said Bodog founder Calvin Ayre. “But that’s only part of the story – we also stand for having fun and that’s what all people want, especially ones that like to gamble."

The survey was conducted by looking at the number of Google alerts generated daily during December. Apiafi recorded every time a document was published that contained a mention of the brands listed above.

In the end, Bodog narrowly edged PokerStars by a score of 510 to 493.

Huge Growth for HeadsUp Entertainment

HeadsUp Entertainment, a poker media company out of Canada, posted its most recent quarterly statement this week and the company showed massive expansion in 2009.

The company sanctioned 362 events under its Canadian Poker Tour (CPT) brand this year, up from the 71 since it acquired the tour in 2008. HeadsUp Entertainment is aiming to host more than 560 events in 2010.

Also in 2009, HeadsUp Entertainment helped produce the CPT Finals in the Dominican Republic and Canadian Open Poker Championships in Calgary for television.  The Canadian Open Poker Championship drew big-name poker players like Gavin Smith, Jennifer Tilly and Huck Seed.

HeadsUp Entertainment also currently runs www.canadianpokertour.tv and Canadian Poker Magazine.

High-Stakes in 2010: A Slow Start

After making over $8.9 million to earn the title as the year’s top earner, Patrik Antonius has been taking a break from the online high-stakes world. How long of a break he plans to take is unknown, but chances are you’ll see him back at the tables sooner rather than later.

As of this morning, Richard Ashby sits as the largest online earner of the year so far with just over $221k.

But in a virtual tie for first sits Brian Hastings with $220k. Hastings, who made an astounding $4.2 million in a single session against Isildur1 near the end of last year, could very well become one of the most prolific online players in 2010 considering the roll he's starting with.

Just like in 2009, Gus Hansen started off his year in the black, having earned almost $160k since New Year's Eve.

It won’t be surprising to see Hansen attempt to add to his profits while splashing around at the nose-bleed 7-Game tables over the next couple of months.

The two more players to have earned over $100k on the year are Di “Urindanger” Dang and geoff7878.

Topping the list as the year’s largest loser is Andrew “Browndog19” Brown with almost $300k in losses. In second place sits a relatively unknown player named bixiu, down $262k.

Other notable players to make the top 10 list for losses include Rafi “howisitfeellike” Amit (-$157k), Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies (-$107k), DIN_FRU; rumored to be Erik Sagstrom (-$94k), Eli Elezra (-$82k) and Cole South (-$78k).

With both Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan down in the Caribbean for the PCA, it might be a few more days before we see any real baller action online.

Below you can find three of the largest hands of the year, to see more hands from this year and last, head to MarketPulse.

The Online Railbird Report: Hansen, Ashby Lead New Year’s Action

Gus Hansen starts January strongly

Let’s admit it, last year wasn’t too kind to Gus Hansen, he lost over 5,5 million dollars on Full Tilt Poker. Hansen let us know that he will keep a break from high stakes games, but his break wasn’t that long as he has been playing a lot lately.

Hansen has made over 212,000 dollars already in January and it looks like he is having yet another great start for a new year. In 2009 he made good profit early in the year, but then managed to lose a lot.

And when there’s winners, there’s losers as well

New year hasn’t treated Andrew “Browndog19″ Brown that well, he has lost clearly the most on Full Tilt Poker so far.

Top5 winners 01.01.2010 – 03.01.2010

1. Gus Hansen $212.510,30
2. IvanLendL $196.502,00
3. Richard Ashby $171.950,10
4. Brian Hastings $152.709,50
5. world1969 $117.255,50

Top5 losers 01.01.2010 – 03.01.2010

1. Andrew “Browndog19? Brown $-297.805,50
2. howisitfeellike $-157.737,50
3. DIN_FRU $-151.849,85
4. Cole South $-133.464,50
5. bixiu $-132.345,50

Isildur1 has been sighted on the tables as well, but it seems like he was only tilting off the last pennies of his roll. He was sitting at a 6-max $5/$10 NLHE table on Full Tilt.

Source: Highstakesdb

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Gus Hansen starts January strongly

Poker After Dark Season 6 Kicks off January 4th

Fans of the popular NBC poker franchise “Poker After Dark” won’t have to wait long after the clock strikes Midnight this evening to catch the show’s sixth season, which debuts on Monday night, January 4th, at 2:05am ET.

Ali Nejad and Leeann Tweeden will reprise their “Poker After Dark” announcing and hosting roles, respectively, as the show enters season number six. The first week is entitled “Commentators III” and, while the name isn’t very catchy, the action on the felt should be nail biting. Howard Lederer, Gabe Kaplan, Joe Sebok, Nejad, Mark Gregorich, and Kara Scott will all play in “Poker After Dark’s” Season 6 premiere. Sebok, who hosts UB.com’s “Poker2Nite,” and Scott, the new floor reporter for GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” are making their “Poker After Dark” debuts. You can catch “Commentators III” beginning on January 4th.

A total of 13 shows were filmed for Season 6 of “Poker After Dark,” including six-handed freezeouts and three different buy-in cash games. Followers of 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event champion Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad will be able to catch the youngster on a special “Nicknames” episode that also features Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, and Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth. Obrestad, a Betfair pro, turned 21 in September and is finally old enough to gamble legally on U.S. soil.

A $50,000 buy-in cash game features a star-studded lineup of Brandon Adams, Todd Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Matusow, Esfandiari, and Hellmuth. A press release distributed by Poker PROductions notes, “Any time Matusow and Hellmuth play against each other in a cash game, the insults alone make for must-see-television.” A high-stakes $150,000 buy-in cash game will see Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Patrik Antonius, David “Viffer” Peat, Eli Elezra, Kaplan, and Alan Meltzer take to the felts. The six are staples of “High Stakes Poker” and one mounts the comeback of the century.

One of the more notable freezeout themes is “Lonesome Shark,” which features Lindgren, James Akenhead, Esfandiari, Matusow, David Williams, and Brad Booth. What do they all have in common, you ask? All six are poker’s most eligible bachelors and the heads-up battle in this episode is one of the longest of the season. Mixed Martial Arts will take center stage shortly thereafter in a show featuring UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, Antonius, Strikeforce fighter Dan Henderson, former UFC champion Randy Couture, Lederer, and Lindgren.

Here is the schedule through April for new episodes of Season 6 of “Poker After Dark” according to NBC.com:

Week of January 4th - Commentators III
Howard Lederer, Gabe Kaplan, Joe Sebok, Ali Nejad, Mark Gregorich, Kara Scott

Week of January 11th – Nicknames
Annette Obrestad, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Phil Laak, Phil Hellmuth

Week of March 15th - Cash Game $50,000 buy-in, Part 1
Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Brandon Adams, Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow

Week of March 22nd – Cash Game $50,000 buy-in, Part 2
Todd Brunson, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Brandon Adams, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson

Week of April 19th - My Favorite Pro
Craig Ivey, James Ashby, Steve Bartlett, Phil Hellmuth, Jens Voertmann, Chris Ferguson

Week of April 26th - He Said, She Said
Erica Schoenberg, Jean-Robert Bellande, David Grey, Karina Jett, Mike Matusow, Annie Duke

Additional dates for new episodes will be announced in the future and re-runs of popular shows will also air over the first four months of 2009. “Poker After Dark” will take a hiatus during the weeks of February 15th and 22nd due to the Winter Olympics, which NBC owns the rights to.

“Poker After Dark” and “High Stakes Poker,” both products of Poker PROductions, were filmed in October at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. The latter begins airing on GSN on Sunday, February 14th.

Returns

Filming of 13 different shows concluded in October at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas featuring a mixture of well-known regulars from previous seasons and thirteen players making their Poker After Dark debut.

Ali Nejad, returns to provide commentary and Leeann Tweeden is back for her third season as the show’s host.

Seven of the new shows will follow the traditional Poker After Dark week-long six-handed winner-take-all freezeout format while the remaining six will feature cash games of varying buy-ins that will each air over a two-week period.

Producers say there are first-time winners, matches that end in dramatic fashion, huge swings, plenty of laughs and many other memorable moments.

The season will kick-off Jan. 4 with a Poker After Dark staple: The “Commentators” episode, featuring Nejad and High Stakes Poker host Gabe Kaplan along with newcomer Joe Sebok from Poker2Nite and Kaplan’s new co-host Kara Scott.

A “Nicknames” episode will follow that includes Annette “The Huntress” Obrestad’s Poker After Dark debut and great names like Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren, Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, and Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth.

The first cash game episodes to air will feature a $50,000 minimum buy-in and players including, Todd Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Matusow, Esfandiari, and Hellmuth.

In what could be the first win for an amateur on Poker After Dark a “My Favorite Pro” episode will air including online qualifiers Craig Ivey from Australia, James Ashby from Alabama, Jens Voertmann from Germany, and 2009 Howard Lederer Charity Event winner Steve Bartlett playing alongside Hellmuth and Ferguson.

In a match similar to the “Battle of the Sexes” theme of Season 2, a “He Said, She Said” episode will include Erica Schoenberg, Jean-Robert Bellande, David Grey, Matusow, Annie Duke and Karina Jett, making her Poker After Dark debut.

The next cash game show has a $100,000 minimum buy-in and includes some of the biggest cash players in the world. Here Hellmuth will take on Eli Elezra, Doyle Brunson, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Gus Hansen, and Laak.

A “Lonesome Shark” show will feature bachelors Lindgren, James Akenhead, Esfandiari, Matusow, David Williams, and Brad Booth and there is a “Mixed Martial Arts” show featuring Bruce Buffer, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture and Patrik Antonius.

The third and final cash game has a $150,000 minimum buy-in and includes Dwan, Antonius, David Peat, Elezra, Kaplan, and Alan Meltzer.

Finally, the season wraps up with a “Charity in Mind” show, highlighting the charity work of players including Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Andy Bloch, Duke, Lederer and Ferguson.

Season 6 begins Jan. 4 in Poker After Dark’s regular 2:05 a.m. timeslot on NBC.

For more information and the entire schedule, check out the Poker After Dark page on NBC’s website.

The durrrr Comeback: Turkey, Eggnog, Ziigmund and $730k

Dwan’s session started late last night at $50/$100 Pot-Limit Omaha, playing a mix of heads-up and short-handed with players including Browndog19, geoff7878 and OneUponAStar.

Dwan left the tables after 149 hands, up $42,902.

After starting off with modest success, Dwan doubled the limits to play 65 hands of $100/$200 PLO. The opponents were primarily the same, with a brief appearance from Richard Ashby.

The $100/$200 session ended with Dwan up another $80,813.

After a 30-minute break, he sat at a six-max $300/$600 PLO table with Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies that quickly filled up with familiar names like La Key U, rospodin, Hac "trex313" Dang, Ashby and Brian Townsend.

The three largest pots from the table involved Dang and were all over $200k. Dang took down the first and third largest, both against the currently pro-status suspended Townsend.

Townsend ended the night down nearly $725k.

Before leaving the $300/$600 session up $53,890, Dwan added a second table, taking on Sahamies at $500/$1,000 PLO.

They played 109 hands heads-up with Dwan taking both the largest pots of the night, leaving the session up $552,669.

Finishing the night up an impressive $730,274, Dwan’s losses for the year have now been shrunk to just over $4.5 million.

Below are the three largest pots of the night, or you can head to MarketPulse for the rest.

CNBC Investigates Illegal Gambling, Online Poker

A one-hour CNBC program entitled “The Big Business of Illegal Gambling” aired on Wednesday night, featuring discussion of “illegal” land- and internet-based operations. “The Call” anchor Melissa Francis hosted.

The show began with Francis telling viewers, “The same computer used to connect with work or friends can be used to wager outside the law.” In 2005, when the Chicago White Sox won baseball’s World Series, a man simply named “Vegas Runner” bet $4,000 on 50:1 odds that the team would take down the sport’s most coveted title. He told CNBC cameras, “It’s a gray line. Sports betting is the one topic no one wants to talk about, but everybody does it.”

R.J. Bell, founder of PreGame.com, told CNBC that just 1% of wagering on sports comes from Las Vegas, meaning that the other 99% is purportedly illegal. Meanwhile, a man known solely as “Paul,” whose face was not shown on camera, runs his own online sports betting website in Nevada as part of a conglomerate based in Costa Rica. He revealed that he makes between $80,000 and $100,000 per year and that collecting on bets is the most difficult part of the job.

CNBC’s attention then turned to the Chicago Mob, including Nick Sarillo, whose van was blown up because of illegal gambling, but he survived. Francis narrated, “Illegal gambling is the Mob’s number one moneymaker, the grease that keeps the wheels turning.” Meanwhile, Scott Damiani, the Executive Director of the Outreach Foundation, relayed his tale of excessive gambling, eventually losing his house and business. Upon owing members of a football league $50,000 at the end of 1994, Damiani attempted to drive his car off of a bridge, but hit a guardrail and was unsuccessful.

Attention then turned to Jay Cohen, the first American prosecuted for running an online bookmaking operation under the Wire Act of 1961. From his home in Antigua, Cohen told CNBC cameras, “We didn’t feel we were doing anything illegal. We were not hiding from anyone. We were using our real names and operating in plain daylight.” The site in question, World Sports Exchange, booked more than $200 million in wagers at its peak and received favorable press in publications like the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

In 1998, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Cohen, who faced up to five years in prison. Cohen voluntarily traveled to the United States to fight his case, claiming that the Wire Act did not apply to the internet. However, a jury disagreed and he found himself behind bars for 21 months.

Upon passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, Antigua lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) alleging unfair gaming practices by the United States. The tiny island nation was successful, but the U.S. ignored the decision. Cohen remarked, “The last administration was so intellectually dishonest about all of this that even when Antigua won, they put out press releases claiming victory.”

Attention then turned to the cheating scandals at the online poker sites Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Todd “Dan Druff” Witteles, who appeared on the CBS news program “60 Minutes” in November of 2008, discussed his encounter with “Graycat” on Absolute Poker: “This was someone who seemed that he had no clue what he was doing. He was playing all the wrong strategy to be able to win.” Then, David Paredes battled “NioNio” on the virtual felts of Ultimate Bet, telling CNBC, “This player was playing a wide variety of hands. It’s so hard to play profitably playing so many hands.”

CNBC claimed that UB.com was “operating in violation of U.S. law” and then the COO of the site’s parent company, Paul Leggett, explained who Russ Hamilton was. Hamilton declined to talk to CNBC despite being fingered as the main person responsible for the multi-million dollar cheating scandal on Ultimate Bet. The now-infamous RawVegas.tv footage of Hamilton leaving a Las Vegas golf course also aired. To date, no one has been prosecuted in either cheating incident.

Finally, two Congressmen took to the airwaves, Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). McDermott candidly explained, “Usually, when we talk about putting a tax on people, we get all kinds of [pushback]. They’re saying, ‘Legalize it, please, and tax it.’” Goodlatte, one of the brains behind the UIGEA, evaluated the law: “It certainly hasn’t eliminated all internet gambling by any means, but surveys that I’ve seen indicate that fewer than half as many online gambling operators are offering their services in the U.S. than before this law was passed.”

Recognized in the credits were a variety of industry veterans, including World Series of Poker Media Director Nolan Dalla, Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas, Sue Schneider, and iGamingNews.com.

Darvin Moon Hosting Poker Challenge

The Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino will be hosting The Darvin Moon Poker Challenge Jan. 14-18 featuring a series of four No-Limit Hold’em tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $125 to $550.

Points will be awarded to the top 20 finishers of each of the events and the leading point winner during the series will get the chance take on Moon heads-up with $2,000 in added-money on the line.

The poker room will also be hosting a number of satellites for the events and a $130 WSOP Super Satellite.

Moon himself turned a $130 Wheeling Island satellite into $5,182,601 when the 46-year-old Western Maryland logger shocked the poker world finishing second to 21-year-old champion Joe Cada.

The Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino is in West Virginia. It was Originally created as a site for thoroughbred and harness racing in 1866, but now includes a full-service hotel and banquet center, restaurants, video lottery terminals, table games, a poker room and more

For the full Darvin Moon Poker Challenge schedule, check out the Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino website.

Two + Two founder sues “Dutch” Boyd

Mason Malmuth, founder of Two Plus Two Publishing, has sued multiple companies and individuals over alleged trademark infringements. Among the sued individuals is poker pro Russell Aaron “Dutch” Boyd.

Two Plus Two Publishing LLC is  accusing “Dutch” Boyd of cybersquatting, or putting up Web sites intended to divert customers from a trademarked site by using identical or confusingly similar names; trademark infringement, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.

The lawsuit claims Jacknames.com and Boyd on July 14, 2004, registered a domain name using the phrase “Two Plus Two” and the word “poker;” and who then linked the domain name to a poker strategy and gaming services site.

Russell Aaron “Dutch” Boyd

“The lawsuit he is bringing against me is based on a domain name that he currently owns: `twoplustwopoker.com.’ It is without merit and is designed to encourage me to pay him off or face a substantial legal bill defending myself against it,” Boyd said after he got the lawsuit.

In the end it is up to Las Vegas court to judge if “Dutch” Boyd has broken any laws.

Source: Las Vegas Sun

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Two + Two founder sues “Dutch” Boyd

“Isildur1? started his December with a $2.5 million loss

December’s high stakes games on Full Tilt Poker started quite action filled. Patrik Antonius won 1,6 million dollars and “Isildur1″ lost about 2,5 millions. Can we expect more crazy action soon?

Let’s hope so - even though it seems a bit dry at the moment as we haven’t seen the Swede online for couple of days. We don’t believe that he has gone all busto as he left the tables with over $500k stack after the last session.

Who is “Isildur1″ after all?

There are lots of rumors considering his identity. Viktor “Blom90″ Blom denied that he is “Isildur1″, but many people still believes so.

Another new rumor is that “martonas” and “Isildur1″ are neighbors and the account is shared between these two.

We just hope that the person(s) who is behind the nick will make a comeback soon that we can see more insane high stakes action.

Source: Pokernews, Highstakesdb

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

“Isildur1″ started his December with a $2.5 million loss

Ziigmund wins $2.2m from Isildur1; Martonas’s neighbour?

Inside the Treasury and Federal Reserve UIGEA Regulations Delay

Last week, the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve announced that mandatory compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) had been delayed until June 1st, 2010. Let’s take a look at the agencies’ reasoning.

The seven-page document issued by the Treasury and Federal Reserve on Wednesday begins with an overview of the UIGEA and states that the two government agencies consulted with the U.S. Department of Justice prior to delaying the compliance date. The final regulations of the UIGEA were published on January 19th as so-called “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush administration. One day later, sitting President Barack Obama assumed office.

The document gives a brief timeline of events since then, noting that on September 18th, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and American Greyhound Track Owners Association submitted a joint letter calling for compliance with the UIGEA regulations to be delayed by one year to December 1st, 2010. The two agencies explained, “Petitioners assert that many small regulated entities do not have the resources necessary to develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures by the December 1, 2009 compliance date and cite the possibility of confusion regarding the term unlawful internet gambling.” The latter three-word phrase was not defined in the UIGEA, which instead deferred to a muddled slate of state, federal, and tribal laws.

In October and November, members of Congress led by Barney Frank (D-MA) also asked for a delay, as did several organizations, including the American Bankers Association, Wells Fargo, the Credit Union National Association, and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions. On November 9th, other lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), whose home state serves as the epicenter for brick-and-mortar gambling in the United States, authored a letter purportedly expressing “an intent to consider legislation that would allow problematic aspects of the Act to be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) weighed in, calling the reasons for a delay “speculative” in a November 3rd plea to the Treasury and Federal Reserve. Many of the groups clamoring for an extension feared overblocking, which could result in the denial of legal online wagering. In New Hampshire and North Dakota, credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard disallowed online lottery transactions, which received a carve out from the UIGEA. In Kentucky, horse racing outfits feared that internet bets on the sport would come to a screeching halt. Several weeks ago, Churchill Downs Incorporated purchased YouBet, further complicating the matter.

In the end, the two government entities asserted, “Neither petitioners nor commenters supporting the petition have provided the Agencies with sufficient data or documentation to justify a twelve-month extension of the compliance date. The Agencies believe that a six-month extension is sufficient for regulated entities to address issues related to the definition of unlawful internet gambling.” The agencies added that documentation provided by merchants to banks and other financial institutions should be sufficient to comply with the UIGEA.

The Treasury and Federal Reserve ultimately settled on using the Administrative Procedure Act to serve the delay on the grounds that the existing UIGEA rules are “impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.” Other pieces of law addressed were Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The document added, “The Agencies also believe that regulated entities need to be informed as soon as possible of the extension and its length in order to plan and adjust their implementation process accordingly.”

On Thursday, the House Financial Services Committee will discuss HR 2266 and HR 2267. No markup will occur during the informational hearing, which will be held in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00am ET. HR 2267 establishes a comprehensive framework for regulating the internet gambling industry in the United States and, if passed, may mark the beginning of explicitly legal online poker in the North American country.

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 23-29, 2009

With only the main event of the U.S. Poker Championships to keep poker fans busy they were left to contemplate the identity of the rumored Swede who has taken millions off Tom "durrrr" Dwan.

There was a ton of other poker news, however, and we're going to break some of it down for you today in our regularly scheduled Poker News in Brief feature.

This week we're going to look at PKR Live III results, another world record broken on PokerStars, an Andy Beal update and a certain young celebrity with a penchant for poker.

Billionaire poker player bids on Trump Casinos

It appears that billionaire banker Andy Beal isn't quite done with the poker world.

The Dallas-based businessman made a bid for three bankrupt Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. Casinos in Atlantic City this week.

Beal was portrayed as a fearless poker player in Michael Craig's The Professor, the banker and the Suicide King: The Richest Poker Game of all Time.

In the book, Craig chronicled Beal's heads-up matches against the likes of Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman and Doyle Brunson, which were some of the biggest games ever played.

Under Beal's buyout proposal, an affiliate of his Dallas-based bank would convert its $486 million mortgage on the casinos into equity.

Beal's bid is just the latest in a series that included Trump Entertainment bondholders and Donald Trump himself.

The three properties in question are the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino and the Trump Marina Hotel Casino.

Russian breaks world record on PokerStars

Russian online player innerpsy broke the record for number of hands played in a 24 hour span this week.

The 21-year-old poker pro somehow managed to log 40,088 hands on PokerStars in just one day.

"Before this challenge I never actually played more than 20,000 hands in a day before but the idea came up and I just figured I could do it," he told PokerStars Blog. "It was one of the toughest things I have ever accomplished, but I am proud I managed it."

The challenge was hosted on PokerStars by Russian forum Card Game Masters and nearly 10,000 fans logged on to watch innerpsy burn his way through more hands than some poker players go through in their lifetime.

Qualifier wins PKR Live III

A 21-year-old English man made history by winning the biggest PKR Live payout ever in London this week.

Vincent "vd12345" Diver qualified for the event for just $5 on PKR and went on to outlast 133 players to take the first place prize of PKR Live III for $33,500.

"It's an incredible sum to me and it still hadn't kicked in until I saw it on my PKR account," he said. "It has opened up a lot of doors for me."

This year's PKR Live required a buy-in of $1,000 and took place at the Loose Cannon in London. The event has grown in every year of its existence.

Grandmothers arrested for playing poker in Cyprus

Forty two women between the ages of 75 and 95 were arrested at private home game in Cyprus this week.

The police raided the house where the games took place in Ayios loannis and proceeded to charge the women for illegal gambling. The police also confiscated €100 in betting money, 546 playing chips and 530 playing cards.

Playing cards for money is illegal in Cyprus and the police regularly conduct raids at clubs, betting ships and various associations.

The women were playing poker and gin rummy.

The raid took place on Sunday at 6 p.m. after a series of complaints from neighbors about noise.

Zac Efron a poker pro?

Renowned director Richard Linklater says teen heartthrob Zac Efron is a poker shark.

Linklater told the UK's Press Association that although Efron looks clean cut, he will take your money if you play poker against him.

Linklator is currently directing the young star in Me and Orsen Welles, which sees Efron play teenager Richard Samuels who ends up working with a young Orsen Welles.

Efron has never played the popular WPT Celebrity Invitational, which takes place every year at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.

Poker Industry Reacts to UIGEA Regulations Delay

Twenty-four hours after it was revealed that mandatory financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) would be delayed by six months, the poker industry has had a chance to react.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) was one of several organizations that successfully petitioned U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to push back conformity with the UIGEA rules until June 1st, 2010. The 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization’s Chairman, Alfonse D’Amato, commented in a press release distributed on Friday, “We are thankful to our co-petitioners, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and for the dozens of members of Congress who voiced their support for this petition through letters to Secretary Geithner and Chairman Bernanke. The PPA looks forward to working with regulators and legislators to pass legislation that protects consumers and the great game of poker.” News of the extension originally broke on Wednesday.

The two horse racing outfits co-authored a letter with the PPA to Geithner and Bernanke outlining the potential for overblocking by financial institutions, which could have led to legal online wagers being denied by companies like Visa and MasterCard. According to the PPA, the possibility of an extension beyond the current six-month time frame exists. Ideally, Congress would formulate proper internet gambling legislation before June 1st.

To that end, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman commented, “This decision is the latest evidence that momentum is building for a shift in policy and a rewrite of U.S. internet gambling laws to provide for regulation and taxation instead of prohibition. Over the next six months, Congress should act to create a framework that regulates internet gambling to protect consumers and collect billions in much-needed revenue for critical federal and state government programs.”

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), whose House Financial Services Committee will host a hearing on two internet gambling bills next Thursday, gave his two cents on the UIGEA compliance date being postponed: “The Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors deserve a great deal of credit for suspending these midnight regulations promulgated by the Bush administration which would curtail the freedom of Americans to use the internet as they choose and which would pose unrealistic burdens on the entire financial community. This will give us a chance to act in an unhurried manner on my legislation to undo this regulatory excess by the Bush administration and to undo this ill-advised law.”

On the PocketFives.com online poker forum, Rich “TheEngineer” Muny, who serves as the Kentucky State Director for the PPA, broke the news early on Black Friday. While many online poker players were out hunting for deep holiday discounts, PocketFives.com member “mordan” was on the message boards candidly responding, “Everyone in the poker community just won a 30/70 with this development. Although this doesn’t guarantee regulation in the future, our odds have significantly increased with the U.S. Treasury recognizing problems with this bill.”

The future of the legality of games like online poker remains up in the air. In the PPA forum on TwoPlusTwo, poster “Distajo” questioned, “Was the delay granted more for the clarity of the UIGEA rules? Thus, being more beneficial for banks? Like don’t fund poker accounts, but allow horseracing wagers?” Past attempts to clarify the UIGEA have mandated that “laundry lists” of legal activities be created. If a bill like Frank’s HR 2267 is passed, much of the industry seems likely to be legalized and regulated in the United States.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest UIGEA headlines.

Report: UIGEA Regulations Postponed Six Months

The regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) have been delayed six months from December 1st, according to Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan.

Neither U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner nor Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had made any official comment regarding a six-month delay at press time. The two government officials received petitions to stay the UIGEA’s regulations by one year in letters filed by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation. Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) asked the two officials to uphold the original December 1st industry compliance deadline in a dissenting opinion.

The news comes one week ahead of a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee regarding two internet gambling bills introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) in May that would alter the landscape of the industry in the United States. The first, HR 2266, would have postponed the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. Its viability given today’s news of a likely six-month postponement is up in the air. The measure had attracted 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle.

HR 2267, claiming 63 co-sponsors, creates a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. It marks Frank’s latest attempt to undo the UIGEA, which was passed in 2006 after being attached to an unrelated port security measure at the prompting of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). In the Senate, the SAFE Port Act was passed by unanimous consent.

On the hearing next week, which will be held at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily, “Chairman Frank is clearly indicating his commitment to switch the government’s position on Internet gambling, replacing attempts to prohibit the activity with a regulatory framework where consumers are protected. Chairman Frank’s commitment is further reinforced by scheduling this hearing and taking up this issue on the heals of the push for financial industry reform, which has been the committee’s exclusive focus the last six months.”

The six-month window will take the internet gambling industry to June 1st, right before election season in the United States in 2010. While issues like health care and a sagging economy have taken center stage since late 2008, internet gambling may finally see its day in the sun. Brennan explained his thoughts on the breaking news: “It’s encouraging that you’ve had this stay on the compliance, but it’s unfortunate that it took this long. We should all hope that in the next six months, a bill that already has 63 co-sponsors can be heard.”

To be clear, no official comment from the Treasury or Federal Reserve was available at the time of writing. With December 1st occurring next Tuesday, a stay likely had to be granted today or Monday, November 30th given the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Word breaking on Black Friday was also a possibility.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this developing story.

No Markup Planned for December 3rd Internet Gambling Hearing

On Tuesday night, it was revealed that a hearing will occur next Thursday, December 3rd in the House Financial Services Committee. Taking center stage are two bills related to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that no markup will occur at the hearing, which will be purely informational in nature: “It’s just an informational hearing. I don’t think the witnesses have been set yet and we’ve been in touch with the Committee about that. The PPA has been building the groundwork for this hearing for some time now. We look forward to it.” A representative from the House Financial Services Committee confirmed that no markup will occur. The hearing will take place in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00am ET.

Depending upon the outcome of the internet gambling hearing next Thursday, either HR 2266 or HR 2267 could be scheduled for markup, potentially within a week. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced both bills back in May. HR 2266 delays mandatory financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. It has attracted 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and is dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act. As it stands now, the financial services industry must fall into line with the UIGEA by Tuesday, December 1st.

When asked if the December 1st compliance date passing makes HR 2266 moot, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily, “It could be unless Frank decides that the financial services sector needs a reprieve. Many companies have already expressed concern that the implementation of the law will be burdensome. I believe we’ll hear back from them again as they are forced to abide by the rules.”

HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. It boasts 63 co-sponsors and, when coupled with a tax bill introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), could bring in as much as $42 billion over a 10-year period, according to a study by the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Many in the industry have pondered the status of the internet gambling and online poker industries in the United States after December 1st. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “Poker players are going to have to get used to the kind of speed of deposit and withdrawal that online sports betters have had to get used to. To my knowledge, all of the top sports books have moved their processing offshore. I don’t expect there to be the wealth of electronic transfer methods and you’re probably going to see an increased use of checks drawn on international banks.”

One possible outcome in the post-December 1st internet gambling industry is overblocking by credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard. The 12-letter term began popping up earlier this year, when legal online lottery purchases in North Dakota and New Hampshire were denied. In essence, credit card companies could disallow any transaction that appears to look remotely like internet gambling in an effort to comply with the 2006 law. Overblocking also led several members of the Kentucky Congressional delegation to petition U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seeking the delay of UIGEA regulation enforcement. The group fears that legal online wagering on horseracing could come to a screeching halt as a result.

The PPA, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association issued a letter to Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke seeking delay of the UIGEA’s regulations. As of the time of writing, the request had not yet been acted on.

Stay tuned for the latest from Capitol Hill right here on Poker News Daily.

Spencer Bachus, Jon Kyl Issue Letter to Timothy Geithner, Ben Bernanke

Recently, two high-powered, longtime opponents of internet gambling issued a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner calling for the compliance date of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations (December 1st) to be enforced.

The date is now 10 days away and approaching rapidly. Last month, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) teamed up with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and American Greyhound Track Operators Association to issue a letter to the same two government officials. Following the letter by the PPA was one authored by 19 Congressmen belonging to the House Financial Services Committee, of which Barney Frank (D-MA) is the Chair.

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) explained in their own letter, “We strongly oppose this request and believe there is no justification for delaying the compliance deadline of the UIGEA regulations.”

The letter, dated earlier this month, outlines the passage of the UIGEA and the approval of its regulations, which went into effect on January 19th as so-called “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush administration. The Republican duo notes, “If the Final Rule represented an ‘unreasonable burden on regulators and the financial services industry,’ as certain other Members have claimed, then the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve could have reconsidered the regulations.” The letter adds that the Truth in Lending Act, whose regulations were issued in August, accommodated the UIGEA.

All told, Kyl and Bachus, staunch opponents of internet gambling, give their stance on the letter writing campaign by the PPA and Financial Services Committee members: “This is a blatant attempt to circumvent the democratic process by influencing the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to take action that cannot possibly be enacted by Congress.” On Capitol Hill, the United States legislative body is in the midst of a debate about massive health care expansion.

Two bills, both introduced by Frank, have the potential to change the landscape of the internet gambling industry in the United States as December approaches. The first, HR 2267, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for the online gaming outfits in the United States. The measure received its 63rd co-sponsor last week after its introduction in May. The second piece of legislation, HR 2266, delays mandatory compliance with UIGEA regulations by one year to December 1st, 2010. HR 2266 is up to 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle. The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled neither HR 2266 nor HR 2267 for markup.

The letter from the two lawmakers concludes, “Simply delaying the compliance date serves no interest except that of the internet gambling enterprises that have long evaded American gambling laws and will continue to do so until effective enforcement is in place.” Kyl is a third term Senator from Arizona and the current Senate Minority Whip. His counterpart in the Western state is also a Republican, former Presidential candidate John McCain. Bachus was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, which includes 30 Republicans and 42 Democrats.

Neither Geithner nor Bernanke has responded to any of the three letters as of the time of writing. John Pappas, Executive Director of the PPA, told Poker News Daily that a January markup of HR 2267 is a possibility, although no timetable has been set in stone. Blocking of legal online gambling transactions led the two horse racing organizations to become involved. Similarly, in North Dakota and New Hampshire, major credit card companies denied legal online lottery purchases due to “overblocking.”

The effect that the December 1st deadline will have on the industry is not yet known. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest poker legislation headlines.

Latin American Poker Tour Day 3: Canadians Invade Costa Rica for Final Table

Isildur1 has won $4.262.458 in November

There’s a small break in Full Tilt Poker high stakes games, so it’s time to check out some results for this month.

Everyone is talking about the top position player, he is the Swedish Isildur1. He has won 4.262.458 dollars in this month already.

Isildur1’s fearless play has attracted more and more railbirds to Full Tilt. He doesn’t fear to challenge the top pros one by one, or everyone at the same time. We’ve seen millions moving around the tables almost every day, and of course there’s that biggest online pot.

Dwan loses big time

Almost every top pro has been losing to Isildur1, but the biggest loser so far is Tom “durrrr” Dwan.

Tom Dwan, the newest Team Full Tilt member, has been helpless against Isildur1, and he has already lost 4.739.540 dollars this month alone.

November’s top lists:

Winners:

Isildur1    $4.262.458
Phil Ivey    $1.329.818
Patrik Antonius    $1.119.526
DjAdi    $806.555
DIN_FRU    $765.541
Ziigmund    $736.750
Brian Townsend    $534.923

Losers:

durrrr    -$4.739.540
Gus Hansen    -$2.577.181
Cole South    -$1.151.454
UgotaBanana    -$648.396
Richard Ashby    -$646.055
Brian Hastings    -$481.870
David Benyamine    -$412.315

Source: Highstakesdb

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Isildur1 has won $4.262.458 in November

I Bet You Makes Onion AV Club’s Best of the Decade List

One could argue we are in the midst of a televised poker renaissance, with the prevalence of poker-related shows like “2 Months, $2 Million,” “Face the Ace,” “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” the recently announced “Shuffle Up and Deal,” and the new Fox Sports poker news show “Poker 2Nite,” which is set to premiere this evening.  While these new shows are drawing attention to the poker world, a recently published list by the Onion’s AV Club is paying homage to a contemporary classic, “I Bet You.”

The AV Club, a publication and website from the makers of the satirical newspaper “The Onion,” has been publishing a series of lists to honor the best pop culture offerings of the decade and gave a shout out to both “I Bet You” and televised poker in general in its “Best Reality Series/Competitions” list.  “I Bet You” just made the cut, coming in at #5 behind shows like “Survivor” and “Top Chef.”

“I Bet You” was clearly the show on the list with the least mainstream popularity, but the AV Club gave props to the program, hosted by friends and professional poker players Phil “The Unabomber” Laak and Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari.  The site referred to the program as “one of the damndest, most delightful reality series of all time.”

The show, which ran on the MOJO HD cable network from 2007 to 2008, featured the two men traveling around the country placing wagers on everything from dune buggy racing to modeling to ballet dancing to which of the two had the more potent sperm count.  Over the course of two seasons and 24 episodes, the memorable duo won over poker and non-poker fans alike over with their pro betting shenanigans, but the show ended production when MOJO HD stopped making original programming in December of 2008.  The AV Club article reported that supposedly a third season of the show has already been filmed and the site implored a cable network to pick up the program so the world could see more of the short-lived series.

The AV Club list also coupled televised poker in general with “I Bet You” as some of the best reality programming of the last decade.  As it explained, the beauty of televised poker was that it “made household names out of dozens of previously obscure weirdoes, degenerates, and social misfits.”  The site argued that the poker boom resulted in an oversaturation of poker programming, but the mention in the article was, on the whole, rather positive.

More than 500 readers commented on the article, disagreeing with components of the list, and, while the bulk of complaints were centered on omissions of shows like “Man vs. Food,” “Mythbusters,” “Iron Chef,” and “Deadliest Catch,” a few people disagreed with the inclusion of televised poker, claiming it was annoying and boring to watch.

A post on the official MySpace page of “I Bet You” written in May of 2008 confirmed that plans for Season 3 were in the works, but the site has not been updated in some time, so the future of the quirky, but popular, prop betting show remains up in the air.

Erik Seidel Appears on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm

Normally, poker players are seen on television only within their element, in a poker tournament or cash game. Recently, however, a top pro took the time to appear on one of the most popular programs on cable television.

In last Sunday’s episode of the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm” entitled “Officer Krupke,” Erik Seidel appeared in a non-speaking role on the show. Seidel was seated behind “Curb” star and creator Larry David and his on-screen wife, Cheryl Hines, as the couple dined in a restaurant. David and Hines discussed her auditioning for a role on the “Seinfeld” reunion, which has been a prominent part of this season’s storyline. Seidel’s prominence in the shot – he is framed by both David and Hines as they perform the scene – has led many to discuss how he got on the program.

On the poker forum TwoPlusTwo, some answers are given on how Seidel got his “moment in the sun.” A tweet from Seidel himself that was posted on the site admits, “Yes, that was my ugly mug on Curb. From a charity auction, I’m a huge fan of the show.” Also noted in the discussion on TwoPlusTwo were the appearance of actor/poker player Ben Affleck and that Daniel Negreanu will have a spin on another HBO program, “Entourage,” also because of a charitable cause.

Seidel’s charitable actions have been quite apparent over the past year. When poker pro and friend Annie Duke battled her way to the final two on the past season of the NBC reality series “Celebrity Apprentice,” Seidel was prominent in several of the tasks. Not only did he appear during the final episode pitting Duke against eventual winner Joan Rivers, but Seidel also contributed to one of the early tasks on the program. In that episode, Seidel was among several poker players that donated to Duke’s cupcake drive. Seidel purchased one of the cupcakes created by Duke’s Athena teammates for $5,000, helping the team to victory.

The latest sighting of Seidel on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” continues a long-running theme of poker players appearing in mainstream television, movies, and magazines. In addition to Duke’s “Celebrity Apprentice” appearance this year, the team of Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho on the current run of “The Amazing Race” has drawn attention to poker personalities. After battling valiantly through several difficult physical stunts, the duo was eliminated two weeks ago, finishing in sixth place on the Emmy Award-winning program.

Negreanu has been able to parlay his poker stardom into a cameo role in one of the top films of this year, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” where he played poker against the character Gambit. Fellow poker players Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, and Phil Hellmuth joined Negreanu in the recent “Body Issue” of “ESPN: The Magazine.” In addition, popular recent poker films and television series such as “The Grand,” “Lucky You,” and the highly controversial ESPN series “Tilt” have featured some of the biggest names in the game such as Doyle Brunson and Antonio Esfandiari.

It is good to see poker players such as Seidel in an arena outside of the poker table and even better that Seidel was able to parlay his appearance on the program into a charitable cause. The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode with Seidel appears nine more times between now and November 15th, so there are plenty of opportunities for poker fans to check out his turn on one of the most popular programs on cable television.

Joe Cada Dons PPA Logo for 2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table

When viewers tune into tonight’s broadcast of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on ESPN, they’ll see eventual winner Joe Cada don a logo for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s grassroots lobbying force.

Over one million members of the PPA comprise its rank and file and the organization is based in Washington, D.C. On the level of exposure that Cada will bring the PPA when tonight’s two-hour plus broadcast airs, PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “We’re very excited that he wore our logo. Not only did he wear it, but he’s also expressed an interest in supporting the PPA and our mission. He’d bee an ideal spokesperson to reach out to the younger demographic, the young internet player who may be skeptical as to what the PPA is and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The PPA has been working feverishly to delay the implementation of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). As it currently stands, the financial services industry in the United States must fall into full compliance with the muddled 2006 law by December 1st, which is now just three weeks away. Pappas noted that Cada’s presence might help bolster the organization’s legitimacy: “Someone with his poker skills and reputation is helpful to have promoting our cause.”

PPA Membership Director Bryan Spadaro roved the halls of the Rio on Saturday morning when play saw the November Nine become only two. Spadaro came armed with a handful of PPA patches, telling players and agents alike why they should be worn. In the end, Cada, Kevin Schaffel, James Akenhead, and Eric Buchman all wore PPA patches. Curiously, Akenhead obliged even though he’s British and Pappas explained, “The game itself isn’t an American game. Even in Europe, they’re starting to see some of the ideas of monopolies and protectionism. We’d like to see us being a global force at some point.”

About 1,500 fans turned out for Monday’s finale at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio, which saw the cards hit the air shortly after 10:00pm local time. The action from the green felt was broadcasted on two large video projection screens in the venue, meaning that all 1,500 fans were exposed to the PPA logo for hours on end. Heads-up play lasted for two hours and 21 minutes and the final table’s time of 17:16 marked the longest in WSOP Main Event history by nearly three hours. The longest WSOP table on record belongs to the 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event, which lasted 19 hours.

The PPA teamed up with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the American Greyhound Track Operators to author a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urging the delay of UIGEA regulations until December 1st, 2010. A similar outcome is the goal of Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2266, the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act.

The industry will take a wait-and-see approach with the effects of the UIGEA’s regulations. One thing is for sure, however. The PPA is likely to receive a sizable membership boost as a result of the extended exposure on ESPN this evening. Free memberships to the lobbying organization are available.

The action begins at 9:00pm ET tonight on ESPN and will run for at least two hours. The network did not institute a “cutoff” time for programming, but the episode is not expected to last more than two and a half hours.