Poker News

Poker News in Brief: Aug 10-16, 2009

One would be wrong.

It's been as busy as ever and as part of PokerListings' 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 the hardcore poker enthusiast.

This week we find the Borgata has dropped the buy-in for its WPT event, the Party Poker team is expanding and players at PKR and Everest Poker are finding life a little more enjoyable.

WPT Borgata buy-in drops

The buy-in for the World Poker Tour's Borgata Poker Open has been dropped from $10k to $3,500, but with a guaranteed prized pool of $2 million, organizers expect it to be as big as ever.

"With a $3,500 buy-in, televised WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event and a guaranteed $2 million prize pool, anyone has the chance to take home the trophy and championship money," Borgata's Senior VP of Operations Joe Lupo said.

The 7th annual Borgata Poker Open is actually a 16-day series featuring a wide array of tournaments beginning Sept. 9 and culminating with the televised championship event Sept. 19-24.

To view the event schedule or for more information visit theborgata.com.

Party Poker signs German gamer

29-year-old Palladium Elite player Bodo Sbrzesny, a former semi-professional tennis player and professional video gamer from Bruchsal, Germany, has been signed to Party Poker's grassroots team.

In creating a grassroots team Party Poker is now sponsoring players with emphasis on VIPs, player loyalty and historic links to PartyPoker.com.

Sbrzesny joins France's Remy Biechel, Brazil's Felipe Ramos, the UK's Ian Frazer and the legendary Mike Sexton on the team.

PKR aims to Xhilirate

PKR.com is partnering with the pioneers of poker massage.

The online poker site has signed a deal to make Xhilarate the exclusive massage supplier for all PKR Live tournaments and PR functions.

Xhilarate's massage team has worked the World Series of Poker Europe and the Grosvenor ((UK Poker)) Tour in the past.

"Nothing quite compares to the glamour and style of the Xhilarate girls and their massages," Marketing Manager Erika Schwartz said.

Reach the summit

Everest Poker has made a series of improvements to its VIP Summit Club frequent player program.

It's now 40% easier to reach the first "Base Camp" level where players can take part in a $5k freeroll and turn points directly into cash.

The climb beyond Base Camp will also go much quicker with reduced tier thresholds.

Players who reach "The Summit", the top tier of the program, will also be rewarded with a 900% Summit Point bonus, 20% higher than before.

Kiev hosts gaming expo

EPT Moscow isn't the only thing moving to Kiev these days.

The two-day EELEX iGaming expo is headed to Kiev, Ukraine Sept. 10-11.

The aim of the expo is to answer questions regarding gaming in Russia and the Ukraine.

Mini booths will be equipped where visitors can get acquainted with solutions for Internet poker, casinos, sportsbooks and payment systems.

EPT Moscow was previously moved to Kiev due to a shift in poker's legal status in Russia.

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Chris Moneymaker - Poker Player Profile

Chris Moneymaker, the proverbial face that launched thousands of internet poker players, is the American who won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, taking home $2.5 million. “Money800,” as he’s known online, qualified through PokerStars by playing just a $39 satellite tournament and then subsequently outlasted 838 players to not only do the unthinkable – beat a field of experienced pros and veterans – but also to facilitate the unpredictable, popularizing poker to heights the game had never seen. Dubbed the “Moneymaker Effect,” Chris’ WSOP victory spiked a huge interest in poker as people behind computer screens all over the world realized that if an “everyman” like Chris Moneymaker could win a bracelet, then maybe they could to.

Following his unexpected WSOP win, Chris Moneymaker quit his job to work as a spokesperson for both Harrah’s Entertainment and PokerStars. With more spare time, “Money800” also now plays poker full-time online, and travels the world playing both EPT, and WPT events. He has a 2nd place finish in the 2004 WPT Shooting Stars event for $200K, and two World Championship of Online Poker final tables for a combined $175K. In 2005, Chris also published an autobiography entitled, Moneymaker: How an Amateur Poker Player Turned $40 into $2.5 Million at the World Series of Poker.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Chris Moneymaker now resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and daughter.

A Closer Look into the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act

Poker enthusiasts have another bill on which to latch their hopes in the fight to legitimize online poker in the United States. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act...

A Closer Look into the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act

Poker enthusiasts have another bill on which to latch their hopes in the fight to legitimize online poker in the United States. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act...

A Closer Look into the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act

Poker enthusiasts have another bill on which to latch their hopes in the fight to legitimize online poker in the United States. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Protection and Enforcement Act...

Senator Robert Menendez Introduces S 1597 Legalizing Online Poker

On Thursday, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) officially unveiled S 1597, the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. Congress remains on recess until after Labor Day in the United States.

As its name implies, Menendez’s legislation explicitly legalizes and regulates games of skill like online poker, which should come as a welcome sign to players in the United States who question the legality of the game. The bill notes that poker, bridge, mahjong, backgammon, and chess are examples of games in which a player’s skill dominates the outcome: “While each of these games contains an element of chance, over any substantial interval, a player’s ultimate success is determined by that player’s relative level of skill.” Menendez’s measure weighs in at a hefty 89 pages.

The bill focuses heavily on online poker, noting, “Poker is part of the cultural and recreational fabric of the United States and has been since the founding days of the United States. United States poker aficionados have included presidents, judges, and statesmen.” S 1597 calls for the continuance of laws against sports betting online in a similar fashion to Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, which establishes a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. HR 2267 was introduced exactly three months ago and is up to 54 co-sponsors.

The Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for overseeing the licensing process for skill game operators and prescribing regulations. Each applicant for a license must submit a comprehensive financial background, an outline of the company’s structure and that of its affiliates, criminal and credit histories of executives, and how each licensee plans to combat underage gambling and compulsive gambling. In addition, they must convey how the games offered will be fair. All gamblers must be at least 21 years-old.

Licenses run for five years and can be renewed at the end of each term. Like other recent internet gambling legislation, Menendez’s S 1597 calls for a list of “persons self-excluded from gaming activities at all licensee sites.” States have a period of 90 days to opt out of the legislation after it becomes law; Indian tribes can also exempt themselves from the bill. S 1597 addresses problem gambling, allocating $14.2 million per year between 2010 and 2014 for awareness, treatment, and research.

S 1597 clearly states, “Nothing… shall be construed to repeal or amend any provision of State or Federal law prohibiting, restricting, or otherwise addressing bets or wagers on sporting events.” Professional sports leagues like the NFL have expressed a desire for Frank’s HR 2267 to contain clearer language outlawing sports betting. During a working dinner as part of National Poker Week, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) claimed it was part of a “broad coalition” that included the NFL.

The Federal Government and State Governments will each reap 5% of a licensee’s deposits during each calendar month in taxes. Unauthorized gambling is subject to a 50% fee. Menendez’s S 1597 is similar in scope to last session’s S 3616, the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act. However, Thursday’s version focuses on consumer protections. The PPA reviewed a draft of the bill in mid-July with what the organization called a “commitment” from Menendez to introduce it. The online poker measure was scheduled to be released before August 1st. However, it was ultimately revealed to the world on Thursday.

The 1.2 million member strong PPA will likely push its members to call their Senators and urge support of Menendez’s S 1597. As of the time of writing, no companion bill exists in the House of Representatives. Frank’s HR 2267 encompasses all forms of internet gambling except sports betting, whereas Menendez’s only legalizes games of skill. Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced the Skill Game Protection Act (HR 2610) during the last Congressional session. It exempted player versus player games from internet gambling law, including the Wire Act of 1961 and Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The PPA had not released an official statement on S 1597 as of press time. We’ll have full industry reaction to Menendez’s online poker legislation on Poker News Daily.

I’m Going to Be a Lobbyist in My Next Lifetime

I recently returned from a trip to Washington, DC in which I was privileged to be part of the Poker Players Alliance’s (PPA) National Poker Week Fly-In. Part of this event included a gathering of 33 PPA State Directors, a handful of poker celebrities, and various lobbyists and media members. Our goal was to gain support for favorable online poker legislation and specifically for House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would establish federal licensing and regulation of online poker.

My first impression of Capitol Hill is that I have never seen so many men and women dressed in business attire, scurrying from one building to another, carrying files and folders, all with an agenda to fulfill. The experience of actually seeing our government at work and being part of the process was incredible.

The Fly-In started out with a working dinner at which the participants got a chance to network with each other and hear brief speeches from Alfonse D’Amato, Congressman Robert Wexler, and John Pappas, Executive Director of the PPA.  Afterwards, we were given our meeting schedules for the next two days. My list of appointments included Senators Charles Schumer and Dianne Feinstein, and Representatives Tim Bishop, Shelley Berkley, Dina Titus, and Lynn Westmoreland. I had been given a list of talking points and became comfortable with them through many role-playing scenarios with Jan Fisher and my brother Rich Plante, who accompanied me on the trip.

At each of our meetings, we were taken into an office or small boardroom and allowed to make a presentation about why we believe that online poker should be completely legal, licensed, and regulated in the United States. Most times, there was a lobbyist with us and two or more PPA representatives present. I actually preferred the meetings without a lobbyist, as this gave us more time to personalize our stories and yet were still able to present the persuasive positive points about our position.

Here are some of the facts we presented in our meetings to encourage support of HR 2267:
1. More than 10 million Americans play online poker.
2. If online poker sites were licensed, American citizens would be protected from scam artists who don’t operate their sites with integrity. In addition, we would have legal recourse in U.S. courts if problems occurred.
3. Studies show that approximately $3.3 billion in tax money would be raised annually if online poker were regulated.
4. HR 2267 would provide effective protection to keep underage children from gambling online.
5. HR 2267 provides help to compulsive gamblers.
6. 75% of Americans oppose a ban on internet poker.
7. Poker is a game of skill. State courts in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Colorado have recently come to this conclusion.
8. Licensing and regulating online sites would create jobs. I know many people who lost their jobs as marketing directors and party planners when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed.

We also made personal pleas to Senators, Congressmen, and staffers. For instance, I brought up how embarrassing it is that in the “Land of the Free,” we don’t have the same right to fund an online poker account and play in our own homes that citizens of most other countries in the world have. I also brought up the fact that my brother, who lives in Utah where there are no casinos, will eventually have to leave his home state if he wants to play poker unless we get the law changed. There are millions of physically-challenged and infirmed citizens who aren’t able to travel to a casino to play poker. Instead, playing online in their homes can bring them happiness in an otherwise depressing, painful life.

I believe that we helped sway opinions in a positive way through our Congressional meetings. Lots of questions were asked and answered that made it obvious that licensing and regulation is the best way to go regarding online poker. Since the Fly-In, three members of Congress (Representatives Linda Sanchez, John Conyers, and Mike Thompson) have signed on to co-sponsor HR 2267, bringing the total to 51. Many more will follow suit… it only makes sense!

The trip wasn’t all business, though; we had some time for fun in between our meetings. A special treat was lunch at the Pentagon in the Army Executive Dining Room hosted by a Brigadier General friend of mine. After lunch, we were given a tour of the 9/11 Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

I also got to play in a charity poker tournament along with 35 patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Celebrities in attendance included Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Howard Lederer, Dennis Phillips, Montel Williams, and members of Congress and their staff. The PPA donated $25,000 to seed the effort and another $10,000 was raised through rebuys, bounties, and donations. My trip to Washington, DC was truly a top-ten event in my life.

***

Linda,
Nice job. Thank you so much for your efforts. You covered all the primary points that legislators need to be aware of.

There is one more factor that may sway some who are still “on the fence;” taking note of the stakes levels that are routinely played.

There may be a misperception about who is playing poker online and the stakes they are playing for. TV, our good friend in promoting poker, may be presenting a distorted picture of who is playing and what kinds of risks they are actually taking. You hear this when various anti-poker politicians talk about how they worry that people would routinely be putting their economic futures at risk if online play were legalized.

As it is, the overwhelming proportion of players only play at the microstakes levels. They enter games with less money than it takes to buy a hot dog at a baseball game. There is precious little financial risk in these games.

It is easy to see this. Just for fun, I scrolled over the NLH games in progress at Poker Stars. Here are the numbers of tables in action at each of the levels.

$25/$50(and higher)…. 2 tables
$10/$20….. 6 tables
$5/$10……28 tables
$3/$6…….26 tables
$2/$4…….72 tables
$1/$2…..201 tables
$.50/$1…..496 tables
$.25/$.50…..456 tables
$.10/$.25…..696 tables
$.05/$.10…..516 tables
$.02/$.05…..288 tables
$.01/$.02…..576 tables

The game is played, as you noted, mainly for recreation and amusement by people who prefer this kind of competitive interaction and find it to be more stimulating, intellectually challenging and engaging than watching reruns on cable TV.

Best,

Arthur

PPA begins National Poker Week with Howard Stern

PPA chairman Alfonse D'Amato went on the air to discuss the PPA's plight and after the show, the popular radio host and TV personality decided show his support for the cause by joining the PPA.

"I can't think of a more fitting way to kick off National Poker Week than having my friend, Howard Stern, become a member of the PPA," said D'Amato.

"I thank him for having me on his show this morning and supporting the PPA's efforts to protect the freedom of American citizens to play the great game of poker at the time and place of their choosing - a freedom Congress voted to take away."

National Poker Week runs from July 19-25 and over 30 of the PPA's State Directors and several established poker pros are scheduled to meet with representatives in Washington, D.C.

Players like Greg Raymer, Andy Bloch and Howard Lederer have already met with Rep. Robert Wexler and many more meetings are scheduled for later this week. Recent Celebrity Apprentice runner-up Annie Duke will also be making an appearance.

Many players are championing Rep. Barney Frank's H.R. 2267 bill, which would see online poker officially legalized, regulated and taxed.

In support of National Poker Week the PPA has also run full page ads in Roll Call and Politico advocating the legalization and regulation of online poker.

"National Poker Week is a way to shine the spotlight on this injustice and educate my former colleagues on why licensing and regulation of Internet poker is a much more effective - and revenue generating - alternative than an outright ban of this great American pastime," D'Amato said.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas is also scheduled to be on BBC Radio later today to discuss National Poker Week.

The driving force of National Poker Week, however, is an online petition that asks U.S. President Barack Obama to exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), license and regulate internet poker in the America and respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who wish to play the game.

You can sign the petition here. You can also learn more about National Poker Week by visiting the PPA's official website at www.theppa.org.

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Howard Stern Joins Poker Players Alliance

Representatives from the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the one million member strong lobbying force for the industry, announced that controversial talk show host Howard Stern became its newest member.

The news marks the kickoff to National Poker Week, which takes place until Saturday, July 25th. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato commented in a press release distributed by the organization on Monday, “I can’t think of a more fitting way to kick off National Poker Week than having my friend, Howard Stern, become a member of the PPA. I thank him for having me on his show this morning and for supporting the PPA’s efforts to protect the freedom of American citizens to play the great game of poker at the time and place of their choosing – a freedom Congress voted to take away.”

D’Amato appeared on Stern’s talk show, which airs on Sirius Satellite Radio, on Monday to discuss National Poker Week in its first media efforts. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association Executive Director Joe Brennan caught the show during his daily breakfast on Monday. Brennan told Poker News Daily, “It’s good exposure for them. Obviously, Howard has a fairly big and sometimes politically active audience. It would have been good if there was more awareness that D’Amato would be on the show this morning, but it’s a real coup for the PPA.” D’Amato’s spot lasted around 50 minutes, with about one-quarter of that time devoted to the game itself.

The PPA has revamped the website of National Poker Week to include an online letter to Congressmen with the subject, “Please Protect My Right to Play Poker on the Internet.” It can also be sent as a printed letter and editable for submissions to both the Senate and House of Representatives. A person’s first name, last name, e-mail address, mailing address, city, state, zip code, and phone number are required in order to submit a letter to Congress.

Meanwhile, the online poker petition entered National Poker Week with 355,000 signatures after eclipsing 300,000 one week ago. Freerolls for those who have signed the petition have been running on sites like Cake Poker, Full Tilt Poker, and PokerStars to significant fanfare. It calls for the following: “Please: 1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the U.S. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.”

Poker News Daily is onsite at the PPA Fly-In, which is taking place in Washington, DC at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke was among those who participated in a panel discussion surrounding proper regulation of online poker. The event kicked off in Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building this afternoon and featured Duke, Wired Safety Executive Director Parry Aftab, Cigital Vice President Stuart Dross, and the former executive with International Game Technology Paul Mathews.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest updates from the PPA Fly-In.

Alexandre Gomes Comes Back From Short Stack To Win WPT Bellagio Cup

Coming from the short stack at the final table, Brazilian online poker pro Alexandre “allingomes” Gomes stunned all in attendance at the Fontana Lounge in the Bellagio by winning the championship of the Bellagio Cup V over many strong competitors.

268 players began the event last week, a drop from the 446 of last year, but the quality of players shone throughout the week. After Mimi Tran was dispatched from the tournament in seventh place on Saturday afternoon, the WPT six-handed television final table was set for play on Sunday afternoon. Leading the way was skillful online player Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, who had dominated the tournament since Day Three on Thursday. With his slightly over five million in chips, he held a sizeable edge over fellow online pro Justin “Boosted J” Smith and professional Erik Seidel, who could only muster 2.9 and 2.1 million chips each.

The pace of play bore no resemblance to the frenetic pace that had taken place throughout the tournament. It took over five hours and over 100 hands before a player was eliminated, setting a new WPT record. Surprisingly, the first to go was the eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Seidel, who couldn’t nail a flush draw against “Boosted J’s” pair of nines. Only fifteen hands after the departure of Seidel from the table came a battle between the last live professional at the table, Christoffer Sonesson, and Gomes, ending with Gomes’ A-Q outracing Sonesson’s pair of fours.

With the two live professionals out of the tournament, it came down to the four veteran internet players – Gomes, Smith, Jaka and Alec “traheho” Torelli – to battle for the championship. In a vast change of style, the eliminations came quicker with only internet players at the table. Twenty hands after Sonesson’s elimination, Gomes was able to double up through Jaka to seize the chip lead, but immediately gave it back when his K-J failed to beat “The-Toilet‘s” pair of Kings. Gomes took out his frustration on the new Doyle’s Room professional Torelli, whom he eliminated in fourth when “allingomes” pocket tens survived against “tradeshow’s” A-Q.

The pace accelerated even more as three-handed action took place. Gomes and Jaka continued to accumulate chips and Justin Smith tried valiantly to maintain the same pace. After playing a patient waiting game through the early half of the final table, “Boosted J” was able to double up on consecutive hands – both on river drawouts – and attempt a comeback. It wasn’t to be, however, as his A-Q ran into Gomes’ A-K to lose most of his stack and Jaka finished Smith off in third when no Ace saved him against Jaka’s pocket Kings.

Down to heads up play, Gomes held a slight lead over Jaka but the duo would trade that lead back and forth. After an hour and a half of heads up action, though, Gomes began to grind down Jaka with the final hand coming after over ten hours of play total at the final table. When the chips went to the center and the cards were shown, Jaka’s A-7 was outdone by Gomes’ A-J and, once the board ran dry, Alexandre Gomes was crowned the champion of the Bellagio Cup.

Here’s what the gentlemen earned for their week of work at the Bellagio:

1.  Alexandre Gomes $1,187,670
2.  Faraz Jaka      774,780
3.  Justin Smith      464,870
4.  Alec Torelli      271,165
5.  Christoffer Sonesson      203,385
6.  Erik Seidel      164,640

Gomes becomes the latest internet poker veteran to capture the Bellagio Cup championship, following in the footsteps of Shannon Shorr (2006) Kevin “beL0WaB0Ve” Saul (2007) and Mike “SirWatts” Watson (2008).

With the first event of Season Eight in the books, the WPT now heads to Los Angeles and the Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino. Last year, John “The Razor” Phan virtually sealed his Player of the Year championship with a victory at this event. Because of its location, the Legends of Poker normally draws one of the toughest fields on the WPT schedule. Play at the Legends begins August 22^nd with the champion determined August 26^th.

Poker Petition Breaks 300,000 Signatures

The petition put forth by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) as part of National Poker Week currently stands at 300,428 signatures. The measure broke through the 300,000 threshold overnight.

Players have turned out in droves to sign the poker petition. The process takes less than 30 seconds and involves a person entering in their first name, last name, e-mail address, street address, city, state, zip code, and a special authentication code. Its text begins, “I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the internet.” On July 22nd, the petition will be presented to President Barack Obama, who is in St. Louis this evening to throw out the first pitch of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Busch Stadium.

The language of the petition notes that regulation of online poker was the top technology topic in the Citizens’ Briefing Book, which asked Americans what issues they wanted to see addressed by the new Obama Administration. The entry, which appeared on Change.gov, was entitled “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker” and received support from around the industry. Specifically, the petition asks President Obama to “1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the U.S. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.”

The petition is one of several components of National Poker Week, which takes place from July 19th through 25th. Thirty of the PPA’s State Directors and a handful of poker pros will travel to Washington, DC to meet with Congressmen and push for the legalization of online poker. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has introduced two measures that State Directors and poker pros will push. HR 2267 establishes a full framework for the licensing and regulation of internet gambling in the United States. HR 2266 delays industry compliance with the UIGEA by one year until December 1st, 2010. The measures sit at 42 and 25 co-sponsors, respectively, after being introduced on May 6th.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato, and PPA Executive Director John Pappas unveiled National Poker Week at a press conference on June 22nd during the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). The PPA will welcome poker pros Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips to the Capitol Hill next week for the festivities.

On Tuesday night, the PPA will host a charity poker tournament. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill and begins with a reception at 6:00pm. The tournament kicks off at 7:00pm, with funds raised being donated to the USO of Metropolitan Washington. According to an invitation sent out by the PPA, which is fronting the costs of the event, players can win “travel packages, poker tutorials by pros, and other great prizes.” Members of the U.S. Armed Services will play alongside some of the industry’s top poker players.

The PPA has also set up MyPokerStory.com, a site that allows players to submit videos outlining why poker is critical to their lives. Professional poker players including World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton, “Cowboy” Kenna James, and Lederer have all submitted videos to the cause. Sexton’s submission reveals, “I have been playing poker since I was 13 years-old… I’m a die-hard poker guy and I hope you like to play as well.”

Poker News Daily will be camped out in Washington, DC during National Poker Week, so stay tuned for a full recap of events.

Poker Petition Nearly at 200,000 Signatures

The petition organized by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) calling for the legalization of the great American pastime is at nearly 200,000 signatures. Overnight on Sunday, an additional 6,000 players lent their names.

The poker petition has been the talk of the town in Las Vegas, where players from the United States and around the world have turned out in droves for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which is emanating from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. At Sunday night’s Cake Poker gathering at the Palms, Poker Room Manager Lee Jones told Poker News Daily that his site was one of several urging players to sign the PPA’s petition: “We’re very happy to be a part of this. We’re offering weekly $3,500 freerolls and are excited to see that the petition is doing so well.”

On PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, weekly freerolls began on June 27th and run through July 25th. The petition is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. President Barack Obama on July 22nd, the conclusion of the PPA’s National Poker Week. Signing the petition qualifies a person to take part in a $3,500 freeroll on one of several major online poker sites, including Cake Poker and PokerStars. On the latter site, freerolls are capped at 20,000 players each and run at 2:30pm ET every Saturday. The four-figure prize pool events have helped fuel the growth of the petition.

The petition asks for the following: “Please: 1) exempt poker from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and 2) license and regulate internet poker in the US. 3) Respect the rights of law-abiding Americans who love to play this great game of skill.” It also cites the Citizens’ Briefing Book, which was hosted by Change.gov and asked American citizens to identify their top national concerns. When the smoke cleared, the legalization of online poker emerged as the top technology issue after a coordinated effort by the PPA.

As of midday on Monday, 194,795 poker players and other concerned citizens have virtually signed the petition. A person’s first name, last name, e-mail address, mailing address, city, state, and zip code are required. In addition, petitioners are asked to input a special authentication code that consists of a five-digit number. Jones told Poker News Daily that Cake Poker receives a list of new petitioners each week and cross-checks them against account information in order to determine who is eligible to participate in the special $3,500 freerolls.

Last week, 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer, who made the final table of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP this year, authored an e-mail to PokerStars members urging their involvement. It begins, “President Obama – Poker is Not a Crime. I am a voter and a fellow poker player asking for your support of my right to play games of skill like poker on the Internet.”

The first ever National Poker Week runs from July 19th to 25th and includes a fly-in of the PPA’s 30 State Directors to meet with lawmakers. In addition to its own regional heads, the PPA is also bringing in professional poker players Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Jan Fisher, Linda Johnson, and 2008 WSOP November Nine member Dennis Phillips. For more information, visit the PPA’s official website of National Poker Week.

Brock rocks: Parker takes second bracelet

Known as "Tsoprano" online, Parker's been a formidable force in Internet poker rooms for years, and after his second bracelet win at this year's WSOP Wednesday, Parker might be on his way to Player of the Year honors.

This time he outlasted a field of 1,068 entrants, taking out Joe Serock heads up at the final table in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event.

Parker takes home $552,745 for the first-place finish and also moves to the top of the POY standings with the win.

This just three days after eliminating Daniel Negreanu heads up in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event to win his first WSOP bracelet.

Parker told PokerListings he had a sleepless night following his first bracelet victory and entered the No-Limit event the next day.

After six consecutive exhausting days of poker, Tsoprano finds himself this year's first multi-bracelet winner.

"I haven't had time to do much else but try to sleep, and play poker," Parker said. "I can't describe it, it's just unreal. I don't know what to say."

The soft-spoken Parker has been known as a killer in online rooms for a long time, but had few live-tournament results until now.

That's obvioiusly changed now as Parker moves ahead of Negreanu and Finnish pro Ville Wahlbeck in the point standings for WSOP Player of the Year.

"I'm kind of excited for Player of the Year if I can do that," Parker said. "I want to do that for sure because it seems like they're making a bigger deal out of that this year."

The tournament went to a three-way battle at the final table with Parker, Serock and Russel Crane. Crane bowed out against Serock, making it heads up between the large-stacked Serock and Parker.

Following a lengthy one-on-one battle, Parker took the advantage in the late stages, finally winning the tournament with Q Q against Serock's T T.

Serock took home $341,783 for second, while Crane cashed in third place for $220,633.

The WSOP introduced six-handed Hold'em events in 2005, and Parker, with a pair of bracelet wins in six-handed play, seems to have mastered the format.

"I like to play more hands," Parker said. "Nine or 10-handed is pretty boring. It gets me motivated because you get to play a lot of pots."

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Mind Games

When playing poker, be it online or live, it is easy to not give it your all. Online, you could be playing multiple tables and not be able to give your full attention to any one game, or you could be distracted by any number of things, such as the world wide web, television, or even your un-potty trained toddler running around naked. Live, you get could engrossed in conversation (yeah, imagine that), get too into cocktail waitr… er… people watching, or be thinking about what route to take home. And even if you are concentrating on the game, very often it is all too easy to just focus on your cards and then tune out once you fold.

But as we all know, skilled poker players are concerned with much more than just their own cards and chips. The best players are able to get into the minds of their opponents. Not in a psyche-out way, but in an “I know what you’re thinking” sort of way. Of course this is easier said than done. If you are willing to make the effort, here are two techniques you can use to improve your “mind reading” skills.

Play Blind

I don’t mean that you should play the blinds, I mean that you should play without looking at your cards. While that may sound ludicrous, hear me out. By not looking at your hole cards, you naturally have to see other parts of the game in order to succeed. And what other parts of the game are out there? Why, the other players, chip stacks, the community cards, and the dealer button, to name a few.

If you don’t know what cards you have, you will be forced to work on your opponent reading skills. What did that pre-flop raise just mean from the guy in Seat 3? What is Seat 6 telling me when she checks the turn? What cards does the guy next to my left showdown after he has been betting the pot throughout the hand? If you can start figuring out the betting patterns (and when playing live, possibly physical tells) of your opponents, you can figure out when they are weak and make bets that will win you the pot, regardless of what pocket cards you have.

Position plays a large role, too. Most people play differently in early position than they do in late position, so be aware of where the button is and use position to your advantage, whether it means being aggressive yourself or just getting the heck out of a hand.

Internet poker phenom and WSOP Europe champ, Annette Obrestad, actually won a $4, 180-person sit-and-go back in 2007, while only looking at her cards once. In an interview with Card Player magazine, she said she did it to show “just how important it is to play position and to pay attention to the players at the table.”

Now, it’s not going to be easy to make money playing blind, but it can be a fun and enlightening exercise. I recommend moving down in stakes when you try it, knowing there is a good chance that you will lose.

What do you do? What do you do?

Yes, I just used a quote from the movie Speed. You’ll get it in a moment.

Over the years, I have found, just as I am sure everyone has, that there are hands that I fold, only to find out that the remaining players were weak. Had I realized it before I folded, I could have won the pot with a well-timed bet. And that started me playing a little game within the poker game.

When I am not in a hand, I try to observe the proceedings carefully, noting everything that a poker player should: board texture, player position, bet sizing, stack sizes, and the like. I then try to figure out how I could have won the hand without it going to showdown. I focus on it not going to showdown because anyone can win when they actually have the best hand. What I want to determine is whether or not I could have won without the best hand, had I not folded.

What if I would have bet three-quarters of the pot on the flop? Knowing how my opponents play and what cards they had (or I think they had), would that have accomplished my goal? Could I have checked and then popped them on the turn? Would I have needed to push? What could I have done to win that hand? Now, when playing this little game in your head, you won’t come up with an answer every time. If someone has a full house and you would have had Jack-high, you were not going to beat them, no matter what. But those hands that lack a “winning answer” can also give you insight into your opponents and can prove just as valuable as those where you actually do have a solution.

By focusing on parts of the game other than yourself when at the poker table, you can open up new doors that you never realized were there. To be sickeningly cheesy and reference another Keanu Reeves movie, it is sort of like when Neo finally sees the Matrix and truly starts to realize his power. No, you won’t be able to jump into an opponent and blow him up from the inside, but deeper aspects of the game will begin to come into focus for you. With practice, these “mind reading” skills will become more natural and you will be free to concentrate on yet more intricate aspects of the game.

PPA Director John Pappas Appears on Bloomberg

This week, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas appeared on Bloomberg television to break down Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act.

The bill, numbered HR 2267, was introduced on Wednesday and calls for a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. Although similar to a bill that Frank introduced during the last Congressional session, HR 2267 focuses on how proper regulation can mitigate the perceived social ills of gambling. Pappas told Bloomberg’s television outlet, “We want to make sure that the Federal Government puts the standards in place so that there is safety for minors, that there are services for problem gamblers, and that adult consumers can enjoy the game without fear of fraud or abuse. A prohibition never stopped a child from getting online. A prohibition never stopped a problem gambler. Regulation is the only way to do it.”

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and others have argued that a computer with the ability to gamble online may provide the outlet for children in the United States to begin playing at a young age. Bachus even quoted a non-existent McGill University study during a House Financial Services Committee meeting last July, claiming that one-third of college students who gambled online attempted suicide. Pappas explained that online poker sites currently employ safeguards to combat underage gambling: “Most of the online sites today already are using very high-tech, sophisticated age verification technologies. They have no interest in having children on their websites playing against adults. They want adult consumers playing on their sites. The only way to ensure that all sites have that is to pass a bill like Barney Frank’s.”

Pappas’ appearance on Bloomberg also included a discussion of whether playing online poker is illegal in the United States. Poker players can vividly recall the CBS News program “60 Minutes” stating that the game was against the law on multiple occasions after show producers allegedly contacted the Justice Department. However, Pappas revealed what the legal status of the game in the United States is: “For the U.S. player, it’s not illegal for them to go online and play internet poker. What the law in 2006 attempted to do was to make illegal the transactions. It puts the burden on the financial institutions, not the actual player.” The law in question is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was ushered through Congress in the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session by then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The UIGEA’s text gave no indication of what was legal or illegal under it. Instead, it deferred to existing State and Federal laws.

Some would cite the Wire Act of 1961 as grounds that playing online poker is not allowed in the United States. However, the 48 year-old measure traditionally applies to online sports wagering. Pappas told Bloomberg, “The Wire Act states that illegal gambling is being in the business of betting or wagering. An internet poker site isn’t in the business of betting or wagering. They’re simply allowing a venue in which people can compete in games of skill like poker against each other.”

In recent months, the PPA has seen judges in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and South Carolina conclude that poker is a game of skill and therefore should be treated separately from online casinos, Bingo parlors, and sports betting outfits. During the last Congressional session, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act, which would have exempted poker, bridge, chess, mahjong, and other player versus player games from the UIGEA and Wire Act.

At the time of writing, HR 2267 has 16 co-sponsors, including Wexler, Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Peter King (R-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Melvin Watt (D-NC).

California inching towards legal online poker

A draft bill called the California Online Poker Law Enforcement Compliance and Consumer Protection Act is in the works seeking to legalize and regulate online poker within the state's borders.

Under the lead of then-Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, California had previously been looking into whether or not the state could legalize online poker within its borders under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Now it appears the state is moving on to the next step of actually trying to legalize online poker.

The first part of the draft bill, dated Jan. 15, 2009, is the Legislature's findings on the matter of online poker.

The bill discusses the billions of dollars that United States citizens spend in online gambling in 2008, and that the sites the money went to were offshore and unregulated by a U.S. entity.

California is already licensing and regulating live poker games, "yet provides no licensing requirements, regulatory structure or law enforcement tools to protect millions of Californians who play exactly the same games daily for money online."

According to the draft bill, in order to protect those Californians who play poker online and allow state law enforcement to license and regulate Internet poker sites, "It is in the best interest of the state and its citizens to authorize, implement and create a licensing and regulatory structure and system to allow licensed gambling establishments to operate government-regulated Internet poker wagering Web sites."

Essentially, California believes that the sites licensed in California could offer the same poker games as permitted in licensed land-based card rooms, and the Californians that want to play online would be better protected in a licensed and regulated environment.

Licenses to operate intrastate internet poker sites will only be issued to current gaming establishments licensed by the State of California and to California tribes with gaming compacts.

The Gambling Control Commission and the Bureau of Gambling Control within the Department of Justice will be in charge of putting together a structure for regulation and licensing of intrastate poker to keep it within the guidelines of the UIGEA.

Some of the factors that will have to be taken into consideration are making sure the licensed establishments are within California and ensuring that the players are all located in California.

There will also be guidelines to address the issue of underage gambling, compulsive gambling and effective law enforcement oversight of the operation of online poker in the state.

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Luke “__FullFlush1__” Schwartz: “I’m done trash talking - time for OMGweBROKE.”

The 25-year old Brit has been playing poker only for the past four years, but he has already catapulted to the biggest online games! Self-proclaimed “the best player in the world” Londoner Luke Schwartz has caused havoc at the tables both because of his skills and his spewing on the chat.

Mysterious __FullFlush1__ looks, well, mysterious.

Schwartz built his bankroll at Betfair Poker, but people knew much about him until he joined the games at Full Tilt Poker. In 2009 Schwartz turned his attention to Full Tilt Poker and deposisited $10k and ran that to over million dollars quickly.

That is an exceptional rise, but what is the most exceptional aspect of Schwartz is his complete disregard for other players. His endless trash-talking is something that has made him legendary.

Schwartz is not afraid to play heads-up against anybody in the world, even Tom “durrrr” Dwan. Actually, he don’t give much credit for Dwans abilities:

“I do have a huge heads-up No-Limit edge on every player on this planet,” he said. “[Dwan] has run like god the last few sessions and I’m beating him for like $500,000 so far.”

Other players who he doesn’t care much are Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Di “Urindanger” Dang and Hac “Trex313″ Dang or like he has labeled the whole group with dwan included, “OMGweNerds”.

“The Dangs are quite weak,” he said. “They ***hunt Gus [Hansen] and Guy [Laliberte] and that’s in mixed. Their No-Limit heads-up game is weak.”

Ok, there is some players who Schwartz think are quite skilled, Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro being one of them. Schwartz also likes player called INTERNET POKERS. But one thing is for sure, he don’t like players like Dangs and Galfond:

“I’d like to send a lot of nits broke all over the world,” he said. “I’m done trash-talking - time for OMGweBROKE.”

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Luke “__FullFlush1__” Schwartz: “I’m done trash talking - time for OMGweBROKE.”

FullFlush1 spews: The Luke Schwartz interview

That's what railbirds and nosebleed players alike have been asking themselves as __FullFlush1__ leapfrogged his way to the top of the No-Limit Hold'em charts over the past couple months.

The trash-talking __FullFlush1__ has already tallied big wins against Tom "durrrr" Dwan, David "Raptor" Benefield and Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond while playing at the highest stakes available online.

It turns out the man behind the myth is Londoner Luke Schwartz.

Although he's only been playing poker for the past four years, Schwartz built his bankroll and reputation by dominating the cash games on Betfair Poker.

"When I started I was just a donk, but I somehow managed to beat the fish," Schwartz told PokerListings.com. "I went broke a couple times, but I had a couple MTT wins to get me back in."

Since then Schwartz has primarily played cash games, and he's been incredibly successful at it.

Starting in 2009, Schwartz turned his attention to the ultra high-stakes games on Full Tilt Poker. He deposited just $10,000 at first, but has since run that up past $1 million.

The 25-year-old Brit immediately started getting noticed for his complete disregard for some of the most elite online players.

In a recent interview with BBC radio, Schwartz mentioned he had no fear when playing the best players. He's also been known to trash-talk whomever he's playing.

"Some of these spazzes on the Full Tilt rail seem to hate me since I've been making their gods all look like fish," said Schwartz. "It's [funny]."

Although he wouldn't talk about any specific strategies he uses against the top-tier players, Schwartz says he is confident he can win against anyone, even the vaunted Dwan.

"I do have a huge heads-up No-Limit edge on every player on this planet," he said. "[Dwan] has run like god the last few sessions and I'm beating him for like $500,000 so far."

While beating some of the best players online, Schwartz has continued to unleash a barrage of insults against them, including referring to Dwan as "durrrr-balls" and the rest of his crew as "OMGweNerds."

When asked where he comes up with this stuff, Schwartz responded simply, "It comes naturally when the truth stares me in the face."

Never one to shy away from controversy, Schwartz has already said he'd like to take on the $1.5 million, 50,000 hand durrrr Challenge, and pretty much anyone is a fair target.

"The Dangs [Di "Urindanger" Dang and Hac "Trex313" Dang] are quite weak," he said. "They ***hunt Gus [Hansen] and Guy [Laliberte] and that's in mixed. Their No-Limit heads-up game is weak."

One might begin to think that Schwartz has no respect for any other poker players at all, but he did mention there are a number who are very skilled. Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro was one, and he said he likes INTERNET POKERS' game as well.

"Some of the $50/$100 players I think are much better than the OMGweNerds crew and company," Schwartz said.

He was even able to dig up at least one compliment for Dwan, albeit a slightly backhanded one.

"I respect durrrr's stamina and willingness to gamble, even though he's still a nonce-cake," he said.

Schwartz's live tournament results to date amount to under $35k in cashes, and when asked what he would like to accomplish in poker over the next couple years he mentioned he had some interest in winning a major tournament.

A frequent player on the PokerStars European Poker Tour, he also said he hoped to see a few other Brits find the same success he has.

But more than anything, he said he wants to keep dominating the nosebleed cash games online.

"I'd like to send a lot of nits broke all over the world," he said. "I'm done trash-talking - time for OMGweBROKE."

Related articles:

• FullFlush1 back to challenge durrrr
• __FullFlush1__ passes durrrr in Hold'em profits
• __FullFlush1__ trades pots with aejones

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Washington appeals court says no to online poker

Another attempt to make internet poker legal for players in Washington state has failed.

Poker Great Tom Dwan: Is He Getting More Than He Gambled For?

If you keep up with the poker news much, chances are that you have heard the news about Tom Dwan and his boasts. If you don’t know who Tom Dwan is, chances are that you don’t mess much with internet poker as he is a real phenomenon in that niche. ...