Poker News

iPoker Network Cut Price Buy ins!

These, not to be missed, excellent promotions are about to be launched on our favourite ipoker sites but they will only run for a short time, January 7th to January 16th, so don’t miss out!

There are going to be $750,000 in guaranteed prize tournaments held at discount prices. The following sites are participating in this huge promotion with up to 80% off the buy in of scheduled tournaments under the following promotion names:-

• Titan Poker = New Year Super Sale
• Mansion Poker = Buy in Bargains
• Winner Poker = Ultimate Sale

See the table below for all that is on offer.. (more…)

Mansion Poker $1,200 Freeroll Series - Easy to Qualify for Tonight’s Event!

Mansion Poker $1,200 Freeroll Series - Easy to Qualify for This Weeks Event!

Mansion Poker $1,200 Freeroll Series - Easy to Qualify for Tomorrow’s Event!

Mansion Poker $1,200 Freeroll Series - Easy to Qualify for Tomorrow’s Event!

Playtech Gross Revenues up 29% in Q1 2010

Playtech Limited released its first quarter 2010 Key Performance Indicators last week, which showed excellent growth over the first three months of 2010. Playtech owns and operates the popular iPoker Network.

The company announced that its gross revenues for the first quarter of 2010 were 29% ahead of the same time period in 2009. Its €43.4 million in gross earnings for the first quarter easily outpaced the €33.7 million earned in the same quarter of 2009. In addition, Playtech’s gross earnings were 13% better than in the fourth quarter of 2009, with almost €5 million more coming in during the first quarter of 2010.

The breakdown of Playtech’s first quarter 2010 earnings shows a strong preference for casino action over online poker. Casino revenues were up 27% for the quarter to €24.2 million versus the €19 million earned in the same span of 2009 and were 17% higher than in the fourth quarter (€24.2 million versus €20.6 million). The company’s poker action decreased slightly year over year, with a 4% drop in revenues. In the comparison with the last quarter of 2009, however, Playtech showed 2% growth in online poker.

Bingo looks to be the next revenue grabbing service from Playtech. In the first quarter 2010, Playtech launched its Italian bingo network and the increase in revenue has been remarkable. In the fourth quarter 2009, Playtech only saw €69,000 in gross revenues from its bingo operations. With the opening of its Italian network, revenues leapt to €1.7 million for the first quarter of 2010.

Playtech will look to expand on this newfound market with additional bingo licenses that are expected to launch later this year. Playtech is also looking to move into the Italian poker market, where cash games are currently the only action, and create an Italian casino in late 2010.

“We have had a very good start the year,” Mor Weizer, Playtech’s Chief Executive Officer, said during the Key Performance Indicators report. “Our final numbers for Q1 2010 reflect substantial revenue growth and build on the strong progress made in the last three months of 2009. Encouragingly, we have also seen continued momentum going into the traditionally slower second quarter. I believe Playtech remains well positioned to add licensees in a number of newly regulating markets and can look to the rest of 2010 with confidence.”

According to PokerScout.com, the iPoker Network is the fourth largest in the online poker world, averaging 4,350 cash game players over a seven-day period. Consisting of such popular poker rooms as William Hill, Paddy Power Poker, Mansion Poker, and Chili Poker, the iPoker Network peaks at over 8,500 cash game players during European evening hours (the network does not accept USA players). The iPoker Network and Party Gaming’s PartyPoker are constantly battling over the third place slot in the market.

Playtech’s stock, which trades on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PTEC,” performed well after the announcement of the first quarter financials, trading around 500 pence per share. The recent debt issues in Greece, however, have sent worldwide markets tumbling. As the markets begin to settle after the Greek bailout, Playtech was trading at 456 pence on the London Stock Market at the close of business on Tuesday.

Poker News in Brief: March 1-7, 2010

Between the LAPC and WPT Invitational winners, Isildur1 getting busy online and the start of the NBC National Heads-Up Championship there was nary a dull moment for poker fans.

As usual, we’re going to list some of the poker stories you might have missed as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief feature.

This week we’re going to take a look at online gambling in Iowa, a WSOP all-star game, Roland de Wolfe winning a London tournament and more.

Legal Online Gambling in Iowa?

Iowa is the latest U.S. state apparently looking at legalizing online gambling.

Rep. Doug Struyk of Council Bluffs told the Quad City Times that 50,000 people in Iowa already participate in online gambling and the government could provide better protection for them if the industry was legalized and regulated.

Struyk’s proposal would regulate the practice through the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

If the proposal goes through Iowa would become the first state in the country to allow online gambling.

Tiger Woods Turns Down Paddy Poker Deal

Many of Tiger Woods major sponsors have dropped him since his sex scandal broke but at least one online poker room seems to have no problem with the golfer.

Ireland-based Paddy Power Poker reportedly offered the disgraced sports star a five-year deal worth $75 million to represent the site.

Although Woods has already turned the offer down, Paddy Power Poker has claimed it is planning on coming back with an even better offer in the future.

It’s not the first time a poker organization has offered a deal to a fallen sports star. Last summer the Asian Poker Tour invited Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to its Macau event.

A picture of Phelps holding a bong surfaced on the internet in early 2009, which led to several sponsors dropping the multiple gold-medalist.

Check Paddy Power Poker for more.

Roland de Wolfe Wins London Open

Full Tilt pro Roland de Wolfe outlasted 110 players to win the 2010 Mansion Poker Les A London Open last week.

De Wolfe overcame a final table of mostly unknown players to win the £77,000 first place prize. The Hendon Mob’s Ross Boatman came in eighth place for £6,600.

The inaugural £2,000+£200 buy-in Mansion Poker Les A London Open ran February 23-24.

WSOP to Introduce All-Star Tournament?

It appears Harrah’s is interested in hosting some form of an all-star tournament at the 2010 WSOP.

Harrah’s released a cryptic message via the WSOP Twitter account this week that read:

“Which 20 WSOP Bracelet-Holders would you like to see compete in an All-Star game? Stay tuned…”

Last summer the WSOP held the 40th Anniversary Champions Invitational, which was open to every player that had won the Main Event. The tournament was won by 1983 World Champion Tom McEvoy.

In previous years, Harrah’s held a Tournament of Champions that featured a large number of notable pros. Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, and Mike Sexton were all winners of that event.

More Gold for Cake Poker Players in March

Cake Poker is giving its players two exclusive promotions during the month of March.

The first is the Cake Poker Turbo Gold Cards March Madness event that features Gold Cards dropping four times more often.

Gold Cards randomly appear in your account when you are playing ring games on Cake Poker. The cards are redeemable for cash or tournament entries depending on what card you receive.

Cake Poker will also be offering more satellites to the 2010 Irish Open, starting March 14.

"Dublin is a wonderful town and when you bring a major tournament there with the accompanying insane side action, it's hard to beat,” said Cake Poker room manager Lee Jones.

To learn more visit the Cake Poker website.

Tiger Woods Turns Down $75 Million Paddy Power Poker Sponsorship

Recently, gossip site TMZ reported that embattled professional golfer Tiger Woods, fresh off a highly publicized marital tiff, turned down a $75 million sponsorship offer from the online sports book, casino, and poker site Paddy Power.

As its name implies, Paddy Power makes its bread and butter off the Irish poker market. TMZ explained that the multi-faceted online outlet approached the 14-time major champion with an offer it thought Woods couldn’t refuse. TMZ recounted, “Tiger Woods just blew off a $75 million endorsement offer from an Irish gambling company – and that is how you know you’re rich.” The offer was reportedly for five years, but Woods snubbed the lucrative proposition despite its long-term potential.

The news comes one day after five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman became the official celebrity endorser of the Cake Poker Network site Only Poker. Despite being dumped on the first round of negotiations, Paddy Power will apparently return to the bargaining table with another offer, according to TMZ. Paddy Power is a member of the massive iPoker Network, which is the fourth largest worldwide according to the traffic ranking site PokerScout.com. The network does not accept members from the United States.

Despite not accepting action from the populated North American nation, Paddy Power Poker could have used Woods’ recognition around the world to attract customers to its site. Woods has won golf tournaments across Europe, Asia, and Australia in addition to his domination on the links in North America. He’s arguably the most recognizable name in the world of golf.

In late 2009, disaster struck for Woods. A purported past of infidelity finally caught up to the golf superstar, leading to an infamous run-in featuring his wife Elin Nordegren, a Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV, a golf club, a fire hydrant, and a tree in front of his Florida home. As news of Woods’ crash spread around the internet like wildfire, major sponsors began questioning their relationship with the 34 year-old.

Among the first Fortune 500 companies to cut bait with Woods was Accenture, followed by AT&T, Gatorade, and Gillette. According to a study released by the University of California – Davis in late December, Woods’ extracurricular activities could have cost shareholders of associated companies between $5 billion and $12 billion. The study examined businesses including Accenture, AT&T, Electronic Arts, Gillette, Nike, Gatorade, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and Golf Digest. The study added that Woods raked in $100 million annually from endorsements, “more than any other athlete.”

Woods spoke to the media in mid-February about the incident and may return to golf. The Masters, which Woods has won four times, will kick off from Augusta National Golf Course outside of Atlanta on April 6th. He last took down the high-profile tournament in 2005.

Paddy Power Poker has a bevy of promotions taking place, including Cashpoint, whose format is similar to PartyPoker’s Gladiator. Paddy Power Poker players who rack up 100 points for 10 days or more during the month of March are eligible to win cash prizes. The site will take a player’s 10 highest earning point days during the month and match $1 for every 20 points earned on the lowest day. The minimum payout is $5 and players can also qualify for a $2,000 Cashpoint freeroll.

Other sites on the massive iPoker Network include bet365, CelebPoker, Chili Poker, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Sun Poker, Titan Poker, and William Hill. The publicly traded company Playtech owns and operates the network. Playtech is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PTEC.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest poker gossip on Woods and other celebrities.

Roland de Wolfe wins Mansion Poker’s London Open

Europeans get Double Poker Points at Mansion this February 2010!

As a gesture of extreme goodwill to their European players, who play in Euros or GBP (€ or £), Mansion Poker are doubling up their Poker Points for the month of February. Yes, that’s an 100% points boost for players playing in Euros or GBP at Mansion – an excellent promotion from Mansion!

This is such a simple promo there’s really not a lot more to say and nothing for European players to do, no conversions to do, Mansion will credit your account with exactly the same amount of points you earn during February 2010.

As an added bonus – Earn just 50 points during February, on € or GBP tables, and MansionPoker will enter you into €2,000 online poker freeroll during March.

Take full advantage of this generous offer by grabbing yourself a Mansion Account, don’t delay and get playing today. Use the Mansion Poker Bonus Code BONUSDOOP and you will get the full sign up bonus of 100% up to $500 plus entry into exclusive future PokerNews Freerolls.

Bookmark to:

King Solomons Poker Moves to iPoker Network

The move from the Boss Media Network to the iPoker Network is almost complete for the small online poker room King Solomons Poker.  The site recently announced that players with accounts on its old Boss Media International Poker Network (IPN) site will no longer have access to the Boss Media-powered tables as of Monday, February 1st.

Players with a King Solomons account will still have time to cash out and access their accounts following the closure on Monday, but they will no longer be able to play, according to an e-mail sent out to all King Solomons customers earlier this month.  “We regret to inform you that on 31st January 2010 King Solomons Poker will be closing its doors on the Boss Media Network,” the e-mail began.

The electronic communication went on to offer the following details: “Players will still be able to access their accounts in order to cash out after this time, but they will be unable to access the games. We regret we have been forced to take this step and wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work in supporting us over the years.”

Though the e-mail does not indicate it, the site is not actually going away for good and is, in fact, just switching networks.  The site was part of the Boss Media Network, a Swedish company that controls and operates IPN.  According to the website PokerScout.com, the network averaged between 2,000 and 3,000 cash game players at any given time across a number of small online poker rooms over the past six months.  Sites hosted on IPN include BetClick, Poker Heaven, Virgin Poker, Total Poker, InterPoker, Ramblas Poker, and A Winning Hand Poker.

Now, King Solomons Poker calls the iPoker Network home and is using a version of the site powered by Playtech software.  According to King Solomons Poker’s official website, there were over 25,000 players across the Playtech tables at time of writing, which marks a substantial jump over the traffic coming through the site on IPN.  Other sites on the iPoker Network include Chili Poker, Titan Poker, CD Poker, Mansion Poker, and Boyle Poker.

Neither the King Solomons Poker webpage nor the IPN site offered any sort of announcement, but a Twitter feed dedicated to the site, @KSPoker, made mention of the transition to iPoker late last year.  In September, the site decided to shift over to the iPoker Network, but had been running the two sites concurrently since the King Solomons Poker launch on the new network on September 1st.  Now, four months later, the move appears to be complete.  The aforementioned Twitter account has been dormant since November 10th and offered no updates on the time and date of the Boss Media closure.

According to the King Solomons Poker website, the room is still running and offering its weekly $250,000 Guaranteed as well as a monthly event with a $1 million guarantee.  These are the two richest tournaments available on the site.  King Solomons Poker also offers Omaha, Omaha High-Low, and Seven Card Stud in addition to No Limit Hold’em.

Mansion Poker Hosts Aid for Haiti Tournament

The outpouring of support to the millions of people affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti continues, as online poker room Mansion Poker is the latest site organizing an event to raise money for the cause.

Mansion Poker is partnering with Casino.com to host a charity online poker tournament on Sunday, January 31st in which all of the profits will be donated to the Red Cross.  Additionally, Mansion Poker and Casino.com plan to match all donations.  The tournament is scheduled to take place at 6:00pm GMT and will feature a $10 buy-in.  The top ten finishers will all make the money, with the winner of the event earning a $1,000 prize and fourth through tenth places each receiving $100.  The tournament will not include any additional registration fees and all of the residual prize pool after the top ten are paid will go to charity.

Should players on Mansion Poker not have time to play on Sunday, but still want to make a contribution, the site has set up a series of eight “Holding Tank” lobbies in which players can donate sums of money ranging from $1 to $500.  Like similar tournament lobbies set up on other online poker sites, players will register for a dummy poker tournament and the buy-in will go straight to the Red Cross.  Mansion Poker will also match donations to these Holding Tank lobbies.

Jeff Turner, Marketing Director for Mansion Poker and Casino.com, encouraged users to reach into their wallets and help out a worthy cause.  “Players can be confident that the donations generated from the online poker tournament will be used to the maximum benefit,” Turner explained in the official announcement of the event.  “Be sure to register for the tournament and help the victims of Haiti!”

The Aid For Haiti tournament is a network-wide event, so players on other iPoker Network rooms like William Hill Poker, Titan Poker, Paddy Power Poker, Blue Square Poker, and CD Poker can also take part.  The Holding Tank tournament lobbies will also be available on the various iPoker sites.  All of the rooms on the iPoker network do not accept customers from the United States.

So far, the online poker world has generated an impressive $1.5 million in donations thanks to similar charity tournaments at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, the Cake Poker Network, and UB.com.  The players themselves have also organized fundraising efforts, including pledging a percentage of their online tournament winnings and donating pieces of their live tournament scores at events like the Borgata Poker Open.

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, since the January 12th quake, more than $560 million has been raised worldwide to go towards the relief efforts.  Over $66 million was raised during the telethon hosted by actor George Clooney last week and another $6 million came from the text message campaign put on by the Red Cross.  Even though it has been over two weeks since the earthquake hit, Haiti still appears to be on the hearts and minds of people worldwide as the donations continue to pour in.

Mansion Poker Hosts Aid for Haiti Tournament

The outpouring of support to the millions of people affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti continues, as online poker room Mansion Poker is the latest site organizing an event to raise money for the cause.

Mansion Poker is partnering with Casino.com to host a charity online poker tournament on Sunday, January 31st in which all of the profits will be donated to the Red Cross.  Additionally, Mansion Poker and Casino.com plan to match all donations.  The tournament is scheduled to take place at 6:00pm GMT and will feature a $10 buy-in.  The top ten finishers will all make the money, with the winner of the event earning a $1,000 prize and fourth through tenth places each receiving $100.  The tournament will not include any additional registration fees and all of the residual prize pool after the top ten are paid will go to charity.

Should players on Mansion Poker not have time to play on Sunday, but still want to make a contribution, the site has set up a series of eight “Holding Tank” lobbies in which players can donate sums of money ranging from $1 to $500.  Like similar tournament lobbies set up on other online poker sites, players will register for a dummy poker tournament and the buy-in will go straight to the Red Cross.  Mansion Poker will also match donations to these Holding Tank lobbies.

Jeff Turner, Marketing Director for Mansion Poker and Casino.com, encouraged users to reach into their wallets and help out a worthy cause.  “Players can be confident that the donations generated from the online poker tournament will be used to the maximum benefit,” Turner explained in the official announcement of the event.  “Be sure to register for the tournament and help the victims of Haiti!”

The Aid For Haiti tournament is a network-wide event, so players on other iPoker Network rooms like William Hill Poker, Titan Poker, Paddy Power Poker, Blue Square Poker, and CD Poker can also take part.  The Holding Tank tournament lobbies will also be available on the various iPoker sites.  All of the rooms on the iPoker network do not accept customers from the United States.

So far, the online poker world has generated an impressive $1.5 million in donations thanks to similar charity tournaments at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, the Cake Poker Network, and UB.com.  The players themselves have also organized fundraising efforts, including pledging a percentage of their online tournament winnings and donating pieces of their live tournament scores at events like the Borgata Poker Open.

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, since the January 12th quake, more than $560 million has been raised worldwide to go towards the relief efforts.  Over $66 million was raised during the telethon hosted by actor George Clooney last week and another $6 million came from the text message campaign put on by the Red Cross.  Even though it has been over two weeks since the earthquake hit, Haiti still appears to be on the hearts and minds of people worldwide as the donations continue to pour in.

PartyPoker Launches Full House Promotion

Throughout the month of December, PartyPoker will be holding the Full House promotion. The three-pronged promotion covers the worlds of cash games, sit and gos, and multi-table tournaments. PartyPoker does not accept players from the United States.

The first component of PartyPoker’s Full House promotion is the $50,000 Cash Game Race. The site’s Bronze, Silver, and Gold players are eligible for the five-figure purse and the top prize is $3,000. The top 500 players on the points-based leaderboard will walk away with cash, with the minimum payout being $10. The top seven players will earn over $1,000, while the top 200 will take home at least $100. The $50,000 Cash Game Race runs between December 3rd and 23rd and only Party Points earned at ring games will count.

At the time of writing, the top player on the $50,000 Cash Game Race, “luckboxing47,” has luck boxed his way to 6,466 Party Points and, if the promotion ended today, would be in line for a $3,000 payday. The 500th player, “alfie1906,” has 348 points. PartyPoker’s Palladium Lounge members are not eligible to battle in the $50,000 Cash Game Race.

The Jackpot Hunter is geared towards sit and go aficionados on PartyPoker. This part of the promotion, which runs all month long, offers a colossal $160,000 in potential payouts. One $50,000 prize is available for any player who manages to take down not one, not two, not three, not four, but five $55 buy-in or higher sit and gos in a row. Three $20,000 prizes are available for players who can accomplish the feat in $12 to $54 buy-in sit and gos and five $10,000 jackpots are available for sit and gos ranging in buy-in from $3 to $11. All wins must be consecutive.

Jackpot Hunter prizes are awarded on a first come, first served basis. PartyPoker’s website explains the redemption process: “Once you’ve won five consecutive STTs at a particular level, e-mail your account name to info@partypoker.com immediately.” This part of the Full House promotion began on December 1st. Here’s the fine print: all five sit and gos won must be of the exact same buy-in and only 10-seat single-table tournaments are eligible. Double-or-Nothing events do not count and players can claim as many jackpots as they can achieve.

The final part of the Full House promotion on PartyPoker consists of $1 Million Multi-Table Tournament Jackpots. Running all month long, the Multi-Table Jackpots require players to buy into daily $5,000 prize pool tournaments with a price tag of 20 Party Points. The top 200 players in each $5,000 event move on to a $250,000 Grand Final on January 3rd. PartyPoker players who fail to qualify for the Grand Final can pony up 1,000 Party Points to enter. Any player who wins two of the $5,000 events will earn $100,000 and, if a player can snag titles in any three of these tournaments, they’ll earn a life-changing $1 million.

The wins in $5,000 events don’t have to be consecutive and PartyPoker customers must e-mail the site if they’re eligible to win the $100,000 or $1 million prizes. Jackpots are awarded on a first come, first served basis.

PartyPoker is the fourth largest online poker site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 4,700 real money ring game players according to PokerScout.com. During its peak hours, which occur in the evening throughout Europe, well north of 7,000 cash game players can be found on its felts. PartyPoker is the second largest site or network to accept U.S. players behind the mammoth iPoker Network, whose family of rooms includes Titan Poker, CelebPoker, Mansion Poker, Paddy Power Poker, and William Hill.

Three ways to win are available this month as part of the PartyPoker Full House promotion. Visit the site for more details.

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 16-22, 2009

The 21-year-old generated some major mainstream press coverage this week by appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman and CNN's American Morning.

There was plenty of news that didn't involve Cada, however, and as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief Feature we're going to break some of it down for you today.

This week we'll look at another man winning a ladies event, the end of Fair Poker, more support for an online poker bill, an upgrade for Cake Poker and more.

Man wins Ladies Championship at Lake Tahoe

Greg Sessler became the latest man to enter and win a female poker tournament last week.

Sessler won the Ladies Championship at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop in Lake Tahoe by outlasting all 95 players that entered the tournament. Of that total, four were men.

Although organizers encourage only women to play, Harrah's cannot exclude any player based on gender. After winning the tournament Sessler defended his decision to play.

"Me playing in this tournament really had nothing to do with trying to take advantage of the ladies or thinking it was a softer field," he said.

"If Jennifer Harman would have come and played in the ladies event, she would have been much tougher competition than me. I came here because I only had one day and I really like the structures and the payout."

Back in September Abraham Korotki entered a ladies event at the 2009 Borgata Poker Open and went on to win it. Former baseball star Jose Canseco also famously entered a women's tournament a few years ago.

More support for Frank's pro-online poker bill

The U.S. bill that would both legalize and regulate online poker has another co-sponsor.

Rep. Anthony D. Weiner of New York's 9th district signed on board this week as the 63rd co-sponsor of the legislation.

Rep. Barney Frank originally introduced the bill last spring but it has yet to be heard before committee.

Frank's bill would essentially repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that was passed in 2006 and put a regulatory system in place for the online gambling industry.

Unfair outcome for Fair Poker

Lesser-known online poker room Fair Poker disappeared this week, but its players found a new home at Noble Poker.

Both sites were members of the iPoker network and were merged into one site earlier in the week. Fair Poker players had their account balances and the iPoints they had earned transferred to Noble Poker.

iPoker remains one of the busiest online poker networks in the world with Titan Poker, ChiliPoker, Bet365, CD Poker, William Hill, Mansion Poker and numerous others all under the iPoker banner.

The 2009 BC Poker Championships, starring Liz Lieu, will be televised.

HeadsUp Entertainment to televise BC Poker Championships

HeadsUp Entertainment, operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine, will help televise coverage of the 2009 BC Poker Championships in Vancouver.

"We are very pleased to be part of Canada's premier poker tournament," said HeadsUp President Kelly B. Kellner. "We consider it a privilege to be able to cover the event through both our magazine and on television."

HeadsUp Entertainment made a deal with The Score Television Network, which is the exclusive broadcast partner of the Canadian Poker Tour, to show highlights from the tournament.

The 2009 BC Poker Championships began this week with 606 runners. The event received the attention of some big name poker players including Tiffany Michelle, Liz Lieu, Maria Ho, Greg "FBT" Mueller, Gavin Smith and Brad Booth.

Last year Canadian poker super-star Daniel Negreanu outlasted 689 players to win the 2008 BCPC for $300,708.

Cake Poker adds players, synchronized breaks

Cake Poker had a busy week adding synchronized breaks to its software and taking players from Third Bullet Poker.

Third Bullet was already a member of the Cake Network and the company's executives made the decision to merge the player base onto Cake Poker for better technical support and customer service.

Meanwhile, Cake's synchronized breaks will let multi-table tournament players take a break no matter how many tables they are running. The breaks will occur at 55 minutes past the hour, every hour.

The breaks do not affect Sit 'n' Go tournaments with less than 30 players.

The feature is quickly becoming an industry standard as Absolute Poker and UltimateBet recently added synchronized breaks as well.

Titan Poker Oktoberfest Poker Cash Giveaway!

Starting TONIGHT Titan Poker will give out cash prizes to its cash table players, according to how many points they earn per day.

The minimum number of points per day is just 400 for only 3 days but, these earning days don’t have to be consecutive, during the promotion period. So get in and get your cash whilst the going’s good! Your progress is easily tracked on the website, day by day so you can see how your cash is growing.

This excellent promotion is rewarding us for what we love doing best – playing poker online!

The Oktoberfest Poker Cash Giveaway is for a very limited time and will run from

Midnight 15th October UK (7pm New York) until
11.59pm 31st October (6.59pm New York)

How to accumulate points:

E.G.

• Earn 400 points for 3 days = $5.00
• Earn 10,000 points for 9 days = $365.00

So, brighten up Autumn and enjoy playing in Oktoberfest with Titan – we have negotiated an unbeatable deal for first time depositors with terrific Titan which includes a VIP sign up bonus of 150% up to $500 but, you must use the Titan Poker Bonus Code VIPTITAN to get the full deal – see exactly what we have negotiated for you by taking a look at out Titan Poker Review and our Titan Poker Bonus Code page. Join Titan Poker and enjoy all the new depositors incentives we have to offer and realise what a stonkin good site Titan is for players at all levels.

As part of the ipoker network players at award winning Mansion Poker can also take part in this huge promotion – use Mansion Poker Bonus Code BONUSDOOP for 100% up to $500 sign up bonus – see Mansion Poker Review.

Bookmark to:

PlayersOnly Opens its Doors to the World

At a time in the online gaming industry when internet casinos and online poker rooms are shutting their doors to American players, one site has gone the opposite route and started to accept players from around the world.

It was announced recently that PlayersOnly, which in the past had only offered its wares to online poker players in the United States and Canada, would start to accept customers from the remainder of the world. PlayersOnly, part of the Cake Poker Network, apparently found that limiting itself to just the action from North America kept the site from achieving its full potential. With the change to accepting players from the rest of the world, PlayersOnly should be able to improve its market share.

PlayersOnly has been in existence since 2006, or just about the time that the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in the United States. Its move at the time to accept only USA players probably enabled it to garner a great deal of traffic, as players, unable to access sites such as PartyPoker or 888, looked for new places to deposit. It was also a pleasant surprise for many that PlayersOnly accepted credit card transfers, which were virtually shut down after the UIGEA’s signing.

As part of the Cake Poker Network, PlayersOnly offers several of the standard games that you will find online. For No Limit cash games, Texas Hold’em and Omaha High-Low are the two disciplines that can be played. For those who have a penchant for taking to Limit tables, a full slate is featured with Texas Hold’em, Omaha (both High and High-Low), and Seven Card (both Stud and High-Low). When it comes to Pot Limit games, Texas Hold’em and Omaha (both High and High-Low) once again step to the forefront.

Tournaments are plentiful on PlayersOnly.com as, with its association with the Cake Poker Network, there are sizeable paydays at stake. In a previous article on Poker News Daily, changes that multi-table tournaments on the Network will undergo over the next six months were laid out. These changes, according to Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and Cake Poker Room Manager Lee Jones, will encompass more freezeout tournaments and fewer rebuys and also feature better scheduling. Check out the recap of Cake Poker Network tournament changes.

Of the top ten online poker sites or networks in the industry, there are only four that accept action from the United States. The two at the top, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, have long been among the leaders in the industry and those that are arranged behind them will have sizeable problems trying to knock them from that perch. The third place slot belongs to the iPoker Network, which features Titan Poker, Chili Poker, and Mansion Poker, among others. The fourth place site or network worldwide is the former industry leader, PartyPoker.  Both do not accept American players.

The CEREUS Network, the third network that accepts all players, encompasses Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker and has been battling to regain its past momentum after the Russ Hamilton-led scandal and ownership change. The CEREUS Network, according to PokerScout.com, is the ranked sixth in the industry in terms of the number of real money ring game players. The Cake Poker Network, with over 40 rooms, currently sits in tenth place with a 24-hour peak of around 2,700 cash players (versus the 45,173 players in the same 24-hour period for PokerStars).

No Deposit Freeroll Starting Soon - $1K Cash on Offer!

iPoker Network Launches Monthly Million Tournament

Starting in September, a $1 million guaranteed prize pool tournament dubbed the Monthly Million will take place monthly on the massive iPoker Network. The $535 buy-in gala will kick off on September 13th at 18:00 GMT.

Titan Poker is one of several iPoker Network sites gearing up for the first-ever running of the Monthly Million, the same term used by PartyPoker to describe its recurring high-stakes event. A bevy of roads to qualify are available, including $1.10 buy-in tournaments that take place Monday to Saturday at 17:15 GMT. In order to promote its new addition, Titan Poker announced that marketing materials were available to affiliates in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Daily except for Sunday, Titan Poker holds a $66 buy-in freezeout that awards three seats into the Monthly Million. Held the same days of the week at 14:30 GMT are $6.60 rebuys that award at least eight seats into the seven-figure prize pool tournament. On Sundays at 18:30 GMT, Titan Poker holds a $6.60 buy-in satellite that doles out at least 20 seats. In the week leading up to the first Monthly Million on September 13th, the qualifying schedule changes, so check out Titan Poker and other iPoker Network sites for more information.

The Monthly Million features 30-minute blind levels and players will start with a chip stack of 10,000. After playing out on September 13th, the Monthly Million will make its grand return on October 11th at 18:00 GMT. A press release distributed by Titan Poker noted that the contest will be a welcome change from the regular $250,000 Guaranteed weekend tournament: “Titan Poker stages a highly popular $250,000 Guaranteed Prize Tournament every Sunday night, however on September 13, the focus will turn instead to the $1,000,000 Guaranteed. Many players have already guaranteed their seats at the hugely anticipated million-dollar event.”

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, the iPoker Network is the third largest worldwide. It’s the largest that does not accept players from the United States and boasts a seven-day running average of 5,400 real money ring game players. Its 24-hour peak is roughly double that total and, at the time of writing, which is late afternoon across Europe, a total of 7,726 cash game players have descended on the iPoker Network’s virtual felts. A ticker found on Titan Poker notes that over 18,000 active players are battling on the iPoker Network across more than 3,000 tables. PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker are the two most populous online poker sites in the world, respectively; both accept customers from the United States with open arms.

Besides Titan Poker, other sites that call the iPoker Network home include BetFred, Boyle Poker, CD Poker, Chili Poker, Expekt, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Poker Plex, Sun Poker, and VC Poker. The iPoker Network is owned and operated by Playtech, a subsidiary of which unsuccessfully submitted a bid to purchase the World Poker Tour (WPT) earlier this month. Instead, the WPT, which is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in New York City under the symbol “WPTE,” was purchased by a subsidiary of Party Gaming called Peerless Media.

The PartyPoker Monthly Million takes place on the first Sunday of every month and boasts a $640 buy-in. The gala kicks off at 12:45 ET and a full qualifying structure is available with tournaments starting at $1. Like Titan Poker, PartyPoker does not accept players from the United States; it boasts WPT Host Mike Sexton as its ambassador. PartyPoker’s Cash Machine promotion, in which Party Points are matched dollar-for-dollar with site bonuses, kicks off on September 1st.

$1,000 Freeroll Today on Mansion Poker - NO Min Deposit Required!

Sportingbet, Entraction Partner in Europe

Sportingbet, the parent company of Paradise Poker, has partnered with the Entraction Network to bring online poker into additional areas of Europe. Paradise Poker currently makes its home on Boss Media’s International Poker Network.

In a press release posted on Entraction’s website yesterday, Peter Astrom, its CEO, commented, “We are proud to welcome Sportingbet to our network. The deal shows that Entraction is an attractive partner for the largest players in the online gaming industry.” The press release added that Sportingbet had already launched its first site on the Entraction Network. The specific markets that Sportingbet was targeting were not given.

An Entraction Network representative told eGamingReview Magazine why the partnership is attractive to the burgeoning family of sites: “Sportingbet has high standards and would not have signed up with us if it felt our software wasn’t up to scratch. While we started off with smaller operators, this deal shows we are now starting to recruit bigger and more established operators.” Paradise Poker is one of the staples of the online poker industry and was absorbed by Sportingbet in 2004.

The International Poker Network is the ninth largest worldwide, boasting a seven-day running average of 1,620 real money ring game players according to PokerScout.com. At its peak, more than double that number can be found on its virtual felts. Besides Paradise Poker, other members of Boss Media’s online poker network include CelebPoker, Classic Poker, Fortune Poker, i4Poker, InterPoker, and Poker Heaven.

The Entraction Network is slightly smaller, weighing in at 13th worldwide with a seven-day average of 1,100 cash game players. Its 24 hour peak is 2,241 and its traffic is comparable with that found on 888’s Pacific Poker and the Swedish gambling outfit Svenska Spel. The Entraction Network plays host to customers from sites like Devilfish Poker, NoiQ Poker, and Wasa Poker. Its parent company is based in Sweden; the Entraction Network’s servers call Malta home.

Sportingbet is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange, where it can be found under the symbol “SBT.” At the time of writing, which is late afternoon throughout most of Europe, the company’s stock was up £1.75 on the day to £60.75, representing a jump of nearly 3%. Amid the worldwide financial meltdown late last year, shares of SBT traded as low as £23.25 in October. By December, it had crossed the £30 threshold and leapt over £40 for good in March.

Three weeks ago, Sportingbet divested itself of Sportingbet Italia, selling the entity to local management for what it termed “nominal consideration.” Over the first 11 months of the fiscal year, the Italian arm had turned in an operating loss for Sportingbet of £1.5 million. Sportingbet Italia was procured in 2006 with the expectation that payouts would increase, specific software would be developed for Italian customers, and “in-running betting” would be allowed. None of these changes occurred and, combined with the growth of brick and mortar gambling outfits in Italy, eroded Sportingbet Italia’s profit potential. The company took a loss of £7.1 million in order to rid itself of its failed venture, draining cash on-hand by £1.6 million.

eGamingReview speculated that the partnership between Sportingbet and the Entraction Network is set to expire in February. Neither Entraction nor the International Poker Network accepts players from the United States. The largest network that does not accept U.S. players is the iPoker family of sites, which includes BetFred, Better Poker, Boyle Poker, CD Poker, Chili Poker, Expekt, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, PokerPlex, Titan Poker, and VC Poker. The iPoker Network is owned and operated by Playtech, which can be found on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PTEC.”

CelebPoker Moves to iPoker Network

On August 12th, CelebPoker will move from Boss Media’s International Poker Network to Playtech’s iPoker Network, the third largest worldwide and the largest that does not accept players from the United States.

An e-mail sent to CelebPoker affiliates this week outlined the benefits for players of moving from the International Poker Network to the popular iPoker Network: “Expect improvements in both the software as well as the promotions at CelebPoker. As part of the iPoker Network, your CelebPoker players will be able to win more money, with an incredible $20 million in guaranteed tournaments (up from €3 million to €5 million on our old network). There are also limitless opportunities to win seats to major live events.” The new iPoker Network software will feature 13 payment options, progressive single-table tournament jackpots, and over $100,000 in progressive sit and go jackpots.

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps track of online poker room traffic, the iPoker Network boasts a seven-day running average of 5,500 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, which occur during the evening in Europe, nearly 10,000 players regularly descend upon its cash game felts. At the time of writing, which is late afternoon across Europe, a total of 7,223 real money players are competing on its family of sites. iPoker Network rooms include BetFred, CD Poker, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Paddy Power, Titan Poker, and VC Poker.

The International Poker Network is the eighth largest worldwide and does not accept U.S. customers. The Swedish-based network includes Fortune Poker, InterPoker, Paradise Poker, Poker Heaven, and Total Poker.

Starting on August 12th, CelebPoker members will have access to over $20 million in guaranteed tournaments every month. On Sundays, the iPoker Network hosts its weekly flagship event that features a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool. The buy-in is $320 and the $250,000 Guaranteed attracts the top players that the iPoker Network has to offer.   On Saturdays, players can take advantage of a $109 buy-in tournament with at least $50,000 up for grabs.

Donovan, Founder of CelebPoker, commented in a press release distributed by the site, “Since 2003, we have always tried to offer our players the best possible poker experience available on the internet. And after many successful years with Boss Media, we felt that the game had moved on and we needed to offer our players more. The iPoker Network is held in very high regard by our valued customers. So we listened to them.” CelebPoker officials noted that the iPoker Network’s exponential growth was the primary reason for the decision to depart the International Poker Network.

CelebPoker will host a special Welcome Freeroll on September 17th to kick off the move. The free tournament will boast a $10,000 prize pool and is open to all depositing players. CelebPoker was launched in 2003.

Playtech, which owns and operates the iPoker Network, is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange and can be found under the symbol “PTEC.” Playtech’s stock closed the week trading at £311.75, down £2.25 on Friday, or 0.72%. Other internet gambling companies traded on the same exchange include Party Gaming (symbol: PRTY), Ladbrokes (LAD), Sportingbet (SBT), William Hill (WMH), and 888 (888).

In financial results released for the second quarter of 2009, Playtech’s gross income was €33.1 million, down from the €33.8 million recorded during the first quarter of 2009. Gross income was up 29.8% from €51.6 million in the first half of 2008 to €66.9 million this year. Playtech’s online poker revenues were up 17.8% to €8.2 million during the second quarter of 2009 in comparison to the same period in 2008.

Playtech’s Gross Income Grows by 23% in Second Quarter of 2009

In recent news released by Playtech, which operates the popular iPoker Network, it was revealed that the company’s Gross Income for the second quarter of 2009 rose by 23.3% year over year to €33.1 million. That figure was slightly below the €33.8 million recorded during the first quarter of 2009.

For the first half of the 2009 calendar year, Playtech recorded Gross Income of €66.9 million, up 29.8% from the €51.6 million recorded during the first half of 2008. A statement released by the company explains, “The Board is confident the Company will deliver strong growth for the full year to December 2009 compared to 2008. However, owing to the slower than anticipated start to WHO and the general challenging economic environment impacting some of our licensees, the Board believes that full year trading will be below current market expectations.” The acronym WHO refers to William Hill Online, which partnered with Playtech to open the 2009 calendar year.

Total Group Revenues for Playtech were €27.0 million, a jump of 0.4% compared to the second quarter of 2008 and a drop of 4.2% from the €28.2 million recorded during the first quarter of this year. Poker revenues rose by 17.8% year over year to €8.2 million; that figure represented a 6.4% drop in comparison to the €8.8 million recorded in the opening quarter of 2009.

Playtech derived 62% of its revenue from the European continent, down from the 72% that this region provided during the second quarter of last year. Contrastingly, its portion of revenue from Asia Pacific grew from 21% during the second quarter of 2008 to 32% during the recently completed quarter. A partnership with Betfair to provide casino and Bingo software to the independent site is expected to add increased revenue during the fourth quarter. In addition, Playtech will provide its full spectrum of products, including casino, poker, and mobile games, to NetPlay TV.

With regards to its Italian market, Playtech notes, “The Italian poker network is exceeding management’s expectations and is now Italy’s third largest poker network by revenues generated by the network licensees, while further positive progress in regulations will bring new opportunities in Italy from this strong base.” In the wake of new internet gambling laws in Italy, PokerStars recently transferred players from its dot-com site to PokerStars.it. Playtech has also forged a partnership with the iPoker Network site Chili Poker “in anticipation of the introduction of new regulations liberalizing the French market for online gaming.”

The company also spent the second quarter hard at work on a strategic partnership with the Serbian State Lottery. Playtech will provide casino and poker products in the Serbian language in its first agreement with a country’s lottery. New Serbian players will join the world’s third largest online poker network behind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. The iPoker Network is largest that does not accept players from the United States, boasting a seven-day running average of 5,500 real money ring game players. At its peak, expect to see over 10,000 poker hopefuls heading to the felts of the massive network to compete in cash games.

iPoker Network sites include BetFred, Boyle Poker, CD Poker, Expekt, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Paddy Power Poker, Poker Ocean, Titan Poker, and VC Poker. Playtech is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PTEC.” The stock closed trading on Friday at ?291.75, down ?11.00 on the day (3.63%). Last September, prior to the worldwide economic meltdown, Playtech’s stock had been trading as high as ?528.

The company was founded in 1999 and forged its first deal, with Swiss Casino, two years later. The iPoker Network came to life in 2004, one year removed from Chris Moneymaker defeating poker pro Sammy Farha in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

Special $500 Cash Freeroll at Mansion Poker

William Hill Hosts No Surrender UK Poker Classic

iPoker Network site William Hill has teamed up with the No Surrender Charitable Trust to bring the first ever No Surrender UK Poker Classic to life. The online event will raise money for a cancer-related social network and research.

The tournament is slated for Friday, June 26th and has an expected prize pool of $30,000. Its grand prize winner will take home a one-of-a-kind VIP trip to Las Vegas, Nevada worth $10,000. Tournament organizers are gunning for 1,000 players in the online event, which will play out on the virtual felts of William Hill. A longstanding fixture in the online poker industry, William Hill is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange, where it can be found under the symbol “WMH.” The UK Poker Classic comes with a price tag of $30 with $20 rebuys available for those finding themselves short on chips.

Its winner and a very lucky guest will jet set to Sin City in style aboard British Airways in the carrier’s luxurious Club World class. While in Las Vegas, the duo will call the Bellagio, a Strip casino, home for four nights. The venue is rich in poker lore, playing host to the annual World Poker Tour (WPT) end-of-season Championship event each April as well as the Bellagio Cup, Festa al Lago, and Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. It’s the equivalent of Ground Zero for the WPT tournament series and also hosts Bobby’s Room, the home of high-stakes cash games featuring poker’s biggest names.

Marc Maley of the No Surrender Charitable Trust commented in a press release distributed by William Hill, “We are always looking for new ways to raise funds and keep within the spirit of the No Surrender Trust, which ultimately is to do it having fun! Jason would have loved this event. As a city trader before he contracted pancreatic cancer, he was hugely competitive and loved synergy between the city and a game like poker.” The “Jason” in question is Jason Boas, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago at age 33. Nevertheless, he has raised over £150,000 for cancer-related causes, including research and a helpful social networking site for patients.

The tournament kicks off at 8:00pm. A total of 70% of the prize pool will be donated to the charity, while the remaining 30% will serve as the event’s purse. In addition, William Hill will add $1,000. The $10,000 travel package is good for non-blackout dates before December 1st. Travel is not permitted on Independence Day (July 3rd and 4th), Labor Day (September 7th), Columbus Day (October 12th), Veteran’s Day (November 11th), and Thanksgiving (November 26th), all major U.S. holidays when tourists flock in droves to Las Vegas.

The iPoker Network’s weekly major is the $250,000 Guaranteed, which runs on Sunday nights at 19:00 UK time. The tournament sports a $320 buy-in and satellites start as low as $3.80. On Friday, the family of sites hosts a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool event, which comes with a $109 buy-in and unlimited rebuys are available. The high-stakes contest kicks off at 20:00 UK time and qualifiers start at an affordable $1.20. Finally, Saturday night sees the running of the $50,000 Guaranteed, which has a $109 price tag. Thee freezeout starts at 18:30 UK time and satellites begin at $8.80.

Players on William Hill battle with competitors from across the iPoker Network, which also includes CD Poker, Mansion Poker, Noble Poker, Paddy Power, and Titan Poker. The Network is the third largest worldwide and the biggest that does not accept players from the United States. According to PokerScout.com, which monitors online poker room traffic, the iPoker Network features a seven day running average of 5,900 real money ring game players with a 24 hour peak that is double that amount. Its traffic is comparable with that found on PartyPoker.

Jackpot Sit n Go’s - $25,000 WSOP 09 Package

If you want to play the most thrilling poker on the planet then WSOP 09, May 27th to July 15th, is definitely the place for you. Held in glittering surroundings this is the highlight of every poker players’ year, the good and the great of the poker world will descend on Las Vegas in the State of Nevada, USA.

If you’re keen to go to WSOP 09 in style then you should be playing on Titan Poker in their Jackpot Sit n Go Tournaments, at just $12 buy in, and you could be on your way to Vegas. Just win six consecutive 6 player Jackpot Sit n Go’s, contact support@titanpoker.com within 48 hours of your last jackpot win, the good people at Titan will verify your win and the $25,000 WSOP package will be yours. What will you win? Read on…

• $10,000 buy in to Main Event #57
• $1,500 buy in to Event #54
• 16 nights for 2 at the Rio – worth $2,250
• $2,150 in Executive perks which includes
• July 6th great seats at Beatles Cirque du Sol
• Dinner x 2 at the swanky SW Steakouse in the Wynn Hotel – spot those celebs!
• Limo transfers
• July 7th helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon
• approx $8,750 for your flights and spending money – should be enough for two of you

This is an amazing package to get your hands on and will certainly be a trip of a lifetime for the lucky players who win one of these packages, and their +1 of course.

If you’re not familiar with Titan take a look at our Titan Poker review to get an idea of what an excellent site Titan is. Newcomers to Titan are rewarded with a generous sign up package which includes a sign up bonus of 150% up to $500, $50 – upfront, entry to exclusive freerolls, free Titancalc, 2 exclusive $150 added buy-ins per week but, our deal is exclusive to us so you must use the bonus code VIPTITAN to make sure you don’t miss out. Further info available on our Titan Poker Bonus Code page.

Mansion Poker players can also win a top $25,000 WSOP 09 package by winning 6 consecutive 6 seat jackpot sit n go’s. Once you have won your 6th jackpot in a row you must contact memberservice@mansion.com to verify your claim and get you on your way to Vegas and WSOP 09. If you’re signing up for the first time with Mansion Poker the bonus on offer is 100% up to $500 and the bonus code to use is BONUSDOOP, for more unbiased info on Mansion read our informative Mansion Poker Review or take a look at our Mansion Poker Bonus Code page.

Whether you’re playing on Titan Poker or Mansion Poker your last chance to get your 6 in a row and go is June 20th – Good Luck!

Still want more ways to gt to WSOP this year, check out our WSOP Satellites & Qualifiers page.

Bookmark to:

Special $1,000 Cash Weekend at Mansion Poker

Chris Wallace (Fox) Calls out Minnesota over Internet Gambling Ban

In the fight for the rights of online poker players in Minnesota, PokerXFactor.com instructor and St. Paul resident Chris “Fox” Wallace has taken a stand, calling for the Justice Department to arrest him if playing online poker is illegal.

Wallace’s actions follow written notice served to some of the country’s largest internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Charter, Qwest, and AT&T. The notices, which were authored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and received on Monday, call for 200 internet gambling websites to be inaccessible by the state’s residents. Appearing on the list of affected sites were U.S.-friendly rooms Bodog and Full Tilt Poker along with a bevy of online poker establishments that do not accept customers from the United States. The latter group includes Action Poker, CD Poker, Noble Poker, Mansion Poker, and Titan Poker. It also includes the title sponsor of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Everest Poker, whose logos will don tables in the Amazon Room at the Rio for the second straight year. The Department of Public Safety is also calling for companies to block telephone access to the sites’ support numbers.

Wallace told his hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, last week, "I have e-mailed the Justice Department and I've volunteered to be arrested. I play online poker. Come and get it." He revealed that he faces a potential loss of $2,000 per week. If the ISPs successfully block the sites in question, he not only would potentially be unable to play online, but also would be barred from browsing any of the domain’s pages. David Axtell, an attorney at Leonard Street and Deinard in Minnesota, told the Star-Tribune, "This is an old law put in place before the Internet and there may be an argument that it doesn't cover Internet service providers.”

The law in question is the Wire Act, which was passed in 1961 and has historically applied only to online sports betting. Many question whether the age-old law is applicable to online poker, casino, and Bingo games; each genre of internet gambling had sites appear on the list of 200 released last week. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan questioned the Government’s professionalism in generating its list. According to a statement found on iMEGA’s website, Brennan explained, “We question how much thought was put into the selection of these sites. To propose censoring Minnesota residents’ Web access and not to know which sites are even in the U.S. market makes me wonder just how seriously the Department of Public Safety is taking this action. It comes off as a half-baked attempt at intimidation rather than thoughtful enforcement.” The list of 200 was generated randomly without regard to what type of internet gambling each site was engaged in.

Other websites that are affected include Betfred, Betway, Bet U.S., Crazy Poker, Euro Poker, Gnuf’s online casino arm, Hollywood Poker, Intertops Casino, Players Only, Total Poker, Ladbrokes Casino, and Party Casino. Publicly traded companies on the London Stock Exchange own the latter two sites. At the time of writing, neither had written statements about the Minnesota internet gaming issue given to the Exchange. Party Gaming entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Government last month and agreed to pay a $105 million fine. In the process, it admitted to processing transactions from U.S. customers using third parties, which was “contrary to certain U.S. laws.” Upon passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, Party Gaming exited the market.

ISPs have up to three weeks to respond to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The state has legalized Indian casinos, card rooms at horse racing tracks, and a lottery that features second chance drawings online. Next week may see Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduce legislation to clarify or overturn the UIGEA. The bill, which was originally scheduled to be introduced in March, may outline a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the industry similar to last Congressional session’s HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act.

List of 200 Banned Internet Gambling Sites in Minnesota Released

The list of 200 internet gambling sites that have come under fire by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has been released. Many of the websites identified do not accept players from the United States, leaving leaders in the industry scratching their heads.

Headlining the contingent of targeted sites is Party Casino, which is owned by the same publicly traded parent company as its online poker room counterpart, Party Poker. Neither accepts U.S. players and to complicate matters further, Party Gaming, which can be found on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY,” recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice admitting to Wire Act violations similar to one struck by company co-founder Anurag Dikshit in December. Party Poker is not on the list. Also appearing is PokerRoom, which shut its doors earlier this month along with sister site CasinoRoom (which is also on the list) and funneled customers to bwin.

Bodog appears on the list as “BoDog.com,” but the corresponding URL points to its casino arm. Bodog accepts players from the United States, as does Full Tilt Poker, whose domain is officially under fire by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Cake Poker Network site Players Only also is part of the group of 200 affected sites. Notably absent are PokerStars, Ultimate Bet, Absolute Poker, Lock Poker, Carbon Poker, Doyle’s Room, and Cake Poker. No informational or forum sites appear to be targeted at the moment. The list spans genres such as online poker, online casinos, and online sports books.

The Action Poker Network’s flagship site appears on the list, as does Titan Poker, one of the largest sites on the massive iPoker Network. Neither site accepts U.S. players. Fellow iPoker Network site Betfred’s future may now be in jeopardy, as is the longevity of Microgaming site Betway. iPoker Network sites CD Poker, Mansion Poker, and Noble Poker all appear on the list of 200 sites. One of the most visible rooms to find itself in hot water is Everest Poker, which is the official sponsor of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which kicks off next month from the Rio in Las Vegas. This is Everest Poker’s second year as the spectacle’s presenting sponsor. Its logo will don WSOP felts and also appear in signage at the Rio.

Other websites that have been flagged by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety include Gnuf, Golden Palace, Hollywood Poker, and InterTops Casino, which actually appears twice on the list. Publicly traded company Ladbrokes’ online poker site, despite not accepting U.S. players, is on the list, as are PokerRoom School, River Belle, and Spin Palace. Crazy Poker’s dot com and U.K. domain names are both listed. According to Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division Director John Willems, the list of 200 sites was drawn “randomly” without regard to the type of internet gambling employed.

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), which has been at the forefront of the fight for the industry in Minnesota, was puzzled by the final list distributed by the Department of Public Safety. Joe Brennan, its Chairman, commented in a press release on the organization’s website, “We question how much thought was put into the selection of these sites. To propose censoring Minnesota residents’ Web access and not to know which sites are even in the U.S. market makes me wonder just how seriously the Department of Public Safety is taking this action. It comes off as a half-baked attempt at intimidation rather than thoughtful enforcement.”

The ISPs that received notice have up to three weeks to respond. They include some of the largest telecommunications corporations on the planet: Verizon, AT&T, Qwest, and Direct TV, just to name a few. The letter sent to each ISP reads, “We are therefore requesting these enterprises not be allowed to transmit gambling information to your Minnesota customers.” The letter also states that the Federal Communications Commission (incorrectly labeled as “Federal Communication Commission”) received a copy. Each gambling site is listed alongside its IP address and telephone number, although the latter is not present for every site on the list. The Department of Public Safety is also calling for telephone access to be blocked where appropriate.

View the entire list of 200 internet gambling sites in jeopardy in Minnesota.

PartyPoker Announces Million Dollar Rake Race

In May, players on PartyPoker will have a chance to race their way to a share of $1 million. This week, the site announced one of the richest rake races ever held online. The announcement comes just a few days before the third running of the PartyPoker Monthly Million.

First place in the PartyPoker $1 Million Rake Race will take home $20,000 in cash plus a $20,000 prize package to the upcoming World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. Players will have the entire month of May to generate as many Race Points as possible. These are fundamentally different than PartyPoints and depend on the rake taken in a real money cash game hand. Race Points are calculated by taking the total rake per user per hour and dividing it by the total number of hands played over the same time period. That figure is then multiplied by the number of raked hands played. A special multiplier is also used and is determined by a player’s rake divided by the total number of hands played.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Let’s say a player generated $5 in rake in an hour over a total of 100 hands. If only 80 of them were real money hands, then the number of rake points equals (5/100) x 80 x Multiplier. The multiplier in this case is three and can be derived by checking out the $1 Million Rake Race landing page on PartyPoker. The leader board will be updated at least once an hour so players can see where they stand. The runner up at the end of May will take home $18,000 plus a $20,000 WSOP package, third place pockets $15,000 and a WSOP package, fourth place earns $10,000, and the top 3,000 players will finish in the money.

The fourth through tenth place finishers plus the players who land in 50th, 100th, 300th, 500th, 750th, and 1,000th will win a $5,500 WSOP Experience prize package. These consist of one $1,500 buy-in to a side event of a player’s choosing, seven nights’ hotel accommodations, and travel for two. In addition, winners of the package have the ability to experience one diversion during their stay, including trips to nearby attractions such as the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Red Rock Canyon. Alternately, players can cruise the famed Las Vegas Strip in a helicopter or rove the desert in a dune buggy.

PartyPoker.com spokesman Warren Lush told Poker News Daily, “The Million Dollar Race is the biggest rake race for cash game players that we have ever offered on PartyPoker. The rewards are great, with the top ten winning WSOP packages and cash, but it has been structured to offer significant rewards all the way down to 3,000th place. This is just one of many great promotions that we have in the pipeline in the coming months.”

The PartyPoker WSOP qualifier takes place on Fridays at 18:10 ET and Saturdays at 14:15 ET. It awards a $12,000 Main Event package for every 20 players who enter and comes with a buy-in of $640. Several entries to it are up for grabs as part of the Million Dollar Rake Race, as the 1,250th, 1,500th, 1,750th, 2,000th, and 2,500th players will win their way in. Daily Satellite and Daily Final entries will also be given away.

This weekend marks the third running of the PartyPoker Monthly Million. The $1 million guaranteed prize pool tournament occurs on the first Sunday of every month and boasts a buy-in of $640. Players start with 20,000 chips and blind levels last 20 minutes each. The price of poker begins at 25-50 and then grows to 50-100 and 100-200. A five minute break takes place after every three levels and antes kick in starting at Level 6. A Mega Friday Satellite is one of the last chances players have to win their way into the high-stakes monthly tournament on PartyPoker. The $55 buy-in contest kicks off at 17:00 ET and guarantees at least 20 seats into the Monthly Million. Players can satellite in for free by participating in country specific freerolls and PartyPoints qualifiers.

According to traffic ranking site PokerScout.com PartyPoker is the fourth largest worldwide with a seven day running average of 4,450 cash game players. It is the second largest that does not accept U.S. players, trailing only the iPoker Network, which includes rooms such as Boyle Poker, CD Poker, Chili Poker, Mansion Poker, Paddy Power, Titan Poker, Tony G Poker, and William Hill. PartyPoker is owned by Party Gaming, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange.