Poker News

DoylesRoom Seeking New Members for Brunson 10

The USA-friendly online poker site DoylesRoom, fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, is expanding its stable of pros. The so-called “Brunson 10” currently consists of only four members.

In order to become a part of the illustrious Brunson 10, online poker players must hold an account at DoylesRoom and hit the felts in the site’s daily $5/$10 and $10/$20 cash games that take place at 7:00pm ET. Brunson and other site pros are regulars in these games and an e-mail sent to DoylesRoom players explained, “We recommend joining and chatting with them at the tables.” The online poker room is hoping to add players with “personality, integrity, and potential” and plans to fill the fifth Brunson 10 slot around the beginning of November in time for the WSOP Main Event final table.

A formal way to apply for the Brunson 10 will be unleashed in the coming weeks. The e-mail foreshadowed, “This system will eventually allow the best players to get to the top, at which point we will arrange personal interviews with Doyle and the team.” Interested players can e-mail Brunson10@doylesroom.com. A representative from the online poker site told Poker News Daily, “We are looking for live and online success in both cash games and tournaments, but personality is key too. Doyle Brunson has the final word.”

Amit “amak316” Makhija is one of the four current Brunson 10 members. The top-tier online and live poker pro is best known for finishing as the runner-up to John “The Razor” Phan in the finale of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Legends of Poker in 2008. His reward was a healthy $563,000 boost to his bankroll and a bevy of television time on Fox Sports Net. In that year’s WSOP, Makhija finished fifth in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em and earned $198,000 in a tournament that aired on ESPN. In addition, he landed in third place in a €5,000 buy-in preliminary event held during the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final for €85,000.

Also part of the Brunson 10 is Chris “moorman1” Moorman, who signed on with DoylesRoom just before the start of the WSOP Europe festivities in London. Moorman is a former number one player in the prestigious PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and is an eight-time Triple Crown winner on the site. He chopped an event during August’s Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) for $204,000 and made the final table of the high-stakes PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) Main Event for $113,000. He’s arguably the most respected high-stakes online grinder in the industry and adds a considerable amount of prestige to the Brunson 10.

Alec “traheho” Torelli has nearly $2 million in career earnings. His bankroll was boosted to a large degree by virtue of finishing as the runner-up to Kenny Tran in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP for $336,000. Later that year, Torelli was up to his winning ways again, this time banking $120,000 for taking down a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event during the Festa al Lago. Five months ago, Torelli earned a colossal $329,000 for grabbing sixth in the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP.

Rounding out the Brunson 10 is Zachary “CrazyZachary” Clark. In August of 2007, he won the FTOPS Main Event for $395,000 and, in April of this year, chopped a SCOOP tournament for $390,000. Clark took third in last August’s WPT Legends of Poker, joining Makhija at the final table and earning $281,000.

DoylesRoom is a member of the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network and holds a weekly $50,000 Bounty Tournament. Members of the Brunson 10, along with Todd Brunson, Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro, and Hoyt Corkins, serve as the bounties in the high-stakes contest.

PokerNews Playlist: Volume #12

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

PIC Club, Merge Gaming Network Dissolve Relationship

When the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 was enacted, the goal was to prevent online gaming enthusiasts from financing their accounts. With credit cards unusable and online processors such as Neteller no longer accepting gaming transactions, online poker players looked for other outlets to finance their accounts. In the time since then, PIC Club has stepped up to fill that void.

PIC Club is an online payment processor created last year that allows a player to invest in the company while playing poker at several different sites at the same time. One dollar is deducted from each deposit and put in a special account and represents the player’s investment in the company. A player can put their bankroll on PIC Club and, depending on where the best games are, move their money to different rooms with little or no delay. Over 130 different sites accept transfers from PIC Club for players to use in cash games and tournaments. In addition to offering a deposit option, the service also boasts Team PIC Club, a group of top professional poker players such as former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion and recent Tournament of Champions victor Tom McEvoy, the legendary T.J. Cloutier, and Poker Hall of Fame member Barbara Enright.

In a recent e-mail to members, PIC Club stated that its business arrangement with the Merge Gaming Network would be terminated. The Network is made up of over 40 poker rooms, including Carbon Poker, Poker Nordica, and ACED, and is currently the 17th most populated worldwide according to PokerScout.com. According to PIC Club, “Transactions to or from the rooms on the Merge Network will cease at 11:59PM (Eastern Time) on October 18th, 2009.”

The e-mail, signed by PIC Club Chief Executive Officer Chuck Kidd, addresses several issues that may face players who remove their money from Merge Gaming Network rooms: “If you choose to withdraw funds from any Merge Room back to PICClub, they will remain in a pending status, subject to review and approval by Merge management and if approved will only be released from the pending status when we receive the funds from the Merge Gaming Network to cover your withdrawal.”

No reason is given in the e-mail for the ending of the relationship, but Kidd’s statement seems to put the onus on the Merge Network: “We regret the dissolution of this business relationship. However, we believe it is in the best interest of PICClub and our Valued Members.” Kidd also states that PIC Club will enter negotiations with the individual rooms on the Network to provide PIC Club’s services to them directly.

Bodog to crown online poker’s next king

The Bodog Poker Open IV tournament series, running Nov. 1-8, will feature a $470 buy-in Championship Event with $25,000 in added prize money and the chance for the winner to be featured in an international poker publication.

"With the Bodog Poker Open IV, Bodog.com is giving online poker players of all levels a chance to strike it rich and gain major exposure as the next Bodog Poker Open Champion," said Bodog Pro David Williams.

"It takes a great deal of patience and skill to run deep in this tournament and any poker player who can take down the Championship Event deserves not only the huge cash prize, but also the recognition that comes along with it."

The week-long Bodog Poker Open IV actually includes two different tournament series running at the same time.

A lower-stakes "Contender Series" will feature several guaranteed prizepools with each event finalist winning a seat into the Contender Series $2,500 added Championship Event and each winner taking home $500 in tournament dollars to buy into the "Championship Series" main event.

The "Championship Series" will include higher buy-ins and $60,000 in added prize money.

"With the chance to rise through the ranks, from contender to Bodog Poker Open IV Champion, the Bodog Poker Open IV promises to be one of the biggest and best tournament series in Bodog.com's 15-year history," Williams added.

For more details, check out the Bodog's poker page.

Visit PokerListings.com

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).

PokerNews Playlist: Volume #11

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Cake Poker Announces New Tournament Schedule, Mobile Option Improvements

One of the top online poker sites in the industry, Cake Poker, has announced that it is making changes in two critical areas of its product.

On Monday, Cake Poker announced the start of a new multi-table tournament schedule. These changes, which will be implemented incrementally, were a direct result of analysis of some of Cake’s competitors’ tournament lineups as well as consultation by Lee Jones (the Card Room Manager of Cake Poker) and noted online players Serge “adanthar” Ravitch and Eric “rizen” Lynch.

“We found the most popular $50 tournament on the Internet and parked our $50 tournament right behind it,” noted Jones, who also is a Guest Columnist for Poker News Daily and detailed some of the changes in a recent article. “Now, our players can play at Cake along with our competitor’s event.” The changes to the multi-table tournaments will be rolled out through the early parts of 2010 and will eventually include a longer late registration period and reduction in the number of rebuy and add-on tournaments. “We are putting much more emphasis on freezeout tournaments rather than on rebuys and add-ons. We believe this is better for most players and they seem to prefer it,” said Jones.

In addition to the ongoing changes in the Cake multi-table tournament lineup, the site is also looking to make changes to its mobile offering. As one of the few online poker rooms that offer the ability to play on your cell phone, Cake Poker is constantly trying to improve the performance of its mobile offering. The changes that have been made make the Cake Poker Mobile a viable option for online poker players who don’t have the ability to get to their computers.

Some of the new features that the Cake Poker Mobile option offers are in the lobby, where the percentage of players seeing the flop has been added. As to the play at the tables, users now have the ability to play with a four-color deck and take advantage of an in-game rebuy option. Future changes to the Cake Poker Mobile option will include Blackberry and Symbian compatibility, a top-down view of the table, and tournament options.

The recent changes have also cured some of the problems that the Cake Poker Mobile option had. Disconnections from the site have been reduced and are handled better than in the past and, if a player is sitting out, the ability to observe the play at the table has been enabled. With these improvements on not only the mobile option, but also on the web site, Cake Poker is looking to offer something for everyone.

Pokernews Playlist: Volume #10

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

PokerStars Enters Guinness Book of World Records for Most Online Poker Players

While the “brick and mortar” casino world continues to suffer double-figure drops in win rates and declines in attendance, September proved to be a lucrative month for PokerStars with the completion of its eighth annual World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). In addition to another highly successful run of the preeminent online poker series for PokerStars, the WCOOP also helped to provide another world record for the number one site worldwide.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, which verified the results, September 6th saw PokerStars defeat its own world record for most players hosted by an online poker room. On that day, during which the WCOOP was in full swing, PokerStars recorded 307,016 players taking part in tournament, cash game, and free poker games on the site. Players were arranged around 42,814 tables and, once verified by Guinness record-keepers, smashed the previous mark by over 100,000.

PokerStars, which has held the record since its inception in 2008, and its major competitor, Full Tilt Poker, went at each other only two months ago to set the previous mark for most players online at once. Back in July, both Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars ran tournaments in an attempt to set the record for the largest online poker tournament ever held. PokerStars brought in a total of 65,000 players for its version of the record-breaking attempt, while Full Tilt attracted only 50,000. PokerStars was close to 200,000 total players once the tournament and other action was counted.

The most recent world record for PokerStars was more than likely due to the massive outpouring of players during the WCOOP and its various satellite events. On September 5th, WCOOP Event #6, the $109 No Limit Texas Hold’em tournament, drew an astounding 15,675 players. This didn’t take into count the number of players who were participating in Event #7, the $215 Pot Limit Five Card Draw, satellite tournaments, or play money games on the site.

On September 6th, a Sunday and the traditional “big day” for online tournament players around the world, the WCOOP featured three huge events that drew traffic. In addition to Event #9, a $215 No Limit Hold’em tournament that attracted 11,131 runners and was won by Slovakia’s “ternoplayer,” Event #10, the $10,300 High Roller tournament (299 players and won by Sweden’s “Sumpas”) and the first day of Event #11, the two day $530 No Limit Hold’em event (drawing 6219 players and won by the United States’ “hustla16”) were also in action. Once the numbers were counted up, it cracked the previous record set by PokerStars back in July.

While their physical counterparts battle through the recession, it is apparent that the online poker world is quite healthy. Congratulations to PokerStars for its most recent record, which should stand for quite some time.

Hellmuth, Michelle headline Aruba Poker Classic

In fact, tournament organizers are expecting a record number of pros to make the trip to sunny Aruba.

"This is one of my all-time favorite poker tournaments," said Annie Duke, UltimateBet's Cardroom Consultant and member of Team UB.

"While the UB community is famous for gathering together at all sorts of other poker tournaments like the WSOP, Aruba is all about celebrating the successes of UltimateBet's online poker players. I can't wait to meet the people I play against online, party with old friends on the beach and make some new ones."

The entire Team UB roster is scheduled to appear including Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Joe Sebok, Adam Levy, Billy Kopp, Bryan Devonshire, Brandon Cantu, Hollywood Dave Stann, Live Boeree, Matt Graham, Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon, Scott Ian, Michael Binger, Gary "debo34" Debernardi and Shawn Rice.

Also confirmed to play are Amazing Race stars Tiffany Michelle (who is also a UB pro) and Maria Ho.

Michelle mentioned she was looking forward to the event when interviewed by PokerListings regarding her Amazing Race experience.

"We've been doing a lot of press to support the show so it will be exciting to go to Aruba," said Michelle. "I'm excited to sit back down at a poker table and see if I still got it."

Lacey Jones and Matt Vengrin, who represent Absolute Poker on UB's CEREUS network, will also make an appearance at the tournament.

The Aruba Poker Classic began in 2002 and has since seen a number of high profile winners including Juha Helppi, Erick Lindgren, Freddy Deeb and Travis Rice.

Last year, online pro Matt Brady outlasted 550 players to win $1 million out of a prize pool of over $2.6 million.

Taking place at the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa, the 2009 Aruba Poker Classic will run Oct. 3-10 with the $5,500 main event starting Oct. 5. For the complete schedule go to the Aruba Poker Classic website.

Visit PokerListings.com

Doyle Brunson Sixth in WSOP Europe Main Event

History may be in the making in one of the most historic cities in the world. Doyle Brunson is in search of his record-tying 11th bracelet in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event and is sixth in chips with 92 players remaining.

Brunson holds a stack of 210,900 and is in pursuit of the £801,603 first place prize. “Texas Dolly” has 10 WSOP bracelets to his name, tied with Johnny Chan for second most all-time. He needs one more to move into the lead with 11, a record currently held by Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth. Brunson has been shut out since 2005, when he took down a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Short-Handed event for $367,000, defeating a competitive final table that also included Minh Ly, Layne Flack, and Scotty Nguyen.

Brunson will captain Table 10 on Tuesday at the Casino at the Empire, where he’ll be joined by online poker players Justin “Boosted J” Smith and Christian Kruel. Smith is fresh off a third place effort in the Bellagio Cup, a stop on the World Poker Tour (WPT). He earned $464,000 at the Las Vegas casino back in July. Kruel can be found on the virtual felts of PokerStars under the screen name “C.K.” He won a $530 buy-in $80,000 Guaranteed High Roller tournament on PartyPoker in mid-August for $22,000.

Also in the Top 10 in London is Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier. In May, he took down a tournament held during the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) for $86,000 and then followed up that performance with a bracelet win in a $1,500 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha event during the 2009 WSOP. Mercier recorded four cashes overall during the WSOP and was quickly scooped up by PokerStars to join their pro team. He also competed in the star-studded field of the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament, which aired on ESPN. Mercier owns the 10th largest stack at 202,300.

Liz Lieu doubled her stack holding pocket aces on Monday in the WSOP Europe Main Event. Entering play on Day 3, she sits at 16th in the chip counts with 184,400. Meanwhile, November Nine member James Akenhead also remains in contention. Akenhead, a Brit on his home turf, sent Nick Bleeker packing after coming out on the winning end of a race holding pocket jacks against A-K. The board ran out 9-7-Q-Q-7, pushing Akenhead to 250,000 in chips. He ended the day with 178,000, which was good for 17th overall. Fellow November Nine member Antoine Saout, who held a Top 10 stack entering Day 2 play on Monday, fell back to 50th on the leaderboard with 90,100.

Here are the Top 10 stacks in the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event entering Day 3 on Tuesday:

1. Ian Munns - 528,300
2. Praz Bassi - 299,000
3. Oyvind Riisem - 255,300
4. Arron Eric Filippi - 216,500
5. David Docherty - 216,200
6. Doyle Brunson - 210,900
7. Shandoi Demjan - 209,000
8. Markus Ristola - 205,000
9. Ram Vaswarni - 202,500
10. Jason Mercier - 202,300

Other notable names remaining in the hunt for the £801,603 prize include:

12. Yevgeniy Timoshenko - 192,100
13. Steve Zolotow - 191,100
16. Liz Lieu - 184,400
17. James Akenhead - 178,000
18. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott - 174,000
19. Antonio Esfadiari - 173,300
20. John Tabatabai - 160,100
38. Daniel Negreanu - 113,100
39. Barry Shulman - 111,200
49. Annette Obrestad - 90,500
50. Antoine Saout - 90,100
55. Teddy Sheringham - 74,800
65. Freddy Deeb - 61,200
67. Andre Akkari – 58,300
69. Todd Brunson - 51,600
70. Eric Liu - 51,100
79. John Juanda - 38,900
85. Men “The Master” Nguyen - 27,500

The top 36 players will finish in the money, with the minimum payout being £21,142. Every member of the nine-handed final table will walk away with at least £66,533. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the WSOP Europe Main Event.

PokerNews Playlist: Volume #9

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Federal Officials Seize Additional Internet Gambling Funds

Recent seizures of internet gambling funds related to the payment processor Account Services do not appear to be the end of the U.S. Government’s war against the industry. This week, it was revealed that funds in six more accounts had been seized.

The six accounts, according to the Baltimore City Paper, are held by Wachovia and appear under the name Forshay Enterprises. In July and August, other funds were seized in branches of Interstate Net Bank, Bank of America, and First Premier Bank belonging to Electracash and HMD. Regina Mignogna, a Maryland State Trooper, signed the warrant affidavits for the HMD accounts, which were obtained by Poker News Daily. Each of the warrant applications was ordered seized “until further order of this court or until January 20, 2010, whichever is earlier.” The documents were filed in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

Richard Gunn, an Anne Arundel County Police Detective, signed the warrant applications for the Wachovia accounts, which were numbered 2000042478410, 2000042478070, 2000042478452, 2000042478300, 2000042089414, and 2000042089427. The City Paper linked Forshay Enterprises to TransactSvc.com. Meanwhile, Electracash was tied to Edward Courdy, who many might remember as one of the defendants in Maryland’s Bodog case in 2008. That news broke last July, when $24 million was seized from the popular online poker site. Funds were taken from four publicly traded U.S. banks, including Wachovia, Bank of America, SunTrust, and Regions.

Account Services, which processed payments for PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker in 2008 and 2009, filed a motion in July for return of property, namely $14 million seized by the U.S. Government. The money was held in Union Bank and Wells Fargo branches in California. In retaliation, the Government indicted Account Services’ Douglas Rennick, a Canadian, on charges of bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling. He faces up to 55 years behind bars and $1.75 million in fines for his actions. As of the time of writing, he has not settled with U.S. authorities.

In August, Judge Jeffrey Miller denied Account Services’ motion for return of property, instead electing to wait for the criminal case against Rennick to pan out. The seizure was part of a larger effort by the Southern District of New York in June during which over $30 million was frozen. The funds in question were allegedly destined for more than 24,000 online poker players and not connected to online wagering on sports. Bodog operates a full online sports book, an option that does not exist on PokerStars or Full Tilt. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) filed an amicus brief on behalf of Account Services, a decision the organization stuck by despite Rennick’s criminal indictment.

Many in the online poker community assumed that the election of U.S. President Barack Obama, a poker player, would ease the attack on the industry. However, the opposite has been true so far, with federal agencies going on the offensive. For example, FBI Special Agent Dana Conte swore to the affidavits relating to Account Services.

In the closing months of the Bush Administration’s stay in Washington, D.C., the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) were ushered into effect as “midnight rules.” Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) was instrumental in attaching the UIGEA to an unrelated port security measure in 2006. The SAFE Port Act passed through the House with ease and was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent. Speaking out during the debate in the House was Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), who questioned why internet gambling appeared in the bill.

As a result of the June seizure, which coincided with the running of the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, paper checks and e-checks temporarily bounced, leading to reimbursements and cash bonuses from some of the world’s largest online poker sites. What effect the latest round of seizures will have on the industry is anyone’s guess.

Pokernews Playlist: Volume #8

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Pokernews Playlist: Volume #7

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Ultimate Bet Investigation Report Released by KGC

Earlier today, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) released a final report on their investigation into the cheating scandal involving Ultimate Bet (UB) and several online poker players. The story first broke in January of 2008, when complaints started filtering in about possible fraudulent activities taking place on Ultimate Bet’s tables. When it was discovered that all of the issues were with the same group of players, the KGC immediately launched an investigation into Ultimate Bet’s operations.

In the document released today, it was revealed that Tokowiro, UB’s owner, has refunded over $22 million to players affected by the illegal activities, as well as paid $1.5 million in fines to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to fund the investigation. Tokowire will also remain on a one-year probation period, during which time they must make all of their records completely available to the KGC.

As many in the online world expected, Russ Hamilton was the man responsible for the majority of the shady dealings, with nearly all of the IP addressed in question somehow connected to his name. Overall, there were 23 accounts, 117 usernames, and 31 other individuals (whose names were not released) used to scam money out of loyal Ultimate Bet players. All information has been passed on to law enforcement officials, who will now determine whether there is enough evidence to file criminal charges.

Although the whole situation has no doubt left a stain on Ultimate Bet’s reputation, the KGC’s Chairman had this to offer about moving forward:

Despite the unfortunate circumstances that resulted in this cheating, we are satisfied that the actions taken by the Commission provided an equitable result for affected players - our first priority. We remain optimistic that this experience and the lessons learned from it will result in a higher standard of gaming regulation for companies licensed and regulated within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake and elsewhere.

The full text of the KGC’s report can be found here: www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission

Harrah’s Chooses 888 for Online Poker and Gaming Brands

888 — it’s a number and a company that all online poker players should start getting familiar with, because they will likely be seeing it much more in the years ahead. Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment announced today that it has signed a long-term contract with 888 Holdings Plc to provide online gaming services

Face the Ace to Return Saturday Afternoon

After a month-long absence from the airwaves, the NBC game show “Face the Ace” will return to the networks line-up this Saturday. Several changes are in store for the program, which struggled in the ratings when it first debuted back in August.

Most notably, the show is no longer airing on a weekly basis, but will instead be shown once a month on Saturday afternoons as part of the NBC Sports lineup. Previously, the show aired in a primetime time slot on Saturday evenings. For those who may not be familiar with the show, the basic premise offers contestants a chance to square off against some of the top poker pros in the world over a series of three matches. If the contestant is able to get the best of the first pro, they have the option to either take $40,000 or risk it all by playing a second pro in a match worth $200,000. Should the contestant win the second match, they will again be offered a chance to leave with the money or go for broke in a third and final showdown worth $1 million.

The first two episodes saw contestant Don Topel defeat both Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer only to lose to Gavin Smith in the final million dollar match and walk away empty-handed. Over the course of the first two episodes only one contestant has actually won any prize money, opting to walk away with $40,000 after defeating November Nine member Phil Ivey in the first round.

Mori Eskandani, who produces “Face the Ace” spoke about some of the alterations to the show in a statement on NBC Sport’s official website. “Viewers of this week’s show will see that we’ve made some changes from the first two episodes which are designed to create even more excitement. For instance, the live audience, which is comprised mostly of the other qualifiers and their friends or spouses, will be far more vocal and have a greater role in maintaining a high energy level on the set”, Eskandani explained. “There are some other subtle changes also, and we think the viewers will like them.” Eskandani’s production company Poker PROductions also produces the popular NBC series “Poker After Dark” and Game Show Network’s “High Stakes Poker.”

One player who will be featured on Saturday’s episode is French native Nicholas Mamy who won his way onto the show via a satellite on Full Tilt Poker, the program’s sponsor. Mamy was urged by fellow online poker players David “The Maven” Chicotsky and “Bodog” Ari Engel to give the satellite a shot. Next thing he knew he was flying to Las Vegas for a July taping of the show where he rubbed elbows with Schirripa, co-hosts Ali Nejad and Megan Abrigo as well as the host of Full Tilt Pros on hand to participate in the show. The identity of Mamy’s first opponent has not been disclosed, as the surprise reveal of the pro is a major part of the show.

Saturday’s episode of “Face the Ace” is scheduled to air at 2 PM, preceding coverage of the BMW Championship golf tournament. The following episode is set to air on Halloween, October 31st, at 3:30 PM.

PokerNews Playlist: Volume 6

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Online Poker — Canadians Can Now Play on Bodog

Starting today, online poker players hailing from Canada can now officially play on Bodog, through Bodog.ca. Led by Keith McDonnell, Bodog Europe holds the rights to Bodog.ca. “We’re extremely excited …

Bodog Launches Bodog.ca, Now Accepts Canadian Players

Starting on Thursday, online poker players from Canada can officially sign up for Bodog, one of the world’s largest sites, through Bodog.ca. Previously, Bodog did not accept players from the North American country, which has produced some of the game’s top-tier players.

The news coincides with the 15 year anniversary of the Bodog brand. A press release proudly announcing the launch of Bodog.ca noted, “The Bodog brand is celebrating its fifteenth year anniversary this year – an absolutely remarkable pedigree and testament to its enduring values in an industry that quickly kills off mediocrity. The brand has gone through quite an evolution during that long history and Bodog Europe is looking forward to carrying the torch forward for at least another fifteen years of world-class customer service, unbeatable promotions, and, above all – fun.”

The aforementioned Bodog Europe holds the rights to Bodog.ca and is led by Keith McDonnell. The marketing outfit is licensed and regulated in Antigua and now conducts business across two continents. Morris Mohawk owns the rights to market Bodog in the United States. McDonnell commented in the same release, “We’re extremely excited to be able to bring the unique Bodog experience to Canadian players. Canadians are passionate sports fans and are extremely savvy consumers. The Bodog brand is known world-over for its unmatched customer service and here at Bodog Europe, we put the player’s experience and entertainment ahead of all else.”

Bodog Europe’s flagship website is Bodog.co.uk. Poker News Daily became aware of Bodog.ca last week. However, Bodog made no official announcement about its purpose until this morning.

Canada has produced some of poker’s top players. Among them is Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu, a four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner. Negreanu was born in Toronto and took down his first bracelet 11 years ago in a $2,000 buy-in Pot Limit Hold’em tournament. In that event, he cashed for $169,000 and trumped a final table that also included Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Lee Markholt. Negreanu is the all-time money leader on the World Poker Tour (WPT) and has captured two titles.

Also coming out of Canada is one of Bodog’s featured pros, Evelyn Ng. The Toronto native took second in the WPT Ladies Night event in 2003 and is currently dating Lex Veldhuis. Team Bodog also includes David Williams, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and “Survivor: China” castaway Jean-Robert Bellande. Bodog’s weekly $100,000 Guaranteed attracts the site’s skilled players, as a five-figure overlay is commonplace in the $162 buy-in Sunday tournament.

Nenad Medic took down the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP to give Canada another bracelet. Medic is a product of Waterloo and won the Foxwoods World Poker Finals during Season V of the WPT for $1.7 million. Other famous Canadian poker players include 2008 WSOP November Nine member Scott Montgomery, Steven Paul-Ambrose, and online poker stud Mike “SirWatts” Watson. The latter came out on top in the Bellagio Cup IV WPT event for nearly $1.7 million.

Canadian Bodog players will also be able to take advantage of the site’s sports book and casino, which features 80 games to choose from. Bodog is doubling Poker Points for players who earn at least 2,000 in a calendar month. When the stanza is over, Bodog will deposit the hard-earned bonus points into a player’s account. These can be exchanged for cash or used to buy into Poker Point tournaments.

According to traffic ranking site PokerScout.com, Bodog is the 15th largest room/network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 750 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, nearly double that total can be found battling it out on cash game tables. At the time of writing, which is midday across North America, a total of 554 players are seated at its real money ring games.

iMEGA, Poker Players Alliance React to UIGEA Ruling

Twenty-four hours ago, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) came up short in its bid to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). In the process, internet gambling may now become an industry governed by state law.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals emphasized that the legality of internet gambling transactions may ultimately depend on where the bettor and operator are located. If the industry is permitted in both jurisdictions, then online poker players may be able to return to the felts in droves. The opinion, which was penned by Judge Dolores Sloviter, read in part, “Whether the transaction…constitutes unlawful internet gambling turns on how the law of the state from which the bettor initiates the bet would treat that bet, i.e. if it is illegal under that state’s law, it constitutes ‘unlawful internet gambling’ under the Act.”

In a press release distributed by iMEGA following Tuesday’s historic ruling, Chairman Joe Brennan noted, “The court made it clear - gambling on the internet is unlawful where state law says so. But there are only a half-dozen states which have laws against Internet gambling, leaving 44 states where it is potentially lawful. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good start.” Internet gambling law varies by state based on the type of transaction, number of times the consumer is raked, and game type, among other factors. Several states allow online lottery transactions and wagering on horse racing, while others like Utah and Hawaii ban all forms of commercial gambling.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. States may soon find it prudent to clarify laws and statutes related to internet gambling. In the meantime, a push by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) on Capitol Hill for legalized and regulated online poker may come to fruition through future passage of a bill by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “While I am disappointed that iMEGA’s full arguments did not prevail, it was encouraging to see the courts reaffirm that the UIGEA does not make playing internet poker illegal. The PPA and our legal team have long argued that the UIGEA should not force banks to block poker transactions in a vast majority of states. This decision might very well help as banks make those determinations on what to block; simply follow state law.”

On handing over the determination of whether internet gambling is permissible to the states, Brennan commented in the same press release, “States have always held the power to regulate gambling in this country, not the Federal government. The court’s ruling seems to say ‘back to the future’ when it comes to regulating internet gambling, so we will turn our attention to the states to make the case that this industry can be properly regulated and produce badly needed tax revenue.” Land-based gambling is already governed at the state level, with Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi leading the way. A bevy of riverboat casinos have also sprung up in states like Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.

Brennan told Poker News Daily that the organization has not yet decided whether it will appeal the three-judge panel’s decision. The magistrates dismissed iMEGA’s claims that the UIGEA violated the First Amendment, Tenth Amendment, privacy rights, and treaty obligations over the course of its 10-page ruling. In the end, the cloudy law, which was passed during the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session, was not declared unconstitutional, as iMEGA had hoped. However, the court’s ruling may have ultimately led to the same endgame, clarification of the legality of internet gambling and online poker in the United States.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest reaction to iMEGA’s UIGEA challenge.

Online Poker Community Offers Feedback on “2 Months, $2 Million”

To say that some of the televised poker offerings that have cropped up in the years since Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have been a bit lackluster would be putting it nicely. A rash of poker content has found its way onto just about every channel, from Bravo to ESPN to NBC to BET, and many of those programs bear a striking resemblance to one another: Take a six player sit and go, populate it with interesting characters, and let the all-ins commence.

There have been poker shows that have tried to differentiate themselves from the pack, opting to focus on the poker lifestyle rather than the game itself, but none of these shows had any staying power. With such an iffy poker show track record, the recent debut of “2 Months, $2 Million” on G4 seemed like a risky venture.  The show surprised viewers with its unique mix of high-stakes online match-ups and behind-the-scenes glimpses at the social lives of players. In the three weeks since it debuted, it appears to have won the vast majority of the poker community over with the Las Vegas antics of its four stars, Jay Rosenkrantz, Brian Roberts, Emil Patel, and Dani Stern.  With the buzz about the show growing every week, Poker News Daily sought out “2 Months, $2 Million” fans to see what keeps them coming back every week.

Darryll “DFish” Fish not only enjoys the show, but he can relate to it as well. Fish is an online poker player and currently has a similar living situation as the guys on the show, sharing a Las Vegas house with his friends and fellow online pros. When asked what he enjoyed most about “2 Months, $2 Million,” Fish cited the lack of contrived situations: “I really like the show because it is the first reality show of its kind and it’s more or less a better version of ‘Big Brother.’ It deals with real-life situations rather than stupid challenges and drama between stupid people.”

While some elements of the show, like the weekly tally of money won and subsequent “penalty stunt” may be designed primarily for filming, Fish also attests that the bulk of what the guys are doing on the show is in line with the lifestyle of young online poker players. “The show is definitely pretty accurate. I mean, we don’t all have a chef or personal assistant, but the interaction between the guys and the way they spend free time is very common,” said Fish. He also tapped in to an element of the show unique to the poker community: “The show gives us kids a way to laugh at ourselves via a third party and it’s extremely entertaining.”

Nat Arem, a longtime presence on the major online poker forums, knows a thing or two about making the lives of poker players entertaining. The creator of thepokerdb was also one of the creative minds behind the popular internet video project thepokerfilm. The 2007 film dealt with the lives of four young online pros, tracking both their poker progress and their partying. Arem is a fan of “2 Months, $2 Million” and praised the show for capturing the highs and lows of online poker. “I think the best part is showing the emotions of the swings,” Arem suggested. “Things like the excitement over finding a tell contrast really well with the tilt we’ve seen out of Jay and Dani thus far. It really shows what playing poker for a living is like.”

Several online pros have been taking time from their busy Sunday schedules to catch the latest episode. Adam “akat11″ Katz likes to wrap up his busy day by sitting back and watching the show. “When it comes on at 10:30pm West Coast time, it’s a nice relief from an always disappointing Sunday,” Katz joked. “I tape two shows on Sunday night, ‘Entourage’ and ‘2 Months, $2 Million.’”

Katz and others were particularly impressed with the most recent episode, which pitted the guys against a rival house in battles of football, girls, and, of course, poker. The various poker forums were all buzzing about how funny the contests were and heaping high praise on poker pro Andrew “luckychewy” Lichtenberger’s appearance. Perhaps we have a potential spinoff on ours hands?

Poker Pro Victor Ramdin Gives the Inside Deal

This week, ESPN.com poker show “Inside Deal” welcomed Victor Ramdin. A member of Team PokerStars Pro who is passionate about charity work, Ramdin discusses Scotty Nguyen’s 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) antics and coming to the United States from his native Guyana.

The show began with recap of the latest poker news, headlined by WSOP November Nine member Joe Cada inking a sponsorship agreement with PokerStars. Still unsigned is chip leader Darvin Moon. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee gave his two cents on Moon’s future: “He’s said repeatedly that he doesn’t want to sign with a site and so far he’s keeping his word.” Attention then turned to the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) second sale to Party Gaming, the parent company of PartyPoker. As a result of backing out of its first deal, the WPT was forced to pay Gamynia Limited a $1 million penalty. Gamynia is affiliated with the iPoker Network.

After reviewing results from the WPT Legends of Poker, PokerStars Sunday Million, and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour’s (APPT) Macau stop, the “Inside Deal” welcomed Team Ultimate Bet’s Adam “Roothlus” Levy, who called into the show. On his online poker moniker, Levy explained, “It was an XBOX Live name. I just wanted something that sounded cool, so I decided to spell it phonetically.”

Levy rehashed his run-in with Phil Hellmuth during the 2008 WSOP Main Event, noting, “I thought it was pretty epic. It was surreal. I didn’t get offended or anything like that. I knew what I was getting into.” Levy then dove into the lifestyle of today’s online poker players, running into “Saved by the Bell” principal Dennis Haskins at a Los Angeles nightclub, and traveling to the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic.

Ramdin then joined the show in studio and explained his mentality when coming to the United States in 1989: “It was a dream come true. This is like all of our dreams come true – just to come to America.” He has since made a name for himself not only on the felts, but also in the world of charity, where he travels to Guyana to fund heart surgeries with a team of poker stars. Ramdin told “Inside Deal” viewers, “When it comes to charity, I’m all pumped up. I have more energy for charity than I do for poker.” In addition to a lucrative poker career, Ramdin also owns several retail stores in the Bronx and manages real estate rentals.

ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman joined the show to discuss the results of viewer opinions on Mount Cashmore, the Mount Rushmore of poker. Viewers enshrined Doyle Brunson, Hellmuth, Stu Ungar, and Chris Moneymaker on the granite face of Mount Cashmore. Others who came close to being one of the top four nominees included November Nine member Phil Ivey, Chip Reese, Daniel Negreanu, and “Binion.” On the latter nomination, e-mailers did not specify which Binion they meant, Jack or Benny.

Discussion turned to members of a hypothetical Hall of Shame. Ramdin claimed 2008 WSOP HORSE Champion Scotty Nguyen should be the Hall’s first member: “He’s a world-class player, but he should be setting a better example. I really hated what he did.” Highlights aired of Nguyen lambasting Michael DiMichele while allegedly drunk at the televised final table and included a barrage of edited words. Nguyen has since apologized for his actions.

Ramdin called his favorite “hidden gem” of the poker tournament scene the Bahamas, the site of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure each January. On his nickname “Computer Man,” the poker pro explained, “I don’t know where that came from. I am no computer man.” Also revealed was that Ramdin has a weight loss bet and he likes to stay around 200 pounds. While he’d like to see Ivey win the 2009 WSOP Main Event in November, his second choice would be Eric Buchman, who hails from New York.

Catch “Inside Deal” every Tuesday on ESPN.com. You can also sign up to receive daily news in your Inbox and score free autographed merchandise from some of your favorite pros.

Ultimate Bet Releases Mac Version

While millions of online poker players take part in the game throughout the world, there is a segment of the market that is frequently overlooked when it comes to online gaming. The portion of the populous that runs an Apple computer or prefers the Mac operating system (OS) is left out of many of the activities to be found online, especially poker. The online poker room Ultimate Bet is looking to change that.

It was announced yesterday that Ultimate Bet, the home of 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, top female poker player and Poker News Daily guest columnist Annie Duke, and online pro Adam “Roothlus” Levy (among others), would be offering a Mac version of its popular site beginning today. Called UB Mac, it is a completely compatible version of the full offerings of Ultimate Bet for the Mac OS, something that has been asked for repeatedly by many poker fans.

“Our company strives to make our poker room accessible to as many people as possible and we recognize that Apple computers have a growing market share in the personal computing industry. In response to this trend, we have developed an all-new download poker application specifically for the Mac Operating System,” said Tokwiro Chief Operating Officer Paul Leggett. “As a Mac user myself, the only real limitation I have found is that a lot of poker applications will not run on the Mac OS. With UB Mac, players will enjoy the same incredible user experience that PC users currently have, and we remain committed to ongoing development of our Mac online poker client to ensure it is the best in the business.”

Another member of Team UB and a Mac user, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, was also elated about the latest news from his site. “A few weeks back, I got the news I’ve been waiting for…UB for Mac is ready for beta testing,” Scott stated during the announcement. “I immediately downloaded the application and I was up and running in no time.”

The new software allows Mac players to have access to the most popular features and functionality that UB users playing on Windows-compatible computers have, including ring games, satellites, single and multi-table Hold’em tournaments, and single player blackjack. In addition to both Mac and Windows options, Ultimate Bet also has a no-download option for players who don’t want to bog down their systems with programs. Its sister site, Absolute Poker, also has Mac option.

Other Mac-compatible online poker sites include PokerStars and Full Tilt, both of which boast fully-functional clients for the Mac which can be downloaded and installed with ease. Bodog features a cash game table Instant Play option, which allows for a maximum of one table to be opened at a time. PartyPoker was one of the original innovators of the Instant Play concept. Unlike Bodog, PokerStars, Full Tilt, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker, however, PartyPoker does not accept customers from the United States.

UIGEA Clarified: Legality of Internet Gambling Depends on State Law

A three-judge panel disagreed with many of the arguments made by the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) on Tuesday as to why the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) should be deemed unconstitutional. In the process, however, internet gambling may now be a states’ rights issue.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals passed down the historic ruling on Tuesday morning, which included the following text that should be of interest to online poker players: “It bears repeating that the Act itself does not make any gambling activity illegal. Whether the transaction… constitutes unlawful internet gambling turns on how the law of the state from which the bettor initiates the bet would treat that bet, i.e., if it is illegal under that state’s law, it constitutes ‘unlawful internet gambling.’” In essence, internet gambling apparently may be treated the same as brick-and-mortar gambling, which is governed at the state level. As it currently stands, six states have laws on the books outlawing internet gambling to various degrees.

The judges also indicated that the legality of internet gambling also depends on where the company accepting the wager is located: “The Act prohibits a gambling business from knowingly accepting certain financial instruments from an individual who places a bet over the internet if such gambling is illegal at the location in which the business is located or from which the individual initiates the bet.”

The panel, while seemingly clarifying the 2006 law, rejected iMEGA’s claims that the UIGEA was “void for vagueness” and violated First Amendment rights. On the latter point, the court explained that “acceptance of a financial transfer” is not a First Amendment right.

Despite the UIGEA not being overturned as a result of Tuesday’s actions, iMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “The judges went to pains to clarify that the law did not make internet gambling itself illegal. The UIGEA made no act illegal other than the payment processors taking money. The UIGEA defers to state laws to make the determination.” As long as the bettor and the internet gambling outfit are both located in jurisdictions where the activity is not outlawed, the UIGEA is not violated.

Brennan told Poker News Daily that he had not determined whether iMEGA would appeal the Third Circuit’s decision. It is also unclear whether the U.S. Government would appeal. Still also at issue is the Wire Act of 1961, which some would argue makes online poker and other forms of internet gambling illegal in the United States at the federal level. Brennan explained, “The Wire Act only affects businesses. Is the Wire Act still a problem? Yes, but it doesn’t make it illegal.” A feature by the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” for example, labeled online poker illegal multiple times, even though organizations like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) contend that the 1961 law does not apply to internet poker.

The three-judge panel also rejected iMEGA’s claims that the UIGEA violated privacy rights and the Tenth Amendment. The latter asserts, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The Third Circuit instead claimed that as a third party, iMEGA lacked standing to argue the point.

What effect Tuesday’s decision will have on the internet gambling industry in the United States remains to be seen. Congress returns from session after Labor Day, when the PPA plans to push Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2266, which delays financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. The measure has 35 co-sponsors and was introduced in early May.

iMEGA plans to release additional analysis on its UIGEA challenge later today. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest poker legislation headlines.

National Council on Problem Gambling Comments on Menendez Bill

Earlier this month, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced S 1597, the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The bill includes provisions to address problem gambling.

Menendez’s measure calls for the licensing and regulation of internet games of skill like online poker in an effort that is narrower than Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. At the end of Menendez’s legislation, $14.2 million per year over a five-year period is prescribed for problem gambling awareness, treatment, and research. National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte told Poker News Daily, “We think, overall, it’s responsible that if you’re going to have a bill that expands gambling, you put in money to address gambling problems.”

The text in Menendez’s bill comes from HR 2906, the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act of 2009. The measure was introduced by a bipartisan contingent of Congressmen Jim Moran (D-VA), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Frank Wolf (R-VA) in mid-June amid support from the Council. Whyte explained, “We’re pleased that there’s a responsibility to mitigate problem gambling and we’re glad it’s the language from HR 2906. However, this would still only be the first ever federal funding for prevention and treatment programs. There is a lot more language in our House bill than what Menendez added. It’s not the entire bill.”

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the 1.2 million member strong lobbying group, was one of the driving forces behind the introduction of S 1597, which debuted shortly after the conclusion of National Poker Week. PPA Chairman and former three-term Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato called Menendez’s bill “another powerful step towards protecting internet freedom, protecting consumers, and protecting online poker.” S. 1597 allocates $200,000 per year for awareness, $4 million per year for research, and $10 million per year for treatment.

Whyte revealed that the National Council on Problem Gambling plans to introduce a companion bill to HR 2906 in the Senate. In the meantime, Congress is currently on recess until after Labor Day in the United States. He noted, “We met with Menendez’s staff and asked him to introduce a companion bill to HR 2096 in the Senate. We did not specifically request that our language be included in his bill, but this is a good step.” The National Council on Problem Gambling does not support Menendez’s bill, however, because it calls for an expansion of gaming.

Much to the delight of online poker players, Menendez’s bill specifically identifies the game as a legal activity. It defines “internet skill games” to mean “an internet-based game in which success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players, including poker, chess, bridge, mahjong, and backgammon.” Frank’s HR 2267 boasts 54 co-sponsors after being introduced in early May along with HR 2266, which calls for the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to be delayed by one year. As it currently stands, the financial services industry must come into full compliance with the 2006 law by December 1st. HR 2906 has attracted 10 co-sponsors, including Frank and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV).

The National Council on Problem Gambling is based in Washington, DC. Text on the organization’s website reveals that it was founded on two mantras, “that the organization would be the advocate for problem gamblers and their families and that it would take no position for or against legalized gambling.” Its annual Awareness Week occurred from March 1st to 7th this year and included the organization reaching out to problem gamblers through popular social mediums like YouTube.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on Menendez’s bill to regulate online poker in the United States.

PokerNews Playlist: Volume 5

For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don't want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don't...

Online Poker Funds Remain Seized in Account Services Case

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, online poker funds seized by the Southern District of New York belonging to Account Services will remain under guard for what the newspaper claimed “could be years.”

On August 21st, a hearing was originally scheduled featuring lawyers for the online poker payment processor Account Services arguing why $14 million should be returned to the company. The funds were seized as part of a June raid by the Southern District of New York and were contained in Wells Fargo and Union Bank accounts in California. Account Services filed a motion for return of property in the Southern District of California and the case was assigned to Judge Jeffrey Miller. However, the hearing was later cancelled indefinitely.

On Saturday, the Union-Tribune published a story claiming that Miller “denied a bid Thursday by lawyers for the company, Account Services Inc., and the Poker Players Alliance to return the money. The players group is an advocacy organization that represents some 1 million online poker players.” It added, “Now, after Miller ruled against them, it could be years before they see any of the money.” The Southern District of New York seized well over $30 million in total, affecting more than 24,000 online poker players.

Paper checks and e-checks began bouncing in June, leading to concern on popular online poker forums about the security of player deposits. In many cases, the online poker sites, including PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, compensated players fully and oftentimes awarded a cash bonus for any inconvenience. The warrant to seize funds from the Union Bank accounts identified Full Tilt and PokerStars by name as clients of Account Services. The document read, “Account Services has previously provided payment services for companies providing online gambling services, including PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, the largest internet poker businesses in operation.”

The Wells Fargo account was used to pay online poker players in 2008 and 2009. Still redacted (crossed out) in its warrant application is evidence that led the Southern District of New York to finger PokerStars and Full Tilt in the first place.

Account Services’ Douglas Rennick was indicted earlier this month on bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling charges. He faces up to 55 years in jail and up to a $1.75 million fine plus forfeiture of funds obtained. The San Diego news outlet explains, “Prosecutors then argued the indictment made the San Diego lawsuit irrelevant and that Miller should not hear it. The judge agreed, saying the players could try to recover the money after the criminal case is resolved.”

Rennick is a Canadian citizen and, as of yet, has not surrendered to U.S. authorities. The indictment issued by the Southern District of New York revealed that Rennick had been in the business of processing internet gambling payments since 2007. Over $350 million was transferred from a bank account in Cyprus for this purpose and “Rennick… provided false and misleading information to various United States banks about, among other things, the nature of the internet gambling-related payments being processed by the companies under Rennick’s control in order to induce banks to engage in financial transactions that they otherwise would not have facilitated.”

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) filed an amicus brief on behalf of Account Services despite Rennick’s indictment. The 1.2 million member strong organization argued that poker is a game of skill and therefore not illegal gambling. Account Services added that funds in the Union Bank accounts were seized without a warrant, which was issued about a dozen days after the asset freeze took place. FBI Special Agent Dana Conte swore to both warrant applications.

Poker News Daily is seeking comment from the PPA and Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA).

WPT Legends of Poker: Steven Begleiter Chip Leader on Day 3

Two days are in the books at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker, which is taking place at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Steven Begleiter continues to lead the way entering Day 3.

Begleiter brought a commanding chip lead into Sunday in Los Angeles at the Bike’s brand new Events Center. He ended the day with 426,100 chips, comfortably ahead of the second place stack of Prahlad Friedman, who owns 382,700. Begleiter eliminated online poker sensation Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron during the last level of play after flopping a set of fives on a 10-8-5 board. Baron flipped up pocket queens for an overpair, but needed running cards for a straight or a queen to survive. However, the board filled out 10-6 and Baron was sent packing.

The champion of the WPT’s Bellagio Cup, Team PokerStars Pro member Alexandre Gomes, was eliminated early on in the day. Gomes was the chip leader during the early going in the Legends of Poker, but found himself all-in after pushing with A-Q (including the ace of clubs) on a board of K-J-6-10 with three clubs for a flush draw. However, an opponent called with 3-4 of clubs for a made flush. The river was no help, sending Gomes to the exits. Interestingly, WPT coverage noted that no player has ever won back-to-back WPT events and no player has won multiple tournaments at the same venue.

Friedman scooped a sizable pot late in the day to catapult him into second on the Legends of Poker leaderboard behind Begleiter. With blinds of 800/1,600 and a 200 ante, Friedman called a re-raise to 15,000 from the player in the big blind. The flop fell J-8-5 and the big blind bet out 20,000. Friedman called to see a seven on the turn. The action went check-check to the river, which came the nine of hearts. Friedman led out for 60,000 and his opponent called. Friedman turned over pocket nines for a set, which was enough to scoop the pot and claim the second largest chip stack entering Day 3. Here is how the Top 10 in the field looks:

1. Steven Begleiter - 426,100
2. Prahlad Friedman - 382,700
3. Thuy Doan - 254,400
4. Mike Krescanko - 248,500
5. Bryan Devonshire - 230,200
6. Corwin Mackey - 212,500
7. Billy Baxter - 209,300
8. Sergei Veytser - 207,200
9. Toto Leonidas - 195,300
10. Gary Klonsley - 181,100

Billy Baxter is a seven-time WSOP bracelet winner who won No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball events in 1975, 1978, 1982, 1987, and 1993. More recently, he made the final table of a Deuce to Seven Triple Draw event in 2008 for $15,000. All told, Baxter has piled up over $1.1 million in WSOP tournaments and made a deep run in the 2007 Main Event.

Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire and Corwin “mig.com” Mackey are two top-tier online poker players. Both have also had success on the live felts. Devonshire was the runner-up to Alex Kravchenko in an Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better event during the 2007 WSOP for $140,000. Mackey won a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2007 for his first bracelet, banking $730,000 and defeating Stuart Fox heads-up.

Other notable names remaining in the WPT Legends of Poker include:

14. Nick Schulman – 160,000
17. Kevin Schaffel – 152,000
22. Men “The Master” Nguyen – 144,000
25. Greg “FBT” Mueller – 139,900
28. Carter “ckingusc” King – 122,700
31. Adam “Roothlus” Levy – 116,200
36. Daniel Negreanu – 92,600
39. Jonathan Little – 91,200
59. Lee Markholt – 53,700
65. Scotty Nguyen – 45,100

Play will resume today at 3:00pm PT and a winner will be crowned on Wednesday.