Poker News

Joe Cada Meets with More than 10 Lawmakers on Capitol Hill Visit

As the newest ambassador of the game, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada met with more than 10 Congressmen on Capitol Hill on Monday in a visit sponsored by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

Cada could be found speaking with Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Representative Allen Boyd (D-FL), Representative Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), Representative Candice Miller (R-MI), Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), Representative Dean Heller (R-NV), Representative Gary Peters (D-MI), Representative Shelley Berkley (D-NV), and Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). Cada hails from Michigan and met with his two Senators and local Representative throughout the whirlwind one-day affair.

PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “There were a number of really good visits with lawmakers like Joe Barton and Linda Sanchez, who are avid poker players, so they got to talk a little poker and a little policy. Throughout the day, he probably met another half-dozen members of Congress.” Congressman Heller brought Cada onto the floor of the House of Representatives during a vote, giving the youngster a unique opportunity to witness the democratic process first-hand.

On Capitol Hill, Cada and his entourage bumped into Senator John Ensign (R-NV) and had a five-minute long conversation. Ensign serves as the counterpart to Harry Reid (D-NV), the current Senate Majority Leader. On Cada’s parade around Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Pappas commented, “He doesn’t have the recognition that other pros we bring do, but he's just becoming a face on the scene. He was great from our perspective. He wasn't here to do the hard sell on public policy; he was here to give a good face to poker and tell his story.”

Cada became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever at age 21 in November, eclipsing Peter Eastgate’s standing record by one year. Cada and Eastgate are both card-carrying members of Team PokerStars Pro, which also includes other World Champions like Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Raymer (2004), and Australian Joe Hachem (2005). A bevy of news outlets met with Cada during the day, including Politico, The Hill, and Roll Call, popular Capitol Hill publications.

On the future of Cada’s relationship with the PPA, Pappas told Poker News Daily, “When we do fly-ins and other events, we want to be able to work with him and have him be a face for us in Washington, D.C. We'd love for him to continue to promote the PPA to the poker playing community, particularly to the younger online players who look up to Joe. He recognizes the importance of what we’re doing.” Cada’s post-WSOP Main Event media appearances have included the “Late Show with David Letterman” and ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” He’s also featured on the current cover of Bluff Magazine.

Next up for Cada is a trip to Las Vegas, where he will donate a two-hour training session to the prize pool of the All In For CP charity poker tournament, which will be held at the Hard Rock. Cada told Poker News Daily, "The PPA really treated me like a champion and made my stay very enjoyable. It was awesome meeting various politicians, especially the ones from Michigan. I placed third in John Pappas' home game, which was a huge cash for me of $110. I'm looking forward to supporting the PPA in the fight. Next stop: Bellagio."

Next up for the PPA is a push to pass legislation to legalize and regulate online poker in the United States. Pappas revealed, “We've built a lot of momentum at the end of the year and anticipate a Committee vote on HR 2267 in late January or early February. Right now, we're focusing on the targets we need to get this legislation through.” HR 2267, proposed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), provides a framework for online gaming companies to solicit U.S. customers. It boasts 63 co-sponsors.

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

WSOP Champ Joe Cada Heads to Capitol Hill

Tuesday will mark a busy day in the life of 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Joe Cada. The youngest winner of the $10,000 buy-in tournament ever, Cada will travel to Capitol Hill flanked by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

The PPA has seen its own string of victories as of late, including achieving a six-month delay of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Now, the 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization will bring the current face of the game to Capitol Hill. Cada told Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, “I’m meeting with Congressmen for the PPA. I’m still trying to get used to all of this.” PPA officials will accompany Cada around Capitol Hill and the youngster, who is now 22 years-old, will join the Sports Junkies radio show at 10:15am ET on WJFK.

Cada will visit with several lawmakers in pre-planned meetings, including Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA), who, according to the PPA, plays poker herself and is a friend of UB.com pro Annie Duke. Cada will also spend time with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who hails from the Main Event winner’s home state. He’ll be brought to the members’ dining room on Capitol Hill for lunch, where Cada will be introduced to those in attendance.

After lunch, Cada will meet with Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI), who represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. According to Cada’s agent, Miller will introduce him to entire House of Representatives on the chamber’s floor in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He’ll then head to the offices of another Republican, Joe Barton (R-TX), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and a poker player. Finally, Cada will meet with members of the Nevada delegation in Washington, D.C. and the PPA will escort the $8.5 million winner around town before he heads for the airport.

On Cada’s itinerary, PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “We know that these members are interested in poker. They’re poker players themselves. This is to tell the story of the World Champion, the youngest winner in Main Event history.” Cada warmed up for the whirlwind of meetings by playing in Pappas’ home game on Monday night, a $40 rebuy tournament that saw him fade J-Q multiple times. About 10 players could be found at the game last night.

Local media and press on Capitol Hill were expected to join Cada during the day. He recently flew cross-country from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. after filming the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” Cada was one of the poker pros scheduled to appear on the show, but did not play against a PokerStars qualifier. Cada told Poker News Daily, “It was good, but I didn’t get to play at all because the qualifiers couldn’t get past the celebrities. I was supposed to play after that. I got to meet a few celebrities like Joanna Krupa and a lot more.”

The PPA saw several members of the WSOP Main Event final table don patches for the tournament’s conclusion, which aired on ESPN in mid-November. On the organization’s fight for the rights of poker players in both the online and offline versions of the game, Cada explained, “I’m all for what they’re doing. I haven’t had too much contact with them, but hopefully that can change very soon. It would be good to meet a bunch of Congressmen and speak with the PPA a lot more. It’s something I hope I can help with.”

In addition to his forthcoming appearances on Capitol Hill, Cada has made waves throughout mainstream media, including guest spots on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and the ESPN news franchise “SportsCenter.” He’s also become a hometown hero of sorts in Michigan, covered by nearly every local news outlet.

FBI Issues Online Poker Findings; PPA Responds

Online poker players tuned into last week’s House Financial Services Committee on internet gambling can recall a letter cited by Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) that claimed online poker games could be compromised.

The memo, dated November 13th and written by FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Shawn Henry, addresses six questions put forth by Bachus regarding the current state of affairs in the online poker world. The report states, “The technology exists to manipulate online poker games in that it would only take two or three players working in unison to defeat the other players who are not part of the team.” Henry’s analysis speculates as to whether online poker sites would spend the time and money needed to combat these tag team maneuvers: “It really comes down to a cost analysis for the vendor. How much money will I make or lose by detecting cheating and implementing safeguards?”

The letter from Henry then addresses money laundering possibilities in private online poker tournaments before Bachus asked if “qualified personnel” existed to regulate the game should it be legalized. Henry responded, “FBI investigative resources are focused on our highest priorities, that being counterterrirosm, counterintelligence, and cyber threats to critical infrastructure.” No mention of online poker or internet gambling is given in Henry’s response to this question.

Henry questions the age and location verification mechanisms that online poker sites currently have in place. Henry responds, “For age verification, the possession of a credit card is usually the only validation these sites require. Credit card numbers are easily compromised and can be bought by the hundreds on several ‘underground’ websites.” On the question of location verification, Henry asserts, “While geolocation can be accurate when used to determine the physical country of residence, it becomes exponentially less accurate when determining the city or zip code.”

Also discussed in the letter from the FBI Cyber Division official are bots, programs against the Terms of Service of most major sites. In addition, Bachus asks whether U.S. law enforcement officials have had any conversations with their counterparts overseas where internet gambling is regulated about “potential vulnerabilities.” Henry emphatically claims, “The FBI has not engaged in this discussion with our foreign partners.” On casino bot programs manipulating online games, Henry admits, “While casino software could very easily be employed to manipulate games, the FBI has no data in this area.”

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) was quick to point out the pitfalls of Henry’s letter. Its Executive Director, John Pappas, charged, “Every concern the letter raises is better addressed by licensing and regulation than by prohibition. The letter misconstrues much about the current state of online poker, but it does so in a way that clearly makes the case for why federal oversight is necessary. Licensing and regulation is the most protective measure we can take to ensure the online community can be properly monitored while maintaining our internet freedom.”

The PPA added that Congressman Peter King (R-NY), the current Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, conveyed that money laundering and terrorism financing were not taking place through internet gambling. The PPA explains that online poker sites use credit databases to address age and location and that the Department of Justice has never found evidence that organized crime benefited from internet gambling. In total, the lobbying group notes, “In defense of Mr. Henry’s letter, it is intended to address the status quo, not the internet poker landscape under HR 2267.”

Age verification was one of the many issues discussed at last week’s hearing, which focused on HR 2267. The bill, proposed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) crafts a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.

Barack Obama Poker Article Appears on Cover of National Journal

Since the inception of the game, poker has often been invoked as a metaphor for other parts of life.  Similarities have been drawn between poker and business, poker and relationships and, most recently, poker and politics.  The latest article to draw comparisons between government and gaming was recently published as the cover story of the National Journal.  The feature piece examines President Barack Obama’s tenure in office and draws comparisons between his political decisions and his poker game.

National Journal is a 40-year old weekly publication that covers the U.S. national political scene and emerging trends in policy.  The magazine is primarily read by the Washington political sect who, thanks to author Will Englund, now have some new insight on how President Obama’s style of poker play may be influencing his policy decisions.

Englund’s feature-length piece begins with his view on how poker imitates life.  In his words, “If there is a single game that comes closest to recapitulating modern existence – that both mimics and informs the logic of a cluttered, challenging, bewilderingly complicated, less-than-all-knowing, partially comprehensible human society – it is poker.”  As Englund notes, Obama is not just a metaphorical poker player, he is also an avid fan.  Fellow politicians and card sharks have referred to his playing style as cautious, patient and, oddly enough, conservative.  In other words, our President is a bit of a nit.

The article offers insight from both poker author James McManus, whose books include “Positively Fifth Street” and the recently released “Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker,” as well as Harvard Law School Professor Charles Nesson.  Nesson is also the founder of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, a Harvard student group designed to promote how poker’s strategic thinking that may be applicable to other avenues of life.

In the National Journal piece, both Nesson and McManus described Obama’s style of play as traditional and Englund cites the game of Stud, in which players have ostensibly more control over each street of play, as the type of game in which the President would excel.  His work on public health insurance is used as an example of President Obama’s conservative and cautious style as well as his ability to keep his holdings close to his chest and not let the opposition know exactly what he is planning.

The analysis of Obama as a poker player also includes a discussion of botched bets and misplayed hands and offers some predictions about the type of strategic decision-making the President has in store for the future: “Look for Obama to stick with Stud, where memory and insight and experience and calculation rule the table.”

On the whole, the article praises the game of poker as a way to sharpen critical thinking skills.  Nesson speaks to the game’s practical application in politics, business, and day-to-day interactions.  The piece also traces the long and storied presence of poker in American politics.  Former President Richard Nixon was known to have funded his early political campaigns with poker winnings and several game theorists have served as political consultants over the course of U.S. history.  More recently Obama and several other politicians have openly admitted their fondness for the game.  Another example of a politician and poker enthusiast is former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, who now serves as the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

The article is currently on the Journal’s official website, but it is only available to subscribers of the magazine.

Poker Industry Reacts to House Financial Services Committee Hearing

On Thursday, the House Financial Services Committee, Chaired by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), hosted a hearing on two internet gambling bills. Twenty-four hours later, the online poker industry has had a chance to respond.

In one portion of Thursday’s hearing, Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) referenced a letter he received from the FBI noting that the integrity of online poker games could be compromised. On the letter sent by Shawn Henry, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) retorted, “The PPA takes issue with certain representations made by Mr. Henry, but believes that the larger point is the more important one: Mr. Henry’s letter makes a compelling case for licensing and regulation of internet poker as proposed in HR 2267.” Bachus is the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee and a staunch opponent of internet gambling interests.

Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman gave Poker News Daily his two cents on the 90-minute long hearing that took place on Thursday morning in one of Congress’ most powerful committees: “The hearing and witness testimony clearly portrayed why Congress should scrap an unrealistic attempt to ban internet gambling and regulate the burgeoning underground marketplace since it is the only effective way to protect consumers.” Witnesses covered the gamut, ranging from the banking industry to problem gambling interests.

Early on in the proceedings, Bachus questioned Frank as to why no representatives from the U.S. Treasury or Federal Reserve were present at the hearing. Frank responded that he had not received any such request. However, the Committee’s Chairman later recanted his statement after producing an e-mail dated 40 hours before the hearing began from Bachus’ staff calling for the Treasury or Fed to be present. The awkward exchange ultimately led to agreement that an additional hearing should take place featuring members of the two government organizations, setting up more debate on the internet gambling issue in 2010. The Treasury and Fed granted a six-month delay in compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

On the proceedings, Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “It’s good to see that the ball is rolling again. The trick is going to be if things are sustained beyond the hearing. The industry has this pace of getting a public hearing every six months, but there seems to be little follow-up. Seeing that the minority wanted to hear from the Treasury and Fed, it may be the opposition who keeps the ball rolling.” No hearing has been scheduled, although PPA Executive Director John Pappas expected swift movement to mark up HR 2267.

Bachus’ generalizations about millions of young Americans becoming addicted to online gaming if legalization were to occur rubbed many in the industry the wrong way. On some of the claims made by the high-ranking Alabama Congressman, PocketFives.com poster “RI Tony” commented, “This Bachus guy is a classic example of why I hate politicians. There would be no way to change this guy’s mind. He’s simple minded and arrogant, thinking he can legislate morality. Oh yeah, and like I’m going to play poker on my Blackberry as I’m driving or waiting in line at the supermarket as he suggested people would. Idiot.” Online sites like Cake Poker already offer a mobile client.

Bachus asserted, “If Congress repeals the law, online casinos will proliferate. In the next five years, I feel that if [we] are successful in creating a federal right to gamble on the internet, we will create a generation of millions of Americans who from their youth will be addicted to internet gambling and, therefore, life-long problem gamblers.” Frank labeled Bachus’ comments “hyperbole” and “based on no factual basis whatsoever.”

In June of 2008 during a separate committee hearing, Bachus relayed a study from McGill University claiming that one-third of college students who gambled on the internet attempted suicide. In fact, no such study had ever taken place. A representative for the university quipped, “I am confident the Congressman doesn’t read research – he could not misinterpret this.”

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

UIGEA Hearing Held

Over the 90-minute hearing, Frank delivered his case for legalizing and regulating the poker industry while Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus opposed the idea of changing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that was passed in 2006.

Frank once again championed the two bills he introduced earlier this year, which would legalize and regulate the online gambling industry and delay the compliance date for UIGEA by one year.

The meeting was mostly informational and a number of witnesses took the floor including representatives from the Problem Gambling Council, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Wired Safety Group, the Independent Community Bankers of America and Youbet.com.

The majority of the witnesses appeared to support Frank's proposed legislation and the idea of legalizing and regulating the online gaming world.

Speaking in opposition, Bachus revealed a letter from the FBI, claiming it suggested there were several ways to cheat at online poker and legalizing it would be opening up a pandora's box of corruption.

After the meeting concluded, the Poker Player’s Alliance said Bachus' argument sounded more like one to legalize and regulate online gaming than anything else.

“Every concern the letter raises is better addressed by licensing and regulation than by prohibition,” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA. “The letter misconstrues much about the current state of online poker, but it does so in a way that clearly makes the case for why federal oversight is necessary.”

Although the hearing was adjourned without a vote, it does appear there will be more discussion on the topic as Committee Chariman Frank finished saying, “We will be returning to the subject next year.”

Visit PokerListings.com

Poker2Nite Recaps UIGEA Compliance Delay

The six-month delay in compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was featured on Wednesday night’s episode of the UB-sponsored poker news show Poker2Nite.

The series, hosted by PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok and Scott Huff, opened with a discussion of the reprieve until June 1st, with the former explaining, “I don’t think we should start lying to ourselves and telling ourselves that all of the sites are going to start popping up. All this did is maintain the status quo.” Huff added, “The only way this was going to occur was if the message was being heard by more and more people.” Horse racing interests, members of Congress, and banking associations joined forces with the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to petition U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a delay, which was granted last week.

A trip to a poker home game in Los Angeles revealed that few people understood what the PPA or UIGEA were. The segment served as a lead-in to an appearance via Skype by PPA Executive Director John Pappas, who told Huff and Sebok, “It gives us six months to work with Congress to try to clarify the law so it won’t affect people who want to play poker in the internet… What we’ve done is put the onus back on Congress. We’ll be pushing Congress to move quickly.” He ardently told Poker2Nite viewers who question the legality of online poker, “There is no Federal law that says playing online poker is illegal.”

Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal” came with a sponsorship from Bluff Magazine this week. Her satirical news segment focused on the arrests of 75 to 85 year-old women in Cypress for playing poker as well as a new Irishman signing with PokerStars. She also took a shot at California State Senator Margarita Prentice, who is considering proposing a new video keno bill after serving as a major proponent of a law that made playing online poker in the Northwest state a Class C felony. Finally, Workman recapped the ESPN: The Magazine Body Issue featuring four nude poker players, including UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth.

A new segment called “All in Blind” featured six topics sealed in white envelopes. Both Sebok and Huff had no idea what they were and the duo selected three to discuss. Up for debate first was whether 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon’s appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Football or the 16-0 New England Patriots team was better. Huff chose Moon because “he actually got something,” while Sebok selected the Pats because “they got a little bit of history.” The Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

The second topic discussed on the Poker2Nite “All in Blind” segment was innerpsy’s short-lived online poker record of 40,088 hands played in a 24-hour period. Finally, Huff and Sebok debated whether they preferred James McManus’ poker history tale “Cowboys Full” or Doyle Brunson’s new autobiography “The Godfather of Poker.” Huff resoundingly selected McManus: “The New York Times says it’s good, so it’s good enough for me.” Contrastingly, Sebok emphatically chose Brunson, the figurehead for the poker industry..

Finally, the Poker2Nite Dictionary came to life. The show’s hosts discussed the meaning of “stacks ‘em off,” which translates to “to bust someone, or knock them out,” and “button,” which originally used to be called the “buck.” Huff claimed that phrases like “Pass the buck” President Harry Truman’s “The buck stops here” originated in poker.

Poker2Nite’s air time varies by market, but according to UB.com, the series begins at 11:00pm ET each Wednesday. When Poker News Daily caught the show, it was scheduled for 1:00am ET. Repeats are available on Fox Sports Net on Thursdays at 4:00pm ET and Fridays at 11:00am ET and 6:00pm ET.

Visit UB.com for more information and to view online clips.

A Brawl in APPT Sydney

Poker can sometimes be a frustrating game and once in a while players get into arguments with each other, but rarely things gets as bad as in Sydney, when a row between Mark Ericksen and his unidentified foe turned to a fist fight!

Apparently the two knew each other beforehand as the unidentified man (Mr. X from now on) approached Mark Ericksen’s table and and told Ericksen to “Stay the f*** out of my business.” Well it didn’t take long for these two to get into the business as after some heated words, Mr. X connected with his fist in Ericksen’s face.

Mr. X walked away from the table and things calmed for a second until Ericksen stood up and told Mr. X he was a “f***ing rat.” At this point a full scale war started between the two. After throwing and landing several punches, the two hit the ground where Mr. X continued his assault on Ericksen. With each punch he threw, Mr. X yelled “Rat! Rat! Rat!”

Pokernews.com video crew missed the incident, but Andrew Scott witnessed the whole affair, as he was seated in the same table with Ericksen:

Source: pokernews.com

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

A Brawl in APPT Sydney

Online Poker Player ChicagoJoey Cracks 24 Hour Hand Record

Breaking a record that was only set a week ago, online poker player “ChicagoJoey” crushed the mark for most hands played during a 24-hour period and made some nice cash on the side to boot.

Back on November 25th, Russian online player “innerpsy” set the record for most hands played in a 24-hour period at a little over 40,000. This spurred other online grinders to try to top his record. It wasn’t until TwoPlusTwo poster ChicagoJoey, who plays online under the moniker “joeingram1,” announced his challenge on November 29th that the significance of the record became apparent.

In a thread, ChicagoJoey laid out the rules for his challenge and booked action on whether he could complete 50,000 hands within a 24-hour period. In addition to playing the required number of hands, ChicagoJoey also stated that he would have to show a profit for the session or he would lose all of his side bets. Only the hands ChicagoJoey played at the No Limit Hold’em or Pot Limit Hold’em stakes of $0.10/$0.25 would be counted towards the record and to ensure that it was him that was playing the entire time, the session was broadcast over the internet through a web cam.

Side betting action was laid at 2.5:1 that ChicagoJoey could actually pull off the trick and many posters on TwoPlusTwo took him up on it. By the time the wagering had ended, 26 people had bet against ChicagoJoey, with stakes ranging from $100 to $1,000. All totaled, ChicagoJoey was risking $13,180 to win $32,950 – in addition to the stakes at the tables – if he could pull off the feat.

Players debated on the forum whether ChicagoJoey could actually complete the task at hand and even put up side bets of their own outside of the action that ChicagoJoey was booking. The current record holder at that time, innerpsy, even showed up to comment prior to the action, saying to ChicagoJoey, “Beat: Playing this amount of tables of nl25 with 10ptbb/100 you still have lower $/hour than me runnin breakeven. Just joking, gl dude… I might be one of the few people who really realize how difficult it would be.”

On Monday at slightly past Noon, ChicagoJoey began the 24-hour grind and in the early going, the situation wasn’t looking good. After approximately 1,200 hands, ChicagoJoey was in the red, but he slowly began to grind his way back towards even. After approximately 5,000 hands, ChicagoJoey was able to get back into the black and never looked back from that point. After 12 hours of action, he was at just under 30,000 hands and showing a $375 profit from his play.

The railbirds at PokerStars, where all of the action took place and who verified all action, came to realize that ChicagoJoey was going to put innerpsy’s record out the door less than a week after it was set. The magic moment came after 20 hours and two minutes, when ChicagoJoey cracked the 50,000 hand mark and was ahead $850.35, sealing the new world record and roughly $33,000 in side action. ChicagoJoey continued on for another 470 hands before ending his marathon session up slightly over $800 over a 21-hour period.

ChicagoJoey, who is known in the online world as a strong online grinder, has now entered into a rare pantheon along with innerpsy and another online poker legend, Chiren. There is already a potential challenge from ChicagoJoey to battle against Chiren, who once booked one million hands in a month. As of this time, there has been no reply.

Many poker players haven’t played 50,000 hands in their lives, let alone in one day. Poker News Daily would like to extend congratulations to ChicagoJoey for setting the new 24-hour record, showing a profit from the session and his side bets and making the record one that will be difficult to eclipse.

Internet Gambling to be Discussed in House Financial Services Committee

On Thursday, internet gambling will take center stage in the House Financial Services Committee. A hearing to be held at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building will discuss two bills that could change the landscape of the industry in the United States.

Although an official list of witnesses has not yet been announced at press time, Poker News Daily can confirm that National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte will speak during the proceedings. Whyte told us that he received his formal invitation Wednesday morning and is looking forward to discussing the issue in front of the Committee tomorrow. A press release distributed by the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) on Wednesday added, “Top experts are expected to describe how existing systems and technologies have proven successful in blocking minors from gambling online, combating compulsive gambling, and protecting consumers against money laundering, fraud, and identity theft.”

SSIGI spokesperson Michael Waxman commented that his organization is looking forward to a well-rounded discussion that could lead to one of two internet gambling bills being marked up and passed: “This hearing will provide further evidence on the ability to effectively regulate internet gambling and require licensed operators to utilize already-proven technologies to protect consumers. It’s expected this hearing will answer any outstanding questions and pave the way for a vote in the committee on Chairman Frank’s legislation.” Thursday’s hearing marks the first major discussion of internet gambling in the House Financial Services Committee in over a year and is expected to last around two hours.

At issue will be HR 2266 and HR 2267, both introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). The former, dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act, delays mandatory compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year. Despite compliance being delayed by six months last week, a Committee spokesperson told Poker News Daily that HR 2266 would still be discussed on Thursday. The bill claims 53 co-sponsors.

Also to be discussed is HR 2267, Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The measure, which was introduced on the same day in May as HR 2266, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling companies to accept real money wagers from U.S. customers. It boasts 63 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and is Frank’s latest attempt to undo the effects of the UIGEA, which was passed into law in 2006.

Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that markup of HR 2266 or HR 2267 could be scheduled within one week of the hearing, although it would be contingent on the Committee’s calendar. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been focusing their efforts on a faltering economy and major health care reform, the latter of which could come with a $1 trillion price tag. A study by the Joint Committee on Taxation revealed that up to $42 billion over a 10-year period could be reaped by taxing the internet gambling industry at a rate of 2% of deposits pursuant to Congressman Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) HR 2268.

Waxman put the hearing in perspective: “Coupled with last week’s decision by the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to delay UIGEA implementation, this hearing further builds the case for Congress to rewrite U.S. gambling laws. It’s simply common sense to override the UIGEA, a poorly conceived law that is doomed to fail, and replace it with a framework that regulates a thriving underground marketplace to protect consumers and collect billions in otherwise lost revenue.” Despite the UIGEA, traffic on the USA-facing site Full Tilt Poker, according to a recent report released by PokerScout.com, is up 127% year over year.

We’ll have a complete recap of the hearing right here on Poker News Daily.

Clothing Brand KSINO Signs Lacey Jones and Leo Margets

Clothing apparel company KSINO announced Monday that it has signed exclusive agreements with two of poker’s up-and-coming female players, Lacey Jones and Leo Margets. The brand, which is building a reputation as the top clothing line for those living and loving a fast-paced lifestyle, chose Jones and Margets as two players who speak to that standard of living.

“To say that I am thrilled to have Lacey and Leo as brand ambassadors is an understatement,” said Alex That, President of KSINO. “They are two very beautiful women who are also very talented poker players. They turn heads at the tables not only for how they look, but also for how they play. That’s what KSINO is about, playing great and looking hot while doing it.”

Jones, a fashion model and poker pro, signed on with Absolute Poker in July after hosting interviews at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for ESPN 360, WSOP.com, BluffMagazine.com, and PKR.com. She posed for the cover of Bluff Magazine in its November 2008 issue, one of only three Bluff covers featuring women in the history of the magazine. Jones is also a traveling tournament reporter for Fox Sports Net’s new show “Poker2Nite,” hosted by PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok and Scott Huff.

“I really love being part of the KSINO family,” Jones said about her new role with the company. “It’s about more than just great looking clothes; it’s a fun lifestyle. It’s my lifestyle.”

Margets’ fame came during the 2009 WSOP Main Event, where she finished 27th place out of nearly 6,500 players, earning the title of “Last Woman Standing.” Margets collected $352,832 for her deep finish in what was the first WSOP cash of her poker career. In 2008, she won the University Poker Championship in her hometown of Barcelona, and, as a result, 888.com offered her sponsorship for national events.

“I’m excited about being a part of KSINO,” said Margets. “I feel like I identify with the brand and can now sit down at a poker table and compete in style… I love it! KSINO is not only a clothing line. They are creating and redefining the game… It’s a whole new lifestyle!”

The KSINO clothing brand was created by Anthony Tuozzo to provide premium designer apparel to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. The brand’s styles include graphic t-shirts, hoodies, button-downs, jackets, and accessories. KSINO clothing is now available at D.Fine at the Bellagio, The Men’s Store at the Mirage, and at KSINO.com.

On November 24th, KSINO entered into a merchandise distribution agreement with HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine. KSINO apparel will be marketed throughout Canada in Canadian Poker Player Magazine, on all upcoming Canadian Poker Tour television broadcasts, and into the websites, social communities, and player databases from coast to coast.

Clothing Brand KSINO Signs Lacey Jones and Leo Margets

Clothing apparel company KSINO announced Monday that it has signed exclusive agreements with two of poker’s up-and-coming female players, Lacey Jones and Leo Margets. The brand, which is building a reputation as the top clothing line for those living and loving a fast-paced lifestyle, chose Jones and Margets as two players who speak to that standard of living.

“To say that I am thrilled to have Lacey and Leo as brand ambassadors is an understatement,” said Alex That, President of KSINO. “They are two very beautiful women who are also very talented poker players. They turn heads at the tables not only for how they look, but also for how they play. That’s what KSINO is about, playing great and looking hot while doing it.”

Jones, a fashion model and poker pro, signed on with Absolute Poker in July after hosting interviews at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for ESPN 360, WSOP.com, BluffMagazine.com, and PKR.com. She posed for the cover of Bluff Magazine in its November 2008 issue, one of only three Bluff covers featuring women in the history of the magazine. Jones is also a traveling tournament reporter for Fox Sports Net’s new show “Poker2Nite,” hosted by PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok and Scott Huff.

“I really love being part of the KSINO family,” Jones said about her new role with the company. “It’s about more than just great looking clothes; it’s a fun lifestyle. It’s my lifestyle.”

Margets’ fame came during the 2009 WSOP Main Event, where she finished 27th place out of nearly 6,500 players, earning the title of “Last Woman Standing.” Margets collected $352,832 for her deep finish in what was the first WSOP cash of her poker career. In 2008, she won the University Poker Championship in her hometown of Barcelona, and, as a result, 888.com offered her sponsorship for national events.

“I’m excited about being a part of KSINO,” said Margets. “I feel like I identify with the brand and can now sit down at a poker table and compete in style… I love it! KSINO is not only a clothing line. They are creating and redefining the game… It’s a whole new lifestyle!”

The KSINO clothing brand was created by Anthony Tuozzo to provide premium designer apparel to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. The brand’s styles include graphic t-shirts, hoodies, button-downs, jackets, and accessories. KSINO clothing is now available at D.Fine at the Bellagio, The Men’s Store at the Mirage, and at KSINO.com.

On November 24th, KSINO entered into a merchandise distribution agreement with HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine. KSINO apparel will be marketed throughout Canada in Canadian Poker Player Magazine, on all upcoming Canadian Poker Tour television broadcasts, and into the websites, social communities, and player databases from coast to coast.

Inside the Treasury and Federal Reserve UIGEA Regulations Delay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Industry Reacts to UIGEA Regulations Delay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UIGEA delayed six months

A joint press release from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that the date for implementing regulations in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been delayed by six months, from Dec. 1 to June 1, 2010.

The regulations were to force financial institutions in the U.S. to stop processing any transactions related to Internet gambling.

However, the delay will now give the U.S. House Financial Services Committee the chance to hold hearings on two bills designed to regulate and tax online gambling and futher delay UIGEA enforcement.

Those hearings are schedule for Dec. 3.

Committee Chairman Barney Frank applauded Friday's announcement.

"This will give us a chance to act in an unhurried manner on my legislation to undo this regulatory excess by the Bush administration and to undo this ill-advised law," he said.

A poker advocacy group lobbying to legalize online poker in the United States, the Poker Players Alliance believes the delay is also the first step towards legal and regulated online poker in America.

"This is a great victory for poker, but an even greater victory for advocates of good and fair public policy," said PPA Chairman Alfonse D'Amato.

"These additional months are critical to provide legislators time to clarify UIGEA and pass legislation to licence and regulate poker early next year."

Visit PokerListings.com

UIGEA Regulations Officially Delayed Six Months

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Report: UIGEA Regulations Postponed Six Months

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Markup Planned for December 3rd Internet Gambling Hearing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UIGEA Hearing Scheduled for December 3rd in Financial Services Committee

In breaking news from the House Financial Services Committee, a hearing to discuss two pieces of legislation related to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will be held on Thursday, December 3rd at 10:00am ET.

Interested online poker players can check out the hearing via a webcast found on the official website of the Committee. The hearing, which will be held in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building, will cover two pieces of legislation introduced by Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), HR 2266 (Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act) and HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The longtime Massachusetts Congressman introduced the measures on the same day in May.

On December 1st, two days prior to the hearing, the financial services industry in the United States must come into full compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA, which were officially approved as midnight rules by the outgoing Bush administration back in January. Several days ago, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that he expected a hearing to come soon: “Chairman Frank has told us that he intends to have a hearing and mark up HR 2267 as soon as he’s done with financial regulation reform bills. We think it might be in January, but there’s a good chance we could have a hearing in December. It depends on the Congressional schedule.”

Christmas has come early for the PPA, which has lobbied on several fronts for HR 2266 and HR 2267 to be marked up. It is unclear at the time of writing as to whether any markup will occur, as the proceedings next Thursday appear to be purely informational in nature. HR 2266 delays the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. As it stands now, the industry has merely a week to brace for their effects on payment processors. HR 2266 has 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, including Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Robert Wexler (D-FL).

Frank’s other bill, HR 2267, has 63 co-sponsors and creates a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling and online poker outfits to solicit real money customers from the United States. A companion bill introduced by McDermott in May, HR 2268, taxes online gaming operators 2% of deposits. Although several estimates have been made as to how much revenue internet gambling could bring to the United States Government, the most recent study, which came from the Joint Committee on Taxation, pinned the figure at $42 billion over a ten-year period.

Witnesses for the December 3rd hearing and their prepared testimony were not given on the House Financial Services Committee website at the time of writing. Next Thursday will mark the first major movement on the internet gambling front in the Financial Services Committee since September of 2008, when Frank’s HR 6870 was approved by a 30-19 margin. The bill sought to clarify what activities were permissible under the UIGEA. It was not acted on during the 110th Congress and therefore was declared dead entering 2009.

A total of 41 Democrats and 29 Republicans make up the Financial Services Committee. The latter are headed by Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who, along with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) recently authored a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urging that the regulations of the UIGEA be enforced on December 1st as scheduled. Recently, members of the Kentucky House delegation implored Geithner and company to delay UIGEA regulation enforcement due to overblocking by credit card companies, potentially stunting legal online horseracing wagers.

We’ll have more information on the December 3rd hearing as it unfolds right here on Poker News Daily.

Haseeb Qureshi Comments on Isildur1 and High-Stakes Poker

Swedish newcomer Isildur1 has dominated the action on Full Tilt Poker in recent weeks, helping grow the eight largest pots in online poker history. One of his opponents, CardRunners instructor Haseeb “INTERNET POKERS” Qureshi, sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss Isildur1’s recent dominance.

Isildur1 has largely competed in Pot Limit Omaha against high-stakes Full Tilt regulars like 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Phil Ivey, Durrrr Challenge namesake Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, and Power Poker front man Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies. Qureshi has dropped $452,000 to Isildur1; according to PokerTableRatings.com, Dwan has lost 10 times that amount.

On the newcomer’s No Limit Hold’em game, Qureshi told Poker News Daily, “He doesn’t trip up nearly as often in No Limit Hold’em [as in Pot Limit Omaha]. Of course, one of the biggest differences in No Limit Hold’em is that you can bet larger than pot and it’s in his over-betting strategy, which has become his trademark, that he really differentiates himself.”

Many have questioned when and if Isildur1 would go broke, including a poll that appeared on the popular online poker forum TwoPlusTwo.com revealing that 18% of those who responded stated that the Swede would go bust before 2010. Qureshi weighed in: “He’s a high-stakes poker playing degenerate who is very good and wants action. As long as nobody busts him, he’ll keep playing. I’d say it’s more likely than not that he goes bust relatively soon, but it’s still quite likely that he manages to rage on for a very long time.” PokerTableRatings.com began tracking Isildur1 in mid-September. This month, the eight largest pots in online poker history have played out.

On what types of strategies players could use to overcome opponents like Isildur1, Qureshi revealed, “Every basic strategy you could come up with is all too small and naive to be used. You should wait for hands and yet beat his aggression with more aggression. You should make fearless calls and yet be cautious in big pots. Choosing one pole or the other is basically handing him the match before it starts.”

Antonius laid claim to the largest pot in online poker history, $1.3 million, at the expense of Isildur1. The Full Tilt Poker pro also defeated Isildur1 in a massive $878,000 pot, which took place one week ago. Isildur1’s win over Ivey in a $1.1 million pot, the second largest of all-time, helped right the ship. The Swede has taken down three of the top six richest pots ever, while Antonius has scooped two of the top three.

Qureshi is an instructor for the poker training site CardRunners.com and recently tackled the Isildur1 phenomenon in an informative blog entry. On how he got started in the game of poker, Qureshi recalled, “In the PartyPoker days, there was a free $50 signup bonus deal running. I got on that and somehow donked up my money to $200 and then I started my ‘poker career,’ per se, at $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold’em ring games. I worked my way up the old fashioned way with 20 to 30 buy-in bankroll management. There were no tournament scores or trust funds for me, unfortunately.”

Finally, Qureshi explained that he never would have thought he’d be part of something as historic as Isildur1’s entry onto the poker scene: “My dream was to be playing $1/$2 and by the end of the first year, I had made over $100,000 and was just moving up to play $5/$10 six-max games.” Besides Qureshi, others who have tangled with Isildur1 include David Benyamine, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Brian Hastings, and Brian Townsend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PPA asks players to Tweet for Poker

The PPA launched "Tweet for Poker" yesterday and online poker supporters can go to the website, sign in and make an appeal for online poker to their Congressional representative in about 30 seconds.

"Poker players are online, they're active, and they're weighing in on the policy battles that impact their right to play," said PPA executive director John Pappas.

"Tweet for Poker is PPA's most instant and dynamic tool for our members to directly contact legislators in a way that engages the public in debate. We're proud of the instant success, and look forward to hearing what our elected officials think of the legislation and this new advocacy program."

The Tweets will support either Sen. Robert Menendez' pro-online poker bill in the Senate or Rep. Barney Frank's poker bill in the House. Users have the option of choosing whether they want Tweets sent to their respective Senator or House Representative.

The Twitter-based campaign is just the latest initiative the PPA has started with the intent of legalizing online poker.

This summer the PPA launched National Poker Week and collected over 375,000 signatures on a petition to President Obama asking for licensing and regulation of online poker.

Visit PokerListings.com

CNBC Closing Bell Tackles Internet Gambling

The Global Gaming Expo is currently unfolding from Las Vegas and, as part of its coverage of the event, CNBC’s “Closing Bell” aired a four-minute segment entitled, “Odds Favor Online Gambling?”

Two industry experts joined CNBC “Closing Bell” host Melissa Francis on Thursday, Andrew Parmentire of Height Analytics and David Katz, an Oppenheimer gaming analyst. The former began the discussion, which did not take in a debate form, but rather featured both parties agreeing that legalized internet gambling in the United States is inevitable. Parmentire explained, “Barney Frank has put a bill out there and the stars are lining up in a lot of ways. Harrah’s has shown that they have an online strategy, Congress and states are in desperate need for money, and $50 billion can offset a lot of social programs that Democrats are pushing these days.” The proposed health care initiative, for example, could come with a price tag approaching $1 trillion.

Katz told CNBC viewers, “Gambling in the U.S. has become a far more acceptable consumer product than it was five or ten years ago. That said, we really are much more focused on the publicly traded companies and that would be the brick-and-mortars like Harrah’s as well as the game providers and the technology companies that support those industries.” Katz added that Harrah’s has become a major proponent of licensing online gaming. The Las Vegas-based private company recently launched Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment (HIE), based on Montreal, to oversee its online brand, with former Party Gaming CEO Mitch Garber as its lead figure.

Harrah’s inked an agreement with 888, the parent company of Pacific Poker, to fill its online gaming needs. 888 is a publicly traded company in London, where it can be found under the same three-number acronym. Katz explained that with casinos slowly reaching their limits in the live space, the switch to the Web is inevitable: “If you go to the Bellagio, they have a couple of hundred seats to sit in, so there’s a physical constraint. If you look at the number of states out there that are considering legalizing gaming, they’re going down every year. There’s a finite opportunity for the brick-and-mortar guys to expand in the United States and at some point, they have to start thinking globally.”

The CNBC spot occurred about two weeks prior to December 1st, the date by which the financial services industry in the United States must fall into line with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s main lobbying voice, issued a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to postpone the date by one year while effective legislation can be crafted. However, the two government officials have not yet responded.

The UIGEA was passed during the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session at the direction of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (D-TN). It was approved by a 3:1 margin in the House of Representatives and by unanimous consent in the Senate after being attached to the SAFE Port Act. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the UIGEA did not in and of itself make any sort of internet gambling activity illegal. Instead, the legality of an online activity depends on a player’s jurisdiction. Parmentire candidly explained, “There is a lot of anger as to how this happened in 2006.” The PPA has expanded its membership from 50,000 in 2006 to over 1.2 million today.

Concurrently with the Global Gaming Expo, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada, who represents the online poker room PokerStars, has spread goodwill by appearing on mainstream outlets like the “Late Show with David Letterman,” ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” and USA Today. Cada, an online poker pro, became the youngest winner of the $10,000 buy-in tournament ever at age 21, breaking Peter Eastgate’s record of 22 years-old set in 2008.

Overheard at High Stakes Poker Season 6 Taping

Last week, the sixth season of GSN’s cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker” was filmed at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. Some of the game’s best turned out for the three days of taping and sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss their thoughts headed into the suite.

Barry Greenstein will once again raise money for charity during Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker,” which will feature tournament hostess Kara Scott conducting interviews from the floor and Gabe Kaplan flying solo in the booth sans A.J. Benza. Greenstein is set to utter the most feared three words in all of poker sometime during the sixth season, “bing, bang blaow,” for charity. He told Poker News Daily, “One of the problems with it is that it’s like trash talking. Normally, it’s not classy to beat someone in a big pot and then talk trash. Each of the last couple of years, with the ‘Math is idiotic,’ I beat Tom Dwan and drew out. With the ‘lol donkaments,’ I told Erick Lindgren ahead of time that I was going to do it.” For uttering popular phrases throughout the years, Greenstein has truly earned his nickname as the “Robin Hood of Poker.”

Besides “High Stakes Poker,” Daniel Negreanu has taken to the television airwaves for the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge,” which returns this Sunday following NFL football on Fox. Negreanu discussed how the show has been received so far: “We couldn’t be happier. It came in off ‘Face the Ace,’ which got bad ratings. ‘Million Dollar Challenge’ was one of the highest rated shows and did amazingly well. The time slot is perfect following football and the production quality is so much better. Everything has a game show feel.”

On the mind of “High Stakes Poker” newcomer Dennis Phillips was the win by fellow Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Cada in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Phillips finished third in the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament last year to the tune of $4.5 million; Cada’s win this year was worth $8.5 million. Phillips explained, “He was 21 and just won $8.5 million. He has a good head, talks well with the media, and wants to promote poker. We just need to make sure it goes the right way and he and I will be talking off and on.” PokerStars has produced several recent WSOP Main Event champions, including Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), Peter Eastgate (2008), and Cada (2009).

Phil Laak, who was an alternate for the sixth season of “High Stakes Poker” and wound up filming, told Poker News Daily about his experience at the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table, which unfolded at the Rio: “It was the second time in 10 years that I went to see it. I had never been in the Penn and Teller Theater in my life and I haven’t seen the show either.” Laak and Antonio Esfandiari instigated a number of prop bets during Season 5 of “High Stakes Poker,” one-off events that producer Mori Eskandani has apparently frowned upon during the show’s most recent installment.

Besides Phillips, another newcomer to the GSN poker series this time around is Lex “RaSZi” Veldhuis, who final tabled the $40,000 buy-in tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP in 2009. Veldhuis told Poker News Daily how he stacks up against the talented competition: “I’ve played with these guys before, so I’m comfortable with them and I’m comfortable with my game. I just hope I can win some money because the show is a small sample. There’s going to be really high variance and I won’t have a lot of hands. It’s gambling, so in that respect, I think it’s higher stakes.”

Season 6 of “High Stakes Poker” will begin airing on Sunday, February 14th on GSN.

Online Poker May Be Coming to Quebec, British Columbia

Quebec, British Columbia, and the four Atlantic provinces of Canada may soon see legalized and regulated online poker headed their way, according to an article that appeared in the Montreal Gazette newspaper.

Loto-Québec has submitted a proposal to the province’s government “for an internet wagering initiative in partnership with British Columbia and the four Atlantic provinces, which already have limited online gaming,” according to the Canadian news outlet. Loto-Québec claims that Canadians are currently placating more than 2,000 offshore internet gambling outfits, sending nearly $700 million in wagers away from the country each year, a number that will likely top $1 billion in three years.

Quebec plays home to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), which is located on the Indian reservation of the same name outside of the city. Although the KGC is not currently linked to Loto-Québec’s endeavors, the organization’s Chairman, Dean Montour, told the Montreal Gazette, “The fact that Quebec is now entering the online gaming business in partnership with the Atlantic provinces and British Columbia is an indication that the industry is thriving and is gaining wider acceptance. For over 10 years, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has had a positive working relationship with online gaming regulators throughout the world and looks forward to sharing its knowledge and experience with the Régie des alcools des courses et des jeux.”

The KGC is fresh off completing the investigating surrounding Ultimate Bet, an online poker site that recently changed its name to UB.com. In a September report, the KGC continued to finger former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Russ Hamilton as the mastermind behind the scandal and noted that 31 other individuals were involved, but would not identify who they were. The KGC also issued over 100 screen names associated with the misgivings, a list that included “nvtease,” “Sleeplesss,” and the infamous “NioNio.”

Given the seemingly “Wild West” atmosphere of the internet, Canadian control of the online poker industry will likely bring a considerable amount of validity: “The integrity of the online games often is dubious, as it was for some lotteries and VLTs before Loto-Québec was mandated by the government to funnel them into controlled circuits and oversee them,” noted Loto-Québec President and CEO Alain Cousineau. Loto-Québec added $1.4 billion to the bottom line of the province during the last fiscal year.

Potentially adding to the pressure of Loto-Québec to legalize and regulate the internet version of the age-old card game is a move towards licensing in the United States, spearheaded by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Back in May, the lawmaker introduced HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which establishes a full framework for legalized internet gambling in the USA. The measure is up to 63 co-sponsors, including Anthony Weiner (D-NY), who signed on four days ago. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) expects HR 2267 to be marked up in the House Financial Services Committee, of which Frank is the Chair, in January. Other reports signal that markup is coming in December.

On December 1st, the financial services industry in the United States must fall into full compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed three years ago. The PPA and other organizations have been feverishly working to delay the compliance date by one year, but so far, pleas to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and the U.S. Congress have not been heeded.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the newly-created Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment (HIE), headed by former Party Gaming CEO Mitch Garber, would be based in Montreal. Former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack was originally slated to be HIE’s President, but recently parted ways with the Las Vegas-based gambling giant.

2009 WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada Appears on Late Show with David Letterman

On Tuesday night, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Joe Cada appeared in an abbreviated segment of the “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS. Also taking to the stage were actress Penelope Cruz and musical guests The Script.

Cada appeared after Cruz as Letterman’s second guest around 12:25am ET for a four-minute stint. The 2009 WSOP Main Event winner came out to a rendition of Lady Gaga’s hit song “Poker Face” donning a black collared shirt and a pair of blue jeans. No PokerStars logo was visible and Cada wore his bracelet on his left hand. Letterman asked the 21 year-old to show it to the camera and called it a “watch.”

Letterman began the informal interview by noting that he remembered the WSOP being at Binion’s, where it was housed until 2005, when the festivities picked up and moved across town to the Rio. Cada plugged PokerStars, where he is a sponsored pro, when Letterman asked how he got started in the game and the “Late Show” host then candidly asked what the largest sum of money that Cada had lost in a day was. His response was $100,000, which made Letterman cringe “Oh my God.”

Letterman called Cada a “professional gambler” multiple times, but Cada responded, “It’s not like I’m in over my head. It sucks losing that money, but you don’t want to play anything really big.” Letterman then joked that Cada should “get a real job” and the $8.5 million winner retorted, “That sounds like my mother.” Cada lamented that several players fell ill during the 2009 WSOP and that play at the Rio was exhausting.

The CBS talk show host recalled how poker players used to be treated: “In my mind, the winner of a big pot, they found dead in a rental car.” Cada, however, explained that poker exploded after Chris Moneymaker took down the 2003 WSOP Main Event: “It’s a fun thing to do socially. I grew up playing with my friends at the table.” Letterman inquired about the camaraderie at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio for the final table of this year’s feature tournament. On the mood at the marathon final table, Cada noted, “It was very friendly.”

Curiously, Letterman brought up Cada’s backing arrangement, asking if other professional players bought him into the $10,000 tournament. With a smile across his face, Cada explained, “Something along those lines.” He did not mention Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy or Eric “sheets” Haber by name, but Letterman asked, “So you have to split [the $8.5 million prize] up with those guys?” Cada responded, “Yeah.” Letterman then quipped, “Or that’s where the rental car comes in.” It appeared to be a fairly uncomfortable exchange given that the interview only lasted four minutes overall.

On Cada’s motivation to repeat as champion when the 2010 WSOP Main Event plays out, Letterman explained, “It’s like an Academy Award. Once you’ve won it, what do you care? You’re the World Champion of Poker.”

Some in the online poker community speculated that Cada would plug the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization that he is a proponent of, but that failed to materialize. In addition, none of the other eight November Nine members was mentioned by name and a short clip of the moment Cada won aired prior to his appearance.

The “Late Show with David Letterman” airs Monday through Friday at 11:35pm ET.

Kentucky Cabinet Secretary Discusses Internet Gambling Battle

One month ago, the Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that pits the state’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet against the owners of 141 internet gambling domain names, including those belonging to industry titans like PokerStars and Fill Tilt Poker.

Heading the Cabinet is J. Michael Brown, who was present during oral arguments in the Frankfort courtroom and brought the legal action against the domain names in question one year ago. Brown told Poker News Daily that nothing discussed during the October 22nd hearing caught him off-guard. He added, “In discussing some of the procedural background, members of the court touched on some of the underlying issues, everything from whether a domain name is a device and how a device is defined to what measures the Commonwealth can employ to defend itself against unregulated internet gambling.”

Representing the internet gambling sites were a consortium of lawyers, including those from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), and several of the targeted sites. Despite the large presence of trade organizations during the proceedings, Brown and company questioned why no domain owners had come forth to defend themselves. The Secretary told Poker News Daily, “Who were the stakeholders on the other side? There didn’t seem to be anyone standing up saying that they represent these innocent owners. Their arguments were all over the map, from the First Amendment to likening it to a criminal proceeding. I was pleased that the court spent time looking at the underlying issues.”

Many in the industry have cautioned that the outcome of the Kentucky internet gambling case may set a precedent worldwide. More light could be shed on where domain names are located and who has rights to seize or regulate them as a result of the seven-member Kentucky Supreme Court’s decision. On the global implications of the Commonwealth’s actions, Brown frankly stated, “I’m only focusing on Kentucky. Our interest is in the unregulated gambling that we believe has been going on. I don’t know that our Supreme Court is ready to look at it as a worldwide precedent because a lot of the underlying facts haven’t been completely developed.”

Influencing the Commonwealth is the presence of a booming horse racing industry in Kentucky, headlined every May by the running of the Kentucky Derby. The spectacle, which unfolds from Churchill Downs in Louisville, generates a considerable amount of revenue for the State, bringing in high rollers, celebrities, politicians, and horse racing fans from around the globe.

The 141 internet gambling domain names are owned by companies located in places like Costa Rica, Gibraltar, Canada, and Isle of Man. Brown explained, “You have people who own and operate domain names. In order to regulate them, you have to go to the registrars because the actual owners are all offshore.” Registrars include giants like GoDaddy.com, which features Team PokerStars Pro member Vanessa Rousso as one if its spokesmen.

When the Kentucky Supreme Court will hand down a decision in the case is not yet known. Joe Brennan, Chairman of iMEGA, told Poker News Daily that he would set an over/under of March, 2010. Rich Muny, Kentucky State Director for the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), contrastingly, expected a decision to be rendered by Christmas.

The 141 internet gambling domain names were seized in September of 2008 on the grounds that they were illegal “gambling devices,” a term that traditionally refers to tangible objects like slot machines and roulette wheels that you’d find in an underground casino. Judge Thomas Wingate upheld the Commonwealth’s actions one month later before the industry sought the intervention of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The judicial body ruled against the State by a two-to-one margin in January, setting up October’s showdown in the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Ilari Sahamies takes $1,2 million in two hours

It was yet another action filled night at Full Tilt Poker. It seemed that some of the top pros were hunting down Isildur1, but he didn’t show up.

We saw some old names on the big $300/$600 + ante tables. Brian “Sbrugby” Townsend and Niki “Kaibuxxe” Jedlicka joined the action after they’ve built up their bankroll in the lower stakes. Also Patrik Antonius, Hac “Trex313″ Hang and David Benyamine were checking out the action.

Sahamies was really unstoppable. He continued to play with his own style - which is really hyper- aggressive - so he got people to pay up when he held the nuts.

Ziigmund continued to play heads up against Tom Dwan in $500/$1000 PLO and he won $300k very fast. Dwan quit playing shortly after this.

Eventually Ziigmund took all the money from the Russian player “rospod” and shortly after the games dried up because Ilari had so deep stack.

Sahamies took about $1,2 million paycheck from the two hour long session. Quite nice.

Ziigmund gets great value from Trex313, $268k pot

Ilari takes down another pot, $264k

Sahamies vs Isildur1

A bit later on Sahamies played against David Benyamine and Isildur1. Isildur1 wouldn’t answer Ilari’s questions, so the games ended fast. Although, Isildur1 did say that he is not anyone that Ilari would know. We don’t have the results from these games yet.

Source: Highstakesdb

You just read Poker News from HighStakesNews.com

Ilari Sahamies takes $1,2 million in two hours

Juuso Leppanen leading the way…

The players are back after a short, ten minute break. 80 players are left meaning that the average stack is now at 16,250. With the blinds at 60 minute intervals and at the 200/400 level [50 antes], players are now progressing at a more relaxed pace without the pressure from the shorter blinds two levels back.

Swedish player takes PKR by storm

PKR are reeling – in the past few weeks, a Swedish player named PatIvey (who apparently possesses a little of the Antonius/Ivey magic himself) has been winning tournaments left, right and centre.