It’s once again time for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) – the 40th edition. For poker players, the WSOP is the ultimate in “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” It’s where dreams come true and also where dreams are shattered. Many of us dote about the bracelets, the history, and the tradition that set the WSOP apart from other tournaments, but the beauty is that most players really can win life-changing money.
This year’s kickoff event was a $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th annual WSOP. Personally, I think it’s a dumb idea to ever have a bigger buy-in for a No Limit Hold’em tournament than the Main Event, so I wasn’t for it. I didn’t play in it because I missed the first week of the WSOP this year. I took a vacation with my wife Karen and son Ty (nine months old) to Yellowstone National Park – and it was great! It was a vacation for our second anniversary and Ty is the first child for either of us. It’s official - my priorities have changed from poker to parenting!
I do love the WSOP, though. I’m guessing I will play in 10 to 12 events this year. It may be their 40th, but it’s my 25th WSOP, my Silver Anniversary. One thing’s for sure: I will never forget my first-ever WSOP. It was 1984. I lived in North Carolina back then and had been a professional poker player for about six years. I always wanted to go the WSOP and play against the best. I never went, though, because I was an avid Little League coach back then (which, incidentally, was the greatest joy of my life). We started practicing in April and our season started in May – the same time as the WSOP in those days – and, therefore, I couldn’t go.
In 1984, I finally decided to take a week off from Little League and go to my first WSOP. Back then, they only had one tournament every other day. That meant in a week’s time, you could only play in three events. So, I entered three events, made two final tables, and was hooked for life on the WSOP. Because of my success in that first WSOP, I decided to move to Las Vegas a few months later and I’ve lived there ever since. I’ve often wondered where I’d be today if I hadn’t cashed in any of those three tournaments.
Here’s the bad part: 25 years later, I still remember how I was knocked out of those tournaments at my first WSOP – and it still hurts! Why can’t I just let it go? Because it’s my Silver Anniversary WSOP, I’ll relive the pain and tell you what happened (If you don’t like bad beat stories, skip the next couple of paragraphs).
With five players left in the Pot Limit Omaha tournament, I was average in chips and the leader was Tom McEvoy, who happened to be the reigning World Champion of Poker at the time. Noted author David Sklansky was also still there as well as a high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha player named Bill Bennett, the eventual winner.
McEvoy was playing extremely aggressive, too much so for Pot Limit Omaha, in my opinion. Even though he was the World Champion at No Limit Hold’em, I wasn’t convinced he played Pot Limit Omaha that well. Tom was raising nearly every pot and once again raised the max pre-flop. I was on the button and picked up a nice hand, A-K-Q-8 (A-Q of diamonds, K-8 of Clubs). I called, as did the big blind. The flop was Q-8-3 with two hearts and one club. The big blind checked and McEvoy led out and bet the pot. I was contemplating raising and going for it all right there. McEvoy must have sensed it because he blurted out, “If you raise it, I’m going to put you all-in.” After that statement, I decided to go with this hand for sure. So I then said, “Well, I guess you’re going to put me all-in then, because I’m raising it!” I raised, the big blind folded, and true to his word, McEvoy set me all-in. I can still remember how much my heart was pounding when I called him.
I was shocked and thrilled when he turned up his hand. He had a 3-4-5-8 and no heart draw! Yippee!! I had the top two pair and he had the bottom two pair. Then it happened - a seven came on the turn and a six on the river. Wham! Bam! He made a straight and won the pot. Instead of me being the chip leader, I was out. I won’t forget that hand as long as I live. That bracelet could/should have been mine!
Even with all the pain, I love the WSOP. I like that, for the first time ever at the WSOP, there are no rebuys in any tournaments. I’ve always campaigned for that because I think everyone should have an equal chance to win a bracelet. Rebuy tournaments are not equal to everyone; they favor the deep pockets.
Sadly, I must say that I can’t believe the $50,000 HORSE tournament is not being televised this year. In my opinion, this is a poor decision and not good for poker. And even though they’re doing it again, I still think it’s a bad idea to put the Main Event final table four months down the road. Whether or not I like the final table in November, however, you can be sure of this: If I’m breathing, I’ll be playing in the Main Event. Needless to say, it would be a dream come true to get to that final table. If it happens, I hope to meet you there! (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
PartyGaming to build first grassroots poker team; Signs Ian Fraser - 26th June 2009
PartyPoker is to create its first ever grassroots poker team to compete at major poker events.
PartyPoker.com has previously stayed out of the player sponsorship market with the exception of main site ambassador Mike Sexton, but has sponsored UK player Ian Frazer as the new team’s first member.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The sponsored player and grassroots team initiative will continue to grow, with all VIPs reviewed for suitability. We are looking for players that have shown themselves to have star quality in their play but who are also fun, humorous and possess a strong character and willingness to co-operate. Our extensive international television distribution gives players the chance of brilliant exposure.”
VIPs, loyal players and players with historic links to PartyPoker will form the basis of the team.
Ian ‘The Raiser’ Frazer, a 50-year-old building contractor from London with live tournament winnings of over US$1.3m, started playing online at the site in 2004, and has finished on the final table of five offline Party tournaments.
Frazer will host invitation-only private tournaments on PartyPoker.com and represent PartyPoker.com at events at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, on which he has started blogging on the PartyPoker blog.
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PartyPoker.com has previously stayed out of the player sponsorship market with the exception of main site ambassador Mike Sexton, but has sponsored UK player Ian Frazer as the new team’s first member.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The sponsored player and grassroots team initiative will continue to grow, with all VIPs reviewed for suitability. We are looking for players that have shown themselves to have star quality in their play but who are also fun, humorous and possess a strong character and willingness to co-operate. Our extensive international television distribution gives players the chance of brilliant exposure.”
VIPs, loyal players and players with historic links to PartyPoker will form the basis of the team.
Ian ‘The Raiser’ Frazer, a 50-year-old building contractor from London with live tournament winnings of over US$1.3m, started playing online at the site in 2004, and has finished on the final table of five offline Party tournaments.
Frazer will host invitation-only private tournaments on PartyPoker.com and represent PartyPoker.com at events at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, on which he has started blogging on the PartyPoker blog.
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How Internet Gambling is Keeping Wall Street Rich - Gambling911 - 28th June 2009
Using skills honed on the Street, he's turned poker into just one more exotic financial transaction. Now, though, instead of commuting to midtown Manhattan in a suit, he flies to Las Vegas for million-dollar tournaments or sits at home in boxer shorts, playing five online tables simultaneously. "Some friends have told me that my greatest trade ever was Lehman for poker," Pahuja says. "Other people act kind of snide about the fact that I gamble for a living. I shrug it off and tell them that I must be doing okay since I'm not one of the guys out there looking for a job. I'm making more money at poker than I could make on Wall Street right now."
It's not just the recently unemployed who've moved from monitoring interest-rate fluctuations on Bloomberg terminals to searching out games on Full Tilt-it's guys who still have jobs but are looking to make up for the shortfall in their once-hefty bonuses. One hedge-fund trader, who competes under the name chosenpromise, is compensating for a withered paycheck by playing high-stakes Texas Hold'em. "There is not as much immediate upside on Wall Street as there used to be," he says. "After things got bad I upped my poker hours significantly."
Though some ex-Wall Streeters prefer taking risks with other people's money, Pahuja enjoys putting his own on the line, believing that playing poker taps into his entrepreneurial side. Besides, with their shared reliance on probability, psychology, and swagger, playing the market and playing cards have always been two sides of the same coin. And in an era when an entire cohort of Ph.D.-level quants have been discredited as speculative fools, risking next month's car payment on a bluff seems like a perfectly reasonable application of statistical expertise. "More than ever before, I'm seeing a lot of my guys playing online poker," says Jin Zeng Joshi, a vice president at Dynamics Associates, a Manhattan-based executive-recruiting firm that focuses on the financial industry.
The perceived correlation between playing cards and trading stocks is so strong that when the markets were booming some managers even looked favorably on potential employees with poker chops. Trainees at the investment firm Susquehanna International Group are given Getting the Best of It, a book on gambling technique by David Sklansky, as assigned reading. On the other hand, Wall Street skill sets are hardly guaranteed to be transferable; the wolves of Vegas are more than happy to take on players from mathematical and financial backgrounds. Chosenpromise, who's the most seasoned of the players interviewed for this story, considers a million hands played to be the test of time. He's hit that number and has emerged as a big winner.
The high odds against major-league success haven't dampened the enthusiasm of 26-year-old Dante Conti. He recognized the parallels between the game and money management soon after his division got axed from Bank of America's Los Angeles office early this year. Looking to unwind after the trauma of being fired, he went to Las Vegas for a weekend. A couple of his friends are professional poker players, and Conti took notice. "Poker seems easy compared to investment banking," he says. "Reading people's betting styles and knowing what to do against them, it all came to me pretty naturally."
Conti spent the next few weeks playing $500 single-table poker tournaments for three to five hours a night, and developed a winning habit. He's found a new job in finance, but continues to play online poker at night. "Weirdly," he says, "considering all that's happened, there seems to be way less uncertainty in poker than there is on Wall Street." (Credit: Gambling911)
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It's not just the recently unemployed who've moved from monitoring interest-rate fluctuations on Bloomberg terminals to searching out games on Full Tilt-it's guys who still have jobs but are looking to make up for the shortfall in their once-hefty bonuses. One hedge-fund trader, who competes under the name chosenpromise, is compensating for a withered paycheck by playing high-stakes Texas Hold'em. "There is not as much immediate upside on Wall Street as there used to be," he says. "After things got bad I upped my poker hours significantly."
Though some ex-Wall Streeters prefer taking risks with other people's money, Pahuja enjoys putting his own on the line, believing that playing poker taps into his entrepreneurial side. Besides, with their shared reliance on probability, psychology, and swagger, playing the market and playing cards have always been two sides of the same coin. And in an era when an entire cohort of Ph.D.-level quants have been discredited as speculative fools, risking next month's car payment on a bluff seems like a perfectly reasonable application of statistical expertise. "More than ever before, I'm seeing a lot of my guys playing online poker," says Jin Zeng Joshi, a vice president at Dynamics Associates, a Manhattan-based executive-recruiting firm that focuses on the financial industry.
The perceived correlation between playing cards and trading stocks is so strong that when the markets were booming some managers even looked favorably on potential employees with poker chops. Trainees at the investment firm Susquehanna International Group are given Getting the Best of It, a book on gambling technique by David Sklansky, as assigned reading. On the other hand, Wall Street skill sets are hardly guaranteed to be transferable; the wolves of Vegas are more than happy to take on players from mathematical and financial backgrounds. Chosenpromise, who's the most seasoned of the players interviewed for this story, considers a million hands played to be the test of time. He's hit that number and has emerged as a big winner.
The high odds against major-league success haven't dampened the enthusiasm of 26-year-old Dante Conti. He recognized the parallels between the game and money management soon after his division got axed from Bank of America's Los Angeles office early this year. Looking to unwind after the trauma of being fired, he went to Las Vegas for a weekend. A couple of his friends are professional poker players, and Conti took notice. "Poker seems easy compared to investment banking," he says. "Reading people's betting styles and knowing what to do against them, it all came to me pretty naturally."
Conti spent the next few weeks playing $500 single-table poker tournaments for three to five hours a night, and developed a winning habit. He's found a new job in finance, but continues to play online poker at night. "Weirdly," he says, "considering all that's happened, there seems to be way less uncertainty in poker than there is on Wall Street." (Credit: Gambling911)
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cast of characters ready to entertain, by Joe Hachem - Fairfax - 20th June 2009
The world of professional poker is full of interesting characters, baby-faced maths whizzes, gnarled veterans, clowns, bombshells, good guys and villains.
It doesn't surprise me that the popularity of televised poker continues to grow. When you're not worried about your own hand, a live tournament is great entertainment - sweeping highs, crushing lows and nail-biting tension at every turn. As with all great TV, though, the real entertainment comes down to the characters.
From players looking to make an entry onto the main stage to the stalwarts who have a lot to teach, the following are some of players to watch during this year's World Series of Poker.
THE INTERNET WONDERKID - TOM "DURR" DWAN
An absolute internet phenomenon, 22-year-old Dwan has been training in poker online since he was 17. His earnings from online games last year are rumoured to be close to $US5.5 million - a phenomenal result for the young player, but how will Durr handle the pressure of facing off against some of the best in the world face to face?
Watch him to: See if the internet wonderkid translate his online success live wins.
THE STEADY CHAMP - DANIEL "KID POKER" NEGREANU
Don't let his baby face fool you, Team PokerStars PRO Negreanu has been making waves at the World Series since his debut in 1997. Negreanu coaches some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Spiderman's Tobey Maguire, and has recently starred in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Katy Perry's new video clip. Not just a famous face, Negreanu is one of the game's great strategists, and has penned several books and articles on the science behind his play.
Watch him to: See a consistent strategist in action.
THE TEACHER - GRANT LEVY
Sydney teacher Grant Levy is one of the most likeable local guys on the international poker circuit. A virtual unknown until 2007, the western suburbs boy rocketed to prominence after beating out myself, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker and 550 other players to pocket nearly $1m at a 2007 Asia Pacific Poker Tour. A good humoured guy at the table, Grant can always be counted on to place well in tournament and provide a bit of Aussie pride.
Watch him to: Cheer on the home side.
THE MATHEMETICIAN - MARK VOS
Another young Australian player to watch, Vos is a mathematician rather than a physical or psychological player. The former Mathematics Olympiads champion excels at the calculations behind the cards. Vos is fascinating to watch as he continues to improve his live game play, bringing his physical skills up to the standard of his mental gymnastics. Watch him to: Learn how to play the numbers.
THE TIGER WOODS OF POKER - PHIL IVEY
Phil Ivey is generally recognised as one of the best all-round poker players on the circuits. Well versed in all forms of poker, Ivey has already scored two bracelets this WSOP, making him the sixth-highest bracelet winner of all time. All eyes are now on the master to see whether he can score another and match his 2002 record-breaking haul of three WSOP bracelets.
Watch him to: See history in the making.
Until next week, Pass the Sugar! (Credit: Fairfax)
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It doesn't surprise me that the popularity of televised poker continues to grow. When you're not worried about your own hand, a live tournament is great entertainment - sweeping highs, crushing lows and nail-biting tension at every turn. As with all great TV, though, the real entertainment comes down to the characters.
From players looking to make an entry onto the main stage to the stalwarts who have a lot to teach, the following are some of players to watch during this year's World Series of Poker.
THE INTERNET WONDERKID - TOM "DURR" DWAN
An absolute internet phenomenon, 22-year-old Dwan has been training in poker online since he was 17. His earnings from online games last year are rumoured to be close to $US5.5 million - a phenomenal result for the young player, but how will Durr handle the pressure of facing off against some of the best in the world face to face?
Watch him to: See if the internet wonderkid translate his online success live wins.
THE STEADY CHAMP - DANIEL "KID POKER" NEGREANU
Don't let his baby face fool you, Team PokerStars PRO Negreanu has been making waves at the World Series since his debut in 1997. Negreanu coaches some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Spiderman's Tobey Maguire, and has recently starred in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Katy Perry's new video clip. Not just a famous face, Negreanu is one of the game's great strategists, and has penned several books and articles on the science behind his play.
Watch him to: See a consistent strategist in action.
THE TEACHER - GRANT LEVY
Sydney teacher Grant Levy is one of the most likeable local guys on the international poker circuit. A virtual unknown until 2007, the western suburbs boy rocketed to prominence after beating out myself, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker and 550 other players to pocket nearly $1m at a 2007 Asia Pacific Poker Tour. A good humoured guy at the table, Grant can always be counted on to place well in tournament and provide a bit of Aussie pride.
Watch him to: Cheer on the home side.
THE MATHEMETICIAN - MARK VOS
Another young Australian player to watch, Vos is a mathematician rather than a physical or psychological player. The former Mathematics Olympiads champion excels at the calculations behind the cards. Vos is fascinating to watch as he continues to improve his live game play, bringing his physical skills up to the standard of his mental gymnastics. Watch him to: Learn how to play the numbers.
THE TIGER WOODS OF POKER - PHIL IVEY
Phil Ivey is generally recognised as one of the best all-round poker players on the circuits. Well versed in all forms of poker, Ivey has already scored two bracelets this WSOP, making him the sixth-highest bracelet winner of all time. All eyes are now on the master to see whether he can score another and match his 2002 record-breaking haul of three WSOP bracelets.
Watch him to: See history in the making.
Until next week, Pass the Sugar! (Credit: Fairfax)
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
PKR launches new website - 20th June 2009
Online poker room PKR.com has launched a new site that has not only a new look and feel but also debuts a host of new features. A year in development, the site focuses strongly on community and content.
Key features include:
An expanded MyPKR section
PKR's new poker strategy resource (Raise Your Game section provides all PKR players with free and unrestricted access)
In-depth online poker community
A host of new game and client developments.
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Key features include:
An expanded MyPKR section
PKR's new poker strategy resource (Raise Your Game section provides all PKR players with free and unrestricted access)
In-depth online poker community
A host of new game and client developments.
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Saturday, June 20, 2009
Online Poker Reality Series 2 Months, $2 Million to Air on G4, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 19th May 2009
In August, cable station G4 will debut a brand new reality series following four online poker players trying to earn $2 million collectively in just two months. The show is appropriately called “2 Months, $2 Million” and will consist of 10 half-hour episodes.
Park Slope Productions brought “2 Months, $2 Million” to G4 executives. Laura Civiello, Vice President of Development for G4, told Poker News Daily about the network’s decision to green light the series: “There was something there that represented a lifestyle our audience is fascinated with. Every young guy wishes they could have this lifestyle, so it was very appealing to men ages 18 to 34, which is the majority of our demographic.” Filming is set to commence next week and the show will begin airing in August.
The group of four players who will vie to earn $2 million consists of Jason “pr1nnyraid” Rosenkrantz, Brian “Flawless_Victory” Roberts, Emil “whitelime” Patel, and Dani “Ansky” Stern. The latter final tabled the competitive PokerStars Super Tuesday in March and won the $30,000 Super Turbo Guaranteed in April. The two finishes were worth a combined $22,000. Patel nearly made the final table of a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed contest during the 2007 World Series of Poker, landing in eighth place for $83,000 in an event ultimately won by Bill Edler. Patel and Rosenkrantz are friends and recruited Roberts and Stern to join forces for the upcoming G4 show.
The four contestants will be wagering their own money, which Civiello believes adds an important dimension to the show: “It’s a huge challenge. That’s part of the fun of the show, watching them go on this incredible journey. For our audience, both the stakes and the lifestyle are the whole package. You want to come back to see if they win or lose.” The online poker world watched as the Bluff Poker Challenge played out in March on Lock Poker. The competition asked players to turn $200 into as much money as possible over the course of one month. In the end, Brian “SNo0oWMAN” Hawkins won, generating $25,000. In the G4 competition, each of the four players will need to earn an average of $500,000 over two months in order to reach their collective goal.
G4 held focus groups of its viewers to gauge interest in airing “2 Months, $2 Million.” Civiello explained that the “high risk, high reward” component of online poker was one of the leading drivers of its popularity among men ages 18 to 34. G4 penetrates into 65 million households nationwide, where it airs on varying tiers of cable service. Civiello explained, “We’re definitely aiming at the guys who are plugged in. This is the first generation that has grown up with the internet. It’s changed the way they’ve socialized. Culturally, it gives them a new way of looking at things.” G4 is owned by Comcast, which also manages E!, The Style Network, and FEARnet. Comcast is based on Los Angeles and provides telephone service, cable television, and high-speed internet.
Executives at G4 discussed the legal ramifications of airing a show surrounding online poker prior to giving it the go-ahead to film next week. Despite murky laws like the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) on the books, Civiello told Poker News Daily that the topic was well-researched: “We vetted the concept through our legal department because there is a lot of confusion around this. You have people introducing legislation to completely ban online poker and you have people introducing legislation to allow it. It’s something we looked into.” The G4 venture will mark one of the first times that online poker has ever been featured on television. One of the most recent occurrences was in November, when CBS News program “60 Minutes” investigated the scandals on Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker.
Other new shows in the works from G4 include “Web Soup,” a spin-off of the popular E! series “The Soup.” The show will chronicle viral videos and humorous web happenings each week. It’s hosted by Chris Hardwick and premieres June 7th. G4 is also planning a clip show about “sexy women around the world,” according to Civiello. Viewers can expect to see everything from Lithuanian honey wrestling to a wild Italian beauty pageant.
Be sure to tune into G4 in August for the debut of "2 Months, $2 Million." (Credit" Poker News Daily)
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Park Slope Productions brought “2 Months, $2 Million” to G4 executives. Laura Civiello, Vice President of Development for G4, told Poker News Daily about the network’s decision to green light the series: “There was something there that represented a lifestyle our audience is fascinated with. Every young guy wishes they could have this lifestyle, so it was very appealing to men ages 18 to 34, which is the majority of our demographic.” Filming is set to commence next week and the show will begin airing in August.
The group of four players who will vie to earn $2 million consists of Jason “pr1nnyraid” Rosenkrantz, Brian “Flawless_Victory” Roberts, Emil “whitelime” Patel, and Dani “Ansky” Stern. The latter final tabled the competitive PokerStars Super Tuesday in March and won the $30,000 Super Turbo Guaranteed in April. The two finishes were worth a combined $22,000. Patel nearly made the final table of a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed contest during the 2007 World Series of Poker, landing in eighth place for $83,000 in an event ultimately won by Bill Edler. Patel and Rosenkrantz are friends and recruited Roberts and Stern to join forces for the upcoming G4 show.
The four contestants will be wagering their own money, which Civiello believes adds an important dimension to the show: “It’s a huge challenge. That’s part of the fun of the show, watching them go on this incredible journey. For our audience, both the stakes and the lifestyle are the whole package. You want to come back to see if they win or lose.” The online poker world watched as the Bluff Poker Challenge played out in March on Lock Poker. The competition asked players to turn $200 into as much money as possible over the course of one month. In the end, Brian “SNo0oWMAN” Hawkins won, generating $25,000. In the G4 competition, each of the four players will need to earn an average of $500,000 over two months in order to reach their collective goal.
G4 held focus groups of its viewers to gauge interest in airing “2 Months, $2 Million.” Civiello explained that the “high risk, high reward” component of online poker was one of the leading drivers of its popularity among men ages 18 to 34. G4 penetrates into 65 million households nationwide, where it airs on varying tiers of cable service. Civiello explained, “We’re definitely aiming at the guys who are plugged in. This is the first generation that has grown up with the internet. It’s changed the way they’ve socialized. Culturally, it gives them a new way of looking at things.” G4 is owned by Comcast, which also manages E!, The Style Network, and FEARnet. Comcast is based on Los Angeles and provides telephone service, cable television, and high-speed internet.
Executives at G4 discussed the legal ramifications of airing a show surrounding online poker prior to giving it the go-ahead to film next week. Despite murky laws like the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) on the books, Civiello told Poker News Daily that the topic was well-researched: “We vetted the concept through our legal department because there is a lot of confusion around this. You have people introducing legislation to completely ban online poker and you have people introducing legislation to allow it. It’s something we looked into.” The G4 venture will mark one of the first times that online poker has ever been featured on television. One of the most recent occurrences was in November, when CBS News program “60 Minutes” investigated the scandals on Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker.
Other new shows in the works from G4 include “Web Soup,” a spin-off of the popular E! series “The Soup.” The show will chronicle viral videos and humorous web happenings each week. It’s hosted by Chris Hardwick and premieres June 7th. G4 is also planning a clip show about “sexy women around the world,” according to Civiello. Viewers can expect to see everything from Lithuanian honey wrestling to a wild Italian beauty pageant.
Be sure to tune into G4 in August for the debut of "2 Months, $2 Million." (Credit" Poker News Daily)
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Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in Online Poker Movie, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 16th June 2009
Move over, “Titanic,” there’s a new sheriff in town. Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio will star in an untitled film about internet gambling outfits in Costa Rica, according to the Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly.
The screenplay will be written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who both served in the same capacity in the 1998 film “Rounders,” which turned many of today’s poker prodigies onto the game. According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), “Rounders” marked the first official writing credits for Koppelman and Levien. The duo has also teamed up with DiCaprio to bring “Beat the Reaper” to the big screen. The film, which will be released next year, has the following plot according to IMDB: “ER doctor Peter Brown’s life is turned upside down when he crosses paths with a mobster who appears to know him from his former life as a hitman.”
No release date has been given for DiCaprio’s online poker movie. An article on MTV.com noted that DiCaprio’s plate is quite full: “DiCaprio has an enormous list of films in pre-production. For the time being, at least, he’ll be working on Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception.’ Whenever he’s finished with that, he will probably have developed five more projects.” IMDB notes that DiCaprio has 21 films in development.
Whether the film will focus on online poker, casinos, or sports betting remains to be seen and various websites pitch the movie in several different ways. Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker are both based in San Jose, the Central American country’s capital city. A report by CBS News program “60 Minutes” identified the offices of the sites as being located in a “strip mall.” Both Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker comprise the CEREUS Network, which was formed in November.
Action Poker, the flagship site of the network of the same name, has offices in Costa Rica. Joining the site in the tropical nation is Doyle’s Room, which opened the 2009 calendar year by jumping to the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network. Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, whose “Texas Dolly” moniker has made him one of the industry’s foremost faces, is the site’s namesake. Also holding a presence in Costa Rica is PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site. According to PokerScout.com, which ranks online poker site traffic, PokerStars has a seven day running average of 22,000 cash game players. It happily accepts customers from the United States.
“Rounders” starred Edward Norton and Matt Damon. The movie was released five years before Chris Moneymaker became a household after the Tennessee accountant defeated Sammy Farha in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Since then, Koppelman and Levien have kept their love for poker alive, teaming up for ESPN’s short-lived series “Tilt,” which starred Michael Madsen as Don “The Matador” Everest. “Tilt” premiered in 2005, ran for one season, and featured appearances by poker superstars including Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, and T.J. Cloutier. Negreanu is fresh off a cameo in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
Finally, Koppelman and Levien wrote “Oceans Thirteen,” which came out in 2007. It was the third installment of the franchise, which stars Damon, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts. “Oceans Thirteen” returned to its roots in Las Vegas as the team sought revenge on casino owner Willy Blank (played by Al Pacino). The movie also stars Don Cheadle, who founded Ante Up for Africa along with Norman Epstein and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke.
We’ll have more information for you on DiCaprio’s online gambling movie as it becomes available right here on Poker News Daily. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The screenplay will be written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who both served in the same capacity in the 1998 film “Rounders,” which turned many of today’s poker prodigies onto the game. According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), “Rounders” marked the first official writing credits for Koppelman and Levien. The duo has also teamed up with DiCaprio to bring “Beat the Reaper” to the big screen. The film, which will be released next year, has the following plot according to IMDB: “ER doctor Peter Brown’s life is turned upside down when he crosses paths with a mobster who appears to know him from his former life as a hitman.”
No release date has been given for DiCaprio’s online poker movie. An article on MTV.com noted that DiCaprio’s plate is quite full: “DiCaprio has an enormous list of films in pre-production. For the time being, at least, he’ll be working on Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception.’ Whenever he’s finished with that, he will probably have developed five more projects.” IMDB notes that DiCaprio has 21 films in development.
Whether the film will focus on online poker, casinos, or sports betting remains to be seen and various websites pitch the movie in several different ways. Tokwiro-owned online poker rooms Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker are both based in San Jose, the Central American country’s capital city. A report by CBS News program “60 Minutes” identified the offices of the sites as being located in a “strip mall.” Both Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker comprise the CEREUS Network, which was formed in November.
Action Poker, the flagship site of the network of the same name, has offices in Costa Rica. Joining the site in the tropical nation is Doyle’s Room, which opened the 2009 calendar year by jumping to the USA-friendly Cake Poker Network. Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson, whose “Texas Dolly” moniker has made him one of the industry’s foremost faces, is the site’s namesake. Also holding a presence in Costa Rica is PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site. According to PokerScout.com, which ranks online poker site traffic, PokerStars has a seven day running average of 22,000 cash game players. It happily accepts customers from the United States.
“Rounders” starred Edward Norton and Matt Damon. The movie was released five years before Chris Moneymaker became a household after the Tennessee accountant defeated Sammy Farha in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Since then, Koppelman and Levien have kept their love for poker alive, teaming up for ESPN’s short-lived series “Tilt,” which starred Michael Madsen as Don “The Matador” Everest. “Tilt” premiered in 2005, ran for one season, and featured appearances by poker superstars including Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, and T.J. Cloutier. Negreanu is fresh off a cameo in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
Finally, Koppelman and Levien wrote “Oceans Thirteen,” which came out in 2007. It was the third installment of the franchise, which stars Damon, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts. “Oceans Thirteen” returned to its roots in Las Vegas as the team sought revenge on casino owner Willy Blank (played by Al Pacino). The movie also stars Don Cheadle, who founded Ante Up for Africa along with Norman Epstein and “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up Annie Duke.
We’ll have more information for you on DiCaprio’s online gambling movie as it becomes available right here on Poker News Daily. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Roman's ships are down, by Graeme Leech - The Australian - 7th May 2009
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has lost one of his yachts in a game of poker. Poor form for a whale; he did not, as Kerry Packer would have, call double or nothing. Abramovich's yacht collection is worth hundreds of millions and has been dubbed the Roman Navy by the British press, which follows his every move because he owns the Chelsea soccer club. So he can afford one $US500,000 yacht. Strewth's Packer reference comes from an anecdote that could be a casino myth. Packer was playing blackjack in Las Vegas when another gambler began boasting about his ranch. To silence the man, Packer is reputed to have said: "Toss you for it." (Credit: The Australian)
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Daniel Tzvetkoff hit with $52m lawsuit, by Daryl Passmore - The Sunday Mail - 14th June 2009
Queensland's baby-faced internet tycoon Daniel Tzvetkoff is being targeted in a $52 million legal action by an online gambling firm.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of blows in recent months for the 25-year-old who first hit the headlines last year when he bought the state's most expensive home, spending $27 million for an unfinished beachfront mansion on the Gold Coast.
Mr Tzvetkoff is the brains behind an online billing, payments and fraud-detection system which helped him and partner Sam Sciacca, 38, build a business empire worth an estimated $120 million in last year's The Sunday Mail Top 100 Rich List.
Their firm, Intabill Inc, is now being sued by Kolyma Corporation AVV for payments which Kolyma says were not passed on.
The corporation, based in the former Dutch colony of Aruba in the southern Caribbean, operates Full Tilt Poker, one of the most popular and lucrative online gambling sites.
It was one of the biggest clients of Intabill, which is based in the Brisbane suburb of Milton.
Kolyma is seeking payment of an alleged debt of $US43 million ($A52.75 million) plus interest, which it claims has been increasing at $US13,532 a day (about A$16,590) since May 25.
The action, lodged in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on May 25, names as defendants Intabill, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands tax haven, and the Australian-registered holding company BT Projects. It also targets Mr Tzvetkoff and Mr Sciacca individually, saying they gave a guarantee to pay Kolyma money claimed to be owed.
Mr Tzvetkoff told The Sunday Mail they would defend the lawsuit "but I can't comment further".
Mr Sciacca could not be reached for comment.
Intabill had more than 5000 customers in 70 countries. It is understood that about half its revenue came from business linked to online gambling operations, with fees from just one operator topping more than $150,000 per day.
In April, Intabill laid off 96 employees - keeping about 20. Mr Tzvetkoff blamed market conditions and increased loan funding costs.
In May, Intabill withdrew a multimillion-dollar sponsorship of the Team IntaRacing V8 Supercar team, announced only months earlier.
Asked on Friday about the current state of his businesses, Mr Tzvetkoff said: "We are continuing to work to rebuild during these tough times."
Mr Tzvetkoff was raised in Brisbane's southern suburbs by a school teacher mum and a father who runs weekend markets.
Benefiting from the boom times of his business, he drove a black Lamborghini Gallardo with the number plate BALLER and owned a Ferrari 599, an Audi S6, Range Rover and a Ford GT40. He had a luxurious boat and used chartered private jets.
He is a part-owner of the Zuri Lounge celebrity nightclub in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
It is understood the boat and most of the cars have been sold.
A year ago, Mr Tzvetkoff emerged as the mystery buyer of the $27 million half-built mansion on "millionaire's row" at Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach, which was formerly owned by tourism tycoon Tony Smith.
The property, spread over four waterfront lots, was to be a family home for Mr Tzvetkoff, his fiancee Nicole Crisp and their son Hugo, now aged two. They planned to marry last October and move in late last year. But the wedding was postponed because Mr Tzvetkoff said he was too busy with business commitments.
The Hedges Ave property is still unfinished and they have not moved in yet.
"At the moment we are on hold," Mr Tzvetkoff said yesterday.
Salvatore "Sam" Sciacca is a lawyer with a background in commercial and corporate work, including e-commerce.
He is a cousin of former federal minister for veterans' affairs Con Sciacca, and has kept a much lower profile than Mr Tzvetkoff. (Credit: The Sunday Mail)
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The lawsuit is the latest in a series of blows in recent months for the 25-year-old who first hit the headlines last year when he bought the state's most expensive home, spending $27 million for an unfinished beachfront mansion on the Gold Coast.
Mr Tzvetkoff is the brains behind an online billing, payments and fraud-detection system which helped him and partner Sam Sciacca, 38, build a business empire worth an estimated $120 million in last year's The Sunday Mail Top 100 Rich List.
Their firm, Intabill Inc, is now being sued by Kolyma Corporation AVV for payments which Kolyma says were not passed on.
The corporation, based in the former Dutch colony of Aruba in the southern Caribbean, operates Full Tilt Poker, one of the most popular and lucrative online gambling sites.
It was one of the biggest clients of Intabill, which is based in the Brisbane suburb of Milton.
Kolyma is seeking payment of an alleged debt of $US43 million ($A52.75 million) plus interest, which it claims has been increasing at $US13,532 a day (about A$16,590) since May 25.
The action, lodged in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on May 25, names as defendants Intabill, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands tax haven, and the Australian-registered holding company BT Projects. It also targets Mr Tzvetkoff and Mr Sciacca individually, saying they gave a guarantee to pay Kolyma money claimed to be owed.
Mr Tzvetkoff told The Sunday Mail they would defend the lawsuit "but I can't comment further".
Mr Sciacca could not be reached for comment.
Intabill had more than 5000 customers in 70 countries. It is understood that about half its revenue came from business linked to online gambling operations, with fees from just one operator topping more than $150,000 per day.
In April, Intabill laid off 96 employees - keeping about 20. Mr Tzvetkoff blamed market conditions and increased loan funding costs.
In May, Intabill withdrew a multimillion-dollar sponsorship of the Team IntaRacing V8 Supercar team, announced only months earlier.
Asked on Friday about the current state of his businesses, Mr Tzvetkoff said: "We are continuing to work to rebuild during these tough times."
Mr Tzvetkoff was raised in Brisbane's southern suburbs by a school teacher mum and a father who runs weekend markets.
Benefiting from the boom times of his business, he drove a black Lamborghini Gallardo with the number plate BALLER and owned a Ferrari 599, an Audi S6, Range Rover and a Ford GT40. He had a luxurious boat and used chartered private jets.
He is a part-owner of the Zuri Lounge celebrity nightclub in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
It is understood the boat and most of the cars have been sold.
A year ago, Mr Tzvetkoff emerged as the mystery buyer of the $27 million half-built mansion on "millionaire's row" at Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach, which was formerly owned by tourism tycoon Tony Smith.
The property, spread over four waterfront lots, was to be a family home for Mr Tzvetkoff, his fiancee Nicole Crisp and their son Hugo, now aged two. They planned to marry last October and move in late last year. But the wedding was postponed because Mr Tzvetkoff said he was too busy with business commitments.
The Hedges Ave property is still unfinished and they have not moved in yet.
"At the moment we are on hold," Mr Tzvetkoff said yesterday.
Salvatore "Sam" Sciacca is a lawyer with a background in commercial and corporate work, including e-commerce.
He is a cousin of former federal minister for veterans' affairs Con Sciacca, and has kept a much lower profile than Mr Tzvetkoff. (Credit: The Sunday Mail)
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Friday, June 12, 2009
United States Federal Government Freezes $30 Million in Online Poker Funds, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 9th June 2009
Over $30 million belonging to at least 24,000 online poker players has been frozen by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to statements released by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and Associated Press.
The seizure of funds, according to the PPA statement, is a result of violations of the Wire Act of 1961 and the Illegal Gambling Business Act. The former has traditionally applied to online sports books. A Southern District judge issued a warrant for “an account at a Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco and a federal prosecutor told a bank in Arizona to freeze an account,” according to the Associated Press. On June 4th, a total of $19 million was frozen in banks in Scottsdale and Los Angeles and, as the PPA explained, “It is important to underscore that in at least two cases, the prosecutor acted and the banks responded without a warrant being issued.”
None of the Southern District Court’s actions appear to come as a result of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed in the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session at the urging of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The PPA released a statement late Tuesday afternoon noting, “The PPA is disappointed that this unprecedented action has been commenced against law abiding poker players. The payment processor funds frozen by the Southern District of New York belong to individual poker players – not operators of poker websites – and do not represent the proceeds of any gambling activity, much less illegal gambling activity.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown sent a letter on Friday to Alliance Bank of Arizona calling for the seizure of accounts held by the payment processor Allied Systems. In response, the PPA sent a letter yesterday to the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District Court requesting to be involved in the process going forward. The PPA has over one million members in total and is fresh off a victory in Minnesota, where the state’s Department of Public Safety rescinded an order to block access to 200 internet gambling domain names by its residents.
The PPA added that the organization has been in contact with the online poker sites whose checks have bounced and has been told that all players will be reimbursed. A member of the Poker News Daily staff received a check from PokerStars dated June 1st backed by a bank in California that cleared three days later without incident. PokerStars currently offers eChecks for depositing and withdrawing. Paper checks are the site’s only other method of cashing out for players from the United States. Paper checks are available for all denominations and sent by first class mail or courier service within 15 business days. Full Tilt Poker also offers eChecks.
According to the Associated Press, a federal prosecutor claimed that the funds in question were seized “because they constitute property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses.” When prompted for comment by Poker News Daily, PokerStars Press Office Donna McLoughlin responded, “PokerStars has not made any comments on this matter thus far. I don’t have any more information for you, I’m afraid.”
Meanwhile, members of the online poker community are reacting to the news. On PocketFives.com, one poster expressed his outrage at the lack of a clear response from PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site: “The payment processor where I got my Stars check from is part of this. Stars won’t really give me a straight answer.” Rich “TheEngineer” Muny commented on the same forum, “PPA will stand strong here. We have a nice record to date of winning in courts and we’re not planning to start losing now.”
In 2007, a similar occurrence involved Neteller. In July of that year, the company reached an agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to return frozen money to players. Approximately $60 million was seized; Neteller quickly exited the U.S. market and agreed to pay a $136 million fine. In January of 2007, Neteller founders John LeFebvre and Steve Lawrence were arrested on U.S. soil, which set off the funds seizure.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this breaking news story.
Poker News Daily columnist Sean Gibson contributed to this report. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The seizure of funds, according to the PPA statement, is a result of violations of the Wire Act of 1961 and the Illegal Gambling Business Act. The former has traditionally applied to online sports books. A Southern District judge issued a warrant for “an account at a Wells Fargo bank in San Francisco and a federal prosecutor told a bank in Arizona to freeze an account,” according to the Associated Press. On June 4th, a total of $19 million was frozen in banks in Scottsdale and Los Angeles and, as the PPA explained, “It is important to underscore that in at least two cases, the prosecutor acted and the banks responded without a warrant being issued.”
None of the Southern District Court’s actions appear to come as a result of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed in the waning moments of the 2006 Congressional session at the urging of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). The PPA released a statement late Tuesday afternoon noting, “The PPA is disappointed that this unprecedented action has been commenced against law abiding poker players. The payment processor funds frozen by the Southern District of New York belong to individual poker players – not operators of poker websites – and do not represent the proceeds of any gambling activity, much less illegal gambling activity.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown sent a letter on Friday to Alliance Bank of Arizona calling for the seizure of accounts held by the payment processor Allied Systems. In response, the PPA sent a letter yesterday to the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District Court requesting to be involved in the process going forward. The PPA has over one million members in total and is fresh off a victory in Minnesota, where the state’s Department of Public Safety rescinded an order to block access to 200 internet gambling domain names by its residents.
The PPA added that the organization has been in contact with the online poker sites whose checks have bounced and has been told that all players will be reimbursed. A member of the Poker News Daily staff received a check from PokerStars dated June 1st backed by a bank in California that cleared three days later without incident. PokerStars currently offers eChecks for depositing and withdrawing. Paper checks are the site’s only other method of cashing out for players from the United States. Paper checks are available for all denominations and sent by first class mail or courier service within 15 business days. Full Tilt Poker also offers eChecks.
According to the Associated Press, a federal prosecutor claimed that the funds in question were seized “because they constitute property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses.” When prompted for comment by Poker News Daily, PokerStars Press Office Donna McLoughlin responded, “PokerStars has not made any comments on this matter thus far. I don’t have any more information for you, I’m afraid.”
Meanwhile, members of the online poker community are reacting to the news. On PocketFives.com, one poster expressed his outrage at the lack of a clear response from PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site: “The payment processor where I got my Stars check from is part of this. Stars won’t really give me a straight answer.” Rich “TheEngineer” Muny commented on the same forum, “PPA will stand strong here. We have a nice record to date of winning in courts and we’re not planning to start losing now.”
In 2007, a similar occurrence involved Neteller. In July of that year, the company reached an agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to return frozen money to players. Approximately $60 million was seized; Neteller quickly exited the U.S. market and agreed to pay a $136 million fine. In January of 2007, Neteller founders John LeFebvre and Steve Lawrence were arrested on U.S. soil, which set off the funds seizure.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this breaking news story.
Poker News Daily columnist Sean Gibson contributed to this report. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
PARTYPOKER.COM AND PARTYCASINO.COM LAUNCH NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN
PARTYPOINTS STORE TO BE IMPROVED AT END OF JUNE
Gibraltar – 9th June 2009 – An exciting new global campaign has been launched for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com.
Extensive worldwide customer research helped PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com develop a new proposition and this is delivered through the new strapline ‘Feel it’. The research identified ‘it’ as the intense rush as the river card is turned or the wild anticipation as the roulette wheel begins to slow. In fact ‘it’ is something different to every player and with its range of new games, promotions and tournaments PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com are constantly innovating to deliver the best customer experience in online poker and casino.
The campaign will roll out on TV, online, billboards and in press in territories worldwide. At the heart are thrilling TV commercials for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com that show players caught up in a whirlwind of excitement. The whirlwind captures the journey of the game for poker and the fun and excitement of casino as players enjoy the games in a virtual world. The campaign also sees the introduction of a redesigned logo.
The television advertisements were filmed on the biggest stage at the famous Shepperton Studios in the UK where so many blockbusters including the Bond movies are shot. All the action was overseen by Hollywood film director Paul WS Anderson - his experience in directing Event Horizon, Resident Evil and Alien versus Predator was key to delivering the action packed footage. A look at the tv ads can be found at http://www.partypoker.com and http://www.partycasino.com
The campaign was created by Leeds based agency Home, in conjunction with PartyGaming’s in-house team.
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “The new campaign has gone global and you will already see the brand changes when you log on to PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com. PartyPoker.com has just launched the Million Dollar Hand promotion for June, while PartyCasino.com is the world’s largest online casino and is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. The Gold Mega Jackpot at PartyCasino.com currently stands at just over a record breaking $2,281,000 and is waiting to be hit!”
At the end of June, PartyPoker.com will be improving the PartyPoints store. Customers are advised to hold on to their PartyPoints until then to make the most of the changes that will be introduced. See http://www.partypoker.com for more details.
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Gibraltar – 9th June 2009 – An exciting new global campaign has been launched for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com.
Extensive worldwide customer research helped PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com develop a new proposition and this is delivered through the new strapline ‘Feel it’. The research identified ‘it’ as the intense rush as the river card is turned or the wild anticipation as the roulette wheel begins to slow. In fact ‘it’ is something different to every player and with its range of new games, promotions and tournaments PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com are constantly innovating to deliver the best customer experience in online poker and casino.
The campaign will roll out on TV, online, billboards and in press in territories worldwide. At the heart are thrilling TV commercials for both PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com that show players caught up in a whirlwind of excitement. The whirlwind captures the journey of the game for poker and the fun and excitement of casino as players enjoy the games in a virtual world. The campaign also sees the introduction of a redesigned logo.
The television advertisements were filmed on the biggest stage at the famous Shepperton Studios in the UK where so many blockbusters including the Bond movies are shot. All the action was overseen by Hollywood film director Paul WS Anderson - his experience in directing Event Horizon, Resident Evil and Alien versus Predator was key to delivering the action packed footage. A look at the tv ads can be found at http://www.partypoker.com and http://www.partycasino.com
The campaign was created by Leeds based agency Home, in conjunction with PartyGaming’s in-house team.
A PartyGaming spokesman said: “The new campaign has gone global and you will already see the brand changes when you log on to PartyPoker.com and PartyCasino.com. PartyPoker.com has just launched the Million Dollar Hand promotion for June, while PartyCasino.com is the world’s largest online casino and is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. The Gold Mega Jackpot at PartyCasino.com currently stands at just over a record breaking $2,281,000 and is waiting to be hit!”
At the end of June, PartyPoker.com will be improving the PartyPoints store. Customers are advised to hold on to their PartyPoints until then to make the most of the changes that will be introduced. See http://www.partypoker.com for more details.
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Monday, June 08, 2009
Poker warning for pubs - ABC News - 19th May 2009
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) says pub owners need to be aware of the legalities of running poker games.
AHA general manager Ian Horne says the Adelaide Casino has raised the issue from a commercial perspective, questioning if the games are legal.
Mr Horne says he understands free games run in pubs are legal, but venues should be careful of offering games involving cash.
"We're simply saying don't take the advice of the promoters, because if there is a prosecution, the promoter doesn't get prosecuted, the venue gets prosecuted," he said.
"So hotels and clubs that are going to have this buy-in poker, which is where cash is involved, they really need to take their own independent legal advice to assure themselves that they're not breaching any laws."
Clubs SA says it is not aware of any of its members running the cash buy-in games.
Clubs SA deputy president Bill Cochrane says poker games are run purely as free entertainment, not as a money-making operation.
"We would be very disappointed if there was any club participating in this type of game," he said.
"As an association we've reminded all our membership of their responsibility in regards to compliance to their operations with this type of tournament, we've stressed that there shouldn't be any buy-in games operating in any club in this state." (Credit: ABC News)
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AHA general manager Ian Horne says the Adelaide Casino has raised the issue from a commercial perspective, questioning if the games are legal.
Mr Horne says he understands free games run in pubs are legal, but venues should be careful of offering games involving cash.
"We're simply saying don't take the advice of the promoters, because if there is a prosecution, the promoter doesn't get prosecuted, the venue gets prosecuted," he said.
"So hotels and clubs that are going to have this buy-in poker, which is where cash is involved, they really need to take their own independent legal advice to assure themselves that they're not breaching any laws."
Clubs SA says it is not aware of any of its members running the cash buy-in games.
Clubs SA deputy president Bill Cochrane says poker games are run purely as free entertainment, not as a money-making operation.
"We would be very disappointed if there was any club participating in this type of game," he said.
"As an association we've reminded all our membership of their responsibility in regards to compliance to their operations with this type of tournament, we've stressed that there shouldn't be any buy-in games operating in any club in this state." (Credit: ABC News)
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Sunday, June 07, 2009
Watch the WSOP at PKR.com
PKR.com will be the only place to watch live coverage of many of this year’s WSOP events and the best thing is that it’s all available for free. The virtual reality poker site has signed a deal with Bluff Media giving them exclusive rights to 24 of the bracelet events at the 2009 World Series. Highlights of the package include the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E, $10,000 PLO and $10,000 Heads Up Championship. The events will be shown on a specific microsite at PKR.com.
PKR.com Marketing Director Simon Prodger said, "The World Series of Poker is without doubt the biggest event of the poker calendar and it fills me with delight that PKR has managed to scoop exclusive rights to be the official broadcaster for these 24 bracelet events."
If you’d rather be playing at the World Series than watching then there are still plenty of opportunities to qualify with PKR.com. At least 10 packages worth $12,000 apiece are on offer in the their WSOP Main Event Final with daily super satellites starting from just $1.20+6c.
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PKR.com Marketing Director Simon Prodger said, "The World Series of Poker is without doubt the biggest event of the poker calendar and it fills me with delight that PKR has managed to scoop exclusive rights to be the official broadcaster for these 24 bracelet events."
If you’d rather be playing at the World Series than watching then there are still plenty of opportunities to qualify with PKR.com. At least 10 packages worth $12,000 apiece are on offer in the their WSOP Main Event Final with daily super satellites starting from just $1.20+6c.
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Saturday, June 06, 2009
WSOP Sells Out Three of First Nine Events, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 6th June 2009
The 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has already been firmly cemented as one of our industry’s most epic events ever. Three of the first nine tournaments were sold out for the first time in WSOP history, including the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Stimulus Special event, which attracted 6,000 runners.
The seventh event of the 2009 WSOP was a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, the first of that genre to take place following the Stimulus Special. In fact, the tournaments began just three days apart, meaning another record field was likely on tap. As a result, 2,791 players showed up for the WSOP’s second sellout of 2009. Harrah’s officials determine whether an event has reached its capacity based on the number of players surviving the previous day’s tournaments combined with demand for the new schedule of events. Last year, 2,706 players took to the field in Event #7, which was won by Vitaly Lunkin.
In the end, Travis Johnson banked $666,000 and his first bracelet from Event #7, defeating Steve Karp heads-up. Others reaching the final table included Michael Ciotola (third place for $273,385), Mark Salinaro (fourth place for $193,343), Craig McConville (fifth place for $145,721), Brian McInnis (sixth place for $116,234), Walter Wright (seventh place for $97,985), Jim McClain (eighth place for $87,013), and Kam Low (ninth place for $81,185). The top 296 players finished in the money in the sold out affair, which emanated from the Amazon Room inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Sin City.
Similarly, Event #9, the $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament, drew 1,459 players, also a sellout. An e-mail sent to WSOP media this week noted, “With this event being six-handed, all available tables not being utilized for restarts were taken up by Event #9. Last year, this same event was Event #9 on the schedule and had 1,236 entrants. The 1,459 entrants represents a 223 player – or 18% - increase year over year.” The 2009 version of the Six-Max event, which wrapped up Friday night, was ultimately won by Ken Aldridge, who defeated Carman Cavella heads-up. The final table also featured Peter Gould (third place for $170,953), Bryce Yockey (fourth place for $115,230), Charles Furey (fifth place for $80,896), and Manny Minaya (sixth place for $59,049).
This year marks the first time that three of the first nine WSOP events have been sold out. Whether the numbers are a function of the placement of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP remains to be seen. The event was the second on the docket of the 2009 WSOP and brought out poker’s biggest stars. Its 201 entrants generated the largest non-Main Event prize pool in WSOP history at $7.7 million. The aforementioned Lunkin was its winner and took home $1.8 million for his showing.
Immediately following the $40,000 buy-in tournament was a $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better event that drew 918 entrants, making it the largest Omaha High-Low event in WSOP history. The sizable field didn’t faze Thang Luu, who took down the event for $263,000. It marked a monumental feat for Luu, who became the first player since Johnny Chan to win an event twice and also finish as its runner-up in a three-year span. Chan accomplished the feat in the Main Event, winning the tournament in 1987 and 1988 before falling to Ultimate Bet’s Phil Hellmuth in 1989.
No discussion of tournament sellouts would be complete without mentioning the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Stimulus Special, which attracted the largest non-Main Event field in WSOP history at 6,000 players. The tournament required two starting days and players were sprawled throughout the halls of the Rio, including several who could be found in Buzio’s Seafood Restaurant.
The 2009 WSOP will begin airing on ESPN on Tuesday, July 28th with the $40,000 No Limit Hold’em event. On August 4th, the WSOP Champions Invitational will air, followed by the Ante Up for Africa festivities on August 11th. Starting on August 18th, action from the $10,000 buy-in Main Event will hit television airwaves, concluding with its final table on Tuesday, November 10th.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP news. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The seventh event of the 2009 WSOP was a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event, the first of that genre to take place following the Stimulus Special. In fact, the tournaments began just three days apart, meaning another record field was likely on tap. As a result, 2,791 players showed up for the WSOP’s second sellout of 2009. Harrah’s officials determine whether an event has reached its capacity based on the number of players surviving the previous day’s tournaments combined with demand for the new schedule of events. Last year, 2,706 players took to the field in Event #7, which was won by Vitaly Lunkin.
In the end, Travis Johnson banked $666,000 and his first bracelet from Event #7, defeating Steve Karp heads-up. Others reaching the final table included Michael Ciotola (third place for $273,385), Mark Salinaro (fourth place for $193,343), Craig McConville (fifth place for $145,721), Brian McInnis (sixth place for $116,234), Walter Wright (seventh place for $97,985), Jim McClain (eighth place for $87,013), and Kam Low (ninth place for $81,185). The top 296 players finished in the money in the sold out affair, which emanated from the Amazon Room inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Sin City.
Similarly, Event #9, the $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Max tournament, drew 1,459 players, also a sellout. An e-mail sent to WSOP media this week noted, “With this event being six-handed, all available tables not being utilized for restarts were taken up by Event #9. Last year, this same event was Event #9 on the schedule and had 1,236 entrants. The 1,459 entrants represents a 223 player – or 18% - increase year over year.” The 2009 version of the Six-Max event, which wrapped up Friday night, was ultimately won by Ken Aldridge, who defeated Carman Cavella heads-up. The final table also featured Peter Gould (third place for $170,953), Bryce Yockey (fourth place for $115,230), Charles Furey (fifth place for $80,896), and Manny Minaya (sixth place for $59,049).
This year marks the first time that three of the first nine WSOP events have been sold out. Whether the numbers are a function of the placement of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament commemorating the 40th running of the WSOP remains to be seen. The event was the second on the docket of the 2009 WSOP and brought out poker’s biggest stars. Its 201 entrants generated the largest non-Main Event prize pool in WSOP history at $7.7 million. The aforementioned Lunkin was its winner and took home $1.8 million for his showing.
Immediately following the $40,000 buy-in tournament was a $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better event that drew 918 entrants, making it the largest Omaha High-Low event in WSOP history. The sizable field didn’t faze Thang Luu, who took down the event for $263,000. It marked a monumental feat for Luu, who became the first player since Johnny Chan to win an event twice and also finish as its runner-up in a three-year span. Chan accomplished the feat in the Main Event, winning the tournament in 1987 and 1988 before falling to Ultimate Bet’s Phil Hellmuth in 1989.
No discussion of tournament sellouts would be complete without mentioning the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Stimulus Special, which attracted the largest non-Main Event field in WSOP history at 6,000 players. The tournament required two starting days and players were sprawled throughout the halls of the Rio, including several who could be found in Buzio’s Seafood Restaurant.
The 2009 WSOP will begin airing on ESPN on Tuesday, July 28th with the $40,000 No Limit Hold’em event. On August 4th, the WSOP Champions Invitational will air, followed by the Ante Up for Africa festivities on August 11th. Starting on August 18th, action from the $10,000 buy-in Main Event will hit television airwaves, concluding with its final table on Tuesday, November 10th.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest WSOP news. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Thursday, June 04, 2009
Steve Sung Wins $1,000 WSOP Stimulus Special, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 4th June 2009
A record-setting 6,000 players turned out for Event #4 of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Stimulus Special. In the end, 24 year-old professional poker player Steve Sung banked $771,000 for the win.
The nine-handed final table in Event #4 was originally scheduled to play out on Tuesday night. However, a last-minute decision by WSOP officials to hold the final table on Wednesday set up a mid-afternoon showdown featuring Dan Heimiller and Sung holding dominating chip leads over the rest of the table. In fact, the duo held nearly half of the chips in play. First to hit the exits in the No Limit Hold’em tournament was Danny Fuhs, the short stack entering Wednesday’s play. After a board of 10-A-J-2, Phong Huynh pushed over the top of a raise by Fuhs, leaving Fuhs calling for his tournament life. He flipped over A-J for top two pair, but watched as Huynh revealed pocket tens for a set. Every member of the final table earned a six-figure payday, as Fuhs took home $114,168.
Huynh was the next to go, coming out on the short end of a set over set situation against James Matz. Heimiller then saw his lead take a dive after dropping a 2.5 million chip pot to Pete Vilandos. In the hand, Vilandos rivered a six-high straight, trumping Heimiller’s flopped set. Jeff Oakes was then ousted in seventh place by Sung. Oakes was all-in pre-flop holding pocket fives in a race against A-Q. However, the flop came ace-high, sending Sung into the lead in the hand for good. Sung then caught fire, as over the next hour, he’d grow his stack to well over six million.
During the heater, Sung sent Heimiller to the rails in sixth after Heimiller’s A-K of spades could not hold up against Sung’s A-Q. The flop came 3-Q-6, sending Sung into the lead for good. Heimiller banked $145,000 for his efforts and was gunning for his second WSOP bracelet. He won his first in 2002 in a $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em and Seven Card Stud event for $108,000. In that event, he bested Ram Vaswani heads-up in the finale of the 144 player field.
Sung was also the executioner of Nathan Mullen, who was eliminated in fifth place for $175,851. Mullen was all-in pre-flop with J-10 against Sung’s A-7. The flop came K-Q-J, giving Mullen the temporary lead in the hand, but also giving Sung a straight draw. Sure enough, one of the three remaining tens in the deck hit on the river, and Mullen was sent packing in shock. According to official WSOP coverage, the hand gave Sung 60% of the chips in play. Shortly thereafter, Larry Sidebotham was eliminated in fourth place for $227,254 by Matz, whose A-7 held against Q-J.
Sung sent Matz out in third place. Matz pushed over the top of a bet by Sung with 5-4 after a flop of Q-5-10. Sung flipped over K-J for an open-ended straight draw, which promptly hit when an ace fell on the river. Sung held a 5:2 chip margin heads-up and won his first bracelet within an hour. On the final hand, Sung’s hot run of cards continued. Vilandos called Sung’s all-in for his tournament life with pocket eights, only to see he was up against Sung’s pocket kings. The cowboys held and Sung banked $771,000; Matz earned $473,283 for his runner-up showing.
The $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament (Event #7) wrapped up Day 2 on Wednesday. When the final cards were dealt, Craig McConville was the only player with over one million chips. Hot on his heels are Steve Karp (957,000 chips) and Jacob Kalb (894,000 chips). Still in contention is Jeremy Joseph, who ESPN followed religiously throughout last year’s $10,000 buy-in Main Event. Joseph took 57th in the tournament for $115,000 and now sits with a stack of 493,000 entering the final day of play. Thirty-three players remain; falling during Wednesday’s action were Justin “looshle” Pechie (42nd place for $11,505) and Sandra Naujoks (61st place for $7,390). In March, Naujoks became only the second female to win a European Poker Tour (EPT) event.
Finally, David Fox leads the way in the $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event after Day 1. A sold out field of 1,459 players entered and 105 survived to see Day 2. Among those still in the hunt for the bracelet are David Daneshgar (27th with 77,700 chips), Bill Chen (40th with 68,700), Todd Witteles (45th with 64,600), Rafe Furst (63rd with 47,400), Justin Young (72nd with 33,300), Joe Awada (74th with 32,900), Carlos Mortensen (89th with 25,600), and Isaac Haxton (95th with 21,700). Play resumes at 2:00pm PT. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The nine-handed final table in Event #4 was originally scheduled to play out on Tuesday night. However, a last-minute decision by WSOP officials to hold the final table on Wednesday set up a mid-afternoon showdown featuring Dan Heimiller and Sung holding dominating chip leads over the rest of the table. In fact, the duo held nearly half of the chips in play. First to hit the exits in the No Limit Hold’em tournament was Danny Fuhs, the short stack entering Wednesday’s play. After a board of 10-A-J-2, Phong Huynh pushed over the top of a raise by Fuhs, leaving Fuhs calling for his tournament life. He flipped over A-J for top two pair, but watched as Huynh revealed pocket tens for a set. Every member of the final table earned a six-figure payday, as Fuhs took home $114,168.
Huynh was the next to go, coming out on the short end of a set over set situation against James Matz. Heimiller then saw his lead take a dive after dropping a 2.5 million chip pot to Pete Vilandos. In the hand, Vilandos rivered a six-high straight, trumping Heimiller’s flopped set. Jeff Oakes was then ousted in seventh place by Sung. Oakes was all-in pre-flop holding pocket fives in a race against A-Q. However, the flop came ace-high, sending Sung into the lead in the hand for good. Sung then caught fire, as over the next hour, he’d grow his stack to well over six million.
During the heater, Sung sent Heimiller to the rails in sixth after Heimiller’s A-K of spades could not hold up against Sung’s A-Q. The flop came 3-Q-6, sending Sung into the lead for good. Heimiller banked $145,000 for his efforts and was gunning for his second WSOP bracelet. He won his first in 2002 in a $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em and Seven Card Stud event for $108,000. In that event, he bested Ram Vaswani heads-up in the finale of the 144 player field.
Sung was also the executioner of Nathan Mullen, who was eliminated in fifth place for $175,851. Mullen was all-in pre-flop with J-10 against Sung’s A-7. The flop came K-Q-J, giving Mullen the temporary lead in the hand, but also giving Sung a straight draw. Sure enough, one of the three remaining tens in the deck hit on the river, and Mullen was sent packing in shock. According to official WSOP coverage, the hand gave Sung 60% of the chips in play. Shortly thereafter, Larry Sidebotham was eliminated in fourth place for $227,254 by Matz, whose A-7 held against Q-J.
Sung sent Matz out in third place. Matz pushed over the top of a bet by Sung with 5-4 after a flop of Q-5-10. Sung flipped over K-J for an open-ended straight draw, which promptly hit when an ace fell on the river. Sung held a 5:2 chip margin heads-up and won his first bracelet within an hour. On the final hand, Sung’s hot run of cards continued. Vilandos called Sung’s all-in for his tournament life with pocket eights, only to see he was up against Sung’s pocket kings. The cowboys held and Sung banked $771,000; Matz earned $473,283 for his runner-up showing.
The $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament (Event #7) wrapped up Day 2 on Wednesday. When the final cards were dealt, Craig McConville was the only player with over one million chips. Hot on his heels are Steve Karp (957,000 chips) and Jacob Kalb (894,000 chips). Still in contention is Jeremy Joseph, who ESPN followed religiously throughout last year’s $10,000 buy-in Main Event. Joseph took 57th in the tournament for $115,000 and now sits with a stack of 493,000 entering the final day of play. Thirty-three players remain; falling during Wednesday’s action were Justin “looshle” Pechie (42nd place for $11,505) and Sandra Naujoks (61st place for $7,390). In March, Naujoks became only the second female to win a European Poker Tour (EPT) event.
Finally, David Fox leads the way in the $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event after Day 1. A sold out field of 1,459 players entered and 105 survived to see Day 2. Among those still in the hunt for the bracelet are David Daneshgar (27th with 77,700 chips), Bill Chen (40th with 68,700), Todd Witteles (45th with 64,600), Rafe Furst (63rd with 47,400), Justin Young (72nd with 33,300), Joe Awada (74th with 32,900), Carlos Mortensen (89th with 25,600), and Isaac Haxton (95th with 21,700). Play resumes at 2:00pm PT. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Seidel Endorsement Of Sexton - Final Table Set At PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge IV
Poker Legend Erik Seidel On Mike Sexton
Final Table Set At PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge IV
Poker legend Erik Seidel’s endorsement of Mike Sexton for induction into Poker’s Hall of Fame.
“Next up should be Mike Sexton. He has some impressive accomplishments as a player, he won the Tournament of Champions in 06', the European Heads Up, and is one of the leaders in WSOP cashes including one bracelet. If I'm not mistaken he also won the 1st 10k event at Foxwoods as well. I can't think of anyone though who has contributed more to the growth of the game then Mike and that's why he should be the next inductee. As the WPT's announcer he is the guy who introduced no limit poker to millions of people, and who explained it in a way that drew them in and got them interested. I meet people all the time who don't even play poker but watch the WPT because he manages to keep it exciting for everyone. People can tell his enthusiasm is real, Mike loves poker and fortunately is able to translate that for the viewer. He deserves huge credit too for the growth of the online game. As a consultant for PartyPoker he helped the online game get started and helped Party create the biggest poker site in the world. Party was just another poker site until Mike's commercials on the WPT started running, then overnight the numbers doubled, tripled and very quickly they became the largest site poker has ever seen. He is one of the best ambassadors poker has ever seen and I hope he is on deck for admission in 09’.”
You can vote for Mike now at: http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pokerhalloffame/halloffamevoting.asp
London – 1st June 2009 – The final table is set at the http://www.partypoker.com Sports Stars Challenge in London. Sports stars, both past and present, have taken their seats in the hope of being crowned the ultimate sporting poker champion in the strongest and most international line-up to date. For the first time in the Matchroom Sport organised event’s history there were heats for motorsport professionals, top golfers and an online qualifier element. Live reporting can be found at: http://www.matchroompokerforum.co.uk
The final table features three online qualifiers in the form Scott O’Reilly, Jason Brennan and Paresh Patel. They join England rugby union star Henry Paul, Germany’s European Championship football winner Thomas Helmer, Irish boxing legend Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley and popular French golfer Jean Van De Velde.
O’Reilly is a member of PartyPoker.com’s VIP club http://www.palladiumlounge.com and came through a high octane motorsport heat that featured F1 icons Giancarlo Fisichella and Jacques Villeneueve. Previously he ran deep in the WSOP Main Event in 2006 winning over $165,000 as a PartyPoker.com qualifier. Jason Brennan, a 34-year old unemployed road builder from Holloway, London found his way to the final table after chinning darts legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in his heat. Paresh Patel is 42 years-old from Blackpool and got to play with football heroes and took out French World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf heads-up in his heat.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “ 140,000 people overall took part in the special Sports Stars Challenge freerolls online and three players have made the final table. A number of the sports stars have shown they have real game when it comes to poker with Ronald De Boer and Giancarlo Fisichella, in particular, showing solid aggressive games. Both were unlucky not to make the final table.”
Amongst the other sports stars who were knocked out in the heat stages included 2008 European Ryder Cup team member Graeme McDowell and Sam Torrance. Footballers included Romania’s Florin Radiciou and Denmark and Liverpool legend Jan Molby. The boxing tear-up featured Germany’s former unbeaten World Champion Sven Ottke, while the rugby heat didn’t prove fruitful for union’s former France and Wasps captain Raphael Ibanez.
PartyPoker.com players had the chance to win a seat through a freeroll in the sports heat of their choice. The sports were football (two heats), rugby (union and league combined), motorsport, boxing, darts and golf.
The winner of Sports Stars Challenge I was former rugby union star Austin Healey, while the second instalment saw victory for Irish snooker champion Ken Doherty. Last year’s winner was television presenter Kara Scott, who used the tournament as the starting point for a breakthrough successful year on the circuit that also included big cashes at the WSOP Main Event and Irish Open. Scott won £20,000 after defeating Manchester United football legend Norman Whiteside heads-up. There is no presenter heat in the new format this year.
The winner of each of the seven heats will take their seat at the final table, where seven players will battle it out until one of them walks away with the title. Each player sits down with 2,000 chips with the heat winner getting £7,000. The overall winner receives £20,000 with second getting £10,000 and third receiving £5,000.
Coverage of the event will be aired in the UK later this year on Sky Sports and then distributed internationally. Jesse May leads the commentary.
PARTYPOKER.COM SPORTS STARS CHALLENGE IV FINAL TABLE – London – 29th May – 1st June
SEAT 1 – JEAN VAN DE VELDE (GOLF)
SEAT 2 – DAVE MCAULEY (BOXING)
SEAT 3 – JASON BRENNAN (ONLINE QUALIFIER DARTS)
SEAT 4 – HENRY PAUL (RUGBY)
SEAT 5 – THOMAS HELMER (FOOTBALL)
SEAT 6 – PARESH PATEL (ONLINE QUALIFIER FOOTBALL)
SEAT 7 – SCOTT O’REILLY (ONLINE QUALIFIER MOTORSPORT)
World Series of Poker”®, “WSOP®” and “WSOPE”® are registered trade marks of Harrah’s License Company LLC. No license, affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. PartyGaming is not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s License Company LLC or the World Series of Poker®, in any way.
For more information e-mail Warren Lush warrenl@partygaming.com +34656236600
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Final Table Set At PartyPoker.com Sports Stars Challenge IV
Poker legend Erik Seidel’s endorsement of Mike Sexton for induction into Poker’s Hall of Fame.
“Next up should be Mike Sexton. He has some impressive accomplishments as a player, he won the Tournament of Champions in 06', the European Heads Up, and is one of the leaders in WSOP cashes including one bracelet. If I'm not mistaken he also won the 1st 10k event at Foxwoods as well. I can't think of anyone though who has contributed more to the growth of the game then Mike and that's why he should be the next inductee. As the WPT's announcer he is the guy who introduced no limit poker to millions of people, and who explained it in a way that drew them in and got them interested. I meet people all the time who don't even play poker but watch the WPT because he manages to keep it exciting for everyone. People can tell his enthusiasm is real, Mike loves poker and fortunately is able to translate that for the viewer. He deserves huge credit too for the growth of the online game. As a consultant for PartyPoker he helped the online game get started and helped Party create the biggest poker site in the world. Party was just another poker site until Mike's commercials on the WPT started running, then overnight the numbers doubled, tripled and very quickly they became the largest site poker has ever seen. He is one of the best ambassadors poker has ever seen and I hope he is on deck for admission in 09’.”
You can vote for Mike now at: http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pokerhalloffame/halloffamevoting.asp
London – 1st June 2009 – The final table is set at the http://www.partypoker.com Sports Stars Challenge in London. Sports stars, both past and present, have taken their seats in the hope of being crowned the ultimate sporting poker champion in the strongest and most international line-up to date. For the first time in the Matchroom Sport organised event’s history there were heats for motorsport professionals, top golfers and an online qualifier element. Live reporting can be found at: http://www.matchroompokerforum.co.uk
The final table features three online qualifiers in the form Scott O’Reilly, Jason Brennan and Paresh Patel. They join England rugby union star Henry Paul, Germany’s European Championship football winner Thomas Helmer, Irish boxing legend Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley and popular French golfer Jean Van De Velde.
O’Reilly is a member of PartyPoker.com’s VIP club http://www.palladiumlounge.com and came through a high octane motorsport heat that featured F1 icons Giancarlo Fisichella and Jacques Villeneueve. Previously he ran deep in the WSOP Main Event in 2006 winning over $165,000 as a PartyPoker.com qualifier. Jason Brennan, a 34-year old unemployed road builder from Holloway, London found his way to the final table after chinning darts legend Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in his heat. Paresh Patel is 42 years-old from Blackpool and got to play with football heroes and took out French World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf heads-up in his heat.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “ 140,000 people overall took part in the special Sports Stars Challenge freerolls online and three players have made the final table. A number of the sports stars have shown they have real game when it comes to poker with Ronald De Boer and Giancarlo Fisichella, in particular, showing solid aggressive games. Both were unlucky not to make the final table.”
Amongst the other sports stars who were knocked out in the heat stages included 2008 European Ryder Cup team member Graeme McDowell and Sam Torrance. Footballers included Romania’s Florin Radiciou and Denmark and Liverpool legend Jan Molby. The boxing tear-up featured Germany’s former unbeaten World Champion Sven Ottke, while the rugby heat didn’t prove fruitful for union’s former France and Wasps captain Raphael Ibanez.
PartyPoker.com players had the chance to win a seat through a freeroll in the sports heat of their choice. The sports were football (two heats), rugby (union and league combined), motorsport, boxing, darts and golf.
The winner of Sports Stars Challenge I was former rugby union star Austin Healey, while the second instalment saw victory for Irish snooker champion Ken Doherty. Last year’s winner was television presenter Kara Scott, who used the tournament as the starting point for a breakthrough successful year on the circuit that also included big cashes at the WSOP Main Event and Irish Open. Scott won £20,000 after defeating Manchester United football legend Norman Whiteside heads-up. There is no presenter heat in the new format this year.
The winner of each of the seven heats will take their seat at the final table, where seven players will battle it out until one of them walks away with the title. Each player sits down with 2,000 chips with the heat winner getting £7,000. The overall winner receives £20,000 with second getting £10,000 and third receiving £5,000.
Coverage of the event will be aired in the UK later this year on Sky Sports and then distributed internationally. Jesse May leads the commentary.
PARTYPOKER.COM SPORTS STARS CHALLENGE IV FINAL TABLE – London – 29th May – 1st June
SEAT 1 – JEAN VAN DE VELDE (GOLF)
SEAT 2 – DAVE MCAULEY (BOXING)
SEAT 3 – JASON BRENNAN (ONLINE QUALIFIER DARTS)
SEAT 4 – HENRY PAUL (RUGBY)
SEAT 5 – THOMAS HELMER (FOOTBALL)
SEAT 6 – PARESH PATEL (ONLINE QUALIFIER FOOTBALL)
SEAT 7 – SCOTT O’REILLY (ONLINE QUALIFIER MOTORSPORT)
World Series of Poker”®, “WSOP®” and “WSOPE”® are registered trade marks of Harrah’s License Company LLC. No license, affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. PartyGaming is not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s License Company LLC or the World Series of Poker®, in any way.
For more information e-mail Warren Lush warrenl@partygaming.com +34656236600
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