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Below is a statement from Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association regarding today’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hearing entitled “Internet Gaming: Is There a Safe Bet?”
“Today’s hearing on Internet gambling made it abundantly clear that the “safe bet” is to allow states, following federal guidelines, to license and regulate online poker. Such action would protect U.S. consumers, keep children from gambling on the Internet, and provide the tools law enforcement needs to shut down illegal Internet gambling operators. It would also create new jobs and tax revenue at a time when our country sorely needs both.
“Testimony heard today and other testimony presented in writing, such as ours, demonstrates that new technology and processes used in ecommerce have been successfully adapted in jurisdictions where Internet gambling is legal, such as Great Britain, France, Italy and provinces in Canada, to keep minors from betting online and prevent illegal activities, such as money laundering and fraud.
“The subcommittee today heard clear evidence that millions of U.S. residents who play online are being put at risk because they are playing illegally with companies that are poorly regulated and, in the vast majority of the cases, outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement. The only way to protect U.S. consumers and ensure that minors aren’t gambling on the Internet is to allow the states to license and regulate the online poker.
“We support state licensing and regulation, following federal guidelines, on online poker because it is substantially different than other forms of gaming. First, it is a game that vast numbers of Americans have historically played and that millions of Americans still play.
“Second, unlike other forms of Internet gambling, poker is primarily a game of skill. And, poker is played between or among individuals, whereas in other forms of Internet gambling the customer is playing against the “house.” Finally, the support we’ve seen around the country is really focused on online poker and not on other forms of Internet gambling.
“We do not support any specific legislation, but there are certain provisions that any change should include:
- Each state should have the right to determine whether online poker should be legalized within their jurisdictions.
- Federal guidelines should be established that the states must follow to insure a consistent regulatory and legal framework.
- U.S. law enforcement should be provided with the ability to go after illegal operators and successfully prosecute them.
“We welcomed the hearings today and urge Congress to act to protect the U.S. consumer and ensure that online poker is being provided by law abiding, responsible companies.”
“Today’s hearing on Internet gambling made it abundantly clear that the “safe bet” is to allow states, following federal guidelines, to license and regulate online poker. Such action would protect U.S. consumers, keep children from gambling on the Internet, and provide the tools law enforcement needs to shut down illegal Internet gambling operators. It would also create new jobs and tax revenue at a time when our country sorely needs both.
“Testimony heard today and other testimony presented in writing, such as ours, demonstrates that new technology and processes used in ecommerce have been successfully adapted in jurisdictions where Internet gambling is legal, such as Great Britain, France, Italy and provinces in Canada, to keep minors from betting online and prevent illegal activities, such as money laundering and fraud.
“The subcommittee today heard clear evidence that millions of U.S. residents who play online are being put at risk because they are playing illegally with companies that are poorly regulated and, in the vast majority of the cases, outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement. The only way to protect U.S. consumers and ensure that minors aren’t gambling on the Internet is to allow the states to license and regulate the online poker.
“We support state licensing and regulation, following federal guidelines, on online poker because it is substantially different than other forms of gaming. First, it is a game that vast numbers of Americans have historically played and that millions of Americans still play.
“Second, unlike other forms of Internet gambling, poker is primarily a game of skill. And, poker is played between or among individuals, whereas in other forms of Internet gambling the customer is playing against the “house.” Finally, the support we’ve seen around the country is really focused on online poker and not on other forms of Internet gambling.
“We do not support any specific legislation, but there are certain provisions that any change should include:
- Each state should have the right to determine whether online poker should be legalized within their jurisdictions.
- Federal guidelines should be established that the states must follow to insure a consistent regulatory and legal framework.
- U.S. law enforcement should be provided with the ability to go after illegal operators and successfully prosecute them.
“We welcomed the hearings today and urge Congress to act to protect the U.S. consumer and ensure that online poker is being provided by law abiding, responsible companies.”
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2006/12/07
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Online poker players have dominated the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe, with stars from 888Poker, PokerStars and even the embattled Full Tilt Poker taking plenty of the prize money.
Online Poker Player Wins Main Event
This dominance was stamped at the Main Event, when American online poker professional Elio Fox overcame a big chip deficit to defeat fellow online player Chris "Moorman1" Moorman to claim the $1.928 million first prize.
Fox, 25, who known on PokerStars and FullTilt Poker as smokrokbyflock and on Absolute Poker as Turboking333, took up the game full-time after graduating from Bard College and found that he was making big profits. He said, "I like living a lifestyle that involves a lot of freedom."
The Real Deal
Online poker is the real, deal as was proved throughout WSOP Europe. The final table of the 3,000 euro shootout event was an all-internet affair, with American Tristan "Cre8ive" Wade edging out fellow cyberspace battlers Michael "SirWatts" Watson, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Richard Toth, Steve "Mr. Tim Caum" O'Dwyer, Emil "whitelime" Patel, John "Texdue" Ambrust, Taylor "ambiguosity" Paur, James "Flushy" Dempsey and Max Silver.
Just to show how much the new generation has taken over, the oldest player on that table was 32. We wonder which site will produce the next great poker champion.
Online Poker Player Wins Main Event
This dominance was stamped at the Main Event, when American online poker professional Elio Fox overcame a big chip deficit to defeat fellow online player Chris "Moorman1" Moorman to claim the $1.928 million first prize.
Fox, 25, who known on PokerStars and FullTilt Poker as smokrokbyflock and on Absolute Poker as Turboking333, took up the game full-time after graduating from Bard College and found that he was making big profits. He said, "I like living a lifestyle that involves a lot of freedom."
The Real Deal
Online poker is the real, deal as was proved throughout WSOP Europe. The final table of the 3,000 euro shootout event was an all-internet affair, with American Tristan "Cre8ive" Wade edging out fellow cyberspace battlers Michael "SirWatts" Watson, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Richard Toth, Steve "Mr. Tim Caum" O'Dwyer, Emil "whitelime" Patel, John "Texdue" Ambrust, Taylor "ambiguosity" Paur, James "Flushy" Dempsey and Max Silver.
Just to show how much the new generation has taken over, the oldest player on that table was 32. We wonder which site will produce the next great poker champion.
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2006/12/07
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With Bodog Poker too taking the big decision to opt out of the US market, online poker in the US has faced yet another terrible blow. The company, which owns a series of online gambling sites, announced recently that the poker site will discontinue its services to the US market once its license from the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group expires by the end of 2011. This signals the end of yet another option for US players to play poker online. PlayPokerOnline.com reveals more about this decision by Bodog Poker.
The sudden decision by Bodog to move out of the US seems rather strange. This is because, in the aftermath of Black Friday, the company n asserted proudly that it is one of the few poker sites that is still running in the US while its chief rivals like PokerStars, Full Tilt and UB poker had shut down their services in the April 15 crackdown.
Bodog released a statement recently stating that it withdrew from the US market to avoid any negative perceptions about its brand among people from Asia and the UK who turn up at the site regularly to play poker online for money. This decision was also made in view of Bodog being the first online bookmaking company to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
In the statement that Bodog made, the company also expressed concern over the fact that operating in the tense atmosphere of the online gambling industry in the United States might lead to negative press, which in turn could affect its business in Asia and Europe. The company also claimed that present US players need not worry about their funds as they will remain safe.
Bodog also stated that it hopes to regain its past glory, when it attracted significantly large visitor traffic through its initial years in business. The company experienced a slump in traffic over issues regarding cash outs and loyalty programs. The withdrawal from the US market, no doubt, will seriously affect the company's traffic, which has seen a resurgence of late. But there are hopes the marketing efforts in Asia and Europe will pay off.
The sudden decision by Bodog to move out of the US seems rather strange. This is because, in the aftermath of Black Friday, the company n asserted proudly that it is one of the few poker sites that is still running in the US while its chief rivals like PokerStars, Full Tilt and UB poker had shut down their services in the April 15 crackdown.
Bodog released a statement recently stating that it withdrew from the US market to avoid any negative perceptions about its brand among people from Asia and the UK who turn up at the site regularly to play poker online for money. This decision was also made in view of Bodog being the first online bookmaking company to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
In the statement that Bodog made, the company also expressed concern over the fact that operating in the tense atmosphere of the online gambling industry in the United States might lead to negative press, which in turn could affect its business in Asia and Europe. The company also claimed that present US players need not worry about their funds as they will remain safe.
Bodog also stated that it hopes to regain its past glory, when it attracted significantly large visitor traffic through its initial years in business. The company experienced a slump in traffic over issues regarding cash outs and loyalty programs. The withdrawal from the US market, no doubt, will seriously affect the company's traffic, which has seen a resurgence of late. But there are hopes the marketing efforts in Asia and Europe will pay off.
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2006/12/07
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Experts testified today that government oversight and regulation of Internet gambling activity in the U.S. presents the best opportunity to protect consumers at a hearing titled, "Internet Gambling: Is there a fair bet?" Setting the stage for the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trades hearing was the recent Full Tilt Poker indictment, which further exposed the failure to provide guaranteed safeguards for U.S. consumers. Pending legislation to regulate the industry, which has gained bi-partisan support, would ensure consumer safeguards, generate tens of billions in new government revenue and create tens of thousands of new jobs.
"People are playing poker on the Internet in the U.S. for money today," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). "It's not regulated and so these sites are offshore, overseas and, consequently, outside the ability for us to tax the winnings and make sure it's a fair game."
A researcher of gambling behavior among high school and college aged youth, Dan Romer, associate director of The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of its Adolescent Communication Institute (ACI), testified that federal regulation provides the best opportunity to protect our youth.
"y controlling online gambling the federal government could minimize the harm that this activity can inflict on the young and their families and could also make the use of these sites safer for them," concluded Romer in his written testimony.
Currently, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement and Protection Act (UIGEA) of 2006 does not prevent Americans who want to gamble online from doing so, leaving many exposed to the dangers of fraud, identity theft, and compulsive gambling. This very sizeable underground marketplace does not benefit the U.S. economy in any way. The only beneficiaries are offshore operators, who exploit the U.S. laws.
"Members of Congress heard valuable testimony today on the ineffectiveness of existing laws that attempt to prohibit online gambling. As many as 10 million Americans, who continue to gamble online, are being left at risk," said Michael Waxman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "It's time for Congress to take control of this already-thriving underground marketplace to protect consumers, create new jobs and stimulate our economy."
Earlier this month, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) in a written submission encouraged the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," to include provisions to regulate and tax Internet gambling activity as part of its deficit-reduction package.
Several bills have been introduced this year to regulate online gambling activity. The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act (H.R. 1174), introduced by Representative John Campbell (R-CA), includes language identical to what was overwhelmingly approved last year by the House Committee on Financial Services. It would implement practical and enforceable standards to control Internet gambling activity and protect consumers. Additionally, the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011 (H.R. 2366), introduced by Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), would regulate online poker and strengthen attempts to block unlawful Internet gambling activity.
H2 Gambling Capital, the leading supplier of data and market intelligence regarding the global gambling industry, projected in a report released last year that regulating all forms of Internet gambling except sports wagering in the U.S. would generate a gross expenditure of $67 billion over five years and 25,470 new jobs.
About the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling InitiativeThe Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative promotes the freedom of individuals to gamble online with the proper safeguards to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of financial transactions. For more information on the Initiative, please visit Homepage | Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. The Web site provides a means by which individuals can register support for regulated Internet gambling with their elected representatives.
SOURCE Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative
"People are playing poker on the Internet in the U.S. for money today," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). "It's not regulated and so these sites are offshore, overseas and, consequently, outside the ability for us to tax the winnings and make sure it's a fair game."
A researcher of gambling behavior among high school and college aged youth, Dan Romer, associate director of The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of its Adolescent Communication Institute (ACI), testified that federal regulation provides the best opportunity to protect our youth.
"y controlling online gambling the federal government could minimize the harm that this activity can inflict on the young and their families and could also make the use of these sites safer for them," concluded Romer in his written testimony.
Currently, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement and Protection Act (UIGEA) of 2006 does not prevent Americans who want to gamble online from doing so, leaving many exposed to the dangers of fraud, identity theft, and compulsive gambling. This very sizeable underground marketplace does not benefit the U.S. economy in any way. The only beneficiaries are offshore operators, who exploit the U.S. laws.
"Members of Congress heard valuable testimony today on the ineffectiveness of existing laws that attempt to prohibit online gambling. As many as 10 million Americans, who continue to gamble online, are being left at risk," said Michael Waxman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. "It's time for Congress to take control of this already-thriving underground marketplace to protect consumers, create new jobs and stimulate our economy."
Earlier this month, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) in a written submission encouraged the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," to include provisions to regulate and tax Internet gambling activity as part of its deficit-reduction package.
Several bills have been introduced this year to regulate online gambling activity. The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act (H.R. 1174), introduced by Representative John Campbell (R-CA), includes language identical to what was overwhelmingly approved last year by the House Committee on Financial Services. It would implement practical and enforceable standards to control Internet gambling activity and protect consumers. Additionally, the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011 (H.R. 2366), introduced by Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), would regulate online poker and strengthen attempts to block unlawful Internet gambling activity.
H2 Gambling Capital, the leading supplier of data and market intelligence regarding the global gambling industry, projected in a report released last year that regulating all forms of Internet gambling except sports wagering in the U.S. would generate a gross expenditure of $67 billion over five years and 25,470 new jobs.
About the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling InitiativeThe Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative promotes the freedom of individuals to gamble online with the proper safeguards to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of financial transactions. For more information on the Initiative, please visit Homepage | Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. The Web site provides a means by which individuals can register support for regulated Internet gambling with their elected representatives.
SOURCE Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative
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Who came out on top in the weekly $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament held this past Sunday, October 23rd? inho took first place this week, earning $25,000. They were followed by Dannenmann ($15,000.00) and JeniDaMoaner , who rounded out the top trifecta while earning $9,500. Here's the rest of the final table results: TasteeFreeze ($7,000.00); bjrobins123 ($5,500.00); freeze1873133 ($4,500.00); delbotwo ($3,500.00); npopa6 ($2,200.00) and 69mustbenice ($1,700.00).
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments for players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
October 17 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: einstein6 ($3,630.00)
October 18 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GREENKEEPER ($3,726.25)
October 19 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: KJulius10 ($3,685.00)
October 20 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Razelt ($3,720.75)
October 23 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: JimChang ($3,561.25)
October 23 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack queen10off ($5,747.50)
Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there's more to be won Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments for players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
October 17 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: einstein6 ($3,630.00)
October 18 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GREENKEEPER ($3,726.25)
October 19 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: KJulius10 ($3,685.00)
October 20 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: Razelt ($3,720.75)
October 23 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: JimChang ($3,561.25)
October 23 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack queen10off ($5,747.50)
Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there's more to be won Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!
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After it was all said and done, it was Robert Chow that beat the odds and earned the ring and $393,584 at the main event at the World Series of Poker* Circuit stop in Hammond, IN. The massive main event had nearly double the field size of the previous record with over 1,615 entries paid into the $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em tournament thanks to a re-entry format that allowed players that had busted out to buy-in again on subsequent starting days.
Chow is a semi-retired head of a successful software company who now gets to spend his time on the circuit. He told reporters: "I get to do what I enjoy doing, and I get to do things that really interest me. Life is good. My passion is poker. I really enjoy it."
Chow's heads-up opponent in the end was Aaron Steury, a 24-year-old pro from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He got $243,818 for coming in second and thanks to a win at the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event at this year's WSOP, he's now got over $800,000 in tournament earnings.
Here's how the final table broke down:
Robert Chow — $393,584
Aaron Steury — $243,818
Erik Roussakis — $183,991
Eric Crain — $139,815
David Neff — $106,447
Joseph Hebda — $81,744
Drazen Ilich — $63,680
Daniel Harrington — $50,051
Shawn Quinn — $39,947
Want to get ready for an event in your neck of the woods? Bodog Poker offers great sit-and-go poker tournaments going around the clock!
Chow is a semi-retired head of a successful software company who now gets to spend his time on the circuit. He told reporters: "I get to do what I enjoy doing, and I get to do things that really interest me. Life is good. My passion is poker. I really enjoy it."
Chow's heads-up opponent in the end was Aaron Steury, a 24-year-old pro from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He got $243,818 for coming in second and thanks to a win at the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event at this year's WSOP, he's now got over $800,000 in tournament earnings.
Here's how the final table broke down:
Robert Chow — $393,584
Aaron Steury — $243,818
Erik Roussakis — $183,991
Eric Crain — $139,815
David Neff — $106,447
Joseph Hebda — $81,744
Drazen Ilich — $63,680
Daniel Harrington — $50,051
Shawn Quinn — $39,947
Want to get ready for an event in your neck of the woods? Bodog Poker offers great sit-and-go poker tournaments going around the clock!
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2006/12/07
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As already announced, the French deputy Jean-François Lamour presented his Amendment No. 363 for the Finance Act 2012 in front of the French National Assembly and the Budget Minister, Valérie Pécresse. This amendment, for recall, has as target to modify the taxation system for online gambling including poker, which currently occupy most of the French market of online gambling. It thus provides a new tax with the change of the current tax set on the bet by a tax on Gross Gaming revenue. During the presentation of the amendment, the government appeared to be favorable to the taxation on the Gross Gaming revenue, the Minister of Budget, however, wanted to highlight three conditions : a clearer definition of the Gross Gaming revenue : "Is it with or without subscriptions and bonus ? ", find consistency with the tax treaty of European Union countries to prevent tax evasion and finally find a solution to the problem of taxation between online betting and live betting.
Although the change of tax base will not reduce a Euro the tax revenues according to the member Jean-Francois Lamour, but the budget minister Valérie Pécresse has already taken her side and said she didn't agree with this new pricing which she said could lead to a "tax leakage". Following an agreement between the two entities, the Amendment No. 363 on the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) was removed at this time. Taxes on online gambling event is actually the event that all enthusiasts of poker followed in France. Jean-Francois Lamour withdrew his amendment at the request of the minister and agreed to review the conditions imposed by the minister.
Although the change of tax base will not reduce a Euro the tax revenues according to the member Jean-Francois Lamour, but the budget minister Valérie Pécresse has already taken her side and said she didn't agree with this new pricing which she said could lead to a "tax leakage". Following an agreement between the two entities, the Amendment No. 363 on the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) was removed at this time. Taxes on online gambling event is actually the event that all enthusiasts of poker followed in France. Jean-Francois Lamour withdrew his amendment at the request of the minister and agreed to review the conditions imposed by the minister.
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Fertitta Interactive, an Internet gaming start-up which is part-owned by Station Casinos' Fertitta brothers, has acquired a California-based online gaming software provider.
The purchase price was not disclosed in the deal for CyberArts Licensing of Oakland. The company creates Internet gaming websites and products.
The deal would allow Fertitta Interactive, which is also owned by former Golden Nugget owners Tom Breitling and Tim Poster, to develop an Internet poker website if the federal government legalizes the activity.
"We will be working on new and innovative products with the goal of ultimately providing consumers with the best online gaming experience in a safe and secure environment," Fertitta Interactive partner Lorenzo Fertitta said.
The purchase price was not disclosed in the deal for CyberArts Licensing of Oakland. The company creates Internet gaming websites and products.
The deal would allow Fertitta Interactive, which is also owned by former Golden Nugget owners Tom Breitling and Tim Poster, to develop an Internet poker website if the federal government legalizes the activity.
"We will be working on new and innovative products with the goal of ultimately providing consumers with the best online gaming experience in a safe and secure environment," Fertitta Interactive partner Lorenzo Fertitta said.
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We've not checked out the Global Poker Index in a few weeks, so let's stick our head into that particular corner of the internet and see if anything has changed, especially with the recent conclusion of the World Series of Poker Europe and other poker tournaments that have gone on.
It looks like after a mere two weeks at the top of the ranking of the world's best players, Jason Mercier dropped precipitously to fourth in the GPI standings, leaving the podium to Erik Seidel, Eugene Katchalov and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. Indeed, Seidel is the current No. 1 of the world poker with a score of 2,586 while Jason Mercier has 2,390 points, just a touch behind the French Grospellier and his 2,477 points.
There was quite a lot of shuffling in the middle ranks as well: Philipp Gruissem, who was in 299th place, jumped forward to 74th thanks to a victory in a high roller event and Tristan Wade and Steve Billirakis also jumped into the top 100 thanks to bracelets they picked up during WSOPE.
It looks like after a mere two weeks at the top of the ranking of the world's best players, Jason Mercier dropped precipitously to fourth in the GPI standings, leaving the podium to Erik Seidel, Eugene Katchalov and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. Indeed, Seidel is the current No. 1 of the world poker with a score of 2,586 while Jason Mercier has 2,390 points, just a touch behind the French Grospellier and his 2,477 points.
There was quite a lot of shuffling in the middle ranks as well: Philipp Gruissem, who was in 299th place, jumped forward to 74th thanks to a victory in a high roller event and Tristan Wade and Steve Billirakis also jumped into the top 100 thanks to bracelets they picked up during WSOPE.
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Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade on the importance of licensing and regulating online poker to protect American consumers.
“With so many issues before Congress, we are encouraged that ensuring player protections for online poker was raised for consideration by this committee,” said, Chairman D’Amato. “Clearly Congress is hearing the voices of the thousands of poker players across the country who have expressed their frustration at the government’s actions to restrict their personal freedom to play this great game.”
In his testimony, Senator D’Amato noted that millions of Americans have been playing poker on the Internet for almost 10 years, and events like the DOJ indictments on April 15, 2011, otherwise known as “Black Friday”, have only served to fuel players’ frustration over this infringement of their rights. Since Black Friday, players have sent over 80,000 letters and emails and have engaged in countless more social network and personal contacts directly to members of Congress asking for a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker industry. Not only would this create a safe environment for consumers, it would also create a pathway for tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and tens of billions of dollars in federal and state revenue at a time when the U.S. economy needs it most.
D’Amato continued, “The grassroots outreach efforts undertaken by our members has been phenomenal and is a key force in keeping this debate alive. We are now entering our seventh month since the DOJ’s actions and, if anything, our voice is only growing stronger. This truly speaks to the dedication of average Americans across the country to ensuring their personal freedoms are restored.”
In addition to direct outreach to Congress, players have taken to social media outlets such as Twitter and various poker forums to voice their support of licensing and regulating online poker. Players recently asked so many poker-related questions for President Obama’s Twitter Town Hall that it became one of the most prominently raised issues, as reflected in the resulting Associated Press coverage. In addition, the White House’s “We the People” petition site had over 8,000 signatures to license and regulate online poker, far exceeding the necessary 5,000 signatures to ensure review by the Administration.
In concluding his testimony, D’Amato urged that Congress stop the outsourcing of consumer protections, jobs and revenue to foreign countries and instead create a safe, regulated environment for Americans to play this time honored game of skill, while contributing to our nation’s economy.
A full copy of the testimony can be found at Poker Players Alliance.
“With so many issues before Congress, we are encouraged that ensuring player protections for online poker was raised for consideration by this committee,” said, Chairman D’Amato. “Clearly Congress is hearing the voices of the thousands of poker players across the country who have expressed their frustration at the government’s actions to restrict their personal freedom to play this great game.”
In his testimony, Senator D’Amato noted that millions of Americans have been playing poker on the Internet for almost 10 years, and events like the DOJ indictments on April 15, 2011, otherwise known as “Black Friday”, have only served to fuel players’ frustration over this infringement of their rights. Since Black Friday, players have sent over 80,000 letters and emails and have engaged in countless more social network and personal contacts directly to members of Congress asking for a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker industry. Not only would this create a safe environment for consumers, it would also create a pathway for tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and tens of billions of dollars in federal and state revenue at a time when the U.S. economy needs it most.
D’Amato continued, “The grassroots outreach efforts undertaken by our members has been phenomenal and is a key force in keeping this debate alive. We are now entering our seventh month since the DOJ’s actions and, if anything, our voice is only growing stronger. This truly speaks to the dedication of average Americans across the country to ensuring their personal freedoms are restored.”
In addition to direct outreach to Congress, players have taken to social media outlets such as Twitter and various poker forums to voice their support of licensing and regulating online poker. Players recently asked so many poker-related questions for President Obama’s Twitter Town Hall that it became one of the most prominently raised issues, as reflected in the resulting Associated Press coverage. In addition, the White House’s “We the People” petition site had over 8,000 signatures to license and regulate online poker, far exceeding the necessary 5,000 signatures to ensure review by the Administration.
In concluding his testimony, D’Amato urged that Congress stop the outsourcing of consumer protections, jobs and revenue to foreign countries and instead create a safe, regulated environment for Americans to play this time honored game of skill, while contributing to our nation’s economy.
A full copy of the testimony can be found at Poker Players Alliance.
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There's a whiff of melancholy about an empty casino during daylight hours.
Outside, the luxury-car showrooms of London's Mayfair mock the idea of a global financial crisis. Inside, a few souls feed the slot machines while the staff make ready for the evening rush. This is a Rat Pack-era Vegas as imagined by a midmarket interior designer who has watched one too many of the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise.
Anthony Holden chuckles as he looks across at the empty crap tables and the roulette wheels. The veteran journalist, writer and poker aficionado is on the campaign trail, his aim to shift the image of the card game away from places like this.
"I've always been cross that poker has this seedy reputation," says Holden, in his official capacity as the first president of the International Poker Federation an organization founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2009. The game doesn't need cleaning up, he insists, but its perception among the general public does.
Under Holden's leadership, the IFP, which is comprised of 35 national teams, is lobbying to win poker recognition as a game of skill rather than chance and in particular as a "Mind Sport."
This is more than semantics. IFP is aiming to be a recognized sporting federation, which according to its website "gives players the right to play poker safely and legally, both online and in bricks and mortar establishments."
From Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 in London, the IFP will host two inaugural events. The Nations Cup is contested by 35 national teams of six players playing duplicate poker. The Table, an individual World Championships, sees 135 players vying for a first prize of $250,000 playing deep stack Texas Hold 'Em Freeze Out.
"We will be the FIFA of poker," says Holden, referencing the international governing body for football.
The point he says, is that unlike with other casino games, a skilled poker player is waging favorable odds. Take bridge, for example, he says, which has a safe, suburban reputation that is somewhat at odds with its history.
"They fought long and hard to make bridge respectable. We hope to put poker on the same road. People bet on chess and bridge but the world acknowledges that beneath that, these are fascinating, strategic games. It's been slower to accept that about poker."
This is a role that Holden was born to play, raised in the north of England by card-playing parents. His mother refused to allow the game to be played at the family table due to his father losing £50 in a game as he made his way back from the war in 1946.
At university Holden became friends with poet Al Alvarez. "I was chair of the Oxford University Poetry Society" says Holden, who enjoyed a successful career as a Washington correspondent and award-winning news journalist for The Sunday Times. "I got Al, whose work shaped the taste of my generation, to do a poetry reading. We segued from poetry to poker and it was he who started me playing."
In many ways, Holden has been promoting poker all his adult life. His book, "Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player," is part of the game's literary canon along with the work of his friend Alvarez.
To plug the book, GQ magazine invited Holden, Martin Amis, David Mamet among other writers to explore what is the umbilical link between literature and poker. "We came to the conclusion that they were both difficult and they get you away from other areas of your life. But I'm not sure we succeeded in working out what the link is."
Later, when British television first became interested in the game, in 2000, Channel 4 made a pilot program in which Holden played (and won) in a game with other media luminaries, including Stephen Fry and Ricky Gervais.
Celebrities' infatuation with the game is quite apparent: Hollywood actors such as Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio and sports starts like Shane Warne and Boris Becker have helped poker reach a mainstream audience. The interest has taken place against a backdrop of calls for greater regulation by governments that tend to view Internet gambling as a social blight. For their part, many professional poker players fear greater regulation will bring their winnings more attention from the tax man.
This is only part of the story, says Holden, citing the Texas Hold 'em poker platform on Facebook, which claims to have tens of millions of devotees. "They are playing for no money, with no money, purely for the love of the game. Those people are our audience. They are our rank and file. They can set up their own leagues and teams, and aim to play in the world championships, which we own and control."
The broader issue however is attitudinal change, which may take generations. "Many schools run their own bridge clubs, and no parent group would be up in arms if a teacher were to use bridge to explain a maths question to teach probabilities and game theory," says Holden.
"But there would be a stigma to an afterschool poker club. But they both have much to teach: It sharpens your ability to calculate. You need to know what your return on investment would be, what chips are available to be won, what you have to hazard to win it. On top of the math, there is psychology, the need to follow the moods of a player over the course of long game, to recognize fear, panic, frustration, aggression, all of our foibles, is great practice for business, relationships and life."
One of its great appeals is that you can win hands with a worse hand, or never show them. It's much more thrilling to win a hand with a big bluff, which is the essence of poker, he says, citing a famous all-in king-high hand played by the amateur Chris Moneymaker that persuaded veteran professional Sammy Farha to fold a winning pair of nines in the 2003 world championship. It's worth remembering says Holden, that Moneymaker chose not to reveal his hand to Farha after the game was won.
"They use it to teach hedge fund traders the risks and rewards of their business," say
Outside, the luxury-car showrooms of London's Mayfair mock the idea of a global financial crisis. Inside, a few souls feed the slot machines while the staff make ready for the evening rush. This is a Rat Pack-era Vegas as imagined by a midmarket interior designer who has watched one too many of the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise.
Anthony Holden chuckles as he looks across at the empty crap tables and the roulette wheels. The veteran journalist, writer and poker aficionado is on the campaign trail, his aim to shift the image of the card game away from places like this.
"I've always been cross that poker has this seedy reputation," says Holden, in his official capacity as the first president of the International Poker Federation an organization founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2009. The game doesn't need cleaning up, he insists, but its perception among the general public does.
Under Holden's leadership, the IFP, which is comprised of 35 national teams, is lobbying to win poker recognition as a game of skill rather than chance and in particular as a "Mind Sport."
This is more than semantics. IFP is aiming to be a recognized sporting federation, which according to its website "gives players the right to play poker safely and legally, both online and in bricks and mortar establishments."
From Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 in London, the IFP will host two inaugural events. The Nations Cup is contested by 35 national teams of six players playing duplicate poker. The Table, an individual World Championships, sees 135 players vying for a first prize of $250,000 playing deep stack Texas Hold 'Em Freeze Out.
"We will be the FIFA of poker," says Holden, referencing the international governing body for football.
The point he says, is that unlike with other casino games, a skilled poker player is waging favorable odds. Take bridge, for example, he says, which has a safe, suburban reputation that is somewhat at odds with its history.
"They fought long and hard to make bridge respectable. We hope to put poker on the same road. People bet on chess and bridge but the world acknowledges that beneath that, these are fascinating, strategic games. It's been slower to accept that about poker."
This is a role that Holden was born to play, raised in the north of England by card-playing parents. His mother refused to allow the game to be played at the family table due to his father losing £50 in a game as he made his way back from the war in 1946.
At university Holden became friends with poet Al Alvarez. "I was chair of the Oxford University Poetry Society" says Holden, who enjoyed a successful career as a Washington correspondent and award-winning news journalist for The Sunday Times. "I got Al, whose work shaped the taste of my generation, to do a poetry reading. We segued from poetry to poker and it was he who started me playing."
In many ways, Holden has been promoting poker all his adult life. His book, "Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player," is part of the game's literary canon along with the work of his friend Alvarez.
To plug the book, GQ magazine invited Holden, Martin Amis, David Mamet among other writers to explore what is the umbilical link between literature and poker. "We came to the conclusion that they were both difficult and they get you away from other areas of your life. But I'm not sure we succeeded in working out what the link is."
Later, when British television first became interested in the game, in 2000, Channel 4 made a pilot program in which Holden played (and won) in a game with other media luminaries, including Stephen Fry and Ricky Gervais.
Celebrities' infatuation with the game is quite apparent: Hollywood actors such as Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio and sports starts like Shane Warne and Boris Becker have helped poker reach a mainstream audience. The interest has taken place against a backdrop of calls for greater regulation by governments that tend to view Internet gambling as a social blight. For their part, many professional poker players fear greater regulation will bring their winnings more attention from the tax man.
This is only part of the story, says Holden, citing the Texas Hold 'em poker platform on Facebook, which claims to have tens of millions of devotees. "They are playing for no money, with no money, purely for the love of the game. Those people are our audience. They are our rank and file. They can set up their own leagues and teams, and aim to play in the world championships, which we own and control."
The broader issue however is attitudinal change, which may take generations. "Many schools run their own bridge clubs, and no parent group would be up in arms if a teacher were to use bridge to explain a maths question to teach probabilities and game theory," says Holden.
"But there would be a stigma to an afterschool poker club. But they both have much to teach: It sharpens your ability to calculate. You need to know what your return on investment would be, what chips are available to be won, what you have to hazard to win it. On top of the math, there is psychology, the need to follow the moods of a player over the course of long game, to recognize fear, panic, frustration, aggression, all of our foibles, is great practice for business, relationships and life."
One of its great appeals is that you can win hands with a worse hand, or never show them. It's much more thrilling to win a hand with a big bluff, which is the essence of poker, he says, citing a famous all-in king-high hand played by the amateur Chris Moneymaker that persuaded veteran professional Sammy Farha to fold a winning pair of nines in the 2003 world championship. It's worth remembering says Holden, that Moneymaker chose not to reveal his hand to Farha after the game was won.
"They use it to teach hedge fund traders the risks and rewards of their business," say
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Demonstrating that the tournament poker circuit never seems to take a rest, the World Poker Tour kicks back into action today in Connecticut for the first of two Day Ones at the Foxwoods World Poker Finals.
A part of the WPT since its inception ten seasons ago, the Foxwoods tournament has consistently drawn the crème of the poker world out for action. Although online poker has taken a hit in the United States, live tournament participation has been on the upswing around the world since the actions of April 15. The WPT World Poker Finals are expected to continue that trend, with big names drawn out by the first $10,000 buy in event of the Season Ten schedule.
The WPT World Poker Finals has an illustrious history on its roster of champions. Howard Lederer earned the first of his two WPT titles in the inaugural tournament back in 2002 and since then other top pros have also made their mark on the event. Such notable professional players as Hoyt Corkins (2003), Tuan Le (2004), Nick Schulman (2005), Nenad Medic (2006), Jonathan Little (2008) and Cornel Cimpan (2009) can lay claim to having won the WPT World Poker Finals and it is expected that, with the large buy in, another pro will take the title in 2011.
Day 1A is off and running, but players are taking their time getting to the event. Although the cards are already in the air, defending champion Jeff Forrest has yet to make the floor at Foxwoods. Forrest Tweeted regarding his pursuit of defending his championship, “On a bus from Providence to Foxwoods. Ugly day outside but a good day to play poker.”
Players already on the floor in Connecticut include former champion Little (“Playing the $10,000 WPT event at Foxwoods soon. Now is the time to run hot.”), Team PokerStars Pro David Williams (who seems to be having some trouble negotiating the monstrous Connecticut property), WPT “The Real Deal” host Tony “Bond_18” Dunst (“Pretty unknown table to start the tournament and a 30K bank, let’s do this thang!) and Kathy Liebert (“Made it to Foxwoods, only five levels today.”).
A player who still hasn’t decided on whether to play in the tournament is WSOP bracelet holder Allen Bari, who chirped across Twitter, “Contemplating driving to Foxwoods today to late register the WPT.”
The late registration is something that has been a question for players in Connecticut for the tournament. Originally it was believed that late registration would only go on until the start of Day Two on Sunday, but an announcement from the WPT changed that. Late registration, according to reports from the WPT, will continue until the end of Level Six – or one level into play on Day Two – allowing players to make last minute plans to attend. This is also in line with what the tournament’s late registration policy was for last year’s event.
At this moment, there are 166 entries into the tournament and it is within reason to expect that number to eclipse the 350 mark by the end of late registration on Sunday. There has already been an elimination – only approximately fifteen minutes into the tournament – when Michael Forca pushed his Big Slick into the pocket Kings of James Frangoulidis. Once an Ace failed to show on the board, Forca earned the dubious distinction of leaving the Foxwoods tournament poker arena first.
The WPT World Poker Finals will be the focal tournament in action over the weekend. The final table is set to play out on Tuesday and will be streamed live on the WPT website. After a hectic month of European tournament action, the United States gets back in the game in a big way starting today.
A part of the WPT since its inception ten seasons ago, the Foxwoods tournament has consistently drawn the crème of the poker world out for action. Although online poker has taken a hit in the United States, live tournament participation has been on the upswing around the world since the actions of April 15. The WPT World Poker Finals are expected to continue that trend, with big names drawn out by the first $10,000 buy in event of the Season Ten schedule.
The WPT World Poker Finals has an illustrious history on its roster of champions. Howard Lederer earned the first of his two WPT titles in the inaugural tournament back in 2002 and since then other top pros have also made their mark on the event. Such notable professional players as Hoyt Corkins (2003), Tuan Le (2004), Nick Schulman (2005), Nenad Medic (2006), Jonathan Little (2008) and Cornel Cimpan (2009) can lay claim to having won the WPT World Poker Finals and it is expected that, with the large buy in, another pro will take the title in 2011.
Day 1A is off and running, but players are taking their time getting to the event. Although the cards are already in the air, defending champion Jeff Forrest has yet to make the floor at Foxwoods. Forrest Tweeted regarding his pursuit of defending his championship, “On a bus from Providence to Foxwoods. Ugly day outside but a good day to play poker.”
Players already on the floor in Connecticut include former champion Little (“Playing the $10,000 WPT event at Foxwoods soon. Now is the time to run hot.”), Team PokerStars Pro David Williams (who seems to be having some trouble negotiating the monstrous Connecticut property), WPT “The Real Deal” host Tony “Bond_18” Dunst (“Pretty unknown table to start the tournament and a 30K bank, let’s do this thang!) and Kathy Liebert (“Made it to Foxwoods, only five levels today.”).
A player who still hasn’t decided on whether to play in the tournament is WSOP bracelet holder Allen Bari, who chirped across Twitter, “Contemplating driving to Foxwoods today to late register the WPT.”
The late registration is something that has been a question for players in Connecticut for the tournament. Originally it was believed that late registration would only go on until the start of Day Two on Sunday, but an announcement from the WPT changed that. Late registration, according to reports from the WPT, will continue until the end of Level Six – or one level into play on Day Two – allowing players to make last minute plans to attend. This is also in line with what the tournament’s late registration policy was for last year’s event.
At this moment, there are 166 entries into the tournament and it is within reason to expect that number to eclipse the 350 mark by the end of late registration on Sunday. There has already been an elimination – only approximately fifteen minutes into the tournament – when Michael Forca pushed his Big Slick into the pocket Kings of James Frangoulidis. Once an Ace failed to show on the board, Forca earned the dubious distinction of leaving the Foxwoods tournament poker arena first.
The WPT World Poker Finals will be the focal tournament in action over the weekend. The final table is set to play out on Tuesday and will be streamed live on the WPT website. After a hectic month of European tournament action, the United States gets back in the game in a big way starting today.
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Online gambling had its day in Congress today when the House heard Al D’Amato, former US Senator and Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, as he laid out problems with current Internet gambling laws along with ways in which they should be amended.
D’Amato argued that currently players are not able to “play on a site that is located in the US that employs US citizens, plays US taxes, or is regulated by any level of the government in the US.”
Additionally, he mentioned that because the US Justice Department under the Obama administration has been cracking down on online poker sites that accepted US players, “many thousands of US poker players have not been able to recover money that they deposited into Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker accounts, or money they won playing on these sites.”
He also urged Congress to clarify legislature regarding online poker and write more effective laws against what exactly is illegal. He said, “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 simply told banks to block payments for ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ without defining that term.”
The National Indian Gaming Association’s Ernest Stevens also spoke, calling online gaming “the Native American success story,” mentioning that the Supreme Court has upheld that Indian gaming is “crucial for tribal self-determination and self-governance” since 1987.
Stevens’ argument was that Congress should respect the Native American tribes’ “sovereign governments with a right to operate, regulate, tax, and license Internet gambling.” He also said that Indian tribes must be able to provide their services “to customers in any locale where Internet gaming is not criminally prohibited.”
Other testifiers compared Internet poker to illegal drug use. All witnesses though pointed out the “threat of offshore gambling” and identified that regulatory laws were necessary to protect US consumers.
D’Amato argued that currently players are not able to “play on a site that is located in the US that employs US citizens, plays US taxes, or is regulated by any level of the government in the US.”
Additionally, he mentioned that because the US Justice Department under the Obama administration has been cracking down on online poker sites that accepted US players, “many thousands of US poker players have not been able to recover money that they deposited into Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker accounts, or money they won playing on these sites.”
He also urged Congress to clarify legislature regarding online poker and write more effective laws against what exactly is illegal. He said, “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 simply told banks to block payments for ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ without defining that term.”
The National Indian Gaming Association’s Ernest Stevens also spoke, calling online gaming “the Native American success story,” mentioning that the Supreme Court has upheld that Indian gaming is “crucial for tribal self-determination and self-governance” since 1987.
Stevens’ argument was that Congress should respect the Native American tribes’ “sovereign governments with a right to operate, regulate, tax, and license Internet gambling.” He also said that Indian tribes must be able to provide their services “to customers in any locale where Internet gaming is not criminally prohibited.”
Other testifiers compared Internet poker to illegal drug use. All witnesses though pointed out the “threat of offshore gambling” and identified that regulatory laws were necessary to protect US consumers.
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According to Bloomberg Businessweek, ‘online poker should be dealt a fresh hand with regulation.’ They draw a parallel to the Powerball lottery and the fact that the government encourages ticket purchases, despite the fact that the chances of winning the ‘Big One” are 1 in 195,249,054. It is a monopolistic enterprise – that’s very clear. Lotteries reward very few people with large amounts of money for the very small effort of buying a random ticket.
Online poker on the other hand is a game of skill, but wagering in this card game online – which is as American as apple pie in its fairness – is treated with moral outrage; under the guise of ‘protecting vulnerable members of the population’. Do no vulnerable members of the US population spend their grocery budget on Powerball tickets?
Many states are considering legalizing intrastate poker, but this is hardly a solution.
Federal laws are required to provide protection for vulnerable members of the population. But people are still entitled to make their own choices. The nature of the internet is such that a patchwork of intrastate poker sites with varying legislation, will really not get the job done. However states realize the income potential, not only in terms of tax revenue, but job creation and spin-offs from this.
Reducing the danger of playing online gambling games lay with the Federal Government and regulation is best. Prohibition does not work, never has and never will. We only have to look at the damage caused by the DoJ with the closure of Full Tilt Poker to know this. UIGEA is a hotch-potch framework which does not clearly define ‘unlawful’. The global online gambling market share for US business has declined to 7% from 49% in 2006. Legalizing online gambling has been calculated to yield budget savings of $41.8 billion over ten years for the federal government, and $30 billion for US states. You can do the math, so can we; why not the Federal Government?
Online poker on the other hand is a game of skill, but wagering in this card game online – which is as American as apple pie in its fairness – is treated with moral outrage; under the guise of ‘protecting vulnerable members of the population’. Do no vulnerable members of the US population spend their grocery budget on Powerball tickets?
Many states are considering legalizing intrastate poker, but this is hardly a solution.
Federal laws are required to provide protection for vulnerable members of the population. But people are still entitled to make their own choices. The nature of the internet is such that a patchwork of intrastate poker sites with varying legislation, will really not get the job done. However states realize the income potential, not only in terms of tax revenue, but job creation and spin-offs from this.
Reducing the danger of playing online gambling games lay with the Federal Government and regulation is best. Prohibition does not work, never has and never will. We only have to look at the damage caused by the DoJ with the closure of Full Tilt Poker to know this. UIGEA is a hotch-potch framework which does not clearly define ‘unlawful’. The global online gambling market share for US business has declined to 7% from 49% in 2006. Legalizing online gambling has been calculated to yield budget savings of $41.8 billion over ten years for the federal government, and $30 billion for US states. You can do the math, so can we; why not the Federal Government?
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Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut is going to be hosting the 2011 World Poker Tour World Poker Finals starting at 12:00pm local time today. One of the oldest events on the WPT circuit, it was first won in 2002 by Howard Lederer. Since its inception, it has grown steadily since and last year, over 240 players sat down to create a prize pool of over $1,400,000. Jeffrey Forrest took down the top prize, defeating David Inselberg in heads-up play to win $548,752.
In previous years, champions have included Cornel Cimpan, who beat 353 players in 2009 to win $910,058; Jonathan Little beat Jonathan Jaffe after beating 412 players to win $1.12m in 2008. As we mentioned, Howard Lederer won the first event in 2002, beating a field of 89, followed by Hoyt Corkins in 2003, who took on 313 players.
The biggest winner at the World Poker Finals was Nick Schulman who beat a field of 783 players back in 2007 to win $2.16m at the age of 21. Schulman also has a World Series of Poker bracelet for the 2009 $10,000 World Championship for 2-7 Draw Lowball.
In previous years, champions have included Cornel Cimpan, who beat 353 players in 2009 to win $910,058; Jonathan Little beat Jonathan Jaffe after beating 412 players to win $1.12m in 2008. As we mentioned, Howard Lederer won the first event in 2002, beating a field of 89, followed by Hoyt Corkins in 2003, who took on 313 players.
The biggest winner at the World Poker Finals was Nick Schulman who beat a field of 783 players back in 2007 to win $2.16m at the age of 21. Schulman also has a World Series of Poker bracelet for the 2009 $10,000 World Championship for 2-7 Draw Lowball.
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While you may not immediately recognize his name, Al Krux has had a lot of success on the live poker scene, earning over $1.4m over the lifetime of his career at the pork tables with a WSOP bracelet (for $1,500 Pot Limit Hold 'em) and making it to three Main Event final tables, most recently back in 2004 when he finished sixth for over $800,000. So, why are we mentioning him now?
He's joined the ranks of David Saab and Mike Matusow by being arrested for drug charges following his poker success. Krux and his son Adam were arrested by police in DeWitt, New York after the discovery of 40 pounds of cannabis and 90 marijuana plants at AL's home. The 68-year-old Krux was found in his vehicle with 25lbs of marijuana while his son was discovered separately with 15lbs. To give you an idea of how much money the duo were making from weed, a pound of the stuff sells for about $5,000 USD.
Krux has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana.
This isn't the first time we've covered pot and poker on the beat. Back in June of last year, a South Carolina party house was busted and a Wyoming man flipped out last August thanks to pot and poker.
He's joined the ranks of David Saab and Mike Matusow by being arrested for drug charges following his poker success. Krux and his son Adam were arrested by police in DeWitt, New York after the discovery of 40 pounds of cannabis and 90 marijuana plants at AL's home. The 68-year-old Krux was found in his vehicle with 25lbs of marijuana while his son was discovered separately with 15lbs. To give you an idea of how much money the duo were making from weed, a pound of the stuff sells for about $5,000 USD.
Krux has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana.
This isn't the first time we've covered pot and poker on the beat. Back in June of last year, a South Carolina party house was busted and a Wyoming man flipped out last August thanks to pot and poker.
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American and Canadian poker players can rejoice: cable sports giant ESPN has confirmed that it will be showing each and every hand of the final table of this year's World Series of Poker* "live" to US audiences on ESPN 2 and on ESPN.com. Lon McEachern and David Tuchman will be sharing the commentary duties on the first day of action on Sunday, November 6 when the November Nine field will be reduced to three. After a day of rest on Monday, Norman Chad and Antonio Esfandiari are going to join McEachern for commentary and coverage on Tuesday, November 8, when it's expected that the World Champion will be crowned.
In an interesting move, viewers are going to see the pocket cards of any player whose actions affect the pot in any way. This is a first for live poker broadcasts.
"There are moments when you realize you're turning an important corner," said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart in a press release. "This coverage shifts the paradigm for poker's potential on television and will showcase our championship with unprecedented richness and scale."
Due to gaming regulations, there will be a 15-minute delay on the broadcast.
In an interesting move, viewers are going to see the pocket cards of any player whose actions affect the pot in any way. This is a first for live poker broadcasts.
"There are moments when you realize you're turning an important corner," said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart in a press release. "This coverage shifts the paradigm for poker's potential on television and will showcase our championship with unprecedented richness and scale."
Due to gaming regulations, there will be a 15-minute delay on the broadcast.
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Back in December of 2009, a group of 38 poker players were taking part in a £170 + £80 tournament at a club in Derry in Northern Ireland. Police raided the premises and seized the total tournament prize pool, saying that the game was illegal. Since then, the players have been struggling with the courts to get their money back and a judge handed down the decision that nobody involved wanted to hear: they won't be seeing their cash ever again.
The brothers who ran the game, Paul and Terence Quinn, admitted organising an illegal game and were give conditional discharges by the courts earlier this year. District Judge Barney McElholm ruled that the money from the tournament will not be returned to the players, stating that that the players couldn't prove ownership of the jackpot cash which was found "in pots and pools" when police carried out the raid.
McElholm added that the tournament itself was clearly illegal and than the money seized, totaling £23,700, would be lodged in a Home Office account under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The brothers who ran the game, Paul and Terence Quinn, admitted organising an illegal game and were give conditional discharges by the courts earlier this year. District Judge Barney McElholm ruled that the money from the tournament will not be returned to the players, stating that that the players couldn't prove ownership of the jackpot cash which was found "in pots and pools" when police carried out the raid.
McElholm added that the tournament itself was clearly illegal and than the money seized, totaling £23,700, would be lodged in a Home Office account under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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The internet gambling industry is starting to make waves in Canada where various provinces have seceded to offer gambling games and poker online in order to gain some income for the beleaguered budgets of those areas.
A recent report in the Toronto Star newspaper has suggested that a bricks and mortar casino in Ontario’s Capital city and Canada’s largest metropolis will be too long in coming because of so many political hurdles for a real casino poker tournament to take place there. The only option says Canadian-poker.com spokesperson Leon Daniels, is online poker. He continued, “Even politicians in power who are deeply committed to improving Toronto’s financial situation may not be able to bring a casino to the city, But nowadays, when anyone can login to the internet and play online poker, who needs a land based casino?” “Following the events of April 15th, when sites such as Pokerstars, Full tilt Poker and Absolute Poker were shut down, People are waiting for live poker tournaments to come to Toronto at a traditional casino, However, they are not aware that there are much better alternatives.”
Daniels says that poker sites such as 888 and Bwin Poker have done great things for the Canadian Poker player. ”888 poker for example offers a special PokerCam Tournament feature that makes it feel like the player is actually in areal live situation playing aginst other real players. ”888 has grown to accommodate the ever-increasing popularity of poker for Canadians.
Bwin Poker has been offering online poker to Canadian players also, Daniels continued to explain, “Canadian readers have great things to say about bwin, from daily tournaments and freerolls to special events to bring out the best competition around,” Daniels added, “Between these two sites and all the opportunities they present, the debate over a Toronto casino can wait.”
A recent report in the Toronto Star newspaper has suggested that a bricks and mortar casino in Ontario’s Capital city and Canada’s largest metropolis will be too long in coming because of so many political hurdles for a real casino poker tournament to take place there. The only option says Canadian-poker.com spokesperson Leon Daniels, is online poker. He continued, “Even politicians in power who are deeply committed to improving Toronto’s financial situation may not be able to bring a casino to the city, But nowadays, when anyone can login to the internet and play online poker, who needs a land based casino?” “Following the events of April 15th, when sites such as Pokerstars, Full tilt Poker and Absolute Poker were shut down, People are waiting for live poker tournaments to come to Toronto at a traditional casino, However, they are not aware that there are much better alternatives.”
Daniels says that poker sites such as 888 and Bwin Poker have done great things for the Canadian Poker player. ”888 poker for example offers a special PokerCam Tournament feature that makes it feel like the player is actually in areal live situation playing aginst other real players. ”888 has grown to accommodate the ever-increasing popularity of poker for Canadians.
Bwin Poker has been offering online poker to Canadian players also, Daniels continued to explain, “Canadian readers have great things to say about bwin, from daily tournaments and freerolls to special events to bring out the best competition around,” Daniels added, “Between these two sites and all the opportunities they present, the debate over a Toronto casino can wait.”
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Currently serving a 7 year jail sentence, husband Richard Wheatley, 44, is an international professional gambler known as ‘The Bear.’ Wheatley’s Twitter page indicates that gambling keeps him busy moving from one plush location to the next, with one entry stating:
“Short stay in The Carlton (Cannes) to prepare and the a week gambling in Monaco…Monte Carlo Bay Hotel, bien entendu.!”
It would also appear poker is one of The Bear’s activities of choice, having entered and cashed in at various tournaments on the poker circuit, including the European Poker Tour (EPT), Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) and Irish Winter Festival.
With $121,755 in live tournament winnings, Richard Wheatley’s biggest scores include a 3rd place finish at the 888.com UK Open in 2008 for $60,000, and victory the same year at the £500 GUKPT Grand Final, London, for £26,250 ($39,381).
However, it transpired Wheatley was also part of a gang who were responsible for laundering around £60m of suspected drug money through a cash exchange. He was eventually sentenced last year at Southwark Crown Court on April 20th, and his wife Jo Wheatley said she was honest with the cooking TV programme producer from the start. As a BBC spokeswoman explained:
“Joanne’s husband’s background bears no relevance to the programme…She is a talented baker and those talents have been recognised, as she was crowned the winner.”
The attitude of the BBC seems also to be reflected in the comments of some of her fans, with one writer stating:
“Well we can certainly see who ate all her pies,” and another commenting:
“Hope the guards check the contents of the cakes she bakes for him LOL.”