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2006/12/07
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LAS VEGAS - Nine former champions are still competing in the World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas, with three having already played their way to a third session.
Six titleholders, including 2006 champion Jamie Gold, 2005 champ Joe Hachem and 1996 winner Huck Seed were among 2,490 players who returned to the tables Tuesday for a second session in the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament. The eventual winner, to be determined during a final table in November, will win $8.71 million after emerging atop the field of 6,865 players.
Hachem said playing as a champion can sometimes be frustrating, with opponents making silly plays and calling in questionable situations in hopes of hitting a hand to knock out a famous player. "They give you a lot more chips than they take," Hachem said. "I guess if they're running hot and you're not then you're in trouble. That's the problem — once you're in that position.
"If you're bleeding and they smell blood, they go for the kill," said Hachem, who won $7.5 million for his main event win. He placed 103rd at the 2009 tournament for just over $40,000.
Hachem was visibly frustrated after four hours of play, after losing a pot near the end of the level that would have given him a more comfortable chip stack. He had two pair and a flush draw, and his opponent picked up suited cards on the turn and river to make a flush of a different suit.
"It depends on which side of the bed you wake up that day as to how it's going to work for you,"
Last year's winner, Jonathan Duhamel, was eliminated from the tournament on Monday, but three former winners made it through their second 10 hours of play. Phil Hellmuth Jr., who took the main event title in 1989, will play on Thursday along with 1983 winner Tom McEvoy and 2009 champion Joe Cada.
There are 27 living players who have won poker's most prestigious tournament. Of them, 18 entered this year and nine were eliminated during their first or second session. Doyle Brunson, the poker star who won the main event in 1975 and 1976, was eliminated on the first day of the tournament on Thursday.
"Despite being sick and only five hours of sleep, I seem to be playing quite well," Seed, a four-time gold bracelet winner who won $1 million for the main event title, said on Twitter. "Chip leader at my table now."
Seed said he had 87,000 chips after four hours of play, slightly less than he had two hours earlier.
The session on Tuesday is the last day during which the field is split into different flights. After a day off on Wednesday, all players remaining in the tournament will return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to play on Thursday, with the tournament whittling its way to nine players by next week.
Of the 2031 players who played on Monday, 822 were still in the tournament early Tuesday.
Hachem said players typically play more quickly than necessary in their second session, worried about chip stacks rising around them.
"They think: 'Oh my God, I'm short because some guy's got 130,000 and I've got 30,000," he said. "All they've got to worry about is their own stack."
Six titleholders, including 2006 champion Jamie Gold, 2005 champ Joe Hachem and 1996 winner Huck Seed were among 2,490 players who returned to the tables Tuesday for a second session in the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament. The eventual winner, to be determined during a final table in November, will win $8.71 million after emerging atop the field of 6,865 players.
Hachem said playing as a champion can sometimes be frustrating, with opponents making silly plays and calling in questionable situations in hopes of hitting a hand to knock out a famous player. "They give you a lot more chips than they take," Hachem said. "I guess if they're running hot and you're not then you're in trouble. That's the problem — once you're in that position.
"If you're bleeding and they smell blood, they go for the kill," said Hachem, who won $7.5 million for his main event win. He placed 103rd at the 2009 tournament for just over $40,000.
Hachem was visibly frustrated after four hours of play, after losing a pot near the end of the level that would have given him a more comfortable chip stack. He had two pair and a flush draw, and his opponent picked up suited cards on the turn and river to make a flush of a different suit.
"It depends on which side of the bed you wake up that day as to how it's going to work for you,"
Last year's winner, Jonathan Duhamel, was eliminated from the tournament on Monday, but three former winners made it through their second 10 hours of play. Phil Hellmuth Jr., who took the main event title in 1989, will play on Thursday along with 1983 winner Tom McEvoy and 2009 champion Joe Cada.
There are 27 living players who have won poker's most prestigious tournament. Of them, 18 entered this year and nine were eliminated during their first or second session. Doyle Brunson, the poker star who won the main event in 1975 and 1976, was eliminated on the first day of the tournament on Thursday.
"Despite being sick and only five hours of sleep, I seem to be playing quite well," Seed, a four-time gold bracelet winner who won $1 million for the main event title, said on Twitter. "Chip leader at my table now."
Seed said he had 87,000 chips after four hours of play, slightly less than he had two hours earlier.
The session on Tuesday is the last day during which the field is split into different flights. After a day off on Wednesday, all players remaining in the tournament will return to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to play on Thursday, with the tournament whittling its way to nine players by next week.
Of the 2031 players who played on Monday, 822 were still in the tournament early Tuesday.
Hachem said players typically play more quickly than necessary in their second session, worried about chip stacks rising around them.
"They think: 'Oh my God, I'm short because some guy's got 130,000 and I've got 30,000," he said. "All they've got to worry about is their own stack."
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2006/12/07
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Baseball fan and Yahoo! stock seller David Einhorn was eliminated from the prestigious World Series of Poker tournament Monday.
Einhorn, who finished 18th in the poker tourney in 2006, was one of 1,200 participants eliminated from the second day of the event, according to news reports.
However, he finished with a sizable 94,400 chips as he joins a group of other well-known players also gone from the event that includes last year’s WSOP champion Jonathan Duhamel and NBA star Paul Pierce.
Now, the founder of $5 billion hedge fund firm Greenlight Capital can concentrate once more on finalizing his purchase of a $200 million stake in the New York Mets.
Einhorn, who finished 18th in the poker tourney in 2006, was one of 1,200 participants eliminated from the second day of the event, according to news reports.
However, he finished with a sizable 94,400 chips as he joins a group of other well-known players also gone from the event that includes last year’s WSOP champion Jonathan Duhamel and NBA star Paul Pierce.
Now, the founder of $5 billion hedge fund firm Greenlight Capital can concentrate once more on finalizing his purchase of a $200 million stake in the New York Mets.
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2006/12/07
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The players that made it through the exhausting first two days of play at the Main Event of this year's World Series of Poker* get a chance to stretch their legs, relax a bit and get their heads back in the age. The Wednesday break comes as the original field of over 6,800 players was slashed by over half during the previous six days' ten-hour sessions. Thursday is the first day all entrants in the no-limit Texas Hold `em tournament will play at the same time.
Thursday will also mark the start of EPSN2's new tape-delayed coverage of the main event that lets people at home watch the action as close to "live" as Nevada gaming regulators will allow. They'll be showing several hours of poker action each day on a 30-minute delay with hole cards being shown at two feature tables. Many believe this will help players get more insight into the game because they'll have a chance to see how others play from their hotel room the night after the action.
Along with the usual surprise bust — last year's champion Jonathan Duhamel has already been sidelined – a funny thing happened to the man with the most bracelets. 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth had to be awakened by security at the Aria when he forgot his star time. He showed up nearly two hours late and his stack of 11,800 chips had been reduced to 7,000 by blinds, but he made it through the day.
We'll have an updated list of Team Bodog players that are making it into Day 3 of this year's WSOP up on the site soon. In the meantime, of course, you can still play online poker with us today for free!
Thursday will also mark the start of EPSN2's new tape-delayed coverage of the main event that lets people at home watch the action as close to "live" as Nevada gaming regulators will allow. They'll be showing several hours of poker action each day on a 30-minute delay with hole cards being shown at two feature tables. Many believe this will help players get more insight into the game because they'll have a chance to see how others play from their hotel room the night after the action.
Along with the usual surprise bust — last year's champion Jonathan Duhamel has already been sidelined – a funny thing happened to the man with the most bracelets. 11-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth had to be awakened by security at the Aria when he forgot his star time. He showed up nearly two hours late and his stack of 11,800 chips had been reduced to 7,000 by blinds, but he made it through the day.
We'll have an updated list of Team Bodog players that are making it into Day 3 of this year's WSOP up on the site soon. In the meantime, of course, you can still play online poker with us today for free!
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2006/12/07
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When it comes to the World Series of Poker, what happens in Las Vegas won't stay in Las Vegas. Not after 30 minutes.
Poker players hide their cards and intentions. But ESPN will be tipping hands for TV viewers -- on a half-hour delay so players still can conceal aces and execute bluffs.
It starts Thursday night on ESPN2 (7-9 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m., ET). Similar programming will run daily through next Tuesday, when the Main Event that began with 6,865 players gets down to nine.
Again this year, ESPN will air taped, edited WSOP shows on Tuesday nights for 16 weeks from July 26 through the final table in November. In those shows, hole cards are shown weeks or months after hands are played.
This July coverage is new. ESPN is more than doubling its WSOP programming). Showing cards via table cameras — even on a delay — has ramifications.
In past years during taping, some members of the production crew got a live look at hole cards. They were sequestered. If a player knew his opponent's cards during a live hand, it would be a huge advantage.
This month, ESPN broadcasters and occasional players doing commentary also will see the hole cards live in the production area, located away from the playing tables at the Rio hotel and casino. ESPN says the approach is the same as in past years: All will be sequestered.
"I can assure you that all the proper precautions have been taken,'' says Doug White, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions
That means no cell phones or PDAs in the sequestered area.
"If you're within that production area, you're not going to have any way of communicating outside that production area," says White.
Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP, said the Players Advisory Council and the Nevada Gaming Commission were consulted as the plan was formulated.
"All of those folks who have access to the hole card feeds have been background checked and approved by gaming, and there will be heavy security and surveillance," says Stewart.
In Texas Hold 'em poker, each player is dealt two cards face down. Those are the cards revealed by the hole card cameras.
In the coming days, hole cards will only be shown after the "flop," the placing of the first three cards face up on the table. Only players who stay in a hand post-flop will have their cards shown. Hole cards will only be shown at two feature TV tables.
But if they have friends watching the telecasts, players could learn within 30 minutes what cards their opponents had.
With the final table delayed until November in recent years, finalists could to scout opponents by watching the ESPN shows. Now, they'll be able to gather information same hour intelligence.
Stewart says that will elevate poker, not distort it. He compares it to what goes on during a football halftime. "You get to be able to assess the play of your competitors and make adjustments mid-tournament," says Stewart.
He says some players may try to use that. "You never know what minds games they are going to play," says Stewart. " … 'You saw me do all those bluffs yesterday. You'll think there no way I can do them. I'm going to do exactly that.' You get the opportunity to play even more mind games."
Lon McEachern and David Tuchman will do play-by-play for the 30-minute delay coverage. ESPN also will use a sideline reporter (actually table side) for the first time in Kara Scott.
There's a new set for the main feature table. Looming over it is a large, lighting grid resembling a WSOP bracelet. Players will enter through a tunnel.
Jamie Horowitz, coordinating producer, says the set looks more like a basketball arena than a poker room. He says the aim is to give the World Series a "big-time" sports feel. He says TV poker has generally looked like reality TV.
"ESPN has continued to sort of slide down the meter towards more a big-time sports feel. And this is sort of the next evolution for that," says Horowitz.
Horowitz says ESPN also will feature more "inside" poker. "We're going to bring players into the booth to analyze the hands and tell you what the poker player was thinking when he made a particular play, and that's something we've never done before.''
Hole card cameras will provide their own revelations.
Poker players hide their cards and intentions. But ESPN will be tipping hands for TV viewers -- on a half-hour delay so players still can conceal aces and execute bluffs.
It starts Thursday night on ESPN2 (7-9 p.m. and 11 p.m.-2:30 a.m., ET). Similar programming will run daily through next Tuesday, when the Main Event that began with 6,865 players gets down to nine.
Again this year, ESPN will air taped, edited WSOP shows on Tuesday nights for 16 weeks from July 26 through the final table in November. In those shows, hole cards are shown weeks or months after hands are played.
This July coverage is new. ESPN is more than doubling its WSOP programming). Showing cards via table cameras — even on a delay — has ramifications.
In past years during taping, some members of the production crew got a live look at hole cards. They were sequestered. If a player knew his opponent's cards during a live hand, it would be a huge advantage.
This month, ESPN broadcasters and occasional players doing commentary also will see the hole cards live in the production area, located away from the playing tables at the Rio hotel and casino. ESPN says the approach is the same as in past years: All will be sequestered.
"I can assure you that all the proper precautions have been taken,'' says Doug White, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions
That means no cell phones or PDAs in the sequestered area.
"If you're within that production area, you're not going to have any way of communicating outside that production area," says White.
Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP, said the Players Advisory Council and the Nevada Gaming Commission were consulted as the plan was formulated.
"All of those folks who have access to the hole card feeds have been background checked and approved by gaming, and there will be heavy security and surveillance," says Stewart.
In Texas Hold 'em poker, each player is dealt two cards face down. Those are the cards revealed by the hole card cameras.
In the coming days, hole cards will only be shown after the "flop," the placing of the first three cards face up on the table. Only players who stay in a hand post-flop will have their cards shown. Hole cards will only be shown at two feature TV tables.
But if they have friends watching the telecasts, players could learn within 30 minutes what cards their opponents had.
With the final table delayed until November in recent years, finalists could to scout opponents by watching the ESPN shows. Now, they'll be able to gather information same hour intelligence.
Stewart says that will elevate poker, not distort it. He compares it to what goes on during a football halftime. "You get to be able to assess the play of your competitors and make adjustments mid-tournament," says Stewart.
He says some players may try to use that. "You never know what minds games they are going to play," says Stewart. " … 'You saw me do all those bluffs yesterday. You'll think there no way I can do them. I'm going to do exactly that.' You get the opportunity to play even more mind games."
Lon McEachern and David Tuchman will do play-by-play for the 30-minute delay coverage. ESPN also will use a sideline reporter (actually table side) for the first time in Kara Scott.
There's a new set for the main feature table. Looming over it is a large, lighting grid resembling a WSOP bracelet. Players will enter through a tunnel.
Jamie Horowitz, coordinating producer, says the set looks more like a basketball arena than a poker room. He says the aim is to give the World Series a "big-time" sports feel. He says TV poker has generally looked like reality TV.
"ESPN has continued to sort of slide down the meter towards more a big-time sports feel. And this is sort of the next evolution for that," says Horowitz.
Horowitz says ESPN also will feature more "inside" poker. "We're going to bring players into the booth to analyze the hands and tell you what the poker player was thinking when he made a particular play, and that's something we've never done before.''
Hole card cameras will provide their own revelations.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The following are Team Bodog players that are going into Day Three of the World Series of Poker* 2011 main event. Bodog Poker couldn't be more excited about the prospects for these these players, regular folks from our online poker rooms that qualified through our satellites for as little as $1.
Todd Dedeaux • 278,000
Frank Cerminara • 196,000
Tracy Blackwell • 147,300
Stewart Kaplan • 135,000
Tay Nguyen • 123,000
Raymond del Cueto • 122,000
Brian Booth • 72,500
David Shofler • 59,000
Stuart Hosen • 57,000
Craig Schauer • 48,700
David Liu • 41,000
Tim Hochkins • 37,000
Jamie Dawick • 28,000
Steve Thornton • 20,000
Best of luck to all of Team Bodog's players!
Todd Dedeaux • 278,000
Frank Cerminara • 196,000
Tracy Blackwell • 147,300
Stewart Kaplan • 135,000
Tay Nguyen • 123,000
Raymond del Cueto • 122,000
Brian Booth • 72,500
David Shofler • 59,000
Stuart Hosen • 57,000
Craig Schauer • 48,700
David Liu • 41,000
Tim Hochkins • 37,000
Jamie Dawick • 28,000
Steve Thornton • 20,000
Best of luck to all of Team Bodog's players!
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2006/12/07
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A prominent U.S. poker player and professional gambler is trying to reclaim 20 uncut diamonds – worth almost $900,000 – that were seized for not being declared to Customs officers as he tried to board a flight at Pearson airport.
Stephen “Stevie Z” Zolotow, of Las Vegas, who has been on the professional poker circuit since 1988, has captured two bracelets and 30 wins in World Series of Poker tournaments, raking in more than $1.8 million since 2009.
The diamonds were seized in April 2000 as Zolotow tried to clear U.S. Customs on a trip to New York after a day-long visit to Toronto, according to documents filed to the Federal Court of Canada.
The diamonds were turned over to the RCMP, who valued the gems at $886,000, court documents show. Zolotow was charged with failing to declare the diamonds to Customs, a charge that was stayed in court.
He failed to appeal the seizure after a required 30 days and the diamonds were later sold for $250,000, according to court records.
The poker king has been trying for 11 years to have them returned or get some of his money back.
A motion to the high court for the return of the diamonds was dismissed July 5 after a judge ruled the gambler had missed a deadline for an appeal.
“Mr. Zolotow pleads that the diamonds are his and that they were never legally seized or forfeited,” Judge Russell Zinn said. “He seeks their return or return of the proceeds the Crown received from their sale.”
“The forfeiture of the goods or the monies received in lieu thereof must be considered final,” Zinn said.
He dismissed the motion due to the “absence of an allegation that the officer did not have reasonable grounds to believe that the Customs Act or regulations had been contravened in respect of the diamonds.”
Zolotow’s Toronto lawyers could not be reached for comment on Thursday. His legal team was given 30 days to make amendments to its case.
The card player, whose biggest cash win was $259,684 in World Poker Tour’s Season 2, finished third in the televised “FullTiltPoker.Net Global Poker Challenge.”
He is the owner of several bars in New York City.
Stephen “Stevie Z” Zolotow, of Las Vegas, who has been on the professional poker circuit since 1988, has captured two bracelets and 30 wins in World Series of Poker tournaments, raking in more than $1.8 million since 2009.
The diamonds were seized in April 2000 as Zolotow tried to clear U.S. Customs on a trip to New York after a day-long visit to Toronto, according to documents filed to the Federal Court of Canada.
The diamonds were turned over to the RCMP, who valued the gems at $886,000, court documents show. Zolotow was charged with failing to declare the diamonds to Customs, a charge that was stayed in court.
He failed to appeal the seizure after a required 30 days and the diamonds were later sold for $250,000, according to court records.
The poker king has been trying for 11 years to have them returned or get some of his money back.
A motion to the high court for the return of the diamonds was dismissed July 5 after a judge ruled the gambler had missed a deadline for an appeal.
“Mr. Zolotow pleads that the diamonds are his and that they were never legally seized or forfeited,” Judge Russell Zinn said. “He seeks their return or return of the proceeds the Crown received from their sale.”
“The forfeiture of the goods or the monies received in lieu thereof must be considered final,” Zinn said.
He dismissed the motion due to the “absence of an allegation that the officer did not have reasonable grounds to believe that the Customs Act or regulations had been contravened in respect of the diamonds.”
Zolotow’s Toronto lawyers could not be reached for comment on Thursday. His legal team was given 30 days to make amendments to its case.
The card player, whose biggest cash win was $259,684 in World Poker Tour’s Season 2, finished third in the televised “FullTiltPoker.Net Global Poker Challenge.”
He is the owner of several bars in New York City.
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2006/12/07
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After having the day off on Wednesday, 1,866 players returned to battle in Day 3 of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event*. Ben Lamb began the day as the chip leader, but at the end of the day, a new name found its way to the top of the leaderboard – Patrick Poirier. Not only were players from all over the world aiming for the top spot in the game, but they were doing it under the all-seeing eye of ESPN's new 30-minute tape-delayed coverage of the event, a first for poker.
852 players made it through the wire on Thursday, and when play kicks off at Noon today, it'll include the following members of Team Bodog:
Frank Cerminara • 396,500
Stewart Kaplan • 303,500
Thomas Oldcroft • 234,000
Tracy Blackwell • 192,000
Raymond del Cueto • 157,000
Tay Nguyen • 143,500
Todd Dedeaux • 50,300
Day Four is when the bubble is popped and money starts being paid out, which means that things are going to get interesting.
852 players made it through the wire on Thursday, and when play kicks off at Noon today, it'll include the following members of Team Bodog:
Frank Cerminara • 396,500
Stewart Kaplan • 303,500
Thomas Oldcroft • 234,000
Tracy Blackwell • 192,000
Raymond del Cueto • 157,000
Tay Nguyen • 143,500
Todd Dedeaux • 50,300
Day Four is when the bubble is popped and money starts being paid out, which means that things are going to get interesting.
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Bodog has received a UK remote sports betting licence from the Gambling Commission 24 hours after the government announced plans to revamp the country’s licensing and tax regimes and will open a dot.co.uk site in three months.
The operator has three other licences in Antigua (Bodog Europe), the Philippines (Bodog88) to cater for Asian customers and Kahnawake (dot.eu), its former dot.com operation whose domain was changed following the Black Friday indictments in April.
Patrik Selin (pictured), CEO of Bodog Europe and new CEO of Bodog UK, said it would take “at least” three months for its servers to be installed in a secure location in the UK and for the remaining infrastructure, including the hiring of 100 new staff, to be put in place before the fully licensed site goes live.
Asked when the site would begin to make a profit Selin refused to go into specifics but said: “We have taken a long-term view on the UK. It is the largest regulated market in the world today and we want to be part of that. The decision was not taken on market share. The key thing is to develop trust with the UK customer. This is one of the most important things for the industry.”
Bodog will only be able to offer UK customers sports betting and casino games, while poker remains off limits until it receives the appropriate licence. The company will now pay 15% gross profits tax in line with current regulations. Selin said he would look to add further casino suppliers, in addition to current supplier CTXM, to the UK site in the coming months.
Bodog.co.uk will continue to operate and offer UK customers services under its Antigua licence until it switches over to its UK licence in three months time. All non UK players will then be blocked from the site.
“Now we are licensed we can do lots more deals with lots more companies, you can suddenly do a lot more with media companies, you can advertise more freely and there can be more co-operation with media.
“We are going to do a couple of big things that will surprise people once we do these deals. We are in negotiations [with media companies] at the moment,” he added.
The Gambling Commission also approved and issued Bodog UK with a non-remote sports betting licence as well as a remote gambling software licence with Selin adding that he would look to open a small number of flagship retail outlets at the end of 2012. The entire application process took a year, according to the former head of Ongame, with the official application sent to the Commission in January and approval received yesterday.
Yesterday, John Penrose, Minister responsible for gambling policy and regulation, announced that all on and offshore operators selling services into the UK would, in future, have to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission if they wish to continue offering online gaming to UK customers. No detail, however, was given as to when this would come into force, the fees and taxation format and levels of taxation that would be involved, as well as which jurisdictions would be affected.
The new proposals would effectively mean the end of the White List as it stands, however Penrose added that the Gambling Commission would ensure that regulatory good practice is recognised so that overseas based businesses in “trusted jurisdictions”, such as the white listed countries, would have much “lighter touch approach and, for example, will not have to duplicate regulatory work.”
No official statement has been made as yet, however it is widely understood that Antigua will not be part of those “trusted jurisdictions”.
The operator has three other licences in Antigua (Bodog Europe), the Philippines (Bodog88) to cater for Asian customers and Kahnawake (dot.eu), its former dot.com operation whose domain was changed following the Black Friday indictments in April.
Patrik Selin (pictured), CEO of Bodog Europe and new CEO of Bodog UK, said it would take “at least” three months for its servers to be installed in a secure location in the UK and for the remaining infrastructure, including the hiring of 100 new staff, to be put in place before the fully licensed site goes live.
Asked when the site would begin to make a profit Selin refused to go into specifics but said: “We have taken a long-term view on the UK. It is the largest regulated market in the world today and we want to be part of that. The decision was not taken on market share. The key thing is to develop trust with the UK customer. This is one of the most important things for the industry.”
Bodog will only be able to offer UK customers sports betting and casino games, while poker remains off limits until it receives the appropriate licence. The company will now pay 15% gross profits tax in line with current regulations. Selin said he would look to add further casino suppliers, in addition to current supplier CTXM, to the UK site in the coming months.
Bodog.co.uk will continue to operate and offer UK customers services under its Antigua licence until it switches over to its UK licence in three months time. All non UK players will then be blocked from the site.
“Now we are licensed we can do lots more deals with lots more companies, you can suddenly do a lot more with media companies, you can advertise more freely and there can be more co-operation with media.
“We are going to do a couple of big things that will surprise people once we do these deals. We are in negotiations [with media companies] at the moment,” he added.
The Gambling Commission also approved and issued Bodog UK with a non-remote sports betting licence as well as a remote gambling software licence with Selin adding that he would look to open a small number of flagship retail outlets at the end of 2012. The entire application process took a year, according to the former head of Ongame, with the official application sent to the Commission in January and approval received yesterday.
Yesterday, John Penrose, Minister responsible for gambling policy and regulation, announced that all on and offshore operators selling services into the UK would, in future, have to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission if they wish to continue offering online gaming to UK customers. No detail, however, was given as to when this would come into force, the fees and taxation format and levels of taxation that would be involved, as well as which jurisdictions would be affected.
The new proposals would effectively mean the end of the White List as it stands, however Penrose added that the Gambling Commission would ensure that regulatory good practice is recognised so that overseas based businesses in “trusted jurisdictions”, such as the white listed countries, would have much “lighter touch approach and, for example, will not have to duplicate regulatory work.”
No official statement has been made as yet, however it is widely understood that Antigua will not be part of those “trusted jurisdictions”.
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2006/12/07
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29893
The effects of ‘Black Friday’ are not only being felt in the USA as British government ministers have now decided to clamp down on offshore poker websites that operate in the UK.
The move is expected to allow the Treasury to grab a hefty slice of tax from a new ruling that will ensure all gambling operators active within the country obtain a license from the Gambling Commission if offering games, including online poker.
Immediately following the ministerial announcement, poker website Bodog issued a statement that claims they are the first operator to receive a remote and non-remote Gambling Commission gaming license.
If true, this is great news for Bodog – who sponsor the always-popular Poker in the Park event in London each year – as they will now move forward with plans to open high street shops throughout Britain.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s John Penrose – the minister for tourism and heritage – said the law would protect consumers while closing a loophole that has allowed Internet-based gambling firms an unmerited advantage over British companies.
Of course, this new law follows in the wake of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) decision to halt the operations of online poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker on April 15 because of indictments relating to the violation of gambling laws when processing money transfers.
Penrose pointed out that “these proposals are an important measure to help address concerns about problem gambling and to bridge a regulatory gap by ensuring British consumers enjoy consistent standards of protection, no matter which online gambling site they visit”.
Additionally, the Conservative MP for Weston-super-Mare in the south-west of England stated that the government would “move as fast as we can towards a system which will fix the problem of offshore betting”.
The plan is to introduce a system that “will switch away from the current organisation which has driven many bookmakers offshore”, resulting in non-British websites looking to “sell gambling services to any consumer based in the UK” being forced to apply for a Gambling Commission license.
But not everyone is so certain that this law can be pushed through so easily, with leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis – who works for New York City-based global financial services firm Morgan Stanley – pointing out that the British government will have “to be careful as you can’t change the law just to raise taxes”.
Lewis noted that, “while the proposals claim to be driven by a desire for greater customer protection”, he is also perfectly aware that “they will also create an opportunity to levy duties on overseas operators”. The suggestion is that a 10% will be employed.
Penrose, meanwhile, issued a statement that proposes the Gambling Act 2005 ought to be altered so that “remote gambling” is controlled in relation to where bets are made and not on the location of a particular bookmaker or poker website.
The act overhaul would see every firm requiring a Gambling Commission license if providing bets to British punters or even advertising within the UK.
However, industry insiders emphasised that the UK government would need to take the initiative in enforcing the new law to clamp down on unauthorised companies.
But Richard Glynn, who is chief executive with British-based gambling firm Ladbrokes – which supplies offshore Internet business, and telephone and retail services within the UK – said that his company “will work with government towards a comprehensive solution which levels the playing field and helps protect British jobs”.
Gambling experts believe this latest development will likely put greater pressure on PokerStars, Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker as, when considering license applications, the Gambling Commission has to assess “the honesty and trustworthiness of the applicant and or person(s) relevant to the application”.
But that’s not all as the “criminal record of the applicant and or person(s) relevant to the application” is also vital.
Those three websites will undoubtedly be more than a little concerned about gaining a license in the UK, depending on the outcome of cases to be heard in the USA.
The move is expected to allow the Treasury to grab a hefty slice of tax from a new ruling that will ensure all gambling operators active within the country obtain a license from the Gambling Commission if offering games, including online poker.
Immediately following the ministerial announcement, poker website Bodog issued a statement that claims they are the first operator to receive a remote and non-remote Gambling Commission gaming license.
If true, this is great news for Bodog – who sponsor the always-popular Poker in the Park event in London each year – as they will now move forward with plans to open high street shops throughout Britain.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s John Penrose – the minister for tourism and heritage – said the law would protect consumers while closing a loophole that has allowed Internet-based gambling firms an unmerited advantage over British companies.
Of course, this new law follows in the wake of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) decision to halt the operations of online poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker on April 15 because of indictments relating to the violation of gambling laws when processing money transfers.
Penrose pointed out that “these proposals are an important measure to help address concerns about problem gambling and to bridge a regulatory gap by ensuring British consumers enjoy consistent standards of protection, no matter which online gambling site they visit”.
Additionally, the Conservative MP for Weston-super-Mare in the south-west of England stated that the government would “move as fast as we can towards a system which will fix the problem of offshore betting”.
The plan is to introduce a system that “will switch away from the current organisation which has driven many bookmakers offshore”, resulting in non-British websites looking to “sell gambling services to any consumer based in the UK” being forced to apply for a Gambling Commission license.
But not everyone is so certain that this law can be pushed through so easily, with leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis – who works for New York City-based global financial services firm Morgan Stanley – pointing out that the British government will have “to be careful as you can’t change the law just to raise taxes”.
Lewis noted that, “while the proposals claim to be driven by a desire for greater customer protection”, he is also perfectly aware that “they will also create an opportunity to levy duties on overseas operators”. The suggestion is that a 10% will be employed.
Penrose, meanwhile, issued a statement that proposes the Gambling Act 2005 ought to be altered so that “remote gambling” is controlled in relation to where bets are made and not on the location of a particular bookmaker or poker website.
The act overhaul would see every firm requiring a Gambling Commission license if providing bets to British punters or even advertising within the UK.
However, industry insiders emphasised that the UK government would need to take the initiative in enforcing the new law to clamp down on unauthorised companies.
But Richard Glynn, who is chief executive with British-based gambling firm Ladbrokes – which supplies offshore Internet business, and telephone and retail services within the UK – said that his company “will work with government towards a comprehensive solution which levels the playing field and helps protect British jobs”.
Gambling experts believe this latest development will likely put greater pressure on PokerStars, Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker as, when considering license applications, the Gambling Commission has to assess “the honesty and trustworthiness of the applicant and or person(s) relevant to the application”.
But that’s not all as the “criminal record of the applicant and or person(s) relevant to the application” is also vital.
Those three websites will undoubtedly be more than a little concerned about gaining a license in the UK, depending on the outcome of cases to be heard in the USA.
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2006/12/07
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Day 5 of this year's World Series of Poker* Main Event just kicked off and believe or not, Team Bodog is still slugging it out at the tables. Unfortunately, we're down to just three players, but yesterday saw two of our own ride the bubble and walk away with real money: Tracy Blackwell exited in 533rd place, earning $23,876 and Tay Nguyen went out at 489th place and got $23,876 for their efforts.
The three players who are making it into day 5 have impressive stacks, though, and are sure to see a great return on their Bodog poker investment. Frank Cerminara has 565,000 in chips, Stewart Kaplan is close behind with 531,000 and Thomas Oldcroft has 411,000, making it so at least four items on his "To Do" list have been taken care of.
The three players who are making it into day 5 have impressive stacks, though, and are sure to see a great return on their Bodog poker investment. Frank Cerminara has 565,000 in chips, Stewart Kaplan is close behind with 531,000 and Thomas Oldcroft has 411,000, making it so at least four items on his "To Do" list have been taken care of.
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After six days of competing against the world's best, 57 players have stood out from the masses and have advanced to Day 7 of the 2011 World Series of Poker main event. Among the field are eight WSOP bracelet winners, one EPT champion, two WPT champions, the current WSOP Player of the Year leader and one extremely talented woman.
The hype of the "last woman standing" honor is simply that, an honor. It's not meant to be a spectacle and it isn't meant to isolate the female poker population in any way. It's a statement that says out of the 3.5 percent of women who entered the WSOP main event, this is the last one remaining. We make the same fuss over the last former main event champion, the last bracelet winner and the last player over a certain age -- it's just another part of the main event story.
This year, Erika Moutinho will have the cameras on her for the rest of the main event as she hopes to do what the other 56 men in the field hope to do: win the main event. Moutinho will be the focus of Gary Wise's feature on Monday, and she'll enter Day 7 with two million in chips. Amanda Musumeci and Claudia Crawford both fell after the dinner break on Day 6.
Leading the field is Ryan Lenaghan and he was involved in the largest pot of the tournament to date. Lenaghan opened the pot to 110,000 with the blinds at 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante. Brian Follain, the one-time chip leader during Day 6, raised to 355,000. Lenaghan four-bet to 865,000, Follain five-bet to 1.2 million in chips and Lenaghan six-bet all-in. Having Follain covered, Lenaghan stared at the table while his opponent went through the motions attempting to decide whether or not he'd put his tournament life on the life in this hand. He stood up, took off his hat, walked around, counted his chips, rubbed his neck, talked to himself … basically, he did everything to try to figure out what to do for five to six minutes. At this point, everyone on the rail believed he had kings and didn't know what to do with the six-bet. When he came to his decision and called, everyone was shocked with both hands as they were turned up. Lenaghan turned over pocket jacks and would be racing against the A-Q of his opponent. It was an eight million-chip coinflip and after the board ran out clean, Lenaghan was the new chip leader.
"I definitely wasn't trying to flip for that many chips," Lenaghan said in an interview for Monday's Poker Edge podcast. "It was just a spot that I thought he could have a lot of hands and try to make a play on me because of our history. I just went with it and worked out well. I got lucky I guess, a little bit."
Lenaghan ended the day with 12.8 million in chips, the only player who can boast an eight-figure stack. Ben Lamb, who became the leader in the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year race by making it higher than 138th place, is in second with 9.9 million. Lamb struggled early after dinner, being placed at the feature table with Erick Lindgren, J.P. Kelly and Aleksandr Mozhnyakov. His late surge came from one hand where he got the best of both Lindgren and Kelly and added 3.3 million to his chip count.
The first half of the day belonged to Phil "USCPhildo" Collins. After amassing a stack of more than 10 million through numerous knockouts, including 2010 third-place finisher Joseph Cheong, Collins moved to a tougher outer table and while he may have lost small piece of his stack, he ended the day with an impressive 7.2 million in chips.
Cheong finished his 2011 run in 114th-place and offered all of us another look at what makes him so great as a player. He's fearless in all situations and will continue to be a player to watch.
Other notable survivors on the day include Matt Gianetti (7.9 million in chips) Bryan Devonshire (5.9 million), Nicolas Fierro (3.8 million), J.P. Kelly (3.7 million), Per Linde (3.7 million), Tom Koral (3.3 million), Lars Bonding (3.3 million), Sam Barnhart (3.1 million), David Sands (2.7 million), Andrew Brokos (2.5 million), Tony Hachem (2.2 million), Erick Lindgren (2.1 million), David Bach (2.0 million), Steve Brecher (1.8 million), Frank Sinopoli (1.1 million), Ruben Visser (1.0 million), John Esposito (1.0 million), Minh Nguyen (1.0 million) and Sebastian Ruthenberg (890,000).
Highlighting the days eliminations was a pair of top talents who attract fans from around the world: Allen Cunningham and Jean-Robert Bellande. Cunningham was looking to become the first player to make a second final table in the modern era of poker since Dan Harrington and after grinding all day, a tough cooler would end his main event run. Cunningham picked up kings and moved all-in after an open from Marc-Andre Ladouceur. The Canadian instantly called and flipped over his aces and without much of a sweat, Cunningham was eliminated. Bellande had been playing the short stack for most of the last two days and despite his best efforts, he finally picked a spot and moved in at the wrong moment with A-10 against the A-J of Tri Huynh. A jack flopped and Bellande was eliminated, improving on his 78th-place finish a year ago with a 65th-place finish in 2011.
Other eliminations on Day 6 included Tyler Bonkowski (60th), Amanda Musumeci (62nd), Peter Gelencser (67th), Paul Spitzberg (77th), Fred Berger (80th), Claudia Crawford (85th), Bolivar Polacios (88th), Daryl Jace (89th), Frank Calo (90th), Christian Harder (92nd), Sorel Mizzi (95th), Eli Elezra (107th), Sami Kelopuro (111th), Peter Feldman (124th) and Rupert Elder (132nd).
All players that remain are guaranteed at least $130,997. Play will resume at 3 p.m. ET, and coverage can be found on ESPN3.com.
Here's a look at the Day 6 chip leaders:
1. Ryan Lenaghan (12.8 million in chips)
2. Ben Lamb (9.9 million)
3. Matt Giannetti (7.9 million)
4. Andrey Pateychuk (7.2 million)
5. Phil Collins (7.2 million)
6. Hilton Laborda (7.1 million)
7. Nelson Robinson (6.4 million)
8. Tri Huynh (6.2 million)
9. Aleksandr Mozhnyakov (6.0 million)
10.
The hype of the "last woman standing" honor is simply that, an honor. It's not meant to be a spectacle and it isn't meant to isolate the female poker population in any way. It's a statement that says out of the 3.5 percent of women who entered the WSOP main event, this is the last one remaining. We make the same fuss over the last former main event champion, the last bracelet winner and the last player over a certain age -- it's just another part of the main event story.
This year, Erika Moutinho will have the cameras on her for the rest of the main event as she hopes to do what the other 56 men in the field hope to do: win the main event. Moutinho will be the focus of Gary Wise's feature on Monday, and she'll enter Day 7 with two million in chips. Amanda Musumeci and Claudia Crawford both fell after the dinner break on Day 6.
Leading the field is Ryan Lenaghan and he was involved in the largest pot of the tournament to date. Lenaghan opened the pot to 110,000 with the blinds at 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante. Brian Follain, the one-time chip leader during Day 6, raised to 355,000. Lenaghan four-bet to 865,000, Follain five-bet to 1.2 million in chips and Lenaghan six-bet all-in. Having Follain covered, Lenaghan stared at the table while his opponent went through the motions attempting to decide whether or not he'd put his tournament life on the life in this hand. He stood up, took off his hat, walked around, counted his chips, rubbed his neck, talked to himself … basically, he did everything to try to figure out what to do for five to six minutes. At this point, everyone on the rail believed he had kings and didn't know what to do with the six-bet. When he came to his decision and called, everyone was shocked with both hands as they were turned up. Lenaghan turned over pocket jacks and would be racing against the A-Q of his opponent. It was an eight million-chip coinflip and after the board ran out clean, Lenaghan was the new chip leader.
"I definitely wasn't trying to flip for that many chips," Lenaghan said in an interview for Monday's Poker Edge podcast. "It was just a spot that I thought he could have a lot of hands and try to make a play on me because of our history. I just went with it and worked out well. I got lucky I guess, a little bit."
Lenaghan ended the day with 12.8 million in chips, the only player who can boast an eight-figure stack. Ben Lamb, who became the leader in the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year race by making it higher than 138th place, is in second with 9.9 million. Lamb struggled early after dinner, being placed at the feature table with Erick Lindgren, J.P. Kelly and Aleksandr Mozhnyakov. His late surge came from one hand where he got the best of both Lindgren and Kelly and added 3.3 million to his chip count.
The first half of the day belonged to Phil "USCPhildo" Collins. After amassing a stack of more than 10 million through numerous knockouts, including 2010 third-place finisher Joseph Cheong, Collins moved to a tougher outer table and while he may have lost small piece of his stack, he ended the day with an impressive 7.2 million in chips.
Cheong finished his 2011 run in 114th-place and offered all of us another look at what makes him so great as a player. He's fearless in all situations and will continue to be a player to watch.
Other notable survivors on the day include Matt Gianetti (7.9 million in chips) Bryan Devonshire (5.9 million), Nicolas Fierro (3.8 million), J.P. Kelly (3.7 million), Per Linde (3.7 million), Tom Koral (3.3 million), Lars Bonding (3.3 million), Sam Barnhart (3.1 million), David Sands (2.7 million), Andrew Brokos (2.5 million), Tony Hachem (2.2 million), Erick Lindgren (2.1 million), David Bach (2.0 million), Steve Brecher (1.8 million), Frank Sinopoli (1.1 million), Ruben Visser (1.0 million), John Esposito (1.0 million), Minh Nguyen (1.0 million) and Sebastian Ruthenberg (890,000).
Highlighting the days eliminations was a pair of top talents who attract fans from around the world: Allen Cunningham and Jean-Robert Bellande. Cunningham was looking to become the first player to make a second final table in the modern era of poker since Dan Harrington and after grinding all day, a tough cooler would end his main event run. Cunningham picked up kings and moved all-in after an open from Marc-Andre Ladouceur. The Canadian instantly called and flipped over his aces and without much of a sweat, Cunningham was eliminated. Bellande had been playing the short stack for most of the last two days and despite his best efforts, he finally picked a spot and moved in at the wrong moment with A-10 against the A-J of Tri Huynh. A jack flopped and Bellande was eliminated, improving on his 78th-place finish a year ago with a 65th-place finish in 2011.
Other eliminations on Day 6 included Tyler Bonkowski (60th), Amanda Musumeci (62nd), Peter Gelencser (67th), Paul Spitzberg (77th), Fred Berger (80th), Claudia Crawford (85th), Bolivar Polacios (88th), Daryl Jace (89th), Frank Calo (90th), Christian Harder (92nd), Sorel Mizzi (95th), Eli Elezra (107th), Sami Kelopuro (111th), Peter Feldman (124th) and Rupert Elder (132nd).
All players that remain are guaranteed at least $130,997. Play will resume at 3 p.m. ET, and coverage can be found on ESPN3.com.
Here's a look at the Day 6 chip leaders:
1. Ryan Lenaghan (12.8 million in chips)
2. Ben Lamb (9.9 million)
3. Matt Giannetti (7.9 million)
4. Andrey Pateychuk (7.2 million)
5. Phil Collins (7.2 million)
6. Hilton Laborda (7.1 million)
7. Nelson Robinson (6.4 million)
8. Tri Huynh (6.2 million)
9. Aleksandr Mozhnyakov (6.0 million)
10.
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Unfortunately, two of the three players on Team Bodog that made it to day five of the 2011 World Series of Poker* Main Event were sidelined in yesterday's play. Stewart Kaplan exited in 201st place, earning $47,107 while Frank Cerminara received $40,654 for placing 269th.
That said, our own Thomas Oldcroft has 470,000 in chips and while that places him the bottom 25% of players at this moment, this is when play at the World Series of Poker gets very interesting, with players making riskier moves to swell their pots in the race to make the final table.
Right now, the top ten players in the main event as we go into day six are as follows:
David Bach • 4,706,000
Pius Hinz • 4,699,000
Kyle Johnson • 4,654,000
Phil Collins • 4,109,000
Ben Lamb • 4,032,000
Aleksandr Mozhnyakov • 3,462,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg • 3,354,000
Lars Bonding • 3,352,000
Bryan Devonshire • 3,292,000
Thomas Grey • 3,262,000
That said, our own Thomas Oldcroft has 470,000 in chips and while that places him the bottom 25% of players at this moment, this is when play at the World Series of Poker gets very interesting, with players making riskier moves to swell their pots in the race to make the final table.
Right now, the top ten players in the main event as we go into day six are as follows:
David Bach • 4,706,000
Pius Hinz • 4,699,000
Kyle Johnson • 4,654,000
Phil Collins • 4,109,000
Ben Lamb • 4,032,000
Aleksandr Mozhnyakov • 3,462,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg • 3,354,000
Lars Bonding • 3,352,000
Bryan Devonshire • 3,292,000
Thomas Grey • 3,262,000
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2006/12/07
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Before we get into our coverage of Day 7 of the World Series of Poker* Main Event, I wanted to take a second and give some big ups to everybody on Team Bodog who made the trip out to Las Vegas to play with our pros and take on the biggest show in the game. Of course, special mention should be made of Thomas Oldcroft, who freerolled his way into a main event satellite in our online poker room and when found himself earning $54,851 after making to 128th place before busting out.
Oldcroft, however, joins some of the biggest names in poker as Day 6 whittled the field down to 57 players, with notable eliminations like Sorel Mizzi, Joseph Cheong, Eli Elezra, Ray Henson, Christian Harder, Jens Kyllonen, Claudia Crawford, Chris DeMaci and Allen Cunningham.
Ryan Lenaghan is holding a massive chip lead at the moment, with nearly 13 million in chips in his stack. He's followed by Ben Lamb (9.9 million); Matt Giannetti (7.9 million); Andrey Pateychuk (7.2 million) and Phil Collins (7.2 million) to round out the top five.
While Team Bodog is out of the WSOP at this point, we'll keep up with the play up until the November Nine are decided, which should be very, very soon indeed.
Oldcroft, however, joins some of the biggest names in poker as Day 6 whittled the field down to 57 players, with notable eliminations like Sorel Mizzi, Joseph Cheong, Eli Elezra, Ray Henson, Christian Harder, Jens Kyllonen, Claudia Crawford, Chris DeMaci and Allen Cunningham.
Ryan Lenaghan is holding a massive chip lead at the moment, with nearly 13 million in chips in his stack. He's followed by Ben Lamb (9.9 million); Matt Giannetti (7.9 million); Andrey Pateychuk (7.2 million) and Phil Collins (7.2 million) to round out the top five.
While Team Bodog is out of the WSOP at this point, we'll keep up with the play up until the November Nine are decided, which should be very, very soon indeed.
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David Bach was in the running to reach the final table of the Word Series of Poker Main Event.
Bach, a University of Georgia psychology graduate and a professional poker player since 1996, was in first place after Saturday's play in the poker tournament.
He had 4.7 million in chips.
But as the field narrowed Sunday and Monday, Bach slipped to 10th and finally, on Monday, to 45th -- and out, said Harry Hammel, a publicist for the tournament.
Still, Bach won $196,174 and beat the odds in the tournament.
As of Sunday, he was one of just 142 players left, of 6,685 who entered the Las Vegas poker tournament.
Today, the final 27 will be whittled down to the final nine who will play for the big prize in November.
ESPN will broadcast highlights from Monday's World Series of Poker tournament today at 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight.
Bach, the son of an Athens psychologist, has won more than $2.5 million since becoming a pro poker player in 1996 after graduating from UGA.
In 2009, he won the HORSE World Championship, winning nearly $1.3 million in a card game that went on for more than 18 hours.
Alex Moore, a player from Watkinsville, also ranked high in the tournament, finishing in 79th place after being eliminated Sunday.
Bach, a University of Georgia psychology graduate and a professional poker player since 1996, was in first place after Saturday's play in the poker tournament.
He had 4.7 million in chips.
But as the field narrowed Sunday and Monday, Bach slipped to 10th and finally, on Monday, to 45th -- and out, said Harry Hammel, a publicist for the tournament.
Still, Bach won $196,174 and beat the odds in the tournament.
As of Sunday, he was one of just 142 players left, of 6,685 who entered the Las Vegas poker tournament.
Today, the final 27 will be whittled down to the final nine who will play for the big prize in November.
ESPN will broadcast highlights from Monday's World Series of Poker tournament today at 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight.
Bach, the son of an Athens psychologist, has won more than $2.5 million since becoming a pro poker player in 1996 after graduating from UGA.
In 2009, he won the HORSE World Championship, winning nearly $1.3 million in a card game that went on for more than 18 hours.
Alex Moore, a player from Watkinsville, also ranked high in the tournament, finishing in 79th place after being eliminated Sunday.
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2006/12/07
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29893
2011 will be the year when online poker will be finally legalized and regulated in the United States.
All Signs Pointing to Legalization of Online Poker in America
A number of interesting and seemingly unrelated events this week in the world of online gambling is jolting online casino insiders with renewed confidence that 2011 will be the year when online poker will be finally legalized and regulated in the United States.
Online legislation is being pushed towards legal gambling in United States from too many directions. It’s now only a matter for politicians to figure out how to position themselves to benefit most.
Senators Reid & Kyl Ask Justice Dep. Position on Online Gambling
Last week’s joint letter by Senate Majority leader Reid (D) and Senate Republican Whip Kyl to the Justice Department looks quite depressing on the surface. The Senators seem to admonish Justice for allowing the spread of illegal USA online casinosfor so long without taking action earlier.
They demand an explanation of Justice Dept. position on intrastate online gambling, reminding Justice that online gambling is illegal under the Wire Act because of the very nature of the internet, and conclude the letter by offering to work on legislation to boost punishment for providers of illegal online gambling in the United States.
Analysis of Senators Online Gambling Letter
In reality, a number of clues supporting legalization of online poker this year can be found within the letter. The Senators are telling Justice to cool off any more action against online gambling. They are questioning why Justice all of a sudden woke up to the existence of online poker after ignoring it for over a decade and especially at a time when a number of states are on the cusp of approving legalized intrastate online poker and in the case of Washington D.C., a full blown American online casino.
Politicians don’t have a reputation of being sly and cunning for nothing. The Senators want Justice to announce that it’s the government’s position that all forms of online casino games and internet casinos in America are illegal.
This way, by approving one of the poker regulation bills this year, the Senators would be able to later say (if legalized online poker works out great) that it was them who overturned the unpopular Justice Department interpretation of the Wire Act.
If online poker becomes a disaster, since neither of the Senators h co-sponsored any of the online poker bills, they will be untouched by any scandal. This entire letter boils down to setting up a great way to milk the most political points out of the legalization of online poker.
“Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year … I will consider them carefully as long as they leave in place the broader proscriptions against online betting,” Senator Kyl writes on his website.
Coming from the man who is responsible for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and the greatest foe of American online gambling since the previous century, that’s quite a statement. Luckily, Senator Kyl will not seek reelection. Halleluiah!
All Signs Pointing to Legalization of Online Poker in America
A number of interesting and seemingly unrelated events this week in the world of online gambling is jolting online casino insiders with renewed confidence that 2011 will be the year when online poker will be finally legalized and regulated in the United States.
Online legislation is being pushed towards legal gambling in United States from too many directions. It’s now only a matter for politicians to figure out how to position themselves to benefit most.
Senators Reid & Kyl Ask Justice Dep. Position on Online Gambling
Last week’s joint letter by Senate Majority leader Reid (D) and Senate Republican Whip Kyl to the Justice Department looks quite depressing on the surface. The Senators seem to admonish Justice for allowing the spread of illegal USA online casinosfor so long without taking action earlier.
They demand an explanation of Justice Dept. position on intrastate online gambling, reminding Justice that online gambling is illegal under the Wire Act because of the very nature of the internet, and conclude the letter by offering to work on legislation to boost punishment for providers of illegal online gambling in the United States.
Analysis of Senators Online Gambling Letter
In reality, a number of clues supporting legalization of online poker this year can be found within the letter. The Senators are telling Justice to cool off any more action against online gambling. They are questioning why Justice all of a sudden woke up to the existence of online poker after ignoring it for over a decade and especially at a time when a number of states are on the cusp of approving legalized intrastate online poker and in the case of Washington D.C., a full blown American online casino.
Politicians don’t have a reputation of being sly and cunning for nothing. The Senators want Justice to announce that it’s the government’s position that all forms of online casino games and internet casinos in America are illegal.
This way, by approving one of the poker regulation bills this year, the Senators would be able to later say (if legalized online poker works out great) that it was them who overturned the unpopular Justice Department interpretation of the Wire Act.
If online poker becomes a disaster, since neither of the Senators h co-sponsored any of the online poker bills, they will be untouched by any scandal. This entire letter boils down to setting up a great way to milk the most political points out of the legalization of online poker.
“Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker, which many believe is a game of skill, may be considered later this year … I will consider them carefully as long as they leave in place the broader proscriptions against online betting,” Senator Kyl writes on his website.
Coming from the man who is responsible for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and the greatest foe of American online gambling since the previous century, that’s quite a statement. Luckily, Senator Kyl will not seek reelection. Halleluiah!
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The World Series of Poker was one elimination away early Wednesday from setting its final table, with 10 players jockeying for nine spots.
The biggest bubble in poker arrived Tuesday night in Las Vegas with the difference between ninth and 10th in the no-limit Texas Hold `em tournament well beyond the $174,000 difference in prize money.
The nine finalists - relatively unknown beyond poker circles - won't finish the tournament until November, after having time to study their opponents and make names for themselves among card players.
The players all sat at the same table for the first time in this tournament after Khoa Nguyen of Calgary, Alberta, was eliminated in 11th place.
Martin Staszko, a 35-year-old poker professional from the Czech Republic and Eoghan O'Dea of Irelan led the pack with roughly 40 million chips each, setting themselves up for an even deeper run into seven-figure payout territory.
Two short-stacked players, Badih Bounahra and Matt Giannetti, mostly avoided pots over the first two hours of 10-handed play, but their stacks got even smaller once blinds went up after a break in play.
The other players used the bubble - when tournament players typically tighten up considerably just to make it to the next level - to pick up chips and given themselves a stronger position in November.
Staszko, who was looking to become the first person from his country to ever make the main event finale, started 10-handed play with 27.5 million and quickly chipped up.
During one hand, he coldly stared down Ben Lamb from a few feet away, then called Lamb's bet of 1.5 million chips with a pair of aces. Lamb showed a king to match two among the community cards, and Stasko tossed his hand away.
At no point over the first two hours of 10-handed play did a player gamble all-in and get called.
The winner of the tournament will get $8.71 million, while each of the top eight will make at least $1 million each. The tournament started July 7, with the first players from a field of 6,865 buying into the tournament for $10,000 each.
The biggest bubble in poker arrived Tuesday night in Las Vegas with the difference between ninth and 10th in the no-limit Texas Hold `em tournament well beyond the $174,000 difference in prize money.
The nine finalists - relatively unknown beyond poker circles - won't finish the tournament until November, after having time to study their opponents and make names for themselves among card players.
The players all sat at the same table for the first time in this tournament after Khoa Nguyen of Calgary, Alberta, was eliminated in 11th place.
Martin Staszko, a 35-year-old poker professional from the Czech Republic and Eoghan O'Dea of Irelan led the pack with roughly 40 million chips each, setting themselves up for an even deeper run into seven-figure payout territory.
Two short-stacked players, Badih Bounahra and Matt Giannetti, mostly avoided pots over the first two hours of 10-handed play, but their stacks got even smaller once blinds went up after a break in play.
The other players used the bubble - when tournament players typically tighten up considerably just to make it to the next level - to pick up chips and given themselves a stronger position in November.
Staszko, who was looking to become the first person from his country to ever make the main event finale, started 10-handed play with 27.5 million and quickly chipped up.
During one hand, he coldly stared down Ben Lamb from a few feet away, then called Lamb's bet of 1.5 million chips with a pair of aces. Lamb showed a king to match two among the community cards, and Stasko tossed his hand away.
At no point over the first two hours of 10-handed play did a player gamble all-in and get called.
The winner of the tournament will get $8.71 million, while each of the top eight will make at least $1 million each. The tournament started July 7, with the first players from a field of 6,865 buying into the tournament for $10,000 each.
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2006/12/07
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Day Seven of this year's World Series of Poker* Main Event wrapped up late last night and we've reached the final 22 players. Today, play will commence and 13 of them will be eliminated to set up the final table for this November's finale. Here's who will be coming back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel And Casino this afternoon to play.
Anton Makievskyi (21.0 million in chips)
Eoghan O'Dea (19.0 million)
Khoa Nguyen (16.4 million)
Andrey Pateychuk (16.2 million)
Ben Lamb (14.6 million)
Phil Collins (13.8 million)
John Hewitt (13.2 million)
Ryan Lenaghan (10.4 million)
Matt Giannetti (8.9 million)
Konstantinos Mamaliadis (8.1 million)
Pius Heinz (7.5 million)
Aleksandr Mozhnyakov (7.0 million)
Scott Schwalich (6.9 million)
Martin Staszko (6.3 million)
Bryan Devonshire (6.1 million)
Sam Barnhart (4.9 million)
Sam Holden (4.7 million)
Gionni Demers (4.6 million)
Kenny Shih (4.5 million)
Lars Bonding (4.1 million)
Bounahra Badih (3.8 million)
Chris Moore (3.0 million)
It's a motley group that really show poker's global impact – Makievskyi and Pateychuk representing the Ukraine; Russia's Aleksandr Mozhnyakov waves and Martin Staszko giving the Czech Republic its first shot at a final table competitor — and the race for the November Nine is sure to be gripping, to say the least. We'll have updates for you on who's going to be spending the next few months sharpening their game tomorrow morning.
Anton Makievskyi (21.0 million in chips)
Eoghan O'Dea (19.0 million)
Khoa Nguyen (16.4 million)
Andrey Pateychuk (16.2 million)
Ben Lamb (14.6 million)
Phil Collins (13.8 million)
John Hewitt (13.2 million)
Ryan Lenaghan (10.4 million)
Matt Giannetti (8.9 million)
Konstantinos Mamaliadis (8.1 million)
Pius Heinz (7.5 million)
Aleksandr Mozhnyakov (7.0 million)
Scott Schwalich (6.9 million)
Martin Staszko (6.3 million)
Bryan Devonshire (6.1 million)
Sam Barnhart (4.9 million)
Sam Holden (4.7 million)
Gionni Demers (4.6 million)
Kenny Shih (4.5 million)
Lars Bonding (4.1 million)
Bounahra Badih (3.8 million)
Chris Moore (3.0 million)
It's a motley group that really show poker's global impact – Makievskyi and Pateychuk representing the Ukraine; Russia's Aleksandr Mozhnyakov waves and Martin Staszko giving the Czech Republic its first shot at a final table competitor — and the race for the November Nine is sure to be gripping, to say the least. We'll have updates for you on who's going to be spending the next few months sharpening their game tomorrow morning.
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2006/12/07
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29893
With the WSOP Main Event on the horizon and all of the festivities being planned, we're just now getting around to posting the winners from the guaranteed poker tournaments that our online poker room hosts.
Who came out on top in the weekly $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament held this past Sunday, July 17th? barcs69 took first place this week, earning $27,735. They were followed by I_M_A_KING ($14,830.80) and Tsmizzle26 , who rounded out the top three spots while taking away $9,923.55. Here's the rest of the final table results: KannaKid23 ($7,633.50); Jerms13 ($6,215.84
); dpatt420 ($4,907.25); led55 ($3,598.65); j_treehorn ($2,399.10) and
D0ES0N ($1,417.64).
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments to players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
July 11 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: johall111 ($$3,698.75)
July 12 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: BEAR_WALKER ($3,960.00)
July 13 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: KGBluvsOrEoS ($3,698.75)
July 14 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GoRangers ($3,575.00)
July 17 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GoRangers ($3,973.75)
July 17 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack GBecks ($4,770.00)
Special note should be made of GoRangers and the fact that they took down two tournaments at Bodog in the same week! Congratulations!
Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool and with more players getting in on the action every week, that means there's more to be won Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!
Who came out on top in the weekly $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament held this past Sunday, July 17th? barcs69 took first place this week, earning $27,735. They were followed by I_M_A_KING ($14,830.80) and Tsmizzle26 , who rounded out the top three spots while taking away $9,923.55. Here's the rest of the final table results: KannaKid23 ($7,633.50); Jerms13 ($6,215.84
); dpatt420 ($4,907.25); led55 ($3,598.65); j_treehorn ($2,399.10) and
D0ES0N ($1,417.64).
In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments to players, and here's the winners of last week's events!
July 11 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: johall111 ($$3,698.75)
July 12 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: BEAR_WALKER ($3,960.00)
July 13 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: KGBluvsOrEoS ($3,698.75)
July 14 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GoRangers ($3,575.00)
July 17 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: GoRangers ($3,973.75)
July 17 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack GBecks ($4,770.00)
Special note should be made of GoRangers and the fact that they took down two tournaments at Bodog in the same week! Congratulations!
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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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Italy’s high stakes poker pros are currently facing potentially hefty tax bills from their domestic Revenue Agency after an investigation was launched into the income they earned from associations with various online poker rooms.
Earlier this year, professional internet pros sponsored by Italian and international poker rooms received requests for a whole list of financial details, including their winnings, sponsorship and royalty income,
and foreign assets stored abroad.
Currently, these players face taxes on their winnings from sites not part of the regulated Italian online gambling market, as well as on their ‘financial assets’ held internationally.
However, the latest investigation has widened to include Italian residents regularly playing on offshore live media, with initial results revealing over 4,000 players made almost $100 million, without declaring the income on their tax returns.
Online gaming in Italy has been expanding steadily over the last few years and the country now boasts Europe’s biggest online gambling market. It has risen from €3.4 billion in 2009 to €4.8 billion in 2010. Furthermore, the market is set to triple in size with the recent introduction of cash game poker and casino style online games and slots to the country.
Italy’s licensed online poker websites are currently charged a 20% tax rate on their gross revenue, adding significantly to the country’s coffers. The latest move targeting the players by the Italian government is now seen as a way of ensuring that both the players, as well as the site owners, are contributing equally.
Earlier this year, professional internet pros sponsored by Italian and international poker rooms received requests for a whole list of financial details, including their winnings, sponsorship and royalty income,
and foreign assets stored abroad.
Currently, these players face taxes on their winnings from sites not part of the regulated Italian online gambling market, as well as on their ‘financial assets’ held internationally.
However, the latest investigation has widened to include Italian residents regularly playing on offshore live media, with initial results revealing over 4,000 players made almost $100 million, without declaring the income on their tax returns.
Online gaming in Italy has been expanding steadily over the last few years and the country now boasts Europe’s biggest online gambling market. It has risen from €3.4 billion in 2009 to €4.8 billion in 2010. Furthermore, the market is set to triple in size with the recent introduction of cash game poker and casino style online games and slots to the country.
Italy’s licensed online poker websites are currently charged a 20% tax rate on their gross revenue, adding significantly to the country’s coffers. The latest move targeting the players by the Italian government is now seen as a way of ensuring that both the players, as well as the site owners, are contributing equally.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
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But over the last five years the PPA board, which includes a former United States Senator and several well known poker pros, has chipped away at the law to the point where it’s considered better than 50-50 it will be overturned as early as next year.
"From a legislative view, things are progressing well," PPA Executive Chairman John Pappas told GamingToday last week at the World Series of Poker. "We have bi-partisan support and a growing consensus in Washington that the PPA is the right approach to better protecting the consumers."
Pappas was at the PPA booth in the vast Rio Convention Center area just outside the WSOP venue, not so much to recruit members as to explain that the 2006 federal legislation to ban financial institutions from making payments to Internet gambling sites needs to be overturned.
"We have offices all over the U.S. and a home base in Washington, D.C.," Pappas said of the Association, which now numbers 1.2 million members. "What better place to get our message out than right here at the WSOP?"
The PPA is an American nonprofit interest group designed to promote poker and protect the players’ rights. Phil Ivey, one of the iconic figures in poker, has spoken on behalf of the PPA in Washington and is sitting out the WSOP main event in protest of both the current legislation and the recent seizure of poker sites Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker, and the endictment of some of their employees.
"Years ago the opposition came from moralists, but now the challenge is gaining competitive balance," Pappas said. "Others like the tribes and offshore want control. Now, however, with our alliance we have a much stronger grass roots network and lawmakers are taking our side."
Outspoken politicians like ex-Senator Alfonse D’Amato (R-N.Y.) and Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) have helped push legislation against the 2006 law, but as Pappas lamented, "it’s a slow process. Congress does not act swiftly."
That may be the understatement of the decade.
You have to go back to 2007 when Frank introduced a bill that would not only repeal the 2006 bill, but open up a U.S. based market for online gambling.
The battle became more uphill prior to the 2009 WSOP when the Southern District of New York seized $34 million from over 27,000 accounts of poker players affiliated with Full Tilt, Absolute Poker, Ultimate Bet and Poker Stars. Nothing has happened since.
The PPA fought back with a "Fly-In," where around 100 members and many professional poker players, including board members Annie Duke, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson, flew to Washington to lobby Congress for poker rights. Still nothing.
"We feel good about our chances to overturn the 2006 legislation," Pappas said. "You can see the popularity of poker right here. This has to happen."