Poker forum archive

As the first event of the Epic Poker League gets closer, more information is being released, including the final list of Season One qualifiers, Season Two qualification requirements, and tournament structures. As the picture above illustrates, we're also now getting a good look at the champion's ring and commissioner's coin, but there's news about a charity poker tournament at the Palms Casino Resort in Vegas on August 7.

The $240 buy-in poker tournament includes $100 rebuys in the first four levels and an add-on at the end of the fourth. All of the money raised by the event will benefit Operation USA and relief efforts in Joplin, MO.

Brad Garrett will host the charity event and Zappos has contributed $2,500 cash to the first-place prize package, as well as $100 gift cards to all participating players. First place in the event will get the aforementioned $2,500, a $1,500 Epic Poker ProAm seat and a champion's bracelet made by Good Art Hollywood. Second and third places will receive a $1,500 Epic Poker ProAm seat and there are a variety of prizes up for grabs for fourth through ninth places.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission have surprised many online poker players this last week by announcing that it has granted Full Tilt Poker a renewal of its Secondary Client Provider Authorization. Full Tilt Pokers current primary eGambling license has been suspended by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission since June 29th.

Last Tuesday, the AGCC held a public hearing to present evidence regarding Full Tilt’s suspended license. Full Tilts representatives requested that the pre-hearing application for adjournment be held in private to avoid making public, information that potentially could damage its efforts to find new investors in the company. The AGCC granted Full Tilt’s request, and after private discussion with Full Tilts solicitors announced that it would be adjourned until no later than September 15th.

The announcement that the Kahnawake Gaming Commission have granted Full Tilt a secondary license came as a huge surprise and has resulted in many online discussion forums being awash with speculation and concern.

Both the AGCC and the KGC are very prominent in the online gambling industry. Both regulate some of the worlds largest online poker, bingo, casino and sports betting brands.

The question being asked is; Why would such a prominent regulatory body choose to grant Full Tilt a license of any kind when the AGCC, another of the worlds most respected regulatory bodies have already suspended the companies primary eGambling license?

It is quite clear that even with this secondary license it will be difficult for Full Tilt to resume operations as the AGCC made it quite clear when they initially suspended the license. They released a statement at the time that said Full Tilt must cease to register new customers, accept deposits from existing customers, allow existing customers to withdraw funds that are held in their accounts, and permit customers to participate in any form of poker game play or gambling transaction.

It would appear that the AGCC and the KGC may have a difference of opinion when it comes to the matter of whether Full Tilt should hold eGambling licenses. The opinion of the many players involved appears to be firmly in agreement with the AGCC.

Hundreds of online poker players are planning to move from Las Vegas, seeking greener pastures that are friendlier to online poker. Before the US federal crack down on major online poker sites on April 15, 2011, a day popularly known as the Black Friday of online poker, these people used to earn in thousands of dollars playing online poker for 10 hours per day and lived in style. Speaking about hundreds of online poker players who were making big money playing online poker, Pokerati.com Editor Dan Michalski said, “Guys in their 20s who were making from $30,000 to $80,000 or more online … what other life skills do they really have? A lot of people are really lost and confused right now.”

Online poker players who have lost their cozy space on Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker have decided to move to places such as Mexico, Canada, or Costa Rica, where they can play online poker in peace. Deeb, a 25-year-old poker player, said: “I used to play poker for 100 hours a week. Every day, I sit around I get more motivated to leave.”

Dunst, the TV commentator for the World Poker Tour (WPT), which is based in Los Angeles, said that he will have no poker friends left in Las Vegas after a few months. He says that he won’t leave because “his job, which allows him to travel the world playing casino poker tournaments, will lead to bigger career opportunities.” Speaking about his friends who used to make money playing online poker, he said: “Their lives revolved around playing online. They have no wives or kids. They’re capable of making so much money online that it would be extremely financially stupid for them not to move.”

However, businesses across Las Vegas will miss these players soon. Las Vegas was a poker hub simply because of the availability of poker games, tournaments, and 24-hour access to various facilities and entertainment. There is plenty of live poker at Las Vegas, but online poker players are not fond of live poker, which is slower and expensive. Moreover, live poker rooms at Las Vegas do not allow players to play for free while they learn the tricks, rules, and strategies of the game. Black Friday has wrecked everything for online poker players, and the only solution, they feel, is to move to places where it is perfectly legal to play online poker.

We're just days away from the opening of the Epic Poker League with their first event and one of the subjects of debate for the league has been its very stringent qualification process. The regulations related to who does and who doesn't qualify has left many big-name pros in the cold, as the EPL focuses exclusively on live play, not online poker. Over on ESPN.com, respected poker commentators Andrew Feldman and Gary Wise debated the wisdom of the league's rules.

Wise is on the side of exceptions, saying that Phil Galfond is a perfect example of why they should judge some players on a case-by-case basis. "Galfond isn’t the only player who didn’t understand three years ago that choosing to stay home was going to end up costing him," wrote Wise.

Feldman, however, is on the side of the Epic Poker League's system, saying that it offers a true foundation for the new league, even if he's not a big fan of the league itself.

"[…]I am going to say the Epic team has done a good job in creating an international roster that really encompasses the majority of the best in the world. The formula for membership required consistency and that one-hit wonders didn't get the nod.

Epic released its criteria for membership in early May, along with its initial list of cardholders. If, as a player, you considered yourself one of the top players in the world, the league offered the three busiest months on the poker calendar for you to make up the ground and earn your way in," Feldman wrote.

It's an interesting debate, to say the least. Do you think the new poker league should give people a chance to get on board outside its usual system?

Online poker players have been chomping at the bit waiting for wagering on internet poker to become legal again in the United States. FairPlayUSA is a new organization advocating for the licensing and regulation of online poker in the United States.

FairPlayUSA was founded by a group of interested parties and politicians who demand that the US government define once and for all what constitutes legal gambling. According to pokernews-com, FairPlayUSA is the brainchild of Caesars Entertainment and is openly funded by casino giants Caesars and MGM.

The group has been getting a lot of coverage by poker websites and this week they received an endorsement from former FBI agent and current Congressman Michael Grimm.

Check out the FairPlayUSA,com website for their position on U.S. regulation of online poker.

In April of this year the Federal Bureau of Investigation shut down three major poker websites and seized several of their bank accounts. Since that time there have been numerous laws proposed to regulate online poker and license legal wagering in the United States.

After weeks of talk and speculation, Representative Joe Barton of Texas introduced a bill in June that would allow for the legalization of online poker in the United States. Nevada, California, and Washington, DC also have pending legislation on the state level for online poker.

Check out the previous articles on online poker listed below. We'll keep following the laws regarding news on online poker and other internet games.

At first, Palms President George Maloof wasn't completely sold on the Epic Poker League.

He's glad he changed his mind.

Up to 240 of the world's best poker players are invading the off-Strip casino this week for the first of four Epic Poker League events scheduled through January. When you count the hundreds of amateur players taking part in the Pro/Am event and the legions of poker fans checking out the action, Maloof figures the payoff will be found in the Palms drop boxes and slot machines.

"We set up a bunch of live poker tables outside of the (tournament) room for that purpose," Maloof said. "We're hoping this helps boost casino play."

He needs to look no farther than just down West Flamingo Road at the Rio to see what a popular poker tournament could mean for business. During the six weeks in June and July the World Series of Poker takes over the Rio's convention area, the Caesars Entertainment-owned casino traditionally experiences a huge jump in revenues.

That's what Maloof is banking on for the Palms during the Epic Poker League's events. The casino isn't taking a rake -- a percentage of every wager -- nor is Maloof charging the upstart tournament an exorbitant cost for use of the convention space where the tournament is housed.

Maloof is hoping the Palms makes its money back by being the center of the poker world for a few days each month, increased casino traffic, and exposure through the Epic Poker League's television deal with the CBS Television Network and Discovery Communications.

The Epic Poker League is the type of event Maloof has brought to the Palms to help with publicity and exposure. The effort began with the filming of MTV's "The Real World: Las Vegas" in 2002 which placed the Palms on the pop culture map. The casino was also the home base for the NBA All-Star Game in 2007 and for the NHL Awards program over the past three years.

The Palms hosted the first five seasons of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on the Bravo Network, but the production got a tad expensive.

This time, the Palms' poker venture includes two of the game's best-known names: Jeffrey Pollack, whose Los Angeles-based Federated Sports + Entertainment owns the Epic Poker League, and Annie Duke, who is the league's commissioner.

Pollack was commissioner of the Caesars Entertainment-owned World Series of Poker from 2005 to 2009. He is credited with fueling the tournament's growth and creating some of the event's innovations, such as the "November Nine," where the participants in the Main Event's final table return after a four-month layoff for a made-for-television competition.

Duke is one of the game's most decorated female players. She owns one World Series of Poker individual event championship bracelet, more than $1.1 million in tournament earnings and came within one seat of making the 2000 Main Event final table. Duke, who was runner-up on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" television show, curtailed her poker-playing to concentrate on the league.

The Epic Poker League is modeled after the PGA Tour. Players must meet a set of qualifications to compete. The current list of qualifiers includes past winners of the World Series of Poker's Main Event and other top professionals. Players will also be ranked throughout the season based on performance.

Each of the Epic Poker League's events will have a $20,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Main Event. The inaugural Main Event runs Monday through Friday.

The league's top 27 players, based on the tournament's scoring and rating system, will meet in February for a $1 million entry-free championship event.

Maloof was enticed by the tournament, not because of the mass of poker players who annually fill the Rio's two gigantic ballrooms, but by having the game's elite players under the Palms' roof.

Pollack said last month his goal with the television deal is to highlight both familiar and unknown poker personalities.

While Phil Hellmuth Jr., Mike Matusow and Scotty Nguyen will get airtime, players such as Steve Sung, Havad Khan and John Racener could boost their exposure based on how well they play.

Maloof recently struck an agreement with two private equity firms to restructure the Palms' $400 million in debt, which will leave him with 2 percent ownership once gaming regulators sign off on the deal.

Events like the Epic Poker League are what Maloof hopes will change the Palms' story.

Full Tilt Poker has paid back the licensing fees owed to the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, it was reported this week. In London last month, during a supposed public hearing initiated by Alderney to discuss the Full Tilt Poker situation, it was learned that the online poker room owned the AGCC around $400,000 in unpaid licensing fees. Full Tilt’s lawyer, Martin Heslop, justified the non-payment by saying that the poker room believed that it would not be having its operating license reinstated by Alderney after it was suspended in June, and therefore did not believe it needed to be paid.

The hearing ended with an adjournment to another date, not later than September 15th, after Full Tilt Poker managed to convince Alderney that a public hearing at this point could jeopardize talks it is having with an investment group from Europe looking to acquire the beleaguered company. Despite promises of advancement in these talks, nothing has been announced as of yet regarding a possible sale.

In a statement issued by the AGCC on Friday it was said: “The recent payment of overdue license fees by FTP is also in players’ best interests since it allows commercial negotiations to take place that might result in a successful refinancing deal. Further details regarding the exact date and venue of the next hearing will be announced as soon as possible.”

The AGCC said that Full Tilt’s operating license is still suspended, but it is valid until the September 15th (or sooner) hearing at least. This is only in theory, however, since Full Tilt Poker has not been active since June 29th when the AGCC ordered it to suspend all operations.

Many people around the world move to Canada for different reasons, such as it’s an easier country to get into, the quality of life is better, there’s a multitude of ethnic communities available, employment opportunities, family, and many other reasons. Now, here’s another reason: A much more open online gambling market.

After Black Friday last April 15th, poker professionals in the United States who make their living playing online found themselves very limited in where they could play online. Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars were the favourite sites to go to, but now that’s not even possible.

Obviously, with a very limited market for pro poker players to play at, many of them have had to consider moving if they want to keep earning a living. Since Black Friday, poker pros have been making a move to other countries, including Canada. The nice thing about moving to Canada is that it’s close to the United States, meaning closer to family and friends, and the gambling industry is growing, as well as the poker markets are much more open.

Big poker profressionals that now call Canada home include Daniel Negreanu, Olivier Busquet and Phil Galfond.

These poker players can now play at Poker Stars, something they can’t do in the United States. Galfond seems to be settling in just fine, after posting a $215,000 win recently.

Online poker has suffered another blow to its reputation after 18 year-old Portuguese poker pro José “Girah” Macedo admitted organising an online poker swindle which netted his accomplice $30,000.

Apparently, the ‘sting’ involved some of his online high stakes friends/the marks being duped into playing against a so-called ‘fish’ in a series of online heads-up cash games.

However, the fish, whose screen name is “sauron1989″ was in fact an adept player who proceeded to take Macedo’s friends from a private strategy group for around $30.000.

José “Girah” Macedo was part of a heads-Up strategy discussion group on Skype which allowed Macedo permission to use remote desktop software to view his friend’s hole cards and offer opinion in real time.

During a monitoring sessions, group member “ImFromSweden” then proceeded to lose around $10,000 over 70 hands of $10/$20 HU NLHE to “sauron1989,” before 10 days later “jajay1963″ lost a further $21,900 to the same player at $25/$50 HU NLHE.

Suspecting foul play “jajay1963″ then contacted the Skype discussion group creator “TooCuriousso1″ and before long the pair also noticed that “sauron1989″ and Macedo would always log on and out of Skype at the same times.

Along with other circumstantial evidence, they then took their findings to the 2+2 forum prompting a quick admission of guilt from José “Girah” Macedo, who offered to pay back those he cheated in full plus compensation. His post read:

“A while ago, I did something stupid. A friend of mine, whom I introduced to poker, made a suggestion to me which was, I’m not going to sugar coat it, cheating. I had introduced this friend to poker, and he was losing money — badly. He asked to play some of my poker friends and said ‘why don’t you sweat them and we’ll see their hands.’ I don’t know why I agreed. I don’t know why I did it. I guess it was a mixture of guilt and stupidity and feeling shitty for getting him involved in something which seemed to be bad for him.”

Macedo then went on to say: “I’m holding my hands up and taking whatever consequences come. I realise the severity of this, but I also realise that I have to take responsibility for my actions and so I’m paying back everyone involved and in addition paying them compensation of $30,000. I’ve also told my sponsor etc and whatever happens there I will take the consequences too. They have been really amazing to me and I’ve enjoyed every minute of working with them. Representing Lock and being part of their amazing team, witnessing the incredible growth, was a pleasure and an honor.”

José “Girah” Macedo has since been dropped from Team LockPRO, as well as losing his position as an instructor at Team PokerStrategy.

We mentioned the event last week, but it looks like it's all wrapped up now as 21-year-old Swiss poker player Ronnie Kaiser has won the European Poker Tour's stop at Tallinn after overcoming a field of 282 players over five days to lift the title. He collected a €275,000 ($394,491) first place prize and some serious bragging rights.

The online poker player just made the shift to live poker tournaments in the last few months and has already earned over $700,000 in events across europe. Of special note is the fact this is Switzerland's first-ever winner of an EPT event.

It took Kaiser four and a half days of play to wrap up this tournament and he faced down Grzegorz Cichocki in heads-up play. Kaiser chipped away at Cichohki's stack for a while, getting the other's stack down to about a million. That was when Cichocki four-bet shoved all-in preflop with 8d6d against Kaiser's A9. The board ended with 5-K-A-T-9. Cichocki won €180,000 for his second-place finish.

Kaiser told reporters: "It’s very nice to win. I've been the chip leader for three days but I’ve got deep before and always finished 20th. This time I thought, 'I should win this.'"

FairPlayUSA is an organization that was established to inform policymakers as well as the public on laws regarding Internet gambling and now has added Mike Sexton, pro poker player, to its advisory board. In what is already an authenticated group of influential members, the FairPlayUSA advisory welcomes poker ambassador Sexton to join Perry Aftab, Internet safety expert; Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Pennsylvania, and Greg Ramer, pro poker player.

Sexton says, “Americans should be able to play poker online in the privacy of their homes knowing that the games are safe and fair.” He continues, “FairPlayUSA is committed to ensuring a strict regulatory framework for online poker, and I am pleased to be part of its advisory board.”

Marisa McNee, executive director of FairPlayUSA, says, ”We’re honored that Mike has agreed to join our Board of Advisors and help carry our message of the importance of bringing integrity and safety to online poker.” McNee adds, “As FairPlayUSA grows as an organization, our message of strict regulation, child and consumer protection, and support of law enforcement will continue to resonate with key policymakers.”

One of the missions of FairPlayUSA coalition is to help policymakers and the public better understand the currently ambiguous US laws pertaining to online poker and online betting. They support Congressional action to define clearly illegal online gambling, create a strict regulatory framework for Internet poker, and provide strong law enforcement resources to prevent illegal activity. FairPlayUSA is based in Washington, D.C.

When it comes to looking for an online casino the search often includes the bonuses and benefits offered by the thousands of online gambling venues out there. One online casino brand that never fails to surprise is the Bodog Casino which has again put excitement first in one of its online promotions. During the month of August Bodog Casino will give players the opportunity to win a great vacation and cash from the site by just playing one of the selected games.

The first draw has been won by a lucky player who will be experiencing an all expense paid trip to a luxury vacation location in Miami, Florida, USA. This promotion called “4Play Promo” includes luxury vacation packages to Miami, Las Vegas, Cancun Mexico and finally exotic Ibiza.
As players play the selected games and wager more they receive entry vouchers for a chance to win the prize vacation packages at the end of each week in August.

An example of the prize schedule and the games to be played include, from August 8th to August 17th comes the second vacation package “Las Vegas”. Play slots, including the new slot game “Red Blood”. For every 10 GBP wagered, the player receives 1 ticket for the vacation draw. For every 1GBP wagered on the Red Blood Slot, players will receive 2 tickets. In addition, for every 100 tickets collected in the week, players will be guaranteed a rebate of 25 GBP.
The third prize package is for a trip to Cancun Mexico for which the player will be required to play “Let’em Ride or Video Poker”, and collect 25 tickets for a guaranteed 25GBP bonus.
The fourth weekly winner will be going to the exotic locale of Ibiza and the player can play ‘any game’ at the Bodog Casino to win.

The World Poker Tour has announced a new stop on the tour for the 2011/2012 season. The other huge poker tour is now going to be swinging by beautiful Portomaso, Malta from September 20 to 24 of this year. The €3,000 + €300 main event is timed to attract more than just the European pros, but to bring in players making their way to EPT London and World Series of Poker* Europe as well as those recovering from WPT Paris.

Adam Pliska, president of the Tour said, "Portomaso in Malta is normally the home of super yachts but for four days in late September it will be home to WPT Malta. This Mediterranean hotspot already has poker in its veins so we hope that by introducing a World Poker Tour stop we will satisfy the desires of locals and the international contingent looking for some late summer sun."

WPT Malta has already confirmed European triple crown winner Jake Cody will attend. In a press release announcing his participation, Cody sayd: "I think we showed the strength of UK poker in Vegas this year and with many Europeans doing well, we want to make sure the big titles keep on coming,"

Also confined as attenting attending are WSOP bracelet winner Matt Perrins as well as tournament director Matt Savage.

Who came out on top in the weekly $100,000 guaranteed online poker tournament held this past Sunday, August 7th? MrShipALot took first place this week, earning $25,169.40. They were followed by Long Chalk ($14,504.40) and go4itdude , who rounded out the top three spots while earning a very tidy $9,705.15. Here's the rest of the final table results: kalachulde ($7,465.50); TheDoctor2 ($6,079.04); cougie ($4,799.25); GBecks ($3,519.45); mmmbeast ($2,346.30) and LA_Champ ($1,386.44).

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!

August 1 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: sabonis ($3,905.00)
August 2 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: KGBluvsOrEoS ($$3,781.25)
August 3 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: 1davi ($3,740.00)
August 4 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: antonfs ($3,492.50)
August 7 • $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack: dillsmyboy ($3,891.25)
August 7 • $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack All_Golf ($4,440.00)

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!

According to a vague statement released by the Aldernay Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), it appears that Full Tilt Poker has paid their outstanding licensing fee of £250,000 to the AGCC. While this is a good sign indeed, it in no way means the site will have its AGCC license returned after it was suspended on June 29th.

The rather wordy summary of the path from Black Friday to today was issued on the AGCC website late last week, with the only “news” coming near the very end of the statement where it came to light that Full Tilt Poker had paid the outstanding debt: “The recent payment of overdue licence fees by FTP is also in players’ best interests since it allows commercial negotiations to take place that might result in a successful refinancing deal.”

Here is a look at the entire statement:

On 15th April 2011, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Assistant-Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI announced the unsealing of an indictment against 11 individuals, including some connected to Full Tilt Poker (“FTP”), alleging bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling offences. The AGCC, which licenses FTP, began immediate discussions with FTP’s management in order to protect the interests of players.

As a result of the AGCC’s investigations the decision was taken on 29th June 2011 to suspend the licences of the companies collectively trading as FTP. The AGCC has also imposed a condition that requires the licensees comprising FTP to arrange for the ring-fencing of identified players’ funds under their control.

On the 26th July 2011, the AGCC held a public hearing to consider allegations arising from the investigation. At the hearing the Commissioners of the AGCC, acting as a tribunal, decided to adjourn the hearing to a date no later than 15th September, as they felt that this was in the best interest of the players using FTP’s services.

The recent payment of overdue licence fees by FTP is also in players’ best interests since it allows commercial negotiations to take place that might result in a successful refinancing deal.

Further details regarding the exact date and venue of the next hearing will be announced as soon as possible.

Full Tilt Poker also managed to renew their secondary license with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada, but is still trying to have their AGCC license returned –the AGCC being a far more reputable license than the KGC which STILL licenses UB Poker and Absolute Poker.

In April this year, the poker industry got a rude shock when three top poker sites were shut down and their operators indicted for having allegedly laundered money. Since then, a few changes – for the better – have taken place in the poker world. With the demand for poker still on the rise, and the demise of the sites in the US market, players who want to play online poker have been forced to demand that online poker be legalized. According to them, if the sites are well regulated and allow them to play in a secure manner, the players’ interests will be well protected.

This demand stems from the fact that when the sites lost their ability to accept US players, some players could not even access their accounts, and some lost their money. Even though months have passed since the incident took place, a few players still haven’t got back the money they either deposited or won at a particular site. This shows that players’ money is not secure with game rooms in a paradigm where the industry is not well regulated. According to a spokesperson from PlayPokerOnline.com, this has been an eye-opener for many players. He added that there is no doubt that legalizing poker will help protect players in the US.

Currently, there is a lot of pressure on the US government to legalize the game, and to allow players to access them online. Several lobbying groups are up in arms to push the government to take steps to make poker legal. FairPlayUSA, one such lobbying group formed recently, is at the forefront of the effort. The group was created in the aftermath of Black Friday. It intends to change the status of online poker in the country from being illegal to a licensed and regulated one.

The group says that the current gambling laws are ambiguous. This has encouraged many players to play poker online at unreliable sites. Now, the group wants the government to offer clarity on the laws. A website and petition form have been developed by the group, to provide those keen on supporting the cause, and even voicing their opinion, with a platform to do so. According to a spokesperson for PlayPokerOnline.com, the group has the potential to provide players with the backing they require in the current situation.

Immediately after Black Friday, the states of Nevada and Iowa took action in an effort to push for online poker legislation. Though it requires the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to study the impact of online poker on players, the bill received a 38-12 vote. A few other states in the US are considering the option of passing bills legalizing online poker.

Every online poker room offers a deposit bonus of some kind, but nobody rewards new online poker players more quickly than Bodog Poker, period.

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The warnings sounded as early as May.

"It's not often that the federal government shuts down the only means of income for hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans," Matt Villano reported for Time magazine on May 10.

"Naturally, then, on April 15, when the FBI pulled the plug on PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, the four largest offshore online-poker sites serving U.S. players, full-time online pro Isaac Haxton started thinking about moving overseas. Among the initial batch of candidates: Melbourne, Malta and Madrid -- all places that allow gambling online."

"Ultimately, it doesn't really matter where I end up," said the 25-year-old Haxton, who lives in Las Vegas -- or did, three months ago. "So long as I can get myself to a country with good Internet connections, a country that allows me to earn a living again, I'm there."

Life changed drastically for professional online poker players in the wake of what many have come to call Black Friday. "One day, it was business as usual for regular players: 10 to 15 tables at a time, roughly 500 hands per hour, tens of thousands of dollars (or more) in play," Villano reported. "The next day, nothing, not even a single virtual chip."

Before the shutdown, the Poker Players Alliance, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for the right to play poker online, boasted that as many as 10 million Americans played the computerized game. By May, John Pappas, the group's executive director, estimated that number at no more than 2 million.

Time reported that poker pro Vanessa Peng, a 28-year-old Las Vegas resident, planned to leave for good. "I thought this was a country of freedoms. I know better now."

As these professionals pack up and leave, they're taking with them not only a game on which Las Vegas could make millions, but the taxes they pay and the profits they spend on upscale restaurants, entertainment and other services wherever they land. They are preparing to move to Canada, Costa Rica or Mexico -- if they haven't left already -- which are among the many countries where Internet gambling is either legal or allowed to continue under laissez-faire governments, Vegas Inc. reports.

The major tournaments hosted here and the town's 24-hour lifestyle made Las Vegas a favored base for many of these largely recession-immune professionals. And Nevada's long experience in gaming regulation would position the state to fare well in any environment of legalized online gambling.

Yet this entire industry is being forced offshore. Why? To "protect" American adults from the dangers of playing poker in the privacy of their own homes?

Congress, having done all the harm it could arrange at present, is now on vacation. Once they return to Washington, Nevada's delegation could find worse ways to spend their time than to push for legalized and sensibly regulated Internet poker.

As with other commonly accepted vices, it's going to happen, anyway. Why not give players the legal protection absent from an illegal game -- and capture a piece of the action, while we're at it?

Launched in 2006, PKR has been developed from the ground up as a fully immersive 3D online poker experience. PKR delivers the speed and intensity of online poker with the added emotions and expressions found in a live game. PKR's unique 'Emote Control' technology allows players to engage and interact in more personal, entertaining and immersive ways. Each player can fully customize their avatar, allowing their personality to shine through. Through facial expressions and gestures, PKR presents an online experience that delivers a unique blend of online and live poker traits. PKR also hosts an impressive line-up of daily, weekly and monthly guaranteed tournaments, making PKR a highly lucrative place to play. Beginners and more advanced players will both find much to like at PKR.

Welcome to Pkr Poker

Welcome:

In the U.S. more than 50,000 people listed “online poker” as their primary source of income before April 15th when the Department Of Justice shut down the four biggest U.S. facing poker sites.

In the ensuing upheaval, online poker pros were faced with the prospect of having to try transferring their skills to the live bricks and mortar arena. However, this was not seen as a viable option for many and, as Bryan Devonshire explained in his blog:

“I’m driving to Vegas now. It’s depressing to have to commute for hours, get there, wait on a list and then play 1/15 of the hands I would normally play online…I have a depressed attitude and a disdainful sentiment toward my own government.”

Another option for the now disenfranchised online pros was a seemingly drastic move abroad, but this also isn’t quite as clear cut as it would seem as Daniel “jungleman12” Cates found out recently after being turned away at the Canadian border.

The problem would seem to revolve around obtaining a working visa by listing ‘online poker player’ as a profession. Furthermore, many countries are wary about simply allowing people in in order to by-pass US Laws.

However, some pros undeterred, seem to be considering ways around this with Justin Bonomo, Issac Haxton and five friends planning a move to possibly Melbourne, Malta or Madrid. Nevertheless, they still face many complications, such as the duty to report to Immigration every 90 Days and as Justin Bonomo explains:

“It’s not like you can get a work visa if you’re playing online poker full-time. When [your paperwork] expires, you’ve got to leave the country and get it renewed; it’s not a big deal, but it isn’t something you can ignore.”

Many US poker players are currently facing an uncertain future as they try to continue on their chosen career paths. Players so far finding success in re-locating include Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond and Cole South now playing from Canada. Daniel Negreanu and Andrew “Foucault” Brokos, too, have returned back to their native Canada in order to continue their sponsorship tenure at PokerStars.