Online Poker News

08/03: Armed Robbers Storm Poker Tournament

Police in Berlin report that armed robbers stormed into a poker tournament being held in the Grand Hyatt Hotel and left with the tournament jackpot of 800,000 euros, or approximately $1.1 million.

It was a 5 day tournament with about 1,000 players. There were several injuries from the ensuing panic, though none of the injuries were reported as serious.

The tournament, held by the European Poker Tour (EPT), was resumed approximately four hours after the robbery.

Read the full story and see the video tape of it!!

04/03: The PPA is Working Hard to See that Poker is Classified as a Skill Game

This is hot off the press from the PPA!! We all need to work as hard as they are to be able to enjoy the game we love so much, The game of Poker!!

March 4, 2010 (PAP Newswire) – The PPA (Poker Players Alliance), one of the most active groups striving to get online poker legalized and regulated in the U.S., recently testified in front of the Massachusetts legislature in support of H4069, a piece of legislation that would legally classify poker as a game of skill.

The difference in legally defining poker as a game of skill, versus a game of chance, is enormous. In many states, poker is banned because it’s considered to be “gambling”, a game of chance.

"There is a vast and growing body of academic research proving that poker is a game in which who wins and who loses is predominantly determined by skill, not chance,' said Randy Castonguay, Massachusetts State Director for the PPA, according to a PPA news release. “I am extremely proud that Massachusetts is on its way to codifying this fact into law and preserving our citizens' rights to play the game they love.”

"I believe if a legislature takes this position, it would be precedent-setting," Castonguay was quoted by PokerNews.com. "It would put us on course for victories in other states."

According to the PokerNews.com article, the bill’s chances are uncertain; “however, the PPA hopes to get the bill attached to a larger bill that would allow for resort-style casinos to be built at existing racetracks in the state.”

28/02: Soccer Star Totti Signs With PartyPoker

Score one for PartyPoker.com. They have just recently announced the signing of Francesco Totti, the great Italian soccer legend, to a contract. He will represent PartyPoker’s brand and be their ambassador to the public. He will also play exclusively at PartyPoker.com’s virtual poker tables.


Francesco Totti stated: "I have faced many challenges in my career and I always apply myself with skill, intelligence, loyalty and passion. You need all these abilities for poker and it is also a game that excites me and is a lot of fun”. He stated he is very grateful to PartyPoker for the opportunity to combine his love for sport and the challenge of poker. “The qualities you need to become a good poker player are very close to those of a sport." stated Totti.

Totti will be appearing in print advertisements and also on television in the European and Italian markets. PartyPoker is celebrating it’s signing of the great star by offering it’s Italian customers only, special introductory bonuses starting February 25th. These include a special “Totti 10 welcome bonus and Totti freerolls for new customers.

A PartyPoker spokesman stated that: "We expect Totti to become the most capped player and number one goal scorer in our history. He is one of the greatest football players of his generation.... He is a huge signing."

17/02: Are VISA and MasterCard to be Banned from Online Poker Sites?

A Boston area poker fan, Donny Chia, has written a story describing how Visa and MasterCard placed restrictions on their use on online gambling sites. If it turns out to be true, it would be a big blow to the online gaming world. Visa and MasterCard are two of the giants in the credit card business. If that occurred and they also restricted the use of ATM/Debit cards, it would cost the online gaming world hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The story says that MasterCard has already made moves to restrict deposits made to online gaming sites.

These changes are being brought about by UIGEA, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Congress passed a six month delay in implementing UIGEA at the end of last year, so the credit card companies have until around July to implement the changes demanded by UIGEA. If the credit card companies fail to comply with UIGEA, they risk being prosecuted under it’s provisions.

Some players still have credit cards that are issued by companies not under the jurisdiction of UIGEA. There are also bank wires and echecks as a way around the UIGEA restrictions. They are just nowhere near as easy and convenient as Visa or MasterCard.

So the next time you whip out the old Visa or MasterCard plastic to fund your online gaming fun, you may just find it being refused. So you may want to be looking for an alternate method to fund your online gaming needs.

09/02: DoylesRoom Launched a Store ONLY for Online Poker Players

This is something new for all the poker players out there! Now you can get special items to collect. These are some never seen before items.

Las Vegas, Nevada – January 25, 2010 – DoylesRoom.com has given online poker players who collect Gold Chips more spending power. The only online poker site to bear the legendary Doyle Brunson name has taken the wraps off the DoylesRoom Store, an online shop featuring a wide range of in demand products and unique-to-DoylesRoom.com items.

Online poker players can shop for everything from video game consoles and iTunes gift certificates to Doyle Brunson’s autobiography and a limited edition Doyle Resitol Cowboy Hat. Categories include:

- DoylesRoom.com Gear featuring apparel, laptop bags, Doyle Brunson’s autobiography and more
- Electronics featuring the most popular gadgets such as GPS systems, iPod accessories, digital cameras
- Gaming featuring all of the popular consoles such as Nintendo Wii and Playstation3
- Lifestyle featuring the hottest lifestyle enhancing accessories

The DoylesRoom.com Store does not accept cash or credit cards. To purchase goods from DoylesRoomStore.com, poker players must use their Gold Chips.

Gold Chips are a form of DoylesRoom.com currency that’s awarded to players for frequent play. Online poker players who play at real money tables or pay tournament fees are automatically awarded Frequent Player Points. As those points are accumulated, a Gold Chip meter begins to fill. Once the meter is full, a Gold Chip is awarded.

Online poker players can discover something they want for just a handful of Gold Chips. The DoylesRoom.com Online Store is accessible at DoylesRoomStore.com.

21/01: Is Florida Legalizing Online Poker?

Here is another state that is considering and probably will legalize online poker, New Jersey and California and now Florida? Here is to hoping this will set a trend all over the US!!!

January 20, 2010 (CAP Newswire) — According to today’s Florida Times-Union out o0f Jacksonville, the Florida legislature is reportedly considering legalizing and regulating Internet poker with its borders, becoming the latest state to consider doing so.

However, putting the issue to a vote isn’t necessarily a positive development. According to the article, it could just as easily result in a total ban of the activity as a freer set of regulations.

“The Legislature could also wait to see whether Congress intends to address Internet poker, which is considered illegal in the United States but is often operated by foreign companies,” writes Brandon Larrabee in the article.

"When the feds tried to [ban Internet poker], it didn't really work," said state senator Dave Aronberg, according to the article. "Is there anything that Florida can do other than allowing it to occur?"

Read the full article here.

19/01: PPA is Pushing for February Markup of HR 2267

2010 is ramping up to be a very interesting year for the gaming community. Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) Internet gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, HR2267, has picked up two more co-sponsors bringing the number up to 65. The bill was discussed on Dec. 3, 2009 in the House Financial Services Committee. This was only one week following the action delaying mandatory compliance with UIGEA, the Unlawful Internet gambling Enforcement Act.

No markup occurred during the Dec. hearing, but John Pappas, Executive Director of Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the one million member lobbying organization, says that may be just around the corner. “The big next step for us is the markup. We’ve built out who our targets are for that committee and are pursuing them. We think it might happen in February, but there are no guarantees.”

Barney Frank wants to hold a markup hearing next month on his bill, which could lead to its discussion on the House floor later in the year. It could then be attached to another piece of legislation and voted on, similar to how UIGEA got passed in 2006. John Pappas says that the key will be to keep the vote in the committee bipartisan. Pappas is also waiting for the release of information about the amount of money that could be raised if S1597, Senator Robert Menendez’s bill, the Internet Poker and game of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, is approved. Introduced in August 2009, it has yet to attract any co-sponsors.

04/01: PokerStars Online New Pro Team

PokerStars.com has scoured over 2000 resumes in order to field a team of online players to be called Team PokerStars online, an amateur sister team of their PokerStars Pro. They will represent the poker site at online tournaments.

From the over 2000 resumes, they have culled out the final 23 names that will make up the team. They represent 18 countries from around the world. The decisions have been made as to who will be on the team. Now it is time to see if they made the right decisions.

Here are the names of the lucky players chosen.

Andres ‘lobojiji’ Alisievicz, Boumaaza ‘Chiren80’ Bachir, Jorge ‘JorgeArias’ Arias, Alvaro ‘VARICO’ Blanco, Anders ‘Donald’ Berg, Nichoel ‘NicP’ Peppe, Keiran ‘K_Man2307’ Harris, Thomas ‘Boku87’ Boekhoff, Randy ‘nanonoko’ Lew, Karlo ‘elmagopr’ Lopez, Andre ‘acoimbra’ Coimbra, Ta-Chih ‘socutiesf’ Geeng, Grzegorz ‘DaWarsaw’ Mikielewicz, Diego ‘vgreen22’ Brunelli, Andrew ‘Kid Nebraska’ Goetsch, Steve ‘stevesbets’ Jacobs, Martha ‘marene’ Gonzalez, Kristian ‘CharismA3’ Martin, Mathew ‘chipstar1’ Didlick, Grayson ‘spacegravy’ Physioc, Sebastien ‘Seb86’ Sabic, Alexey ‘LuckyGump’ Makarov and Amanda ‘ROXY24’ Thomas.

We wish all these players the very best of luck, and may the lucky stars rain down on their cards!

21/12: World Series of Poker 2010 Announced

Ok all poker players that love tournaments, it is on!!!

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The 41st annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) -- a set of poker tournaments open to anyone 21 years of age or older -- returns Thursday, May 27, 2010 when live action and satellites begin. The annual poker extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game's most popular variations running from May 27-July 17, 2010.

A total of 57 coveted gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2010 – equal to last year's total. July 4th is the tournaments sole "off day", and will be dedicated to satellites for all those seeking another entry option into poker's biggest event.

On Friday, May 28, the first open bracelet event will be the $50,000 buy-in Player's Championship – the most expensive buy-in event to ever open up the World Series of Poker. Playing for the bracelet and the prestigious Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, the event will follow an eight-game format made popular by the late poker legend, and those participating in the mythical "Big Game" around Las Vegas card rooms. Over the first four days, Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball will be played, with the Final Table being No-Limit Hold'em, as was the case when Reese won the inaugural $50K buy-in event in 2006. ESPN will provide television coverage of this event under the new format.

The opening weekend (May 29-30), features a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament, which last year established a non-Main Event record of 6,012 entrants. The four-day event includes two starting flights, one each on Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon.

Another first at the WSOP this year, the first 5 weekends of the series will feature $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments with two starting flights. May 29-30, June 5-6, June 12-13, June 19-20 and June 26-27 will offer No-Limit Hold'em players from the weekend warrior to the most advanced player the opportunity to compete in some of the largest fields of the year for huge prize pools and a gold bracelet. A sixth event on July 1-2, will also offer the same event at the same buy-in level, just days before the Main Event commences.

The 41st annual WSOP will conclude, as is customary now, with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship (aka the Main Event) which begins play Monday, July 5 and should reach its final table (nine players) on Saturday, July 17, at which time play will be halted for the third consecutive year. The famed tournament's culmination will be held with the "November Nine" from November 6-9, before a live audience with special primetime coverage from ESPN.

"Whatever your game and whatever your bankroll, the 2010 WSOP schedule offers something for everyone," said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the fifth consecutive year. "We are planning for the largest WSOP ever and look forward to welcoming all players to the Rio in Las Vegas next summer."

The entire convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will be exclusively dedicated to the 2010 World Series of Poker for the first time, with tournament tables in the 58,000 square foot Pavilion and the 38,000 square foot Amazon Room. The final number of tables in play is subject to regulatory approval, given just prior to the tournament commencing.

Player comfort is also being addressed by new rules regulating the daily amount of play. Excluding the Main Event, gold bracelet tournaments will begin at 12 noon and 5 PM Pacific Time each day, with a maximum of 10-one hour levels being played for the noon starts, while the 5 PM events playing a maximum of 8 one-hour levels. Day 1 play is expected to conclude at 12:45 AM for noon starts and 2:45 AM for the 5 PM starts. For those advancing past the first day, re-starts for noon bracelet events will be at 2:30 PM, and 5 PM tournaments will restart at 3 PM, with a maximum of 10 levels being played each day until a champion is crowned. The Main Event features two-hour levels and play begins at 12 noon each day.

Registration for all bracelet events will remain open until the start of the third level (approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes after start time) – or until all available seats have sold. Pre-registration for the 2010 WSOP is now available on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio in Las Vegas and online through www.wsop.com. This is the earliest registration has ever opened, as players now have more than five months to register for the first event, and more than six months to register for the Main Event.

Players are encouraged to register in advance to avoid being shutout of their favorite events. Any foreign entrants who wire transfer monies will receive the exchange rate into U.S. dollars at the time of the wire transfer, thus locking in their exchange rate in advance.

New policies and procedures regarding Main Event registration will be detailed in the future, but entrants can expect to be assigned starting days after a certain date. The only way to guarantee your starting day will be to pre-register prior to the determined cut-off date.

All Harrah's properties in Las Vegas offer special reduced room rates for entrants of WSOP bracelet events. Rates start as low as $69 for players staying at the host property, the Rio. Imperial Palace offers rates as low as $30, and Bally's, Flamingo, Harrah's, Paris and Caesars Palace provide WSOP player rates as low as $45-$100 a night. Click here for the special WSOP player hotel rates.

The 2010 WSOP marks the 41st running of the game's most prestigious annual tournament. In 2009, the WSOP generated the most entries ever (60,875) from 115 different countries that competed for more than $174 million while awarding 57 championship gold bracelets, globally recognized as the game's top prize.

To view the entire schedule, visit www.wsop.com/schedule where you can download event structures, pre-registration forms or save the schedule to your calendar and even link it to your Facebook, Twitter or other social network sites. Media can add a WSOP schedule widget to their websites, by going to http://wsop.com/poker-widgets/

Among the highlights of the 2010 schedule:

57 gold bracelet events over 51 days.

Expanded footprint – The giant Pavilion Ballroom (58,000 sq. feet) will be in use this year for poker in the Rio Convention Center. The Pavilion is the largest ballroom at the Rio, and along with the famed Amazon Room (38,000 sq. feet), will make-up the playing rooms for this year's WSOP. The entire convention space will be used.

Expanded capacity – Along with expanded footprint, comes more poker tables. A record 295 tables were utilized last year, and this year's configuration is still being plotted, but expected to offer about 20 percent more tables.

No Food Tent – The outdoor food tent will now become an indoor food court experience. The Miranda Ballroom, last year used as a room for play, will be converted into a food court with a variety of popular food items for players and spectators.

Sensational Structures & Starting Chips – Drafting off last year's success, all gold bracelet events in 2010 will feature triple the buy-in in starting chips and deep structures, providing plenty of play.

$25K 6-Handed No-Limit – A new event this year will be a $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold'em 4-day event. Event #52 begins on Wednesday, June 30 at 12 noon.

$50K Players Championship – The Chip Reese Trophy is up for grabs at the $50,000 buy-in eight-game mixed event, dubbed the Players Championship, which is being morphed from the $50K H.O.R.S.E. tournament run the past four years. This new eight-game format will serve as the true test of the game's greatest all-around player and receive star treatment, with ESPN cameras covering the five-day event for television. Event #2 starts on Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM.

Still Plenty of H.O.R.S.E. – A new $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship tournament will be offered, to go along with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins to the popular game.

The 4th annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity Tournament -- $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em celebrity and charity tournament on Saturday, July 3, (two days before the Main Event begins) featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.

The Ladies Only No-Limit Hold'em Championship – On Friday, June 11, featuring a $1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.

The Seniors Only No-Limit Hold'em Championship – On Friday, June 18, featuring a $1,000 buy-in for all poker enthusiasts 50 years of age or older.

June $550 No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout June, the Rio will host new $550 No-Limit Hold'em tournaments for those looking for a Hold'em fix. These are one-day structured tournaments, and not bracelet events.

In addition, a complete array of satellites, from single-table to mega, will be offered beginning from May 27-July 8. Nightly No-Limit Hold'em tournaments will be offered from May 27-July 4 at 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID. Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in. Players without a Tax Identification Number and foreign players from non-tax treaty countries are subject to up to 30 percentage tax withholding. WSOP reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event, in part or in whole, without notice.

15/12: Poker Icon Vanessa Rousso Launches Boot Camp for Poker

Ok all of you poker lovers out there; here are your chances to get tips and strategies from one of the best female poker players out there. Pack you bags and head off for the New Year to learn how to be a winner!

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Poker icon Vanessa Rousso will kick off the New Year 'island style,' making the Bahamas her first port of call as she launches her 2010 poker boot camp celebration. On January 10, poker enthusiasts from around the globe will flock to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island to attend Rousso's, "Strategy Symposium Under the Sun," in hopes of learning winning strategies from a world class pro.

Just a few days following this event, Rousso will continue her poker celebration in yet another popular coastal destination: Biloxi, Mississippi. On January 22, Beau Rivage will host a two-day instructional experience with Rousso presenting "Poker Tournament Theory Boot Camp & Tournament."

With over 4 million in tournament earnings, 27 year-old Rousso has rocked the poker world with her playing prowess. In fact, 2009 will certainly be a year to remember for this bright, saavy, poker pro bombshell. This past January marked the debut of Rousso's lucrative year when she raked in $79K during the Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi. In February, Rousso was featured in a two-page spread in the highly anticipated Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. On March 6th, Rousso joined female racecar icon, Danica Patrick, as the newest spokeswoman for the domain registrar/web hosting giant, GoDaddy.com. Just three days after becoming the latest 'GoDaddy Girl,' Rousso became the first female to make the finals of the prestigious NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship. She overcame one of the most difficult brackets in the tournament's history to finish in second place, raking in $250,000. Rousso captured international stardom in April, when she won first place in the European Poker Tour High Roller Event in Monte Carlo, adding $940,000 to her earnings. Her winning streak continued through the summer cashing multiple times during the prestigious World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and during the Italian Poker Tour in Venice, Italy.

Rousso's success has placed her in high demand. This fall she has hosted several televised shows: 'PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge' (FOX), Poker After Dark (NBC), and a French series called "Stars of Poker.' Her most recent endeavor includes a television series produced by Ryan Seacrest, 'Bank of Hollywood,' and can be viewed on the e-channel beginning December 14.

With the New Year right around the corner, Rousso has turned her attention to a cutting-edge approach to poker instruction. She has developed a poker curriculum that allows participants to learn high-level poker strategy and game theory in an interactive learning environment, that incorporates learn-by doing simulations and educational sessions. "My biggest passion outside of playing poker is in teaching poker strategy. I love watching that light bulb go off in my students' minds when they discover something new," said Vanessa. "It is very exciting when their confidence level improves as a result of implementing what they have learned at my bootcamp. One of my students raked in $40,000 at the Main Event during the World Series of Poker!"

At a time when serious players declare their new year's resolution to better their game, Rousso's instructional seminars offer a unique learning opportunity from an experienced pro, geared toward gaining a winning edge.