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24.04.2008

200% up to $600 and $50 Gratis at CD Poker

CDPoker is offering his players a sensational Sign up Bonus of 200% up to 600$. To use this Bonus you need to register with our Bonuscode pokerworld with CDPoker. If you deposit more than $100 you get an extra $50 gratis on top of it.

In this quickly growing I-Poker Network CDPoker is offering Tournaments with high Pricepools and progressive Jackpots.

A very good customer service und a stable software with many additional features are only some of a list of good points in this poker room. All in all is CDPoker a good poker room with sophisticated Graphics and many promotions. Actually there is the possibility to receive a one year sponsorship as a professional Poker player.

Register here with our Bonuscode pokerworld and receive a 200% up to 600$ Sign up Bonus plus $50 gratis.

09.04.2008

Party Poker guaranteed $250K every friday

PartyPoker.com introduce a new tournament schedule that guarantees $250,000 every single Friday.

'The Friday Night Party' features tournaments to suit every level, all the way up to a big money $50k Friday special. There will also be seats available for the World Series of Poker up for grabs. Better still, the tournaments are spread out, so there is never a long wait to get stuck into the action.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "Cancel your plans and start freeing up your Fridays. With at least $250,000 to be won there's absolutely no reason to be anywhere else."

For more information about Party Poker, go to our review.

Here's the full Friday Night Party program:

Tournament Name EST GMT CET Buy-in Guarantee
Friday Night Party $20K Gtd Rebuy 13:00 18:00 19:00 $50 +$5 $20,000
Shootout 13:30 18:30 19:30 $5 + $1 $2,500
Friday Night Party $15K Deep stack 6 handed 14:00 19:00 20:00 $100 + $10 $15,000
$5k Gtd Speed 14:30 19:30 20:30 $50 +$5 $5,000
Friday Night Party $50K Gtd Special 15:00 20:00 21:00 $200 + $15 $50,000
Crazy Stack Turbo 15:30 20:30 21:30 $50 +$5 $10,000
Friday Night Party $25K Gtd 16:00 21:00 22:00 $50 + $5 $25,000
$10K Gtd Rebuy 16:30 21:30 22:30 $5 + $1 $10,000
Friday Night Party $50K Gtd Rebuy 6 handed 17:00 22:00 23:00 $110 + $10 $50,000
$5k Gtd 17:30 22:30 23:30 $10 + $1 $5,000
WSOP Satellite 18:00 23:00 00:00 $540 + $40 $40,500
$2K Gtd Speed 6 Handed 18:30 23:30 00:30 $5 + $1 $2,000
Friday Night Party $25 Gtd 19:00 00:00 01:00 $100 + $9 $25,000
$3K Gtd Shootout 20:00 01:00 02:00 $30 + $3 $3,000
Friday Night Party $5K Gtd 21:00 02:00 03:00 $30 + $3 $5,000

29.03.2008

1000 Seats for World Series of Poker 2008

PokerStars, the world's largest online poker site, announced the launch of their WSOP satellite tournaments, where players can win prize packages worth $12,500.

And that's not all. PokerStars qualifiers who make it to the final table at the WSOP Main Event will win an automatic cash bonus, including a cool million for bringing home the Main Event trophy. Finish second, get a $400,000 bonus. Finish in third place, get $300,000. Finish in fourth-fifth or sixth-ninth and get $200,000 or $100,000 respectively. Cash bonuses of up to $50,000 also are available if a sponsored player makes it to a WSOP "TV table."

"If I didn't win a $39 satellite on PokerStars, I would have been on the sidelines at the 2003 WSOP," said Chris Moneymaker, who rode his PokerStars prize to victory in the Main Event. "This year's prize package is even more incredible and the prize pool is set to be its biggest yet."

Unlike other sites who are only offering only150 main event seats and assorted freeroll entries, PokerStars will be sending over 1,000 players to the Main Event. Registered users can test their skills to win a ticket to the "Big Dance" for free at PokerStars.net

The full prize package also includes:

- $10,000 Main Event buy-in
- $2,500 for expenses
- Free hotel accommodations at the Palms for eight nights
- Hotel suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elite VIP members

PokerStars sends more players to the Main Event than any other site. Since 2002, over 3,600 qualifiers have won a seat by traveling the satellite route.

After Moneymaker's Main Event victory, the "Moneymaker Effect" was in full swing. Chris' victory inspired thousands of everyday players to try their luck at World Series glory. In 2006, PokerStars qualifier Greg Raymer also went on to win the championship and $5 million. The result was massive WSOP field growth, culminating in an $8.25 million top prize last year. This year looks to be even bigger.

More about PokerStars

04.03.2008

Titan Poker announce ECOOP 2

Titan Poker, the largest poker room on the iPoker Network, is guaranteeing $3,500,000
in cash prizes in its second European Championship of Online Poker Series.

Staged in December 2007, the first ECOOP was a resounding success and
awarded winners with more than $2,500,000 -- exceeding its guaranteed
prize pools. However, with an additional million dollars already
confirmed, the ECOOP II is certain to be even more exciting and
lucrative for online poker enthusiasts across the globe.

ECOOP II will run for ten consecutive days, from the 23rd of May to the
1st of June. One ECOOP tournament will be staged each day and each event
will award huge guaranteed prizes. The tournament series will conclude
with a $1,500,000 Main Event on the 1st of June.

Titan Poker is already staging daily qualifier satellite tournaments.
Buy-in to these satellites start at just $2 + $0.20, so players can
potentially win a share of $3,500,000 for an investment of less than
three dollars.

In addition to the huge cash prizes that Titan Poker players stand to
win, winners of each event will also receive a special ECOOP bracelet,
similar to the bracelets awarded at the World Series of Poker. As an
extra bonus, the top 100 tournament players participating in the ECOOP
events will be entered into a $50,000 Freeroll, to be staged 72 hours
after the Main Event.

12.02.2008

888 reports gaming revenues up

Internet gaming firm 888 Holdings reported a 36% rise in net gaming revenues in its first full year without any business in the US.

The operator of Paradise Poker took 213 million US dollars (£109m) in the year to December 31, with its casino games winning 22% more in the company's fourth quarter, compared to its third.

The firm, which was hit by the US internet gaming ban in 2006, added its new 888Ladies bingo brand had started well.

The group lost more than half its revenues because of the US withdrawal, but has recovered ground through the launch of new casino and poker sites, partnering agreements and expansion in areas such as Latin America.

The Gibraltar-based firm said today its new bingo service, 888ladies - which offers game tutorials, an online community and chat tools - is seeing 'hundreds of new customers' signing up every day.

Chief executive Gigi Levy said "We are delighted with our results released today, our first full year of trading without any business in the US."

This year, the company also launched the World Poker Crown, a poker tournament with a $3m guaranteed prize, handicapped sport betting for Asia, Lucky Ace poker and Wink Bingo

27.12.2007

NBC Set to Launch 3rd Season of Poker After Dark

With two successful seasons of Poker After Dark in the books, NBC will continue to bring poker fans around the globe the very best in 6-handed match-ups with the airing of its 3rd season beginning late night on December 31. The hit show will again feature the top players in the game each putting up $20,000 per match and competing for a $120,000 winner-take-all prize. Returning to provide limited commentary is Ali Nejad.

The program, designed to show how a match progresses over time by showing the majority of the hands involved, has provided not only top quality poker filled with drama and excitement, but also a lot of laughs and some eyebrow-raising behavior. Contributing to the entertainment factor is the interaction that takes place between the players, which allows viewers a better look into each of their personalities. This banter is often confrontational, but for the most part is lighthearted and filled with exchanges and anecdotes you won't find on any other program.

The producers takes pride in introducing an interesting mix of players to the viewing audience, and the first 2 seasons saw 57 of the game's elite participate. This year 15 newcomers will make their debut, including John-Robert Bellande, Hoyt Corkins, Roland de Wolfe, Chau Giang, Mark Gregorich, Sam Grizzle, Berry Johnston, J.J. Liu, Scotty Nguyen, David Oppenheim, Erica Schoenberg, Beth Shak, Gavin Smith, and Robert Williamson III. Another notable newcomer is amateur Ken Light, who will play in the opening match of the season. Ken won his seat via a freeroll at FullTiltPoker and was able to choose his personal dream line-up.

PAD3 will also debut a highly entertaining new program host named Marianela, who will bring her unique charm, wit, and personality to the show. This Argentina-born beauty is hip, creative, and as comfortable in front of a camera as any runway model. The players loved working with her, and viewers will especially enjoy how well she interacts with the players.

22.12.2007

Win a $12,000 package for the PartyPoker.com Million VI for $1

The first PartyPoker.com Million to visit the Mediterranean will be the held from May 3 through 10, 2008. The eight-day cruise will sail from Venice in Italy and will stop at the following ports:

* Bari, Italy
* Olympia/Katakolon, Greece
* Izmir, Turkey
* Istanbul, Turkey
* Dubrovnik, Croatia

Each $12,000 package will include:

* $8,200 buy-in for the No-limit Texas Hold’em main event
* $2,700 for accommodation and the cruise
* $1,100 spending money

You could win a $12,000 package for the PartyPoker.com Million VI. Join the qualifiers now for as little as $1.

19.12.2007

HORSE Trophy named after Chip Reese

Future winners of the $50,000 buy-in event at the World Series of Poker -- currently the HORSE World Championship -- will receive a trophy named after the late David "Chip" Reese, according to Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee's Best Light.

"A true gentleman and the youngest person admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame, Chip Reese was recognized by his peers as the most successful player in the biggest mixed cash games of all time," Pollack said. "But he was also a great tournament player with three WSOP bracelets, including one for his historic victory in the inaugural $50,000 buy-in HORSE tournament in 2006." As a tribute to this great player who embodied the very best of our game, next year's $50,000 HORSE World Championship will be played in Chip's honor and memory," Pollack said. "And the winner will receive the 'David "Chip" Reese Award,' as well as a WSOP bracelet, to commemorate their achievement."

18.11.2007

Review: CD Poker

CDPoker is offering his players a sensational Sign up Bonus of 200% up to 600$. To use this Bonus you need to register with our Bonuscode pokerworld with CDPoker. In this quickly growing I-Poker Network CDPoker is offering Tournaments with high Pricepools and progressive Jackpots.

A very good customer service und a stable software with many additional features are only some of a list of good points in this poker room. All in all is CDPoker a good poker room with sophisticated Graphics and many promotions. Actually there is the possibility to receive a one year sponsorship as a professional Poker player.

Register here with our Bonuscode pokerworld and receive a 200% up to 600$ Sign up Bonus.

18.11.2007

Titan Poker Announce ECOOP 2007

Titan Poker is proud to announce its First Ever online poker series!!

The European Championship of Online Poker 2007 (ECOOP) will run for ten days and is giving away more than $2,500,000 in Guaranteed Prizes!!

The ECOOP will start at the end of November. For ten thrilling days, you will have the chance to compete for a share of $2,500,000! Each event winner will also receive a special ECOOP bracelet.

PLUS play for YOUR place on our special ECOOP leaderboard and you could win a seat in a $50,000 Freeroll!! All top 50 players will be eligible to play in the $50,000 GP Freeroll, which will be staged a day after the Main Event. Details to follow.

You can buy-in to the ECOOP directly or win your seat at satellites over the course of two qualifying periods. The first qualifying period has ALREADY STARTED!! The second starts on the 10th of September.

For a fantastic Sign up Bonus up to $1000 use the Bonuscode pokerworld

17.01.2008

PKR has now more than 1 Million Users

Next generation online poker room PKR has reached an historic milestone this week when it signed up its one millionth user. Passing the one million mark caps a phenomenal year of growth for PKR.com, which has come out of nowhere to quickly establish itself as a major player in the online poker market.

PKR's state of the art 3D graphics and immersive game system, which allow players to customise characters and interact with opponents using a range of body language and emotes, has proven irresistible to players around the world who have flocked to the site in record numbers since its August, 2006 launch.

A stand alone operator, PKR quickly proved more than capable of generating a critical mass of players with a product unique in the industry and with an innovative marketing campaign that has drawn a new generation of players to the game.

Entering its second year PKR is poised to continue scooping record numbers of players while leveraging other competitive advantages that place it in an extremely favourable market position. Licensed in Alderney, PKR is regulated by a jurisdiction recently 'white listed' by the Department for Culture Media and Sport in the UK, ensuring that PKR will be allowed to expand advertising efforts in one of its key markets while many rivals are frozen out.

PKR.com has also stayed completely out of the US, meaning the company has never accepted cash bets from American players. This decision has been fully vindicated in the light of the October passing of the UIGEA that effectively outlawed online gaming.

About PKR:

PKR is a revolutionary new concept in online poker that aims to change both the way that online poker is played and perceived. Featuring stunning real-time 3D graphics and a uniquely engaging and immersive gaming system, PKR brings an unparalleled and previously unseen level of realism to online poker.

28.09.2007

Poker After Dark: New Episodes coming soon

This week's match on NBC's Poker After Dark features five familiar faces, three of whom had victories in PAD's first season, and one newcomer. Returning are previous winners Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, John Juanda, and Clonie Gowen. These three will look to join Howard Lederer as the only other two-time winner on PAD. They are joined by Annie Duke, Andy Bloch, and David Williams, who will all compete for the $120,000 winner-take-all first prize.

Laak, Juanda, and Gowen represent an interesting contrast of personalities. Laak's antics and chatter, of course, have made him one of the more entertaining players to watch on television, as his victory over long-time rival Antonio Esfandiari last season will attest. Juanda's road to victory in PAD's first season was in sharp contrast to Laak's, as he engaged in a "strictly business" heads-up battle with Allen Cunningham, with nary a word exchanged between them. Gowen's victory during Ladies Week showed that she is certainly not shy about mixing it up, either verbally or with her play.

Duke, who has appeared twice on the show, and Bloch, who has appeared once, will be looking for their first victory. Duke is known to be chatty, while Bloch talks less but is always cordial. All of the players this week possess friendly natures, so look for lighthearted exchanges between them.

This will be PAD's first look at the sometimes-flamboyant Williams, who is known to wear just a touch of bling on occasion. But ever since emerging on the poker scene with his second-place finish in the 2004 World Series of Poker main event good for $3.5 million, Williams has added another $2.2 million to his coffers in tournament play, and is currently ranked 22nd on the all-time money list.

Brief profiles of all six players follow. The match will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 AM, September 24, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the "Director's Cut" will air late night Saturday, September 29, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews.

Each of the match's six segments can also be viewed daily at www.nbcsports.com/poker. More detailed information on the players is also available there and at www.pokerafterdark.com.

This match features a near-record comeback by one of the players, some fast play by another and some very interesting hands. For fans, picking the winner before the match begins will again not be easy, and affords a great opportunity for side bets among friends.

Phil Laak: (Seat 1)

• Nicknamed "The Unabomber" for the trademark hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses he usually wears
• Career tournament winnings in excess of $1.27 million
• Known for his unusual and often humorous antics and mannerisms at the table

David Williams: (Seat 2)

• Winner of one WSOP bracelet, and was runner-up to Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP main event
• Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.75 million, and ranks 22nd on the all-time money list
• According to an interview in ALL IN magazine, didn't wear the same pair of shoes from April 2006 until at least October 2006

Annie Duke: (Seat 3)

• Winner of one WSOP bracelet
• Career tournament winnings in excess of $3.47 million
• Ranks 2nd on the women's all-time money list, trailing only Kathy Liebert

Andy Bloch: (Seat 4)

• Holds two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a law degree from Harvard
• Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $2.97 million
• Donates a great deal of the money he wins playing to charity

John Juanda: (Seat 5)

• Owns three WSOP bracelets
• Career tournament winnings in excess of $6.90 million, and ranks 14th on the all-time money list
• Soft-spoken at the tables, he has aspirations of becoming a physician once his playing days are over

Clonie Gowen: (Seat 6)

• Real first name is Cycalona, a name inspired from being born during a powerful storm in Oklahoma
• Career tournament winnings in excess of $570,000
• One of poker's more attractive women players, she appeared on the cover of the July 2006 issue of Maxim magazine

17.09.2007

Eighteen Year Old Norwegian becomes poker millionaire

A Norwegian 18-year-old became the first woman to win the World Series of Poker over the weekend.

A teenager from a country where it is illegal to play live poker for money has become an overnight millionaire and broken a string of records by winning the main event at the World Series of Poker in London.

"It's possible mama and I will buy a house now," Obrestad said after winning at the event in London.

She was also the youngest to ever win a World Series of Poker. She also beat last year's winner, Jamie Gold.

Obrestad started playing five-card stud with her father and became a regular online at the age of 17.

10.09.2007

Germany's Thomas Bihl Captures First-Ever WSOPE Bracelet

LONDON, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The first round in the new battle for global poker bragging rights goes to Europe, thanks to Thomas "Buzzer" Bihl who made poker history today at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair.com.

Bihl, a native of Frankfurt, Germany, who started playing poker just four years ago, won 70,875 pounds Sterling and the first-ever WSOP bracelet awarded outside the United States. Bihl outlasted a field of the world's top poker pros in one of the most challenging of all poker games, the 2,500 pounds Sterling HORSE championship that kicked off the inaugural WSOP Europe.

"Thomas Bihl has earned a place in poker history with this incredible win," said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "The fact that he is a Betfair player, when Betfair is our presenting sponsor, makes this even sweeter."

Two-time World Series of Poker winner and Nevada native Jennifer Harman finished a disappointing second after relinquishing a two-to-one chip lead to Bihl, who played a quiet waiting game for most of the 13-hour final table. Harman had hoped to add a third WSOP bracelet to her total today at the 2007 WSOP Europe.

Bihl emerged victorious in the three-day HORSE event - a tournament featuring five variations of poker -- at 4:15 a.m. GMT at The Casino at The Empire in London, capturing the 70,875 pounds Sterling first-place prize and a coveted WSOP gold bracelet made by luxury Swiss watchmaker CORUM.

Up to today's event, the 32-year-old Bihl had won $132,226 in official prize money in his four-year career. The event was the eighth major-tournament final table for Harman, whose official career winnings totaled $1,557,372 leading up to this competition. She has won millions more in the world's biggest cash games in the course of a professional poker career that began two decades ago in her hometown of Reno, Nevada.

WSOP bracelet winner Kirk Morrison finished third, winning 28,250 pounds Sterling. Five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Chris Ferguson finished fourth, adding 21,656 pounds Sterling, or more than $42,000, to his career earnings of $5,551,650. Russian phenom Alex Kravchenko collected 17,714 pounds Sterling for fifth place, while Yuval Bronshtein won 14,438 pounds Sterling for sixth, Joe Beevers 11,812 pounds Sterling for seventh and Gary Jones 9,118 for eighth. In all, the top 16 of the 105 entrants won 262,500 pounds Sterling in prize money.

An hour before the HORSE final table began, 156 of the world's top players anted up 5,000 pounds Sterling pounds to play in the WSOP Europe Pot-Limit Omaha championship. The WSOP Europe HORSE and Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments established record prize pools.

The World Series of Poker Europe presented by Betfair.com debuted in London September 6 and runs through September 16. The tournament is hosted at three casinos operated by London Clubs International -- Fifty on St. James Street, The Casino at the Empire on Leicester Square and The Sportsman at Marble Arch.

The World Series of Poker Europe consists of three events. The largest of these is the Main Event, a 10,000 pounds Sterling buy-in, 750-player, six-day tournament spread over three casinos with an expected prize pool of roughly 7.5 pounds Sterling million. The winner could take home more than 1.5 million pounds Sterling in cash, depending on the number of entrants, as well as a WSOP gold-bracelet, the most coveted prize in poker.

Additional information about the WSOP Europe can be found at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

The WSOP brand is owned by Harrah's License Company, LLC an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. , the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through its operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, nearly 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's(R), Caesars(R) and Horseshoe(R) brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

More information about Harrah's is available at its Web site - www.harrahs.com.

29.07.2007

French player wins Everest Poker Europe event

Everest Poker today announced the winner of the online poker room's first direct entry poker tournament for a seat at the upcoming World Series of Poker Europe main event, "jujumalo" from France. The WSOP Europe event is a six-day £10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Championship held on September 10th in London. The participating casinos are The Empire, The Sportsman and Fifty. The playing field will be consolidated beginning September 13 at The Empire.

"Getting to send our players to a historical event like the first World Series of Poker Europe event is fantastic," said Jonathan May, Everest Poker property manager. "We fully believe that the WSOP Europe is going to become a rival to its American counterpart very quickly."

We fully believe that the WSOP Europe is going to become a rival to its American counterpart very quickly.

France had the heaviest participation in this past weekend's tournament, with 107 players competing for the WSOP Europe seat. Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands also sent a significant number of players. The next WSOP Europe direct entry tournaments willl be held on Saturday, 4 August, 2007, and Saturday, 18 August, 2007. There is one guaranteed seat at the WSOP Europe main event per direct entry tournament and the prize package includes travel and hotel expenses, along with that famous Everest Poker hospitality.

"We look forward to seeing more players take a shot at winning a seat at the biggest European poker event so far," added May. "Our satellites for these tournaments start out low and give players with any size of bank roll the chance to win big!"

Click here for more Information

27.07.2007

Humans beat Poker Computer

The humans won and the computer lost in The World's First Man-Machine Poker Championship, which pitted two poker masters against a computer program, called Polaris, at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) conference this week, in Vancouver B.C.

Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, a mechanical engineer and winner on the World Poker Tour, and Ali Eslami, a gaming consultant turned professional poker player, beat Polaris in the last two matches, even though Polaris won one match and played to a draw in the first two matches. Despite their loss, the team that programmed Polaris at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) was upbeat about the results.

"We are delighted with winning and drawing two of the four matches. For us that was milestone--a huge step forward," said professor Jonathan Schaeffer, leader of the University of Alberta team. "For the last two sessions, the humans hunkered down and poured all their concentration into the match and they deserved to win."

The bout, which was supervised by the Poker Academy, included 2000 hands of poker played in four 500-hand sessions, with the cards being "dealt" electronically from randomly generated card decks. Two copies of Polaris simultaneously played against the two humans, who were isolated in separate rooms, with the pot shared between the humans at the end of each session. Laak and Eslami received a $50,000 prize for winning the match.

Unlike chess, in which a timer is used to keep the humans from thinking longer than the computer, the poker match allowed the humans to contemplate their hands as long as they wanted. Consequently, the human poker players made no obvious errors, the way Gary Kasparov did against IBM's Deep Blue--an error that many experts said caused Kasparov to loose to Deep Blue a decade ago.

"If we had had a time limit imposed, we probably would not have won," said Laak after the match.

In the third match, which Polaris lost to the humans, a bug in the program was detected after game play was over, prompting bloggers to report that the humans probably would have lost otherwise. Schaeffer disagreed.

"The bug meant that [Polaris] did not play as strongly as it should have--the version of Polaris used in session three was a learning program, and the bug meant that some of the data that was being gathered during the match was not learned. But the fact [that there was a] bug is completely irrelevant. The humans deserved to win," said Schaeffer.

Schaeffer managed a team of a dozen professors, staff engineers and graduate students who worked together to craft Polaris. Most of the algorithms that constitute Polaris were run ahead of time to compile a giant database of possible hands. During the match, Polaris, which was run on an Apple MacBook Pro, mainly just looked up the pre-computed results to decide what to do next. The only "learning" version of Polaris was used in session three; it contained some significant real-time code.

"To an engineer, poker might not sound like a difficult problem, and by industrial standards the program is not very large--maybe 20,000 lines of code--but the key to Polaris is not the actual software, but the ideas it was based on," said Schaeffer. "For chess, Deep Blue became a more formidable competitor when it was run on faster hardware. But Polaris is not like that--it was the ideas behind the algorithms that counted."

The programming team plans to stick together to improve Polaris, based on its performance during the match, plus new ideas that Schaeffer hopes new graduate students will be able to contribute before next year's match.

"This was a grueling experience for our team," said Schaeffer. "But after the match our team was pumped up, and we are looking forward to competing with an improved version of Polaris next year.

20.07.2007

Richest Cash Game in History on High Stakes Poker IV

GSN's HIGH STAKES POKER ("HSP") continues to be the richest cash game in history on television and the last seven episodes in season IV have up to and over $5 million on the table. HSP IV premieres on Monday, August 27 at 9 PM ET/8 CT from South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This season features 17 episodes up from 13 episodes in season III.

Once again the world's top players and personalities face off against newcomers putting up at least $100,000 of their own cash in a private, no limit game of Texas Hold'em. HSP IV gives viewers the unique experience of watching Vegas' biggest game in action. The popular duo of Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza return and bring their unique commentary to the series.

The line up of players includes the controversial Phil Hellmuth returning to the game after taking two seasons off, as well as the legendary Doyle Brunson, the charismatic Daniel Negreanu and 2006 WSOP champion Jamie Gold. In addition popular pros return including: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Sammy Farha, and Todd Brunson.

Beginning Monday, November 5, HSP IV goes where no poker show has ever gone before as the minimum buy-in was raised up to $500,000. The final seven shows of the season feature the following players: Doyle Brunson, Jamie Gold, Daniel Negreanu, Sammy Farha, Antonio Esfandiari, Patrik Antonius, David Benyamine and Guy Laliberte. Laliberte, making his first appearance on HSP, is the owner and founder of Cirque Du Soleil. He is donating a percentage of the money he wins to his charity "One Drop."

Also appearing for the first time on HSP this season are: Mike Baxter, Brian Brandon, Brandon Adams, Phil Galfond, Bob Safai, Antonio Solorio and Haralabosa Voulgaris. Once again the players will be rotating throughout the season in the episodes.

Click here for playing High Stakes Poker.

20.07.2007

Jerry Yang wins WSOP 2007

WSOP Winner: Jerry Yang, a 39-year-old psychologist who uses his professional training in his card-playing arsenal, won the $8.25 million top prize Wednesday at the World Series of Poker. He won his way into the main event from a $225 satellite tournament and only began playing poker two years ago. On the last hand, with a huge mound of cash deposited on the felt, Lam moved all-in with an ace and queen of diamonds and Yang called with pocket eights.

When a queen, five and nine came on the flop, it looked like Lam, waving a Canadian flag, would be on the verge of a miracle comeback, making a pair of queens for the lead. But a seven on the turn and a six on the river gave Yang a straight, sealing a win in which he dominated the final table from the moment the nine finalists sat down.

11.06.2007

Daniel Negranu joins Team Pokerstars

PokerStars, the world's largest online poker site, today announced that champion poker player Daniel Negreanu has decided to make PokerStars his new professional home. A legend for his ability to read players, spot the best action and mentor up-and-coming players, Negreanu will join Team PokerStars as its newest ambassador of the sport beloved by 50 million people worldwide.

"I've enjoyed a long personal relationship with the folks at PokerStars since the company's founding in 2001 and have always felt as though PokerStars fully understood what players wanted: lots of tournaments, lots of variety and great software," said Daniel Negreanu. "I'm very excited about joining Team PokerStars. The organization seems like the perfect fit for me and I'm glad they feel the same way."

The Toronto native left school early to pursue his dream of becoming a professional poker player and officially moved to Las Vegas at age 23. At the 1997 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, Negreanu won back-to-back titles, earning himself the Best Player Award. He has since won three World Series of Poker bracelets, winning his first in 1998 (in the first WSOP event he had ever entered) at the age of 23, making him the youngest bracelet winner ever at that time. Negreanu has also been a dominant figure on the World Poker Tour, winning two titles and also boasting more top three finishes than any other player.

A perennially popular player, Negreanu had been named the "Player of the Year," by the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour and Card Player magazine, as well as "Favorite Poker Player" by Card Player in February 2006.

Negreanu has written over 100 articles for Card Player magazine, has a syndicated newspaper column in over 50 cities and also has a best selling book on the market entitled, "Hold'em Wisdom for All Players." For his second book, Daniel has assembled a team of `Superstar Contributors' to write a book called, "Daniel Negreanu's Power Hold'em Strategy." He regularly plays against these contributors in televised tournaments and high stakes games including Late Night Poker, High Stakes Poker, the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and Ultimate Poker Challenge (as a commentator and stand-in host).

"Daniel embodies what poker and PokerStars are all about: enjoying the excitement and the challenge of poker," said fellow Team PokerStars Player Barry Greenstein. "Daniel is a true ambassador of the sport and we welcome him to the Team as well as all of his players and fans from Full Contact Poker. We know they will enjoy the PokerStars experience."

Click here for more Information.

11.06.2007

New Episode of Poker After Dark to Air June 11

Fans of NBC’s Poker After Dark have a reason to smile, as three new matches make their debut in June on this popular show. Ten more episodes were filmed at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in early May, and this week’s show is the first of these never-before-seen exclusive matches. Once again, each episode will feature six of the best poker players in the world engaged in a $120,000 winner-take-all freezeout.

The new series of matches kicks off in dramatic fashion with “Champions Week,” and like last season, features six players who have each won the World Series of Poker Main Event. Returning to the felt to participate in this clash of poker titans are Doyle Brunson (1976-1977), Jamie Gold (2006), and Johnny Chan (1987-1988). Chan bested Brunson, Gold, Chris Ferguson (2000), Chris Moneymaker (2003), and Carlos Mortensen (2001) in winning this match during PAD’s first season.

But Chan will also have to contend with three new formidable opponents in addition to Brunson and Gold in an attempt to defend his title. Joining this week’s match are former World Champions Huck Seed (1996), Greg Raymer (2004) and Joseph Hachem (2005). This will be our first look at both Raymer and Hachem on Poker After Dark, as neither participated in any of the previously aired matches.

This turned out to be an extraordinary battle and lasted more than 175 hands, a long match given the structure employed. Fans will especially enjoy the epic heads-up battle for the title, which comprises the entire final episode and gives viewers a great look into what goes through the minds of two of the champions as they attempt to eliminate one another and lay claim to the title.

The match will begin airing late night Monday on NBC at 2:05 AM, June 11, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. The “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, June 16, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show features a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews, and concludes with the winner sitting down with Shana Hiatt to discuss and analyze the match.

Each of the match’s six segments can also be viewed daily on www.nbcsports.com/poker. More detailed information on the players is available at this website as well.

Gold, Jamie: (Seat 1)

* Reigning World Series of Poker Champion, winning $12 million for his victory in 2006 by outlasting 8772 players
* First person in history to eclipse $10 million in tournament winnings

Hachem, Joseph: (Seat 2)

* 2005 World Series of Poker Champion
* Career tournament winnings in excess of $10.32 million, and ranks 2nd on the all-time money list

Raymer, Greg: (Seat 3)

* World Series of Poker Champion in 2004
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.79 million, and ranks 17th on the all-time money list

Seed, Huck: (Seat 4)

* Owns 4 WSOP bracelets and was the 1996 World Series of Poker Champion
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $3.42 million, and ranks 45th on the all-time money list

Brunson, Doyle: (Seat 5)

* Back-to-back World Series of Poker Champion in 1976 and 1977
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $4.96 million, and ranks 24th on the all-time money list

Chan, Johnny: (Seat 6)

* Back-to-back World Series of Poker Champion in 1987 and 1988
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.92 million, and ranks 14th on the all-time money list

22.05.2007

Everest Poker Announces Tournaments for Seats at WSOP Main Event

Everest Poker today announced that the online poker room was beginning a series of biweekly tournaments that gave players the chance to win a seat at the upcoming World Series of Poker Main Event. This year's WSOP Main Event lasts 11 days and will be held at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas beginning on 6 July.

"The World Series of Poker Main Event is a massive tournament for any player to be a part of," said Jonathan May, Everest Poker property manager. "Getting there is not easy at all, and that's why we're very eager to see how our players perform."

The first direct entry tournament for seats was held on 19 May 2007 at 15:00 GMT. Further tournaments will be held on a biweekly basis, with the next occurring on 2 June. Buy-in for these direct entry poker tournaments is $100+9. Seats in the biweekly tournaments can also be gained through daily satellite tournaments featuring a low buy-in of $11+1.

"Players who win a seat at the WSOP Main Event get a complete package. Everest Poker covers the $10,000 it'd take to get to walk through the door as well as their travel expenses," May added. "We even make sure you get Everest Poker gear!"

In addition to the World Series of Poker Main Event, Everest Poker sends players to poker tournaments around the world as well as sponsoring their own major events. Every Sunday, the poker room hosts a $100,000 guaranteed holdem poker tournament for its players and the Everest Poker Avalanche, a tournament culminating in a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize is currently in full swing.

Click here for more Information.

11.05.2007

National HeadsUp Championship showcases the Underdogs in the Final 8

NBC will present taped coverage of the sixth installment of its ultimate big-stakes poker showdown, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship presented by Outback Steakhouse, from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Sunday at Noon ET/ 4 p.m. PT. This season's most talked about underdog, American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth, wiped out the high profile veteran Barry Greenstein last week, and will take on Costa Rica's poker heavyweight Humberto Brenes this Sunday. The other feature tables will include the first female professional player to advance this far in NHPC history Kristy Gazes against "Downtown" Chad Brown; Season IV World Poker Tour Player of the Year Gavin Smith against 2006 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event runner-up Andy Bloch; and a match-up between two of poker's emerging stars Paul Wasicka and Nam Le. The four players to advance to the semifinal are guaranteed at least $125,000.

Quarter Final Match-Ups:

Shannon Elizabeth vs. Humberto Brenes
Kristy Gazes vs. Chad Brown
Gavin Smith vs. Andy Bloch
Paul Wasicka vs. Nam Le

Remaining 2007 National Heads Up Poker Schedule:

May 13: Noon- 2 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
May 20: Noon-3 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT)

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is a unique, head-to-head, single-elimination tournament with 64 players competing for the $1.5 million purse.

08.05.2007

Full Tilt player wins WTP Five Star World Poker Classic

Full Tilt Poker pro Carlos "The Matador" Mortensen, rallied through three hours of grueling heads-up play against Kirk Morrison to win the 2007 WPT Five Star World Poker Classic. The $3.9 million victory makes him the first player to ever win both a WPT World Championship and a WSOP Main Event.

Mortensen started heads-up play as a two-thirds underdog, with 12.8 million in chips to Morrison's 19.45 million, and within 15 minutes lost even more ground by losing more than six million in one hand.

Down but not out, Mortensen built up his chip stack over then next hour until he rivered a straight and took the lead. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last. Just 10 minutes later, Morrison doubled up, and Mortensen had to dig himself out of another big hole.

The chip lead would switch sides three more times during the night. Finally, the pivotal moment came when Morrison moved all in pre-flop with A-4, and Mortensen called with K-J suited. The flop fell 7-4-3 giving Morrison a big advantage with a pair. But a Jack on the turn and a 3 on the river meant Mortensen had a higher two pair and the victory.

Mortensen's latest $3.9 million win moves him into the top-10, all-time money list and is a crowning achievement in an already impressive career. Besides winning the 2001 Main Event, Mortensen owns another World Series of Poker* bracelet and a second WPT title.

"Carlos Mortensen has always been one of the most dangerous players on the circuit," said fellow Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer. "With this win he solidifies his legacy as one of the most successful major championship event competitors in poker history."

Mortensen represents one of the fastest growing online poker sites, www.FullTiltPoker.com, and spends several hours a week online helping amateur players learn the game by sharing his poker knowledge through real-time chats at the virtual tables. Along with Mortensen, 66 other top poker professionals play at www.FullTiltPoker.com, where they have helped to create the best possible atmosphere for players who want to improve their games.

Full Tilt Poker's 67 professional players own a total of 70 WSOP bracelets between them. "Team Full Tilt," is a select group of the world's finest professional poker players, including Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, Clonie Gowen, John Juanda, Mike Matusow, and Allen Cunningham. Full Tilt Poker offers players the unique opportunity to Learn, Chat and Play poker with the best poker pros in the game.

26.04.2007

CEO Poker Tour Partners with Poker Players Alliance

The CEO Poker Tour (www.ceopokertour.com), where executives battle for the title of Chairman of Poker, is partnering with the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) (www.pokerplayersalliance.org), which supports poker player rights, by strategically including PPA in the year long poker tour.

The partnership will include a strong presence at every tournament location to include: placement of PPA items and information in CEO Poker gift bags, poker room banner, CEO Poker website insertion with link to PPA website, logo on direct mail pieces, and more.

"We are excited at the possibility of reaching more potential members through our inclusion in the national CEO Poker Tour," says Michael Bolcerek, President of the Poker Players Alliance. "The Poker Players Alliance is committed to defending the rights of poker players, and we search for opportunities, at strategic poker events through out the country, to further our message of protection of the poker game in the US and globally."

PPA's first strategic marketing presence will be at the CEO Poker Tour, at Trump Taj Mahal, May 19-25, where players will battle over the green felt of the poker table with buy-ins from $500-$5000.
"This is the first time that PPA will be included in a poker tournament kit and will mark an important step in furthering the support of thoughtful legislation to protect the game of poker," says William Peraza Jr. CEO of CEO Poker. "We see this as a long term relationship that will only grow over time."

PPA with over 350,000 members and counting is supporting poker player rights in a variety of ways, including partnerships with companies that believe in the importance of protection of the game.

26.04.2007

World Poker Tour will film 100th episode

Bringing World Poker Tour history full circle, the WPT will film its 100th episode and wrap its 5th anniversary season next week at Bellagio--where the very first WPT episode was shot five years ago.

"We couldn't ask for a more fitting way to celebrate these incredible milestones," said Steve Lipscomb, President, Founder, and CEO of WPT. "Bellagio is a key charter member who helped us launch the World Poker Tour and create a global phenomenon. To come full circle back to where it all started and film the biggest event of the year, shoot our 100th episode, and conclude our 5th season... it's just truly amazing."

The television milestones will take place April 27 as WPT tapes the final table of the season's biggest and richest tournament, WPT World Championship. Boasting a $25,000 buy-in, the Championship brings together hundreds of world-class poker pros who battle it out in a week-long tournament for a piece of the multi-million dollar prize pool and the prestigious Championship title. Last year's first place winner, Joe Bartholdi of Las Vegas, beat a field of 605 players to take home $3.7 million. The Championship kicks off Saturday, April 21.

WPT will also film a special final table on April 28, Poker by the Book, Chapter II, which will pit pros who have authored books on poker instruction against each other to see who will school whom. This exciting final table will feature top pros Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Dan Harrington, Barry Greenstein, Johnny Chan, and Tom McEvoy. Audience members will receive a copy of the most recent book written by each player.

Members of the public are invited to sit in a television audience to watch the final tables filmed on the WPT set. To receive free tickets, please check-in at the Bellagio Ballroom at 3pm on April 27th for the Championship and April 28th for Poker by the Book.

20.04.2007

National Poker League Launches Charity Poker Tour at Paris Open

The National Poker League (NPL) and FundRaisers.com are joining forces to launch a unique effort appropriately coined the NPL Charity Group.

The organizations announced the formation of The Charity Poker Tour to be held at every 2007 NPL World Open venue, kicking off with the upcoming Paris Open. As the first tournament of the 2007 circuit, the Paris Open will be May 13-22, 2007 with an estimated prize pool of $3.5 million euros plus $125,000 (euros) added money. The tournament is expected to reach Europe's highest attendance where all players will also be invited to enjoy an exclusive VIP Charity Gala.

Host casino Cercle Gaillon will welcome the players for the Paris Open at which NPL has created the ultimate poker experience, offering players the opportunity to play and appear in any of the six 1-hour television episodes from each tour stop that will be aired to more than 350 million households worldwide. The charities will be featured on TV on all televised markets. The National Poker League is the only poker television series produced in high definition.

The NPL Charity Group is committed to giving back to the community. The organization designed this poker circuit with charities along with local associations and organizations in mind, aiming to help meet the needs of fundraisers for their causes. Annie Van Bebber, Founder of Fundraisers.com has been tracking and reporting on the phenomenon of charity poker tournaments and after meeting with NPL comments "We believe that with the growth of charity poker tournaments and auctions, along with the popularity of poker shows on television, that this combination will help to raise awareness for the charities and funds for their causes," according to Ms. Van Bebber.

Along with NPL and Fundraisers.com, charity sponsors include Louis Vuitton, Dior, TF1 TV Group, UUU, SBM, Patron Spirits and Le Queenie, the club hosting the gala party. Media and venue sponsors are Le Queenie, Hotel California-Paris, Bluff magazine, Bluff Europe, and PokerNews.com.

The VIP Charity Gala will hold a Live auction with auctioneer M. Frederic Chambre from Pierre Berge to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Items up for auction are a one of a kind poker chip set from Louis Vuitton (LVMH group), a one of a kind Dior Watch engraved and sponsored from Cercle Gaillon, a package for the Grand Prix de Monaco (Formula sponsored by the French Channel TF1, package of 3 cards (2 VIP and 1 platinum) from UUU concierge service, a unique crystal bottle of Tequila sponsored from Patron, a weekend package in Monte Carlo at L'Hotel de Paris + dinner for 2 sponsored from SBM and a package for the NPL UK open in London in August sponsored by the NPL.

17.04.2007

McHugh fourth in poker event

Danny McHugh arrived back on Irish soil last Friday at the end of a week he’s not likely to forget. His holiday in England had been shorter than planned but he wasn’t complaining. Having booked a flight for last Sunday week, his progress in the Paddy Power Irish Poker Open kept him in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. By the time he caught a flight on Tuesday, he had finished fourth in the prestigious event and had €291,000 spending money!

Yet he almost didn’t make it to the starting line. Fifteen minutes after submitting his entry, McHugh (manager of Supermac’s in Claremorris and Ballinrobe) was called to a fire at his place of work in Ballinrobe. Were it not for the fire brigade’s speedy intervention, there would have been no card-playing. Then he arrived in Dublin the following day to discover that his draft entry had gone AWOL. Thankfully, proof of postage had been secured and four Mayo entrants (McHugh, his cousin Brendan, Eamonn Walsh and Niall Higgins from Kiltimagh) took their places as the action got under way. Legends of the sport were to be seen at every turn.

“It really hit me about three-quarters of the way through the first day,” McHugh recalls. “I was just sitting there and the next thing Padraig Parkinson, one of the top guys in Ireland, comes and sits down beside me. It was unbelievable. Emily, my wife, plays golf and I was saying to her that it would be like playing a fourball with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington!”
Poker is invariably a roller-coaster ride – one minute you’re up, the next you’re down. It’s a game for night owls too – play went on til 3.30am. McHugh survived day one, and fought his way into the top 70, thus guaranteeing himself a cash prize. His companions, eliminated from the competition, stayed on to offer support and advice. By day three, the Garrymore footballer was 36th out of the 46 remaining players, and was drawn at a table featured in RTÉ’s television coverage of the event.

“By then it was nearly all down to professionals. It’s very different to what it looks like on TV – pure psychology and mind games! And what’s shown on TV is only a fraction of the time we spend on the table. It was going on for 12 hours a day, and you’re really like a zombie. Even going to the toilet is an issue!”

On Monday night, McHugh had made it into the last seven and was back on the small screen. He received over 200 text messages that day from all over the county. After three players were eliminated, McHugh and the other three still in contention (professionals all) reached a deal. He eventually walked away, not with the official €175,000 prize for fourth place, but €291,000. Not a bad weekend’s work.

It’s a remarkable story when you consider that McHugh only seriously took up the game a year ago – though he dabbled a little bit when he ‘should have been studying’ in Sligo! Having enjoyed some success in online tournaments, he had his eye on the Irish Open, and would now love a go at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Lest the success go to his head, however, he got a text from Michael Higgins, who observed: “You’re number 83 in the world, you’re the number two Irish player in the world, you’re number 38 in the European rankings, you’re number 22 on the all-time Irish money list, and you’re number seven in the Claremorris Poker League!” We always did have high standards in Mayo.

Daniel Carey - http://www.mayonews.ie/

17.04.2007

Students are playing online poker to earn money

Some students wait tables, lifeguard, bartend or do office work as part-time jobs during college.
Others play online poker.

For Daniel Stermer, 19, and Kevin Laird, 20, playing online poker is not only fun, but a way to put money in their pockets."If you are good enough, you can make money," said Laird, a University of Florida sophomore. "Then it can be your part-time job."

Online poker began in 1998 with the launch of the Planet Poker Web site, according to the CBS News Web site. Since then it has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Among males 18 to 22, online gambling doubled in the past year, according to a report by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. More than 50 percent of college-aged males gamble on a monthly basis, the report stated.

Laird has played online poker for two years, but didn't start playing for money until a year ago.
In that time, Laird has won about $8,000 and plays five to six days a week.
"You have to take poker seriously," he said. "You have to approach it as a game of skill instead of a game of luck."

The number of online poker sites is in the hundreds, said Stermer, a UF finance sophomore.
The most popular sites are Poker Stars, Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Interpoker, Titan Poker, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet.
People have to make their own luck in poker and manipulate it in order to win, he said.
He has been playing poker for money online for seven months and has won about $5,000 playing almost every day of the week.
Depending on the game or tournament he enters, Stermer said he usually spends five to six hours a day playing.

Poker is a purely competitive activity, he said. The key to it is that a person has to have a passion for the game in order to be successful.

People gamble because they like the risk and the feeling of excitement while playing, said Ilan Shrira, a UF assistant psychology professor.

Men are more inclined to gamble, he said. Women tend to be more social than men and would prefer to play face to face than online.
Karlie Petrilla, a UF athletic training sophomore, said she started playing poker a year ago and now plays about once a week with a group of people who live on campus in the Murphree area.

She said she enjoys playing poker because it's fun, a good way to hang out with friends and meet new people.
She has never played poker online, but knows a friend who does.

"Poker is more about being around people than watching it on a screen," Petrilla said.

Natalie Arce Indelicato, a visiting clinical assistant professor at the UF Counseling Center, warns students of the potential to become addicted to gambling.
Gambling has legal, social and academic consequences, she said.

Indelicato said student gamblers may withdraw from friends, lose interest in other activities, suffer from depression and experience declining academic performance.

Group and individual counseling dealing with substance abuse and addictive behaviors are available to all students at the UF Counseling Center, she said.

A lot of psychology can be learned from poker, Laird said. Poker teaches people how to keep their emotions in check, to not let their egos get in the way and to become more patient.

People get into trouble when they play above their spending limit, he said. They shouldn't get into games they can't afford to lose.

Stermer said he is not addicted to playing poker, but it's just something he's compelled to do.

He could stop whenever he feels like it, but he makes it a top priority in his life because it's how he makes money, he said.
Laird compared his poker playing to football players who practice every day.
He said just because they play every day does not mean they are addicted to football; they just do it because they got a scholarship to play.

He said poker can interfere with schoolwork, but everyone has something in their life that they do, whether it's partying, watching TV or playing video games.

"My interference is just playing poker," Laird said.

Ashley Furrow (gainesville.net)

11.04.2007

WPT Deals Poker to Game Show Network

WPT Enterprises Inc. said Thursday it signed a licensing deal with Game Show Network LLC for the sixth season of its World Poker Tour television series.

WPT previously had an agreement with The Travel Channel LLC for the show. But WPT said in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that The Travel Channel did not pick up an option for the sixth season of the show.

Under terms of the agreement with the Game Show Network, WPT will receive a $300,000 licensing fee per episode. The per episode fee will climb by 5 percent in future seasons if GSN exercises options for those seasons.

WPT may also receive a bonus fee per episode between $20,000 and $35,000, if the average Nielsen ratings of all premiere episodes in a season exceed a certain agreed-upon level. The bonus fee will be paid at the end of each season.

GSN has options for the seventh and eighth seasons of the show.

31.03.2007

J.C. Tran captures World Poker Tour Title

After making five World Poker Tour® (WPT) final tables in his career--with three in the past two months--professional poker player J.C. Tran won his first WPT Champion title yesterday at the World Poker Challenge at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. Beating out a field of 475 pros and amateurs, the 30-year-old Sacramento, Calif., native will take home a first place prize of $683,473 and a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in April.

On the heels of two recent WPT final table appearances--including a second place finish in the Los Angeles Poker Classic on March 1 and a sixth place finish in the World Poker Open on January 25--Tran will pass the current point leader Joe Pelton in the Season V WPT Player of the Year race. The Player of the Year will be announced after the WPT World Championship, which is the last tournament of Season V.

Tran secured his first place World Poker Challenge finish on the fourth hand of heads-up poker against Juan Carlos Alvarado, who moved all in pre-flop. Tran called with pocket 10s that held up against Alvarado's A6, sending the 21-year-old Alvarado home with a second place prize of $366,798. During the winner toast, Alvarado expressed his praise to Tran, saying, "I have a tremendous amount of respect for JC. He deserves this."

Poker pro David "the Dragon" Pham placed third, winning $182,260, followed by poker pro and Professional Poker Tour(TM) commentator, Mark "the Shark" Seif in fourth with $159,478. John Hom went out in fifth taking home $136,695, leaving Danny Wong in sixth with a $113,913 prize.

29.03.2007

PKR Springfest coming up

PKR unveiled details today of its groundbreaking new online poker festival Springfest. The event is expected to draw thousands of competitors from around the world by giving players at all levels the chance to play for big money prize pools plus a shot at a seat in the world's most prestigious poker event – the World Series of Poker.

With at least $85,000 up for grabs during a week of spectacular poker action this is PKR's biggest event ever and, true to PKR's innovative approach, signals a major departure from traditional online poker events.

PKR Cardroom Manager Neil Wright said, "We wanted to make Springfest different by making it more accessible to everyday players who are put off by the big buy-ins of other major festivals. So we put together a series of tournaments with very impressive prize pools with lower buy-ins and satellites that players can buy into for as little as $1.10".

The action kicks off March 31 and runs for eight action packed days – culminating in the main event on April 7 with a $25,000 Guaranteed no limit hold 'em tournament.

Throughout Springfest players can test their skill in a variety of exciting formats, each featuring big time prize pools and affordable buy-ins. The winner of each event, along with the top two players from the Springfest leaderboard, will qualify for the Tournament of Champions to play off for a seat in the 2007 WSOP main event.

With low buy-ins, satellite tournaments and a wide range of games to play Springfest really does offer something for everyone. And with each event winner receiving a solid silver commemorative bracelet, they'll be playing for keeps!

Click here for more Information.

20.03.2007

Danielle Lloyd battles Ted Sheringham for lots of money

Sexy Danielle Lloyd is to go head-to-head with ex-boyfriend Teddy Sheringham in a £100million poker match.

Model Dani, 23, is about to be signed up as the face of betting giant Ladbrokes’ poker empire.

The Big Brother babe’s gorgeous face and figure will be used to promote the firm’s tournaments.

And that means the Liverpool lass will be battling it out with former lover Teddy, 40, who fronts rival bookie Victor Chandler’s poker ventures.

The pair, who split last month, will now be competing on behalf of their companies to win the biggest slice of Britain’s poker market, worth more than £100m and rising.

The battle between the pair will be one of the industry’s most compelling contests.

A betting source said: “Dani’s appearance on the poker scene will really raise the stakes, but there’s no way Teddy is going to fold and let her and Ladbrokes take the jackpot. This will be some game.”

The poker war was sparked by Dani’s visit to the Cheltenham Festival last week. She won £10,000 at the races after picking out three winners, including Gold Cup champ Kauto Star.

Ladbrokes bosses were so impressed, they decided to sign her up for a string of celebrity poker games they have planned this year.

Danielle, who was taught poker by West Ham striker Teddy, has already enjoyed success at the tables.

But her new job won’t please Teddy, who is long established as the face of Victor Chandler.

He launched the world’s biggest ever online Grand Slam poker event last year with a £5m jackpot on offer.

19.03.2007

Poker After Dark: This week's preview

NBC’s Poker After Dark continues to bring viewers the very best in six-handed table match-ups with the airing of its 12th week. Three of the poker’s more vocal and controversial players, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, and Tony G, will take center stage in what promises to be anything but a quiet match. They will go up against three other highly recognized and accomplished pros in Andy Bloch, Sam Farha, and Phil Ivey.

Matusow and Hellmuth have had some classic confrontations in the past, and each is known to needle the other incessantly when seated at the same table. The addition of one of the game’s most caustic trash talkers in Tony G, though, could add even more fuel to a match that already has potential for some fireworks.

But these three have many other attributes other than their propensity to wear their emotions on their sleeves and to pummel the airwaves with insults and expletives. Together, they have won more than $14 million in tournament play, and whether you love them or not, they do make for interesting television.

The above bad boys, however, are not the only players in this match. They will have to contend against the steady play of Andy Bloch, the shiftiness of Sam Farha, and the skills of one of the game’s best in Phil Ivey. All had good years in 2006, with Bloch earning nearly $1.6 million, Ivey almost $1.4 million, and Farha winning his second WSOP bracelet. Collectively, they have won nearly as much as the other three in tournament play, cashing for over $12 million in their lifetimes.

Brief profiles on all six players follow. The match will begin airing late night Monday at 2:05 AM, Monday, March 19, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, March 24, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews, and conclude with the winner sitting down with Shana Hiatt to discuss and analyze the match.
By Dennis Oehring

19.03.2007

World Series of Poker prepares for 10,000 entrants in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) - World Series of Poker organizers are preparing for 10,000 entrants to this year's main event, a 14 percent increase from last year, despite a U.S. crackdown on online gambling sites that have boosted the tournament's popularity.

Organizers said Wednesday that the number was for planning purposes only, and did not reflect confidence that last year's 8,773 entrants would be topped. Half of last year's record number of entrants were estimated to have won their seats in online qualifier events.

"It is not either a target, a goal or a prediction," tournament commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said during a conference call with reporters. "But again, you've got to plan for something. We're planning for a top level of 10,000 but if there are more, we will figure it out."

The tournament plans to build a structure beside the host Rio casino-hotel in Las Vegas and increase the number of tables to 258, Pollack said. That would be enough to allow more than 3,000 players to play the first three days of the main event.

A higher number of entrants would mean the grand prize for the world's richest poker game would exceed last year's $12 million.

The tournament also said it was distancing itself from online poker sites that accept bets from U.S. players, in line with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The measure was signed by President Bush as part of a port security bill in October.

Groups associated with dot-com poker sites that take U.S. wagers will no longer be allowed to set up VIP booths and displays, Pollack said.

The tournament, owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc., also is warning sites that improperly use trademarked material, such as the tournament name, to stop.

That could include poker Web sites such as FullTiltPoker.com and Bodog.com, which are holding satellite tournaments that award World Series of Poker seats worth $10,000 apiece.

Pollack said players would not be able to sport logos from sites that continue to violate its trademark rights by the time the first events of the 47-day tournament series begin June 1.

The trademark warnings could crimp registrations, said Internet gambling expert and lawyer Anthony Cabot.

"I think they're in a difficult position," Cabot said. "They're a licensed entity and therefore have to be cognizant of the new laws and the potential impact those new laws could have on them as a company. At the same time, implementation of those policies will have a negative economic impact on the tournament."
By RYAN NAKASHIMA

14.03.2007

Wall Street's poker gamble: All-in with WPT

Poker may not seem as hip as it was just a few years ago. And nobody's feeling that more than shareholders of WPT Enterprises, operator of the World Poker Tour.

Wall Street has pretty much cashed in all its chips on WPT over the past few years. The stock, which hit an all-time high of $29.50 in 2005 on merger speculation, has since sunk to about $5.

A group of investors led by poker legend Doyle Brunson made an offer to buy the company in 2005, but the takeover overture turned out to be a, uh, bluff. WPT then hired investment bank Thomas Weisel last February to explore the possibility of a sale, only to have the company announce in September that it had decided to remain independent.

But some analysts think that the company is now a good bet.

Hedge fund manager holds the right cards

WPT reported fourth-quarter numbers after the close Monday, and the results were mixed: sales jumped 13 percent, but the company reported a loss of 5 cents a share, larger than analysts were expecting. Wall Street also expects WPT to post a loss of 4 cents a share for all of 2007.

Still, the company, which generates the majority of its sales from domestic television licensing revenue - World Poker Tour and Professional Poker Tour shows air on the Discovery Holding -owned Travel Channel - hopes to become a winning hand with investors once again thanks to the relaunch of its online poker site later this year.

Clint Morrison, an analyst with Feltl & Co., a Minneapolis-based investment bank, said the company's first online poker site - which is only available to consumers outside of the U.S. since Internet gambling is illegal here - has not been as big a success for WPT as the company originally hoped.

That's because the site, which was run by a third party, had several technical problems and often crashed. Morrison said the company has learned from its past mistakes and invested heavily in software to develop a new site that it should roll out sometime in the second quarter of this year.

And even without the prospect of getting money from U.S. poker junkies, Morrison still thinks that WPT could do well with a new site since online poker is about a $1 billion market globally.

"The whole story is going to be WPT bringing up their new online poker site. That's where the real growth and the upside for the stock is. They should be able to leverage a strong brand in what is a large and profitable market," Morrison said.
Kicking the urge to lose money

To that end, despite the glitches on the first WPT online poker site, revenue from online gambling has already become an increasingly important part of the company's overall financial health. WPT generated $3.2 million in online gaming sales during 2006, more than 10 percent of the company's total revenue.

And one fund manager who owns shares of the company thinks that online poker could wind up being a much bigger revenue and profit generator once the new site kicks in.

"If they can just get a small piece of the online gaming market, it could be big for WPT. With their brand name and presence you would think they should be able to do really well," said Daniel Perkins, co-manager of the Perkins Discovery fund. "If they can get just 2 percent of the online gaming market, that could mean $20 million in sales and maybe they can do a lot better than that."

To put the $20 million figure in perspective, WPT is expected to generate just about $28 million in total sales in 2007.

However, WPT's decision to go it alone in online gaming also means more risks for the company. Traci Mangini, an analyst with ThinkEquity Partners, wrote in a recent report that she would prefer to see WPT partner with other poker companies on an online network in order to reduce costs.

"Given the capital-intensive nature and technical expertise needed to develop the network in-house, we continue to believe that this is not the best course of action for the company," she wrote.

"While joining a poker network does mean it must share revenues [typically 20-25 percent of the rake], we believe the benefits of immediate player liquidity, faster ramp up, and elimination of significant costs [capital expenditures and technical expertise needed to build and maintain the site] outweigh the loss of control and ability to retain 100 percent of revenues," Mangini said.

Morrison concedes that profits will probably take a hit in 2007 as the company invests in the new site. But he thinks that will be worth it in the long run.

06.03.2007

World Poker Challenge starting at Grand Sierra Resort

Season Five of the World Poker Challenge returns to Grand Sierra Resort & Casino starting Thursday, March 8 and continuing through March 28.

The event is a favorite of top poker players hoping to win before advancing to play in the World Poker Tour (WPT) finals held in Las Vegas later this year.

The World Poker Challenge in Reno is a growing event, thanks in part to popularity of televised poker.

Players who buy-in by March 25 pay only $5,150, the lowest buy-in of all WPT events. Buy-ins for similar qualifying WPT events held at major Las Vegas and Native American-owned casinos can require buy-ins of over $10,000.

In 2006, a record number of players competed for the biggest pot ever at the Reno event. Cool competitor Michael Simon beat out 591 players to win $1,052,890 cash and a seat at the WPT Season Four finals held in Las Vegas.

For the past four years, Grand Sierra Resort & Casino has hosted the World Poker Challenge leading to the prestigious WPT, the highest-rated program broadcast on the Travel Channel.

Even if you don’t play poker, this is a chance to watch the chips stack or crash as some of the country’s best poker players hold ‘em and fold ‘em in high stakes wagers. Grand Sierra Resort & Casino goes all out, with 60 tables spread throughout the recently renovated casino that is the largest in Northern Nevada.

The final table will be filmed at 5 p.m., on March 28 in the Silver State Pavilion and will be broadcast on the Travel Channel in June at the conclusion of the WPT Season Five Championship.

For more details about the World Poker Challenge and WPT Event at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, visit www.grandsierraresort.com or stop by the Poker Room at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino.

03.03.2007

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