March 22 2011, Matthew Kredell, PokerNews Staff

Michael Gaughan, owner of the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, has become the first owner of a Las Vegas casino to publicly support a bill that would legalize Internet poker in Nevada. Assembly Bill 258 would allow the Nevada Gaming Commission to regulate and license online gaming. The bill, introduced by Assemblyman William Horne, is the most player-friendly bill ever proposed in the U.S., and is supported by online poker giant, PokerStars.

When the bill was introduced, optimism was quickly stymied by opposition to the bill from casino giant Caesars Entertainment. It figured that other brick-and-mortar casinos would follow Caesars’ lead, providing a huge roadblock for the legislation. However, Gaughan’s public support for the bill provides a ray of hope that the legislation may yet have a chance.

“There is no doubt in my mind that online poker and other games are coming,” Gaughan said. “AB 258 would make us a pioneer in the nationwide movement and the leader for the rest of the country to emulate.”

Nevada is facing over a $1 billion deficit and a 13.5 percent unemployment rate. Gaughan believes that legalizing Internet poker could add employment opportunities and could bring over $500 million into the state budget.

Most bills that have been discussed in the federal or state governments have included wording that’s frustrating even to poker players who long to have legitimacy for their game. The proposal from Sen. Harry Reid last year had a 15-month blackout during which no one in the country would be able to play online. The bill recently introduced in Congress by Rep. John Campbell includes wording that accuses existing operators of illegal activity.

The Nevada bill specifies that it would not discriminate against existing operators like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, and that it would authorize the Nevada Gaming Commission to enter into compacts with other jurisdictions where interactive gaming is not prohibited. Initially, this means Nevada could partner with foreign countries that allow online poker. Over time, other states could pass legislation to join the Nevada network and Nevada could become the center of online gaming, just as it is for brick-and-mortar casinos.

Gaughan said he doesn’t mind PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker being allowed to participate in a Nevada system.

“I don’t think you should eliminate any one group of people,” Gaughan said. “If you have an open bill, you have an open bill. I hate to see a monopoly on anything.”

Caesars, formerly known as Harrah’s, and MGM are in favor of online poker legislation but want it to be passed at the federal level. Gaughan said he supports a state bill because he believes it would be better for the smaller casinos in Nevada.

“The federal bill was pro Harrah’s and MGM, and wanted to keep everyone else out,” Gaughan said. “I don’t want the big places to wind up with it, and the little guys can’t get it. Pass the bill and let the chips fall where they may. I think a state bill opens it up for everybody.”

Gaughan said he doesn’t know if other casino owners will follow in his footsteps, and that he will not lead a lobbying charge in favor of the bill.

“I think it’s good for the state,” Gaughan said. “I don’t know how good it will be for me, but I think it will benefit the state. That’s why I’m not opposing it. I think others may be mad about it, but I don’t care. It won’t be the first time I’m at odds with Harrah’s.”

PokerNews is monitoring this issue closely and will keep you updated with further developments, so stay tuned for more, and as always, follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

March 22 2011, Chad Holloway

One of last year’s biggest television hits was PokerStars’ The Big Game, which took the poker world by storm and saw Bob Ferdinand emerge as the 2010 Big Game Loose Cannon Champion. He managed to win $181,500 and the $50,000 North American Poker Tour Passport. Recently, pros and amateurs gathered in Las Vegas to film season two of The Big Game. Top poker pros Jonathan Duhamel, Jennifer Tilly and Daniel Negreanu confirmed their appearances via Twitter, evidence that PokerStars was putting together an all-star lineup. So, with the few pros who were signing on, we started thinking of some pros who’ve been conspicuously absent from The Big Game.

Given that the show is sponsored by PokerStars, it is no surprise that no Full Tilt Poker pros have played in the game. Obviously, that is a major disappointment to poker fans because it means they miss watching the action generated by players like Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Michael Mizrachi, and Phil Ivey. With this said, we at PokerNews thought it might be fun to take a look at some other players we’d like to see on The Big Game.

Faraz Jaka

With more than $3 million in career winnings and a Season VIII World Poker Tour Player of the Year award to boot, Faraz “The-Toliet” Jaka is known as an action player with an ultra-aggressive style. Not only that, he is a talkative character of the game. That tends to translate into pure entertainment, which is exactly what a player needs to provide on a poker TV program.

Jaka has two big WPT finals tables under his belt, the first being a second-place finish in the 2009 WPT Bellagio Cup V for $774,780 and the other a third-place finish in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic later that same year for $571,374. Jaka, who obviously has TV experience, is one of those players who will thrive in front of the cameras. He’s not afraid to drive the action and give the audience what they want, which makes him a perfect candidate for The Big Game.

Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin

While Jaka is loud, entertaining, and full of gamble, his opposite may very well be Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, a player who’s action and solid play do all his talking. 2009′s CardPlayer Player of the Year, Baldwin made a huge splash in the poker world after winning his first bracelet at the 2009 World Series of Poker in a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event for $521,991 and then following that up with a runner-up finish in the WPT $25,000 Championship for $1,034,715.

Baldwin is a down-to-earth guy that viewers would surely relate to. He may not be known as a cash-game player, but his poker fundamentals are solid enough so that he’d more than likely adapt to The Big Game format. In the meantime, Baldwin will be making his Poker After Dark debut later this season in a match that includes Doyle Brunson, Andrew Lichtenberger, Annette Obrestad, Melanie Weisner, and Tom Dwan.

David “Devilfish” Ulliott

One of the original “Bad Boys of Poker” who was among the first poker TV stars, David “Devilfish” Ulliott is one of the best known characters of the game. Granted, he has faded from the spotlight in recent years, but that’s even more of a reason to bring him back. Whether they love him or hate him, the Devilfish has always had the ability to inspire a strong reaction from fans. Not only that, Ulliott is admittedly a cash-game player, which would make him the perfect fit for The Big Game format.

Given his popularity, especially in his native England, it is surprising that he hasn’t had appearances on poker shows like Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, or the NBC National Heads-Up Championship. One theory is that Ulliott hasn’t been invited to such shows because of his actions at the Full Tilt Poker invitational event at the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions. For those who don’t recall, Ulliott stood up and flashed a “www.devilfishpoker.com” sign, which was against Fox Sports Net’s strict policy against advertising “.com” websites, a stunt that was amplified given that the show was being broadcast live! As a result, Ulliott was banned from future FSN productions, which could be a determining factor in his eligibility for The Big Game because it is broadcast on Fox. Perhaps it is time to forgive and forget.

Daniel “jungleman12” Cates

Few people had a better 2010 than Daniel “jungleman12” Cates, who earned $4.9 million playing online, more than any other player. Unknown at the start of the year, Cates’ identity was revealed in July 2010 and his rise to fame and popularity has continued to grow ever since. He is more than proficient in both no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha and will never back down from a juicy, big-time cash game, especially now that he is 21 years old.

Cates may be well-known among the online poker community, but he has the potential to impress a whole new demographic in the general TV audience. Granted, he has a lot to learn about live events, but it is only a matter of time before he becomes one of the game’s newest and most visible TV stars, and what better place to make a first impression than on The Big Game?

Viktor “Isildur1” Blom

The man known as “Isildur1” was not a Team PokerStars Pro during season one of The Big Game, but now that he is, it’ll only be a matter of time before Viktor Blom is invited to play in the biggest TV events. In fact, the only thing holding him back at the moment is time, or lack thereof, given that he is not yet 21, which prohibits him from playing events in Las Vegas, including The Big Game.

While that is a significant roadblock, PokerStars could certainly host a special filming of The Big Game in Europe, where Blom would be allowed to play. Doing so would also open the door for other online superstars between the ages of 18 and 20, and it also helps The Big Game reach an extensive European audience. One thing is for sure, Blom’s online cash-game exploits are legendary, and the poker world is anxious to see him put his skills to work in live cash games, preferably ones that will be on TV.

Obviously this is a topic subject to debate. Let us know who you’d like to see in PokerStars The Big Game by using the comments section below. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.