Wed, 03/30/2011 – 01:26 – PokerPages Staff

The first owner of a Las Vegas casino to publicly support legalizing Internet poker has spoken out. South Point Hotel and Casino owner Michael Gaughan has recently expressed his view that online games and poker are definitely coming and he has no doubt in his mind about that.

He was speaking as Nevada Assemblyman William Horne’s Assembly Bill 258 is up for consideration by the state legislature. The bill would allow online gaming to be licensed and regulated by the Nevada Gaming Association and is regarded as the most poker-friendly bill to be proposed in the U.S. 

Although supported by the giant online poker site PokerStars, it is opposed by another gambling behemoth – Caesars Entertainment. When Caesars declared its opposition, hopes for the bill’s survival began to fade and most observers assumed that other bricks-and-mortar casinos would simply follow suit. Until, that is, Mr. Gaughan spoke out and he’s made it pretty clear exactly why he supports the bill. AB 258 would, he said, “make us a pioneer in the nationwide movement.” By passing the bill into law, Nevada would become a leader the rest of the country may wish to emulate.

Financially, legalization makes a lot of good sense especially given that Nevada’s finances are the stuff of nightmares and nervous breakdowns.  There is a yawning $1 billion-plus deficit to be made good and unemployment in the state currently runs at 13.5 per cent. In one move, the legalization of online poker would generate an additional $500 million for the state budget and bring many desperately needed new job opportunities in its wake.

So far, bills that have been discussed at either state or federal level have contained wording that many poker enthusiasts find unnecessarily frustrating, desperate though they are to legitimize their game. Senator Harry Reid’s bill, which fell after the mid-term elections last year, included a punitive 15-month blackout period, during which no one living on American home soil could play online. Congress is currently considering a licensing bill proposed by Representative John Campbell, but it contains wording to imply that current operators are guilty of illegal gambling activity. These inclusions appear to be aimed at appeasing opponents but would have serious consequences should they succeed in becoming law.

By contrast, Nevada’s AB 258 specifically states that it will not discriminate against existing operators (possibly one major reason why PokerStars is supporting it so fulsomely). The measure would also allow the Nevada Gaming Association to enter into agreements with other jurisdictions, such as foreign countries, where online gaming is not illegal. Additionally the Nevada Bill makes provision that should other states pass bills legalizing online poker, they would be included too. Such a development would place Nevada, as Mr. Gaughan envisages, at the very heart of the online gaming industry in addition to its central place in the bricks-and-mortar casino business.

Commenting on PokerStars’ and Full Tilt Poker’s inclusion in the Nevada system under the bill, Gaughan said that he didn’t mind at all stating that no one group of people should be eliminated. Gaughan considers the bill a good move for the state, and believes it will benefit smaller casinos there. Caesars has got some opposition to its “Federal only” approach at last, it seems.

Sun, 03/20/2011 – 19:14 – PokerPages Staff

An 18 year-old Portuguese online poker player who spun an initial $30 deposit to $2 million grinding cash games has spoken about his rise to the top of the game.

Jose Macedo began playing poker several years ago after being inspired by the exploits of Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan.

“A friend of mine had been playing poker for play money and he told me a story about this guy named durrrr.”

“How he had started with nothing and using his wits and hard work, created a fortune mastering the game. I was captivated.”

The teenager then went to his local bookstore to buy every poker book he could find to learn and analyze the varying strategies involved.

Macedo began playing on the Betfair website where he dominated the $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold’em tables.

He had soon amassed a bankroll of $2,500 and decided to take a shot at the $100 NLE tables.

The talented mathematician admitted he had to make significant changes to his game to progress even further.

“I noticed that the best players were playing a looser style than me. Slowly I began to open up my game and that got me to think more deeply about hands.”

Macedo then sought the advice of Dan ‘jungleman12′ Cates as he prepared for an assault on the $50/$100 Heads-Up tables.

He has remained at the nosebleed stakes since that transition and has now won over $2 million during his fledgling poker career.

Thu, 03/17/2011 – 12:09 – PokerPages Staff

Playing in poker tournaments is not just for the high rollers.  Even the beginner poker player can enter if you know enough about poker betting.  Tournaments are numerous and can be great fun for anyone to play in.  Sit and Go tournaments, for example, are fast, easy to get into, and can be found at just about any time of the night or day.

In a standard tournament, basic poker rules apply.  Everyone begins with an equal value of chips for betting and when a player’s chips are used up, he or she is out.  The winner is declared when there is just one player left with chips remaining.

At PokerStars, you will find a list of tournaments that you can enter.  The tournaments each have their own lobby, which includes information on payouts and tournament status.  Use the button marked ‘Tournament Info’ on the lobby page to get the details.

On the PokerStars site, you will find their tournaments listed as well as poker information, named players and their winnings, and which tournaments are still open for you to join.  Note that the list also tells you which specific games will be played in each tournament.  The bets structure and buy-ins are also specified.

When you find one that interests you, go to the lobby for that tournament and register.  You will need to have a login for the site before you can register.  When your registration is complete, you will be given a seat at the table.  You must keep that seat throughout the tournament.  Play will begin when all registrations have been completed and players are seated at the table.

To learn more about poker games, poker bets, and tournaments, visit PokerSchoolOnline.