November 13 2011, Brett Collson

We’re trying to get you caught up on the week’s top poker news stories. In this edition of the Weekly Turbo, we bring you another Guinness Record attempt from PokerStars, the lineup for the upcoming PartyPoker Premier League, and more.

PokerStars Eyes Another Guinness World Record

PokerStars’ 10th Anniversary celebration just got even bigger. Not only is the site hosting the biggest Sunday Million ever and giving away 100 seats to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure next month, but it is also attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ever online tournament in poker history.

The current record was set in 2009 on PokerStars when 149,196 players took part in a $1 tournament that saw online player “oskar69″ take home $50,000. Now, PokerStars wants to outdo itself.

The upcoming World Record attempt will start at 1230 EST (1730 BST) on Dec. 4, 2011, and will be a $1 buy-in, no-limit hold’em tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $250,000. PokerStars is also offering $10 bounty prizes for players who knock out the participating members of Team PokerStars Pro.

“It’s exciting and unique to be part of a World Record,” said Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, who holds his own Guinness World Record for Most Online Poker Tables Played in One Hour with a Profit (62).

“I’m looking forward to doing it again on Dec. 4. It will be great to see so many players come together to make history once again at the world’s largest poker site.”

Get more information on PokerStars’ 10th Anniversary at PokerStars.com.

Who Will Be at the PartyPoker.com Premier League?

PartyPoker.com and Matchroom Sport announced the 12-player lineup for the PartyPoker.com Premier League Poker Mixed Game Championship. The $25,000 buy-in invitation-only event takes place from Nov. 13 through Nov. 17 at the Playboy Club London in Mayfair. Sky Sports will broadcast the show in the U.K., and the shows will then be distributed internationally.

The 12 players will be tested in three disciplines of poker – no-limit hold’em, pot-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha – and divided into two groups as follows:

Read more about the PartyPoker.com Premier League Poker Mixed Game Championship right here at PokerNews.com.

New CEO at Betfair

Betfair’s search for a new chief executive is officially over. The online betting group announced Thursday that Paddy Power COO Breon Corcoran has resigned from his post in order take over as the CEO of Betfair in August next year.

Corcoran, 40, helped found Paddy Power 10 years ago and played an integral role in the company’s transition to online gambling. He was appointed to COO in August 2010 after spending the rest of his time there leading its non-retail and development divisions.

Corcoran will replace current Betfair CEO David Yu, who informed the company this summer that he will not renew his contract that expires next October. Yu has spent six years at the CEO at the company but has watched the company’s stock take a nosedive since it was listed in October.

“Betfair’s unique technology provides the company with a fantastic position in the online gaming industry and I believe it has a bright future ahead of it,” Corcoran said in a statement.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to lead the company and look forward to working closely with the Betfair team to grow the business further.”

The press release from Betfair can be found at Reuters.com.

Greg Raymer Testifies in Poker Case

According to an article in The Virginian-Pilot, 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Greg Raymer was in a circuit courtroom on Tuesday as the star witness in a court challenge that sought to make poker halls legal in Virginia.

Raymer was called on by the Poker Players Alliance to help prove the case of Charles Daniels, whose poker hall in Portsmouth was closed down in 2010 by Portsmouth’s commonwealth attorney Earle C. Mobley.

In front of Judge Thomas Shadrick, Raymer made a 15-minute demonstration showing that poker requires a high degree of skill. As such, Daniels’ attorneys argued that poker didn’t fall under the state’s illegal gambling laws in which an outcome is “uncertain or a matter of chance.”

Unfortunately for Daniels, Judge Shadrick was unmoved by his team’s testimony and ruled in favor of Mobley. According to the article, Shadrick “conceded that poker involves skill, but the evidence also showed that, while better players will win more over time, the outcome of each hand is still uncertain.” After the ruling, Daniels said he hadn’t decided whether to appeal.

Get the full story at The Virginian-Pilot.

Leeann Tweeden Reveals Her Cards

Christmas has come early this year. Leeann Tweeden, the former hostess of NBC’s Poker After Dark and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, is featured in the December issue of Playboy magazine, which hit stands on Friday, Nov. 11. Tweeden is gracing the cover of the issue wearing a red Christmas bow next to the headline, “Queen of Hearts, Leeann Tweeden, Poker’s Biggest Draw Undressed.”

Tweeden, 38, spent six years as a correspondent for Fox Sports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period before signing on as the third host of Poker After Dark in 2008. Her interaction with poker’s top players at the late-night NBC program was her first deep look into the world of poker.

“A lot of the poker players are math whizzes, MIT grads with multiple doctorates,” Tweeden told Playboy. “They’re brilliant, and they’re cool people, but a lot of them are not socialized. They spend their time online.”

Some photos from Tweeden’s Playboy issue are floating around the Internet, but you can find a sneak peak at Playboy.com (Caution: NSFW).

Caesars Entertainment CEO Optimistic About Online Poker

On Tuesday, Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman addressed the current landscape of online poker during his quarterly conference call to investors. Loveman said he is optimistic about the passage of online poker on the Internet, and that it would take 12 to 14 months for Caesars to get online poker operating once a bill is signed into law.

In March, Caesars inked a deal with 888 Holdings LLC to market the World Series of Poker and Caesars brands to virtual gamblers overseas. The deal was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and made Caesars the first Nevada gaming licensee approved to partner with an overseas online gambling company. Caesars and 888 Holdings have since been involved in advanced talks about providing an online poker platform in the U.S., which would certainly form one of the most powerful brands in an untapped market.

A handful of billionaires and companies have been putting plans in motion for the potential of online gambling in the States. MGM Resorts, Fertitta Interactive and even Trump Entertainment Resorts, among others, have announced their intentions to grab a stake in the market, and Loveman said Tuesday that he is pleased that more of his gaming colleagues have climbed on board with their support of online poker legalization.

Read more of Loveman’s comments at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Jen Tilly Folding?

Jen Tilly has enjoyed a decent amount of success in poker since winning a ladies event at the World Series of Poker in 2005. However, she says her days at the felt may be coming to an end.

Tilly made an appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Tuesday and said the stress that goes along with being a poker player makes her want to quit the game. “Poker is an ongoing session of never-ending agony,” she joked with Ferguson.

Tilly, whose boyfriend is poker pro Phil Laak, has been the subject of a lot of jokes around the poker community, particularly after one interesting play she made against Patrik Antonius on NBC’s Poker After Dark. But she’s always been a good sport and has never claimed to be the best player in the world. We’d certainly be sad to see her go.

However, something tells us she’ll be tagging along with Phil to the Bellagio poker room in the near future.

Watch the full interview with Jen at CBS.com. She begins talking about poker at 23:45.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Follow Brett Collson on Twitter – @brettcollson

November 04 2011, Brett Collson

PokerStars gave away more than $70,000 as part of its 70 Billionth Hand promotion on Thursday night, but it didn’t come without a little controversy. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we bring you a statement from PokerStars about its milestone celebration, a new sponsor for 2011 WSOP November Niner Matt Giannetti, and more.

In Case You Missed It

The days until the 2011 World Series of Poker November Nine are dwindling, and we’re always curious to find out how the members of the prestigious Final Table are spending their time. We recently talked to Pius Heinz to find out how he’s been preparing for poker’s biggest stage.

How was the high-stakes action at the PokerStars tables this week? Read the Online Railbird Report to find out the week’s biggest winners and losers.

The World Poker Tour Main Event in Amneville was down to 76 players after Day 2. Find out who was leading the way in our daily recap.

The WSOP Main Event final table kicks off Sunday afternoon. Team PokerNews gave their predictions for poker’s biggest spectacle.

Sunday is almost here and that means football. Rich Ryan gives you three keys to each of this week’s games in the latest Pigskin Diaries.

Miss anything this week? Sarah Grant gets you caught up on the latest news, views and gossip in the PokerNews Weekly.

PokerStars Deals 70 Billionth Hand

PokerStars dealt its 70 billionth hand late Thursday night, giving one lucky player more than $70,000 as part of the Mega Milestone celebration. PokerStars gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past week leading up to the 70 billionth hand, which came one month before the site celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

Play was halted at a $.25/.50 no-limit hold’em heads-up table Thursday night when two German players were informed that they were about to be a part of history. Railbirds flocked to the table as the two players put their $25 stacks preflop; one player was about to win $73,380, while the other would collect $1,700.

Koenigskeba:
DodgeUrOuts:

The board came , giving “Koenigskeba” a winning pair of aces and the grand prize.

Then came the controversy. After the river card was dealt, several onlookers discovered that the two winners had been working together by folding hands as quickly as possible leading up to the milestone. Since they weren’t paying any rake, they were basically freerolling for a shot at the milestone prize.

That sparked confusion and even animosity from players who had been taking part in the promotion. On Friday, PokerNews reached out to PokerStars for a statement. Here’s the response we received:

“The winner of our 70 billion hand promotion appears to have worked with another player to use “fast-folding” methods in an attempt to gain an advantage, which has raised concerns among a number of our players. We have reviewed the circumstances around the winning hand and have determined that while the fast-folding may not be in the spirit of the promotion, it does not violate the rules and regulations of the promotion or our Terms of Service. As such, we will honour our promotional award.”

“We are reviewing the format of the promotion to try to minimize this kind of activity in future milestone hand promotions. We’ll provide more information on this in the near future. Rest assured that any format revisions will be implemented in time for the next milestone hands promotion, which will be a special edition during the 10th Anniversary celebrations.”

Read more about the 70 Billionth Hand promotion at the PokerStars Blog.

Giannetti Powered By Fuse

The World Series of Poker Main Event is just days away, and the sponsors are starting to line up. November Niner Matt Giannetti revealed Friday that he has signed a deal with Fuse Science to represent that company at the final table. Giannetti will be using an anti-inflammatory topical gel called EnerJel at the final table and will also use the product as his card protector.

“With EnerJel, it’s no question. I feel the burst of energy in just seconds as opposed to a half hour or more with the standard energy drinks and shots,” said Giannetti. “EnerJel will help me keep my focus throughout the tournament, and its all-natural healthy boost of energy is exactly what I need. I can’t worry about getting the jitters from downing an energy drink. My focus will solely be on winning this event; I can’t let fatigue get in the way.”

EnerJel is also endorsed by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Micheal Vick and Houston Texans running back Arian Foster. While it may not be the ideal fit for a poker player at the WSOP Main Event (see Pius Heiz’s deal with PokerStars below), it’s good to see a U.S.-based November Niner finding a sponsor after Black Friday.

The full press release can be found at Yahoo.com.

Pius Heinz joins team PokerStars

On Friday, PokerStars announced that 2011 World Series of Poker November Niner Pius Heinz is the newest member of Team PokerStars. The German poker pro is set to compete for his first bracelet and $8.7 million at the upcoming WSOP Main Event final table.

Heinz, 22, is a rising star in the game with more than $700,000 in online tournament earnings, plus another $100,000-plus in earnings on the live felt. He made his first WSOP final table in a $1,500 buy-in event in June, and followed it up with an impressive run in the Main Event.

“I’m pretty relaxed about the game,” said Heinz, who enters the Main Event final table seventh in chips. “There are a lot of tough players left but I’m confident I can win it. Joining PokerStars has given me an extra lift, too. I’m looking forward to being part of the team.”

Heinz joins the likes of Sanda Naujoks, Sebastian Ruthenberg and Boris Becker as a Team PokerStars member from Germany.

Read the full story here at PokerNews.com.

Black Friday Sites Receive Extension

Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker have received an extension to respond to an amended civil complaint issued on Sept. 20, 2011. The three sites had a previous deadline of Oct. 31, but they have been granted until the end of November to give their responses.

The extensions were permitted by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara following appeals sent by the companies ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline. The companies had already been granted one extension to the original deadline of Sept. 30.

The news came in the same week that prospective investor Groupe Bernard Tapie allegedly reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to continue its purchase of Full Tilt Poker. That deal is expected to come in the next couple weeks.

Last week, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission issued a statement saying that the CEREUS Network had proposed a repayment plan to repay players at its two sites, Absolute Poker and UB. The announcement came just a few days before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Indicted payment processor Chad Elie was given the same Nov. 30 extension as the three online sites. Elie, along with indicted bank owner John Campos, filed a motion to dismiss the civil complaint last month. He originally pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him back in April.

The filings can be found online Justia.com.

Nouvelle Maison Pour Duhamel

A new poker room in Quebec is preparing to open its doors this fall, and one former world champ is calling the setting his new home. Reigning World Series of Poker Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel has teamed up with some other well-known Canadian pros to promote the Stardust Poker Mansion, located in Kahnawake on the South Shore of Montreal.

The room is the brainchild of managers Yann Bergeron and Isham Yamani, whose objective was to create a luxurious poker venue that rivals the top poker rooms in the world.

According to the website, the Stardust Poker Mansion will open with 20 poker tables standing six feet apart, each equipped with a racetrack to provide the utmost comfort for each player. Also provided will be an entire floor in the mansion reserved for a gourmet restaurant.

Duhamel and poker pros Marc Stephen McLaughlin, Chris McClung, Gabriel Houle Morin and Genevieve Gloutnez are the first elected members of the Stardust Poker Club. The team will be focused on building social awareness by hosting charity events to give back to the community.

Learn more at the Stardust Poker Mansion’s website.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Follow Brett Collson on Twitter – @brettcollson