March 15 2012, Brett Collson

We’re glad you took a few minutes out of your busy basketball watching to catch up on the day’s biggest poker stories. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we’re bringing you the latest on Iowa’s chances at legalized online poker, Bodog Poker adding a new feature to prevent collusion, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Many poker pros weren’t happy with things at the Wynn Classic Championship this week. Rich Ryan touches on that topic and more in his latest Five Thoughts piece.

In honor of March Madness, we decided to run our own version of the popular tournament. Check out The Muck to find out how to vote on your favorite poker players from the Round of 64 all the way to the championship!

Ron Rose and Chris Bigler burst onto the poker scene with victories during Season 1 of the World Poker Tour. Find out what they’ve been up to lately in the latest edition of Where Are They Now.

Are you still confused about how to claim your poker winnings in your tax return? Kristy Arnett sat down with tax expert Theresa Fox to get some answers in the Strategy with Kristy podcast.

David “Doc” Sands entered the Top 5 of the Global Poker Index this week. Mickey Doft takes a look at the biggest movers and shakers on the GPI.

Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced this week that O’Sheas is set to be demolished in two months. What will be replacing the popular Vegas party spot? Find out in the latest Inside Gaming.

Is Iowa Online Poker Bill Dead?

On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate approved a bill to legalize and regulate intrastate online poker by a vote of 29-20. The next step for the measure is to move through the Iowa House, but House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) told KCRG on Thursday that there has been a “general lack of interest” regarding online poker among his GOP caucus members.

Not encouraging news for poker players in the state.

The issue has been a hot one in the Iowa Senate for months, but Paulsen says there has been very little conversation about the bill in the House. “What are we in? Week 10?” said Paulsen. “I don’t know if I’ve had three members mention this subject to me … until this week when the big hub-bub was.”

A study by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission showed that the legalization of online poker in the state could generate between $3 to $13 million in state tax revenue. However, a recent poll by the Des Moines Register that showed 69 percent of Iowa residents opposed legalization of online poker.

Read more at KCRG.com.

Bodog Exposes Hole Card Info

On Thursday, Bodog addressed concerns about collusion on its anonymous poker tables by allowing players to request the hole card information of everyone at a table 24 hours after a game ends. The software update was announced in December but finally implemented this week.

“The fact that we can now offer players this information is another advantage of our anonymous tables and something nobody else can offer,” said Jonas Odman, VP of the Bodog Poker Network. “Collusion is a natural concern for any poker room but this new additional feature puts the player in full control. This makes the Bodog Poker Network the fairest place to play poker online in the world.”

Bodog’s traffic had seen a slight surge since it introduced anonymous tables last November, but the site has seen a sudden drop since the Bodog.com domain was seized and the brand’s founder was indicted last month. According to PokerScout.com, Bodog’s traffic has declined by 13 percent since those events.

Read more at PokerNews.com.

BestBet Opens Largest Poker Room in Florida

In April, the newly branded BestBet Jacksonville casino in Florida will host a $1 million guaranteed televised World Poker Tour event at the venue’s brand new poker room, which opened earlier this month. Formerly called Jacksonville Poker, BestBet’s poker room boasts 70 poker tables, making it the largest in the state and one of the largest in the world.

“We are very excited with the opportunity to open BestBet Jacksonville,” said CFO Jamie Shelton. “BestBet Jacksonville will complement our existing facilities and serve as a platform for our larger events like the upcoming WPT televised tournament. While proud to house the largest poker room in the State of Florida, our continued focus and attention to our customers is our number one priority.”

BestBet says the new room has already attracted many of the top poker players in Florida like Jason Mervier, Matt Glantz, John Racener, Shaun Deeb and Andrew Robl. Later this month, former World Series of Poker Main Event champ Greg Raymer will be hosting seminars before Jacksonville’s first 600-player, $10,000-added tournament on March 24.

“BestBet Jacksonville will certainly enhance our standing in the international poker scene as well as with our North Florida player base,” said head of poker Deborah Giardina. “Our mission was to create one of America’s premier poker tourism destinations. Given the response so far, we are well on the way to realizing that goal.”

Check out pictures of BestBet’s new poker room at bestbetjax.com.

More Operators Apply for Nevada Licenses

The list of operators seeking Nevada Internet gaming licenses grew longer on Thursday as Spielo and GTECH G2 submitted paperwork to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). The two companies make up the new gaming division of Lottomatica Group, which provides a full range of player-focused games, products and services across every gaming channel.

“Applying for these licenses in Nevada is an important step in our iGaming strategy for the US,” said Spielo International president and CEO Walter Bugno. “Spielo International and GTECH G2 are names that are trusted in regulated markets around the world. We have an established track record as providers of end-to-end gaming products to more than 1,500 customers on five continents.”

eGaming Review also reported Thursday that Playtech is planning to submit an application with the NGCB soon. Read more at PokerNews.com.

March Mania at the Trop

If you’re looking for a fun environment to watch the NCAA Tournament in Las Vegas, HeadsUp Entertainment and Tropicana Las Vegas have partnered with Cantor Gaming to create the March Mania Poker Series and Ultimate Players’ Party.

From March 15 through 25, poker players can participate in daily tournaments at Tropicana while getting the full March Madness experience in the tournament area. During the 23-event poker series, Cantor Gaming will be providing convenient walk-up betting stations and state-of-the-art wireless Samsung tablets, which allow players to wager without leaving the poker table.

“We are redefining how poker tournaments and players’ experiences are created by providing an amazing lineup of poker tournaments daily at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and a state-of-the-art party area for participants to watch and wager on the NCAA games,” said HeadsUp President and CEO Kelly B. Kellner.

The $1,500 March Mania Poker Series Main Event will run from March 23 through 24 and boasts a starting stack of 40,000 in chips. For more information, check out troplv.com.

Calling the Clock

Kristy Arnett caught up with Kevin MacPhee at EPT Madrid to ask him about his guilty pleasure, his biggest regret, and more.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook today!

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February 17 2012, PokerNews Staff

If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for the top poker news stories of the day, so you can get on with your weekend. There’s plenty to talk about, so we’re not going to waste any time. It seems that federal online poker legislation won’t be on the docket until 2013. Keep reading to find out more on that, what cities All In – The Poker Movie is coming to, and what fashionable poker item didn’t appear on the runways of Fashion Week.

In Case You Missed It

We get it, sometimes you’d rather watch something than read about it. That’s why we bring you the PokerNews Weekly, and in the latest edition, Kristy Arnett is bringing you all the news from São Paulo, Brazil.

We’re only one and a half months into 2012 and already two players have crossed the $1 million profit mark online. Who are they, you ask? You’ll have to read the Online Railbird Report to find out.

Earlier this month, the D.C. Council voted to repeal the district’s online poker legislation. Matthew Kredell talked to council member Michael A. Brown to find out if he’s going to reintroduce his legislation.

We talk a lot of poker here at PokerNews HQ, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our eye on gaming news in general. In the latest Inside Gaming, we tell you about the Wynn’s SEC investigation, the Las Vegas Strip’s 2011 annual growth number, and more.

Last week, at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop in Tunica, Drew McIlvain was disqualified for alleged chip dumping. We sat down with McIlvain to get his side of the story, and talked to the vice president of Corporate Communications at Caesars Entertainment, Seth Palansky, to find out more about the hand in question and the appeals process.

No More Online Poker Legislation Outs For 2012

According to a report by Howard Stutz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it seems that federal online poker legislation is more thank likely off the docket until 2013. There were rumors that an online gaming bill was going to be attached to the payroll tax extension, but Harry Reid dispelled those rumors on Thursday.

Chad Beynon, from Macquarie Securities believes that Nevada could benefit from the shelving of the federal online poker legislation debate.

“We think the standards were written in a way that will allow for small adjustments as the process moves forward,” Beynon said. “At this point, no firm date has been set, but 13 companies have now submitted for an operating license.”

Beynon expects three states – New Jersey, Iowa, and California – to follow Nevada’s footsteps and pass online gaming legislation in 2012. And believes states will use Nevada’s regulations as a template.

LVRJ.com has more.

All In – The Poker Movie

Remember when we told you about All In – The Poker Movie? We understand if you don’t, it was a while ago. Well, next month, it’s coming to a movie theater near you. A sneak preview of the movie will be shown at the Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, which will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Doug Tirola, Susan Bedusa, and Danielle Rosen. The movie opens in New York on March 23, and in Los Angeles on April 13.

The movie focuses on the resurgence of poker in recent years. Matt Damon, Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Chris Moneymaker are among those who appear in the movie.

For more, check out All In – The Poker Movie’s Facebook page.

Shuffle Master to Buy Ongame?

According to a report at Casino City Times, bwin.party is looking to sell its recently acquired Ongame Poker Network. Todd Eilers, a gaming analyst from Roth Capital Markets, believes Shuffle Master might be a possible buyer.

“We view the interactive gaming opportunity as the most underappreciated aspect of Shuffle’s growth story,” Eilers said. “Both opportunities could begin generating meaningful revenue this summer.”

MacauBusiness.com is reporting that Shuffle Master CEO Gavin Isaacs said the company “has the ability to buy companies” but is unlikely to spend a large sum of money on one transaction.

“We buy games, we buy intellectual property all the time; that’s our strategy,” Isaacs said.

The Sunday Times is also reporting that Shuffle Master is in talks with bwin.party to buy the Ongame Poker Network for $20 million.

UKIPT Galway Update

Day 1b of the PokerStars UK & Ireland Poker Tour Galway attracted 400 players on Friday, bringing the total number of players from both Day 1 flights to 698. Liv Boeree, Sam Holden, Steve O’Dwyer, Nick Abou Risk, and Kevin MacPhee were among those who entered on Day 1b.

PokerStars Qualifier Joris Ruijs leads the Day 1b field with 108,100. Not only that, he has claimed the title of overall chip leader when both Day 1 fields combine on Saturday.

Kevin MacPhee, Ross and Barny Boatman, and Team PokerStars Online’s Mickey Petersen will all advance to Day 2, looking to capture a portion of the nearly half-million euro prize pool.

Who else is moving on? Read the updates on the PokerStars Blog to find out.

Bet24 Adds to the Team

2011 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event champion Thomas “Kallllle” Pedersen is the latest superstar to join Jesper Hougaard and the team of pros at Bet24.com. Pedersen, who won $1.26 million in the WCOOP Main Event, will don his new Bet24 patch at EPT Copenhagen next week.

“I have had conversations with three different poker sites and eventually chose Bet24, who I see as the strongest player, particularly in the Danish market,” said Pedersen. “This choice is based on my good relationship with Bet24, their professional behavior and crucially, on the extent of the sponsorship and its potential.

“I look forward to an exciting year together with Bet24 and I hope there will be a lot of great enriching experiences for both parties, on and off the poker scene. It’s a dream come true.”

Casper Toft and high-stakes cash player Gillian Epp were also added to the Bet24 team this week.

For a closer look at each of the team members, check out Bet24.com.

Duhamel’s Bracelet Recovered

On Friday, reports surfaced that Jonathan Duhamel’s 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet had been recovered – well, what was left of it anyway. The bracelet was found by a street sweeper in Montreal last Wednesday.

“The sentimental value [of the bracelet] is priceless. We are giving the bracelet to the police, because it is still a piece of evidence, and should help the police with the investigation. We are happy, and Jonathan is doing very well,” said Philippe Jette, Duhamel’s manager.

Read more, and see images of the damaged bracelet on PokerNews.com.

Midas Touch

In December, we told you that the poker room at the Tropicana was getting a name change. Jamie Gold was signed on as the spokesperson and ambassador of the poker room. Gold was making daily visits to the room after the announcement. This weekend marks the room’s grand opening.

If you’re in Las Vegas and want to party with Gold and his friends, there’s a red-carpet event Friday night at RPM Nightclub. On Saturday and Sunday, you can rub elbows with Gold and his friends in two poker tournaments that are being held to celebrate the room’s opening.

PokerNews.com has more.

Designer Chips

Did you forget to get your poker-playing Valentine a gift this week? Fear not, Giorgio Armani can help you out. As a part of their Spring/Summer Collection, Giorgio Armani recently released a custom poker set.

The Delphi poker set comes complete with 138 chips, 5 dice, and 2 decks of personalized Giorgio Armani playing cards. The set comes housed in a red leather box with a magnetic clasp, and can be yours for “786 or just over $1,000.

We never said it was cheap.

Purchase your designer poker set at Armani.com.

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