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.

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

August 28 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

If you’re looking to get caught up on the week’s top poker news stories, then look no further.We’ll tell you about the Nevada online poker proposals, what Phil Hellmuth thinks about iGaming, and more.

Proposals Released

On Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board released drafts of regulatory proposals that would allow the state to establish Internet poker in accordance with Assembly Bill 258, which was passed in the 2011 Nevada legislature.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal spoke with Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli regarding the proposals. “”Internet poker has become a multibillion dollar business around the world. The technology supporting it, while not perfect, has improved dramatically since its introduction. Similar to our land-based requirements, Nevada will establish high standards giving players as much confidence as possible in the entities and technologies that might eventually gain approval,” Lipparelli said.

The proposals, which include rules for customer enrollment and technology approvals, among other things, will be put through a public regulatory workshop. The workshop will provide for amendments and revisions to the proposals and the first one is scheduled for Sept. 26.

“We can’t predict what may happen with any national legislation and we have attempted to frame these regulations in a manner that will provide appropriate flexibility. This will be a rigorous process and these regulations will, no doubt, undergo a good deal of revision,” Lipparelli told the Las Vegas Review-Journal regarding the state being ready for federal legislation.

Want to know more? Check out the article on LVRJ.com and you can read the proposals at Gaming.nv.gov.

Hellmuth Talks iGaming

According to the Washington Post, Phil Hellmuth doesn’t think Washington, D.C.’s foray into Internet poker doesn’t have “much to offer the professional gambler.”

“I still think that people are looking for a place to play poker and it wouldn’t be surprising if you had a lot more players than you think start playing,” he said. “It’s a nice test, sure, but I think there’s so few people [in D.C.], 600,000, that you might not achieve critical mass for players on the site under those conditions,” Hellmuth told the Washington Post.

Hellmuth doesn’t believe that the low-stakes games would be worth it for a professional player, but D.C. Lottery director Buddy Roogow was quoted earlier this year saying that wasn’t the main concern. “We believe there’s a much larger component of social, recreational and casual players who will be interested in a lower-stakes platform,” Roogow told the Associated Press.

Hellmuth thinks for the government to make money, it should allow the private poker market to flourish. “The states have to ask themselves, how are they going to make money? Are they going to invest millions in software, hire a bunch of people and end up in a situation where they don’t recoup their money for three or four years?” he said. “Or do they just start taxing it right away, and make decamillions from the start?”

Want more? WashingtonPost.com has it.

LAPT on its way to Colombia

Thanks to a press release we received this morning, we can tell you where the PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour is headed next. From Oct. 12 through 16, the LAPT will be in Medellin, Colombia.

“The poker communities in Latin America are extraordinary. They are growing quickly and are extremely enthusiastic and passionate about playing in the tournaments. I hope that players from all over the world come to Medellin to compete and that they also take time to enjoy the scenery, culture and food of this fantastic destination,” LAPT president David Carrion said.

The event will take place at Allegre Casino, which is operated by Legendary Gaming, and the COL$1,980,000 buy-in Main Event is being dubbed “the National Poker Championship.”

“During the fourth season of the LAPT we have introduced Sao Paulo as a new destination, and now it is Medellin’s turn for a debut event. This decision was made so that we could have a National Championship in many different countries, and in turn find the best poker player in the region through the Player of the Year Award. These changes have been made because of the extensive feedback received last season and we are proud to deliver what players want,” Carrion said.

Players can win entry online or through supersatellites at Allegre Casino.

Find out more at LAPT.com.

In 140 Characters

Some days we read tweets and think, “Our readers would probably like to know that,” but the news bite is only 140 characters long. Instead of separating them into their own sections, we’ve compiled them all right here.

• On Thursday, poker agent Brian Balsbaugh tweeted, “Just heard “The Banker” is playing poker @BellagioLV. No sightings of “The Professor” or “The Suicide King.”

Looks like Andy Beal is back in town, and it didn’t take very long for at least one of the sharks to sniff him out.

• Doyle Brunson replied to Balsbaugh’s tweet saying, “Nope, but Dolly was there. He then went on, “Played with “The Banker” for a few hours. Had a fun time, probably because I made a decent win. #needmorelikehim”

We’re not sure if The Professor or the Suicide King will make appearances in this game, but we’ll keep our ears open.

• Early Friday morning, Dan Bilzerian tweeted, “Just had my third heart attack. Feeling better now, about to leave the hospital. Waiting on lab results.
• He went on, “I checked myself outta the hospital. Doc said I should stay because I could die in my sleep if I go home. I’ve been gambling all week. I bet I’ll live.

Luckily, it seems as though Bilzerian is OK. Andrew Robl tweeted, “Just an FYI to everyone I went to the hospital with @DanBilzerian last night and it appears nothing major happened and that he is a-okay.”

Another One Bites the Dust

In a press release issued Thursday, Poker Pros Network announced it recently moved its URL to PPNpoker.eu to comply with U.S. legislation. It also said it would be leaving the Cake Network and moving to a proprietary network in the near future. Also, on Aug. 31, PPNpoker.eu will no longer accept new registrations from players in the U.S. Players who registered for accounts prior to the separation will be granted an exemption.

“We here at PPN are dedicated to improving our software, creating a safe environment for players to compete, and encouraging our pros to be available to customers at all stake levels,” said PPN Poker owner Chuck Kidd. “It’s been a lot of work, but what we’re introducing later this year should turn the online poker industry on its head.”

According to the press release, PPN Poker plans on releasing “unique proprietary software” with new features including live dealers and dealers’ choice games in the fall.

Read the press release at MarketWire.com for more.

WCOOP Kicks Off Soon

The 2011 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker is just around the corner and PokerStars wants to celebrate. Kicking off on Aug. 29, PokerStars will launch the Mega Satellites Week promotion. Two Mega Satellites will be held each day and 2,075 seats are up for grabs into 13 different events. That’s $502,275 in value if you were counting. Here’s a look at the Mega Satellite Week schedule:

Speaking of PokerStars, the online poker giant recently announced it will take on the role as lead sponsor for next week’s Poker in the Park in London at Hanover Square.

“We’re thrilled that PokerStars has come on board,” said festival organizer Michael Caselli. “Having the most popular poker room in the world on board is not only great for Poker in the Park, but shows how committed PokerStars is to the entire sport of poker.”

Read more at UK.PokerNews.com

Short Stacks

The Nightly Turbo is known for its brevity. But what do we do when there are too many news stories to tell you about in one day? We shorten things a bit. Here’s a quick look at some other news stories going on in the poker world.

• On Monday, we told you about the WPT Regional Seminole Hard Rock Summer Splash and the notables who remained at the final table. Well, Brian Hastings came out on top of that one. He tweeted, “I won!!!! $213k plus TWO trophies, thanks for all the support everyone! #wpt #runninglikemercier #trophyhunting”
• We also told you about the Parx Open Poker Classic in Monday’s Nightly Turbo. That event also had a notable player finish on top — McLean Karr. He defeated Dan Smith in heads-up play and took home $74,406. This is Karr’s second win this month. His first coming in a high-roller event in Macau.
• Remember OceanSpray25? On Tuesday he was sentenced to at least three years in prison for robbing the Bellagio of $1.5 million.
• According to SportsInteraction.com, Hollywood director Nick Cassavetes is attempting to get the Hollywood poker lawsuit dismissed. Cassavetes along with Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more are being sued by a group of trustees who were whamboozled in a Ponzi scheme.

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