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.
November 16 2011, Brett Collson
Online poker hits Capitol Hill again this week with a pair of hearings to discuss potential online poker legislation in the U.S. Across the pond, poker is being showcased as part of the London Mind Sports Festival to prove that poker is a skill game. We’ll provide details on those stories and more in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.
In Case You Missed It
Who topped the Day 1b field at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Loutraki Main Event? Find out in our recap.
Poker player Martin “phasE89“ Balaz made a bet that he could play 24,000 Fifty50 sit-and-gos on PokerStars in October and finish with a profit. Find out whether he was able to pull it off.
Bryan Devonshire joined the PokerNews Podcast this week. The poker pro talked about his 12th place finish in the World Series of Poker Main Event and his plans for the future.
The PokerStars European Poker Tour is headed to Prague this month. If you’re planning a trip, then find out all you need to know in the PokerNews Jet Set.
On Wednesday, Massachusetts state legislators passed a bill allowing for the construction of three Las Vegas-style casino resorts. We discuss what that means for the state in the latest Inside Gaming.
Online Poker Hearings in Senate and House
Online poker will be discussed at two hearings on Capitol Hill this week, first in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Thursday and then in the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade on Friday.
Thursday’s oversight committee hearing is called Future of Internet Gaming: What’s at Stake for Tribes? The hearing is likely to focus on testimony from representatives of various tribes and tribal groups. Poker Players Alliance Chairman Al D’Amato will testify before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Other witnesses will be primarily made up of tribal representatives.
Friday’s hearing will be the second go-around by the House Subcommittee on Internet poker. The subcommittee first met Oct. 25, 2011, to discuss the safety of online poker. Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA), John Campbell (R-CA) and Barney Frank (D-MA) will be on hand Friday to discuss the potential of future regulation in the States. They will be joined by Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark A. Lipparelli, who recently told VegasInc.com that the Nevada State Gaming Control Board will be accepting applications for online poker licenses beginning in February of next year.
Thursday’s Senate hearing gets under way at 2:15 p.m. EST, and Friday’s House hearing will begin at 9 p.m. EST. More information can be found at the websites of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and House, Energy and Commerce Committee.
Poker’s Biggest Names to Compete in Nations Cup
The International Federation of Poker (IFP) is set to host the inaugural Nations Cup this week as part of the London Mind Sports Festival. The event will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 17, in London.
Twelve teams consisting of some of the world’s best poker players will face off in an innovative variant of team poker called “duplicate poker,” which the IFP says will keep the element of luck in the game to a minimum. The winner of that event will be crowned the champion of the Nations Cup this weekend.
“Rather than competing against those at their table, duplicate poker pitches players against opponents dealt exactly the same cards in exactly the same position on neighboring tables,” says the IFP. “With all players in a particular seat given the same allocation of cards the only determining factor in the result of the tournament is how skillfully each player uses them.”
Among the countries participating in the event will be the United States, Spain, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Australia, and Ireland. Online gaming giant Zynga will also have a team. Some of the poker pros taking part include Tony G, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, Vanessa Selbst, David Benyamine, Liv Boeree, Sam Trickett, and 2011 November Niners Sam Holden and Eoghan O’Dea.
Following the conclusion of the Nation’s Cup, the IFP World Championship will take place on Nov. 19 with 130 of the world’s top players squaring off for a top prize of $250,000. The event, known as “The Table,” will be filmed for a worldwide audience.
Details on the Nations Cup and the IPF World Champions can be found at the International Federation of Poker’s website.
PartyPoker Premier League Nears
The final table of the PartyPoker Premier League Mixed Game Championship is nearly in place after both groups competed in their third and final heat on Wednesday. The 12 players faced off in a round of pot-limit hold’em at the Playboy Club London. Group A completed their heat in the evening, but played was paused in Group B with three players remaining.
Feared U.K. mixed-games specialist James Dempsey won his second heat of Group A to earn a spot at the final table. He will be joined at the final by Max Pescatori, who won the other heat in Group A, and Matt Giannetti, who used three consistent performances to earn enough points to secure a seat.
In Group B, Andrew Feldman and Andy Frankenberger locked up seats to the final, but the last seat is still up for grabs. Sorel Mizzi moved past Mike Sexton and is still alive in Heat 3, but Yevgeniy Timoshenko can pass Mizzi with a victory while earning double points with his double-up card.
It will come down to those two players when play resumes in London Thursday morning. Here’s a look at the current standings:
GROUP A
| 1 | James Dempsey | 24 |
| 2 | Max Pescatori | 20 |
| 3 | Matt Giannetti | 19 |
| 4 | Tony G | 10 |
| 5 | Luke Schwartz | 6 |
| 6 | Jen Tilly | 6 |
GROUP B
| *1 | Andrew Feldman | 19 |
| 2 | Andy Frankenberger | 18 |
| 3 | Mike Sexton | 9 |
| *4 | Sorel Mizzi | 8 |
| 5 | Ben Carpenter | 4 |
| *6 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | 1 |
*denotes players still competing for points in Heat 3
All the action from the PartyPoker Premier League Mixed Game Championship can be found at PartyPoker.com.
Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza IV Update
The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza IV is past the midway point as 25 of the 43 events had crowned winners through Monday. Among the notables taking down tournaments since our last update: Tyson Marks, Brent Hanks, and Eric Baldwin.
The series runs through Nov. 22 and concludes with a $2,500 Main Event. Here’s a look at the results since Nov. 5:
