Miss any of the day’s biggest poker stories? You’ve come to the right place. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we’re covering a heads-up match between two of poker’s high rollers, the return of a Playboy-branded online poker room, and more.

In Case You Missed It

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) resumed on Thursday. Which well-known pro won his second FTOPS jersey? Find out in our FTOPS XXI Day 12 recap.

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

Did you miss anything from the past week? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Kristy Arnett and Sarah Grant broke down all the big stories from the tournament circuit in the PokerNews Weekly.

Need advice about how to play ZOOM Poker at PokerStars? In the latest CardRunners teaser video, instructor Dylan “dintyo” Tollemache plays four tables while commentating on his decision making.

The 2012/2013 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Rincon Main Event kicked off on Friday. Chad Holloway took a look back at the winners of the preliminary events at Rincon.

Cates Versus Rast

Daniel “Jungleman” Cates is regarded as one of the best NLHE heads-up players in the world. The 23-year-old poker pro has won more than $5 million playing high-stakes cash games online, and is possibly best known for leading Tom “durrrr” Dwan by more than $1 million in the second Durrrr Challenge match prior to Black Friday.

Last October, Cates even issued an open challenge to anyone willing to go heads-up for a minimum of “100,000 at the Prague Poker Festival. No one accepted in Prague, but Cates has finally found a challenger in the U.S.

The Dover Downs Poker Room in Delaware announced this week that Cates will participate in a live heads-up match with Brian “tsarrast” Rast on Feb. 1, 2013. The match will be a $100,000 buy-in with $100/$200 limits and will be open to the public.

Rast is recognized for his tournament success, having won two bracelets at the 2011 World Series of Poker and making the final table at this summer’s Big One For One Drop. But ring games are his bread and butter, and there’s no doubt he has more live game experience than Cates.

These two also have some history against each other, as you’ll see in the following video (action starts at the 1:35 mark):

For more on the showdown, check out the Dover Downs website.

Playboy Brand Returns to Poker

Amaya Gaming Group Inc., a technology-based gaming provider and new owner of the Ongame Network, has signed a global licensing agreement with Playboy Enterprises to assist in creating a variety of poker and lottery “Playboy” branded products beginning in 2013. With its brand stamped on products in retail stores and entertainment venues, the iconic Playboy trademark will now be growing into digital areas including online gaming.

“This is a giant global brand for Amaya to partner with online,” said David Baazov, CEO of the Amaya Gaming Group. “With its tremendous online audience and boasting one of the highest unaided global awareness and social media user engagements of any brand, we’re confident that our collaboration with Playboy will be a recipe for success and look forward to guiding them in their online endeavors.”

“The Playboy lifestyle is about indulging our passions, and we are focused on bringing content, products and experiences to consumers around the globe that define this lifestyle,” said Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy Enterprises. “Gaming is an ideal fit with our strategy and we’re delighted to partner with Amaya on this project, combining a leading global brand with a strong technology partner to offer what we believe will be exciting online gaming experiences.”

This isn’t Playboy’s first run at online gaming. In 2006, Playboy signed a three-year deal with Cryptologic to offer a Playboy-branded Internet casino powered by CryptoLogic’s casino software. The deal ended in 2009, and Playboy elected to exit the online gaming industry after enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

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

Bwin.party Enters Belgium Legally

Online gambling firm bwin.party digital entertainment has entered an agreement that will allow it to operate legally in Belgium. On Friday, bwin.party announced a partnership with Partouche-owned gambling company Belcasinos in which the two companies will collaborate to offer online sports betting, poker and casino games to consumers in the country.

The announcement comes just weeks after bwin.party co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger was summoned for questioning by Belgian authorities while attending the Responsible Gaming Day conference in Brussels. Teufelberger’s detainment stemmed from the Belgium Gambling Commission’s (BGC) view that bwin.party was in breach of the country’s gambling legislation. The company was placed on Belgium’s gambling blacklist in May but continued offering its services in the country.

“We are excited to have reached an agreement with Partouche to offer our market-leading products under license to consumers in Belgium,” said bwin.party co-CEOs Teufelberger and Jim Ryan. “Following recent developments in Belgium and after further dialogue with the local regulator, we have put our differences of opinion behind us and are now focused on the immediate commercial opportunity.

“Together with our new partner we are now in the process of securing the necessary approvals to meet the requirements set by the BGC and do not expect any interruption to our service for customers in Belgium.”

Bwin.party said in a press release that after the deal with Partouche, the BGC agreed to drop all pending legal disputes and will lift bwin’s websites from its blacklist. Bwin.party added that it has begun to adapt its systems to comply fully with the current licensing regime.

Read the full press release at bwinparty.com.

Bernard Lee Gives Back

Bernard Lee, an established New England player, will offer the gift of giving again this holiday season. Lee will be donating 20 holiday packages to 27 families with 53 children in the Lawrence, Massachusetts’s area as part of The Full House Charity Program.

Each family will receive a gift certificate to a local restaurant and a cheddar sampler pack from Cabot Cheese. Children will receive a holiday package that includes winter clothing, a hat and gloves, books, toys, ball/game, art supplies, holiday sweets, a stuffed animal and a Cabot Cheese children’s fun pack.

“In the spirit of the holiday season, my hope is that these packages bring joy to struggling families. I feel so grateful for my family that I want to share some holiday cheer with families other than my own,” said Lee. “Giving back to the community is the mission of the Full House Charity Program.”

Read the full press release here.

Prague Knows How To Party

PokerStars is known for throwing some crazy parties at each European Poker Tour stop. Sarah Grant caught up with some poker players during the latest soirée in Prague.

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

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Looking for the day’s biggest poker stories? You’ve come to the right place. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we’re covering a poker tournament featuring some of the world’s most famous celebrities, an online poker bill advancing in New Jersey, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Respected poker media member and author Lou Krieger passed away this month after a long battle with cancer. Chad Holloway took a look back at Krieger’s many contributions to the poker world.

The 2012 World Poker Tour Prague Main Event kicked off on Monday. More than 150 players came out to play, and Pasi Heinanen led the way after Day 1a.

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) resumed on Monday. Take a look at the winners in our FTOPS XXI Day 2 recap.

Need advice about moving up in stakes? CardRunners video instructor Peter Jennings, also known as “Marshall28″ online, offers some hand analysis and tips in his latest training video.

A final table was reached at the 2012 DeepStacks Poker Tour Mohegan Sun National Championship on Monday. Read about the six remaining players in our daily recap.

Do you think you’re a fantasy football expert? Well, DraftKings is giving you an opportunity to prove it. The DraftKings Main Event is on Dec. 23 and features $250,000 in total prizes, with a life-altering $100,000 going to the overall winner.

Celebs Earn $300,000 in Charity Poker Event

Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Robert Downey, Jr., Sean Penn, and Gene Simmons – unfortunately, it’s not the cast for an epic new film. Instead, it is the list of major Hollywood celebs who convened for the “Four Kings & An Ace” celebrity poker tournament benefiting Mending Kids International.

The event took place Dec. 1 at the London Hotel in West Hollywood and raised $300,000 for the organization. Mending Kids International is one of L.A.’s non-profits that sponsor critical surgeries for children around the world correcting congenital heart defects, orthopedic abnormalities, severe scoliosis, and cranial facial deformities.

The event came with a $10,000 ticket donation, which came with perks like dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, poker lessons from World Poker Tour commentators Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton, and round-robin style poker with each one of the celebrity hosts – all for a noble cause to benefit the children in need.

The event included performances from The Commodores, Dominic Scott Kay, Nia Peeples, American Idol winner Lee Dewyze, and featured other celebs like Danny Trejo of Machete, Linda Thompson, and Camille Grammer.

The Hollywood Reporter has more.

Progress in New Jersey

An amended bill that would allow intrastate online gambling in New Jersey could be back on track after it was approved by the New Jersey Assembly on Monday.

The bill allows for licensed casinos located in Atlantic City to offer authorized games – including poker – to residents of the state. Supporters of the bill believe it will help boost Atlantic City’s casinos which suffered the biggest revenue drop in the country last year at 9.5 percent. Casinos in neighboring Pennsylvania and Delaware have been siphoning business from New Jersey since 2006.

According to NorthJersey.com, State Sen. Ray Lesniak predicts a bill vote by the Full Assembly on Dec. 17, followed by a state Senate vote on Dec. 20.

“It’s still not too late for Atlantic City to become the Silicon Valley of Internet Gaming,” Lesniak told supporters Monday.

Lesniak, one of the leading sponsors of the measure, originally hoped for the bill to pass through the Senate in March, but it didn’t have enough Democratic votes to be addressed. Lesniak blamed the delay on opposition from the racing industry, as well as Gov. Chris Christie’s wavering in his support of the bill.

Read more at NorthJersey.com.

Lobbying for Federal Online Poker Bill Continues

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has launched a campaign pushing Congress to pass a federal online poker bill before Congress’ lame-duck session ends.

Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Whip Jon Kyl created a bill that would legalize online poker but would ban other forms of Internet gambling like slots or baccarat. The bill was created by a new interpretation of the Wire Act that reversed the 1961 law that bans wagering over telecommunications lines – applying it only to sports betting.

Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., president and CEO of the AGA, leads the lobbying efforts urging Congress to pass the bill to prevent the gaming’s expansion on a state-by-state basis. “Without swift congressional action, the U.S. will soon see the largest expansion of legal gambling in its history,” Fahrenkopf said in a statement this week. “And without any federal guidelines in place, the result will almost certainly be inadequate oversight that creates a world of unnecessary risk and problems for law enforcement and U.S. consumers.”

Senator Kyl is also set to retire after the session, another reason why it is necessary to push for legislations now. “Kyl is critically important in convincing other conservatives that something must be done,” Fahrenkopf added.

The bill, entitled the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2012, would establish a framework to license and regulate Internet poker companies, and to assist in the growth of a US-based online poker industry while targeting companies such as Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, which violated The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

“Congress must establish federal minimum standards that address consumer protection, prevent underage gambling, promote responsible gaming and provide help for those with gambling problems,” Fahrenkopf said. “It must also provide a regulatory structure allowing for Native American casino operators – who will never agree to be regulated by the states-to be involved, and clarify and restore federal law so that law enforcement communities have the tools necessary to prosecute illegal online gambling operators.”

The AGA’s statement followed the release of a video that outlines the reasons for federal online poker legislation.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has more.

Microgaming Rebrands

On Tuesday, Microgaming announced that it has officially re-branded its poker network as MPN, adding another major change in its transformation efforts over the past two years. Previously known as the Microgaming Network, MPN has undergone significant changes since January 2010, including modifications in layout, game selection and design.

“The re-brand of the network to MPN and the launch of the network website are both significant milestones for Microgaming poker,” said Lydia Melton, head of network games at Microgaming. “We are approaching our 10th year in operation, and we are stronger than ever before. However, we will not be resting on our laurels. What we have done with all these changes is build the framework for a scalable and sustainable network. Now that the framework is in place, we are more flexible, resilient and adaptable to any changes that this turbulent industry can throw our way.”

Among the new changes at MGN include anonymous tables, an HTML 5 client, a new Flash client, and Blaze Poker, a fast-paced format similar to Rush Poker and ZOOM Poker. MGN is also preparing to roll out a new poker lobby, designed for both beginner and advanced players, in the coming months.

MGN recently added Betsson to its online poker network. The Stockholm-based company previously ran its poker offering on the Entraction/IGT Network, but was forced to find a new home when Entraction/IGT closed its poker network in September. In addition to Betsson.com, other operators such as Paf, iGameMalta Ltd, 24h Poker, and BetVictor Poker, will be joining MPN, with more operators expected to join MPN before the end of the year.

For the full story, check out PokerFuse.com.

Sunday Million Highlights

Another well-known poker pro took down the PokerStars Sunday Million this weekend. Kevin “iacog4″ Iacofano outlasted more than 7,000 players and collected $197,052 after a heads-up chop. Amazingly, it came less than six months after he finished runner-up in the same event. Check out the highlights of his win, courtesy of PokerStars.tv:

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