June 26 2012, Brett Collson

The World Series of Poker is on fire right now, especially with the $50,000 Poker Players Championship in full swing. But there are other stories around the world, as well. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we’re covering a poker player who has gone missing, a poker site that has closed its doors, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Who won World Series of Poker bracelets on Monday? And who’s leading the $50,000 Poker Players Championship after Day 2? Find out in the Day 30 WSOP recap.

Another woman was closing in on a WSOP title Tuesday. We take a look at that story and more in Tuesday’s WSOP What to Watch For.

A controversial hand took place during the $50,000 Poker Players Championship on Monday. Donnie Peters was on hand to cover the chaos from beginning to end.

2011 WSOP Main Event champ Pius Heinz joined the PokerNews Podcast on Monday. Find out what he had to say about his new image at the table, bluffing, and more.

How did Brett Richey discover his passion for poker? Find out that and more in the latest Seat Open.

Looking for a fun, behind-the-scenes perspective of life at the WSOP? All Mucked Up has daily stories from inside the Rio, so check it out!

Help Find Peter Lap

The sudden disappearance of a popular poker player has several members of the poker community on alert this week.

Peter Lap, better known to Blonde Poker members as “Boldie,” mysteriously went missing last Tuesday after he left for work, according to Blonde Poker forum member “Laxie.” The disappearance is out of character for Lap, prompting his friends to react quickly.

“He left his car, mobile and laptop at the hotel he’d checked in to and was last seen taking a taxi to Manchester airport” Laxie said. “His wife, Wendy, has been in contact with the police and they’ve a missing person’s report filed.”

Police found Lap’s belongings at the hotel. Some forum members indicated that Lap could have flown into Las Vegas sometime last week. However, because flight records are confidential, police will not look into that matter at this time.

Lap, 37, is 6-foot-3, about 200 pounds, bald, and has a Dutch accent. He was last seen in Cresta Best Western Altrincham booking a shuttle bus to Manchester Airport.

UPDATE: Thanks to the investigative work of his friends, Lap was located in Las Vegas and will be heading home soon! We’re glad to hear he’s OK.

Read the thread at Blonde Poker for more information.

Hollywood Poker Folds

Ongame Network skin Hollywood Poker was shut down on Monday, much to the chagrin of players who were given no warning. All player accounts and balances were transferred to Red Kings, another Ongame-based poker room.

Reason for the closure wasn’t given, but the following message can be found on the Hollywood Poker website:

HollywoodPoker has stopped offering online poker. So that you can continue playing on the Ongame Network we have arranged to transfer your account with your entire account Balance to RedKings.com, a leading Ongame Network gaming site offering superb casino and poker games in a secure environment. Please be informed that your HollywoodPoker account, along with your entire account balance, has been transferred over to RedKings.com. Your nickname and password will remain the same. Simply log into Redkings.com with your HollywoodPoker username and password.

Hollywood Poker opened in 2004 and has been endorsed by World Poker Tour commentator Vince Van Patten and actor James Woods, among others. However, the endorsements ended when Hollywood poker left the U.S. market in 2006 after the signing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

PocketFives has more.

Online Poker Traffic

PokerScout.com released its weekly online poker traffic rankings on Monday. The tracking site reported an overall drop of 0.9 percent, marking the sixth straight week of declines worldwide.

There were two changes in the top 10 this week. PokerStars.es passed PokerStars.fr for eighth place and continues to build in the new regulated Spanish market. Meanwhile, the Merge Gaming Network recaptured the No. 10 spot from new rival Revolution Gaming. The two networks have been battling for prominence in the U.S. since Lock Poker left Merge on June 1 and formed Revolution Gaming.

As for year-over-year traffic numbers, online poker has seen a worldwide decline of 18 percent since this time last year, much of that caused falloff by Full Tilt Poker and the CEREUS Network. As PokerScout notes, this week marks the one-year anniversary of Full Tilt Poker losing its operating license, so we’ll likely see a significant change in the numbers next week.

Some of the biggest gainers since this time last year were Revolution Gaming (up 72 percent) and 888poker (up 16 percent). The International Poker Network (down 51 percent), PKR (down 34 percent) and the Merge Network (down 13 percent) were among the notable decliners.

Read the full report at PokerScout.com.

Who Would You Rather?

Poker pro Matt Glantz was seated at a stacked table in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship on Monday. Lynn Gilmartin asked Glantz about his tablemates for the latest edition of Who Would You Rather.

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

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October 27 2011, Brett Collson

On Thursday, the World Series of Poker revealed two new inductees to its prestigious Poker Hall of Fame. Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson were voted in by a 35-person panel of existing Hall of Famers and media members, becoming the 41st and 42nd members of the elite group of poker icons. They will be officially inducted on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino as part of the November Nine festivities.

Greenstein is recognized in the industry for his accomplishments on and away from the felt. The “Robin Hood of Poker” has accrued more than $7.5 million in live tournament earnings while amassing three World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. He is also regarded as one of the toughest cash-game players of all time while playing in some of the biggest games around the world.

Away from the table, Greenstein is just as admired for his charitable contributions. He has donated more than $3 million to various charities through his poker winnings, which helped earn him the nickname “Robin Hood of Poker.” Greenstein is also an accomplished author and father of six, including four stepchildren.

“I’m happy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside my friend Linda Johnson who has been the most fervent ambassador for poker for as long as I can remember,” Greenstein said.

Johnson, who was given the nickname “The First Lady of Poker” by fellow Hall of Famer Mike Sexton, has been one of poker’s most passionate supporters since the early 1980s. She placed fifth in her first tournament at the WSOP and subsequently quit her job at the U.S. Post Office to become a professional poker player. Her peak as a poker pro came in 1997 when she claimed her first and only bracelet by winning the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz event

In 1993, Johnson purchased Card Player magazine and served as a publisher for eight years. She has also been instrumental in developing the World Poker Industry Conference, the World Poker Players Conference, and the Tournament Directors Association. Now, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Poker Players Alliance and the Ladies International Poker Series.

“I am extremely proud and humbled to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame,” Johnson said. “I feel lucky to have been involved in many facets of poker over the past 35 years. Being recognized by the industry is a tremendous honor.”

The 2011 Hall of Fame finalists who were nominated but did not receive the necessary votes were Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Marcel Luske, Jack McClelland, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen and Huck Seed. All eight finalists are eligible for the Hall of Fame next year.

The induction ceremony for Greenstein and Johnson will take place at 1630 PDT on Nov. 8 inside the Penn & Teller Theater. It will be immediately followed by the three-handed finale of the WSOP Main Event final table.

Read more about the 2011 Poker Hall of Fame class at WSOP.com.

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

Follow Brett Collson on Twitter – @brettcollson