Online Portal Brings Poker News to France

Online Portal Brings Poker News to France Online poker portal, Pokernews, has launched its French Language counterpart, fr.pokernews.com. The fr.pokernews.com site carries much of the same content as the main pokernews.info site, but all content is in French. “France is a country where poker’s popularity is gaining quickly. France has had its own World Poker Tour event for three years, and is a country rich in poker heritage,” said Pokernews.com Director of Operations, John Caldwell, “We are proud to launch fr.pokernews.com, and hope we can bring valuable content to the French people in their own language.” The website specifically addresses the world of online poker, a booming multi billion dollar industry. Many of the news pieces and discussions focus on the online game, and a wealth of information is present for those wanting to join the hundreds of thousands of online poker players worldwide. fr.pokernews.com has up to the minute news on the happenings in the poker world. In addition to news, the website has extensive information on online poker including reviews and information of many of the top places to play online poker, including special bonus offers for players not available anywhere else. Caldwell added, “Poker is a global game, and we look forward to bringing more poker content to more places very soon.”

Online poker and the Law

Online poker and the Law Playing poker online? It's illegal, according to the Department of Justice. By Kim Komando You're playing with real money. You've paid for betting chips via an escrow service. And, if you're lucky enough to win, your account will be credited with money. What's wrong with this picture? It's all illegal, according to the Department of Justice. There are thousands of gambling Web sites. And they operate offshore, conveniently beyond the grasp of U.S. regulation. Online casinos have been around for about a decade. But the recent rise in the popularity of poker has spurred their growth. According to Keith Furlong, deputy director of Interactive Gaming Council, an industry trade organization located in Canada, online casinos will attract about $10 billion this year. Americans make up 60-65 percent of their business, he added. Some states have passed laws prohibiting online gambling. However, no federal laws specifically address it. Rather, the federal government relies primarily on the Wire Wager Act to prosecute online casino operators. Under the act, business owners who accept bets via a "wire communication facility" face fines and imprisonment. The act was intended to curb the use of the telephone to accept bets. Opponents are quick to note the act was written in 1961, before the Internet. They question whether the law applies to online gambling. And they insist that online gambling is a gray area at best. However, the Department of Justice is adamant that online gambling is illegal. And in 2000, it successfully prosecuted Jay Cohen, an American and part-owner of the World Sports Exchange in Antigua. Since 2002, the DOJ has pressured media companies to pull ads for online gambling. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio company, stopped airing ads for online casinos that year. Other mainstream media companies have followed suit. Banks have also come under pressure from the DOJ. Many decline credit card transactions from online casinos. Among them is Bank One, a national bank. "[It's] because of the high likelihood of fraud," said Mary Jane Rogers, a Bank One spokesperson. "Bank One may restrict transactions that appear to be Internet gambling." She added that the bank cannot always tell that a charge is from a casino. Other payment options are also dwindling. PayPal stopped processing payments for gambling in 2002. That left only a few lesser-known escrow agents that work with the casinos. Recently, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled the United States can regulate online gambling to protect public morals. However, the ruling states that U.S. laws must be clarified. The nation of Antigua and Barbuda initially filed the suit, claiming U.S. restrictions amounted to unfair trade practices. The economy of Antigua and Barbuda, which are Caribbean islands, relies heavily on Internet gambling. Antigua and Barbuda points out the U.S. allows gambling within its borders. And, in the case of state lotteries, the gambling is sometimes government-sponsored. Interestingly, Antigua and Barbuda views the WTO ruling as a victory. It sees two options for the United States. One, the United States must ban all gambling. The second option would be to grant offshore companies access to the market. The Department of Justice did not return calls for comment. Users are still visiting these sites in record numbers. And many of them reside in the United States. Currently, the federal government does not prosecute the gambling sites' customers. However, some state governments do. The WTO hopes to reach a final resolution of the dispute between the United States and Antigua and Barbuda later this year. In the meantime, Americans may well be breaking U.S. laws when playing poker online.

Are you ready for high stakes games?

Are you ready for high stakes games? Ashley Adams / Poker Player Newspaper / Special to FOXSports.com So, you've been crushing the $1/2 game, beating the $2/4 game and running over the $3/6 game. You wonder if you're ready for higher stakes games. How can you know? Here are some things for you to consider before making the big step. The first consideration is the minimum buy-in. Generally it's ten times the small bet for the lower tier mid limit games and ten times the big bet for the higher tier mid-limit games. So $5/10 requires a minimum of $50, $10/20 requires $100 and $20/40 requires $400. And that makes sense because the action tends to be more aggressive once you hit $20/40. The second consideration is how much of a bankroll you need to play seriously at a higher level. You want enough money to test yourself — to withstand the expected vagaries of chance. You don't want to start off with a bad run of cards or a series of bad beats, only to bust your entire bankroll and have to go down to the lower stake with your tail between your legs. I recommend that you have at least 300-to-600 times the big bet before you seriously take on a higher stakes game, leaning toward the higher multiple as the stakes go up. So, roughly, that would mean a minimum bankroll of $3,000 for $5/10, $10,000 for $10/20 and $24,000 for $20/40. If you chew up half of that bankroll at the higher level I suggest you go back down to the lower level and start again. Of course these are just rules of thumb. If you're a very conservative player you might start out with less. If you tend to be more aggressive and wild you should probably have more. But you don't have to wait until you're ready for a full transition. I think it's often best to start by taking just a stab at the higher stakes game. Look around for a time when the game seems to have some weaker than average players and then just take a seat. Plan to stay only a short time. You still want more than the minimum buy-in, but it doesn't have to be a full bankroll. I'd recommend that you have 60-times the small bet for the games up to $10/20 and probably 100-times that amount for the $15/30 games and above. That will give you enough to withstand a short run of bad cards — enough for you to get a feel for the game before you move back down. You'll find that taking a stab will help you become both acclimated to the higher level, making your final transition to that level much more smooth-and help with your lower stakes game, as you become more confidant with the lower stakes players because of your experience in the higher stakes game. Move out of the lower spread limit games like $1-3 and $1-5 as soon as possible, regardless of your ability. These games usually have a very steep rake, making them tougher to beat than the slightly higher games. Give your learning dollars to other players rather than to the casino and you'll be better off. Finally, keep careful notes, keeping track of your winnings and losses for every level you're playing at. Make sure you know which stakes game you're actually beating. And don't let your pride get in the way of dropping down when the lower stakes game looks appealing or the bigger game is too tough. There's no prize for losing at the biggest game in town when you could be winning at a lower game. Ashley Adams is the author of Winning 7-Card Stud, (Kensington Press 2003). He has been playing 7-Card Stud for 40 years-and profitably in casinos for the past 10 years.

Today's Poker Tip

FOXSports.com - Poker: "Today's Poker Tip" "Move out of the lower spread limit games like $1-3 and $1-5 as soon as possible, regardless of your ability. These games usually have a very steep rake, making them tougher to beat than the slightly higher games. Give your learning dollars to other players rather than to the casino and you'll be better off." More on moving up to higher stakes games

All poker, all the time

All poker, all the time by Steven Sekelik for Vail Daily The popularity of poker is rapidly increasing locally as well as nationally. Its popularity is fueled by a combination of television exposure, technology, and the opportunity to win big money and/or prizes. Local bars and restaurants are hosting regularly scheduled free poker tournaments to help draw in more business. Cable channels such as ESPN and the Travel Channel showcase the extremely popular World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. In addition, television advertisements for online poker rooms are on the rise. The most popular flavor of poker is Texas No Limit Hold ''em. In a No Limit Hold ''em, a player can go "all in" and bet all of their chips on any given hand, which adds a great deal of excitement to the game. As opposed to other gambling games such as blackjack, poker is a game that is dictated and controlled by the participants. Poker players can control the game by bluffing, being very aggressive, or by playing a very tight conservative style. Today's cutting-edge technology and high-speed Internet access provide a gateway for millions of diehards to play poker 24-7 at one of the many poker sites on the web such as PartyPoker.com, Pokerstars.com, AbsolutePoker.com, and Fulltiltpoker.com. Most online poker rooms offer free games with play money, as well as real money games. Many online poker rooms feature satellite tournaments that give players an opportunity to win seats at World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events. To put the popularity of online poker in perspective, during peak hours, www.partypoker.com can have over 50,000 participants playing on over 5,000 tables on any given day. All of these online poker sites are based offshore, due to the gambling laws in the United States. Popular poker sites are estimated to be making over $100 million in profits each year.

Poker Supplies Distributor Places Bet on New Website Design

Poker Supplies Distributor Places Bet on New Website Design Poker enthusiasts can easily find and purchase poker supplies on the internet now that Poker Supplies Online, a leading poker supplies distributor, has expanded their website with more features and new inventory. Now that Poker Supplies Online, a leading poker supplies distributor, has expanded their website to include more features and new inventory, poker enthusiasts can easily find and purchase poker supplies to suit their needs. The website is quickly becoming a renowned hub for poker chips, poker tables, and other poker-related merchandise. The user-friendly website design now allows consumers easier access to find the poker supplies and information they need to make an informed decision. A searchable product catalog has been included as well as product suggestions broken down into categories such as Best Sellers, New Arrivals, and Featured Products. To enhance the online shopping experience, Poker Supplies Online has created all-inclusive combination packages for greater savings and to ensure no product has been excluded. “The launch of our website has been a great tool in making us a leader in online sales of poker supplies,” said Jeremy Levy, President of Poker Supplies Online. “We are always expanding our online inventory and thinking of ways to improve the shopping experience.” Poker Supplies Online has expanded their product line to include billiards, darts, sporting goods, wine accessories, and table tennis in addition to casino supplies. Within each product category are instructional books and manuals, making the website an excellent informational resource.

Jackpot Factory relaunches SMS mobile casino

Jackpot Factory relaunches SMS mobile casino Online casino operator Jackpot Factory has re-launched its 7WIN7 brand mobile casino with the ability for users to register and add funds through SMS. Players can download the software by sending a short code text message, and can add £5 credit by sending the message BUY. “It gives our casino customers a complete mobile offering from start to end”, noted David Brickman, Jackpot Factory spokesperson for 7WIN7. Software for the SMS powered mobile casino is provided by Microgaming-backed Spin3, which also provides software for Ladbrokes mobile casino. Many commentators view mobile specific payment and registration as the key to developing the mobile market. And Brickman said it was a big step forward for his firm’s mobile offering. “Customers do not need to visit our web site to register or to top up their accounts,” Brickman said. “They now have the freedom and flexibility to sign up, purchase and play directly from their mobile.”

Online Poker Site Plans to Sue over Ad Space on Pregnant Stomach

Online Poker Site Plans to Sue over Ad Space on Pregnant Stomach: "Online Poker Site Plans to Sue over Ad Space on Pregnant Stomach" Online poker site Sunpoker.com is planning to sue another online gambling site for appropriating advertising space allegedly belonging to Sunpoker. The ad "space," auctioned off on eBay, is oddly enough located on a pregnant woman's stomach. Sunpoker claims to have placed the auction's highest bid of $8,900, only to have later lost the bid in favor of another online casino, which placed a bid outside the framework of eBay. Although Elise Harp, whose stomach is the source of this debate, allegedly emailed Sunpoker, congratulating them on winning the bid, she shortly sent another one, informing the online poker site that another company had placed a higher bid independent of eBay, and that she therefore wished to nullify the eBay auction. Sunpoker, claimed that Harp's private solicitation of another bidder constitutes a breach of contract. They are also suing the competing online casino site for supposedly using ideas previously conceived by Sunpoker, including bringing Elise Harp to the Daytona 500 as part of the ad campaign, to show off her now famous belly.

N.C. Senate lottery opponents worry about expanding video poker

N.C. Senate lottery opponents worry about expanding video poker By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer A Senate committee Wednesday began scrutinizing the lottery bill passed by the House earlier this month, with several members on the panel worried it could open the door for slot and video gambling machines and online games. "It's got an awful lot of problems," Sen. Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg, said after an hourlong hearing on the measure in the Senate Select Committee on the Lottery Bill. "It does seem to open the door to video gambling of all types." The measure, which passed the House on April 6 by a vote of 61-59, with lobbying from Gov. Mike Easley, would allow the proposed state lottery commission to promote "online games" and "games played on computer terminals or other devices." Clodfelter said the bill could allow for slot machines that dispense a ticket redeemable for cash instead of actual coins or currency. Even the panel's chairman, lottery supporter Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, acknowledged that the language gave him pause. The Senate has passed bans on video-poker machines three times this decade, though the House has yet to take up any of those bills. "I want to know, is that just another name for video poker," Rand said. "They say not, but the question they asked made it sound awfully close." Bill supporters have said the language is meant to be broad so that whoever operates a North Carolina lottery is free to offer a range of electronic games. House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, has said any change by the Senate to the lottery bill passed in his chamber could break the fragile coalition that got it through. Many undecided lawmakers voted yes because of specific language in the bill. Rand doesn't expect passage of an unchanged bill. "It's not likely that it will be approved in the form that it's in now," he said. The committee plans to meet again next week, Rand said, adding that he doesn't expect a vote on lottery legislation until early May. At least five of the 29 Democrats in the 50-member Senate have expressed opposition to the lottery bill as it now stands. If all 21 Republicans voted no on the bill, that could put passage of the measure in doubt. Rand said he didn't know whether the lottery bill would be bundled with the Senate version of the state budget - a maneuver that could make it harder for Democratic opponents to vote no. Rand was confident in the final outcome: "Sure we have the votes for a lottery bill, (but) which one?" The measure approved by the House would set aside half of net lottery profits to local school construction. Another 25 percent would go to need-based scholarships, with the rest placed in an "Education Enhancement Fund" controlled by the General Assembly. Bill supporters and Easley believe the lottery could generate annual net revenues of $400 million to $500 million. As the only state on the East Coast and one of nine nationwide currently without a lottery, North Carolina needs to recoup the money its citizens now spend in other states buying lottery tickets, gas and food, a co-sponsor of the House bill said. "I think a lot of us agree the state shouldn't be in the gambling business," said Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasqoutank. "Unfortunately, what's worse than us being in the gambling business is allowing hundreds of millions of dollars to flow out of our state to educate other kids." Senate committee members asked largely technical questions about the bill. Panelists asked a committee staff member whether the bill would allow the state to join multistate lotto games like Powerball. That's unlikely, due to the bill's restrictions on lottery advertising, the staffer said. Lottery opponents argue a state-run numbers game would prey on the poor, promote gambling among young people and be an inefficient source of revenue. Bob Rosser, an anti-lottery organizer, said he hoped Wednesday's hearing would make both Senate and House members think twice about their support for a lottery. "The more light that's shed on the subject, the better," he said.

Good and bad celeb poker players identified

Good and bad celeb poker players identified England's World Cup-winning rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward would make a world-class poker player while David Beckham would rank among the worst, according to a new study. A gambling expert has uncovered various personality traits that make a successful professional poker player and Sir Clive came out on top thanks to his problem solving skills which proved key to England's success. But Real Madrid ace David Beckham came bottom of the pile for an equally important quality - self control, or in his case, lack of it. Professor of Gambling at Nottingham Trent University, Dr Mark Griffiths, identified ten key traits which determine whether you would make a good or bad poker player. To ensure success at the gambling game you need to excel at problem solving, numeracy, self-control and be practical. Flexibility, a strategic mind and the ability to deceive your opponents are also essential skills, but you also need to be self-critical, self-aware and willing to continually learn. Ultimate celebrity poker player Clive Woodward would succeed because he can identify different strategies and approaches to problem-solving. But David Blunkett's attempt to help his ex-lover's nanny obtain a visa, a decision he now regrets, puts him at the bottom of the problem solving category. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown would also play a good hand, coming out on top for his numeracy skills, and would easily beat failed investment banker Nick leeson, who lost over £1 billion in derivative futures. Famous for his ice-cool demeanour, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's ability to keep a clear head and make rational decisions would make him a good poker player. If pitted against Real Madrid ace, David Beckham, who failed to exercise any self-control during his alleged "textual relations" with Rebecca Loos, he would win hands down. Comic king of the jungle, high-pitched Joe Pasquale has a practical side that would see him beat off competition from pampered diva Jennifer Lopez. Also among the elite bluffers is flexible Ben Elton, who can adapt to any situation and seizes opportunities that come his way, but football star Rio Ferdinand wouldn't stand a chance after his outright refusal to cancel a shopping trip to take a drugs test led to an eight-month ban. Potential poker supremo Davina McCall, who has juggled her career and family with great strategic skill, would put Prime Minister Tony Blair to shame. The report revealed the Prime Minister's lack of ability to formulate a gameplan quickly, as became evident when he came under increasing pressure over the war in Iraq, would see him lose his chips before he's begun. Knowingly deceiving an opponent through good face management is also key to winning, an area of expertise for the infamous Lord Lucan, but quiet Chelsea footballer, Ashley Cole, would not fair as well. But openly self-critical Cherie Blair, who admitted "I am not superwoman", would show up her husband and easily beat Gerald Ratner, whose jewellery empire collapsed after he went a step too far and declared his products were "crap". Another female topping the lists is a lady who knows how to maximise her assets, reality TV star and glamour model, Jordan. She came top in the self-awareness stakes, ahead of shamed Boris Johnson who caused offence in Liverpool by saying the city was "hooked in grief". But when it comes to being open to learning Britney Spears takes the lead. Not one to rest on her laurels she has learnt from her first failed marriage, with a more successful second one. A lesson Charlotte Church would do well to heed, curbing her passion for boys who kiss and tell. Matt Robinson, marketing manager for gambling site 888.com, who commissioned the report, said: "This report shows that poker is a game of skill rather than luck. "The report reveals that some celebrities just wouldn’t be able to hack it in the high-pressure atmosphere of a poker game." All these techniques can easily be transferred to other areas of life, so if you are looking for a promotion you would do well to bear these points in mind

Senator wants to legalize poker rooms

Senator wants to legalize poker rooms Alaska Department of Revenue: Cards could be a $2.5 million industry By ANDREW PETTY JUNEAU EMPIRE Behind closed doors, even at the Alaska Capitol, staffers and legislators play weekly rounds of poker. One senator wants to make it legal for people to gather at public "card rooms" for fun and cash, and for businesses to profit from it. The only catch is the house can't rake in a percentage or let the dealer win hands. Instead, it can charge a taxable fee per game. Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage, is eyeing a system set up in Washington and California that gives licenses to establishments to run poker, rummy, bridge and cribbage games. Most forms of gambling in public are illegal in Alaska, yet it continues on a daily basis. Cowdery said about 15 underground poker games are played a night in Anchorage. There's so much being done anyway, (the state) should at least get a few bucks out of it," he said. Senators listening to the bill did not express opposition but are withholding comments until a final draft of the proposal is complete. "I think we can all acknowledge that there can be some social costs of gambling," said Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage. In Seattle, houses charge about $4 per hand and can make $90 an hour; establishments are allowed to have 15 tables in the room to run 24 hours. Customers buy from the house a maximum amount of chips and play until they run out. The game is monitored by a house employee. A manager at the Viking Lounge in downtown Juneau said he would be interested in setting up a few tables if the bill passed. "Sounds like a lot of fun. Just like the millions of other games that people play - pool and darts - one more game to bring them out would definitely be exciting," said manager Justin Kanouse. The popularity of the game has surged nationwide, sparking coverage of tournaments on ESPN and Fox Sports Network. Perry Green, a former professional poker player from Anchorage, testified Tuesday at the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Senate Bill 165. Green said Alaskans drive to Whitehorse, Canada to participate in the World Poker Tournament via satellite. Finalists compete for several million dollars in Las Vegas. Some 140 players participated in a Matanuska-Susitna Borough tournament to win a finishing pole. "That shows you how much people are interested out there," Green said. If 13 card rooms open in the state, an official from the Alaska Department of Revenue said they could be a $2.5 million industry in Alaska. That number doesn't include money made from food and beverages served to customers. The proposal says licenses will be given to one establishment per 30,000 people in a community. By the 2000 census figures, Anchorage could host eight, Fairbanks two and Juneau could service one. Establishments would pay a $25,000 application fee, and taxes of $10,000 per table each year. Houses would have to host charity tournaments for education quarterly. Applicants must have no felonies in their criminal records.

Reduced poker shares opposed by lottery

Reduced poker shares opposed by lottery Lawmakers were urged Monday not to reduce a limit on how much money bars, taverns and other video poker outlets can make from gambling. At the same hearing, horse racing representatives asked legislators to boost the number of the state lottery's video poker machines allowed at the Portland Meadows track from 10 to 50. The House Revenue Committee is considering the race track bill as well as a measure to shave — from 60 percent to 50 percent — the maximum share of business income that establishments that offer video poker can make from lottery games. Lottery Director Dale Penn told the committee that cutting the poker-income limit could throw out of whack the lottery's revenue estimates for the 2005-07 budget. Penn said Gov. Ted Kulongoski's budget is based on the lottery increasing its revenue by 22 percent, mostly by offering slot-machine type games on the poker terminals. Lowering the share of overall income that retailers can make from poker commissions would likely result in less revenue for the more than 50 outlets that make more than half their income from lottery games. The Lottery Commission set the 60 percent threshold after the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in 1994 that a constitutional ban on the state operating "casinos" means establishments can't have gambling as their dominant use. Rep. John Lim, R-Gresham, a longtime gambling critic, proposed reducing the income limit to 50 percent. Penn said audits of 2,200 poker retailers over the years turned up just 33 that violated the 60 percent limit. Retailers in such cases are given a period of time to comply with the rule or lose their games. Meanwhile, horse racing lobbyists said racing at Portland Meadows likely will fold without state help. The track is operated by Canadian-based Magna Entertainment Corp., which has ended dog racing at the Multnomah Kennel Club track near Gresham. Horse racing accounts for 3,000 jobs and an estimated $150 million in annual income in Oregon, said Larry Campbell, a lobbyist for Magna. He said raising the limit on the number of video poker machines at the track from 10 to 50 could generate an additional $500,000 a year for operations and prize purses for races. Though hurt nationwide by expanded gambling of other types, racing has rebounded in places where more video gambling has been permitted, said Dave Nelson, a lobbyist for Portland Meadows and the Oregon Quarterhorse Racing Association. "The state has kept its foot on racing while expanding video games," Nelson said. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, which operates Spirit Mountain Casino, and horse racing operators are considering a joint effort to build the state's largest casino at the racetrack

Poker interest rises

Poker interest rises Josh Gleason knew he was onto something when people were waiting around -- on some nights, an hour or so -- for a seat at his poker table in this blink-and-miss-it town in southern Montana. Now, nearly three months after setting up a table in a corner of the Fort Rockvale Restaurant and Casino, Gleason is getting another. He's betting interest in Texas Hold 'Em will remain high enough to continue attracting commuters, locals and tourists and to make dealing worth his while. "It really blew up," he said. "We weren't expecting it to go as good as it did." Poker, a game some Montana card room and tavern operators practically begged people to play just a few years ago, is enjoying newfound popularity here and nationwide, spurred in large part by the televised games played by Hollywood celebrities and the high-stakes drama of the big-money World Series of Poker. In Montana, one of the states in which live poker is legal in bars and casinos, the number of permitted live card tables has risen 70 percent from 2002. Interest in playing poker has spread from the state's largest cities to its rural communities, with young professionals and college kids taking on veteran players and even farmers fitting in hands. Players who once drove 50 miles from Scobey, in northeast Montana, for a poker game now can find a table at Scobey's Dead Horse club -- and sometimes have to wait for an open seat, owner Steve Davis said. But that's been good for business. People hanging out, waiting to play, tend to buy food and drinks, he said. "It's a new way to socialize," Davis said. The renewed interest has also renewed discussion over whether state poker rules and regulations need a review. Gene Huntington, administrator of Montana's Gambling Control Division, said he plans to raise poker as an issue that may merit a closer look in the months ahead. Among the questions: dealer licensing -- people can now get temporary licenses before undergoing background checks -- and a possible change in the state's pot limit. It's now $300 a game, but some bar operators and dealers would like to see it raised. Within two steps of Gleason's poker table is a video poker machine, one in a row of machines, offering an $800 jackpot. He and others would like a more level playing field. "One thing you don't see on TV is we work for tips," Eric Benjamin said while on break from dealing at the Queen of Hearts card room at the Crystal Lounge in Billings. "If there are higher limits, there are generally better tips." In Nevada and New Jersey, which track poker revenue, people spent $105 million on organized poker in 2003, the American Gaming Association said. That was up $15 million from 2002, but the association says poker hasn't yet shown a "sustained increase" in revenue over time. In Montana, the state Gambling Control Division said the number of card table permits issued in the state rose from 187 in fiscal year 2002 -- a low over the past decade -- to 318, as of February. A permit in Montana costs $250 for the first table, $500 for each thereafter. As of April 1, nearly 650 people were licensed to deal cards. Huntington said he'd like to see changes in dealer licensing. People now pay $75 for a license and $25 a year to renew it. They're also to have background checks and fingerprinting. "We think, maybe, we need a better idea of who they are," he said. Some card room operators have also mentioned that there may be a need for prospective dealers to "understand the game," he said. John Tooke, a Miles City bar owner and member of the state Gaming Advisory Council, said he would support looking at the licensing issue. But as for the money, Tooke said, as an operator, there's a fine line between making a game more interesting and driving away many of the players. "If you have a $10,000 pot, say, what happens over time is you get the rocks, the better players, and they'll get the money, and the rest of your players will be broke, broke, broke," he said. Tooke said he'd rather see changes in the betting structure. Donna Johnson, executive director of the Montana Council on Problem Gambling, which is involved in treatment and education, said she believes that the more money that's involved, the more chances there are for problems.

Poker Phase / A convert learns when to hold 'em

Poker Phase / A convert learns when to hold 'em Diana Brodie lives in a cottage half a block from Golden Gate Park, but that's not her idea of recreation. Brodie, 39, a video editor, spends her free time, and even her un-free time, playing poker online or at a card club in Colma. Do you have a handle? My friend wanted to give me a poker nickname, so she decided to call me "Too Tall." How tall are you? 5' 3". I'm hoping that the sarcastic irony makes it catchy enough to stick. When did you start playing poker? Jan. 1, 2004. That was the first hand of poker I ever played. How'd you do? I think I ended up winning 20 bucks. I was hooked. How quickly did you pick it up? Last year, I won a multitable tournament on PokerRoom.com. How much did you win? I won, like $2,500 and I bought my car. I call it "The Poker Car." What's your game? Texas Hold 'em. You have two cards and everyone at the table shares five community cards. You make your best five-card hand out of those seven cards. What's the most you've lost on a hand? This weekend I lost $250 on one hand at Lucky Chances Casino in Colma. Online, the most I've lost on one hand is about a hundred bucks. What's the most you've won? Online, the most I've won on one hand is $300. What are the advantages to playing online? You can make really huge mistakes and no one's looking at you. What are the disadvantages ? You can't see their eyes. You can't see them react when the card hits the table. What are the advantages of card rooms? I have an advantage by being female. Guys will tend to be like, "Oh, I'd fold that, Little Lady, if I were you." That kind of attitude. So it helps to be a woman? Men have a tendency to target you. Every time you go into a hand, they're in it because they think they can outplay you. I've taken a lot of money from guys that way. Do you wear a poker face? I want to be nice and funny and entertaining at the tables. The more people are having fun, the more they're going to give you their money. Have you played tournaments? I played one live tournament at Lucky Chances. There were about 100 people and I came in 12th. The top 10 made money. Was that a moral victory? I took a guy down. Completely busted him out of the tournament because he underestimated me. You didn't feel bad for him? We all take the same risks. I'd bust my grandmother if she were still alive. How much time do you spend playing online? Last night I played six hours straight. I won about $450. Do you have a hero? I bid online in a charity auction to have dinner and a poker tutorial with Annie Duke. She won the Tournament of Champions and $2 million. How much did it cost? The winning bid was $1,800. I told her that she was my new couch. I'm still sitting on the old couch, but I'm playing poker a lot better. Have you ever told yourself "That's it"? I've cut myself off when I lost $500 in a weekend and take a few days off. How often are you thinking of that $500? Every second of those two days. Is it addictive? Very. Are you addicted? I can stop any time I want to. I just don't want to.

Casino Ballroom hosts Texas Hold'Em Poker Tournament

Casino Ballroom hosts Texas Hold'Em Poker Tournament Have you always wondered why the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom had the word "casino" in its name? Well, it should make perfect sense when the venerable venue hosts the first Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce Texas Hold’Em Poker Tournament on Friday, May 6. For years the Casino Ballroom has been mistaken for a gambling casino, and now it will finally play host to an evening of poker with proceeds going to support the HACC. Spectators are encouraged to come and watch, the bars will be open and the chamber will be holding some raffles. Doors for the Texas Hold’Em Tournament open at 5 p.m., and the gaming starts at 6 p.m. sharp. There will be 14 cash prizes, with a first prize of $5,000 (based on 210 players). The fee is $100 in advance, or $125 at the door. Tickets are on sale now. Registration is not available at the Casino Ballroom, to register call 926-8718 or register on line at www.hamptonchamber.com. The registration fee entitles participants to entrance into the tournament with $3,000 in chips. Play runs 30 minutes with 10-minute breaks. There is a $50 one time buy-in for an additional $1,500 in chips up to the beginning of the fourth round. There is a $50 buy-in for an additional $1,500 in chips when a player is below $500 during the first three rounds. No limit betting. Blinds adjusted after each round. No refunds. The organization reserves the right to pay higher or lower based on estimated revenue. Another new announcement from Casino-land includes S&L Boxing’s seventh annua* ESPN2 Friday Night at the Fights" event on Friday, July 8. For the past seven years Boxing on the Beach has been an anticipated national event. HBO, Showtime and ESPN2’s Mark Beiro, the voice of "Friday Night Fights," has been quoted as saying, "of all my travels the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is my favorite place to see a fight. The crowd is amazing, they have a undeniable amount of boxing knowledge and it’s a throwback to the beach-like atmosphere that played host to many of the original fight nights." Shows going on sale today include: Social Distortion, Friday, May 20; Rick Springfield, Sunday, May 29; and ESPN2 and Friday Night Fights on Friday, July 8. Tickets can be purchased for all shows by visiting the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom box office at 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, over the phone at 929-4100, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For information about these shows and others, log on to www.casinoballroom.com or call the concert hotline at 929-4201.

Poker News Online, Online Poker Blog

Poker News Online, Online Poker Blog

Ante Up! World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series Ships for Nintendo DS(TM)

Ante Up! World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series Ships for Nintendo DS(TM) Crave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames, today announced that World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series has shipped for the Nintendo DS system. Developed by Sensory Sweep Studios for Crave Entertainment, World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series offers players the opportunity to take their poker game to the next level using the Nintendo DS system's dual screens, wireless connection and other unique capabilities. World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series brings the excitement and competition of a Saturday night poker game to the next generation of players on the portable Nintendo DS system. The DS version will feature more than 10 different poker games including Texas Hold 'em, Five Card Draw, Baseball, and Seven Card Hi-Lo. Players also have the opportunity to ante up against opponents in mini poker tournaments, utilizing the wireless connection on their DS systems. World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series includes: * More than 10 different poker games from Texas Hold 'em to Five Card Draw or Seven Card Stud * Wireless multiplayer for up to six players * Quick Play Mode -- a quick tournament style card game where the object is to be the last player with chips * Four different themed casino settings that also offer blackjack and video poker Now available for the Nintendo DS system, World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series has an MSRP of $29.99.

Linn County considers law to allow poker

Linn County considers law to allow poker By Les Gehrett For the Gazette-Times Linn County is considering an ordinance that would explicitly allow friendly games of poker and other social games to be played in public settings in the unincorporated areas of the county. Commissioner John Lindsey said the county has no code in place on this issue. Because it doesn't, these games are technically illegal even if they are played in private clubs or businesses. As an example, Lindsey said that if a group of people wanted to sit and play a game of cards after finishing a round of golf at one of the courses in the county, that is currently not allowed. Lindsey also knows it is not uncommon, and he thinks the county should act to clear up the status of these friendly games. State law gives local jurisdictions authority to allow social games, if they wish. In order to qualify as a "social game" there must not be a house player, house bank, or house odds, and the house must not gain any income from the operation of the game. But a host business can charge "a reasonable facility use fee." County Counsel Tom Corr has drafted an ordinance that would legalize social games in the county in private businesses, private clubs and places of public accommodation. Corr said the ordinance provides a framework for the full board to debate the issue and determine what it wants to do. The commissioners have not set a date for a first reading. A discussion of the issue had been placed on the commissioners' agenda for this week, but it was removed. Both Lindsey and Commissioner Roger Nyquist noted the incongruity of the current situation, where people can play state-approved lottery games in public settings but can't play a friendly game of cards. If it is approved, the ordinance would apply to a number of rural businesses, including golf courses such as Trysting Tree, Mallard Creek and Pineway. There are also private establishments such as the Cottonwoods Market, the Pioneer Villa and Truck Plaza, the Crabtree Tavern, and the Lumber Lounge near Scio, that could be the setting for social games.

Poker Tracker Guide Takes Mystery Out of Online Poker's Best Tool

Poker Tracker Guide Takes Mystery Out of Online Poker's Best Tool - Renowned Poker Bloggers Team Up for an e-book Devoted to the Legendary Software Every serious online poker player knows that Poker Tracker is the must-have tool for online Texas Hold’em. Now, thanks to two of the Internet’s most popular poker bloggers, players are learning to unlock the software’s greatest features. (PRWEB) April 13, 2005 -- Every serious online poker player knows that Poker Tracker is the must-have tool for Texas Hold'em. Now, thanks to two of the Internet's most popular poker bloggers, players are learning to unlock the software's greatest features. Since its release, Poker Tracker has become the premiere data-gathering tool for Internet poker players. The software stores and summarizes hand history data that can be downloaded from your favorite poker sites. That data can then be sorted and examined with remarkable ease to allow players to identify major leaks in their game and those of their opponents. "The Poker Tracker Guide goes beyond the basics of Poker Tracker and really helps you take full advantage of the program," said Pat, author/owner of the Poker Tracker software (http://www.pokertracker.com). "From finding weaknesses in your play to understanding the type of players you are playing against, the Poker Tracker Guide will pay for itself in no time." Some of the topics covered in the Poker Tracker Guide include analyzing your own play and plugging leaks, generating player profiles for your opponents, collecting data when you’re not even playing, separating databases for different games, using Poker Tracker "plug-ins," and many more. The Poker Tracker Guide, which sells for $20 at http://www.pokertrackerguide.com, contains more than 60 pages detailing these advanced techniques. Screen shots are included to help illustrate important concepts. In addition, buyers receive a .txt file that includes the parameters for auto-rating your opponents. The e-book is delivered instantly upon purchase. For more information about the Poker Tracker Guide, visit http://www.pokertrackerguide.com. For a free trial of the Poker Tracker software, visit http://www.pokertracker.com.

Poker Community with Heart for Cancer Patient

Poker Community with Heart for Cancer Patient But what is more noteworthy is the overwhelming response from the special folks that make up the PokerSchoolOnline community. Gibraltar -- When Mark and Tina Napolitano, founders of PokerSchoolOnline.com, heard that PSO member David Wolner of Memphis TN was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and was about to undergo expensive treatment, they organized a special tournament to raise money for his medical bills. Over $5,000 was raised and sent to him! A $0 $15 No Limit Hold'em tournament was held Sunday 10th April, 2005 thanks to the cooperation of BugsysClub, the real money card room at BugsysClub.com. All entry fees collected went to David. PokerSchoolOnline gave an additional $1000 to the total raised. But what is more noteworthy is the overwhelming response from the special folks that make up the PokerSchoolOnline community. PSO members registered knowing they couldn’t play but wanting to donate the $15 entry fee. Others donated extra beyond their entry fee. Some members paid for other PSO members’ entry fees who were not set up to play for real money. Other PSO members created bounty prizes for knocking out certain PSO members. Another PSO member is paying for Dave’s membership fees while he is recovering to pass his recovery time faster. As the member noted, ‘We all know Laughter Is The Best Medicine, and the PSO group is a hoot.’ And many PSO members only know Dave by his PokerSchoolOnline username- HVNSENTMAN from contact at the tables and forums of PokerSchoolOnline! Nearly 200 people played in the fund raising tournament this past Sunday. Even Bugsy himself played in the tournament to lend support. Dave’s wife Sharon posted a heartfelt reply to all the outpouring, ‘It is difficult to put into words the good deeds and good thoughts that abound on this site. We are so thankful and blessed to be a part of this wonderful online poker family. The response to this news has been overwhelming, to say the least. I want to send out a special heartfelt thank you to Mark and Tina for setting all this in motion.’ One PokerSchoolOnline member summed it up: ‘This is why PSO stands heads and shoulders over every other site. People here care about each other.’

Robbers Hold Up Poker Players; Man Shot Three Times

Robbers Hold Up Poker Players; Man Shot Three Times One man is recovering in the hospital after two robbers held up a Dunedin poker game for $50 in quarters, wallets and cell phones. One of the players ran and was shot three times. Forty-two-year-old Michael Butler is recovering from surgery after being airlifted to the hospital. The host of the weekly game says he recognized one of the robbers as a former neighbor. No arrests have been made.

UK Gambling Bill romps home in final stretch

UK Gambling Bill romps home in final stretch The UK Gambling Bill defied the doomsayers and cleared its final hurdle by passing into law on Thursday afternoon. The bill was passed by the House of Lords after last-minute bargaining between the two major political parties. And after successfully negotiating a Lords vote on Wednesday it achieved Royal Assent before the Parliamentary session ended on Thursday. It will now be added to the UK statute books and the new Gambling Commission is likely to start awarding licences as early as 2007. The UK’s gaming board has already begun its transformation into the Gambling Commission, which will have sweeping powers over the online industry in the UK. Operators licensed in the UK will have to abide by a new code of conduct that the Gambling Commission has been working to construct. Operators’ attentions will now turn to the Treasury, which is expected to set the tax rate for online casinos and poker rooms before the end of the year. One source close to the DCMS suggested the tax rate could be set as low as 2% for egaming operators. And there will be new offences covering underage gambling that will carry a maximum penalty of a year in prison. While the online sector has welcomed the news, the land-based industry will be quietly seething at the bill’s success. The Conservative Party, which has the majority in the House of Lords, forced the government to dramatically scale-back plans for Las Vegas-style land-based casinos. But both sides agreed on the need to introduce regulations for online gambling, and insiders reported this was a major incentive in pushing the bill through.

POKER CRAZE SWEETENING THE POTS FOR CITY'S HIDDEN CARD HOUSES

POKER CRAZE SWEETENING THE POTS FOR CITY'S HIDDEN CARD HOUSES ALONG the streets of New York at almost any hour of any day — above nail salons, next to Star bucks and under corporate offices — there are hard-core gamblers dropping wads of cash in the city's secret poker parlors. The Texas hold 'em poker craze has hit Gotham's gambling underworld, with six clubs opening in just the past six months. The Post went inside the shady and sometimes thrilling underground scene to talk to players and managers whose livelihoods depend on the flip of a card. As they chase tournaments and cash games, cops and prosecutors are never far behind. Oblivious office workers grab a hot dog on a Midtown street, while upstairs in rented rooms, high-rollers called "whales" and free-spending amateurs called "fish" loose their bankrolls, stake other players and argue over a newbie's lucky fortune on the "turn." There are professional players practicing for Vegas, Hollywood actors getting their gambling fix, superstar ballplayers blowing off steam, Internet-poker whiz kids trying their hand at real live games, and respected old-timers with nicknames like Mike "Falafel" and Johnny "Noodles" beating down hood-wearing punks on "trips" — slang for three of a kind. At some joints, you can enter the cheapest game with $10 in chips and bet as low as a buck. In the richest cash games, high-rollers "buy in" for $10,000 and sweat out six-figure pots. "I've been playing in clubs for years, I think they're good for the city — they represent a long tradition of gambling houses that should be respected," said world-class backgammon player and poker prodigy Abe "The Brooklyn Kid" Mosseri. The multimillionaire from Midwood cut his teeth playing the illegal club circuit for over 10 years before he became a television star on the World Poker Tour. "Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to open up a club and cash in," said Mosseri, 31. "It's just a matter of which ones survive and which ones don't." The longest-running poker club in the city opened three years ago — before Bravo, the Travel Channel and ESPN started televising tournaments, triggering a national fascination with poker. At 4 a.m. on a Saturday, almost every seat at 14 tables is filled. Muted televisions in almost every corner play the fights and NBA and baseball reruns. "It may be Friday night, but it could be any night to these guys," says one tattooed man wearing a trucker cap as he waits for a "$4/$8" game to open up. The dollar amounts allude to the small and big bets forced on two respective players in each hand. This club is certainly no glamour hall — it's all about the gambling. The bare, beige walls reflect blinding fluorescent lights. A brunette waitress wearing a red oriental dress and chopsticks in her hair hands out cans of Coke, cups of tea and chocolate biscuits for $1 chip tips. An Asian man is asleep in a room no bigger than an elevator, set aside for smokers and cut off by a plastic curtain. At a $10/$20 no-limit table, a man who looks like he came straight from work dressed in a navy suit moves "all-in" with about $550 in chips. A college kid matches his stack of chips, jumps up and flips his cards — two aces. "Suck my d - - -!" yells the gloating frat boy just before gathering up $2,000 in winnings after "the flop." (In hold 'em, the flop refers to the first three "community" cards dealt face-up after the initial two cards are given face-down to each player. The fourth card, also an upside community card, is called "the turn" and the final card, also up, is called "the river." Players make bets before the flop, turn and before and after the river.) "What's it feel like to have my c - - - in your mouth?" the kid screams. Shocked players at other tables peel their eyes away from their game to see the commotion. Most shake their heads in disgust — "What a monkey," comments an online whiz kid at the next-door table.

WFSB Poker the hot game at Foxwoods

WFSB Poker the hot game at Foxwoods MASHANTUCKET (AP) -- It's just another day at Foxwoods Resort Casino and the wait for a seat at a poker table is well over an hour. All 81 tables, all 810 seats at New England's only poker room, are filled. "Look around. This place is packed," says Mark Whittaker, a home theater installer from Ashland, Mass., who drove an hour and a half to play Texas Hold 'Em but is playing Omaha instead because of the wait. "And it's what, noon on a Wednesday?" Not too long ago, many gaming executives considered rooms like this to be wasted space. The games are too long and the casino's cut is too small to make poker anything but a dud for the bottom line. But poker's resurgence, driven by televised championships, celebrity tournaments and online games, has changed the equation. While it remains a game of incredibly small profits, destination hotels have stopped comparing poker to slot machines and are seeing it as a must-have amenity like boxing, concerts and shows. At Foxwoods, executives plan to add more tables and have made poker part of a marketing strategy to quintuple convention and group sales in the coming years. Last month, executives added a poker brochure to their convention packets. "It's the hot thing right now, and they'll ask for it: 'Can we set up a poker tournament?"' said Joan Esneault, executive director of resort sales. "Maybe they have a reception on one side of the room and a gaming lesson or an actual tournament on the other side." Even casinos that folded their poker operations are getting back into the game. In Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget, Harrah's, and the Imperial Palace have reopened poker rooms and the MGM Grand has plans to do so this spring. With cable stations seemingly running games around the clock and poker stars becoming sports celebrities, jumping into the game might seem an easy business decision. After all, Nevada poker revenue is up 38 percent and the average table earns 67 percent more than a decade ago. But despite its popularity, the balance sheets show that poker remains a gamble. It steadily accounts for less than 1 percent of Nevada gaming revenue. With just five slot machines, a casino can match a poker table's earnings without paying a dealer or a support staff. Indian casinos typically are not required to report table game revenues, but experts say the numbers are comparable. Casinos are again offering poker for the same reason they build giant pyramids and exploding volcanos, hire go-go dancers and hand out complimentary meal tickets. "It's not a profitable game," said Sylke Finnegan, spokeswoman for the Golden Nugget, which last year dealt its first poker hands in nearly two decades. "But they want the whole Las Vegas experience. They want to see a show and eat at some of the best restaurants in the world. Why not go to Las Vegas and play poker?" Casino consultants have noticed the philosophical shift. "It just never paid to invest in poker because the return was limited," said Paul Girvan, director of the Innovation Group, a Louisiana consulting firm. "Now what's been discovered is, with its popularity, poker has the ability to draw people into the casino that might not otherwise be there." If a basement poker player visits a casino, spends three hours at a table while his wife plays the slots, has dinner and leaves, poker has done its job. If he tries other games or gets a hotel room, even better. Not everyone buys into that strategy. Mohegan Sun, just a few miles from Foxwoods, closed its poker room 18 months ago and filled it with slots. Today, with fewer machines, its slot revenue regularly exceeds Foxwoods and its chief executive says he has no regrets. But poker rooms are opening faster than they're closing. Twenty-five Nevada casinos have joined the game in just over two years. At the Imperial Palace, executives aren't even pitching their new poker room to the people who play big pots and make more money for the house. Their low-stakes games attract tourists and beginners and create brand loyalty. "If you offer that amenity, you will increase your appeal to a broader customer base," said David Strow, spokesman for Harrah's Entertainment, which recently purchased the rights to the World Series of Poker. "Many of them are not going to stop just at poker. You'll see an indirect increase casino revenues overall."

RakeBacks.com Offers Revolutionary New Poker Rake Back Plans to All Online Poker Players

RakeBacks.com Offers Revolutionary New Poker Rake Back Plans to All Online Poker Players http://www.RakeBacks.com offers approved rake back plans for 10+ popular online poker sites. New players can sign-up and get up to 40% of their poker rake back every month! (PRWEB) April 5, 2005 -- With the World Series Of Poker and other numerous poker television shows, poker is now more popular than ever. Because of this recent trend, online poker has seen the largest boom in it's history. A lot of players now prefer playing poker online because of the ability to play multiple tables or games simultaneously, therefore increasing a winning players profits by two to four times what is possible in a live game. There is now a new breed of professional poker players who make a living by playing solely online. These professional online poker players generate thousands of dollars per month in rake (the poker sites' cut of each pot) for the poker sites. There is now a way for these players to get up to 40% of that rake back every month. http://www.RakeBacks.com now offers revolutionary new online poker rake back plans. With a poker rake back plan from http://www.RakeBacks.com players will get up to 40% of their total poker rake back every month. Since any serious online poker player generates thousands of dollars per month in rake, they can now make a living just by playing break-even low to mid stakes poker! http://www.RakeBacks.com has well over 500 active players currently all receiving rake back every month, some players even get in excess of $5,000 per month in rake back. Because rake back plans have recently become so popular among professional players, some online poker sites are now even automating the process entirely. http://www.RakeBacks.com offers four different fully-automated rake back plans where the poker sites pay the players directly so there is no middle man. Please visit http://www.RakeBacks.com for more information about poker rake and the best rake back plans available.

Gambling Bill set to pass this week

Gambling Bill set to pass this week Insiders predict the UK Gambling Bill will become law this week, but the government will be forced to make major concessions to safeguard the remote gaming section of the bill with just one Las Vegas style land-based casino now expected to be approved. If the bill passes it will introduce a regulated regime for online casino and poker gaming in the UK for the first time. And there is widespread belief that cross-party agreement on the need to regulate the egaming industry had been a deciding factor in forcing the legislation through. The bill has already passed in the House of Commons but it still needs to pass a House of Lords vote, where the government’s opposition has a majority. However, time is running out for the bill with Prime Minister Tony Blair announcing today that Parliament will be dissolved on 11 April to prepare for a general election on May 5. And the pressure to pass the long awaited bill before the 11 April deadline now looks like it has forced the government into backing down from plans for eight so-called supercasinos. If the government is forced into allowing just one supercasino it will be seen as a major political embarrassment, but it will mean the remote gaming sections of the bill survive intact. The government has already made several important changes to the remote gaming section bill, with several key amendments facing a Lords vote this week. One of the most important amendments would allow UK operators to remain members of poker networks, with the government no longer pushing for all egaming equipment to be based in the UK. New amendments will allow the Gambling Commission to take a case by case approach to deciding which items of gambling equipment can be located outside Great Britain. Another series of amendments will allow the government the “flexibility to judge which equipment can be located off-shore”. If the amendments pass it will be a significant victory for the online gaming sector, which has lobbied heavily to get the bill changed.

Multi-player interactive Poker on mobile phone

Multi-player interactive Poker on mobile phone Gaming software company MobileGamingNow, Inc. is launching an interactive, multi-player mobile phone gaming for poker. Called the Mobile Gaming Platform, the software creates a turnkey gaming platform for poker to be played on a mobile phone. The first game available on MGN's platform is the popular Texas Holdem. On MGN Mobile Poker, up to six players per table can play against each other on mobile handsets by downloading the game to a mobile phone, installing it and logging into the game. The company is now working to license the game, based on Texas Holdem, to operators. According to the research service PokerPulse, more than 1.88 million poker players made real money wagers online in February, 2005 with nearly US$200 million being wagered every day. For the year 2005, commissions or rakes from online poker will total US$1 billion. In 2003, overall Internet gaming wagers totaled nearly US$5.7 billion and according to industry analysts Christiansen Capital Advisors, and wagers are expected to grow to more than US$18 billion by the year 2010.

I won 900K in my first poker game

I won 900K in my first poker game Shame it was only imaginary cash By Brian Mciver For Daily Record IT'S more famous for golf, but in the last two days St Andrews has played host to Britain's biggest poker tournament. The UK Student Poker Championships saw 260 players compete for £9000 in one of the country's fastest growing sports. We sent BRIAN McIVER to play a few hands. NEVER having played poker before, I always associated it with smoky back rooms in western saloons. These days, however, it is a very lucrative sport, where the best can make millions just by playing on the internet. I enlisted the help of Christian Harris, the organiser of the Student Championships this weekend, to show me what all the fuss was about. We started on Texas Hold 'Em, with every player getting £180,000 in chips and our first hand of two cards. After we all made our initial bet, the dealer started talking about seeing the 'flop' - the technical term for the first three communal cards he deals, or flops, on the table. You add the value or merits of the three flop cards to your hand. After another round of betting, the dealer puts down a fourth card (the turn), and then a fifth (the river), and you use the best five cards out of the flop and your hand. The best hands are royal flush (ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit), straight flush (five cards from the same suit in order) and four of a kind - for example four aces. Next is the full house (three of a kind plus a pair), flush (five cards of the same suit), straight (five cards in order but of different suits), three of a kind, two pair and then a pair. The first round gave me a queen and a four and although conventional wisdom would say fold, I started upping the bets. With the others convinced a first-timer wouldn't bluff, I took one of my rivals all the way to the end, when a queen was dealt to give me a winning pair, knocking him out. One opponent down and four to go, I was now £250,000 better off and starting to get a taste for this. In our last round, it was all or nothing. I was sitting on a pot of £400,000, with a queen and a four again. Time to go all in - and bet the lot. I prayed for a good card - the sort of luck that the cowboy gets in the movies - and couldn't stop smiling as I was dealt two fours giving me three of a kind, with a queen 'kicker', as well as £900,000. I retired undefeated and richer, if only in imaginary money. With confidence soaring, I asked for an entry form for the big competition. But my teachers were obviously running scared. They refused my entry to the Student Championships - on the flimsy grounds that I wasn't a student.

Poker Sitcom Casts Janeane Garofalo as Annie Duke

Poker Sitcom Casts Janeane Garofalo as Annie Duke Rumors that Janeane Garofalo has been picked to play poker celebrity Annie Duke on NBC's upcoming sitcom have been confirmed. The new series, "All In," will portray Garofalo as a single mother of three, who also plans to play poker professionally. Before Garofalo was named to play the lead role of Annie Duke, skepticism still surrounded the project, with a number of people believing that NBC would not go through with the poker-themed show. The show will possibly make poker even more palatable to the general public than it has already become. After all, you can't get more mainstream than an NBC sitcom. Whether the show will be a hit among the poker community, however, remains to be seen. It is likely that the world of poker depicted in "All In" will be a far cry from the real poker circuit. Garofalo's film credits include "Reality Bites," "Dogma," and "The Truth About Cats & Dogs." The actress/comedian has also been on the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and "The Larry Sander's Show."

Skill gaming firms gearing up to go mobile

Skill gaming firms gearing up to go mobile Three of the leading skill gaming firms are scheduled to launch mobile products in Q2 2005. Midas Player, Skill Jam and Gameaccount are all reported to be close to releasing games for the mobile market. US skill gaming giant WorldWinner also has a wireless product in development, although the firm said it has no release date scheduled. Skill Jam, the skill gaming subsidiary of software firm Fun Technologies, is expected to launch a mobile skill-gaming product during Q2 for both the European and US markets. And Midas Player, one of the largest skill-gaming sites with 15 million games played in January 2005, will begin its roll out of games in the UK within the next few weeks. It is also believed the firm is aiming to launch a product in its biggest market – Germany – later this year. WorldWinner, probably the largest skill gaming operator in the US market, said it is “currently evaluating partners to determine who the best fit is for WorldWinner and for wireless carriers.” Charles Palmer, co-founder of mobile technology firm mfuse, said he believed skill gaming was a natural fit for the mobile platform. “Mobile skill gaming is the perfect way to reach the recreational market,” Palmer said. “It would undoubtedly also be a winner for the mobile operators who are to-date holding gambling at arms length,” he added.

Millions At Stake In ‘friendly, Hometown' Poker Tourney

Millions At Stake In ‘friendly, Hometown' Poker Tourney By KAREN FLORIN Day Staff Writer, Casinos/Gambling - The Day Mashantucket The big names of poker are not expected at the New England Poker Classic, and that's OK with the staff and the players at Foxwoods Resort Casino. This is the otherpoker tournament, a regional event that has grown steadily since it started 10 years ago. Thousands of players will compete for millions of dollars between now and April 11, but the New England Poker Classic is not expected to draw a lot of players from Las Vegas and the West Coast. “This tournament is in conflict with one at the Bellagio,” said Kathy Raymond, Foxwoods' director of poker. “We don't care. It makes the field a little more manageable.” Foxwoods hosts celebrities and pros at its poker tables all the time. It was a founding member of the World Poker Tour, which has become a major television event. The World Poker Finals, taped last November at Foxwoods, airs April 13 and 16 on the Travel Channel. The legends of poker will return to Foxwoods later this year, but in the next few weeks the casino will cater to its regional poker audience. Foxwoods hosted a media charity tournament on Wednesday morning, donating $15,000 to the favorite charities of 10 newspaper, television and radio personalities from throughout New England. The real tournament players eked out hand after hand in the Sunset Ballroom. The prize pool for the final game is expected to be between $2 million and $3 million. The price to play in the “big game,” the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament, is $5,000, but players can compete in satellite games, called “acts,” and win a seat for as little as $60. “We want it to be a friendly hometown tournament with a big prize pool,” said Raymond. Foxwoods was running tournaments before they became all the rage, and some of the poker regulars have earned tidy profits. Neal Gersony of Rocky Hill said he has won $200,000 over the past eight years. “It's been great for me,” Gersony said over the clink of poker chips as dealers dealt dozens of live games. “I spent from 1997 to the boom playing a lot of tournaments, and I got better.” The tournament drew an array of young and old players, many of them dressed in baseball hats and sunglasses, windbreakers or polo shirts. The field was mostly male, but that didn't keep Regina Brown of Cromwell from joining the game. Brown has played in every New England Poker Classic since it started and has watched the game grow in popularity. She works full time and plays mostly on weekends. She said she can afford the higher costs of buying into poker tournaments. “I've grown as a player and so has my bankroll,” she said. Foxwoods, she said, has grown with the times and become a leader in the poker world. “They'll try something and you'll see someone else try it,” Brown said. “New England was just starved for something like this.” Brown had already won a seat in the upcoming big game, but 80-year-old Peter J. Gialluca of Norwich was still trying. He plays once a week at Foxwoods and often watches poker on TV. “My wife wishes they never put it on there,” he said. Despite the continuing popularity of poker, Mohegan Sun President and Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Etess said the casino has no plans to reintroduce the game. The Mohegans closed their poker room two years ago and replaced its card tables with more slot machines, which executives said are more profitable. “Poker is very popular on television, but to our standpoint it isn't any more profitable than it was, and we have no regrets about our decision,” Etess said. The casino's non-poker table game business is continuing to grow, however. Etess said 12 new tables would open in the Hall of Lost Tribes by Memorial Day.

Cops Target Illegal Poker Operations

Cops Target Illegal Poker Operations by Brian McNeill for The Connection Newspapers The first rule of the Reston Card Club was that the "cards speak." The seventh rule warned players not to "splash the pot." The 10th rule was simply "have fun!" Until last month, the list of rules hung on the wall of a Reston apartment that Northern Virginia card sharks frequently visited for illegal games of high stakes poker, according to police. Fairfax County detectives raided the Reston game on Thursday, Feb. 10, arresting 13 suspects and seizing roughly $6,000. The game's alleged operators, Paul T. Cha, 42, and Ginger L. Everett, 42, were both charged with conducting an illegal gambling operation and possession of gambling paraphernalia. The game's 11 players were all charged with illegal gambling, a crime that carries a maximum $500 fine. Last August, Fairfax County detectives arrested 24 individuals and confiscated around $20,000 when they busted another major poker game in Centreville. Bradley L. McLaughlin, 28, Jeanna Anderson, 26, and Dexter L. McLaughlin, 52, were all charged with felonies for allegedly running the game. The two incidents represent a significant increase in the number of illegal Texas Hold 'Em games being held in Fairfax County, police said. "We feel that there are many, many operators in this county where individuals are making more than $150,000 a year," said Capt. David Vice, commander of the Fairfax County Police Department's organized crime and narcotics division. "Unfortunately, when someone is making that much money, someone is losing that much money at the same time." Vice and his detectives displayed last Wednesday some of the evidence found at the two busts, including professional card tables, cases of poker chips, decks of cards and more. Vice said his department is hearing an increasing number of complaints about Fairfax County residents gambling away their family savings at illegal poker games. "We have received numerous calls and e-mails from family members who have lost their savings, their child's college tuition money, you name it," he said. "They may start out thinking they're just having fun with some recreational gambling, but they can get in over their head pretty quickly." THE CURRENT POKER craze is tied to the popularity of televised poker tournaments on ESPN, Bravo and the Travel Channel. Amateur games have been set up over the last year among friends and at restaurants like T T Reynolds in Fairfax. But the game's popularity has fueled the rise of the underground illegal games as well. "They've jumped in on the popularity of Texas Hold 'Em," Vice said. "Like everything else, there's always someone waiting to take advantage of something good and turn it into something illegal." Poker games become illegal when the game's operator takes a cut — usually 10 percent — of the game's pot. Typical illegal poker operations generate $10,000 in profit each month, Vice said. Jim Cox, a Fairfax County detective who investigates illegal gambling, said they are finding a wide array of people participating in the underground poker games. The players are young and old, rich and poor, men and women, he said. "It's everybody," Cox said. Gambling addicts seek out illegal high-stakes games because of the drama and the feeling that they can win or lose everything in a deal of the cards, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington, D.C. "The excitement of having a bet on the table is really what they crave," Whyte said. "It becomes not as much about the money, but just about staying in the action. It's living on the edge and taking risks." LIKE ALCOHOLISM, only a small percentage of people become addicted to gambling. Whyte estimates 2 million individuals — around 1 percent of the U.S. population — are problem gamblers. Approximately 80 percent of adults have gambled at least once in their lifetime. Dick, a Lorton resident who declined to give his last name, is a recovering gambling addict who has refrained from gambling for the past 22 years. He said gambling addicts often get hooked early on and keep playing because they believe they will always win back their losses. In retrospect, Dick said he realizes he was driven by the excitement far more than the money. "Sitting at a slot machine or at a card table is a better high than drugs or alcohol," he said. "It's the most exciting, challenging experience out there." One member of Dick's Gamblers Anonymous group in Springfield has lost more than $330,000 from his habit. Like many other gambling addicts, Dick resorted to white collar crime to stay in the game. He was caught attempting to embezzle an undisclosed amount of cash. An estimated 70 percent of gambling addicts in treatment have committed either fraud or embezzlement, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. "When you lose, you go back. When you win, you go back," Dick said. "Money is the drug of the gambling addiction." MOST POKER aficionados stay away from illegal games and know when to quit. Mark Rosenberg, a 22-year-old McLean resident, learned to play Texas Hold 'Em and Five Card Stud while he was stationed in Iraq with the U.S. Army. He plays often with his friends and traveled two weeks ago to play in Atlantic City. "It's just something different to bring you and your friends together," he said. "You learn how to read people. And the chance of making a little extra money doesn't hurt." Herndon resident Ben Sterling, 22, plays in several low-stakes weekly games with his friends. He said he has been playing for years, but became serious about the game when he was "suckered in" by the televised poker tournaments. "I'm mostly attracted to the game for the thought process and the analysis of how people act or want you to think how they act," he said. Del. Chap Petersen (D-37) introduced a bill during the General Assembly session that would have allowed private clubs to hold regular poker tournaments. Six months ago, a game held by the Fraternal Order of Police in Virginia Beach was ruled illegal. Petersen's bill aimed to allow similar private organizations to hold card games, just like private residents can. "Look, I don't gamble. But I don't think it's a proper allocation of state resources to be banging down doors to arrest these people," he said. "On the other hand, we don't want to have organized crime coming into Virginia."