Budweiser - King of the World Poker Tour

Budweiser - King of the World Poker Tour Anheuser-Busch will also give local players a chance to win their way onto WPT for free Budweiser, the self proclaimed “King of Beers,” has found another place to hang its crown -- the arena of the World Poker Tour (WPT). Budweiser’s brewer, Anheuser-Busch, also plans on holding free live Texas Holdem poker tournaments for players 21 and older all around the country where the law allows for a chance to play in a WPT event. Beginning this December and running through February of next year, players will be given the chance to win their way into a national showdown where the top two players receive seats to the WPT’s Celebrity Pro-Am Invitational. The winners will join more than 300 players to try to win a piece of the $200,000 prize pool. Season four of the immensely popular show will feature the Budweiser logo in many new spots, including on the featured table ring and in graphics when viewers see the competitor’s hole cards. Anheuser-Busch will also run television spots advertising Budweiser as it airs on the Travel Channel. This isn’t the first time Anheuser-Busch got involved with the WPT. During the last few seasons, the winner of each featured tournament was toasted with Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Amber Bock. Anheuser-Busch brews 30 beers and the WPT is seen in more than 100 countries and territories around the world. Anheuser-Busch is just another company that realizes just how many people it can reach by advertising with poker as a subject and during televised poker events. Just to name a few examples, Kimono brand condoms recently launched an advertising campaign set around a poker table (click here for story), Degree deodorant sponsors a segment for the WSOP broadcasts on ESPN and Toyota sponsors the WSOP Player of the Year points race, in which the winner receives a new truck.

5 Best Reasons To Play Poker Online

5 Best Reasons To Play Poker Online By Marc Weinberg For Online Poker Insider There are a lot more than five reasons to play online poker, but I thought I'd list the five top reasons that make poker online more profitable than poker in your local card room. Reason #5: There is always a game that is right for you That's actually an understatement. When it comes to online poker there are always hundreds of games that are not only right for you, but there for you right now. There is no wait for a table, and once you sit down at the table there is no reason to ever play in a game that is too tough, not your preferred limit, too quiet, or too aggressive. The beauty of online poker is the instantaneous availability of every kind of poker game at every limit. If you want to play in a quick tournament for $100 it is there for you. If your limit is $1 there is a game at those stakes as well. In addition, you can use the lobby of any online poker room to ascertain which games suit your style of play. Reason #4: You gain invaluable poker experience I'm sick and tired of reading about how playing poker online cannot make you a better poker player, it can only make you a better online poker player. Do people really think that the two are that different? The style of play is far looser and objectively worse online as a rule, but so what? The fact that you get to see thousands and thousands of hands provides you with the experience to win at any card room, online or offline. Furthermore, if you are winning at online poker it means that you have discipline, good hand selection, and have seen every possible scenario. Reason #3: Statistics, Statistics, Statistics In your local card room you might recognize three or four familiar faces at your table when you sit down. You might think to yourself that those guys are very tough, and you probably have no choice but to play against them. But with online poker you have the choice to get up and play at another table immediately, and you also have a lot of information about those players and many more like them. You can keep profiles and notes of your opponents, and you can access information about your own play. You don't play the same every session, and to prove this you should look at your own stats. Online poker provides a wealth of statistics, whereby you can monitor your own play and everyone else's play as well. It will make you money if you use it properly, trust me. Reason #2: The big score is finally within reach You could have played at your local card room's $4/$8 game for the rest of your life and never come close to sitting at a world series of poker table, or beating a poker pro that you secretly idolize. Now, with online poker those dreams are within reach, seriously. Poker rooms online are a populist's wet dream - providing everyone with a chance to win a huge event, or at least qualify. Every day, right now in fact, online poker is sending an amateur poker player to a $1 million event, or even a $20 million event, and it cost that player the price of lunch to qualify. Because of the sheer size of these poker rooms they can hold almost limitless satellite events and other feeder tournaments to send thousands of players to the biggest poker tournaments in the world. This isn't a pipe dream, it's online poker reality. Reason #1: The best reason: Online poker is more profitable Someone has to say this and it might as well be me. If you're a good player and you regularly earn $x an hour playing poker you should expect to make $2x an hour playing online poker. There are more hands, weaker players, and so many opportunities to win that it is staggering. Sure you get unlucky sometimes, and sure you only remember the shocking bad beats. That's poker nature. What you fail to remember is all the times that you caught lucky, because in your mind that was just life evening out. Get beyond the justice and play solid poker and you will show a far greater profit as a small to medium level poker player than you could ever manage in any real-world card room. Online poker will enable an entire generation of poker players to turn pro, and it will allow those good players to take the money of the weak. Who needs any other reason to play besides this one?

New UK Poker Magazine from Dennis Publishing

New UK Poker Magazine from Dennis Publishing UK-based publishing giant Dennis Publishing, which produced household names such as Maxim and Computer Shopper, is gearing up to release its first poker magazine, joining the recent influx of poker publications hitting the newsstands. To promote the forthcoming “Poker Player,” Dennis has recruited BLM and creative services provider Flint to handle an iTV ad campaign, which allows viewers to sample the magazine directly through television sets. In addition to sampling the poker mag, viewers will also be able to request three complimentary issues, should the magazine strike their fancy. Publisher Richard Downey, of Dennis' Gambling Division vowed that "Poker Player promises to be one of the most innovative, entertaining and exciting launches to come out of Dennis Publishing for many years. Both BLM and Flint interpreted our brief perfectly and I am extremely happy with the end product. Poker Player will be a magazine that appeals to everybody with an interest in the game no matter what the level of their experience and I believe our TV ad reflects really well." Poker fans will be able to get their hands on “Poker Player” starting September 22, at an introductory price of £1.

Sportingbet the mystery Empire bidder

Sportingbet the mystery Empire bidder Sportingbet has confirmed it has put in a US$1.4bn bid for listed egaming firm Empire Online, following widespread press speculation in the UK. Empire Online, the owner of poker site Empire Poker, said on Friday it had begun talks with an unnamed firm over merger talks. Initial speculation suggested the firm in question was PartyGaming, but media reports in the UK claimed it was Sportingbet. And the widespread speculation led this morning to a statement from Sportingbet. "Sportingbet announces that it is in discussions with Empire, which may or may not lead to an offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Empire," the Sportingbet statement said. "These discussions are at a very preliminary stage, and there can be no certainty whatsoever that agreement will be reached and an offer will be forthcoming," it added. The deal would be the largest in egaming history, and would far exceed Sportingbet's US$300m acquisition of Paradise Poker last November. And it has surprised many within the egaming industry, with Sportingbet only recently completing the integration of its US sportsbook brands with the Paradise Poker network. But the potential acquisition of Empire Poker throws up far more integration issues. PartyGaming currently provides the software and payment processing for Empire Poker through a white label deal. Empire Online also derives a proportion of its revenues from affiliate marketing deals for the casino operations of 888 Holdings and PartyGaming. However, sources said PartyGaming was unlikely to allow its largest white label to fall into the hands of one of its major competitors. And press reports in the UK have also linked PartyGaming with considering putting in a rival offer, and it would have the firepower to outbid Sportingbet. PartyGaming, which runs the PartyPoker website, is the world's largest listed egaming firm with a market capitalisation of almost US$12bn. In comparison Sportingbet has a listed market capitalisation of around US$1.9bn, and US$2.8bn on a fully diluted basis. Sportingbet declined to comment further on the news.

Speculation surrounds US$1.4bn Empire bid

Speculation surrounds US$1.4bn Empire bid Empire Online, the Cyprus-based poker operator, has received a US$1.4bn buyout offer, sparking intense speculation over the indentity of the mystery bidder. Empire Online (EOL) confirmed it had commenced discussions with the unnamed party, but said talks were at a very early stage. “There can be no guarantee that an offer will be made for the Company at 270p per share or at all,” it said. But industry and media speculation is rife over what would be the largest deal in egaming history. And the two largest egaming firms have emerged as potential rival bidders. The size of the bid rules out most listed egaming firms, with only Sportingbet and PartyGaming appearing to have enough firepower to raise the US$1.4bn needed. There is also the possibility of privately owned PokerStars or 888 Holdings, which recently announced its intention to IPO, mounting a bid for Empire. But PartyGaming remains the most likely candidate, and the offer could potentially start a bidding war for EOL. One source said even if it was not the current bidder it was unlikely to let EOL be bought by a rival operator. EOL runs Empire Poker, which is believed to contribute as much as 20% of the liquidity to PartyGaming’s poker room PartyPoker. But the firm has recently made moves to reduce its dependence on PartyGaming with plans for the acquisition of rival poker site Noble Poker. And the loss of Empire Poker would be a major blow to PartyPoker's dominance of the poker sector. Analysts at Citigroup Smith Barney said earlier this year PartyGaming’s best option was to “tie Empire Online in” though acquisition. Any takeover deal would mark a sudden exit for EOL, which is one of the newest listed egaming firms. EOL only came to market in June and has already performed strongly with its shares rising 56% in value since listing.