World Poker Tour's Season Five Schedule Released

World Poker Tour's Season Five Schedule Released By Bob Pajich For CardPlayer.com In season five, like members of the Starship Enterprise, the World Poker Tour is going to a place it never has been before. In doing so, two familar tournaments have been axed. The WPT will visit Mandalay Bay for the first time in the fifth season of the show to cover the Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in June and is ending its working relationship with online poker sites Party Poker and Ultimate Bet. In a press release, Steve Lipscomb, the founder of the WPT, says: "We've had a great run with both companies, but the circumstances have changed since we elected to launch WPTonline.com, our own international gaming website. Although they will no longer be on the tour, we continue to explore future opportunities with both of these organizations." PokerStars.com’s Caribbean Adventure remains on the schedule. Season four has seven tournaments left until the championship takes place at Bellagio in late April; the Borgata Poker Classic takes place Jan. 29-30; the L.A. Poker Classic at Commerce Casino takes place Feb. 16-21; the WPT Invitation takes place at Commerce Casino Feb. 22-24; the Bay 101 Shooting Star takes place at Bay 101 Casino Feb. 27-March 3; the World Poker Challenge takes place at the Reno Hilton March 27-30; the Foxwoods Poker Classic takes place April 6-9; and the championship event takes place at Bellagio April 18-24. The schedule for season five follows, minus two events that will soon be announced: Mirage Poker Showdown, Mirage Las Vegas, May 14-17 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship, Mandalay Bay, June 4-8 Grand Prix de Paris, Aviation Club de France, June 12-16 Legends of Poker, The Bicycle Casino, Aug. 26-30 Borgata Poker Open, Borgata, Sep. 15-19 North American Poker Championship, to be announced, Oct. 23-27 World Poker Finals, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Nov 11-16 Bellagio Five Diamond Poker Classic, Bellagio, Dec. 15-19 PokerStars.com Caribbean Adventure, Atlantis Casino, Bahamas, Jan. 6-13, 2007 World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino Tunica, Jan. 21-25, 2007 L.A. Poker Classic, Commerce Casino, Feb. 15-20, 2007 WPT Invitational, Commerce Casino, Feb. 21-23, 2007 Bay 101 Shooting Star, Bay 101 Casino, Feb. 27-March 3, 2007 World Poker Challenge, Reno Hilton, March 26-29, 2007 WPT World Championship, Bellagio, April 21-27, 2007

Online Poker Room Pokerstars For Sale

Online Poker Room Pokerstars For Sale Israeli owners appoint top investment bank to advise on sale or IPO The world's second largest online poker ROOM company, PokerStars is up for sale or a public listing by the Israeli Scheinberg family. Having moved their company to the Isle of Man jurisdiction recently, the Scheinbergs have engaged a leading City bank, NM Rothschild to sell or launch an IPO in London for Poker Stars...and they're looking at a price tag of over $2 billion (GBP 1.2 million) PokerStars is the second-biggest virtual poker operator after PartyGaming, the company behind the PartyPoker website, whose four owners pocketed about GBP 1 billion last summer after floating it on the London Stock Exchange with a value of GBP 4.64 billion. Isai Scheinberg founded Poker Stars and he and his family are believed to hold around 75 percent of the company, with his employees owning most of the other 25 percent. He comes from a technical background and was previously a programmer with IBM. Israeli business media reports indicate that Scheinberg worked for IBM’s Canadian subsidiary and that he and his family reside in that country. He has two sons, who manage the company with him. Scheinberg founded PokerStars in 1999, and the company now has a turnover of $150-200 million a year, with a high net profit margin, amounting to almost half its revenue. Although a flotation for PokerStars, probably in the second half of 2006, is a possibility, City analysts believe the huge growth in internet gambling is likely to make PokerStars attractive to both virtual and physical rivals. At a recent conference Lenny Barshack the head of Tribeca Tables, a poker software developer produced statistics showing that online poker revenues reached US $3 billion in 2005. Analysts postulate that one possible merger partner could be 888 Holdings, which in September followed in the footsteps of PartyGaming in floating on the London Stock Exchange with a value of almost GBP 600 million. Like PokerStars, 888 is controlled by Israeli interests, the Shaked and Ben Yitzhak families. Some City analysts believe that the sale of PokerStars may also attract interest from traditional gambling companies, such as Rank Group and William Hill, keen to boost their presence in the online sector. Source: online-casinos.com

Hilton Sister Hosts New Year's Poker Tournament Bash

Hilton Sister Hosts New Year's Poker Tournament Bash Nicky Hilton, the less visible of the Hilton “celebutantes,” and her boyfriend, actor Kevin Connolly helped break in the new poker room at Caesars Palace on New Year's Eve. The pair co-hosted a poker tournament as part of the New Year's festivities at Pure, Caesars flagship nightclub, while Nicky's sister, Paris, was hosting her own “to do” across the street at the Venetian. The Hilton affair didn't attract much of a Hollywood presence, interestingly enough. As far as professional poker clout is concerned, however, a significant delegation was present. Big names included Mike Matusow, winner of the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions, 2004 WSOP main event runner-up David Williams, back-to-back WSOP bracelet-winner Scott Fischman, pro poker spouses Chip and Karina Jett, Joe Awada, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Evelyn Ng, Cyndy Violette, John Phan, as well as celebrity poker couple Jennifer Tilly and boyfriend Phil “Unabomber” Laak. All in all, 92 players entered the tournament. Although she didn't win the tournament, the Hilton heiress reportedly put up a good fight, lasting over two hours into the competition, and making it further than some of the pros. This is not Ms. Hilton's first foray into the gritty yet glamorous world of poker. Hilton is a regular at celebrity poker shindigs. Readers may recall Hilton's crash-and-burn Vegas nuptials, circa 2004. Nicky and sister Paris were actually in Las Vegas that weekend for a celebrity poker tournament hosted by “Stuff” magazine. Hilton and Connolly were also in attendance at Doyle Brunson's recent player appreciation party, joining Leonardo DiCaprio, Charles Oakley and others. Source: Poker777.com

Shannon Elizabeth Wins Nicky Hilton Poker Tournament

Shannon Elizabeth Wins Nicky Hilton Poker Tournament By Poker Prof For LasVegasVegas.com Shannon Elizabeth wins the first ever Nicky Hilton Caesars Palace New Years Eve poker tournament. Outlasting all the top name pros and watching the celebrities and walk-ons fall aside, Shannon left little doubt she was the champion this day. Photos of the tournament plus some bonus ones of the Vegas midnight fireworks have been added to the photo gallery. Shannon is no stranger to major poker tournament play, having entered events in the Rio's 2005 WSOP including the main event, where she lasted past the brutal first day. The actress and producer is a serious tournament poker player, probably as a result of her Texas origin. Shannon is a native Texan, born in Houston, an area that has produced many accomplished actors and even more accomplished gamblers...especially high-dollar poker players, so no surprise she can play. Howard Hughes was another gambler/movie mogul born in Houston. Half of the new tournament poker room at Caesars Palace was cordoned off for the players, dealers, fans, media, well-wishers, friends, one of the Hilton sisters, actress Jennifer Tilly, friends of Nicky Hilton, bodyguards and the generally curious. The 92 players in the tournament included an 'A' list of poker professionals attracted mostly to the exposure and fun, the event being a part of Nicky Hilton'[s New Years Eve party at Caesars' Pure Nightclub. The event offered an approximate $120,000 prize pool. The tournament was officially named the Nicky Hilton & Kevin Connolly host a New Year's Eve Poker Tournament. At least, that was the name on the glossy flyer. The tournament got under way about a quarter past eleven Saturday morning, kind of early for some of the nocturnal poker pros. They often play through the night, so some of them had come to this tournament after playing all-night in a cash game, no sleep. The tournament was under the direction of Caesars Palace Tournament Director, Paul Lord, present on the floor to referee the tables and keep the tournament moving. The ego-enriched crowd full of New Year's holiday cheer remained docile, reserved and often strangly quiet, probably a result of the early hour. Even the crowd of camera toting onlookers was unusually hushed. The tournament ran smoothly from start to final hand, a tribute to the professional staff of the poker room at Caesars Palace. Click here for the rest of the article at Poker Prof's Blog

South Africa Considers Online Casino Legalisation

South Africa Considers Online Casino Legalisation By Andrew For OnlineCasinoNews.com The legalisation of online gambling in South Africa looks increasingly likely after the National Gambling Board advised Trade and Industry Minister, Mandisi Mpahlwa, of their recommendation for Internet gambling to be given the legislative green light. In what would appear to be a perplexing decision considering that in South Africa only one in ten households has a fixed telephone line, let alone an internet connection, experts still believe that there is opportunity for significant growth ? and local operators are purportedly salivating at the chance to become involved. National Gambling Board CEO, Thibedi Majake, admitted that his Board had little option other than to recommend the legalisation of online gambling. "The board's report says that legalising online gambling will address several issues: local gamblers will have legal protection; it will prevent 'criminal influence and exploitation' in the industry; and it will promote the development of an interactive gambling industry in SA," said Majake.