Game of Skill ruling expected tomorrow … can we get another state to testify? All looks good for poker.

The PPA is there covering the proceedings via Twitter.

UPDATE: The ruling is now in, and the judge states there’s “overwhelming” evidence that poker is a game of skill. However, the five defendants were found guilty of running a gambling house.

If you haven’t voted (a few times) already, be sure to check out our current sidebar poll … Currently we’re wondering how your poker play has changed in Q1 2009 from, say, Q1 or Q2 2008, back when 11-figure numbers seemed really big.

I actually asked this question in mid-December — how has the current economic climate affected the poker economy? — to all my bestest poker pro friends and any others whose email addy I pilfered off someone else’s semi-spam. Because you know, there aren’t too many professions where the “players” carry around the equivalent of a car in their pockets and keep a house in their Bellagio box.

I got only one response (I see how it goes Tom and Clonie) … from Daniel Negreanu (whom frankly I hardly know):

I don’t think it’s affected the poker community all that much yet, outside of the tournament circuit which is seeing a decrease in numbers that I think it directly tied to the economy.

I’m not sure I fully agree with him, but I can say that these don’t sound like words coming from a guy who’s going broke, as PokerNews has insinuated.

Anyhow, click a sidebar bubble and vote. I’m curious to know how off-table circumstances have affected your action on the felt.

World Poker Tour Enterprises announced their 4th Quarter earnings today, and they do have some good news to report.

(Press release after the jump)

More…

Stumbled across a funny site the other day … F*** My Life. It’s basically a Twitter-inspired collective of Murphy’s Law-ish incidents, embarrassing screw-ups, and unfortunate arse poundage in areas of love, money, kids, work, etc. … and sure enough, poker found its way into the textably poetic lament:

#52319
Today, I lost 200 dollars while playing poker with my new sunglasses. Turns out you can see the cards in the reflection. FML

Ha ha, face on him. (Same thing happened to me once, but it only cost me a single fold to my pocket-kings re-raise at a final table before someone tipped me off.)

Readers vote on the role luck played in these matters, too. The poker dude above’s current tally:

I agree, your life is f***ed (418)
you deserved that one (3692)

Some funny comments, too:

“Wearing sunglasses in a poker game = Douche bag”

“you betta checkity check yoself befo you wreckity wreck yoself”

“why would u play with sunglasses.. theres no sun in a casino”

The guy behind Aced.com … or at least putting out the press releases is Houston Waldie. He’s the dude who was running poker room ops at the new Hard Rock Poker Lounge for its launch, and then was quickly shuffled out once the place was actually in business.

Valentine’s Day is today, so who better to get some advice on love than from professional poker players! Caroline Presno at the Huffington Post asked Joe Hachem, Chad Brown, Isabelle Mercier and Hevad Khan on how to use poker strategy to win at the game of love.

Lectures, lab sessions, and lunch are all part of an academic effort to plug your leaks.

Much to say about the WSOP Academy I attended last weekend at Caesar’s … about things I learned, how I performed, and, frankly, what kinda people are shelling out close to $2,000 for anything these days. For some of the 50-or-so poker players in attendance it was just a matter of a buy-in or two for the level they play at. And for others, it was more than half their annual poker budget in a way that doesn’t even account for flights to Las Vegas from Australia or Buffalo.

Prof. Seif: “He may think it’s the right move, but Dan stands to lose a stack of 20-dollar bills this big if he keeps playing that way.”

All in all it was a great class taught by Mark Seif, Mark Gregorich, Alex Outhred, and Michael Gracz — very engaging, informative, and often irreverent — didn’t feel like Saturday/Sunday detention at all. I lost pretty big in the one session of $1/$2 NL I’ve played since WSOP-Acad graduation … I guess they shoulda reminded us to take a nap after class, or they can only do so much with a guy who insists on misplaying KQ generally 8 out of 10 times. (Ah, the painful, humiliating schoolchild memories …) If I could just misplay the hand 4 out of 10 times, that would be some serious positive EV, saving me the theoretical cost of tuition in just a few orbits!

BTW, the next WSOP Academy is at WinStar, February 21-22 — a poker room near and dear to so many Texas player and longtime Pokeratizens. Outhred and Gracz will be part of the Thackerville faculty, along with Greg Raymer and Master Mindset (?) coach Sam Chauhan.

Click here for more info … and really, you should totally think about signing up. Your Pokerati-friendly friends will feed you and everything.

Last week, word came that Jamie Gold signed a sponsorship deal with a relatively new poker site, Aced Poker. That information was confirmed, but more details of the agreement are beginning to come out. MSNBC picked up the story and reported that Gold is set to earn “eight figures or more” through the deal. For those math-challenged readers (like myself who had to write it out with the zeroes), that’s a minimum of $10,000,000!

From the MSNBC piece:

Aced.com, which launched in September 2008, operates on the Merge Gaming Network. Aced poker room manager Brandon Berndt stated in regards to signing Gold, “We are extremely excited to have Jamie on board, not only because of his obvious value as an ambassador for us within the poker world, but for the unparalleled enthusiasm, insight, and creativity he brings to the ongoing development of our brand. He could have chosen so many other sites, but we share his values and vision. He is worth every penny — or billion pennies.”

While exact terms cannot be legally disclosed, sources familiar with the transaction suggest that Gold stands to earn eight figures or more. Aced.com confirmed that in addition to the lucrative online deal, they will fund Gold’s participation in major USA, European, and Asian events. “I am not at liberty to disclose details of the arrangement,” commented Gold’s attorney Les Abell. “However, I can say that this contract is valued at more than any deal I’ve ever heard of.”

The article notes that Gold sought a sponsor who would focus on charitable endeavors, as that is something with which Gold has become involved over the past few years.

A Judge in Washington State has made a ruling in the Betcha.com online gambling case involving our old friend, Nick Jenkins! Plus, we cover industry news from the United Kingdom about Google’s online gambling advertising policy, and the Toronto Sun article about which finally covers the Absolute Poker cheating scandal.

Just gettin’ ready to go “en studio” to record the next episode of The Poker Beat. This should be a good one … topics open for discussion between me, BJ, Gary, Stapleton, and Parvis (under the Scott Huff whip) will include:

– Russ Hamilton and Layne Flack on RawVegas.tv
– The Bluff Magazine Online Challenge (complete with breaking news about JJ Prodigy; oops, he did it again!)
– Steroids in poker?
– The poker event sponsorship biz
– Vanessa Rousso and Tiffany Michelle baring some but not all

Listen live here.

And feel free to call in and harass at 866.925.8255.

The Poker Beat Podcast
February 12, 2009

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Oh, the pure joy at seeing the news that Mekhi Phifer is teaming up with the WPT Invitational! Let the stalking begin! Once I was able to see past his name, I realized that the actual news is more than just his presence at the WPT Invitational.

Mekhi is teaming up with the WPT to benefit a charity for which he donates time as the chairman, The Vine Group USA, an organization that provides tools and assistance to academic institutions in English-speaking countries in Africa. And though money finishers at the WPT Invitational are allowed to play for their own charities, there is a new twist to make this year’s event even more charity-focused. There will be $200 rebuys allowed during the first two hours of the tournament, 100% of which will be donated to The Vine Group USA.

“The Vine Group USA is very pleased to partner with the World Poker Tour and Commerce Casino for the Invitational–this is an event that everyone loves to be a part of,” said Mekhi Phifer, actor and Chairman, TVG Board of Trustees. “Attendees will be able to have fun at the tables while learning about our organization and the important cause it supports.”

Might have to interview him about that…in person…face to face…at the WPT Invitational cocktail hour on February 28 before the tournament begins.

The Atlantic has a post about a section of a chapter of a book that may have figured out why America and the world has gotten in a total economic mess ever since George W. Bush Osama bin Laden Chris Moneymaker won … bridge helped pull us out of the Great Depression, apparently, and poker has taken us the other way:

Yet in the first decade of the twenty-first century contract bridge is in serious decline, viewed as a game for the elderly, with few younger enthusiasts. In contrast, in recent years poker — and especially its twenty-first century variation, Texas hold ‘em — has surged forward. These games are played by individuals for themselves alone, emphasize a type of deception variously called bluffing and “keeping a poker face,” and are generally played for money.

[...]

if card games played by millions of people shift the role of deception, wouldn’t we be naive simply to assume that such shifts do not also occur in the world of commerce?

Now before you get all up in arms at the absurdity of blaming a whole subculture that just so happens to take pleasure in raping their friends and stealing from the blinds with total junk hands, I think we should consider taking the heat on this: Yes, absolutely, poker is to blame. We totally fucked up. Oops, sorry about that. But we get a bailout now, right? Please send a few hundred billion care of PartyPoker and the World Poker Tour.

After Raw Vegas’ attempt to interview Russ Hamilton didn’t go so well, Dave Farra called up former FBI agent and expert on non-verbal communication Joe Navarro to give his opinion on the video.

Watch Joe Navarro on Russ Hamilton Video on RawVegas.tv

Don’t ask why, but just the other day, Pauly and I were discussing who’s a better player — Kenna James or Liz Lieu? We didn’t settle on anything … but just now (while searching for a Fox Soccer Channel commercial), I stumbled upon this just-uploaded episode from PartyPoker’s Premier League Poker, attempting to address the exact same question.

(Not sure this really answers the specific question we were asking, but did Tony G call Liz Lieu fat?)

Online gambling fans, get ready for the next round of Barney Frank vs. the UIGEA! Plus, online gambling’s news from Florida, Delaware, and an update on J Todd’s mom!