Normally this sorta promotional bit wouldn’t catch my attention for any longer than it takes to press the “mark as spam” button. But for whatever reason, new somethings related to online poker and real money get a second look these days.
And this one … knowing the tensions we’ve seen between California card rooms and the poker sites we used to think of as the “good guys” (before government officials said, “no no they Full Tilt and PokerStars are the bad guys!”) … well, hmm, call me @JeffMadsenObv, but is it coincidence that California’s first brick-and-mortar card room to open an online poker site did so on April 15?
Aha. Exactly.
Likewise, might we see more California casinos opening up online outposts soon … and how many similar ops across the country will be trying to entice players to their no-money real-money tables with WSOP seats? Also kinda curious … a $7,500 cash buyout option for the winner. (That seems pretty good, no?)
Rumors of layoffs and bankruptcy from at least one online poker site targeted on “Black Friday”. Also, ESPN makes plans for this years World Series of Poker.
Fahrenkopf: We’re ready to bring American casinos online (starting with poker)! Who’s with me?
The political arm of America’s brick-and-mortar casino industry is working on its own federal online poker bill, Frank Fahrenkopf, CEO of the American Gaming Association, revealed yesterday at a press conference in Washington DC. The AGA bill will likely be a hybrid between inter- and intra-state, providing federal oversight of independent state regulations.
Joining Fahrenkopf at the press conference were Keith Smith, president of Boyd Gaming; Gordon Kanofsky, CEO of Ameristar Casinos; and Virginia McDowell, president of Isle of Capri Casinos. The lobbying push the AGA kicked off yesterday talked about online poker most immediately, but language used didn’t seem to exclude the possibility of online slots and other casino games becoming part of these efforts.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is holding a lunch today with top Democratic leaders and casino executives to discuss, they say, a broad range of online gambling matters.
Gary Loveman, CEO of Caesars Entertainment (parent company to the WSOP), made note of the importance of online poker yesterday in an SEC filing yesterdayreporting Caesars Q1 2011 financial results. In the positive spin put on losing $147 million in the first three months of this year, he told Uncle Sam:
“Finally, we believe strongly that the recent federal indictments of illegal online poker operators should convince Congress to allow American citizens to play online poker and to allow American companies to compete in a multi-billion-dollar industry,” Loveman said. “By acting now to legalize a game enjoyed by millions of adult citizens, Congress can clarify ambiguous federal laws, generate tax revenues for federal and state governments and bring thousands of jobs to this country.”
Poker player and industry interests are preparing to hit Congress with selective aggression in DC later this month.
The surge actually goes down on a Monday and Tuesday, but do days even matter any more when Americans can’t compete against the rest of the developed world on Sunday?
The Poker Players Alliance moved up plans for a Washington DC member fly-in scheduled for September to later this month, May 23-24 … where the official call to action is supposedly to hit Congress hard to legalize online poker and do it quickly … if not before the WSOP then at least some time in 2011, maybe, please? Click here for details on the fly-in, and here for what you can do from afar to support what should be poker’s biggest political assault on Washington DC ever.
Congress has seen the numbers — millions of voting-age American players, a $6 billion US industry, $10-40 billion in tax revenue (over 10 years), thousands of jobs — and most members know they won’t face much backlash at the polls for opposing internet prohibitions and allowing online poker the same protections as other forms of legal recreation. But what they may not realize is why it may not be so cool to wait a few years to fix things, nor how many non-criminals have been hurt by recent DOJ actions, which are rather unprecedented in that the case against online poker operators ultimately hinges on a thusfar unsettled matter of what legally defines gambling and/or games of skill.
I think for the PPA, beyond reinforcing sensible-government arguments, they plan to get their members on message — because as more and more sign on with positions the PPA first advocated after the UIGEA, the game of legitimizing online poker has evolved — while getting Congress to realize the need for more immediate action because:
The news won’t stop breaking … and just because American online players may be crying in watered down beers … that’s not gonna stop one magnetic on-camera Croatian from signing a player sponsorship patch deal with Bodog, the original American-friendly online gambling operation to officially go rogue:
Mark and Matt are joined by the man behind the pkrgssp blog, Jeff Walsh, to discuss the latest developments in the world of poker. AP is now looking at bankruptcy, and this throws player funds deeper into question. Also, fresh news about the FS+G league and the WSOP on this week's Rabbit Hunt!
We cover the many big and small stories of the week: UB collapsing, cheating in the LockPoker/BLUFF Challenge, the new WSOP almost-live coverage, Bellagio losing high limit action, Joy Miller’s vengeful plan to make people think we’re @AsianSpa, Mason Malmuth’s battle against PPA communists, and even jakz101′s missing portion of his finger. We talk to talonchick, and Druff tries to squash a nonexistent beef. BoDogAri and reggiman join us at points, and Pokerati does another informative online poker legality segment. AsianSpa joins us along with Jeff Madsen, as we try to prove to Madsen that we’re separate entities.
*THIS PODCAST ABRUPTLY CUTS OFF AT 2:20 MARK. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS. 80 MINUTES ARE MISSING*
This week’s online gambling news recaps fallout from “Black Friday”, including interesting remarks from Caesars CEO Gary Loveman. Also, online sports betting has been legalized in Germany… but don’t get too excited.
Hand of the Night: Good times from middle position for $0 with the 13th-worst starting hand in Omaha.
Believe me, I realize a lot is going on in the poker world right now that you’d expect any fine folks at Pokerati to be all over … we probably are, but sometimes before pressing publish you gotta play a few hands, ya know, to remember why it is so many people have a special affection for a game that’s causing so much consternation. And because I recently blew 98 percent of my Zynga bankroll (thanks to sleepy play), pretty much my only option for a certain fix I crave is the Pokerati Game … now playing at the Palms.
We’re settling in to our new home nicely, buzz is spreading, and new players seem to like our kinda-sorta unique brand of half-PLO half-no-limit hold’em; the dealers are starting to figure out the slight nuances in how we play, too, and before long, anyone in the room should be able to recite rule #3a on command in English and Spanish. OK, maybe I jest … but the Palms has been really supportive of our game — so much so that they made us the nifty banner to go with my food comps.
You gotta love the Hardcore Poker Show on Sirius 98 (moving to channel 158 tomorrow) … as they seem to know how to get the right guests at the right time to throw out a few doozies.
On yesterday’s show they talk to Pauly — one of the Top Two Podcasters on Tao of Pokerati — who lets it be known that while player money from PokerStars may indeed be filtering back to American players via US banks … affiliates got a form letter saying they would not be paid, and I think it sounds like he’s saying they have no intent to in the near future or ever.
Check with the Tao of Poker to see if he (or someone else) posts this letter. Until we see it I can’t know if Pauly — who removed his PokerStars affiliate banners — is simply speaking the aggressive truth or just playing squeaky-wheel hardball or both. He is a New Yorker, after all — from the Southern District no less!
Tony G, the owner of PokerNews is next on the show — and really, for all the voices that have been clamoring since “Black Friday”, he’s one of the biggest names in poker with a direct connection to the money-flow from Full Tilt, Stars, and others to do an in-depth, candid interview.
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Controversial for sure … but his words seem to be less publicity-whorey than usual. The G says any American depositing money on any site is high-risk, and payout could be unlikely. While believing that Stars seems to be making good, he sees signs that Full Tilt accounts could be in greater jeopardy — and calls out Howard Lederer and Phil Ivey specifically to address the issue (either in public or private) and possibly offer up their personal assets to take care of players.
If you count a Club WPT patch as a part of our patch watch then patch watch was once again revived today at the World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Showdown Final table today. Allen Bari and Abbey Daniels showed up to battle for the $1,122,340 first place money wearing Club WPT patches, a company that offers subscriptions based play where you can play satellites to win a seat into future WPT events.
Once again wearing a patch would not bring the players good luck with Allen Bari being eliminated fifth place for $211,997. He was followed shortly by Abbey Daniels who took home $286,819.
The final three players would battle it out into the early hours of the morning before Justin Zaki, the last player from Florida, was eliminated. From there it only took Taylor Von Kriegenbergh 8 hands to finish off Curt Kohlberg for his first live win since hitting the circuit earlier this year.
Here is a look at how the final six finished with payouts:
1st: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh – $1,122,340
2nd: Curt Kohlberg – $586,109
3rd: Justin Zaki – $415,680
4th: Abbey Daniels – $286,819
5th: Allen Bari – $211,997
6th: Tommy Vedes – $166,272
The Federated Pro Poker League had taken a decidedly neutral stance on online poker. They weren’t gonna let online powerhouses Tilt and Stars muck up their game, it seemed, but at the same time they weren’t ready — at least prior to April 15 — to kick the online sites to the curb. Now it seems clear the FPPL will be moving forward with the indicted online poker operations — whatever that may or may not mean. Regardless, @JeffreyPollack is apparently committed, as he confirmed his recent resignation as Executive Chairman of PBR to focus on Federated Sports+Gaming, which has its first pro poker event in just barely 90 days.
The plan for seating players involves a complex algorithm awarding 2-, 3-, and 5-year cards based on some sorta formula that takes into account tournament wins and possibly shoe size? 218 mad the cut for 2011. Click here to see who gets to play in their non-open overlay events at the Palms … which, btw, now happens to be home of the Pokerati Game. The pro league’s schedule of exclusive, not-yet-televised events is below, along with the details on what it takes to get your card.
(Pokerati’s version of 1/2 NLH/PLO, of course, is open to all players seeking a good time for a $100-min $400 max, and will be playing again this Thursday, starting at 7p. No card necessary — though you do need a players card to qualify for comps or collect any bonuses.)
Here are two worthy questions since the US Attorney’s indictments in US v. Scheinberg et al and related actions taken by the US Department of Justice were made public last month:
Will the indictments and the fallout foreshadow an exodus of Internet poker players from the United States that wish to continue playing online?
Should Canada be a destination country for any online players considering such a move?
Now that I’ve set up my own questions, I must confess that I can’t fully answer either of them. At least the first one is empirical. While emigration can be objectively measured, it’s too soon to say if players will actually move to pursue what for many has been a full-time and lucrative occupation. Brad Polizzano has told me that he knows people that are already in the process of leaving. I respect Brad’s opinion and I’m sure he’s right; it’s just that, to date, I have heard more equivocation in my talks with people about this. Shane Schleger wrote a good piece in Slate last week indicating that he’s considering emigrating from the US, which is a useful perspective from a bona fide professional.
The second question is more difficult to address. Should one leave one’s home – in many cases, the land of one’s citizenship – to continue playing Internet poker? It’s an intensely personal question and, at least right now, a raw one.
Still, I want to frame the issues in a way that is true to the discussions I’ve been having with people over the last couple of weeks, and to get my thoughts out in a discrete post on the topic. As I mentioned to @ckbwop, I’m not interested in a sales pitch for Canada. As anyone who knows me well will hopefully attest, I retain an abiding skepticism about many aspects of my home country; Canadians are congenitally anti-American, we can be smug, and the political discourse at home is often picayune. However, there may be some factors about Canada worth considering if any player is seriously thinking about relocating outside of the US.
Stop me if you have heard this before; Patch watch is over. After the elimination of Mike Sexton in Day Four it was assumed that the rest of the tournament would play out without a single player with a patch.
That was until James Mackey showed up with his fifth place stack wearing a Hero Poker Pro patch. It seems that wearing a patch may not be a good thing for these players as Mackey became the TV bubble boy when he was eliminated in 7th place by Taylor Von Kriegenbergh.
Von Kriegenbergh goes into Day Six with a 2.187 Million chip lead over Justin Zaki in second place. Von Kriegenbergh and Zaki will be joined by the four other final table members on Monday to battle it out for the $1,122,340 first place money. Here is a look at the remaining six with chip counts according to seat position.
Seat 1: Abbey Daniels – 2,192,000
Seat 2: Tommy Vedes – 1,570,000
Seat 3: Allen Bari – 1,984,000
Seat 4: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh – 4,384,000
Seat 5: Curt Kohlberg – 655,000
Seat 6: Justin Zaki – 2,197,000
With only six players left in the field and no Full Tilt representative on site to patch up players this possibly could be a final table without a patch. Check back with us for the final table report to see if the the plug was indeed pulled on patch watch after Day Five.
It’s time to have a poker player run for President of the United States. Forget Joe the Plumber. How about Tom the Gambler?
I actually gave serious consideration to running for President in 2012. However, when I woke up, it didn’t seem like such a great idea. I thought what could a gambler offer that others can’t? I came up with several ideas and am going to share one here. This is not an article about bashing one side or the other. I’m trying to show how gamblers typically get right to the root of the problem by viewing the world differently than others.
First, I wanted to identify a problem that 95 percent of Americans would agree was a problem, thus removing all political bias. The Problem: Politicians lie, misrepresent facts and gamble with our money. Do you agree?
How do gamblers find the truth?
We wager.
And if you make bad decisions repeatedly,
you are no longer gambling because you run out of money.
In a debate, if a politician sounds convincing, we believe him. He can’t be lying, he sounds so sure. The debate is concluded and the viewers have no idea that the bastard lied for an hour straight. He made up stuff and pulled answers out of his ass to avoid having to say, “I don’t know.” (Note: when pulling numbers out of asses, avoid the sharp ones like 4 and 7.)
When trying to get the Healthcare bill passed one Senator made a huge deal about the American Medical Association (AMA) supporting the bill, thus trying to make the public feel better since all doctors support it. Did you know that only 17% of all doctors belong to the AMA, because most doctors don’t like the political stands the AMA takes? Did you know that a significant majority of doctors were opposed to the proposed Healthcare bill? It is outrageously disingenuous to act like doctors are supporting the bill.
Our elected officials say that if we pass a stimulus package, we will create one million new jobs…oops, sorry, we were wrong. No big deal, we will try something else. They are guessing with our money. I like idiots in a poker game, but I’m tired of idiots in Washington. It’s like all of us voters decided to put the worst poker player in the biggest game. Unfortunately, unlike poker, these idiots can’t get lucky with our money.
