The November Nine — historic simply as it pertains to the conclusion of a single not-so-little tournament that seems to be the barometer for all things related to the poker industry.

Midnight Rule-push for UIGEA Regs — we’re just one of 100 single-issues affected by the Bush administration’s attempts to party it up like frat boys and trash the joint before checking out … but regardless, it means we have a whole bunch of additional clean-up to do.

60 Minutes/Washington Post Exposés — whether it’s determined to be fair-and-balanced good-for-poker coverage or a damning hatchet job hacked with a double-edged blade of lies … the Thanksgiving weekend stories represent the official exposure of the online poker biz, hairy warts and all, to the non-poker world.

Clonie Gowen vs. Full Tilt Lawsuit — a loyal soldier turns on her poker-biz commanders, with attempts to air grievances in American court threatening to bring the multibillion-dollar operations of a super-private jurisdictionally challenged business into the public domain. While FTP reps actively petition the Feds to let them open these books but only if they can pay extra taxes, the former Full Tilt covergirl was arming herself with a taser gun and aiming it at a Red Pro.

Formation of Cereus — the two most scandal-ridden online poker sites officially join forces to create a recovering cheater supersite, flooding their own tables with “refund” money to keep the action moving.

Plug Pulled on PokerBlog.com — hardly the biggest deal in the bigger picture … but PartyPoker’s apologetic canning of Dr. Tim represents a new fiscal reality facing even the most legitimate of online poker sites and their workers.

Introduction of HB 222 in Texas — Take 2 on trying to bring the game that had everything to do with the creation of an $18 billion industry (subject to all the hubbub above) back home where it belongs.

All this, of course, is going on in the midst of a major lawsuit related to internet authority in Kentucky — where unprecedented government action has shaken up/down the online poker industry, forcing noticeable shifts in business ops and resource allocation. Clearly:

Statement by PPA Chairman D’Amato on “60 Minutes” and Washington Post Coverage of the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet Cheating Scandals

Washington, D.C. – “The recent cheating scandals underscore the need for U.S. licensing and regulation of online poker to help protect consumers. While even the most highly regulated industries are susceptible to fraud and abuse, regulation does provide assurances that when consumers are harmed they have recourse, and that the offenders will be sanctioned. The continued pursuit of poker prohibition, on the other hand, will only drive this industry underground. As the Washington Post pointed out, prohibition represents a widening disconnect between 21st-century technology and 20th-century laws.

Regulation of Internet poker does not equal an expansion of gambling in this country. Like it or not, the phenomenon of internet poker cannot be wished away. The American market has spoken. There is strong demand for Internet poker and no reasonable government can or should stand in the way of adults competing in games of skill on the Internet. To the contrary, the government should step up and exercise regulatory oversight on this multi-billion dollar interstate commerce, and collect the revenue—especially during this country’s economic crisis.

The federal government cannot continue to abdicate this basic responsibility to the millions of its citizens who choose to play poker on the Internet. The attempt to enforce an outright prohibition of online poker is deeply flawed and unworkable, and it invades upon the personal freedoms of law-abiding adults who wish to engage in a game of skill. And as 60 Minutes and the Washington Post stories reported it also exposes American consumers to the rare, unscrupulous bad apple operator who will take advantage of the lack of a U.S. regulated marketplace.

Now more than ever the U.S. Congress needs to step up and enact real public policy as it relates to Internet gaming. We look forward to working with the new Administration and the new Congress to advance sensible regulatory solutions such as those introduced in the 110th Congress by Representatives Barney Frank (H.R. 2046) and Robert Wexler (H.R. 2610) and Senator Robert Menendez (S.3616).”

Two-and-a-half specific things caught my eye:

(The name of the alleged cheater has circulated widely among poker players on the Internet. The Post is not publishing his name because, even though he purportedly confessed to AbsolutePoker, the company did not release its records and would not discuss the matter. The alleged cheater declined requests to be interviewed.)

Maybe I just haven’t been following it close enough on the forums, but I’m wondering whom they’re referring to here.

The story also doesn’t reference the new formation of Cereus, after acknowledging that UB would likely lose its license and be out of business soon. Hmmm. But that’s really new, and this story was possibly put to bed a few weeks ago?

The other thing is the last graf:

The Kahnawake now say they operate one of the most secure Internet gambling operations in the world. Tokwiro says it has “established cutting-edge security systems that make us the safest site in the industry.” But Catania said he does not expect cheating to stop: “I’m sure there are people out there right now figuring out, let’s say, ‘Here’s a way we can do it again.’

Yikes, that last sentence leaves it open-ended as to how part two of the story will fall when it comes to legalization efforts.

I really like poker’s chances (because I sincerely believe despite our internal battles with shadiness, our industry is on the right side of legal issues here) … and from what I’ve learned in my rookie dabblings in poker (and strip-club) politics, the treatment this story is getting in Washington DC — a big investigative feature spread out over two days with lots of informative sidebars — now guarantees (I’m like 86 percent sure) that our issue is on the 2009 political agenda. I’m not totally comfortable yet, of course. Current feeling in my gut is comparable to waiting for the river when all-in against an 8- or 9-outer. A little unsettling. But hey, that’s what we came here for, right?

In addition to the story itself, the WP’s got a bunch of goodies for those who want to dig deeper, or just check their work:

• Here’s a timeline titled “Internet Poker and the Law” — they get the UIGEA, imo.
• Paul Leggett’s defense (pdf)
• Video explaining Texas Hold’em — as in how to play … they clearly see poker as a fun skill game, not a dangerously addictive vice; if the investigation were about shady drug runners, after all, you wouldn’t see a similar vid on how to make good meth.

• Also: a video about David Paredes going from intelligent amateur to uber-skilled pro.
• A timeline about how the AP/UB/Cereus cheats got caught.
• And another timeline of the scandal, complete with cool Web 2.5-ish document pop-ups.
• “Reporter’s notebook” about The Mohawk Connection.
• And shoot, wish I had seen this one before linking to the above — an everything page chronicling the entire investigation, complete with fun little numbers about (taxable) online poker revenues.

So there you have it. It would hard to expect anything more thorough. Kudos to “special correspondent Gary Wise“, too, for playing poker-biz fixer for the WP investigative team turning over rocks.

* Tokwiro agreed not to prosecute the perpetrator in the Absolute Poker cheating, and to protect that individual’s identity, because this was the only way to ensure that the ability to cheat was fully discovered and disabled. Because of this decision, AP could continue operating and begin to reimburse affected players as quickly as possible.

Pretty sweet deal for the guy, huh? Wouldn’t you like to work for a company that will agree not to prosecute you for stealing millions from them, provided that you just show them how you did it, if caught? There is zero chance that this is true. It would have been easy for them to deconstruct this after-the-fact without this asshole’s help. Obviously they are protecting him either due to continued association/affiliation (likely), fear that he will spill the beans on everyone and everything else there (also likely), or both (most likely).

Must-read for anyone who wants to understand what all the hubbub is about.

The generally spot-on Wicked Chops, for example, have been calling it a “hatchet job”. Well-informed poker-biz insiders have told me privately it’s going to be “terrible for poker”. I’ve even heard some say the WSOP’s cooperating with CBS will prove to be “Jeffrey Pollack’s downfall”.

I respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree.

The fear, of course, is that the piece will end up condemning the entire industry. But look, 60 Minutes doesn’t exactly have a history of botching stories in its 41 years on the air. They typically get pretty darn close to The Truth. There may be some short-term backlash to the not-so-pretty sides of online poker being revealed, but in the long run, we WANT the non-poker public to understand our dilemmas … and, assuming we really are on the right side of the UIGEA, some might argue we need them to.

Even though the 60 Minutes preview starts with “this $18 billion industry is illegal in the US”, Steve Kroft and his gang did talk with the PPA on and off camera about it all … so they’ve definitely been exposed to the storyline that recent politics severely hampers the ability to prevent AP/UB cheating. I suspect the story will end with something like … “but there’s no guarantee that regulation would be able to prevent [insert bad stuff here], and supporters of the UIGEA say those abuses are exactly the reason this seemingly harmless game needs to be prohibited in America.”

Such a fair and balanced take would leave it open for people like us to scream in favor of one side while plenty of right-wing conservative types would still be able to say, “See, gambling is evil! So are computers!”

But what really matters is where those non-committed folks in the middle stand — the bulk of those 12+ million viewers who never had a reason to care one way or the other about poker. We’re talking about just a few percentage points worth of the populace (and what they represent politically) being swayed to believe either online poker players got a screw job, or that the poker industry is filled with Russ Hamiltons and therefore shouldn’t be legitimized. While there’s a risk that they could come down on the side of gambling=bad, it’s kinda a risk we have to take.

Why?

Because right now they’re simply non-committed folks in the middle — they have no opinion on the issue, which therefore casts no weight in congressional halls. We already know that poker’s current weight in Congress — while noticeable — simply isn’t enough to get the change we pokerers are looking for.

So no story, it all stays the same.

But with a story … we have a chance of “registering new voters” (I’m speaking metaphorically here) on the issue — of 60 Minutes making what matters so much to both us and Focus on The Family types actually matter to those in the middle who currently don’t care one way or the other.

Hopefully, 2 out of every 3 new people aware of the complex situation will see things close to our way. (Again, using rough, unofficial numbers.) If they do, we win! If they don’t, we lose … or stay exactly where we are right now — same thing.

(I suppose it could get worse if 3 out of 3 fall on the side of the Religious Right, but i just don’t see that happening in the current political climate of America.)

But the online-poker-regulation issue simply cannot get to where we want it without the support of non-poker players. And because the uber-pro-poker media such as CardPlayer, Bluff, and dare I say Pokerati can’t be expected to make the issue matter to these “swing voters” any more than Darus Suharto on Ellen would, we have to take the risk of putting it in the hands of 60 Minutes (or the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, et al.)

It’s the only hope.

Kevin here to interrupt this post to add some additional content, a brief interview with Steve Kroft about the 60 Minutes story:

Watch CBS Videos Online

The player pools, tables, tourneys, etc. from Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet magically merge today.

Trying to keep an open mind … because theoretically it is possible that the combination of two sites caught in the biggest cheating scandals in the nascent history of the online poker industry — having learned painful lessons firsthand — could become a paragon of integrity and security, a model for fully legal American online poker in the future.

But I just can’t help to think back to the Dallas underground … when a saturated market had rooms and games beginning to merge, two shady operators joining forces seldom led to anything good (save for some pretty juicy opening-weekend tourneys).

That’s my bias, I suppose … but with that in the back of my mind, I can’t help but think of how one of these sites seemed rotten at the core (with the exception of Mark Seif, I’ve yet to hear any former employee say anything good about Absolute), and the other … well, sure, they’ve changed management and have plenty of good peeps working for them (Annie Duke, Phil Hellmuth, Mean Gene, et al.) … but the top of the pyramid hasn’t really changed as far as we can tell. And with all due respect to those who are just trying to throw good poker times … the mysterious, closely-guarded nature of Tokwiro+Kahnawake+UB+Chief Joe operating on the protected lands of the Mohawk Nation (with offices in Costa Rica) … that’s the definition of shady! Sorry, it just is.

Still, with $22 million in refunds, the action’s gotta be good.

In the first go-round of the Run Good Challenge, the guys hosting the event dominated. Oops, not very hospitable. But they rolled the money over and then the ladies started winning, including Change100’s victory in the Grand Final. But in event #1 of Run Good Challenge 2: Electric Boogaloo, the one only semi-employed male in the field with firsthand memories of Bobby Riggs losing to Billie Jean King took it down — kudos to Dr. Tim for making a stand on behalf of chubby white bald men who, frankly, needed the inspiration to know, Yes We Can!

The Shrink won $600 for his Sunday-morning skills, fending off attacks from his writing partner Amy Calistri ($300) and longtime Pokerati fave Michele Lewis ($100).

California Jen, Liz Lieu, and Lacey Jones apparently missed the starting bell, but yours truly woke up to his PokerStars alarm this time — seriously, you get a rousing beep on the first hand if you register for the tourney pre-sleep and leave Stars running overnight — but couldn’t get his head fully in the game before pushing all-in with his Q3o vs. the eventual winner’s Q8s (on a flop of Q-8-x) … damn, finished 11th out of 14, which seems about right for how I played almost into Level 2.

Hey Dan,

I heard a news story on the radio way home today which you or someone else on the Pokerati staff is probably all over already, but I thought I would e-mail you about it anyway.

It appears that Jose Menendez has (re-)introduced his bill to legalize poker in Texas. I found a couple of links to news blurbs about it, although nothing of much substance:

http://www.q1019.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=&article=4621581

http://lonestartexasnews.com/pages/3363793.php?contentType=4&contentId=3098073

http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119078&article=4621581

These short articles are all pretty much the same thing, with quotes from Menendez about his reasons for the bill.

I look forward to reading more about it on Pokerati.com as things develop.

Dave Westbay
Grapevine, TX

Thanks much, Dave, for the heads-up. These articles may not be big, but session isn’t even underway yet, so it’s a good sign that poker is already getting early ink and airtime from the non-poker press. Indeed, Pokerati can’t help but to be all over it as the legislation moves forward. We (Texas poker people) got further than expected in 2007 … and if we can successfully punch Menendez’s bill through this time (re-branded as the “Poker Gaming Act of 2009″) … well, hey, Vegas has been nice, but you can expect this not-so-humble little poker blogger to return home posthaste from self-imposed exile.

I wasn’t there nor have I spoken to either of the principals, but reliable sources say it was a simple lasts-longest bet (at a Phil Hellmuth charity event for the Taser Foundation for Fallen Officers, at Fort McDowell Casino in Arizona) with the winner getting to tase the loser.

Um, OK.

As you probably know, these high-society fundraiser tourneys don’t exactly have the best blind structures. But they do have great gift bags, which at this event apparently came with gift certificates for taser guns. At one point Cantu supposedly had Clonie out-chipped like 5:1 … and she was getting really nervous. But he took a few bad beats and soon was out. So now Clonie gets to zap Cantu with 50,000 volts at the time and place of her choosing.

UPDATE: The authenticity of this report has been confirmed.

ALSO: Tase-Mania … and award-winning story on the greatness of high-voltage, police-force shocking.

I have this multi-drawer file I call Dead Story Office — not about the deceased, but full of notes and documents (from mostly pre-poker days) on stories that never quite came to fruition — and one of them: “World Series of Poker”. Though I didn’t quite see how it all came together (and in retrospect it couldn’t be more of an uh-duh observation) I was pretty sure Ungar had to be a major and fascinating character.

If you’ve got nothing better to do, click below to rummage through the manila folder where I’ve carried a guy I never knew with me through four homes and two external offices over the past 10 years:

Not to wax too nostalgic, but what else was going on in the world the week Ungar died: Michael J Fox underwent brain surgery, Flip Wilson was the most famous person to dearly depart, Exxon-Mobil were talking about a possible merger, and the price of a gallon of gas was $1.05. (From Newsweek Dec 7 1998)

I don’t recall how or when I acquired this photocopy of a page from CardPlayer, but it was the first time I had ever heard of the World Series of Poker. And with all that cool-looking lightning on the commemorative new-and-improved VHS gift box, something told me this “WSP” thing had to be pretty exciting.

Some lady named Adina was the hook-up for press info, and at the time of Ungar’s death, apparently the main event was held in early May. Poker seemed to be booming, as the World Series stood out amongst competitions of similar stature — Backgammon World Championship, Backgammon Olympiad, King David Chess Tournament, Hula Bowl, etc. — with an amazing $2.7 million prize pool … a record amount that you can suspect organizers wondered if they’d ever see again after the unseemly death of their greatest superstar and most recent-time repeat champion.

Kinda interesting because this gave birth to the concept of a TV cliffhanger — which is essentially what the WSOP was going for with the November Nine. Viewers from 53 countries tuned in to see JR get shot … sparking seven months of promotional speculation, and by the time the winner answer was revealed on an historic two-hour special, 11 new countries had signed up the show to run on their networks.

One of the cool things about poker at Excalibur is that it’s the one place where you can find 50-cent/1-dollar action in Las Vegas … and being played on electronic tables, there’s no dealer tipping. Another cool thing … you can change the game being dealt with relative ease. And that’s what they did last night when Lyle Berman showed up (with David Sklansky and a few others) to play $1/$2 Pot Limit Omaha.

($100 min buy-in, $500 max)

Berman (left), if you recall, wrote the chapter in Super/System about PLO. He also happens to be Chairman of the Board of PokerTek — makers of the PokerPro electronic tables at Excalibur.

For Immediate Release

GSN ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION DATES AND LOCATION FOR THE 5TH SEASON OF “HIGH STAKES POKER™”

Shoot Dates: December 19-21, 2008 HIGH STAKES POKER Returns To Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino With $200,000 Cash Buy-In

(SANTA MONICA, Calif.) Thursday, November 20, 2008- GSN announced today details on the highly-anticipated fifth season of the popular series HIGH STAKES POKER™ with a cash buy-in of $200,000 – the largest buy-in for an entire run of a television series. Featuring some of today’s most prominent poker stars, production on the new season will take place Dec. 19-21, 2008 at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Henry Orenstein, Executive Producer of HIGH STAKES POKER, said, “HIGH STAKES POKER, by a wide margin, has become a must-see on GSN for poker players and poker fans all over the world. We are happy to bring back the top amateurs and professionals risking hundreds of thousands of their money in the new season.”

Fellow HIGH STAKES POKER Executive Producer, Mori Eskandani added, “I am very excited about the mix of players that we will bring together for this next season of HIGH STAKES POKER. Viewers are in for a thrill.”

HIGH STAKES POKER, which is entering its fifth season, is the richest cash game in the history of television, with the final seven episodes of Season Four featuring a history-making top table prize of up to and over five million dollars. Past seasons have showcased some of the world’s top professional and amateur players, including the controversial Phil Hellmuth, the legendary Doyle Brunson, the charismatic Daniel Negreanu, Cirque du Soleil Founder and CEO Guy Laliberté and 2006 WSOP Champion Jamie Gold.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with GSN in filming their fifth season of HIGH STAKES POKER,” said Brett Kellerman, chief operating officer for the property. “The Golden Nugget is known for exciting poker events, and we feel it just makes sense to bring a program like HIGH STAKES POKER to our property. It’s a perfect fit for the players, the fans and the Golden Nugget.”

ABOUT GSN

GSN is a trusted industry-leading game content provider that distributes game show programming through its 68-million subscriber television network and its casual and online competitive entertainment games site, GSN.com. As the premier television network for games, GSN encourages its viewers to play every day by putting winning within reach for everyone by inviting them to participate and play along through popular original game shows, free downloadable games and skill cash game tournaments. GSN is distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada by all major cable operators, satellite providers and telcos. The company is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further information, visit GSN’s press website at corp.gsn.com.

ABOUT GOLDEN NUGGET LAS VEGAS

Winner of the AAA Four Diamond Award consecutively since 1977, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas is the most luxurious resort on the Fremont Street Experience, and consistently receives critical acclaim for exceeding customer expectations. The Golden Nugget offers more than 1,900 deluxe guest rooms and suites; a high-energy casino featuring the most popular slot and video poker machines, table games, race and sports book and poker room; nightly entertainment; world-class restaurants; luxury spa and salon and The Tank, a year-round outdoor swimming pool complete with a live shark aquarium. In September 2005, Landry’s Restaurants, Inc. purchased the Golden Nugget hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nev., and embarked on a 14-month, $100 million renovation project, which was completed November 2006. In December 2007, the Golden Nugget completed its $60 million Phase II project, which expanded the resort west onto First Street and introduced additional entertainment, event and dining venues. Hotel reservations and additional information are available by calling 800-634-3454, or by booking online at www.goldennugget.com.

From what I do understand, most of the games in Austin are small — two or three tables max — and the dudes who run them are friendly. Semi-shady on occasion, but overall good guys running games in true Austin, communal style. However, I also hear that as the games get weak, they’re a little more lax on who gets in — anything to keep that rake moving — so corners are being cut when it comes to security.

Am I out in left field on this one? Any info on the robbery with gunfire would be greatly appreciated.

I caught a glimpse of the economic crunch on the streets of Las Vegas. Construction projects halted. Rusted steel beams shot out of concrete blocks on unfinished architectural superstructures. The vertical ghost towns cluttered the Las Vegas skyline. The illumination of Sin City, once glorious and majestic as the morning light at the dawn of the new day, has been dulled by a morass of financial gloom, so much so that even the languorous hookers were bitching. Shit, everyone was bitching. Cocktail waitresses. Poker dealers. Cab drivers. Valets. And even the crackling snaps of pamphlets from the porn slappers seem a little sullen these days.

– Tao of Poker

You know what, fuck this “Pauly’s the Hunter Thompson of Poker” shit. Woo-woo, I’m a tortured writer who does lots of drugs to share my twisted vision of the world with the world [/whine] … all so you’ll play $10 tournaments on PokerStars … Saturday’s with Dr. Pauly! — and then we can bet more on FantasySportsLive! [/excitement] It’s seems to me like a pathetic cover for life as a (balding) professional shill.

OK, maybe I’m just bitter — because one of my best pals called me a “cooler”. Do you realize how damaging that can be to a guy who scratches out his living as “The Ernest Hemingway of Gambling” a casino hanger-on? Granted, it really did happen for like 6 hands in a row that whomever I stood behind was guaranteed to lose at pai gow — and when I courteously left to play craps for the first time in two years, not only did I blow $93 in about 7 minutes, but also I literally killed the table … messed up a “hot roller” by improperly placing a bet and impeding a flying die with my hand … re-roll … and from there it was craps, craps, craps — seven out — until all the other players left the table rolling their eyes in gambler’s disgust. Ha-ha, luck is funny.

But all is not fun and games here in Vegas these days — in America, really; but the morale-shift seems accentuated in Sin City, where just about every hooker has lost at least one home in the desert suburbs to foreclosure. So it’s not all about me, but I get to be the Set-up Guy (nice) … and it’s definitely not all about poker: DPauly just happens to be journaling life on a road speckled with tables, where he sees the American lives in the face of severe economic downturn — the human condition amid stormy weather — as revealed ever clearly through the teats and mouths of an aggressive pack of 3rd Millineium Mary Magdalenes.

An especially worthwhile two-part read this week on Tao of Poker.

And, of course, though not as good (my appearance didn’t make the cut), you can get the audiobook version here.

Gowen v Tiltware.pdf

Online poker found itself in another brouhaha in the non-poker press last week — in Florida, where UF’s star point guard Nick Calathes (and prospective NBA first-round draft pick) was under investigation for NCAA violations over a $600 gambling debt. The investigation found he did indeed lose money playing online poker, but the NCAA only penalizes athletes who gamble on sports … or commit criminal acts. So Calathes is in the clear, and online poker, by the transitive property, is declared an acceptable recreational activity fully within the law. Yay-win! Go team.

It probably didn’t help, however, that one of the dudes hosting basketballer home games was a former walk-on who previously had been busted for allegedly hooking up the team and others with weed. (Though a friend with weed is a friend indeed…) probably not the kinda guy you want handling money transfers online.

An online-casino-biz response to situation and the suggestion on how his industry needs to work openly with the NCAA.

Alligator Army laments the nonsense online poker hubbub distracting them from the b-ball at hand.

UPDATE: The below from “HowardLederer” has turned out to be a hoax post. My apologies for briefly forgetting that blogs came about in part to filter through all the crap on forums, so you don’t have to waste your time. But the Negreanu stuff after the jump is really him.

From 2+2:

Originally Posted by HowardLederer
I have personally given Clonie over 600K in cash over the last three years alone. I wonder if she has paid he taxes on this money? I never once offered her 1 percent of anything. For her to say otherwise is disingenuous and is really sad.

Team Full Tilt has decided to take this case all the way. There will be no settlement. This will just give us more publicity, and when online poker is no longer public enemy number one in a few months, it will make our brand that much stronger.

Clonie, I am really disapponted in you. What you really need is a good tax attorney for the 600K that you never reported.

Regards,
Howard

OK, hmm. Intriguing. I have a feeling that Howard “never once offered her 1 percent” might hold up as technically true. But I’m not so sure how the “tattletale strategy” will work in the legal system. But can’t wait to find out! The OJ Trial of Poker: Juicy!

And even though he has nothing to do with Full Tilt, Daniel Negreanu offers up his $.02 on Full Contact Poker — letting people know essentially that Clonie should be ostracized from the poker community. He also claims there’s “no freaking way” that she is a 1 percent owner, making him the first non-Team Full Tilt member to make an assertion with absolute certainty on the mysterious ownership nature of the biggest competitor to the site he works for.

In response to one of his forum member’s attempt at a balanced look at the possibilities in play:

Or 3) She has gone absolutely ding bat crazy and is making things up. There is just no freaking way they’d offer her 1%, no freaking way. This feels more like crazy ex-girlfriend extortion than anything else. I really hope she doesn’t get away with this, luckily I don’t think she will. What an idiot.

[...]

It’s so obvious what she is trying to do. Who do you think posted the link on the internet? She wants to create a stir in the hopes that she can get some kind of home rum settlement figuring FTP can afford it and it’s easier to throw money at her and make her go away. All of it based on complete lunacy and lies. I hope she ends up with what she deserves: nothing. She’s ruined herself with this move. I’ll never speak to her again, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

[...]

As or Clonie, naming random people associated with FTP in a lawsuit is extremely irresponsible and inappropriate. It’s like she’s just throwing darts and guessing. She’s not going to make any friends doing that. I mean, Mike Matusow? Like he needs to be on that suit, it’s ridiculous.

Hmm, Danny-boy, with all due respect, I don’t think you’ve got a grasp on the American court system. If she’s claiming she’s an owner, it only makes sense to list all the other presumable owners in the suit. This is not throwing darts, this is a very common legal practice. Just sayin’.

Related
Clonie vs. Full Tilt (11/15/08)

As the 2008 WSOP was coming to a close a few days ago, Pauly and I couldn’t help but notice that there seemed to be no new sponsors that weren’t already around for in the summer. Disappointing, sure — but maybe it’s just the general economy?

I began to speculate that WSOP marketing honcho Tye Stewart must be in BIG trouble, dude! couldn’t have been too happy that the most celebrated deal inked between July and November was an extended contract with Johnny Chan’s All In Energy Drink. About 10 minutes later, though, Jeffrey Pollack was speaking to the crowd, giving specific thanks and extreme kudos to Stewart as the successful, hard-working architect of the The November Nine vision. And indeed, we now know the broadcast returned some admirable TV numbers; and even as players got eliminated, there were lines of people in the Rio hallways to fill the Penn & Teller Theater’s 1,200 seats. So maybe now, with something definitive to sell potential backers in the future, what looked a little disappointing while riding up and down the escalators is actually a sign of better things to come?

Below is a pictorial look at some added value for official WSOP banners (and inflatables) in action:

Milwaukee’s Best Light’s been good to poker (and presumably vice-versa) but their contract is about to expire (if it hasn’t already). Will they re-up? Overall the beer is supposedly the lowest performer for the newly merged MillerCoors (despite having Phil Hellmuth’s picture on cans) yet the WSOP might be all that’s keeping it alive.

All In Energy will be the official mock-amphetamine beverage of the WSOP for at least a few (two?) more years.

As mentioned above … Planters: They go great with Milwaukee’s Best Light!

Capriotti’s is still the official sandwich of the WSOP. It really is pretty good grub, but I wonder how much they spent on that clever marketing phrase.

I still don’t know what Gamma-O is, but they have hot girls pushing some sort of testosterone supplement.

For legal and political reasons, Everest Poker is the lone(ly) little online poker sponsor of the WSOP.

Go Corum! They made a pretty cool looking bracelet this year. Not sure how well their high-end brand of wristwear looks on a grubby paw opening an aluminum can of Milwaukee’s Best Light, however.

Hey, that’s just how things float early after sunrise on a Wednesday morning at the Rio.

Book 5: Tao of Hooker Bar

Episode 5.1: Boundless Nature, Las Vegas
6:05

Episode 5.2: Hurricane of Hookers
7:25

Episode 5.3: Cage-Savvy Coochie
3:05

We all knew something fishy was going on with Clonie and Full Tilt, right? And we’ve always wondered how exactly Full Tilt operates — seriously it’s kinda a mystery, even to people who work for them — and now, with Clonie Gowen suing four different companies connected to the game so many play with the pros, we should find out quite a bit of interesting info.

As far as I know, this is the first time any online poker biz that operates in the grayish world of processing money from American players (really really light gray, but still … ) will have to show its stuff publicly. Even Ultimate Bet/Absolute, with all the audits and investigations hasn’t really had to show anything it doesn’t want to to anyone outside its own semi-corporate family.

Um, hole-card cameras in the courtroom?

Official court docs here.

Gowen v. Tiltware LLC, et al.,
Plaintiff: Cycalona Gowen
Defendant: Full Tilt Poker, Tiltware LLC, Pocket Kings Ltd., Kolyma Corporation, A.V.V., Raymond J. Bitar, Howard Lederer, Andrew Bloch, Phillip Ivey, Christopher Ferguson, John Juanda, Phillip Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, Michael Matusow, Allen Cunningham, Gus Hansen and Patrick Antonious

Case Number: 2:2008cv01581
Filed: November 14, 2008

Court: Nevada District Court
Office: Las Vegas Office [ Court Info ]
County: Clark
Presiding Judge: Judge Robert C. Jones
Referring Judge: Magistrate Judge Robert J. Johnston

Nature of Suit: Contract - Other Contract
Cause: 28:1332 Diversity-Other Contract
Jurisdiction: Diversity
Jury Demanded By: Plaintiff

They’re talking about it on 2+2, and the summary of her allegations below comes from the Hendon Mob:

In the complaint, she alleges the following —

In 2004, Clonie was offered (and accepted) 1% ownership of Tiltware and FTP in exchange for being a celebrity representative…

Has worn FTP merchandise and promoted FTP in exchange for that ownership interest (no other compensation)…

In May 2007, all Team FTP members received distribution checks but her…she demanded distribution owed to her, refused…

Nov 6, 2007, Lederer offered to pay her $250k for her past performance on behalf of company, she refused cuz only fraction of what was owed to her…

Clonie estimates company worth $4 billion…

Despite not being paid, continued to work and promote company until November 11, 2008, when she was informed that FTP would issue a press statement informing public she was no longer a Team FT Pro…

Still has not been given reason all other Team FT pros given distribution but her…

Claims against all defendants:

1. Breach of Contract — claiming damages of $40 million…
2. Breach of Fiduciary Duties
3. Breach of Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
4. Unjust Enrichment

5. Fraud/Intentional Misrepresentation (alleges Bitar contacted her in 2004 and told her they wanted her to be “the FTP female pro”…then in May 2004, attended meeting at Golden Nugget in Ivey’s Suite…majority of Team FT was there, and Lederer led the meeting…He informed group that their ownership interests were not only in FTP but also in Tiltware, and Tiltware would charge FTP a high leasing fee.

Go Batfaces!

Not only do I enjoy the Doylism of the Day, but also, Big Poppa can write! In his most recent post, he explains why having backed John McCain doesn’t make him anti-poker any more than it makes him a racist:

First, I’m about as far away from being a racist as you can get. I’ve had black friends all my life, and I mean really good friends. That was back before it was “fashionable” to have blacks as friends.

Hmm, that might be a dig at anyone like me who has specifically been courting black girls, thinking interracial intercourse is about to become all the rage (just kidding LaTasjia — you’re still my #1 shorty). But seriously … check it out — not only does Doyle’s blog have other good blogstuff such as a relatively personal Flickr gallery, but also he was able to make a solid point for voting McCain in four paragrafs that neither Tom nor my dad could do in four weeks of email manifestos and belligerent phone calls. It’s the kinda writing I’ve grown to expect from Brunson, who clearly has refined his skills in the 36 years since authoring Super/System.

Another pretty good one comes from Annette 15. Even though the Michelle Wie of Poker (?) says she’s really more of a forum girl, Annette Obrestad’s blog (added to the poll by a reader) is filled with worthwhile reads from a young pro making her way through the high-stakes world, live and online. I really dug her post introducing “set mining” to me (the phrase, if not the concept), with a simple, straightforward math-based explanation of when it’s worth seeing if you’re pocket pair can trip up.

Anyhow, just a couple that I’ve found worth the clicks and eyeball time, and possibly a few votes.

(If you were someone who unknowingly lost money to the cheating, wouldn’t you love to study the replays of the hands where your action seemed to go bizarrely awry?)

Further reports say at least one of the above-mentioned refundees has been playing with it, and winning a lot. Considering that most new players on UB clearly haven’t done some basic searching on the internet, it’s plausible that the games here are particularly soft these days.

I really wanna believe what Annie Duke says about the fantastic security now in play at UB … and heck, beyond playing there, might Pokerati actually be able to make some affiliate bucks off any pimpage? For now, of course, all we’ve got to go on giving necessary reassurances is an AP/UB infomercial explaining it all that has since been taken down once people actually started to see it.

Good stuff via the PPA … the question, of course, will be whether or not this message can reach the ever-important non-poker masses. You’ll also notice Negreanu’s attempt to subconsciously connect with the religious right: Here is the church, here is the steeple … open it up, and see all the people!

NOTE: Upon re-watching, it seems this vid might be targeting elected officials, as he is seeking co-sponsorships for the bills, along with general support.

Our topics will be the WSOP final table and November Nine in Las Vegas and if we have time, we’ll chat about my experiences in London and Budapest.

There’s also a call in number if you want to ask any questions…. 810-496-3428.

Usually I don’t listen to these things live — I generally let Shamus direct me to the best episodes and download the podcast. But I happen to be in front of the computer right now, and the Chicago-Columbus MLS Cup playoff game is plenty exciting with just the video, little sound. (Currently 1-0 Chicago in the 40th minute; great uniform match-up, too — bright red vs. bright yellow.)

If you are seeing this after the fact, you’ll be able to find the full episode for your podcast pleasure here a couple days from now.

UPDATE: Chicago 1 - 2 Columbus in stoppage time. Great game — so many beautiful shots and tackles — but doh!

Here’s the word that just came over the D’amat-phone:

Dear Dan,

Yesterday, in a move reminiscent of 2006 when the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act [UIGEA] legislation passed in the dead of night, the Bush Administration finalized the UIGEA regulations. These so called “midnight rules” are set to go into effect on January 19th, 2009, the day before President-Elect Obama takes office. Even though the President stated many times he was against midnight rulemaking, his actions undermine those words.

Right now, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is preparing for a potential lawsuit against the UIGEA because its vagueness will likely force banks and other payment processors to over-block lawful Internet poker transactions. Thusly, the PPA is looking for a few good men and women to stand with us in a potential lawsuit. As a paid PPA member, your support has been crucial to our successes. The PPA is prepared to underwrite the complete cost of potential litigation we just need members like you to be part of our action.

We are looking for certain characteristics from our members who would be in this potential lawsuit. Firstly, you would incur no legal costs of your own, and would not be in danger of any kind of prosecution for your actions. If you fit the follow characteristics and would be interested in helping, please let me know as soon as possible,

1. Engage regularly and currently in internet poker;

2. Earn money through internet poker–the greater the percentage of one’s total income the better;

3. Report net internet gaming income on one’s federal and state tax returns; and

4. Reside in or game from a state where such activity is not illegal.

Plaintiffs who are required either by circumstance (e.g., care for children) or health (e.g., disabled) to remain at home and who therefore, earn their income solely from internet gaming would be highly desirable. Members of the military stationed in a war zone who engage in internet gaming would also be desirable.

If you are interested in being interviewed by PPA’s legal counsel to serve as a plaintiff in this potential case send us an email at uigealitigation@pokerplayersalliance.org. You must include the following information in your email, and a member of our legal team will contact you.

Name

Contact Phone Number

State of Residence

Date of Birth

Thanks so much, and I look forward to standing up to this injustice with you.

Proud to Play,
Alfonse D’Amato, Chairman
Poker Players Alliance

Naturally I would love to be party to this suit. It’s been too long since I’ve been involved in some civil jurisprudence — fun! However, items 2, 3, and 4 might leave me unqualified. Not only do I show net losses for my play online, but also I’m not even clear on how legal or illegal playing online is in Nevada.

POKER’S PREMIERE EVENT ENJOYS SIGNIFICANT AUDIENCE INCREASE ON ESPN

As Denmark’s Peter Eastgate became the youngest champion ever in front of a packed house in Las Vegas, nearly 2.4 million viewers were tuned into ESPN’s groundbreaking same-day coverage of the World Series of Poker, presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light on Tuesday, November 11.

The telecast earned a 1.9 rating, up 46% from 1.3 for the final showdown in 2007, and represents 1,905,000 homes and 2,364,000 viewers in the average minute. Those are increases of 53% in homes (from 1,249,000) and 52% among viewers (from 1,552,000).

For the 2008 season’s schedule of 32 shows, averages were 0.9 rating, 919,000 homes and 1,126,000 people, up 13% among homes (from 815,000) and 15% among viewers (from 981,000).
Eastgate, 22, of Odense, Denmark, shattered Phil Hellmuth’s record as youngest champion of the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament by two years. Hellmuth was 24 when he won in 1989.

ADDENDUM: Commish Jeffrey P’s bloggage on the overall success.

Book 4: WSOP Final Table
Episode 4.14: That’s a Wrap 3:49