Lawsuits and bankruptcies are a corporate voyeur’s dream. Legal disclosures offer an upskirt peak at a company’s financial panties. In the case of Federated Sports & Gaming, parent of the troubled Epic Poker League, bankruptcy filings reveal a full-fledged internet domain-name fetish. Literally hundreds of domain names were listed among Federated’s personal property … and in that list, perhaps, lies a bigger story about Epic’s intent.

Companies often buy variants of their own domain names to foil malicious cyber squatters and aid surfers prone to typos and spelling errors. This explains why Federated bought epicpoker.us, epicpoker.xxx, eepicpoker.com and eapicpoker.com along with its primary domain name, epicpoker.com. 

Perhaps proving Federated was more psychic than solvent, epicpokerfail.com and epicpokerfailure.com were among the company’s portfolio of web properties. Of course my favorite was fuckepicpoker.com.

And why epicpokerstars.com but no epicfulltiltpoker.com?

It’s hard to know whether names like epicbridge.com, epiccasino.com, epiccheckers.com and epicsportsbook.com represent Federated’s expansion plans, reveal a business model dependent on online gambling legalization, or was just the results of a bad case of domain-name OCD. 

The list goes on and on — everything from palmspoker.eu, .net, and .co.uk to epicscotch/rum/tequila.com — and you can only wonder what market verticals Epic was thinking about when they locked down ticklemedanny.com.

But particularly curious are dozens of web addresses starting with “wicked” — wickedpoker.com, wickedchess.com, wickedbasketball.com, etc. Since Federated isn’t based in Boston, this presumably has something to do with the talented boys over at Wicked Chops Poker. No wonder their coverage of the #EpicFail has been so … well … I hear they had to take last week off just to search for the near-NSFW pics to pair with their story of who ultimately got who’s what in the end.

Read the relevant bankruptcy court document here.

UPDATE: Wicked Chops apparently has more to say on this matter — and they’re naming names! Not just domain names, but real human ones too.

At the time, many wondered if this marked the end of online poker, which had been booming at a rate that woulda had virtually the entire planet + Jupiter playing by now. Ironically, what was supposed to be a death knell for online poker would actually be what made several of my friends and colleagues (temporarily) rich … and the principals of Full Tilt and PokerStars and Ultimate Bet (momentarily, in the scheme of things) extremely powerful.

Let’s have a little flashback, shall we … to slightly more innocent-til-proven-guilty times … commemorating this uber-significant day in poker history:

Poker Faces in the Crowd
October 16, 2006

Online poker is kinda-sorta illegal now. Pokerati wanted to know America’s thoughts … so we asked the question, How has the new law affected you?

Jennifer Cortez
Account executive

“I think it’s just wonderful. My boyfriend played that PartyPoker like all the time. But now we will be able to see the latest Jennifer Aniston movie, and we can take more walks while holding hands. Do you know how many baby showers we’ve missed because Christopher was ‘near the bubble’?”

Ghassan Abdulhamid Bibi
Starbuck’s barista

“This is total bullshit! I have been playing AQpoker.com step tournaments for two years in an effort to qualify for the WSOP and help Al Qaeda make enough money to purchase nuclear weapons from North Korea. The plan to sneak them through America’s weak ports was almost ready to go, but now we have been foiled again. Damn you George Bush! Allah Akbar al-Poker!”

Maurice Nelson
Quadriplegic

“The new law is clearly discriminatory and violates my rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s hard to play in a casino when you can’t use your arms.”

Mrs. Michalski
Occasional Pokerati reader

“Dan, I know you’re upset, hon, but try to see the bright side. I think this will be really good for you, because from what I’ve read on the internet, you almost always lose at poker. Will you be coming over for Thanksgiving?”

“Choad”
Official ferret of Kappa Alpha, University of Arkansas

“Uh, poker what? I have no idea. Why are you asking me? I am frickin’ ferret. Look, over there, socks!

Jeffrey Schmollack
Fake WSOP Commissioner

“Off the record? We’re talking off the record? OK, dude, let me tell you, this is so awesome. I mean AWEsome! We didn’t have a fucking clue how we were ever going to handle 12,000 [players at the next WSOP]. And let me tell you something else … those online sites … they made a lot of money. Like billions, man. Give us two years and you’ll see, with soft money greasing the right pockets and the Brits out of the equation, it can all belong to Harrah’s. Why do you think we want that WSOP.com website so bad?”

I was working for Party Gaming in 2006, as chief editor of PokerBlog.com … There, albeit briefly, sadly, I had the freedom to hire and deploy a team to write about whatever we wanted, wherever we wanted, and however we wanted … so long as the content was rich with searchable keywords about poker. Or at least that was the plan pre-UIGEA.

In my time with Party, only one post would get pulled from Pokerblog — my semi-satirical response to this brand new industry-altering US law (above). There would be no argument or debate — the order to remove supposedly came from the very top, Mitch Garber, Party’s relatively new CEO.

“Just put it on Pokerati if you think it’s that important,” my boss in London relented.

Which I did, eventually no longer scratching my head as to why that post may have been such a big deal.

EpicPoker.com … and @EpicPokerLeague.

OK … Epic.

Dude, where’s my card? The Pokerati in chief wins a satellite into Epic’s $1,500 pro-am. “It was easy. Now I’m a pro.”

I happen to get a near-front row seat, as everything leading up to their first event — a 3-day $1,500 pro-am, August 5-8 — takes place at the Palms, a place where the Pokerati Game, you all know, has found a delightfully raucous, if not cozy home for our brand of “high-stakes action for low-stakes players” in the form of 1/2 NLH/PLO.

It should be an up-close look at one of the more interesting side stories of the 2011 WSOP — the birthing of Jeffrey Pollack and Annie Duke’s poker lovechild emergence of a new professional poker league … a difficult labor to be sure!

Meanwhile, in my initial exploration of Epic (before I even understood how “Epic” it would be) … I happened to win a satellite this weekend into the first $1,500 event. So now I’m a pro, obv! I’ll get an even closer look — behind the rails with actual chips in play — at how this league is really taking shape, what it means for players looking at it as a vehicle for future poker success, and even though I never wanted to be a real poker pro … a chance to more legitimately claim status as a card-carrying pro at stake.

A fancy Pokerati sign inside @PalmsPokerRm had me feeling like a big swingin' dick until Annie Duke had to show me hers was bigger than mine.

I’ll be playing in a satellite for Annie Duke’s and Jeffrey Pollack’s $20k pro-am event tonight, at the Palms, starting at 7pm. I hope you are busy and can’t show up. Come by later for 1/2 NLH/PLO, sure … the Pokerati action @PalmsPokerRm has been bumpin’ all summer … but at 7 is the Federated satellite, and I probably like my chances better without you there.

Official qualifier info here.

It’s a $340 buy-in, with 20 percent of the field winning seats into a Federated 1500 later this month (or next?), with that event putting players into the Federated $20k Pro-Am. I think that’s how it works … I dunno, you better stay away until I make sure.

Federated’s first attempt for qualifiers didn’t go so well, as our good friends at Wicked Chops pointed out — only three people showed! Not necessarily surprising for a still forming league; it’s kinda hard to draw people to a qualifier for something that hasn’t ever happened before — no matter how big the names are behind it. The WSOP ran for I think like 11 years before they started filling satellites.

But tonight, our other good friends at the Palms Poker Room are guaranteeing not only 1 seat for every 5 players, but also 1 minimum no matter how few buy-in. That, of course, is why I’m playing tonight. By my math, if no one else is there tonight, I win!

The grand prize, of course is that $20k seat, where I’ll be able to play against big-name pros and hardcore grinders for $10 million!!! a six-figure payout and/or a chance to tell many of them en masse once and for all to suck-it!

Ahh, getting ahead of myself here … it’s supposed to be a professional league encouraging fair play, proper behavior, and golf etiquette … so have to wait for the right moment to make my made-for-TV scene.

First I gotta win tonight’s event, where my best shot, frankly, comes by just showing up.

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.)

FEDERATED SPORTS + GAMING UNVEILS QUALIFYING CRITERIA FOR
INAUGURAL SEASON OF NEW PROFESSIONAL POKER LEAGUE 

More than 200 Poker Professionals Eligible to Compete at the Palms Casino Resort

$2,600,000 in Added Prize Money Guaranteed for Rake-Free Events in First Year

 

Los Angeles, CA (May 3, 2011) – Federated Sports and Gaming (FS+G) announced today the criteria for membership in its new professional poker league, along with the roster of 218 players eligible for the 2011-12 inaugural season.

“We are committed to celebrating the world’s best live tournament players in an entirely new way,” said Jeffrey Pollack, Chairman of FS+G. “As we start to fulfill this mission, the first question we had to answer was who made the cut and why. For what could have been a very subjective discussion and debate, we elected to embrace objective data.”

Qualification for membership in the Federated poker league is based on an individual player’s adjusted lifetime earnings in qualifying tournaments; the number of major poker titles he or she has won; and the number of cashes and amount earned since 2008.

These criteria combine to determine eligibility and a player’s card level for league membership. FS+G generally considers qualifying tournaments to be live open events that have a minimum buy-in of $1,500 U.S. (or converted equivalent). Adjusted lifetime earnings are the accumulation of earnings in FS+G qualifying tournaments.

Based on the qualification criteria, players qualify for a Five-Year, Three-Year or Two-Year card. The length of each “card” term – otherwise known as the “exemption period” – is based on the player’s achievement level and the exemption period is the amount of time a qualifying player will be eligible to enter the FS+G professional poker league tournaments before his or her status comes up for review. For example, if a player has a Five-Year card, they will not come up for an eligibility review until the end of 2015-2016 season. For the upcoming 2011-12 season, the professional poker league will make available 27 Five-Year cards, 55 Three-Year cards, and 136 Two-Year-cards.

“Our goal in setting the objective qualifying criteria was to capture the best live tournament players – not a certain set of personalities,” said Annie Duke, Commissioner of the league. “Keeping the league membership small not only ensures the highest quality of tournament play, but also allows FS+G to provide a superior playing experience and outstanding service levels to our members.”

In its inaugural season, 218 players qualify for league membership. Additional players may qualify for 2011-12 league membership through August 1st, 2011 — so the inaugural roster may be expanded, based upon player performance in qualifying tournaments over the summer. There will be no exemptions of any kind for entry into the league, except for the nine temporary, single-event cards awarded through the Pro-Am tournament that precedes each of the four Main Events.

The Federated Sports + Gaming website (www.federatedinc.com) has a complete list of the 218 players who have qualified for the inaugural season of the professional poker league (http://www.federatedinc.com/poker-league/season-one-roster) and the detailed qualifying criteria (http://www.federatedinc.com/poker-league/qualification-criteria).

Some of the legendary players and rising stars that qualify for the league include: Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Carlos Mortensen , Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari , Vivek Rajkumar, Joe Hachem, Allen Cunningham, Tom Dwan, Jason Mercier, Vanessa Selbst, Eugene Katchalov, Andy Lichtenberger, Annette Obrestaad and Daniel Alaei.

“These players are an exciting mix of seasoned veterans and young talent,” said Duke. “They are the best of the best and we congratulate them on their achievements in poker and earning league membership in our inaugural season.”

“This type of league has been a dream of mine for more than 50 years,” said poker icon Doyle Brunson. “I’m honored to be included in this elite group and look forward to the challenge of competing with so many other skilled live tournament players.”

“I’m very happy to be part of the pro poker league because of how well the players are being represented,” said Andy Lichtenberger, who also qualifies for a Two-Year card. “This is the first time we are getting something in return for all that we are putting in.”

FS+G announced today that each of the league’s four rake-free events will feature $400,000 in guaranteed prize pool overlay. Combined with a $1,000,000 free roll championship prize pool, FS+G is guaranteeing $2,600,000 in added prize money to league members in its first year. Details of other benefits to the poker league members will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Palms Casino Resort will host four event weeks in the inaugural season, along with the 2011-12 championship event. The four Main Events will feature different formats of No-Limit Texas Hold’em, including six-handed play, a heads-up tournament with an innovative seeding structure, and a special multi-format tournament to round out the season. Each event week will include a Pro-Am event, a charity tournament, and a $20,000 buy-in Main Event.

Each tournament week at the Palms will begin with a $1,500 Pro-Am event, which is also rake free for league members, in which the top nine finishers will be awarded a temporary league card for that week’s league Main Event. The nine Main Event buy-ins will be withheld from the Pro-Am tournament prize pool and the remaining prize money will be awarded to the top 10% of the Pro-Am players, including the players who are awarded the temporary league cards. The Pro-Am tournament will be open to all players 21 years and older.

2011-12 Federated Sports and Gaming Season I Tournament Schedule

Pro-Am Charity Tournament League Main Event

Event #1 August 5 – 8, 2011 August 7, 2011 August 9 – 12, 2011

Event #2 September 2 – 5, 2011 September 4, 2011 September 6 – 9, 2011

Event #3 December 9 – 12, 2011 December 11, 2011 December 14 – 18, 2011

Event #4 January 27 – 30, 2012 January 29, 2012 February 9 – 12, 2012

Championship —- —- February 13 – 14, 2012

About Federated Sports + Gaming
Federated Sports + Gaming (FS+G) was founded in 2010 to create proprietary world-class sports and gaming brands through the integration of traditional and digital media, including televised events, social media gaming and interactive digital programming. The company breaks new ground in the poker world through its launch of a revolutionary professional poker league in 2011. FS+G will celebrate the world’s top poker players by providing them with the spotlight they have long deserved. FS+G is dedicated to creating new traditions in poker entertainment by providing fans and players with an unmatched poker tournament, poker TV and interactive poker experience. FS+G offices are based out of Los Angeles and Washington D.C. For more information please visit www.federatedinc.com.

About The Palms
The Palms Casino Resort, heralded as one of Las Vegas’ hippest resorts, is an all-encompassing, one-stop destination. Owned by the Maloof family, the boutique property boasts three distinct towers and a diverse mix of bars and restaurants across a 95,000-square-foot casino. Amenities include the legendary Playboy Club; Ghostbar; Rain Nightclub; The Pearl Concert Theater; Moon Nightclub; N9NE Steakhouse; Nove Italiano; Little Buddha; Simon Restaurant & Lounge; The Palms Pool & Bungalows; Palms Spa and AMP Salon; Drift Spa & Hammam; LA Sunset Tan; Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre Cineplex; Huntington Ink Tattoo Lounge; the Fantasy Suites, including the Hardwood Suite, the only hotel room in the world with its own basketball court; and over 60,000 square-feet of meeting space. The Palms has played host to MTV’s Video Music Awards, Real World: Las Vegas and Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown, and E!’s Girls Next Door and Sunset Tan feature the resort on a regular basis. The Palms Casino Resort is located just west of the Las Vegas Strip and I-15 on Flamingo Road. For reservation information, call toll free at (866) PALMS-RES, (866) 725-6773, or visit www.palms.com. For groups of 15 rooms or more, contact the Sales Department at (866) PALMS-MTG or (866) 725-6768.

# # #

Professional Poker League Qualification Fact Sheet

Here are some important facts about the qualification criteria for the new professional poker league:

1. Not all poker tournaments count towards meeting the league eligibility criteria. Only qualifying tournaments count, a poker tournament is considered a “qualifying tournament” if it:
ü Has a buy-in of $1,500 U.S. or more.

ü Is open to the general public. Invitational tournaments qualify as long as members of the public can play their way in through preliminary or satellite events. Seniors, Ladies, Employees, CEO and other special-design events are not qualifying tournaments.

ü Is announced and publicized to the general public at least 30 days prior to the start of the event.

ü Attracts a minimum of 21 players.

2. The following poker tournaments are considered “major” title events (assuming they meet the ‘qualifying tournament’ requirements in point #1)

ü Federated Sports + Gaming Main Events

ü WSOP Las Vegas and WSOP Europe open event with a buy-in of $1,500 US or higher

ü WPT Main Event

ü NAPT Main Event

ü EPT Main Event

ü Aussie Millions Main Event

ü WSOP Circuit Main Event with a buy-in of $5,000 U.S. or higher

ü British Columbia Poker Open

ü European Poker Championships

ü Any tournament with a buy-in of $10,000 US or higher and a field of 100 or more and took place in the year 2001 or after

ü Any tournament with a buy-in of $5,000 US or higher and a field of 100 or more and took place in the year 2000 or before

3. Adjusted lifetime earnings, are the sum of all cashes in qualifying tournaments. A player’s single largest win in a qualifying tournament may be capped if it exceeds the threshold for the player’s applicable card level.

Professional Poker League Qualification Criteria

Qualification for the new professional poker league is based on a player’s performance in qualifying tournaments and measured by a combination of adjusted lifetime earnings; number of major poker titles won; adjusted earnings since January 1, 2008; and, the adjusted number of cashes since January 1, 2008. The criteria for each type of card is as follows (note that all monetary amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars):
Five-Year Card
ü At least $4.0 million in adjusted lifetime earnings, with the single largest win capped at $2.0 million
ü At least 3 major titles
ü At least 9 cashes since January 1, 2008, for a total of at least $600,000 won

Three-Year Card
ü At least $2.5 million in adjusted lifetime earnings, with the single largest win capped at $1.5 million
ü At least 1 major title
ü At least 9 cashes since January 1, 2008, for a total of at least $500,000 won

Two-Year Card
ü At least $2 million in adjusted lifetime earnings, with the single largest win capped at $1 million
ü At least 1 major title
ü At least 6 cashes since January 1, 2008, for a total of at least $300,000 won

Or

ü At least $1.25 million in adjusted lifetime earnings, with the single largest win capped at $750,000
ü At least 9 cashes since January 1, 2008, for a total of $600,000 won

Anyhow, “facts” shmacts … Variety is reporting that Jeffrey Pollack’s new Federated poker league may have found itself a TV partner in CBS — as in the venerable broadcast network.

Episode 34
Rabbit Hunt is back and its an all-news podcast this week. Spartanfox and Tyresias discuss Russ Hamilton’s blowup in Florida, the $100k Challenge at the Aussie Million, Annie Duke and Jeffrey Pollack’s new poker tour, and more!

The Poker Edge:

Fresh off his trip to the Bahamas for the PokerStar Caribbean Adventure Andrew Feldman and Phil Gordon join forces to discuss the biggest hand of heads-up play from the PCA Main Event. Jeffrey Pollack and Annie Duke join the podcast to discuss the details of their new poker league. You can listen to the entire podcast on ESPN.com, or download it directly via iTunes.

The Poker Room Radio Show:

Want to know what is going on in the Florida poker scene? These guys from the Jax Poker Room bring you the latest happenings in Florida along with some other discussion. This week the guys discuss the upcoming Chad Brown NLHE Championship and the tourneys leading up to the Main Event. They close out the show discussing table pet peeves, one of which is eating at the table. You can catch this weeks show online at The Poker Room Radio Show site.

Gambling Tales Podcast Show:

This is a fairly new podcast out there that has a no frills approach. They get right to the subject on hand without all the normal banter and poker news that can be found on most other podcast. This week “Short-Stacked Shamus” joins the host to discuss the the novel King of a Small World by Rick Bennet. Shamus reads a passage from the book followed by the crew having a short discussion. If you are looking for a short podcast to get you from home to work this would be a great addition. You can either listen to the show on the Gambling Tells Podcast site or download it directly from iTunes.

He’s founded a new California company — Federated Sports+Gaming — with Annie Duke on the executive team and serving as commissioner of the poker league, which promises to be a professionals-only set-up. Duke resigned from the WSOP’s event-steering Players Advisory Committee two months ago and last month renounced her relationship with UB, the most notoriously beleaguered online poker site in history.

According to @OskarGarcia from the Associated Press:

The yet-to-be-named league is planning four televised regular-season events plus a $1 million championship freeroll at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas this year, league executives said.

“This is incredibly pro-centric,” Duke told The Associated Press. “This is the one piece that’s kind of missing from the poker landscape right now, which is something for the best players in the world to compete against the best players in the world.”

Should be interesting to see who, by Federated’ new definition, qualify as pros … with one obvious litmus test being will @donkeybomber be able to secure his card?

Corporately, Duke is an executive vice president of Federated Sports+Gaming’s, though not a member of its board of directors. The others on Pollack’s team come from YouBet.com, the biggest legal online gaming company based in the US, which was recently acquired by Churchill Downs, the publicly traded online gaming outpost for Kentucky’s horse-race industry. Others on Pollack’s executive team share varying degrees from Northwestern University, to which I say, um … Go Cats!

Pollack, serving as chairman of Federated, maintains his position as executive chairman of PBR, which real cowboys will tell you is very different from traditional “rodeo”. Read below for his full statement announcing his reburstage onto the poker scene:

Tue, 01/18/2011
Welcome Message from Jeffrey Pollack

We may be a new company, but Federated Sports + Gaming is built on a timeless value: putting people first.

Our ground-breaking poker league will put professional players first and celebrate the stars of this great game like never before. As in any other endeavor, the world’s best talent deserves the spotlight and poker is no different. Federated Sports + Gaming will provide a custom-tailored tournament experience that clearly demonstrates how poker professionals lead the industry and are skilled in a way that is rare and worthy of special attention.

The television and media coverage of our tournaments will focus on poker professionals — making them the rule, not the exception — and it will put viewers and fans first with great story telling and a level of production that elevates the game of poker and honors its most talented and compelling personalities. Led by highly acclaimed and Emmy® Award winning creative talent, our programming will provide an ideal showcase for the world’s best poker players and carry forward a tradition of excellence shared among established, elite sporting events.

Federated social media games will also break new ground and put online players first with a superior experience that is fun and simplified. And, we will provide great customer service every step of the way and build an online gaming environment that is safe and secure.

Along the way, we will partner with companies that share our passion and values and also put people first – both their customers and employees. For our own part, I know that we have assembled an executive team at Federated that is replete with experience, insight, perspective and a fierce desire to work as we live – with integrity, honesty, transparency and a keen sense of humor. Our people rock and have a wealth of experience in sports management and media, entertainment, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, and legal online gaming.

When I took the helm of the World Series of Poker in 2005, a smart media executive said to me, “Always remember, it’s just poker” and suggested that the game never be taken too seriously. Well, we are serious about treating poker professionals with the respect they deserve and we are serious about our mission. But, we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way and I invite you to join us.

Welcome to a new way of doing business in the sports and gaming industry, and to a company that puts people first.

Welcome to Federated!

Jeffrey N. Pollack

Co-Founder and Chairman

The Poker Beat: July 22, 2010

Rookie twitterer @GaryWise1 took his turn in Capt. Huff’s chair as @BJNemeth and @JessWelman panel-bantered about:

• The pre-markup hearing in DC with Annie Duke
• Make-up of the 2010 November Nine
• The value, if any, of poker agents — and how the WSOP accommodates them during the main event
• BJ’s philosophical non-dilemma over coverage of Matt Affleck’s emotional bustout *
• The difference between poker media and poker journalism
• The Year of Mizrachi and the accidental WTF? of the current WSOP Player of the Year scoring system
• Annette Obrestad’s B- performance
• The 3-headed Monster of Team WSOP without @JeffreyPollack
• WSOP numbers and final table times

* great explanation, BJ. But question … Is there any discernable line where the “field of play” in poker begins, and ends?

Other episode-relevant links:

The Redemption of Matt Affleck by Gary Wise
The Long, Lonely Walk of Matt Affleck by Howard Swains (with photos by Joe Giron)

Next ep coming tomorrow. Play along in the PokerRoad forums.

But a few others that you may wanna be sure to add for the main event and beyond include:

@Tom_Dwan — the real durrrr is now tweeting, and turns out he’s pretty good at keepin’ it real in 140 characters or less.

@JeffreyPollack — the former WSOP commish has resurfaced on the internet with warm wishes. Good to see him around WSOP parts again, albeit slightly removed.

@RioVegas — if the suits @Harrahs have done one thing right, it’s hire a good social media dude for The Rio who has proven surprisingly responsive and capable of putting smart tweeters in touch with the right people when necessary.

@TheRealAsianSpa — not sure if this is an alterego to the most vitriolic (but informed) poker hater on twitter or what … but either way, apparently @AsianSpa has taken the ways of @SamChauhan’s @PositiveReport to heart and can’t help but look at everything #WSOP as benefitting from a happy ending.

@GamingCounsel — was hoping others might not notice the Canadian attorney who’s proven a great source on the latest legal developments in the gambling world … but now my competitive colleagues all follow him, so if you care about poker laws, you should, too.

@TheGroupie — she’s just a poker fangirl who’s not in Vegas, but met this 20something poker-playing figure-skater PhD @riovegas just the other week, and for some reason couldn’t stop staring at her tweets.

@OskarGarcia — the AP’s Vegas-based reporter covering gaming is putting in some extra time at the WSOP.

@PUNTE — Josh Zerkle is a professional sports and social media-y kinda guy @WithLeather, and is keeping his WSOP micro-thoughts and observations here.

There … all those should do you extra-well. Feel free to leave any others @’s you think Pokeratizens and assorted poker fans might not wanna be missing this July in the comments.

Will make some calls to find out if he’ll be in charge of running Mexican Sweat Poker, launching a new age for what has always been a favorite event for children and fans of rodeo clowns in general. Until then … the link above will take you to the business brief in USA Today. And click below for the full press release from the PBR:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PBR Enhances Leadership Structure

PUEBLO, Colo. (June 1, 2010) – The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) on Tuesday announced three important changes to its senior leadership structure.

First, Jeffrey Pollack has been elected to the PBR Board of Directors as Executive Chairman and will immediately take an active role in leading the PBR board and senior management team into a new phase of global competition, brand and business growth.

Most recently, Pollack was President and Commissioner of the World Series of Poker. Under his leadership since 2005, the WSOP was fundamentally reinvented as a business, transformed into a worldwide sports and entertainment phenomenon, and crossed the $1 billion mark in total prize money awarded.

Pollack, a two-time Emmy® Award winner, has also worked in senior capacities for NASCAR and the National Basketball Association, and was founding President and Publisher of The Sports Business Daily.

“I’m honored to join the board of directors of this exciting sport,” said Pollack. “My goal is to help the PBR build on its proven track record of success, reach out to new fans globally, and further celebrate the world’s best bull riding competition.”

Second, Sean Gleason, a 10-year executive of the PBR and current COO, now adds the title of PBR President. Gleason’s new responsibilities will include Co-Chairing the PBR Competition and Conduct Committees. He will also represent the PBR on the board of directors of ABBI, the world’s leading registry and services organization for bucking bulls.

“The PBR is experiencing its 16th consecutive year of unprecedented growth and our future is very bright,” said Gleason. “I’m thrilled to be a part of that future and look forward to working with Jeffrey, Spire Capital and the board as we create new opportunities for the sport.”

Third, Ty Murray, one of the 20 original cowboys who founded the PBR in 1992 — and one of the sport’s most celebrated and legendary riders — has been named Co-Chair of the PBR Competition and Conduct Committees, along with Gleason. Murray, PBR co-founder and member of the board of directors, will continue to serve as a board advisor, global PBR brand ambassador, sport commentator and host of the annual Ty Murray Invitational. Cody Lambert, PBR founder, board advisor and executive, will also continue his active involvement with the Competition Committee.

“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to do for this sport in the past 18 years, and I’m as passionate about it now as I’ve ever been,” said Murray. “There’s still enormous potential, and I believe with this team in place, we’ll continue to grow the sport, brick by brick, for both our fans and the riders.

“Cody and I are fully committed to the organization and its future, and are excited about the new leadership and the opportunities ahead of us,” said Murray

“These changes enhance and solidify the leadership structure of the PBR,” said Rick Patterson, Chairman of the PBR and Principal of Spire Capital Partners, the majority investor in the PBR.

“Jeffrey has a proven track record of innovation in the sports and entertainment industry and his insights and leadership will help guide the PBR’s continued growth in the U.S and abroad.” said Patterson. “Sean is a key leader of the PBR operations and his elevated position and board roles reflect our recognition of the growth of his broader executive responsibilities at the PBR. Ty continues to be the leading ambassador of the PBR around the world. His commitment to protecting the sport’s history and heritage have been invaluable to the PBR and he is a distinguished leader to each member of the board and
sport.”

About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR):
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on Versus, NBC, CBS and on television networks around the world. With approximately 400 hours of prime time programming annually, the PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air. The PBR attracts nearly two million live event attendees each year to its marquee Built Ford Tough Series and the PBR Touring Pro Division. More than 1,200 PBR bull
riders compete every year in approximately 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The PBR was nominated as 2010 Sports League of the Year at the Sports Business Journal Sports Business Awards alongside the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.

For more on the PBR, please visit www.pbr.com, www.teampbr.com, www.pbr.tv,
www.myspace.com/teampbr, twitter.com/teampbr, or www.pbr.com/worldfinals/.

###

]]> http://pokerati.com/2010/05/jeffrey-pollack-takes-on-leadership-role-with-pbr/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-gets-sasquatched-isildur-wreaking-havoc-the-poker-beat/ http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-gets-sasquatched-isildur-wreaking-havoc-the-poker-beat/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:10:40 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=13814 On last week’s episode, we took a deeper look at Jeffrey Pollack’s split with the WSOP, discussed what Joe Cada may or may not mean for poker, speculated wildly on WhoTF this Isildur1 character is … and then they turned to the Wolfman for an update on all things UIGEA, where my take was pretty much: Dec. 1 … I dunno … your guess as good as mine! But could Isildur really be Darvin Moon?

on PokerRoad

The Poker Beat
Huff, Caldwell, Nemeth, Wise, Michalski, Stapleton
11/19/09

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-gets-sasquatched-isildur-wreaking-havoc-the-poker-beat/feed/ 2 http://pokerati.com/2009/11/re-jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-wicked-chops-poker-exclusive-interview/ http://pokerati.com/2009/11/re-jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-wicked-chops-poker-exclusive-interview/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:19:34 +0000 Kevin Mathers http://pokerati.com/?p=13570 The folks over at Wicked Chops Poker were lucky enough to get an interview with the outgoing Jeffrey Pollack, now former WSOP Commissioner on Friday. All three parts of the interview are now online, as the interview was held in the Pavillion Ballroom, home of PokerPalooza! earlier this year and what is likely to be part of the larger footprint of the 2010 WSOP:

Watch Interview With Former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack Part 1 on RawVegas.tv

Click below for parts 2 and 3.

Watch Interview With Former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack Part 2 on RawVegas.tv

Watch Interview With Former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack Part 3 on RawVegas.tv

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/11/re-jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-wicked-chops-poker-exclusive-interview/feed/ 6 http://pokerati.com/2009/11/jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-harrahs-interactive-says-no-plans-to-replace-commish/ http://pokerati.com/2009/11/jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-harrahs-interactive-says-no-plans-to-replace-commish/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:30:32 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=13514

photo: BJ Nemeth

A shocker but not really … Jeffrey Pollack and Harrah’s are breaking up.

The WSOP Commissioner, President, and Twitterer in Chief‘s last day with Harrah’s and the World Series is today.

“I’ve made the decision after four years of successfully leading the WSOP as a global sports and entertainment property,” he says. “[Today] is my last day. Friday the 13th.”

Pollack — who has never played a poker tournament — took over the reigns shortly after the 2005 WSOP, the first year Harrah’s ran the 35-year-old tournament series bought from Binion’s.

The list of accomplishments under his aegis include drawing more competitors from more countries (putting it on par with the Olympics in terms of numbers), supporting women in poker, helping Don Cheadle and Annie Duke build Ante Up for Africa into a Hollywood A-list charity event, and working closely with players (via the Players Advisory Council) to steadily improve what is undeniably the biggest and arguably the best annual festival of poker tournaments in the world. He credits his team for incorporating TV broadcasting (most recently securing a new long-term contract with ESPN), new media, sponsorship, licensing, and summer-time side events that have made the Rio a real home for the WSOP and part of sure-to-endure poker lore.

“I’ve achieved everything I set out to do and more,” Pollack says.

WSOP 2005

WSOP 2006

photos:
Flipchip / LasVegasVegas

WSOP 2009

In his 4 1/2 year stint, Pollack shepherded the World Series through it’s biggest boom year, 2006, and then its recovery period after the UIGEA. In 2008, WSOP-parent Harrah’s went from a publicly traded company to a private one, and in May of this year, created a new corporate step-parent — Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment — with attorney-turned online gambling exec Mitch Garber at the helm.

“All organizations change over the years,” Pollack says.

The new boss, Garber, of course, has navigated through the same turbulent industry waters … as the former CEO of PartyGaming (the WSOP’s biggest online gaming partner in 2006) and before that as Executive Chairman of FirePay and president and CEO of its parent, Optimal Group, an online gambling payment processor that settled two weeks ago with the US government for pre-UIGEA transgressions for $19.2 million.

A WSOP spokesman says: “We appreciate Jeffrey’s contributions over the past four years and wish him the best in the future. The World Series of Poker remains the market leader with this year’s tournament exceeding all expectations, and we are well positioned for the future. There is no intention at this time to replace the Commissioner role.”

Pollack describes the split amongst suits as amicable but “bittersweet”. The team he worked with — Ty Stewart, Seth Palansky, Craig Abrahams, Jack Effel, and many others — are all staying on board. Pollack is not sure what he will do next. He says possibilities include media, sports, entertainment, poker, and gaming.

“I’m very bullish on the future of poker. The industry is just hitting its stride,” he says.

“Maybe I’ll even play the main event next year.”

---

Read Wicked Chops for more on JP’s tenure at the WSOP.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/11/jeffrey-pollack-bids-farewell-to-the-wsop-harrahs-interactive-says-no-plans-to-replace-commish/feed/ 26 http://pokerati.com/2009/11/november-nine-prep-day/ http://pokerati.com/2009/11/november-nine-prep-day/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:25:27 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=13093 World Series bossman Jeffrey Pollack scoping out the scene during setup at the WSOPenn-and-Teller Theater:

Watch Jeffrey Pollack Vlog: Setting the Table at WSOP 2009 on RawVegas.tv

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/11/november-nine-prep-day/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-moon-and-begleiter-appear-on-cnbc/ http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-moon-and-begleiter-appear-on-cnbc/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:06:19 +0000 Kevin Mathers http://pokerati.com/?p=13077 CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell has been very busy today reporting from the Penn & Teller Theatre at the Rio as ESPN and the WSOP staff are busy preparing the final table to resume Saturday at 12 noon Pacific time.

Rovell has done brief interviews with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, chip leader Darvin Moon, and former Bear Sterns executive Steve Begleiter. The Pollack interview appears below, with the other two interviews after the jump:

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/11/pollack-moon-and-begleiter-appear-on-cnbc/feed/ 5 http://pokerati.com/2009/10/espn-november-nine-conference-call/ http://pokerati.com/2009/10/espn-november-nine-conference-call/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:59:39 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=12752 ESPN had a little tele-press conference about the upcoming coverage of the WSOP November Nine. ESPN’s chief Flack George McNeilly moderated the call, and on it taking questions were Norman Chad, Lon McEachorn and Doug White, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

(Jeffrey Pollack bowed out with regrets, apparently claiming “tummy-ache”/swine flu.)

For a little preview of what’s in store — from the perspective of storylines, production, and a wee-bit of Darvin Moon sponsorship business …

ESPN 2009 WSOP Main Event Final Table Media Cattle Conference Call
Oct 29 2009
McNeilly, McEachern, Chad, White, et al.

download

SPOILER ALERT: More heads-up coverage, table/stage a bit closer to the crowd, welcome to the show ESPN Inside Deal, and play along online at ESPN.com. Go Phil Ivey or Darvin Moon, and really any of the other guys, too! Akenhead is kinda a funny last name. Presented by Jack’s Links Beef Jerky, yum. Let’s dance.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/10/espn-november-nine-conference-call/feed/ 2 http://pokerati.com/2009/10/re-phil-hellmuth-vs-harrahs/ http://pokerati.com/2009/10/re-phil-hellmuth-vs-harrahs/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:59:26 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=12204 OK, I swear we’re going to stop making this blog PhilHellmutherati. But here’s more of the Champ, speaking to the French media about his concerns that Harrah’s forthcoming online poker site could do damage to the WSOP.

You can find the whole show here.

http://pokerati.com/podcast/benjo-hellmuth.mp3

(English starts once Hellmuth gets on the phone.)

Beyond his repeated request for more food and cheaper rooms (previously Hellmuth was seeking “free”), he actually raises some good points, which seem to tie in with his November Nine coaching client’s WSOP beefs.

What he states is fact when acknowledging that a Harrah’s online poker site potentially puts the WSOP in competition with money that has really supported the World Series since it became a Harrah’s property.

He also reiterates his love for Jeffrey Pollack and Ty Stewart, while sending a message plea to their corporate overlords:

“Don’t take us for granted, Harrah’s!

If they do, then they’re in for a fight …

Nice job by Benjo.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/10/re-phil-hellmuth-vs-harrahs/feed/ 2 http://pokerati.com/2009/09/phil-hellmuth-fires-first-shot-at-harrahsthreatens-wsop-secession/ http://pokerati.com/2009/09/phil-hellmuth-fires-first-shot-at-harrahsthreatens-wsop-secession/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:02 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=12049 “Mark my words,” he says.

Phil Hellmuth — fresh off the announcement of his coaching relationship with Harrah’s-hater Jeff Shulman and apparently still on tilt about having to pay for his own room at the WSOP this summer — appeared on the Hardcore Poker Show today (on the internet and Sirius 98) to reveal a Glenn-Beckish unease amongst some big-time pros about the WSOP’s intent to launch its own online poker site … and hints that Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Ultimate Bet might be talking about colluding cooperating to start their own WSOP alternative … a move he suggests could make the WSOP “worth nothing”.

Phil Hellmuth on Hardcore Sports Radio – excerpts
Sep 23 2009

“There’s a huge battle brewing …”

Find the whole interview here.

In addition to the warning, Hellmuth calls out Harrah’s for “not giving any of [money] back to the players” and takes a pop at Jeffrey Pollack for not reassuring him that everything is gonna to be alright; but it seems, without naming names, that his fear and vitriol is really directed at Mitch Garber — FTP, Stars, and UB’s old rival at PartyPoker, who’s never really played nice with any of them before.

My question: How did UB outplay Doyle’s Room for third position in the unofficial alliance of American-friendly online poker rooms?

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/09/phil-hellmuth-fires-first-shot-at-harrahsthreatens-wsop-secession/feed/ 48