A 44-year-old man allegedly tried to extort PokerListings for nearly $2 million; the site’s murdered cofounder, Andreas Oscarsson, was to testify against him this week on aggravated racketeering charges. The unidentified man claims he was working for operatives of billionaire Stefan Bengtsson, an early investor in PokerListings and one of the richest men in Sweden — supposedly trying to collect promised monies withheld after passage of the UIGEA.

At least that’s what we can tell from Swedish-to-English Google translations … should be interesting to see what comes out in the extortion and racketeering trial, which may or may not have provided a motive for killing Oscarsson this past summer.

Haley Hintze (former editor of PokerNews) is following the story closely, and she’s dug up the latest from Swedish press (and 2+2). Highlights from her work below, along with a few more clicks worth of info about some of the characters emerging in this tragic tale of a boomtime poker media pioneer who became somebody’s target and a violent casualty after the online affiliate bubble burst.

Plausibly important allegations, defenses, and partially verified connections:

(financial numbers based on current kronor-to-dollar rates of exchange)

• It’s common practice in the Swedish press not to name accused criminals until after a verdict is reached; hence the defendant on trial for allegedly trying to extort Andreas Oscarsson (and others?) is known as just the 44-year-old man.
• The 44-year-old claims he was working on behalf of a company owned by Stefan Bengtsson, trying to collect $2 million Oscarsson and PokerListings may or may not have owed to them.
• Bengtsson invested about $250,000 into PokerListings in 2003. He was set to cash out for more than $7 million in 2006. But then came the UIGEA, and he received only $5 million for his shares.
• Police say the indicted 44-year-old started by contacting Oscarsson’s finance people, demanding the $2 million difference. He once showed up unannounced at a PokerListings financial advisor’s home with his demands.
• He soon, allegedly, began threatening Oscarsson via phone calls and text messages.
• The 44-year-old brought Thomas Möller, former president of the Swedish Hells Angels, to a meeting with PokerListings finance agents .
• Möller was president of the Hells Angels during the Great Nordic Biker War in the mid-’90s — a three-year gang battle across Scandinavia resulting in 11 dead and 96 wounded.
• Möller has not been accused of any crimes in connection with this case.
• As the 44-year-old’s extortion/collection efforts were underway, one of Andreas Oscarsson’s advisors was shot in the leg while getting the newspaper outside his house. Two men were arrested and later sentenced for this shooting.
• Bengtsson denies any involvement, and has renounced all financial claims against Oscarsson and PokerListings.
• Bengstonn was a major investor in the International biz-pol-culture rag, Monocle, which launched in 2007.
• Bengtsson, 37, is the nephew of Stefan Persson, 62.
• Persson is a second-generation Swedish fashion magnate and philanthropist — and the 18th richest person in the world.
• Bengtsson is heir to the H&M fortune; his car collection includes a Koenigsegg, Audi A7 4.2 TDI, BMW Z8, Lamborghini Murcielago, Audi A6 Avant, Lamborghini Gallardo, and a Bentley Continental GT.
• He is not a suspect in this case nor Oscarsson’s murder.
• Another Andreas Oscarsson was shot to death a few months earlier in the same town; Swedish police have deemed it a case of mistaken identity.
• Swedish police say they still have no suspects in the murder of PokerListings’ Andreas Oscarsson.
• 95 percent of violent crimes in Sweden go unsolved.

McDaniel.

Bosch.

James McDaniel gets sentenced today. McDaniel, of course, is the smooth-talking, purple-suit-wearing rogue Dallas underground-poker-room-operator/drug-dealer convicted in June for contributing to the overdose death of SMU coed Meaghan Bosch. Good money says he will go to prison for the rest of his life … as he was already on parole after serving 20 years for the murder of a former Dallas cop before he got into the underground poker scene. Jurors in the Bosch case were not told his past murder conviction, nor were they allowed to consider allegations from up to a dozen young women claiming they were drugged and raped inside his poker room, some of them apparently on video.

UPDATE: McDaniel did indeed get life. He is currently in custody at Seagoville’s federal prison, but will likely be sent to a less comfortable state prison to finish out his old murder sentence before being sent back to Seagoville for his time on Bosch’s death.

Oscarsson.

Meanwhile, Swedish police are still looking for clues around Europe in the murder of PokerListings founder Andreas Oscarsson. They’ve concluded that indeed his killing was carefully planned by a professional hitman — with his family home fully staked out, exits noted, etc. … allowing the killer to break into the house and fire six silenced shots into Oscarsson and then leave without waking his six family members also asleep in the house that night. And while no motive has been disclosed, apparently investigators have unearthed at least a few death threats against him. and possibly have ruled out some Latvians.

Click here and here for Google translations of the latest from Hungarian news reports.

Dean.

Urch.

And Daniel Dean will get a new trial in the death of fellow amateur poker player Mark Urch. The two players were involved in a drunken dispute over hands in an Australian amateur pub tourney, and when they took matters outside, Dean leveled Urch with a single punch to the head, a blow that caused his death a couple days later. Australian courts sentenced Dean to seven years for manslaughter (eligible for release in May 2011). However, an appeals court threw out the conviction last month and ordered a retrial, on the grounds that the judge may have misinformed the jury about provocation and self-defense matters of law.

There’s a Daniel Dean support group on Facebook.

The father of Andreas Oscarsson, the PokerListings cofounder murdered in Sweden two months ago, says his son was the victim of a professional hit. He spoke on Swedish TV (their equivalent of America’s Most Wanted, I believe) in hopes that the public can help police solve this crime.

Apparently there was almost no evidence left behind.

Oscarsson, of course, was one of the biggest success stories of the international online poker boom — not as a player, but in helping bring players to online sites — and he accumulated vast wealth in a relatively short period of time. The semi-retired poker affiliate kingpin was on a brief holiday to his family home in Sweden this past August when an unknown assailant quietly broke into the house. He was shot six times with what investigators believe was a silencer-capped pistol as his wife, parents, and two-year-old son slept.

Hear Oscarsson’s father in his own (chilling) words:

download

You don’t need to speak Swedish to kinda-sorta understand what this is really all about …

Click below for two recent stories (Google translations) about the highest-stakes murder the Swedes have seen in a long while … one police do not seem close to solving.

“Proffs mördade min son”

“Professionals murdered my son ‘

In the evening he comes up on TV3′s program was called – the father of the 36-year-old businessman in the poker industry, who were murdered in the childhood home of Skoftebyns in Trollhättan on tredje August.

“This is a professional job”

The father hopes that television appearance could lead to police find those who murdered his son. For he is convinced that more than one person behind the murder.

- There is no behind, instigator of the murder. I am absolutely convinced, “says the father.
The police have told him that his son was six shots and that the gun had a silencer, and he thinks it is a professional assassin who is behind the murder.

- They have rekat here in advance, the thing I am absolutely convinced.
The father believed that it was his son’s fortune, which made him a target. This or that the assassination will be a revenge for something.

Pokermord tas upp i tv

Poker Murder raised on television

Six weeks after the murder of a 36-year-old man in his parents’ home in Skoftebyns in Trollhättan police are still no clear traces of what police believe may have been a contract killings, carried out by a hired killer. Tonight appears the father was assassinated in TV3′s program was called.

Television program takes up the case while very appreciative memory of the murdered Andreas Oscarsson from Trollhättan in recent days been reading both in several local newspapers and in national press. It describes 36-year-old of his friends from childhood, student and business community as very well-liked and popular, a generous, cheerful and very multifaceted person.

Father’s appearance in Wanted is in the hope that more people should be able to contribute with tips to the police to clear up the murder. The father is involved in a recorded element with distorted voice and no picture. He tells Swedish Radio West that it is prudent.

Because police believe that there is a contract killings, is in the circle of relatives of murdered worried. His two-year son, who was the grandfather of the villa in Skoftebyns in Trollhättan at the murder, is back with her mother in the United States.

Andreas Oscarsson managed by six shots. Murder weapon was probably a gun with a silencer, since neither his dad or neighbors in the densely populated residential area awoke.

The intent would be to raise capital in preparation for all sorts of crazy consolidation and forthcoming acquisitions in the online gambling sector.

At least one Betfair exec dismisses the talk as little more than speculation, despite meetings with Credit Suisse and other banking advisors that have the European financial press getting their knickers in a bunch as “companies seek to position themselves to enter the world’s biggest gambling market.” Should the rumored floatation happen, it would be the first major listing on the London Stock Exchange since the global economic collapse.

$400k HORSE

At the same time, Betfair last week made another move toward American soil by pledging $400,000 to the New York (Horse) Racing Association as an overlay should two specific horses face off against each other in October at Belmont Park:

Rachel Alexandra, the first filly to win the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown since 1924, has won her last eight races. Zenyatta is undefeated in 12 career starts, including the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic.

LOL, I didn’t even realize they had ladies events in horse racing!

Across the Chunnel: Refashioning French Poker

Arnault.

Betfair also just got themselves approved to enter France’s online gambling market, which is set to open next year … apparently with some nice poker-friendly alterations to the rake. (The new French law originally had players paying tax on every bet and raise, on every street … which can totally screw with your pot-odds calculations!) Helping get Betfair to the front of the French licensing line, with a better rake structure no less? Heavy lobbying efforts from billionaire bling merchant Bernard Arnault, CEO of Louis Vuitton, 10 percent owner of Betfair, and the 15th richest person in the world.

New-and-improved Yahoo! Poker Coming Soon

We’re talking Yahoo! Uk & Ireland, of course, not Yahoo! USA. The British arm of the web behemoth just re-upped its partnership with GTech G2, for two years, to provide real-money gaming options — and part of that deal includes plans to unveil a fully downloadable real-money Yahoo! poker room, not just the (lame) in-browser version currently available.

Magazine Moguls Jump into Mobile Gambling

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan recently said that the biggest threat to established online gaming brands comes from major media outlets, not current competitors. And sure enough … Dennis Publishing — the mega-magazine company behind Maxim, MacUser, Computer Shopper, Bizarre, Men’s Fitness, and more than a dozen other publications (including PokerPlayer, Inside Poker Business, and Stacked) — just launched its Monkey Mobile Casino, offering real-money online gambling on handheld devices. (The current issue of Monkey, fwiw, features a picture of Lady Gaga’s recent nipple slip.

The Swedish Taxman Cometh

Meanwhile, the Swedish Tax Authority (Skatteverket) has been studying all forms of internet commerce tax evasion since 2007, and has concluded that online poker companies with offshore servers are one of their biggest sources of uncollected e-commerce taxes.

Mueller Muscling His Way to Bracelet #2

The final table of the $1,500 Limit Holdem Shootout has 6 players remaining after returning from their dinner break. Greg Mueller is the current chip leader (950,000), followed by Marc Naalden, Millie Shiu, David Williams, Flaminio Malaguti and Matt Sterling.

Erik Looking to put the 123 on the HORSE Field

Erik Sagstrom, an early Internet poker sensation, is the current chip leader (1,280,000) of the $50,000 HORSE with 31 players remaining. Ville Wahlbeck (775,000) is in 2nd place, followed by Vitaly Lunkin (735,000) in 3rd as the players take their dinner break. Day 2 chip leader Gus Hansen (670,000) is still in the top 10, along with Todd Brunson (610,000) and Freddy Deeb (560,000).

Hedler Ahead of the Field in $1,500 NL

Jason Helder (440,000) is the current chip leader in the $1,500 NL Holdem with about 120 players remaining as they try to play down to 9 before the 3am deadline. Notables with chips left include Men Nguyen, Cody Slaubaugh, Jason Potter, Owen Crowe and Vinny Pahuja.

Triple Chance NL Holdem

A field of 854 started today’s debut of the $3,000 NL Holdem Triple Chance event, with a field of approximately 400 remaining. No chip leader has been named yet, but the updates say that there’s a few players with stacks of 70,000 from their starting stacks of 9,000.

Stud 8 or Better

A field of 467 showed up for the $1,500 Stud 8 or Better event that started at 5pm, they have eight levels of play today, with the only notable casualty so far being Perry Friedman.

Check out www.wsop.com for more updates, and some stuff overnight from Pokerati.

They’ve been updated through 33 events … and whether or not it matters to you, are now presented by our good even better friends at Betfair. (They were kind enough to pay for the little flags you can now see in the sidebar — because who doesn’t like little flags?)

Click here to see the Pokerati World Standings in further detail.

Obviously it’s all about the bracelets (and associated spoils) … because with a second WSOP victory, Canada has asserted itself as more than just a suburb of the United States. Not quite a poker superpower yet –but capable of outplaying nuclear-armed countries and just about all other icy, hockey-loving socialist domains.

And speaking of … Sweden showed up in the Top 10 this week, letting us all know that there’s more than just Finland and Denmark (sooo 2008) to Scandiland. But the big arrival, in the eyes of this Nevada-based Texan, is Mexico. Hmm, wonder if a recent surge in Latino marketing by poker bizzers has had an effect … or vice versa.

As is the case with individual winners, one bracelet doesn’t mean much — I mean OK, I know it’s a huge accomplishment yadda yadda, but in the bigger scheme of things you kinda need at least two … though it does mean at least a few of us are keeping our eyes open for future results.

Other interesting occurrences (to me) in this recent update that may or may not be coincidental:

The $2,000 NLH final table (that Angel Guillen won for Mexico) had a distinctly non-American flavor — with only three players from the USA to make it that far.

Both Dakotas (North and South) — hardly very powerful poker states — both cashed in $1,500 HORSE.

California still has yet to miss the money in any event … but they are virtually dead even with their neighbors in Nevada in terms of bracelets and money won.

We’re doing much better this year, btw, in terms of accuracy. So far, through 33 events, official WSOP records have 42 cashes and $285k in regional limbo the Pokerati World Standings have only 5 of 3,339 ITM finishes unaccounted for — a total of $16,439 waiting to be claimed/taxed.

de Wolfe wins de Triple Crown

Roland de Wolfe became the second player (after Gavin Griffin) to win poker’s Triple Crown (Winning a WSOP bracelet, WPT main event and EPT main event) with his triumph in the $5,000 PLO 8 or Better event, defeating Brett Richey in heads-up play. Dual Omaha bracelet winner Scott Clemens finished in 3rd.

Obligatory Limit Holdem Winner Mention

Sweden’sTomas Alenius defeated Jason Tam heads-up in the $1,500 Limit Holdem event. Day 3 chip leader Al “Sugar Bear” Barbieri finished 3rd. Fortunately for the WSOP staff, they have Sweden’s national anthem already downloaded.

Heads-Up Down to Sweet 16

Round 5 of the $10,000 NL Holdem Heads Up World Championship is down to its final 16 competitors, with one more round of play before the winners return on Monday. Among the survivors: Jason Mercier, Mike Caro, Leo Wolpert, Roberto Romanello, Bryan Pellegrino, Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Dustin “Neverwin” Woolf, Johnny Chan and WSOP runner-up in 2008, Alec Torelli.

$2,500 PLO Debut a Success

A larger than expected field of 436 started the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event, with 153 returning after the dinner break. The unofficial chip leader is Jesse Rios, with another four levels of play to finish the day.

Late Night HORSE

The $1,500 HORSE event started about three hours ago and a field of 770 left the starting gate. No established chip leaders at this time, but they have eight levels of play to leader going into the first turn. Check out www.wsop.com and give Pokerati a visit during the rest of your Sunday evening/early Monday morning.

The men had the charges against them reduced from “serious illegal gambling” to “illegal gambling”. The court ruled that because the game being played was Texas hold’em in a tournament format, the players own judgment was more important than the cards being dealt, effectively ruling that the game was one of skill and not luck.