Vegas Strip Revenues Slip in March

Prevailing wisdom has held that businesses that rely on gambling are recession-proof, and to some extent, that may still be true. But while gamblers are still making their ways to the tables, the economic slowdown is definitely...

2008 WSOP, Event #1, $10,000 World Championship PLHE, Day 1: Eli Elezra Leads

Big bands, big stars and big buy-ins all collided in the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to mark the beginning of the 2008 World Series of Poker. After the UNLV marching band played a rousing rendition...

2008 WSOP: Registration Opens; Satellites, Cash-Game Action Begin

With the first bracelet event of the 2008 World Series of Poker just a couple of days away, the Rio opened its doors today to the first wave of event registrations and an early handful of single-table satellite and cash-game players...

Women's Poker Spotight: Kathy Liebert – Road to the 2008 WSOP

Everyone knows who Kathy Liebert is when she walks into the poker room. Kathy boasts lifetime tournament earnings well over $4.4 million, the career leader among women by a wide margin. To date, no other woman is within...

World Series Freeroll Update: $72,000 worth of freerolls on the horizon!

With the WSOP* set to kick off in slightly over 24 hours, PokerNews is still giving you a chance to win a seat for next to nothing â€" the first freeroll runs Saturday May 31 at 14:00 EST/15:00 EDT so get in quick!

Don't Miss Week 1 at the 2008 World Series of Poker

You don't want to miss the first week of the 2008 World Series of Poker. Although some of the biggest stories of the 2008 won't materialize until later in the series, those epic stories often take root during the first couple of days...

PokerStars Announces Asia Pacific Poker Tour Season Two

PokerStars has now announced an expanded Season 2 schedule for its successful Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), adding a new, exciting location to cap off the start of the new season. As expected, the first event of the APPT...

PokerStars Organizes China Earthquake Relief Fund

PokerStars is stepping up in a big way to provide relief for victims of last week's catastrophic earthquake in southwest China. PokerStars has now announced its China Earthquake Relief Fund, which will provide funds for ongoing relief...

Sweden to Consider Privatization of Online Gambling

Faced with continuing pressure from the European Union and the pending threat of being called before the European Court of Justice, Sweden is considering selling off some of the "less addictive" of its state-run gambling services...

Binion's Announces Second Annual Binion's Poker Classic

The downtown Las Vegas landmark Binion's, long the home of the World Series of Poker (when it was known as Binion's Horseshoe), will join a crowded poker summer scene in Vegas with the announced return of the Binion's Poker Classic...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 46: Mike Sexton, Poker Visionary, Part 4

Television in the poker world has been the driving force behind poker's popularity. Today there are so many TV shows featuring poker, that if you record them all on your DVRs each week, you'll run out of room! The expansion...

39th Annual WSOP Nears Start; Main Event Broadcast Details Set

As the 39th annual World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee's Best Light nears its debut on Friday, Harrah's Entertainment has released a few more details about the upcoming gathering of the best of the poker world. Chief among those...

Full Tilt Announces 'Mini Series of Poker'

More than one online poker site is tapping into the buzz felt throughout the poker world as the game's biggest names begin to congregate in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. Full Tilt is the latest site to design...

Poker Room Review: Mardi Gras, Hallandale Beach, FL

The Mardi Gras is one of many poker rooms located at dog tracks in Florida. It has the distinction of being, in my opinion, the cleanest, neatest, and best illuminated of the rooms. Everything including the cards...

Visiting Vegas: Last-minute Las Vegas Accommodations

If you are planning on visiting Las Vegas during the upcoming months for the World Series and don't have a place to stay yet, you had better start making your hotel reservations soon. The summer months are very crowded with tourists...

PokerStars Opens Live Macau Poker Room, Hosts Earthquake Relief Fundraiser

PokerStars has announced the opening of the first permanent, live poker room in Macau. Dubbed PokerStars Macau, the 25-table room (250 players capacity), will be housed at the prestigious Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino in Cotai...

Poker Book Review: Des Wilson's 'Ghosts at the Table'

Just ahead of this year's World Series of Poker, poker player and historian Des Wilson provides an entertaining, insightful look into many of poker's most enduring characters and tales in 'Ghosts at the Table: Riverboat Gamblers...

APT Manila Event Set for Late May

While the end of May brings the general focus of the poker world to Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker, not everyone the world over can make the pilgrimage. It's especially true in the Pacific Rim, which is undergoing...

WSOP-C New Orleans, Final Table: Nick Ceci Claims Ring

The final table of the fifth annual Bayou Poker Classic kicked off at a record pace, with seven players eliminated in less than 50 hands. Once heads-up play commenced, it took another two and half hours for Nick Ceci to put away...

Visiting Vegas: Five Foods to Try in Vegas

Las Vegas is known for many things â€" gambling, entertainment, and some of the greatest food in the country. There are a number of wonderful dishes to try and it's hard to find a bad meal if you're on the Strip, but here are five...

The Moneymaker Effect: Five Years Later

Where were you five years ago today? I would love to tell you that I was in Benny's Bullpen, soaking up what would become a watershed moment in the history of poker's development. But, alas, I was sick. So, I was sleeping...

Women's Poker Spotlight: 2008 Queen of Hearts is Star-studded

The 2008 WSOP Ladies Event will once again host the Queen of Hearts poker team sponsored by the DeLeon Family Care Project Limited. This year's Queen of Hearts team will play for the benefit of the Nevada Cancer Institute...

WSOP Pre-registration Easiest Ever in 2008

The improved pre-registration process for the 2008 World Series of Poker has early entries running at a pace well ahead of last year, and players desiring to secure their spots in specific events, according to WSOP officials...

WSOP-C New Orleans, Day 2: Timothy Miles Heads Final

69 players returned to Harrah's New Orleans for Day 2 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event, with 2007 winner Lou Esposito sharing the chip lead with David Fox as Day 2 kicked off. Also in the field were Circuit regulars...

Visiting Vegas: Bargain Entertainment Options for WSOP Players, Away from the Felt

Las Vegas is known for the glitz and glamour of the Strip, but if high-end bars and clubs aren't your style, there are many affordable, fun, and more laid-back entertainment options that local poker players love to partake in...

Bodog Announces Mini-SOP Online Tournament Series

Bodog is bringing the excitement of the WSOP to your computer this summer in what is being billed as a "Mini-SOP." On the same day as the start of each 2008 World Series of Poker hold'em event, Bodog will conduct an identical...

WSOP-C New Orleans, Day 1: Fox, Esposito Lead

249 players headed to the Big Easy for the last major tournament prior to this summer's World Series of Poker, the fifth annual Bayou Poker Classic at Harrah's New Orleans. Among the big-name players looking to tune up before the WSOP...

Dealers, Union Protest at MGM Foxwoods Opening

Roughly 300 Foxwoods dealers and their labor and political supporters held a protest rally in front of MGM Foxwoods on Sunday, the first day that this 800-room hotel and casino opened its doors to the general public. The primary issue...

The Other Side of the Felt, Vol. 11: 2002 WSOP, Before the Boom, Part 3 -- Phil Ivey

The 2002 World Series of Poker saw the emergence of today's biggest poker celebrity. At this point I have to apologize to Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, and of course "the other Phil," but without a doubt Phil Ivey has become...

AOL to Award Six WSOP Seats

For the third year in a row, America Online, the country's leading internet service provider, has joined with Harrah's Entertainment to award seats to the WSOP Main Event through AOL's Games.com service. Having begun on May 4...

Pacific Poker give away two $17,000 packages to the competition that could possibly make you ...

Get ready to click your way to the world's most prestigious poker event as Pacific Poker offer PokerNews players exclusive chances to win two $17,000 Team PokerNews Packages…

PartyGaming Names Jim Ryan, John O'Malia to Top Spots

PartyGaming announced today that it had appointed Jim Ryan as Chief Executive Officer and that it had promoted John O'Malia to the newly created executive board position...

Visiting Vegas: Bars and Clubbing Near the WSOP

Many successful poker players realize that balance is necessary in order to succeed in both poker and life. While the WSOP offers a very profitable opportunity to increase your bankroll, it would be a shame to come to Las Vegas...

PokerNews Announces New Interactive Texas Hold'em Odds Calculator

If you're looking for an online odds calculator with a unique visual touch, PokerNews now has the interactive tool just for you. Available within our 'Poker Rules' section...

Washington Judge Rejects Bid to Overturn Online Poker and Gambling Ban

In a closely watched case that could have significant consequences for the online gaming industry, a King County judge on Thursday upheld a Washington state statute that outlaws Internet gambling...

Poker at The Movies – Why Does Hollywood Fail?

Do you know how hard it is to release a major studio movie in 50 theaters and have it only make $35,281 for its first weekend? 'Deal', the recent poker-themed stinker starring Burt Reynolds, did just that...

Women's Poker Spotlight: Liv Boeree, New European Ladies Champion

23-year-old Olivia "Liv" Boeree is more than just the new European Ladies champion; there's an educated astrophysicist behind those darting eyes. Boeree, originally from Kent, became the UK spokesperson...

WSOP and XP Events Join to Market WSOP Merchandise

The World Series of Poker® announced this week that it has reached a multi-year agreement with XP Events, a turn-key retail merchandising partner for sports organizations and world-class events, to distribute WSOP merchandise broadly...

All In for an All-out Effort with 'Bad Beat on Cancer'

The 4th Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament was held on May 6, 2008, in Washington, D.C., and raised more than $300,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation (formerly the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation)...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 45: Mike Sexton, Poker Visionary, Part 3

To continue my brother's story as a poker visionary, we will look at what happened to his dream of the Tournament of Champions the last two years and when and how PartyPoker and the World Poker Tour entered the picture. Poker on the...

Buyout Expenses Hamper Harrah's Q1 Profitability

As with several other poor earnings statements posted by land-based gambling concerns, casino giant Harrah's posted a loss of $187 million in the first quarter of 2008. This represents a reversal for the WSOP host, which posted a gain...

Danish Supreme Court Ruling Encourages Poker Players

After five months of worrying about the future of Danish poker, the game's enthusiasts finally have received some good news. The Supreme Court in Denmark has decided to bring up the case where the question is: Should tournament poker...

Poker Room Review: Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood, FL

The Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida is a poker player's dream. I drove to this East Coast poker destination while staying in the middle of the state in Lake Placid, while visiting my Dad and his wife. It's about a two-hour...

MGM Grand at Foxwoods Opens Saturday

If you go to the "MGM at Foxwoods" website, the first thing that will greet you is a digitized clock counting down the days, hours, and minutes until the opening of the new 30-story MGM Grand at the Mashantucket Connecticut...

Annie Duke, Don Cheadle Raise Another $500,000 For Africa

It all started over a sushi lunch. A couple years ago, while Annie Duke and Don Cheadle were teaming up on a spicy tuna roll, they decided to team up for a cause that meant a lot to them. This lead to last July's inaugural 'Ante up for Africa'...

Inside the Tour, Vol. 90: Mike Caro, Mad Genius

I should mention a few "institutions" of the game of poker, as this review is not complete without it. First up is Mike Caro. If you are ever going to have a roast, or have your career scrutinized, how can one do better than having...

Layla Kayleigh Out as World Poker Tour Hostess

For the third consecutive season, the resident hostess on World Poker Tour broadcasts will not have her contract renewed. Layla Kayleigh, who was hired on at the start of Season VI, will not return for Season VII duties. Kayleigh joins...

The Other Side of the Felt, Vol. 10: 2002 WSOP, Before the Boom, Part 2

The 2002 World Series of Poker kicked off with a pair of limit events, and at the time we allowed dealers to play in the tournaments. Mike Majarus had been hired to deal the WSOP, but after taking third in the Employees Limit Hold'em...

Playtech Posts Record First Quarter Profits

Online gaming software provider Playtech had an exceptionally strong first quarter, primarily driven by the internal growth of its existing licensees. The release of Playtech's key performance indicators had Playtech posting $39 million...

'Poker After Dark' Does Couples Week

NBC's popular late-night poker series, 'Poker After Dark,' has excelled at late in creating unique themes and interesting matchups in the series' weekly six-player sit-'n'-go tourneys. The latest twist in the 'Poker After Dark' theme...

Jamie Gold, E!'s Khloe Kardashian to Host Urban Health Benefit

2006 WSOP Main Event winner Jamie Gold will join with E! Network star Khloe Kardashian ("Keeping Up with the Kardashians") in hosting a May 17th poker fundraiser on behalf of the Los Angeles-based Urban Health Institute. The benefit...

B&M Casinos Come Up Short in First Quarter

The general rule of thumb is that vices do comparatively well during economic downturns, but that appears not to be the case for brick-and-mortar casinos in the first quarter of 2008. From Tropicana's bankruptcy filing...

888 Holdings Posts Strong First Quarter

888 Holdings, parent of Pacific Poker, posted its key performance indicators which showed a 38% increase in the company's net gaming revenue when compared to the same period last year. Commenting on the announcement, 888 CEO...

Massachusetts Casino Bill's Revival Rumored

Several published sources are claiming that the Massachusetts land-based casino bill championed by Governor Deval Patrick may soon re-emerge. This time, however, the bill being worked on reportedly does not include the controversial online...

PPA Organizes Washington State Rally Supporting Rousso Case

As the case brought by Renton, WA attorney Lee Rousso against the state of Washington's felony ban against online gambling comes up for an important legal hearing, the Poker Players Alliance has announced a rally in support...

Full Tilt Announces $25K Heads-Up World Championship

Full Tilt Poker has announced a brand new challenge for players with both the skills to play heads-up poker and the bankroll to prove that they're the best. Full Tilt's $25K Heads-Up World Championship will be contested on Saturday...

Bodog, Josh Arieh Part Ways

While Bodog's signing of young phenom Justin Bonomo made headlines this week, another change in the works was Bodog's decision to end its long-running endorsement deal with Atlanta native Josh Arieh, the two-time WSOP bracelet winner...

A Guide to Side Games During the WSOP

With the World Series of Poker fast approaching, players are getting ready to make their annual trek to Las Vegas. However, for many players (myself included), the World Series of Poker is not about the tournaments, but the side...

Women's Poker Spotlight: What Women Want from Poker

Last week Caesars Palace hosted the latest WSOP Circuit series of events. I attended and played the ladies event for a buy-in of $330. 169 players, including name pros such as J.J. Liu and Barbara Enright, participated. Barbara...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 44: Mike Sexton, Poker Visionary, Part 2

Before I describe the various factors that set the stage for Mike Sexton's career as a poker visionary, I would like to let many of the younger players know that my brother was a professional poker player for 25 years, before he...

Poker Room Review: Seminole Casino Brighton, Okeechobee, FL

I was visiting my Dad and his wife Mary in Lake Placid, Florida. If you were to try and find "the middle of nowhere" in Florida, this is about as close as you could come. It is a great place to retire, I suppose, with lots of golfing...

WSOP Ladies Academy Set for June

The growing World Series of Poker Academy series, offering intensive poker-instruction stars taught by many of the world's best players, will be offering its second annual "ladies only" Las Vegas camp on June 6th and 7th. This year's...

PokerNews and Mansion Poker Launch $18,000 Worth of Freerolls!

PokerNews teams up with Mansion Poker to let you win a share of $18,000 worth of prizes â€" one of which includes a seat to the World Series*! The first freeroll begins Sunday May 25 at 12:00 GMT...

'Mystery' Events Revealed as FTOPS VIII Begins

Full Tilt Poker has now released the formats for three 'mystery' events in the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) VIII, which begins today and runs through May 18th. The three now-disclosed events are these...

A Comprehensive Look at the WSOP Final Table Delay – Part Two

Yesterday, in part one of our look at the WSOP final table delay, we examined the differences to the schedule this change would cause. In addition, we looked at the opportunities available and challenges presented to the 'November Nine'...

WPTE 2008 First Quarter Loss Widens

There were few bright spots for World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) in the first quarter of 2008. For the quarter, the company's losses widened by almost 25% over the losses posted for the same quarter last year. WPT lost $2.83 million...

Julien Nuijten Wins the LAPT Rio

From final table chip leader to champ, Holland's Julien Nuijten went wire to wire at the final table of the first ever PokerStars.com Latin American Poker Tour event, held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil...

'Real World' Joins DoylesRoom.com Celebrity Bounty Poker Tournament

Doyle's Room has announced a new addition to their lineup of bounty tournaments with a brand new event featuring members of the cast of MTV's "The Real World: Hollywood", one of the longest-running and most successful of all MTV...

Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Rio de Janeiro, Day 2 – Julien Nuijten Heads Final

The second day of action in the PokerStars.com Latin American Poker Tour debut in Rio de Janeiro featured aggressive early action. Before the first break, of the 103 players who started play, 39 were eliminated...

Justin Bonomo Signs with Bodog, Discusses Future

Bodog will officially announce today the newest member of Team Bodog, Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo. The young but already accomplished LA native has enjoyed immediate success since bursting onto the live-poker scene, from becoming...

A Comprehensive Look at the WSOP Final Table Delay – Part One

By now, everyone in poker has heard about the new format for this year's WSOP Main Event. The final table will be delayed several months to be shown "nearly live" on ESPN. It's a bold and controversial proposal, surrounded by rumors....

Sexton's Corner, Vol.43: Mike Sexton: Poker Visionary, Part 1

Mike Sexton has been a poker visionary and pioneer for many years. Just look where poker was in the past and where it has come to today. Who would have ever dreamed such a big leap was going to happen for all of us, who love to play...

PartyGaming Grows in First Quarter

PartyGaming released their latest key performance indicators, showing continued growth in the first quarter of 2008. Net revenues were up 21% when compared to the same period last year and up 6.2% from the previous quarter...

Poker Room Review: Seminole Immokalee Casino, Immokalee, Florida

I recently had an opportunity to visit southern Florida for a combination family vacation and poker-playing trip. My, how the poker scene has changed recently. Up until July of 2007, poker was limited to $2-limit games...

New Hampshire 'Poker Tax' Plans Edge Forward

A bill designed to take a 10% slice of monies raised through charitable gambling events including poker continues to work its way through that state's legislature, despite opposition from charitable groups. Though New Hampshire...

Kyl Puts Heat on Federal Agencies to Accelerate UIGEA Implementation

Aware of the growing sentiment against the implementation of the United States 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), US Senator John Kyl (R-AZ), has stepped up his own political maneuvers in an effort...

Canada Missed Online Gambling Opportunity

Canada had the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of what developed into a billion dollar industry. Had they taken it, the Canadians would have had ten years of online gambling regulatory experience under their...

Justin Bonomo Signs with Bodog, Chats with PokerNews

Bodog will officially announce today the newest member of Team Bodog, Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo. The young but already accomplished LA native has enjoyed immediate success since bursting onto the live-poker scene, from becoming...

Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Rio Day 1 – Carlos Lopez in Front

The first major poker tournament in Brazil has just wrapped up its Day One, as the PokerStars.com Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) has come to Rio. 314 players either paid the $2,500 buy-in, or won their way in on PokerStars...

Harrah's Announces Major Changes for 2008 WSOP

In a stunning move that they hope will revolutionize how the general public experiences the world's largest poker tournament, Harrah's Entertainment confirmed this morning in a media conference call that the final table of the 2008...

NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship Announces Qualifying Criteria

Poker players are getting a heads-up about the qualifying criteria for one of the most popular and prestigious one-on-one poker tournaments around. The selection committee that determines which players are invited to NBC's National...

Sixth Suspect Arrested in Delaware Poker Robbery

The sixth and final suspect in the February robbery of a poker game at a private Delaware country club was arrested during a raid on Thursday. Authorities arrested Manuel L. Gonzalez, 21, at his Glassboro, New Jersey residence...

Women's Poker Spotlight: Women Shine at Bellagio Five Star

Tyner, a very flamboyant player, took out the first two players at the six-handed final table, including WPT ladies champion Van Nguyen. Nancy defeated Vanessa Selbst in the Five Star final, taking just over two hours to come back...

WSOP-C Caesars Las Vegas, Day 1: Stars Chase as Bubble Nears

Dozens of big-name pros gathered in the Caesars Palace poker room to kick off the World Series of Poker Las Vegas Championship, offering perhaps the most star-studded field of recent Circuit events. Among the 334 entrants were multiple...

WSOP-C Caesars Las Vegas: Allen Cunningham Takes Ring

Team Full Tilt pro Allen Cunningham outlasted one of the toughest fields in the history of the World Series of Poker Circuit events to make the final table at the WSOP-C Caesars Las Vegas Main Event, then came from well back...

Isle of Man Proposal Seeks to Streamline Gambling Regulations

A concept for new legislation supported by the Treasury Department of the Isle of Man, home to several online gambling companies, seeks to streamline existing gambling laws and put into place a regulatory and supervisory framework...

Washington State Gubernatorial Candidate Opposes Online Poker Ban

Washington State Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi expressed his strong opposition to that state's felony law banning online poker in comments made during a recent on-air interview with talk radio host Dori Monson. The Thursday...

WSOP-C Caesars Las Vegas, Day 2: Cunningham, Lee, Bonomo Chase Fineman

54 players returned to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas yesterday for their shot at the final table of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. While many poker superstars went to the rail on Day 1, there was still plenty of star power...

College Poker Life: University of Notre Dame, West Bend, IN

Classes come to a close this week for students at the University of Notre Dame, with finals just around the corner. Summer break is just a week away, leaving most poker games taking place around campus dried up for the year...

PartyPoker Slashes High-Stakes STT Fees

In a move that will get the attention of both online players and the site's business competitors, PartyPoker.com will announce tomorrow that they are reducing their fees for all STTs (Single Table Tournaments, sometimes known...

Team PokerStars Adds Victoria Coren

Leading online poker site PokerStars has added another international star to their "Team PokerStars" by announcing the signing of popular British pro Victoria Coren. Coren, often dubbed the "Princess of Poker," has been...

South Carolina Poker Raids See Some Defendants Choose Trial

Fed up with antiquated state gambling laws that ban any form of entertainment using cards or dice, several recent defendants in the cases brought against home-game poker players have opted for a trial by jury. The cases stem...

PokerNews Cup Austria, Final Table: Kollmann Wins Title

Austrian Erich Kollmann made short work of his remaining opponents, taking down the PokerNews Cup Austria Main Event in just over four hours of final-table play. Kollmann started the day with a significant chip lead over his nearest...

Caesars Palace 'Mega Stack Series' Adds to Summer Vegas Fun

A very busy summer for poker in Las Vegas, both at the World Series of Poker and elsewhere, has become even busier with Caesars Palace's creation of its new Mega Stack Series. The series increases competition for the deep stack...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 42: The WPT Ceremony of Champions

There was quite a poker ceremony held at the Bellagio last Monday, April 21st, in the Vegas showroom that hosts the "O" show six nights each week. The occasion was special, as it honored all the World Poker Tour's individual...

USA Today Reporting WSOP Final Table Delayed Until November

A conference call is scheduled for 11:00am Las Vegas time tomorrow, but it seems that the rumors that have been flying in the poker world may be true. If you make the final table of the World Series of Poker, you will have to wait 117 days...