Brian Townsend Admits to Multiaccounting

Brian 'sbrugby' Townsend, one of the principals of poker video instruction site CardRunners.com, has admitted in a recent blog post to using two accounts on both of the largest online poker sites, Full Tilt and PokerStars. Full Tilt...

APT Macau Day 1a: Guray Turkay Leads

The stars of the poker universe were shining brightly at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino in Macau, China as the second event of the 2008 Asian Poker Tour kicked off. With poker legends Jack Binion and Doyle Brunson announcing...

PokerStars.com EPT Awards: 'Best Overseas Player' Nominees Announced

The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour today released the names of the five finalists in the 'Best Overseas Player' category, another of the seven honors awarded as part of its upcoming EPT Awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 9th...

Inside the Poker Tour, Vol. 97: Phillip Hilm, Part One

Nearly two years ago at the Copenhagen European Poker Tour event I played at a table where a young man was the media favorite of passers-by. He was filmed and asked questions in several languages, always answering politely...

Full Tilt's 'Million Dollar Cash Game' Announces Season 3 Lineup

Full Tilt Poker has announced an all-star lineup for its third season of the Million Dollar Cash Game, which will take place on September 17th and 18th in central London and will be taped for later broadcast. In Season 2, Team Full Tilt...

Moody's Downgrades Bond Ratings of Casino Operators

On Friday, Moody's Investors Service downgraded the bond ratings of three casino operators â€" Wynn Resorts Ltd., Fountainbleau, and Riviera Holdings â€" from 'stable' to 'negative'. A fourth gaming operator â€" Boyd Gaming Corp. â€" was placed...

2008 WSOP Event #45, $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Day 4: Erick Lindgren, Scotty Nguyen Head Final

Beginning Day 4, the 24 remaining players in Event #45, $50,000 H.O.R.S.E., featured world champions, internet superstars, top cash game players, TV stars and one living legend. With over 30 WSOP bracelets among them...

UIGEA Clarifying Measure Fails to Clear House Committee

A measure proposed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) to block implementation of regulations called for by the United States' 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was pulled from consideration after...

APT Macau Upcoming Events: APT Poker Room, Doyle Brunson Book Signing

Today promises to be a busy day as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) lands with a splash in Macau. The APT Macau event, the second leg of the 2008 Asian Poker Tournament, will run from August 27 through 31. But as players and fans descend...

2008 WSOP Event #40, $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Day 1: Greg Raymer Near Lead

Two hundred and thirty-eight players descended upon the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio for Event #40 of the 2008 World Series of Poker, $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw. This event replaced last year's $1,000 2-7 Triple Draw w/ Rebuys event...

Online Poker Weekend: 'Ship Hamilton', 'NFrost_10' Big Winners

Another big weekend on the online poker circuit saw both the big tournaments just get by their published guarantee numbers. Both the big rooms proved they are psychic when it comes to knowing their user bases, and how to set their guarantees....

EPT Awards: 'Best Performance' Nominees Announced

The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour today released the names of the five finalists in the 'Best Performance' category, one of seven honors awarded as part of its upcoming EPT Awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 9th. The 'Best...

2008 WSOP Event #42, $1,000 Seniors Day 1: Gerleman Leads as Money Bubble Looms

Day 1 of Event 42, $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em World Championship, began with 2,218 players, the largest starting field ever assembled for the WSOP Seniors event. And when the 220 remaining players, led by Duane Gerleman, return for...

Opinion: Michael Phelps - So, The Golden Boy Plays Poker

It's been a long time since I felt like the Olympics were a big deal to us Americans. Maybe the last Olympics that felt this 'present' in American culture was 1976. Bruce Jenner was winning decathlon Gold, Nadia Comeneci was cute as a button...

The Other Side of the Felt #13 – Thoughts on Scotty Nguyen's HORSE Final Table

I received a barrage of emails and phone calls about the recently televised ESPN $50,000 H.O.R.S.E Tournament in which there was a lot of controversy over the actions of Scotty Nguyen and the reactions of....

Poker Room Review: Hard Rock Poker Lounge, Las Vegas, NV

The all-new 'Poker Lounge' at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada recently opened its doors to the public and we stopped by to see what the hype was all about....

2008 WSOP Event #40, $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Day 1 – Greg Raymer Near Lead

Two hundred and thirty-eight players descended upon the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio for Event #40 of the 2008 World Series of Poker, $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw. This event replaced last year's $1,000 2-7 Triple Draw w/ Rebuys event...

Sexton's Corner, Vol.59, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 4, "The Golden ...

Johnny "The Orient Express" Chan has had the golden touch throughout his entire career. In Part 3 we viewed Johnny's incredible poker streak in 1987, 1988, and 1989 of winning 4 out of 5 WSOP or Hall of Fame Main Events in a row....

2008 WSOP Event #39, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em: Massive Field Reaches Money

In a lightning-quick Day 1, over 90% of the field was eliminated in Event #39, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. 2,720 players signed up for the event, with only 218 surviving to Day 2. Michael Polcari ended Day 1 as the chip leader...

Mike and Karen Sexton Welcome Ty Sexton Into the World

We here at PokerNews.com just barely got outbid by People magazine for those Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie baby pictures. So, it is with great pride that we present to you the very first pictures of Mike and Karen Sexton's....

2008 WSOP Event #26, $1,500 Razz, Day 1: Greenstein Surges to Top

Day 1 of the 2008 WSOP's Event #26, $1,500 Razz, saw 453 players sign up for the seven-card stud lowball event. Entrants were up significantly over 2007, when Katja Thater took down her first bracelet after besting a field...

The PokerNews Profile: Max Pescatori

It was national pride that gave him the nickname. Max Pescatori was tired of people not realizing he was Italian, so one day he decided to wrap his head in a bandana bearing the red, white and green of his home country's flag. Almost instantly...

2008 WSOP Event #15 $1,000 Ladies NLHE Day 1: Mitchell Leads Pack

The Ladies Event field of 1,190 players powered through the money bubble on Day 1, leaving only 61 players in contention for the bracelet and its accompanying $244,702 first-place money. While the frenetic pace of this event...

Kathy Liebert Signs with PokerStars

PokerStars today announced an endorsement deal with veteran tournament pro Kathy Liebert, who began the 2008 World Series of Poker in grand fashion by final-tabling the important opening event of the series, $10,000 World Championship...

EPT Awards: 'Best Newcomer' Nominees

The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour has 'shortlisted' five finalists in the 'Best Newcomer' category, as part of its upcoming EPT Awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 9th. The 'Best Newcomer' category will select...

Women's Poker Spotlight - The Ladies Get Their Day in Peru

Women poker players in Peru, as in many other countries, are seriously outnumbered. At the cash tables about one in every 100 players is a woman. In no money, bar league type tournaments the number is up a bit to about one in every fifty players...

ChanPoker Announces Closure

Chan Poker (chanpoker.com), the splashly online poker site fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Johnny Chan, has announced its closure effective August 21st. Chan Poker was most recently a member of the Ongame Network...

Cash Games at the WSOP: Getting Bigger and Better

In just one day, the landscape of the cash games at the Rio Convention Center has changed drastically. Along with the usual $2/5, $5/10, and $10/25 no-limit hold'em games, we witnessed the first $25/50 no-limit hold'em table...

2008 WSOP, Event #2, $1,500 NLHE: Day 2 Fails to Reach Final Table

Event #2 broke all previous WSOP preliminary event field records with 3,929 registered players. At the beginning of Event #2 Day 2, Tournament Director Jack Effel remarked that another record was about to be broken, 'This is...

WPTE Notified of Possible NASDAQ Delisting

On July 8, 2005, over ten million shares of World Poker Tour Enterprise, Inc. (WPTE) stock traded at a high of $29.50 as news circulated that Doyle Brunson had made a $700 million unsolicited bid for the company. Exactly three years...

Poker Battle Warriors to Appear at WSOPE, Partouche Tour; New Vegas Poker Event Announced

New online poker social networking site Poker Battle (www.pokerbattle.com) has announced an event-based premiere of its high-end poker community at upcoming events in Cannes, France and London. Poker Battle, which also features...

Kravchenko Latest Addition to Team PokerStars Pro

PokerStars has officially announced the latest addition to its vaunted Team PokerStars Pro lineup in prominent Russian star Alex Kravchenko. The signing solidifies a relationship between the two that had been growing for some time...

CryptoLogic Grinds Out Second Quarter

The fourth quarter of 2006 was a tough one for the online gaming software provider CryptoLogic. With the passage of the UIGEA and the loss of one its key poker licensees, Betfair, Cryptologic has worked hard to better position...

First-ever European Poker Tour Awards Announced

The first-ever awards for the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour have been announced, with the purpose of honoring the most exceptional people and performances during the EPT's outstanding fourth season. Over the next month...

Casinos Earnings Down, But Better than Analysts' Expectations

Several publicly traded casino companies have posted their second-quarter earnings over the last couple of weeks. While results were mixed, Wall Street loved the news, sending almost every gaming stock higher on the results...

Sexton's Corner, Vol.58, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 3, 'Poker's Greatest Streak'

As highlighted last week, Johnny Chan came to Las Vegas to pursue his poker dream in 1978, and experienced ups and downs before winning his first WSOP gold bracelet in 1985, in limit hold'em, for $171,000. From that win to his tenth...

'GARFIELD25' Captures FTOPS IX Opener

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) IX kicked off Wednesday night with a bang. Event #1, a $200+16 no-limit hold'em event with $1,000,000 guaranteed, drew 5,779 players for a total prize pool of $1,155,800 and a first-place prize...

FTOPS IX Main Event: 'dubbeemin' Seals Victory

Full Tilt's FTOPS Main Event saw 4,880 people enter the $500+35 buy-in, $2,500,000 guaranteed finale, all chasing a first-place payday of $432,400. Several notables made it close to the final table, among them Daniel 'B_O_K_E' Bokesch...

Pennsylvania Seeks Funds Seizure in 'Skill vs. Chance' Poker Case

The battle over poker games run in rural Westmoreland County, PA by attorney Larry Burns has resulted in a petition being filed by Pennsylvania's state attorney general office to seize over $40,000 alleged as proceeds...

Online Poker Weekend: 'Gunslinger3' Draws Sunday Million Win

A great Sunday night for online poker continued with two major events at PokerStars, the weekly Sunday Million and Sunday Warm-Up tourneys. In a rarity, the Warm-Up failed to reach its guarantee and thereby offered a small bonus overlay...

The PokerNews Profile: Michael DeMichele

If there's an image out there of today's young poker professionals â€" brash, cocky, aggressive to a fault â€" Michael DeMichele turns that notion on its ear. Clad in sweater-vests and neatly pressed button-down shirts, the...

FTOPS IX, Event #22 $2,500 NLHE: 'hAAydon' Tops in Three-way Chop

The tournament with the largest entry fee of FTOPS IX at Full Tilt was the two-day, deep-stacked NLHE Event #22, which attracted 942 players who each put up the $2,500+$120 buy-in. Notable finishers here included Tom 'SBRounder' West...

Impasse Remains in Antigua/US Gambling Trade Dispute

Another round of talks between Antiguan and United States officials concluded this week with the two sides apparently no closer to resolving their World Trade Organization conflict over online gambling. A six-member delegation from...

PokerStars.tv Officially Launched

Near the end of a continuing beta-test period which saw increasing levels of content added to the site, PokerStars interactive video portal, PokerStars.tv, officially launched this week. The site's features, which center on...

Poker News Bytes, August 17, 2008

PartyPoker's recurring bad beat jackpot paid off in a big way on Thursday evening when the prize find climbed to $1,013,381.63, a new record for an online poker jackpot, before being hit. German player 'Judith75' had the losing...

WSOP Europe 2008 Schedule, ESPN Deal Announced

Harrah's Entertainment has announced the schedule for the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), to be held September 19th to October 2nd, 2008 in London, England. The series is expanded slightly over the inaugural 2007 version...

2008 WSOP Event #48, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em: Eric Crain Leads, Money Reached

2,317 players spread throughout all playable areas of the Rio for Event #45, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em. While attendance in some of the big-ticket events has held steady or decreased from last year, the smaller buy-in no-limit hold'em...

2008 WSOP Event #44 $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/Rebuys: Max Greenwood Strikes Gold

The final table of Event #44, $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys started with nine players all seeking their first WSOP bracelet, and it was Canadian Max Greenwood who took down the title. Greenwood, after narrowly escaping...

2008 WSOP Event #31 $2,500 NLHE Six Handed: Minieri Wins Gold

Dario Minieri dominated throughout most of Event 31, $2,500 NLHE Six-Handed, and finally secured his first WSOP bracelet and $528,418 for the win. 1,012 players started this fast-paced event and at the end of the first day Minieri...

PartyPoker's 'Poker Den' Promises 36-Hour Marathon Session

PartyPoker and Matchroom Sport have announced the latest edition of their popular 'Poker Den' series. 'PartyPoker.com Poker Den: The Big Game III' is set to film in London on September 30th and October 1st, 2008, and promises to draw...

APT Macau Draws Notables for Late-August Poker Event

The second stop on the 2008 Asian Poker Tour (APT) is fast approaching. It's APT Macau, scheduled for August 28-31, 2008, set to take place amid one of the world's grandest gambling destinations. With a $1.5 million prize purse...

The PokerNews Profile: David Benyamine

David Benyamine is one of those rare individuals who, perhaps by sheer will and drive, have found success in every professional endeavor he's attempted. Born in Paris, Benyamine was a highly ranked tennis player in his youth. Though he was...

Inside the Tour, Vol. 96: Punta del Este 2008

The landscape is beautiful, the site a delightful choice; if only I spoke Spanish I would be in heaven! Well, I likely wouldn't lose with kings to queens on the river and be writing this story if I was in heaven...

Women's Poker Spotlight: The Past, Present and the Future

In the grand scheme of things twenty years is not a very long time, but over the past two decades women have been finding their way and exploring new territory both in society as well as in the poker world...

Poker Room Review: Arizona Charlie's Decatur Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

I played at Arizona Charlie's on Decatur during my most recent trip to Las Vegas, during the World Series of Poker. I had decided to go to the poker rooms that were off the beaten track. Anything in North Las Vegas, as Arizona Charlie's...

Event #33, $5,000 Stud Hi/Lo World Championship Day 1: Bunched Field in Opening Session

261 players ponied up $5,000 each to enter Event #33, $5,000 Stud Hi/Lo World Championship at the 2008 World Series of Poker. Among the competitors were some of the most recognizable faces in poker, including Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson...

2008 WSOP Event #31, $2,500 NLHE Six Handed, Day One: Shahar, Minieri Lead Pack

It stands to reason that if short-handed tables play fast, short-handed tournaments play fast. Logic ruled and the 1,012-player starting field whittled itself down to just 73 players in Day 1 of the $2,500 NLHE Six-Handed event...

Event #30, $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship Day 1: JC Tran, Terrence Chan Lead Pack

With a buy-in twice as large as last year's $5,000 entry, the $10,000 Limit Hold'em World Championship drew only 218 players, fewer than last year's 257 entries. Thanks to the bigger buy-in, however, the prize pool is actually...

PPA Announces Fundraiser for Paralyzed Veterans at DNC

The Poker Players Alliance has announced a fundraiser to be held at Coors Field in Denver, amid the hoopla surrounding the Democratic National Convention held in that city later this month. The August 26th event will be called 'Poker...

2008 WSOP Event #29, $3,000 No Limit Hold'em Day 1: 81 Remain, Bubble Looms

716 players took to the felt at the Amazon Ballroom for Event #29 of the 2008 World Series of Poker, $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em. The field, while slightly smaller than 2007's field of 826, held plenty of high-powered poker stars...

FTOPS IX, Event #12: Ben 'bmf823' Fineman Captures Short-handed Title

FTOPS IX Event #12 attracted a field of 1,405 players to the $1,000+60 six-max NLHE affair, generating a prize pool of $1,500,000 and a winner's share of $300,000. With so much talent and skill in the field, there were several big...

2008 WSOP Event #14, $10,000 Stud Championship Final: Brooks and Students Win

When the $10,000 Stud Championship event began with 158 players, it looked like a "Who's Who" of professional poker. But Pennsylvania native Eric Brooks, a relative unknown, would walk away with the bracelet and $415,856...

2008 WSOP Event #13, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Day 2: Bell Heads Final

Day 2 of WSOP Event #13, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em, saw 137 players vying for nine seats at Monday's final table, where the eventual winner will capture the top prize of $666,777. Among those returning for Day 2 were chip leaders...

2008 WSOP Event #5, NLHE W/ Rebuys Final: Michael Banducci Wins Big

Michael Banducci won his first WSOP bracelet in Event #5, $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys, going wire to wire at the final table and collecting a payout of $636,736. Banducci's previous highest finish in a major tournament...

Online Poker Weekend: Sunday Million Goes to 'ziggy47'

Daniel 'ziggy47' Bokesch pulled off one of the most unlikely final-table, "worst to first" runs in recent online memory to take down the weekend's biggest event by total prize purse, the PokerStars Sunday Million....

FTOPS IX, Event #10: 'Harlindo' Takes $1.5M Guaranteed

FTOPS IX Event #10 drew 4,985 entrants to the $300+22 no-limit hold'em event, with a total prize pool of a guaranteed $1,500,000. Full Tilt pros Scott Clements and Paul Sexton made the money, but it was Josh Arieh with far and away...

Harrah's Bottom Line Still Hampered by Debt

Considering that 2008 has been a challenging year for the casino industry thus far, Harrah's Entertainment did a good job managing its top line. In its second quarter 2008 results, Harrah's revenues were down only 3.7% for the quarter...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 57, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 2, Turning Pro

As we learned in Part 1, when Johnny Chan decided to turn pro and move to Las Vegas in 1978, it was a decision that met considerable resistance from his parents. Attending the University of Houston seemed to be the right path...

PokerStars.net LAPT Punte del Este, Day 3: Jose Miguel Espinar Captures Title

After three days of play and a grueling final table, Jose Miguel Espinar found himself atop the field at the end of the PokerStars.net Latin America Poker Tour Punte del Este championship, adding an LAPT win to his PokerStars Caribbean...

Poker Room Review: Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa, Reno, NV

Much like its namesake, the mythical underseas continent off in the Atlantic, the Atlantis is in its own little world. It's removed from the well traveled streets of downtown Reno â€" and even a mile or two from the Peppermill...

2008 WSOP Event #2 $1,500 NLHE, Day 1b: Bach Leads Record Field

Event #2, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Day 1b saw 1,881 starters take the field, bringing the total number for the event up to a record breaking 3,929 players. Event #2 is now officially the largest WSOP preliminary event in history...

2008 WSOP Event #4, $5,000 Mixed HE, Day 1: Jon 'PearlJammer' Turner Early Leader

Event #4 of the 2008 World Series of Poker drew a star-studded field of 332 players, including Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer and Event #1 winner Nenad Medic, trying to become the first double bracelet winner of 2008...

PokerStars.net LAPT, Day 2 – Gomes Leads Final Table

Ninety-three players returned to the Mantra Resort & Casino for Day 2 of the PokerStars.net Latin America Poker Tour Punta del Este in Uruguay, all seeking their spots at the final table. Over 350 players began the event, and Jorge Gonzalez...

Online Poker Weekend: 'Fred_Brink' Takes Stars Sunday Million (and a Half)

The first edition ever for the increased-guarantee version of the Stars Sunday Million, now with a guaranteed pool of $1.5 million, saw 'Fred_Brink' post a come-from-behind victory for a win worth over $200,000. The increased Sunday...

FTOPS IX, Event #12: Ben 'bmf283' Fineman Captures Short-handed Title

FTOPS IX Event #12 attracted a field of 1,405 players to the $1,000+60 six-max NLHE affair, generating a prize pool of $1,500,000 and a winner's share of $300,000. With so much talent and skill in the field, there were several big...

PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este, Day 1: Raymer, Brenes Among Early Leaders

The third stop on the PokerStars.net Latin America Poker Tour kicked off yesterday in Punta del Este, Uruguay, with 351 players from around the world heading to the seaside resort to enjoy neither sun nor surf, but a shot at a prize pool...

Four Republican Congressman call for UIGEA 'Unlawful Internet Gambling' Clarification

An open letter written by four Republican Congressman to the heads of the Federal Reserve Board and U.S. Treasury calls for a more 'deliberative' approach for crafting regulations for the implementation of the UIGEA...

Online Poker Weekend: PokerStars Tops $1 Million Twice; Erica Schoenberg Final Tables at Full Tilt

Sunday was a really big day for PokerStars, as the online poker site made its million dollar guarantee for its Sunday Tournament â€" Twice, actually. The Sunday Million had its usual massive field, with over 8,000 players...

WPTE Posts Another Loss, Changes Online Gaming Strategy

Analysts were prepared for another loss from World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc. this quarter. The shift from the Travel Channel to GSN for the televised WPT series had resulted in lower per episode fees, WPTE's online money site...

The PokerNews Profile: Anna Wroblewski

Anna Wroblewski doesn't know when her birthday is. Not the month, the day or the year, though she estimates she's about 22 years old. Orphaned at age four in her native Vietnam, Wroblewski and her younger sister lived with a slew...

Poker Comes of Age in Russia with Zavidovo Open

Poker is booming in Russia, and next week's Zavidovo Open seems to attest to the sport's popularity. That's right â€" sport. In Russia, poker has been officially declared a sport by the government. The fact that the game...

Raids Target Underground Toronto Poker Games

Another wave of police raids targeting private poker games occurred in Toronto this past week, with at least four raids into 'suspected gaming houses' resulting in charges against nearly 50 participants. All four locations were described...

EU Delegation to Question US Officials over Online Gambling Stance

A delegation of European Union trade officials will conduct talks with US officials at the end of this month over prosecutions and market restrictions concerning online gambling that appear to European interests to be restrictive...

PartyGaming Launches Investment Product, Warns about Quarterly Results

Last week PartyGaming announced that its second quarter results came in slightly lower than expected. Although Party won't make its full financial release until August 29th, the online gaming company announced that while its casino...

888 Holdings' 2nd Quarter Grows Despite Stagnant Poker Earnings

888 Holdings, online gaming company and home to Pacific Poker, posted a healthy second quarter financial report this week. Net gaming revenue (NGR) came in at $67 million, up 33% from the same period last year and up 4% from last quarter...

Lakes Entertainment Files Ohio Casino Petition

Lakes Entertainment, the casino and property development corporation that is also the majority stockholder of World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc., announced yesterday that it had filed a petition for a referendum to build a single casino...

Irish Government Study Eyes Online Gambling Market

A government study released by Ireland's Casino Committee on Thursday recommends the reworking of outdated gambling laws and suggests that the country could profit by regulating and thereby entering more fully the online gambling market...

Polaris 2.0 Defeats Stoxpoker Team in Man-Machine Poker Championship Rematch

Following last summer's narrow loss to the humans in the First Man-Machine Poker Championship held in Vancouver, Canada, the University of Alberta's Computer Poker Research Group (CPRG) had a year to improve on their collection...

Ladbrokes Poker announce changes to Poker Million VII Series

Ladbrokes Poker introduce some great changes to the Poker Million VII Series including more ways to win a seat to the Semi Final which will be broadcast to millions across the world on Sky Sports…

World Series of Poker 'Evening Edition' Daily Summary for July 1st, 2008

A special evening's 'daily summary' for 2008 WSOP action comes your way to account for today's extended action in Event #53, $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout. Originally conceived as a two-day event, the second round of the opening day's...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 56 – Ray Sexton: 'A First-Class Gentleman – A Tribute to My Dad'

Sometimes in life something happens that brings one's world to a screeching halt. This past week my Dad, Ray Sexton, passed away. He had a wonderful life at the age of 88, soon to have been 89 on August 17th. With his health...

The Unseen Series: Off Hours at the 2008 WSOP

There's never truly a down time at the World Series of Poker, once festivities begin. It's essentially a poker festival running for well over 1,200 consecutive hours, from the opening of the registration booths and satellite...

2008 WSOP Event #42 $1,000 Seniors NLHE: Dale Eberle Heads Final

Day 2 of Event #45, the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em World Championship, started with 220 players and handily made it past the money bubble early in the day. But it would take until nearly 4:30 in the morning before Dale...

US Postpones Trade Meetings with EU Regarding Online Gambling

The United States abruptly announced a postponement in scheduled trade talks with representatives of the European Union that were to discuss online gambling and the stance of the current US administration, which in the EU's view...

Boyd Gaming Stops Construction at Echelon

Last week, Boyd Gaming announced it would suspend construction on its 140,000 square foot casino project, Echelon, which had begun on the former site of the Stardust Resort and Casino. While Boyd had secured inexpensive financing for its...

Leicester Square Designated Exclusive Site for WSOPE Events

In a modification to original plans, the World Series of Poker Europe has announced that all 2008 WSOPE events will be held at Leicester Square, one of the venues already named as a hosting site and also one of the London casinos used...

2009 PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship Tour Begins

One of the traditional opening poker events of each calendar year is the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship, which takes place early each January. The event annually draws a lineup of big names from both sides of the pond...

2008 WSOP Event #41 $1,500 Mixed-Limit Hold'em: Frank Gary Pulls Off Comeback

Three hours into the final table of Event #41, $1,500 Mixed-Limit Hold'em, Nick Binger had eliminated six players and seemed destined to win his first WSOP bracelet. But Frank Gary had other plans. An amateur poker enthusiast...

2008 WSOP Event #37 $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Championship: Benyamine Wins First Bracelet

Ram Vaswani led 18 remaining players into Day 2 of the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low World Championship. In this star-studded field, it was not surprising that this event's eventual final table played host to five former WSOP bracelet winners...

2008 WSOP Event #26, $1,500 Razz: Greenstein Collects Third WSOP Bracelet

Barry Greenstein finished Day 1 of Event #26 atop the leader board, and finished Day 2 in second place. After a grueling final table that saw patience outweigh aggression in the limit lowball format, Greenstein took the lead...

World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 14th, 2008

Another pair of WSOP winner's bracelets found loving homes in Saturday's action at the Rio, including one that will likely have visits from close kin. History was made when Blair Hinkle captured Event #23, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em...

The PokerNews Profile: Nenad Medic

Often the most intimidating player at the table in terms of sheer size, 6'5 Nenad Medic has, in only three short years, climbed the ranks from low-limit online player to a competitor among poker's elite. One of a talented few who have...

Poker Room Review: Peppermill Resort Casino Reno, Reno, NV

There are many poker rooms in the greater Reno area, which includes Carson City and Lake Tahoe to the south and Sparks to the east. I played in 21 of them over a one-week span. I really enjoyed myself in this beautiful part...

2008 WSOP Event #26 $1,500 Razz Day 2 – Viox, Greenstein Head Final

104 players returned to the felt for Day 2 of Event #26, $1,500 Razz, including Day 1 chip leader Barry Greenstein, Shawn Sheikhan, Jon 'Pearljammer' Turner, Dewey Tomko and Cyndy Violette. At the end of the day, only eight remained...

Forbes: $24 Million in Bodog Funds Seized - Bodog Responds

According to an article on Forbes.com, $24 million in funds has been seized by the US government over the past six months, funds the feds claim are in bank accounts used to fund operations and make payments to US based customers...

Celebrity Poker Tournament to Raise Money for One Step Closer Foundation

Hollywood celebrities and poker pros will be joining forces for a good cause at the first annual 'All in for CP,' a celebrity charity no-limit hold'em poker tournament to be held August 3rd at the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood...

2008 WSOP Event #23, $2,000 Limit Hold'em: Jeffreys Leads as Final Nine Set

Andrew Jeffreys and the late-surging Blair Hinkle are neck and neck going into the finals of Event #23, $2,000 Limit Hold'em, having amassed over a million chips each, while Day 1 leader Justin Dirksen holds third, well ahead...

World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 13th, 2008

Two more poker players wrote themselves into WSOP history as first-time bracelet winners during Friday's action at the Rio, while four more events trimmed their fields on another busy mid-Series day. With a big weekend...

2008 WSOP Event 24 $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em/Omaha Day 1: McKinney Leads, Cash Bubble Looms

A first day's action in Event #24 at the 2008 WSOP, $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em/Omaha Mixed, saw a starting field of 457 trimmed down to 85 through the first session's opening eight levels of play, leaving the survivors in sight...

2008 WSOP Event #18 $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw w/ Rebuys: Matusow Tops Lisandro for Win

Every seat at the final table of Event #18, $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw w/ Rebuys held a star. The seven final-table players held eight World Series of Poker bracelets between them, along with innumerable cashes, several WPT championships...

Inside The Poker Tour, Volume 95 - Here Come the Women

So many women taking the stage these days! Some say that it happens because of the internet where one doesn't directly confront other players. That might be true, but on the other hand it can only happen...

WPT to Explore Network Options for Season VII

World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc., owner of the World Poker Tour, has announced that it has entered discussions with several broadcast networks after its current contract with Game Show Network expired on Saturday. The announcement...

Poker News Bytes, July 29, 2008

A poker player who took his winnings to a brothel, only to get robbed, West Virgina fireman taking heat over charity poker tournaments, and PokerTek secures new financing - all today in this issue of Poker News Bytes...

2008 WSOP Event #12 $1,500 Limit Hold'em Day 2 – Vinny Vinh Takes Lead

179 players returned to the Amazon Room at the Rio for Day 2 of Event #12, $1,500 Limit Hold'em at the 2008 World Series of Poker. Among those returning were Marco Traniello, Erick Lindgren, Markus Golser, Tom Schneider and Terrence...

2008 WSOP Event #5, $1,000 NLHE w/ Rebuys, Day 2: Michael Banducci Leads

Day 2 of Event #5, $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em w/ Rebuys, started with the remaining 106 players filing back into the Amazon Room, almost exactly twelve hours from when they closed up shop in the wee hours this morning. When...

2008 WSOP Event #3, $1,500 PLHE Final: David Singer Captures Gold

David Singer has had an impressive poker career with a number of WSOP and WPT second-places finishes, the $25,000 Heads-Up World Championship, and a ninth-place finish in the WSOP Main Event in 2003. But until today there...

2008 WSOP Event #2, $1,500 NLHE: Grant Hinkle Wins Marathon Event

Grant Hinkle penned his name into the poker history books by winning Event #2, the largest WSOP preliminary event in history. The field began with 3,929 starters, all vying for the win, the bracelet and $831,462 in first-place...

Harrah's Designates Nevada Cancer Institute as Official WSOP Charity

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has announced that it has designated the Nevada Cancer Institute as the official charity of the World Series of Poker for the third consecutive year. 'Nevada Cancer Institute is a wonderful community...

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 55, Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends: Part 1, The Early Years

Johnny Chan may be one of the busiest superstars in the poker world today. He was congenial on the phone when I contacted him and suggested meeting at the Bellagio VIP lounge for a 9:00 AM interview, as he would be checking out...

NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship Inks Four-year Deal with Caesars

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship will not go without a home. Caesars Palace will host the prestigious one-on-one poker tournament for the next four years, NBC announced in a news release Wednesday. Caesars has hosted...

Singer Captures $25,000 Heads-up Championship on Full Tilt

Full Tilt's first-ever $25,000 Heads-up Championship, featuring the largest buy-in ever for an online heads-up tourney, saw a familiar name take the title on Sunday. Full Tilt pro David Singer claimed the title after defeating Emil...