Women’s Poker Club Announces Opportunity for Women to Win a Trip to Paradise!

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:07 -0400

Women’s Poker Club, the international women's only social group for poker, today announced that they are supporting the efforts of PokerStars.net to bring more women into poker. They are partnering with PokerStars.com to award all members an opportunity to play for their chance at winning a seat at the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure held on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

“Women should be thrilled that PokerStars is giving them additional opportunities and supporting women’s involvement in our favorite sport.” Said Maryann Morrison, President of Women’s Poker Club. "Women's participation in poker has been steadily increasing since Women's Poker Club was first formed in 2003. I am very pleased that Pokerstars, the largest poker site online, is publicly taking steps to help to increase awareness and support for women in poker."

Women’s Poker Club will be offering a freeroll tournament on Sunday, November 15th where one winner will be heading off to compete in the Bahamas in January. The PokerStars package includes airfare, three nights accommodation at Atlantis Resort, a $1000 buyin to the Ladies only event held on January 20, 2010 and a $250 spa package.

All interested women are invited to participate by joining Women’s Poker Club which is free to join. Signup at http://www.womenspokerclub.com.

World Series of Poker Steps Up Charity Efforts

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:55:10 -0400

Despite what Joan Rivers thinks, poker players have traditionally been among the most generous and compassionate people when it comes to donating time and money to worthy causes.

As Annie Duke and several other prominent poker players recently exhibited in the latest edition of Celebrity Apprentice, the poker community continues to raise awareness for important issues, donate money to a variety of charities and host charity poker tournaments in record numbers.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) – with official community relations partner Nevada Cancer Institute, the celebrity charity tournament Ante Up For Africa held annually during the WSOP, and the Bad Beat on Cancer donations collected during the Main Event of the WSOP – is equally committed to giving back.

In 2009, during the 40th Annual WSOP, several opportunities will exist for people to join efforts in raising money. They include:

o 1% of payouts – For the first time, the WSOP has set up in its payout program an opportunity for those cashing in the first 56 bracelet events to easily donate 1% of their winnings to Nevada Cancer Institute. Players simply need to let the payout clerk know their intent to leave 1% of their winnings to Nevada Cancer Institute, and the WSOP will arrange to transfer the funds to the Institute. All donations are tax-deductible and contributors will receive a letter from NVCI after their donations are received for accounting purposes.

o Ante Up For Africa – On July 2, 2009, the 3rd Annual Ante Up For Africa Charity-Celebrity poker tournament will be held at the Rio and televised on ESPN for the first time. The $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament is open to anyone 21 years or older. More than $1.2 million has been raised in the first two years of the event, as those cashing in the event have generously donated huge portions of their winnings to Ante Up For Africa to help raise funds for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Hosted by actor Don Cheadle and Annie Duke, the event draws big names from Hollywood, sports and poker and is always among the most exciting days of the WSOP. All donations are tax-deductible.

o Clothing With Heart – A special line of clothing made for women will be available at the WSOP retail outlets this year as well as online at www.wsopshop.com with proceeds being donated to Nevada Cancer Institute. Those who purchase the “Queens of Heart” merchandise, including hats and shirts, will not only be making a hip fashion statement, but contributing to a great cause as well.

o Aces Club – The exclusive VIP players lounge at the WSOP, dubbed the “Aces Club” is back in 2009 and as is custom, a large portion of the membership fee will be donated to the Nevada Cancer Institute. Memberships are selling fast and for those interested in joining should drop by the Club during the opening few days of the WSOP.

o Media Charity Tournament – On July 9, 2009 the annual Media Charity Poker tournament will be held for the media covering the WSOP. The media who reach the final table will all have donations made in their name to the Nevada Cancer Institute by the WSOP.

o Main Event – Bad Beat on Cancer, a national charitable organization dedicated to fighting cancer, along with Nevada Cancer Institute, Nevada’s premier cancer facility, will jointly benefit from players donating 1% of their winnings in the Main Event. All players, just like the 56 other bracelet events, will denote at payout their interest in contributing to the cause, and the payout clerk will handle processing the rest. All donations are tax-deductible.

The 2009 World Series of Poker will run from May 26 to July 15, 2009 at the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Anyone age 21 or older is eligible to play. 57 gold bracelets will be contested, including 54 open events. Special Casino Employee’s, Ladies and Seniors events are also on the schedule with gold bracelets up for grabs. For more information, please visit www.worldseriesofpoker.com, www.nevadacancerinstitute.org, www.anteupforafrica.org or www.badbeatoncancer.org.

2008 World Series of Poker Grows in Participants, Prize Pool, Ratings and All Time Records

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:10:10 -0500

From Afghanistan to Zambia, the World Series of Poker® touched all corners of the world in 2008 and, as a result, managed to expand its global reach and award a staggering $190,644,177 in prize money.

A record 125 different countries (more than the last Winter Olympics - 80) had participants in the World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light or World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair in 2008, proving that unlike that other World Series, the “World” Series of Poker is truly a global game. Only soccer’s World Cup and the Summer Olympics attract more countries to their competition…and those events are held just once every four years.

“The results this year demonstrate the increasing global appeal of our events and the universal recognition that winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet is the game’s ultimate achievement,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

An increase in participating countries in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was just one of many increases this year. Here are some of the key metrics from the 39th World Series of Poker and the 2nd Annual World Series of Poker Europe:

o 125 – Number of different countries and territories with at least one participant in a WSOP event this year (up 44% from 87 in 2007)
o 1.94 – Television rating on ESPN for the two-hour telecast of WSOP Main Event on 11/11/08 (up 50% from 1.29 in 2007)
o 2.08 – Television rating for final hour of 11/11/08 Final Table telecast, marking the highest-rated WSOP program in more than four years (since 9/14/2004)
o 18% -- The increase in rating of the 2008 WSOP Final Table in comparison to the “Moneymaker” final table in 2003 (1.94 vs. 1.64)
o 38% -- The advantage in ratings the 2008 WSOP Final Table had over MLB’s 2008 regular season ratings average on ESPN (1.94 vs. 1.4)
o 49% -- The advantage in ratings the 2008 WSOP Final Table had over the NBA’s 2007-08 regular season ratings average on TNT and ESPN (1.94 vs. 1.3)
o 59,767 – Number of entrants in 2008 World Series of Poker bracelet events in 2008 (up 4,856 or nearly 9% from 54,911 in 2007)
o $190,644,177 – Total prize pool for 2008 WSOP and WSOPE (up 13% or $21,430,221 from 2007)
o 59 bracelet events – 55 in Las Vegas and 4 in London (up 1 from 58 in 2007)
o 40 – Number of bracelets won by entrants from the United States (68% of total bracelets awarded)
o 12 – The number of different countries winning bracelets in 2008 (Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, U.S.)
o 4 – Number of bracelets won by players from Denmark, the second-most of any country (Peter Eastgate, Jesper Hougaard (2) and Theo Jorgensen)
o 1 – Bracelets won by the country Afghanistan, after Sherkhan Farnood from Kabul, Afghanistan became the first-ever by winning Event #2 at WSOPE
o $9,152,416 – 1st place prize won by Denmark’s Peter Eastgate for WSOP Main Event (up 11% or $902,416 from 2007)
o $64,431,779 – WSOP Main Event prize pool (up $4,646,825 or 8% from $59,784,954 in 2007)
o 6,844 – Number of WSOP Main Event entrants who each paid $10,000 to enter (up 8% from 6,358 in 2007)
o 50 – Number of U.S. states that had an entrant cash in the WSOP, the first time in history all 50 states were represented and had a cash
o 10 – Number of Canadian provinces that had an entrant cash in the WSOP, the first time in history all 10 Canadian provinces were represented and had a cash
o 59 – Number of different countries that had at least one entrant cash
o 35% -- Percentage of chip leaders entering the final table who went on to win the bracelet (20 of 57) (Head’s up and shootout tournaments do not have traditional final tables)
o 3,929 – Number of entrants in a preliminary event, the largest live non-Main Event tournament field in poker history (up 25% from previous record 3,151 in 2007)
o 1 -- Entrants from Zambia, the first time this landlocked country in southern Africa sent someone to the World Series of Poker.

The 39th annual World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light began May 30, 2008 and ran through July 15 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with 55 bracelet events. The Main Event, with four start dates to accommodate the large playing field, began on July 3 and took a 117-day break on July 15 and resumed on November 9 and 10, with a winner being declared on November 11. The second annual World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair took place in London, England from September 19 to October 3, 2008, with four bracelets being awarded.

Poker Hall of Fame Announces 2008 Inductees

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:58:21 -0400

Duane “Dewey” Tomko, a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a two-time Main Event runner-up, and the holder of the longest consecutive Main Event participation record (35 years) will become poker’s newest Hall of Fame member.

Tomko will enter alongside Henry Orenstein, a Holocaust survivor who won the 1996 World Series of Poker Seven-Card Stud Championship and also cashed twice in the Main Event, including a final table finish at the 1995 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Orenstein perhaps is better known for his real occupation – an inventor – holding more than 100 patents, including those for Sesame Street toys, Snoopy toys, the Transformers and U.S. Patent 5,451,054, which gave Orenstein the exclusive right to detect and display hole cards in poker games.

It was this patent, known today as the “Hole Card Cam” or “Hole Cam” which made poker a made-for-TV attraction, creating an estimated 150,000 jobs worldwide, spurring the meteoric rise of poker and helping popularize the game to heights never before seen in its long history.

Orenstein and Tomko will be enshrined on Sunday, November 9 at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suites® Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during the finale of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event championship. ESPN will show portions of the ceremony during their November 11 telecast.

The enshrinement and WSOP final table play are open and free to the public. Seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.

The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker's most influential players and other important contributors to the game. With Orenstein and Tomko, there are 16 living members.

The main criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame is as follows:

o A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
o Played for high stakes
o Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
o Stood the test of time
o Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.

The entire list of 37 Poker Hall of Fame members includes (alphabetical with year of induction in parenthesis):

o Tom Abdo (1982)
o Crandell Addington (2005)
o Bobby Baldwin (2003)
o Billy Baxter (2006)
o Lyle Berman (2002)
o Joe Bernstein (1983)
o Benny Binion (1990)
o Jack Binion (2005)
o Bill Boyd (1981)
o Doyle Brunson (1988)
o Johnny Chan (2002)
o T.J. Cloutier (2006)
o Nick “The Greek” Dandolos (1979)
o Barbara Enright (2007)
o Fred “Sarge” Ferris (1989)
o T “Blondie” Forbes (1980)
o Henry Green (1986)
o Murph Harrold (1984)
o Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth (2007)
o James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok (1979)
o Red Hodges (1985)
o Edmond Hoyle (1979)
o Berry Johnston (2004)
o Jack Keller (1993)
o Felton “Corky” McCorquodale (1979)
o Roger Moore (1997)
o Johnny Moss (1979)
o Henry Orenstein (2008)
o Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson (1987)
o Julius Oral “Little Man” Popwell (1996)
o Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston (1992)
o David “Chip” Reese (1991)
o Jack “Treetop” Straus (1988)
o Duane “Dewey” Tomko (2008)
o Stu “The Kid” Ungar (2001)
o Red Winn (1979)
o Sid Wyman (1979)

The Induction Ceremony to be Held as Part of Poker’s Biggest Night at Rio’s Penn & Teller Theater Prior To World Series of Poker® Main Event Final Table.

Rakeback: The Contributed Rake Method

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:46:21 -0400

Poker players of all skill levels, male or female, absolute beginners or seasoned pros will benefit greatly by taking advantage of good rakeback offers from different online poker rooms. Rakeback promotions are similar to poker bonuses, but unlike bonuses, there are no time limits and you will always get a certain percentage of the rake you generate back at the end of the month. However, it pays off to browse around several sites before you take your pick, as the methods of calculating rakeback vary quite a bit. Here’s an example.

When an online poker room collects rake, they simply calculate it based on the size of the pot. If the site’s policy is to take a five percent rake, they just pull five percent from the pot over the course of the hand. The collection stops upon reaching $3 or $4, or whatever the rake cap is.

If you’re participating in a rakeback program, this doesn’t help you. You need the rakeback site to know exactly how much you personally contribute so they can pay you your rakeback.

Fortunately, sites have ways of figuring out just how much rake you contribute. One such method is the contributed rake method.

How the Contributed Rake Method Works

The contributed rake method concerns percentages. Whatever percentage of the pot you contributed to; you have contributed a proportional amount of rake.

If you play a $60 pot of which you put in $6, you contributed 10 percent of the pot. You paid 10 percent of the rake for accounting purposes. In this case, if the House drags $3 from this pot, you get credit for 30 cents of rake.

What Rakeback Sites Do with This Method

The rakeback site will apply this calculation to every hand you play over the course of the month. At the end of the month, they will tally the rake you have earned and apply your rakeback percentage. You receive a refund for that number in your poker account at the end of the month. Read a full Rakeback FAQ for more detailed information.

Benefits to the Contributed Rake Method

The contributed rake method is useful because it allows people who play a lot of pots to get the full rake credit they deserve. Action players tend to play more pots. As a reward, they get more rake credit under a contributed rake method.

Under another method, a player who puts much less at risk might get an equal amount of rake credit. If you are the kind of player who likes action and tends to see a lot of flops, turns and rivers, the contributed method is probably what you want.

It’s Ladies Night as paddypowerpoker.com announce Irish Open Side Event Schedule

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:26:21 -0500

paddypowerpoker.com today announces the full Side Event schedule for the Irish Open 2008. The weeklong festival of poker surrounding the €3 Million Guaranteed Main Event will feature hold’em and omaha tournaments as well as the first ever Irish Open Ladies event.

The festival begins on 19th March with the Super Satellite to the Main Event, with the Main Event itself starting the following day. Good Friday will then see the cards being dealt at the inaugural Irish Open Ladies event, a €330 no limit hold’em freezeout.

Nikki Newman, Head of Poker at paddypowerpoker.com, is delighted to be introducing the new event. “I am very excited about it. I have always felt something of a personal compunction to help bring more women into the game. Colette Doherty, Irene Tier and Jenny Heggerty, showed us just how much power there is in the Irish ladies game. So what better backdrop could there be for a ladies poker event than the Irish Open itself!”

The schedule is rounded out by the €1,500 No Limit Hold’em Freezeout, the €400 Pot Limit Omaha Rebuy and finishes with another new event, the No Limit Holdem Double Chance Scalp (€270+€30+€30), which takes place on Easter Monday and promises to be a real crowd pleaser.

Irish Open 2008 Schedule

Date Event Entry Reg
19th March Main Event Super Satellite €300 €30
20th March Irish Open Main Event Day 1A €4,200 €300
21st March Irish Open Main Event Day 1B €4,200 €300
21st March Irish Open Ladies NLH Freezeout €300 €30
22nd March €1,500 NLH Freezeout (2 day event) €1,500 €150
23rd March PL Omaha Rebuy €400 €40
24th March NLH Double Chance Scalp €270+€30 €30

The Irish Open 2008 will take place in Citywest Hotel, Dublin, from the 19th to 24th March 2008 and registration for the event is already underway. Players wishing to register and pay online for any of the Irish Open events can do so now at www.irishpokeropen.com

Online qualification for the Main Event is also in full swing at paddypowerpoker.com with a packed schedule of daily feeders leading to Sunday Grand Final Satellites.

PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour brings poker to Macau

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:14:25 -0400

PokerStars today announced the first ever real money No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker tournament to be held in the People’s Republic of China. The ‘PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau: Asian Poker Open’ USD $2,500 buy-in Main Event, which is being run in conjunction with the Galaxy Entertainment/Grand Waldo Casino group and First Impression Ltd., takes place from November 22-27 at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino on the historic Chinese island of Macau.

The luxurious Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino is one of Macau’s newest five-star hotel resorts and will offer APPT players and their friends and families an opportunity to explore one of Asia’s most fascinating locations. With its wealth of Chinese temples, Portuguese monuments and beautiful gardens, Macau’s historic centre has been designated a World Heritage site.

“The Asia Pacific Poker Tour is honoured to be bringing the sport of tournament poker to Macau”, said Jeffrey Haas, president of the APPT. “Macau is already the world’s gaming capital and this historic event diversifies its global attraction by including the APPT’s unique brand of poker tourism. It’s a significant step forward, not only for the APPT, but for the growth of poker in Asia.”

Several of the most well-known and celebrated poker players are slated to attend the ‘APPT Macau: Asian Poker Open’ including the high profile Team PokerStars ambassadors and several of the world’s top online players. In addition to the USD $2,500 Main Event of the APPT Macau, there will also be a USD $15,000 High Rollers Event and a selection of smaller satellites and side events available. Players from across the world can qualify for all APPT events free at www.PokerStars.net, with online satellite tournaments running daily.

”Poker is experiencing tremendous growth in Asia and we are very excited to be a part of this growth, particularly as the first casino to host live poker in Macau,” said Gary Woollard, general manager of Galaxy Grand Waldo Casino. “We are very honored to work with the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour and First Impression Ltd. to make this a successful event.”

“PokerStars is committed to the growth of poker as an international sport,” said Sarne Lightman, director of marketing for PokerStars Asia Pacific. “Through our association with poker events such as the European Poker Tour and the APPT, we are able to offer players a unique chance to play and travel across much of the world. Adding Macau to the APPT schedule is a very exciting step forward. There is global interest in the “Las Vegas of Asia” and we are very proud we can offer players this amazing experience.”

The APPT launched this August in Manila, Philippines, with a second event in Seoul, Korea in September. Season 1 will conclude in December with the Grand Final in Sydney, Australia. All APPT events are filmed for television with the programs distributed globally. More information on the APPT can be found at www.appt.com.

paddypowerpoker.com launches biggest ever Irish Open promotion with ‘Paddy First’

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:21:07 -0400

paddypowerpoker.com today announces details of Paddy First, their brand new incentive for players who qualify for the €3 Million Guaranteed Irish Open.

If the player who wins the 2008 Irish Open qualified online with paddypowerpoker.com they will win the golden ticket of poker – free entry to Europe’s premier poker tournament for the next 5 years.

Paddy First

If a paddypowerpoker.com qualifier wins the 2008 Irish Open they will receive free entry into the Irish Open for the following 5 years.
The highest finishing paddypowerpoker.com qualifier will receive free entry to the 2009 Irish Open, even if they do not win the tournament outright.
Everything about the Irish Open will be bigger in 2008. The buy-in has increased to €4,500, the capacity has expanded to 1,000, the prizepool has risen to an enormous €3 Million Guaranteed and now the biggest ever bonus incentive for qualifying on paddypowerpoker.com has been launched.

Paddy Power, Communications Manager for paddypowerpoker.com, is confident that the prize will be won. “In 2007, Thomas Finneran from Galway outlasted more than 70 online qualifiers to finish 7th out of 708 players. The previous year Sligo man Pat O’Callaghan also came close to the top prize, finishing 14th out of 339.”

“Thomas and Pat have blazed a trail and shown that our online players can compete with the very best in the world. My money is most definitely on one of our guys taking home the Terry Rogers trophy this year. As Paddy First we will look forward to welcoming him or her back for the next five years!”

Qualifiers are already underway on paddypowerpoker.com with a packed schedule of daily feeders and fortnightly Grand Final Satellites.

WSOP Academy Ladies Only Camp to be Held Jan 25-26 2008 in Las Vegas

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:26:52 -0400

The World Series of Poker Academy, poker's premiere
series of instructional camps where participants learn first-hand
from the world’s greatest poker players, announced today that it will
host a two-day Ladies Only Event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas,
January 25-26, 2008.

The comprehensive poker camp and experience designed for women
players of all skill levels will feature world-class instruction by
WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke, poker tells expert Joe Navarro,
noted poker instructor Alex "The Insider" Outhred and many others.

“From Annie Duke’s success in tournaments over the past decade to
Annette Obrestad’s historic win at the inaugural WSOP Europe, women
poker players have more than proven themselves as among the best in
the game,” said Brandon Rosen of Post Oak Productions, the company
that produces the WSOP Academy. “With our second WSOP Academy Ladies
Only Event, our goal is to help even more women master the game by
giving them the confidence and skills they need to be a threat at the
table.”

The upcoming WSOP Academy follows the successful debut of its sold-
out Ladies Only Event in Las Vegas this past summer that saw one of
its graduates, Sally Anne Boyer, capture the title of Ladies World
Champion at the 2007 World Series of Poker by outlasting the largest
field ever assembled for a ladies poker tournament--1,286 players.
Boyer's accomplishment was made all the more remarkable as she had
only been playing poker for a year and won the tournament immediately
after attending the WSOP Academy.

“The fact that Sally went from a novice poker player to a World
Champion a day after attending the Academy is a testament to the
level of instruction Annie Duke, Joe Navarro, Alex Outhred and all of
our instructors offer our participants. We’re expecting to see more
Academy grads go on to win bracelets in 2008,” said Rosen.

“The WSOP Academy gave me the confidence I needed at the table and
taught me key concepts that I was able to put into action right away
in the tournament, like pot odds, table demeanor and what to look for
when reading someone," said Boyer after her record-setting win, which
netted her $262,077 in cash. “The Academy is the quickest way to your
WSOP bracelet.”

During the two days of WSOP Academy Ladies Only Event, participants
will be treated to in-depth seminars, live hand demonstrations,
interactive workshops and customized handbooks, with instructors
focusing on all aspects of No-Limit Texas Hold 'em strategy, from
playing position and calculating pot odds to the importance of
aggression and changing gears.

Among the highlights of the Ladies Only Event will be a poker tells
seminar presented by noted author and lecturer Joe Navarro. After 25
years with the FBI working in the areas of counterintelligence and
counterterrorism, Navarro has become one of the foremost authorities
on reading the nonverbal communications that people exhibit when they
are lying. Applying his expertise to poker, Joe has revolutionized
the science of detecting and interpreting tells.

Beyond just delivering the best in poker instruction, the WSOP
Academy Ladies Only event will also offer a total-immersion poker
experience that gives participants the opportunity to hang out and
play poker with many of the biggest names in the game and compete in
a private poker tournament. The top five finishers in the tournament
will each win a seat to the $1,000 buy-in World Championship Ladies
No-Limit Hold’Em tournament at the 2008 WSOP.

The WSOP Academy Ladies Only Event is one of a number of
groundbreaking poker camp programs presented by the WSOP Academy
throughout the year that feature instruction from the best players in
the game, including Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Mark
Seif, Scott Fischman and Annie Duke. From sessions that focus solely
on No-Limit Texas Hold 'em to special editions like the WSOP
Academy’s Main Event Primer and H.O.R.S.E. Edition, the WSOP Academy
offers amateur poker players of all skill levels the once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to learn directly from the champions of the game
and perhaps become champions themselves.

The cost of the WSOP Academy Ladies Only Event is $1,699. Space is
limited to 100 participants, and the event is expected sell out well
in advance. Additional details for this event and all other Academy
events are available at www.wsopacademy.com or by calling 1-800-989-
WSOP.

Dusk Till Dawn - UK’s First Legal Poker Club

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:10:44 -0400

History was made today at Nottingham Magistrates Court when Dusk Till Dawn (DTD) was issued with a casino license making it the UK’s first legal poker club and the largest in Western Europe.

Rob Yong, Managing Director of DTD, says: “I am absolutely delighted as are all my team at the news. It’s been a lot of hard work these last two years but we’ve crossed the final hurdle and we can look ahead to when we open later this year to make DTD the best poker club in Europe.”

It was not all smooth sailing for the club though as it was objected to by three casino chains, Gala, Stanley’s and London Clubs International on the grounds of “insufficient demand.”

The objection caused the original case in April 2007 to be adjourned until September 24th.

At the eleventh hour London Clubs dropped out but barristers for both Gala and Stanley’s (Mr Walsh and Mr Harper respectively) fiercely contested the bid. They argued that there was not enough demand in the local area and the club was not financially viable.

However arguments from DTD barrister Mr Andrew Woods and two letters of support from the Gambling Commission, in itself an unprecedented event swayed the magistrates in DTD’s favour.

The Chairman of the Betting and Gaming Committee said in his verdict: “I can safely say that if you had come to us with the intention of obtaining a full gaming license we would have denied it.

We would have been finished by lunch however as you wish to open a poker only club, we feel there is demand for the facilities you offer. As such we will issue you a license with the condition that only poker can be played there and no slot machines will be allowed.”

In another historic moment this was the last case heard under the 1968 Gambling Act which has now been replaced with the 2005 Gambling Act. Under the 1968 Act it is possible to apply for a gaming license with certain restrictions such as DTD as had imposed on it e.g. no slot machines.

However under the 2005 Act a gaming license automatically gives the licensee the right to host all casino games. Due to the 1968 Act being replaced with the 2005 Act all licenses are now automatically converted effectively allowing DTD to host all casino games despite the magistrate’s restrictions, which has been an argument of the casinos.

Mr Yong says: “Though we did consider having slot machines at the club we have now reconsidered and despite the conditions not being legally binding we will abide by them as a sign of good faith.”

A set date has not been chosen for the clubs opening but it is expected the club will make its debut in late November 2007. With 45 poker tables which can comfortably seat 405 players at any one time DTD is the largest poker club in Western Europe and the second largest in all of Europe.

PokerStars.com EPT Sets Out to Be London's Largest Poker Tournament

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:31:46 -0400

The London leg of the PokerStars.com EPT (European Poker Tour) kicks off on Tuesday and is set to be the biggest poker tournament ever played in the UK. Over 400 of the world’s best poker players are expected to attend the event and compete for one of the most prestigious titles in world poker, including members of Team PokerStars such as Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, (2003 World Champion) and Gavin Griffin, winner of the EPT Grand Final.

This year sees the fourth London EPT crown a spectacular year for poker; 2007 has seen an explosion in the UK poker scene and entrants to EPT events across Europe. Last season saw over 3,500 players take part in EPT tournaments for a total prize pool of over €26million and this season’s tour is set to be even bigger, encompassing nine venues across Europe and the newly added PokerStars.com Caribbean Adventure – a tournament that takes place in the Bahamas during the EPT’s mid-season break.

John Duthie, founder of the EPT, said:

“The PokerStars.com London EPT is like no other event in the sporting calendar. Set at ‘The Vic’ – the casino that is the spiritual home of poker in London – the London EPT brings together world champions, the best British and European professionals, as well as talented amateurs and online qualifiers to compete for one of poker’s biggest prizes.

“Last year’s London EPT saw a hugely popular winner in Vicky Coren and as a cash game regular at the Vic, she will definitely have ‘home field advantage’ as she tries to retain her title. The London EPT 2006 was the biggest live poker tournament ever held in the UK and we expect this year’s event to be even more successful.”

The final two days of the PokerStars.com London EPT will be broadcast live on www.eptlive.com, a free service offering high resolution images and expert commentary.

More Professional Players Added to Team PokerStars

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:09:49 -0400

PokerStars (www.PokerStars.com), the world’s largest online poker site, today announced four new members to the fold of professional poker players and world champions on Team PokerStars: Canadian Tuan Lam, South African Raymond Rahme, Italian Dario Minieri and American Hevad Khan from New York. Lam, Rahme, Minieri, and Khan entered the poker spotlight this summer in Las Vegas at the 2007 World Series of Poker, all reaching the top two percent of the playing field in the Main Event No Limit Texas hold’em World Championship and earning more than US$8.9 million collectively.

“Despite being from completely different walks of life and experience, all four players exemplify the talent, professionalism, and competitive spirit upon which PokerStars prides itself,” said fellow Team PokerStars member Joe Hachem. “I am very excited to welcome Khan, Minieri, Lam, and Rahme to Team PokerStars.”

Lam, a former Vietnamese refugee now living in Ontario, has been playing poker for the better part of 17 years. Primarily a cash game and short handed player on PokerStars.com, Lam actually began his career as a poker dealer before deciding to switch seats and get some hole cards of his own. Most recently, Lam finished runner up in the WSOP Main Event outlasting all but one of the 6,354 participants in what was the second largest live tournament field to date. He won $4.8 million for his outstanding accomplishment.

The first player to reach a Main Event final table from the African continent, Raymond Rahme began playing Texas hold ‘em only two years ago, but has already achieved great success including, third place in the 2007 WSOP Main Event and a fourth place finish in the largest tournament in African history. Previously, Rahme had spent the past three decades playing seven card stud while owning and operating his own business and raising six children with his wife, Theresa.

“I am constantly on the hunt for my next challenge and I have always approached life with a ‘never give up’ attitude,” said Rahme. “On PokerStars, there is always another challenge around the corner no matter what your skill level may be.”

Rounding out the Team, online pros Hevad Khan and Dario Minieri are the youngest players to join Team PokerStars at just 22 years of age. Although his online poker career began only a few years ago, Khan has been a gamer since he was a small child and played Starcraft Broodwar competitively starting at age 13. Now a well-known force in the online poker community under the screen name “RainKhan” on PokerStars.com, Khan is a multi-table and sit-n-go specialist whose skills are so refined that he was once thought to be a computer program or a “bot” for playing over 40 simultaneous tables on the site. He finished in sixth place at this year’s WSOP, good for just shy of a $1 million payday.

Likewise, Minieri began his poker career online at PokerStars, playing upwards of 9 tournaments at the same time for several hours per day. In fact, his passion for online poker helped him accumulate enough Frequent Player Points on PokerStars that he was able to purchase his first car free of charge – a Porsche Cayman. Minieri is also one of the few online players that successfully made the transition as an accomplished live tournament player with over $300,000 in live tournament winnings in just a few short years.

For more information about Lam, Rahme, Khan, Minieri and the rest of Team PokerStars, go to: http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/

Annette Obrestad wins World Series of Poker Europe

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:10:04 -0400

Norwegian player Annette Obrestad became the youngest bracelet winner in World Series of Poker history early today by conquering the Main Event at the first annual WSOP Europe Presented by Betfair.com.

The 18-year-old online poker prodigy from Norway outlasted the strongest field in European poker history at the five-day £10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event in London’s Leicester Square.

“I never expected to win,” said the composed and articulate Oberstad, who turns 19 in just one day. “I’m speechless. I really don’t know what to say.”

“In the end, the Europeans dominated here,” said WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “This is the start of a new tradition for the World Series of Poker and the European and global poker communities.”

Annette – who is better known by her online alias Annette_15 – has also agreed a sponsorship deal with Betfair.com which means she will be a constant presence on the live tournament circuit.

“This might be a cause of some dismay to many of the top pros that she knocked out in this tournament,” said Betfair’s Head of Poker Ben Fried. “She is a fearsome poker player and commands great respect at the table. It is fantastic to have her as a member of Team Betfair.”

Her victory over 22-year-old John Tabatabai of London came when her three sevens beat his two pair.

Obrestad won the £1 million, or $2,013,102, first-place prize and the most coveted prize in gaming, a World Series of Poker bracelet. Tabatabai earned £570,150, or $1,147,770, for second place.

With her performance, Oberstad’s payday broke two records held by poker pro Annie Duke. The first was Duke’s one-day-old record as the first woman to exceed $1 million in official WSOP winnings, thanks to her 21st place finish in the WSOP Europe Main Event. Duke’s £30,770, or $61,943, payday saw her edge just over the $1 million earnings mark. Duke also held the single-event record win for a woman with her $2 million winner-take-all victory in the 2004 Tournament of Champions staged by Harrah’s Entertainment.

The world’s top-ranked professionals journeyed to London this month for a chance to make poker history by winning the first three WSOP bracelets ever awarded outside the United States. But the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and scores of others were stymied in their quests, as Europe’s cadre of young poker players – most of whose playing experience was gained online – performed exceptionally well.

Matthew McCullough, the last remaining American in the Main Event, finished third after going all in with top pair on the flop. The hopes of the 33-year-old New Jersey resident for a WSOP bracelet were dashed when John Tabatabai, who called with middle pair, matched his ace kicker for two pair that eliminated the full-time anaesthetist. McCullough collected £381,910 for third place.

Norwegian Oyvind Riisen, 22, won £257,020 for finishing fourth, and Johannes Korsar, 20, of Uppsala, Sweden, got £191,860 for fifth place.

Dominic Kay, 30, from London, finished sixth to earn £152,040, while 24-year-old Magnus Persson of Gothenburg, Sweden, received £114,030 for seventh place. Copenhagen’s Theo Jorgensen, at age 35 the oldest player at the final table, won £85,070 for his eighth-place finish.

Final-table play got under way at 2:30 p.m. GMT at The Casino at The Empire in Leicester Square. A few moments later, 21-year-old Londoner James Keys, who began the day with the lowest number of tournament chips, was eliminated. He collected £61,540 for his efforts.

The 10th through 36th place finishers received from £41,630 to £27,150, depending on their final position. The total prize pool for the Main Event was £3,676,990.
Editor's Note: Woman Poker Player Magazine would like to congratulate Annette who accomplishes many firsts for poker with this championship!

Post Oak Productions and Striker VIP Forge Strategic Alliance to Cross-Promote Las Vegas Ultimate Insider Elite Poker Experiences

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:26:11 -0400

Striker VIP, Inc., Las Vegas’ premier five-star host, concierge and event services provider, and Post Oak Productions, Inc. (Post Oak), a Toronto, Canada-based live events company and the founders of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Academy, today announced they have entered into a strategic marketing alliance to cross-promote and sell each company’s complementary service offerings: Post Oak’s WSOP Academy and special poker training events, and Striker VIP’s Las Vegas luxury host and VIP concierge services.

Under the revenue share agreement, Striker VIP will develop, promote and sell Las Vegas-area elite travel packages around Post Oak’s WSOP Academy training sessions and special events, and Post Oak will promote and refer concierge business to Striker VIP for those clients attending the company’s poker training sessions, along with their spouses, family members and friends, who desire VIP-level dinner reservations, nightclub access, show and event tickets, limousine transportation, helicopter tours and an array of other affluent travel experiences.

“Striker VIP’s commitment to excellence is unsurpassed in the Las Vegas marketplace,” notes Jeff Goldenberg, co-owner of Post Oak Productions. “Accordingly, they were the obvious choice as a concierge partner who will not only meet, but exceed, our clients’ high expectations.”

The companies have kicked off the alliance to cross-promote and sell access to Post Oak’s elite ‘A Weekend with Joe Hachem’ event to be held December 7-9, 2007 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The eagerly anticipated event offers poker players a dream weekend of one-on-one poker lessons with the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, instructional seminars and workshops, private tournament play and the ultimate in high-end hospitality.

‘A Weekend with Joe Hachem’ is designed to provide poker players of all skill levels with intimate, hands-on poker instruction in conjunction with an exclusive Las Vegas vacation experience. Limited to only 18 participants who will buy in for $9,900, each player in this event is guaranteed individualized poker training with Hachem, whose personal time and attention will dramatically improve each participant’s game. Attendees will also enjoy limousine transport around town, luxury accommodations at Caesar’s Palace, a private cocktail reception, catered lunches, a private dinner at one of Wynn Las Vegas’ legendary restaurants, and exclusive table service at Tryst - among the city's most fashionable nightclubs.

In addition to the ‘A Weekend with Joe Hachem’ event, Striker VIP will also be the official concierge service for special Post Oak Productions events with additional top-tier poker players, including Phil Hellmuth Jr., among others.

Second Annual World Poker Deal Championships to be Held at Binion's

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:11:28 -0400

Poker Player Newspaper presents the Second annual World Poker Dealer Championships to be held Monday-Saturday, Sept. 25-29 at Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas.

The 2007 Championships are exclusively No Limit Hold’em and feature four events: Ladies, Supervisors and Owners/Managers have been added to the Dealers competition. Casino representatives from all public card rooms worldwide are invited to compete. Nearly all restrictions on sign-ups have been lifted to open the event up to more players.

For the Dealers event, persons who have dealt in a public card room or have dealt as circuit dealers within the last 12 months may play. For the Owners/Managers event, the owner must own at least a 5% stake in the card room or, if a native American, must be a member of the tribal council; shift managers also qualify for this event. The Supervisors event includes all positions between dealer and shift manager plus marketing, security and cashier employees. A female participant may play in the Ladies Only event plus one other event. A male participant may only play in one event.

Approximately 97 percent of the funds will be awarded in prize money. Winners will also be awarded an individual trophy as well as a trophy for their card rooms, and their names will be engraved on a permanent trophy kept on display at Binion’s.

The 2006 event drew dealer-players from more than 60 casinos and card rooms from coast-to-coast with winners in three events: Chris Schoolfield, Rainbow Casino, West Wendover, NV (Omaha 8 or Better, $3,390); Eugene Shinozaki, Bicycle Casino, Los Angeles, CA (Limit Hold’em, $4,656); Low Saetern, Feather Falls Casino, Oroville, CA (No Limit Hold’em, $10,825).

Renowned as “the place that made poker famous” and one of the most storied casinos in Las Vegas, Binion’s hosted the first World Series of Poker in 1970, then a small tournament of truly elite players and now the oldest, largest and most prestigious gaming competition in the world. The World Poker Dealer Championships advances its great legacy with players competing for the honor of their card rooms.