In last week’s hearing before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Chairman Alfonse D’Amato firmly supported the role of Indian tribes in future online poker legislation.
“Indian Country has long been an important stakeholder in the American gaming history,” D’Amato said in his testimony. “The fact that gaming is moving from the casino table to the computer table should not change that. We believe Indian Country should be substantial players in a regulated U.S. market with tribal governments as Federally-recognized licensing bodies.”
In testimony offered during Thursday’s Senate pow-wow, it was revealed that Indian casinos are responsible for more than 40% of gambling revenues in America, a statistic that undoubtedly will be taken into consideration when drafting online poker regulations.
One of the tribal delegates, Tulalip Tribe Vice Chairman Glen Gobin, was concerend that online poker would threaten the profit margin of land-based casinos on tribal reservations. “Legalization of internet gambling comes at a risk to tribal economies,” Gobin said.
D’Amato was quick to note that poker at Indian casinos accounts for only 1% of all tribal gaming revenue and any new online poker legislation would not have an effect on the current revenue of tribal casinos. “The idea that internet poker will impact that 1% is not true,” D’Amato said. “The concerns are thinly veiled.”
D’Amato added, “The PPA looks forward to working with the committee and Indian Country on this issue. We would like to see tribal gaming enterprises as licensed operators, as well as affiliates and network partners for other licensed operators. In the poker marketplace, PPA speaks for the consumers, and competition is always good for consumers.”
D’Amato’s colleague, PPA Executive Director John Pappas, was extremely pleased with D’Amato’s testimony before the Senate. “Alfonse D’Amato stole the show,” Pappas said. “He did a great job. He made it very clear that there is an opportunity for Indian tribes to be a significant player in the internet gaming market. They should be trying to work towards that.”
On Friday, the day following the Senate hearing, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade also convened to hear testimony in a hearing entitled “Internet Gaming: Regulating in an Online World.” D’Amato offered his opinion on the House hearing. “We are pleased with the committee’s commitment to thoroughly explore all angles of licensing and regulating online poker in the U.S.,” D’Amato said. “Hearings like today’s [Friday's] highlight how a licensed and regulated online poker industry benefits all Americans and we are hopeful members of Congress recognize the urgency of passing the appropriate legislation to get this done.”
The protection of problem and underage gamblers was mentioned in Friday’s House subcommittee hearing. D’Amato believes that by looking overseas to see how other online gaming operators are dealing with that problem can help in drafting U.S. regulations. “We have the advantage of learning from the effective protections for problem gamblers that many European countries are already implementing, such as the use of technology to monitor and flag players that exhibit signs of problem gambling,” D’Amato said.
Follow-up hearings in either the House or Senate have not been scheduled as of yet and no mark-up of bills was announced. D’Amato urged that the sooner online poker legislation is enacted, the better. “Tens of thousands of poker players across the country have already expressed their support for a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker industry through direct contact to their lawmakers, forums, and social media outlets,” D’Amato added. “Now is the time to listen to the voice of American voters and make the right decision for our country’s future.”
American Gaming Association president Frank Fahrenkopf and Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) will speak in favor of online poker regulation at Friday's House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade hearing. This will be the first time for the AGA to step up and testify in favor of legislation after many years of opposing online poker. Campbell proved to be knowledgeable on the issue last year in the House Financial Services Committee and then sponsored the previous Barney Frank bill in Congress this year.
Mark Lipparelli, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, will probably speak of his organization's place in providing regulations for the industry. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) is an opponent of gambling who thinks it leads to crime, corruption, family breakdown, suicide and bankruptcy. Charlie McIntyre, the New Hampshire lottery director, may speak to the supposed threat online poker poses to state lottery revenues.
The House hearing, which is set to begin Friday at 9 a.m. EST, will again be about Internet gambling, particularly poker in general rather than on the bill introduced earlier this year by subcommittee member Joe Barton (R-Texas).
Thursday's hearing in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EST, will feature the Poker Players Alliance as the voice of reason among seven Indian representatives. The witnesses are broken up into three panels, with Larry Roberts from the National Indian Gaming Commission alone in the first panel. The second panel will have Bruce Bozsum, chairman of the Mohegan tribe, and Glen Gobin, vice chairman of the Tulalip tribes.
The third panel is the largest with four witnesses plus others accompanying witnesses. Ernest Stevens, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, already known in the poker community for his perplexing testimony at the last House subcommittee hearing will be accompanied by senior adviser Mark Van Norman. Poker Players Alliance chairman Al D'Amato also will be in the third panel, accompanied by executive director John Pappas. Penny Coleman, of Anderson Indian Law, and Grant Eve, a tribal accountant, round out the group.
Indian tribes and the poker community have not been on the same page regarding online poker in the past, as the Indian tribes seem to only care about what best suits them, but this hearing could be a first step in that direction.
"The tribes getting before this committee, vetting their concerns and trying to find constructive ways to address their concerns benefits all of us," Pappas said. "The PPA respects their sovereignty and thinks there is definitely a role for them in online poker. We want to work with them rather than against them. There's nothing to be gained from working around Indian tribes."
Online gambling firm Bodog is preparing to launch a raft of new services backed by a multi-million pound marketing push as it looks to grab a larger share of the fast growing UK online casino and sports betting markets. The company is to set up a new UK entity early next year after being granted three licences by the Gambling Commission. Horse racing will be added to the site in the coming weeks, while online casino services are being developed including the introduction of a live dealer product.
Rivals in sports betting include Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfair, while PokerStars is the world’s biggest casino betting operator.
Its current 20-strong marketing team will be doubled to spearhead the push. Creative agencies are also being sought.
Bodog’s UK marketing as been confined to its sponsorship of Premier League team West Bromwich Albion. Its European division signed a two-season shirt sponsorship deal with the West Midlands side in June, said to be the “largest sponsorship deal” in West Brom’s history.
The increase in activity follows the appointment of Former Visa and Sony Ericsson marketer Dee Dutta as chief marketing officer earlier this year.
Dutta says:”The UK is the largest regulated market in the world today and we want to be part of that.
“The decision was not taken on market share. The key thing is to develop trust with the UK customer. This is one of the most important things for the industry.”
He adds that online casino services will receive particular attention as they are a “hugely neglected part of the online gaming space despite being the highest profit generator by far”.
The Justice Department still has nothing to say four days after the Wall Street Journal and CNN Money reported that a lawyer for a French investor said the group inked an agreement with authorities to purchase Full Tilt Poker.
“We have no comment and are not confirming or denying an agreement with Groupe Bernard Tapie,” a spokeswoman with the DOJ told Card Player on Monday.
Groupe Bernard Tapie would reportedly pay $80 million for the beleaguered online poker site as long as it settles its civil case.
In September, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara accused Full Tilt Poker and its principals of operating a Ponzi scheme.
If the deal were to finalize, U.S. players owed an estimated $150 million would have to seek compensation from the DOJ. Groupe Bernard Tapie reportedly would restart the company’s non-U.S. operations and allow the payout of its foreign player base.
The DOJ would not say how a possible compensation process would work under a deal with Groupe Bernard Tapie. In late September, the office, without mentioning a takeover of the company, said that “the return of forfeited funds to victims of the alleged fraud may be possible.”
Jeff Ifrah, attorney for Full Tilt Poker CEO Ray Bitar, told ESPN that the deal with the DOJ would allow the poker operator to re-enter the U.S. market should Internet gaming be legalized.
It is unclear if the company, which previously had ties with the Poker Players Alliance and Nevada-based Fertitta Interactive, could be found suitable to offer games to Americans in the future.
Bernard Tapie, former chairman of the investment group, spent time in prison in 1997 after being convicted of bribing soccer players to throw a match and was also convicted for tax fraud in a non-related case.
Non-televised main events with buy-ins ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 take place essentially every week all around the world. These events are primarily filled with smaller fields of 100-250 players and are composed of talented tournament grinders and unassuming amateurs who decide to enter the fray. The price point is low enough that "Average Joe" considers taking a shot while at the same time, prize pools are decent enough to appeal to the rounders who are in between majors. This type of event is often overlooked by the media and industry in general as they are often viewed as just time fillers.
All of these factors make the turnout at the ongoing World Poker Tour-sponsored stop in Jacksonville that much more surprising and impressive. WPT Jacksonville, a $3,500 re-entry event, generated a field of 393 entries and created a $1.2 million prize pool, the largest ever in Florida for an event not held at a casino. The non-televised WPT stop is held at the Orange Park Poker Room and will award $325,928 to the champion.
Sure, it's got the World Poker Tour branding along with it, but beside the facts that the live final table will be streamed online and the live coverage updates online, there's really no national exposure. So why did nine former WPT champions and many of the game's best head to the event? They knew this was coming …
I've discussed the boom in Florida poker before. When the laws changed last year, it really expanded a market for poker tournaments that existed, but failed to approach its potential due to previous legislation. Think of Florida's live poker scene as a nation that gets online poker legalized and regulated years after the rest of the world (hint to Congress). The potential is there; all it would need to expand is a green light. Florida's old rules had maximums on buy-ins and what casinos could offer to their patrons. The "Big Games" in Florida were all held privately because let's face it, hoping to turn your $100 max-buy in into six figures at a cash game doesn't happen too often.
The laws changed allowing for big buy-in events, and those who waited in the state for something like this to happen, rejoiced. The poker market began to boom and as a complete no-brainer, the major tours followed suit and made their entries into the region. Every tour that has come through Florida thus far has seen a better-than-average turnout and there's no reason why WPT Jacksonville would be any different.
Fishing where the fish are, right? The pros are well aware of the game's status in the state and, of course, figured that this event would be filled with amateurs ready to take their shot. Add to all of that the idea that WPT Jacksonville is a re-entry event and now, the idea of playing is even sweeter for the pros. Go broke on the first day against this watered-down field? Buy-in again. There's a recipe for success and the WPT followed it perfectly this week.
Now that my love of this stop is out of the way, it's time to get down to business. Is it really a good thing that this tour is offering $3,500 events and placing these winners into the "WPT Champions Club"? Is a victory in this lower buy-in on the WPT equivalent to their customary $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000? After speaking to the WPT's Jessica Welman on this topic, it appeared that I felt very strongly about two things:
1. It is good for the game that $3,500 buy-ins exist. It's a perfect price point for the aforementioned reasons and ensures that the tour succeeds in attendance and prize pool initiatives.
2. I don't think the same honor of being a WPT champion today is as prestigious as it was a few years ago.
For years I felt the WPT was the elite poker tour. Sure, a World Series of Poker bracelet is the pinnacle for a poker player, but your shot at winning WSOP gold happens for a short amount of time each year. The WPT offered a real poker season and a respectable tour where fans got to know the game's best by seeing them repeat their winning efforts on a much more consistent basis.
Years ago, all the WPT events boasted at least $10,000 buy-ins and guaranteed the toughest fields. They wouldn't always have the most players given that stiff buy-in, but earning a victory over 200 of the game's best meant something substantial to the industry. Plus, the prize money was insane. Remember watching all the WPT episodes years ago when millionaires were crowned week after week? You won a WPT in 2004 and you instantly became an icon in the game. The WPT created superstars quicker than the WSOP ever could simply because of the variety of tournaments and its exposure during poker's early days on television.
At this point, the WPT is doing what it needs to do in order to survive, but my perception of the tour has changed. The $25,000 WPT Championship will still stand out as one of the best tournaments of the year, but I can't give the same seal of approval on the rest of the schedule as I would have a few years ago. Being a champion of WPT Jacksonville in 2011 is not the same as the champion of WPT Five Diamond in 2009. They may both own titles and claim to have beaten the best of the best on the WPT felt, but at least for me, the exclusivity of the champions club should represent a bit more.
Small blinds: Players reached the money on Day 3 at WPT Jacksonville and Darryl Fish leads the final three tables with hopes of making his second WPT final table. … While I discussed the WPT's Jacksonville stop success at length above, it's important to realize that two other main events were taking place at the same time. The Heartland Poker Tour's Championship Open, a $1,500 buy-in, attracted a field of 545 players, a 32 percent increase in the event year-over-year. Robert West emerged with the title and $234,410. Scott Hastings, winner of HPT Oklahoma last month, was named the HPT's Player of the Year. … At Harveys Lake Tahoe, the WSOP Circuit main event offered a field of 327 players and a prize pool of $475,78
Poker, as the novice and the experienced can attest, involves skill. But the phrase "dealt a bad hand" didn't come out of nowhere. Your chances of winning are heavily dependent on the cards the dealer tosses your way.
That's why public games of poker involving money are regarded as gambling in such places as Las Vegas, Atlantic City and - it's now confirmed - Portsmouth.
A Circuit Court judge recently rejected a lawsuit claiming that poker halls, which enjoyed a profitable five-year run in Portsmouth, are legal under Virginia law.
As The Pilot's Dave Forster reported, Commonwealth's Attorney Earle Mobley had allowed the establishments to operate because he felt the state code was murky on whether their Texas Hold 'Em games were legal.
Under state law, games in which the outcomes are "uncertain or a matter of chance" are considered gambling and are therefore illegal. There are notable exceptions, of course, including state-licensed bingo games and state-run lottery games.
In other localities where the issue had come up, including in Hampton Roads, prosecutors and other officials had declared that public poker games involving money violated the state's gambling ban.
But Mobley, at first, said the state code wasn't clear on whether poker was illegal because it involved skill. As a result, Portsmouth quickly gained a reputation as a haven for poker.
The owners of the halls donated a portion of their proceeds to the Fraternal Order of Police and other charities. The setup was fraught with risk, however. The state didn't audit the proceeds, inspect the games or impose other basic regulations.
Efforts to clarify the law went nowhere. The General Assembly declined to settle the issue, and in 2009, then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell ruled that it was beyond the purview of his office to determine whether a particular activity constituted gambling.
Last year, Mobley shifted course and informed the owners of poker halls that he intended to prosecute if they kept dealing. The halls, by then numbering a half-dozen or more, shut down.
After watching a poker champion demonstrate the game recently, Judge Thomas Shadrick rejected the it's-mostly-skill argument and said Virginia law wasn't vague.
The battle over the legality of poker halls may not be over in Portsmouth or in other Virginia cities. But, as a matter of public policy, it should be.
There's ample evidence that gambling brings considerable harm to communities where it's welcomed. Proponents of legalized gambling argue otherwise, of course, but Portsmouth can't afford to stake its revival on those claims.
In any event, no community should become a haven for big-money poker games or other forms of gambling by default or neglect. That's what was happening in Portsmouth. The judge's ruling was a welcome decision at the end of a long run of indecisiveness.
Two of poker’s best known proponents Lex “RasZi” Veldhuis and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier fight each other in a mixed martial arts contest tomorrow in Marbella, Spain.
The even-money prop bet was made between the pair in 2009 but a series of events including injury and the collapse of online poker in the U.S. have stalled the fight until now.
The fight will consist of five, three-minute rounds and rules include no elbows, no headbutts, three counts in one round is a loss, four counts in the match is a loss.
Frenchman ElkY has been in kickboxing training since 2009 while Dutchman Veldhuis has some boxing experience from when he was a teen. Veldhuis is three inches taller than his opponent.
A House subcommittee heard testimony today on legalizing online poker.
The bill would let gamblers place bets and collect winnings via the Internet. Republican Congressman John Campbell of Irvine told the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee that Americans are gambling now unprotected on offshore websites. "There’s no regulation," he says. "There’s no oversight. They don’t know if they’re going to get the money they’re betting. They don’t know if the game is fair."
Gamblers who lost $150 million when the online site Full Tilt Poker went bust may have a shot at getting their money back. The Justice Department and a French investment group reached an agreement yesterday that would let U.S. poker players sue the offshore gaming company. It doesn’t guarantee the gamblers would get reimbursed. Campbell says the Full Tilt case shows that trying to outlaw online gambling is a bust. "Many Americans don’t drink. Most drink responsibly. Some have a problem. We tried making that illegal. We tried prohibiting it. It didn’t work. We forced a lot of honest Americans, because they were going to do it anyway, into a dishonest and illegal practice. And so prohibition was ended."
Subcommittee chair, Republican Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, says she wants everyone “dealt a fair hand.” She says she's taking a "very careful approach when it comes to this issue and I want to examine all of the relevant facts before deciding whether or not to proceed."
Bono Mack’s Palm Springs district includes seven Indian casinos. Indian gaming earned more than $26 billion nationwide last year. Bono Mack says she wants to know how Internet poker would affect that revenue.
Well, it seems that Pius Heinz's victory in the WSOP Main Event was just the first part of a surge of German domination in the world of poker as they just took the International Federation of Poker Duplicate Poker Nations Cup team event. The team was led by Stephan Kalhammer and included Sebastian Ruthenberg, Moritz Kranich and Tobias Reinkemeier and they defeated eleven other teams to the title after two days of action at the London Eye. Each team played 72 identical Duplicate Poker hands and the Germans won with 24 points, just two points ahead of Brazil and France at 22, Zynga (yes, the Facebook software people) at 20 and Holland and Spain earning 19.
The IFP action continued at London's County Hall with The Table, an invitational event featuring 130 players playing standard no limit hold 'em poker. Observers were excited to see the number of heavy hitters like Mike Sexton, Barry Greenstein, Gus Hansen, Sam Trickett, David Benyamine, Vanessa Selbst, Vicky Coren and world champ Pius Heinz on the felt, but the showdown between Spain's Raul Mestre and British writer Victoria Coren was more engaging than anyone could imagine.
After tangling earlier in the final table with a hand that featured a re-re-bluff, the duo faced down with Ace-high pairs, and it was Mestre's A5 that took the top spot.
Details of season IV of the European Masters of Poker have just been released as Lativan Edgars Augstkalns lifted the sixth and final EMOP title of season III in Riga at the weekend.
Augstkjals took down €57,491 for topping the field of 175 in the €1,650 buy in event ahead of Swede ahead of Joakim Fredriksson who came second having had his work cut out to overturn a 5-1 chip defecit heads up.
The final table payouts for the main event at the Royal Casino in the Latvia capital were:
1: Edgars Augstkalns (Latvia) — €57,491
2: Joakim Fredriksson (Sweden) — €39,993
3: Maris Keiriss (Latvia) — €29,994
4: Martin Dahlqvist (Sweden) — €22,496
5: Eduards Rakuss (Latvia) — €14,997
6: Simon Löfberg (Sweden) — €11,872
7: Anton Astapau (Bulgaria) — €9,373
8: Branko Stupar (Sweden) — €7,498
9: Kimmo Kurko (Finland) — €5,623
The other EMOP champions of season III were:
Anders Hagen of Norway
Soren Larsen of Denmark
Abdul Atila Seiar of Romania
Jukka Koskela of Finland and
Stefan Hansen of Norway
Elsewhere details of the season IV stops on the European Masters of Poker tour have been revealed with things kicking off in Prague in February:
The line up is:
EMOP Prague, Czech Republic — Feb. 2-5
EMOP Lisbon, Portugal — Mar. 29–Apr. 1
EMOP Bulgaria — Jun. 5-12
EMOP Barcelona, Spain — Sept. 13-16:
EMOP Dublin, Ireland – November
Online qualification for Prague will begin soon on the Entraction poker network – check EuropeanMastersofPoker.com for further details.
A top US gaming official has spoken to hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate
In the continuing effort for US authorities to pave the way for online poker, by regulating internet gaming, an industry leader has appeared before hearings at both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Alfonse D’Amato, the Chairman of the Poker Players Association (PPA), argued that regulating online poker would not only be a popular move, but also a responsible decision.
D’Amato gave testimony at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade titled “Internet Gaming: Regulating in an Online World”. Questioned about the safety surrounding online gaming, D’Amato urged the authorities to look to Europe for guidance, where strong regulations promote responsible gambling.
D’Amato commented, “We have the advantage of learning from the effective protections for problem gamblers that many European countries are already implementing, such as the use of technology to monitor and flag players that exhibit signs of problem gambling.”
He went on to describe the “urgency of passing the appropriate legislation” to ensure protection against under-age gambling, stressing that, “a licensed and regulated online poker industry benefits all Americans”.
D’Amato also appeared before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where he sought to assure representatives of Indian casinos that the introduction of online gaming would not hurt their businesses. Pointing out that poker accounts for just 1% of revenues at Indian casinos, D’Amato insisted that tribal gaming can become a genuine partner in online poker in the US.
D’Amato said, “We would like to see tribal gaming enterprises as licensed operators, as well as affiliates and network partners for other licensed operators. In the poker marketplace, PPA speaks for the consumers, and competition is always good for consumers.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — After 12 days and more than 30 poker tournaments, it was Carpentersville, Ill. resident Bryan Schultz who took down the 2011/2012 World Series of Poker Harveys Lake Tahoe Circuit Event's biggest pot.
The 25-year-old part time poker player won the circuit stop's No Limit Hold'em Main Event Tuesday evening, collecting $111, 812 and his first major tournament victory, according to an official report of the event.
Schultz outlasted a near record field of 326 other competitors to win a gold ring and a pre-paid entry into the $1 million 2011/2012 World Series of Poker Circuit National Championship in Las Vegas this May, in addition to the prize money.
Schultz won after pairing a nine on the river, securing top pair against Arkansas resident Daniel Lowery, who flopped a pair of eights. Lowery received $69, 132 for placing second.
Each of the Main Event's players posted a $1,600 entry fee to create a prize pool of $475,785. The four day tournament saw several local residents end up in the money.
South Lake Tahoe resident Dennis Pevarnick finished 10th, collecting $8,360. Stateline resident Trevor Pierce finished 29th in the Main Event, winning $3,183, and South Lake Tahoe resident Nicolas Long finished in 17th place, taking home $5,720.
The 17th place finish capped off a successful stretch for the semi-pro Ohio native who moved to the South Shore three years ago.
Long ended up in the money four times during the twelve day circuit event, including a first place finish in the circuit stops $345 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Six Handed tournament. The win netted Long a World Series of Poker gold ring and $14,705.
San Francisco resident Michael Rosenbach won two gold rings at the circuit event, made three final tables and was awarded the “Best All-Around Player” for the Lake Tahoe series. Rosenbach's three final tables also gained him an automatic seat at the World Series of Poker Circuit National Championship in May.
The number of players who entered this year's Main Event at Lake Tahoe is the highest turnout in five years and a 20 percent increase over last year, according to the report.
The events second gold ring event, a No Limit Hold'em tournament was the biggest poker tournament at Lake Tahoe in the last six years, with 521 entries.
ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- Nearly 400 professional and amateur poker players signed up for the World Poker Tour event at the Jacksonville Poker Room in Orange Park.
For $3,500, participants entered the nationally televised and internationally esteemed contest. More than $1 million in total cash money was up for grabs, with the winner taking home $325,000.
"Even sixth place wins $46,000," said tour president Adam Pliska. Pliska said this is the first event of its kind held in Jacksonville at the Poker Room, mainly because of a change in state poker laws a year ago.
"A poker event in Florida wouldn't have even been on the radar for professional players a year ago," said Randall Kasper. He manages professional players from around the world. He's so confident in the future of poker in North Florida that he moved from his headquarters in Las Vegas to take up permanent residence in Jacksonville.
"The immediate gut reaction of a lot of players was to go to South Florida, but that's changing because of all the opportunity here," he said.
The Poker Room plans on opening another branch in the Regency area in the next year.
No local players were left at the final table of six on Tuesday evening, so no one from Jacksonville will bring home the big bucks.
Officials said the event could last well into the evening hours.
The Expansion Draft can be a poker game for teams deciding which players to leave unprotected. In the 2011 edition, Chivas USA have gambled by leaving a few talented young prospects available for former Chivas captain and current Montreal Impact head coach Jesse Marsch.
The Rojiblancos' unprotected list is highlighted by Chivas' last four MLS SuperDraft first Round draft picks: Zarek Valentin (4th overall pick in 2011), Victor Estupiñán (10th overall in 2011), Blair Gavin (10th overall in 2010) and Michael Lahoud (5th overall in 2009).
“You get 11 players that you have to protect and there are rules that you have to protect a certain number of foreign players and we did that,” general manager José Domene told MLSsoccer.com. “At the end of the day, we protected, who we thought that we need.
“Like I've said, you play the odds,” he added. “You also want to keep guys that may have value for other teams so that they're not left unprotected. Unfortunately, you can't protect everybody, so it is what it is.”
Valentin – who graduated from Generation adidas along with Gavin – experienced an up-and-down rookie season, playing 25 games for Chivas and eventually earning a spot in the recent US U-23 Olympic camp in Germany. Gavin, meanwhile, has battled hamstring injuries since being selected by Chivas last season, but showed flashes of potential during his 18 appearances.
The versatile Lahoud enjoyed a strong season for Chivas, playing numerous positions, including left back and defensive midfield. Estupiñán, who brashly predicted he’d score 30 goals as a rookie, made just nine appearances in his first season in MLS.
Head coach Robin Fraser's protected list includes striker Juan Pablo Ángel, who is still in talks with the club about returning after scoring seven goals in nine games during a brief stint with the Rojiblancos.
Joining Ángel on the protected list were core members of Fraser's starting lineup, including ‘keeper Dan Kennedy, defender Heath Pearce, midfielder Nick LaBrocca and forward Alejandro Moreno among others.
Paulo Nagamura, who struggled with various injuries in 2011 and in just 11 matches – and a former teammate of Marsch – was also protected. So was Ryan Smith, the English winger who was acquired by Chivas from Sporting KC in the league's brief trade window on Monday.
Both defenders Brian De La Fuente and forward Tristan Bowen were exempt from the Expansion Draft due to their status as Home Grown players. Neither played a large role with Chivas' first team in 2011 and Bowen has been on loan with second division Belgian side KSV Roeselare since August.
Chivas USA's Protected XI:
Goalkeeper: Dan Kennedy
Defenders: Heath Pearce, Michael Umaña
Midfielders: Jorge Flores, Ben Zemanski, Paulo Nagamura, Nick LaBrocca, Ryan Smith
Forwards: Juan Pablo Angel, Alejandro Moreno, Justin Braun
Online gaming used to be Vegas’ enemy, back when poker players flocked from our casinos to websites boasting ultra-low rakes. The sites could set these rakes so low because, unlike their Las Vegas brick-and-mortar counterparts, they didn’t have to pay dealers, floor supervisors, or security guards.
But then the sh*t hit the fan. The U.S. government cracked down; online casino owners got busted; and online players lost their bankrolls.
Now, online players are looking for a safe, legal way to build them back up. That’s where we fit in. In February, the Nevada State Gaming Control Board will begin accepting online poker license applications. If you’ve already got a regular gaming license, your application process will go fast. If you’re a new operator, you’ll have to go through background checks and investigations, which could take a couple of months. So, yes, the established casinos are on board with this plan.
And the players, who’ve been burned in the past, are on board, too. They’re probably willing to pay a slightly higher rake (to MGM or to Caesars, for instance) for the same reason you’re willing to pay Bank of America or JP Morgan a monthly fee: There’s security in size.
At first, online gaming will only be legal in Nevada, but once California sees how much fun we’re having (and how much money we’re making in taxes), they’re going to get jealous. “If Nevada can do it, why can’t we do it, too?” they’ll ask. And eventually, the legalization will spread. In the meantime, we’ll draw dollars from other countries, where online gaming regulations aren’t so tight. Nevadans, prepare to collect a massive pot.
It looks like Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, will be the resident celebrity for Presque Isle Downs’ new poker room.
He’ll be seen regularly in Erie, as his contract with the casino calls for him to visit at least every other month.
“It’s not a one-off deal,” said Moneymaker, who lives in Memphis and recently signed on to represent Blue Shark Optics as well. “I’ll be back to do some seminars, play cash games and maybe some one-on-one games. I’m looking forward to this. It’s relaxing for me, and I get to meet people.”
Moneymaker became a huge name in poker when he won the world title and its $2.5 million top prize. The popularity of the televised event made him a household name and helped create the poker boom.
“I traveled before the crackdown (Black Friday), but I also played a lot of online poker,” the 35-year-old Moneymaker said during a meet-and-greet before the grand opening tournament being played in his honor. “Now I have the time to do a lot of things.”
When asked about the new poker room, Moneymaker said, “The room has a Vegas-type of feel. It’s better than Vegas because you can walk around. The Vegas casinos put their poker tables so close together,”
Poker room manager Christine Stacy and her staff did an excellent job with the event. The feel to the room is truly amazing and you can tell everyone is excited about the new room.
Said Fred Buro, the casino’s president and general manager: “We’re seeing players from all over the tri-state area and from as far away as Mississippi, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The crackdowns have enticed poker players to come out of their homes and back to the poker parlors.”
The poker room is open 24 hours and can expand to 12 tables if needed. The $25K main event single-table tournament lasted close to five hours.
Jeffrey Galkowski, a Pleasantville, Pa., native, took down first prize. Jasmin Omanovic of Erie knocked out Moneymaker in eighth place when Moneymaker’s A-K lost all-in to Omanovic’s A-A.
— Mike Owens is the Ante Up Ambassador for Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He’s a poker player, journalist and creator of CheckRaze.com. He can be reached at [email][email protected][/email].
$25K SNG w/Moneymaker
1. Jeff Galkowski, Pleasantville, Pa., $10K
2. Jeff Wells, Union City, Pa., $5K
3. Jasmin Omanovic, Erie, Pa., $3K
4. Dana Mays, Erie, Pa., $1K
5. Wendy Prez, Poland, Ohio, $1K
6. Michael Salem, Ohio, $1K
7. Eric Thompson, North East, Pa.,$1K
8. Chris Moneymaker, $1K
9. Brian Bott, Poland, Ohio, $1K
10. Donald McKieman, Erie, Pa., $1K
Over the summer Iowa put its online poker legislation on hold and commissioned a study to be completed by the end of this year on the affect online poker could have on Iowans. In November the University of Northern Iowa said there wasn’t enough data to complete the study, which is a bit confusing. Online poker has been around for at least a decade. Even if it wasn’t regulated, some data must exist.
Also, other countries have regulated online poker and have been earning tax revenue from it. Data from these countries surely exists. This report should’ve been fairly easy to pull together.
Debate over online poker is expected in January.
HPT AT MESKWAKI: The first week of November I found myself at Meskwaki Casino in Tama for the Heartland Poker Tour. Though I had a disappointing 50th-place finish, I had a great time and was treated well by the poker team from Meskwaki and the HPT. There was no shortage of satellites for the main event and many good cash games were going on the side.
There were 214 players for the HPT main event, a strong improvement over the past couple of HPT events at Meskwaki. When the dust settled, top prize went to Ken Rosheisen from Janesville, Wis. Rosheisen entered through a $360 satellite and took home $90,598 for the win. This was his second TV table out of 10 attempts on the HPT.
Runner-up Tim Thompson earned $45,299 (he said he’ll buy his wife a new car). Jon Lapczenski was third, turning his $45 super-satellite investment into $21,139.
— Ken Warren is the Ante Up Ambassador for Iowa. You can email him at [email][email protected][/email].
It's been awhile since Phil Ivey has graced the poker world with his presence on the felt. In April, when the doom of Black Friday fell upon us, Ivey disappeared from play. In May, Ivey issued a statement saying that he was suing Tiltware, the software and marketing company for Full Tilt Poker, and boycotting the World Series of Poker. The suit was eventually dropped, but Ivey did follow through with his boycott of the WSOP by not playing a single event.
Recently, there were rumors swirling that Ivey was in Macau. That was a fairly believable claim since he's been known to play in some of the world's largest cash games there. On Wednesday when the 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Macau kicked off, we heard another rumor, but this time it was much less believable. The rumor was that Ivey was coming to play the APPT Macau Main Event. Sure, and pigs are now flying, right?
The rumor came just as the tournament clock rolled over into Level 2. Then, with a little bit of time left in the level, Ivey showed up and took his seat in the middle of the room. A massive buzz of excitement came about the room, from both players and media, as the man often revered as the "greatest player in the game" began riffling chips in a live tournament for the first time in several months.
As far as PokerNews can tell, Ivey's hiatus dates back to the World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship in March, meaning it's been seven months or so since anyone's seen Ivey in an event. His appearance here marks the first in awhile, but hopefully there's many more to come. Much like golf longed for the return of Tiger Woods, poker was waiting and waiting for Ivey to come back.
Although Ivey looks to be back to poker for the time being, he wasn't too chatty during the day. The players at his table didn't seem to bother with attempting to engage Ivey in conversation, both regarding his leave of absence from the game or his standing on the entire Full Tilt situation, but rather just let him play. Ivey did crack a few smiles during the first part of the day, but for the most part was all business in his usual ways — headphones on, phone in hand, chips stacked in front of him.
The British live poker scene is already packed out, but that hasn’t stopped Genting Poker from introducing their own tour next year.
Seven events have been included on the Genting Poker Series scheduled, kicking off in Birmingham’s Star City from February 1-5.
The next four stops on the tour are Southend (March 28-April 1), Edinburgh (May 30-June 3), Stoke (August 1-5) and Sheffield (September 26-30).
Then comes an online leg from November 10-13, before the tour ends at London’s Palm Beach Casino, Mayfair, for the Grand Final from December 7-11.
At least £800,000 ($1,246,553/€930,858) in prize money has been guaranteed for the seven stops, with main event buy-ins for the first six legs set at £400+£30 (approximately $623/€465+$47/€35), while the season-closing tournament in London possesses a £1,500+£100 ($2,337/€1,745+$156/€116) buy-in main event that guarantees a £200,000 ($311,700/€232,623) prize pool.
Each of the first six main events have been given £100,000 ($155,850/€116,329) guaranteed prize pools, with the winner being assured of at least £25,000 ($38,963/€29,082) in cash as well as a place in the Grand Final.
Players will be given 25,000 starting stacks on a one-hour clock, while numerous side tournaments have been planned with buy-ins starting as low as £100 ($156/€116), as well as cash games.
The cash games will provide play in Omaha Poker, Texas Hold’em, Round of Each and Dealers Choice, and will range from £1/£1 ($1.56/€1.16) up to £50/£100 ($78/€58 and $156/€116).
Additionally, all of the live tournaments will play host to satellite qualifiers with packages valued at £1,000 ($1,558/€1,163) on offer that include the buy-in for the main event as well as four nights’ stay at a top hotel and £175 ($273/€204) cash to spend.
But Genting Poker have also created a first with their online sixth leg. This event will feature the same tournaments as the other legs, but, because of the speed of online poker, each event will last just one day.
That’s where the changes end, though, and the main event is still a £400+£30 buy-in with a £100,000 prize pool guaranteed.
All six live events will feature a TV Table, to be streamed on a short delay on the internet, while ‘Mad’ Marty Wilson will host the live shows and be joined by numerous pros and celebrities.
Interestingly, all main events will possess the unique Flopped Aces and Quad Aces Cracked promotions.
The Quad Aces feature will see the first entrant in any live main event to have their four aces defeated by a straight flush handed a Bad Beat Jackpot prize that offers a £10,000 ($15,583/€11,637) sponsorship package that includes entry to the Grand Final, while the Flopped Aces special will assure every player at a table that shows A-A-A on the flop is given a seat at the next £400+£30 main event.
Genting Poker Series 2012 schedule
Leg 1: February 1-5, Genting Club Star City, Birmingham
Leg 2: March 28-April 1, Genting Casino, Southend
Leg 3: May 30-June 3, Genting Club Fountain Park, Edinburgh
Leg 4: August 1-5, Genting Club, Stoke
Leg 5: September 26-30, Genting Club, Sheffield
Leg 6: November 10-13, Genting Poker, Online
Leg 7: December 7-11, Grand Final, The Palm Beach Casino, Mayfair, London
“Indian Country has long been an important stakeholder in the American gaming history,” D’Amato said in his testimony. “The fact that gaming is moving from the casino table to the computer table should not change that. We believe Indian Country should be substantial players in a regulated U.S. market with tribal governments as Federally-recognized licensing bodies.”
In testimony offered during Thursday’s Senate pow-wow, it was revealed that Indian casinos are responsible for more than 40% of gambling revenues in America, a statistic that undoubtedly will be taken into consideration when drafting online poker regulations.
One of the tribal delegates, Tulalip Tribe Vice Chairman Glen Gobin, was concerend that online poker would threaten the profit margin of land-based casinos on tribal reservations. “Legalization of internet gambling comes at a risk to tribal economies,” Gobin said.
D’Amato was quick to note that poker at Indian casinos accounts for only 1% of all tribal gaming revenue and any new online poker legislation would not have an effect on the current revenue of tribal casinos. “The idea that internet poker will impact that 1% is not true,” D’Amato said. “The concerns are thinly veiled.”
D’Amato added, “The PPA looks forward to working with the committee and Indian Country on this issue. We would like to see tribal gaming enterprises as licensed operators, as well as affiliates and network partners for other licensed operators. In the poker marketplace, PPA speaks for the consumers, and competition is always good for consumers.”
D’Amato’s colleague, PPA Executive Director John Pappas, was extremely pleased with D’Amato’s testimony before the Senate. “Alfonse D’Amato stole the show,” Pappas said. “He did a great job. He made it very clear that there is an opportunity for Indian tribes to be a significant player in the internet gaming market. They should be trying to work towards that.”
On Friday, the day following the Senate hearing, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade also convened to hear testimony in a hearing entitled “Internet Gaming: Regulating in an Online World.” D’Amato offered his opinion on the House hearing. “We are pleased with the committee’s commitment to thoroughly explore all angles of licensing and regulating online poker in the U.S.,” D’Amato said. “Hearings like today’s [Friday's] highlight how a licensed and regulated online poker industry benefits all Americans and we are hopeful members of Congress recognize the urgency of passing the appropriate legislation to get this done.”
The protection of problem and underage gamblers was mentioned in Friday’s House subcommittee hearing. D’Amato believes that by looking overseas to see how other online gaming operators are dealing with that problem can help in drafting U.S. regulations. “We have the advantage of learning from the effective protections for problem gamblers that many European countries are already implementing, such as the use of technology to monitor and flag players that exhibit signs of problem gambling,” D’Amato said.
Follow-up hearings in either the House or Senate have not been scheduled as of yet and no mark-up of bills was announced. D’Amato urged that the sooner online poker legislation is enacted, the better. “Tens of thousands of poker players across the country have already expressed their support for a licensed and regulated U.S. online poker industry through direct contact to their lawmakers, forums, and social media outlets,” D’Amato added. “Now is the time to listen to the voice of American voters and make the right decision for our country’s future.”