Poker forum archive

We were first introduced to our final Rookie Roundup selection in November of 2009, and initially Team PokerStars Pro Viktor” Isildur1” Blom was just a mysterious ninja avatar from Sweden that had more violent swings than Gary Sheffield on HGH. During his first 24-hour session on Full Tilt Poker, Isildur1 played nearly 3,500 hands and won $347,000 — the vast majority of which came from the now retired Haseeb Qureshi. Two weeks later, the Swede battled Tom “durrrr” Dwan for over four days, starting at $300/$600 NLHE, and eventually moving as high as $500/$1,000 NLHE. When the dust finally settled, Isildur1 had taken $3 million from Dwan, and had become the most fascinating online poker player in the world.

Read more: 2012 World Series of Poker Rookie Roundup: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom | PokerNews

You know that Bovada Poker is the best place to win a seat in the 2012 World Series of Poker* Main Event, so why don’t you get on board this weekend and play your way to Vegas? Bovada is hosting over 2,000 daily qualifiers starting as low as $1 that will let you win your way into weekly satellites for a prize package that guarantees you’ll have a fantastic time at the Rio.

If you win, you’ll live large with Bovada thanks to a $12,000 prize package that includes the $10,000 main event buy-in, along with money for airfare, accommodations and a healthy dose of their famous hospitality, and they’re making it easier than ever. With Bovada's aggressive tournament schedule, there's always a chance to win your way to the Main Event. You can choose from regular, turbo or Sit and Go tournaments to win a seat in the weekly satellite event.

On top of the events leading up to the satellites, there’s also a series of Last Chance qualifiers in the hours before the event that feature buy-ins ranging from $25 + 2.50 to $100 + 9. That means you can get the chance to play in the $470 + 30 Main Event Satellite for a fraction of the usual buy-in.

Visit Bovada's WSOP Main Event online qualifiers and satellite page and find out just how easy it can be to find yourself in Las Vegas for the big show. You’ve got the entire weekend to get ready for the next satellite on Monday, May 28 at 9:05PM, so start playing!

A report from the Daily Telegraph states that Australia could offer online “in-play” betting, in a briefing sent by the Gillard government to members of the gambling industry, the down under could see approval of online in-play betting within 6 to 12 months time, to supplement Australia’s existing egaming industry.

Many Australian’s are already believed to be betting online and the changes could create a new $300 million segment of the gambling industry.

Right now as it stands the inconsistency of allowing phone betting and not the use of the internet is taking issue with some. Stephen Conroy, Communications Minister stated the following,

Read More: Controversay Over In Play Betting and Online Poker in Australia | Casino Scam Report

Tom Marchese has won the 2012 $100,000 buy-in WPT Super High Roller topping Andrew Robl heads up to earn the $1,308,405 first place prize. Card Player TV caught up with Marchese just after he won to learn more.

The 2012 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker, fondly referred to as SCOOP, was a record breaking tournament series with three Main Event winners across three buy-in levels (low, medium, and high), crowned last week. The tournament was a major success, even without US players, with countries from all over the world represented.

The $10,300 Main Event High winner was Costa Rican Nick ‘GripDsNutz’ Grippo, who won in a heads up play-off with Canada’s ‘sp00led,’ awarding Grippo with a first-place payout at just under $800K after a three-way deal was made. Second and third place, ‘sp00led’ and ‘sosickPL,’ respectively, both walked with $718K after 514 other players were defeated and a total prize pool of $5.17 million was divvied up.

The $1,050 Main Event Medium saw Bulgarian ‘suarez_BG’ make a huge comeback to win more than $500K after outplaying more than 3,500 players and his final heads-up opponent Denmark’s ‘ministerborg,’ event 21-high winner, who won $417+K for his second-place win.

And finally, the Main Event Low title, which featured a $109 buy-in, was taken by Greece’s ‘john_tri80,’ after he outlasted 22,128 players and earned a $198+K first place payout that was part of a split-deal with second-place ‘FrandsenDK,’ who won $187K for his efforts.

PokerStars was recently named as one of the Best Workplaces in the UK by the Great Place to Work Institute, the biggest consulting firm in the world specializing in workplace assessment and enhancement. To determine the best places to work, the institute surveys employees annually and performs cultural audits of about 5,500 organizations globally, representing some 10 million employees. Companies are then ranked within their country based on workplace values including respect, fairness, credibility, camaraderie, and pride.

PokerStars, which employs around 1,200 people globally, half of which are UK-based offices in London as well as the Isle of Man. Some of the factors that make PokerStars stand out include impressive employee benefits, as well as perks, a diverse workforce, and their high number of developmental opportunities for employees..

PokerStars director of HR Lynn Hunter says, “As a fast-growing company, attracting and retaining talented people is critical to our business, so we are dedicated to ensuring our employees are well supported, nurtured and rewarded. This is the first time we’ve participated in the Great Place to Work survey, so it’s especially gratifying to know that our efforts are contributing to the success of our business, and that employees consider PokerStars to be a Great Place to Work.”

CEO for Great Place to Work Tom O’Byrne says, “This has been a particularly good year for the Best Workplaces list. The standard of entry has been particularly high so getting a place on the list is a significant achievement. We assess and select the best workplaces by examining how management create trust in the workplace through various policies, practices and initiatives.” He adds, “But the real measure of whether an organization is a great place to work is whether employees say it is.”

With more than 49 million registered players globally and more than 80 billion poker hands played since it opened its virtual doors in 2001, PokerStars is the world’s biggest online poker site, breaking record after record (at this point they break their own records). The recently wrapped up 2012 SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) had more than half a million players compete for more than $65 million in prizes.

The annual World Series of Poker looks to be a memorable one for some percentage of the poker community. Sixty one bracelets will be awarded at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, making May 27 to the middle of July the most densely packed time of the tournament year.

The biggest headlines will emerge as the Series develops, but some have already made their way into the spotlight.

The $1 million buy-in event, organized with a significant chunk going to charity, will be the largest of its kind in the game’s recorded history. Some of gaming’s richest businessmen, as well as the most fearless poker pros, have committed to play on July 1.

Read More: Preview of the 2012 World Series of Poker

Good morning boys and girls, poker players, slot slingers and bingo heads! First up on the weekly recap we would like to wish everyone in the US a very happy Memorial Day weekend, God Bless the men and women around the world that fight for their countries freedoms!

Speaking of freedoms, there was a lot of talk about what the people want and I believe that the people have spoken and they WANT the freedom of playing poker online!

As reported this week, the Obama administration addressed the “protect consumers, create jobs and generate revenue by licensing and regulating online poker,” petition with a we’ve heard your concerns, we are looking into it and basically don’t call us we’ll call you as they concluded if states want online poker, “that it is up to individual states to decide whether to permit the activity.”

Read More: CSR's Weekly Recap, We the People Want Online Poker Right Now | Casino Scam Report

Hot on the heels of PKR’s World Series of Poker Fantasy League comes a Boylepoker Facebook app competition for this year’s marathon poker event in Las Vegas.

Players can pick five poker pros from a list of 180 competing in this year’s Series which starts in earnest tomorrow Monday May 28 with a $1,500 buy in no-limit hold’em tournament.

The winner of the fantasy league will pick up an iPad 3.

Head of poker, Ciaran Corbett, said, “Here at Boylepoker.com we are showing our commitment to poker by developing this app and also getting behind the biggest poker event of the year; The WSOP.

“Our Fantasy League has been enjoyed by our customers for a number of years and by bringing it to Facebook, we hope everyone can share the fun with their friends!”

The Bovada online casino never stops dishing out the mounds of cash. Bovada saw Darin. G of CA become the biggest winner of the day with a $3,075 payday on Single Deck Blackjack. How do you become one of these big winners? Get yourself in the Bovada Casino and get playing!

Other big Bovada Casino winners from yesterday who also won by playing Single Deck Blackjack included:

Jeff. B of MA who won $2,173

Josh A. of AR won $1,980

Jeff T. of NC pulled in $984

Michael L. of OH won $788

Scott R. of MO won $758

Kevin M. of CA won $730

Jeffrey G. of IL took home $678

Pete R. of NV won $600

Mark H. of CA grabbed $574

Looks like Single Deck Blackjack is paying out like crazy. Check out Bovada’s Online Casino and become a big winner too!

Online poker may soon be legalized in Australia, if the latest attempt to pass legislation on the issue is successful. The government is proposing to reform existing laws to allow online poker and sports betting within the next year, with poker initially being introduced for a trial period of five years.

The game has been illegal in the country since its inception in the online world, although a variety of offshore companies offer gaming to Australian customers . The 2001 Interactive Gambling Act sets penalties of up to a million Australian dollars for companies involved in offering real-money gambling online, although no charges have been laid against any companies since the law was passed.


Read More: Australia To Regulate Online Poker? | Eat My Stack

Next-generation online poker room PKR has released a Fantasy Poker League application on Facebook, ahead of next week's World Series of Poker opening events.

The WSOP fantasy league puts Facebook users in the managerial hot seat with $100 million to spend. League participants are tasked with selecting a team of eight players from more than 180 of poker's biggest names, who will earn points based on finishing position in 59 bracelet events. Once a team has been chosen, players can invite Facebook friends and create private leagues. The prizes offered by PKR include an iPad 3 for the league's eventual winner - crowned once the Main Event's final table has been reached - and a range of poker chipsets for the next best performers.

Read More: PKR Launch Facebook Fantasy Poker App | SYS-CON MEDIA

Phil Ivey, widely considered poker’s best all-around player, has made his debut at the 2012 World Series of Poker. The eight-time bracelet winner hasn’t played in a Series event since 2010, after deciding to sit out last year in the wake of Black Friday.

Ivey took a seat Monday, around 1:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas, in the first open buy-in event of the summer — a $1,500 no-limit hold’em.


Read More: Phil Ivey Makes Debut at 2012 World Series of Poker

Each year the Great Place to Work Institute hands out a number of awards to different companies based around the world, and a recent announcement by the organization has named PokerStars one of the Best Workplaces in the UK.

The world’s largest online poker room employs more than 1,200 people worldwide around half of which are based in London and the Isle of Man. When handing out awards an employee survey is one of the primary tools for rating organizations, with PokerStars staff indicating a high level of satisfaction with their employer. After winning the prestigious award, the Director of HR at PokerStars, Lynn Hunter commented:

Read More: PokerStars Sweeps 2012 Best Workplace Award

In a move possibly contrived to steal the thunder from the launch of the Revolution Gaming Network, Merge Poker has announced that skins on its network will be allowed to offer rakeback to its customers from 1st June.

Although the 35% rakeback will be seen as a positive step to stem the potential flood of players leaving the network as Lock Poker moves over to the Revolution Gaming Network, a 60 day Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) rule applies – meaning that if a player has generated gaming revenue on a site affiliated to the Merge Gaming Network (ie Lock Poker), the player will not be qualified to sign up with another Merge skin and get rakeback on their account for 60 days.


Read More: Merge Brings Back Rakeback

That is the right move for Merge Poker. The times when they offered rakeback directly were much better for them. And these 35% will not be left like that.

Under the table rakeback deals will take place and grinders will take up to 60-70% rakeback.

West Bromwich Albion are to cut short their shirt sponsorship deal with online gambling firm Bodog.

The arrangement, which will cease on 31 May, has come to a conclusion a year earlier than planned, with online properly firm Zoopla announced as the club’s new sponsors in a two-year deal.

The Baggies’ deal with Bodog was believed to be a seven figure agreement and the biggest in the club’s history until the Zoopla contract.

In a statement on their website Albion maintained they had “enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Bodog” during the 2011/12 season, adding that supporters had benefited from Bodog promotions to win VIP match tickets as well as numerous betting initiatives.

West Brom sales & marketing director Adrian Wright said: “The mutual decision to part company with Bodog was not an easy one for the club based on the fact we were very happy with our relationship.

"However, the club have been presented with an attractive new opportunity and Bodog were more than happy to accommodate our request to step aside and enable us to pursue a different avenue."

Millions of Americans played online poker legally since its conception in the 1990s, but all this changed in 2006. On October 13, 2006 of that year, then president George W. Bush signed into law the "Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006'' (H.R. 4954) or what is often referred to as the ''SAFE Port Act''. Title VIII, Sections 801, 802 and 803 of this bill was the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, or what is typically simply called UIGEA.

The majority of this Act covered port security as noted by the law's title and as stated in the publication as follows: "An Act. To improve maritime and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, and for other purposes." The Act included the following Titles and Subtitles: Online Poker Legislation ? The SAFE Port Act and UIGEA of 2006 - Yahoo! Sports

The new edition of Stacked, the customer magazine produced by next-gen online poker room PKR-com, has just been published and includes a frank discussion between some of the game's biggest names - essential reading for any poker player.

The article, entitled 'Rise and fall of the super pro' shares the views of five star players including Daniel Negreanu and Mike Matusow on the effect of Black Friday on their poker careers.

Talking exclusively to Stacked, Matusow explains, 'I can't get $5 a month from a site. I didn't own Full Tilt. I didn't own s**t.'

Read More: Poker Legends Bare All to Stacked Magazine - Exec Digital

If you notice a lot less profanity at the online poker tables, you can thank Americas Cardroom. The online poker site has introduced a new chip stack-refresher feature called Auto Top Up. The Auto Top Up feature is the first of many tools that Americas Cardroom is building to improve the lives of the online grinders.

"We have received literally thousands of requests for this feature over the past few months, and we're listening to the players," stated Americas Cardroom spokesperson Michael Harris. "So we focused our efforts on adding the option to our latest software update. No more missing hands to rebuy at the table. No more worrying about not having the ammo to support a monster hand. Auto Top Up makes sure players always have the number of chips they need to do damage."

Read More: Americas Cardroom introduces auto top-up feature