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Ultimate Gaming has completed its 30-day field trial for Ultimate Poker, the first ever fully legal online gambling site in the United States.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has recommended approval for the company to offer real money gambling at UltimateGaming-com.

Ultimate Gaming, majority owned by Station Casinos, in April became the first company in history to offer fully legal online poker in the United States.

The 30-day field trial began immediately after Ultimate Gaming dealt its first hand on April 20. Passing the trial proved the company adhered to requirements set forth by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

“The Nevada Gaming Control Board has set regulatory requirements for online poker at the highest level,” said Ultimate Gaming CEO Tobin Prior, in a statement. “We are thrilled that our product is the first to not only meet these standards, but exceed them.”


Ultimate Gaming completes test run of online poker site - VEGAS INC

A Texas congressman and longtime Internet poker advocate introduced legislation Thursday that would allow states and Indian tribes to legalize the activity without fear of federal intervention.

The bill, titled the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013, marks the second time Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, has tried to push federal Internet poker legislation through Congress. His 2012 attempt stalled.

Barton’s bill is the second piece of online gaming legislation introduced in Congress during the current term. Last month, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., introduced an Internet gaming regulation bill that would allow all forms of online casino gambling, not just poker.

In interviews after King’s bill surfaced, Barton said his belief was that a poker-only bill had a better chance of passing Congress, rather than full-blown casino wagering.

Barton’s bill would set up a federal system for regulating only online poker. Individual states could opt out of the system, if they wish.

In a statement, Barton expressed confidence that Congress would “accomplish my goal of protecting the integrity of the game and the rights of those who play it.”

He said the bill creates “a federal standard” and provides players with various protections. The bill includes safeguards for children and problem gamblers.

“Poker is an all-American game,” Barton said. “I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online. They deserve to have a legal, on-shore system that makes sure everyone is playing in an honest, fair structure.”

Caitlin Teare, spokeswoman for Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said the congresswoman has long supported federal regulation of online poker.

“She plans to closely review Congressman Barton’s legislation to ensure that it includes strong consumer protection safeguards and sound regulatory oversight,” Teare said.

Nevada legalized online poker in 2011 and added additional regulations this year. One company, Ultimate Gaming, launched its site in April. Other sites are pending state regulatory approval.

New Jersey legalized all forms of online gaming this year and hopes to launch websites by November. Delaware has also legalized online gaming, while other states are exploring the issue.

“The complex web of state and local regulations now being devised could leave players at risk,” Barton said.

The U.S. Department of Justice cracked down on illegal online poker in April 2011, cutting off access by Americans to three of the largest off-shore Internet poker companies and indicting their operators.

In December 2011, the Justice Department reversed its opinion of the Federal Wire Act, saying it only applies to sports wagering.

The move allows states to enact online gaming regulations.

John Pappas, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based poker advocacy group, Poker Players Alliance, called Barton’s legislation a “common-sense bill.”



New online poker bill introduced in Washington | Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rep. Joe Barton wants to help Poker-lovers stay on the couch.

The Texas Republican introduced a bill in Congress Thursday that would pave the way for states to legalize online poker without fear of federal intervention.

It's the second such Internet gambling bill introduced this year. In June, Republican New York Congressman Peter King introduced a piece of legislation he called the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013.

Unlike Barton's bill, that gambling act would open the door to all forms of casino games, not just poker.

The federal government cracked down on Internet gambling in 2011. But the same year, the U.S. Justice Department issued a ruling making online gambling legal so long as it's permitted on the state level.

Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have legalized some kind of online gambling, and legislatures in other states are weighing the issue.



Second bill to legalize Web poker in US introduced - Houston Chronicle

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) introduced legislation late Thursday that would license and regulate online poker.

Internet gambling is currently in a legal gray zone. A 2006 law curbed Internet gambling, but a 2011 Justice Department decision has permitted states to allow online gambling within their own borders.

Unlike a recent bill from Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), Barton's bill, the Internet Poker Freedom Act, would apply only to poker and not other forms of online gambling.

The legislation would require poker websites to be licensed, would require technology to block underage players and would require programs to discourage compulsive gamblers. The bill would still allow states to conduct their own regulation.

“Poker is an all-American game. It’s a game that I learned as a teen and continue to play today. Just like millions of other players I enjoy the strategy and skill involved," Barton said in a statement

"I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online. They deserve to have a legal, on-shore system that makes sure everyone is playing in an honest, fair structure. The complex web of state and local regulations now being devised could leave players at risk."

Despite the legal uncertainty, online gaming is already a multibillion dollar industry.

"Internet poker is here to stay in America, and we are all better served through licensing and regulation that implements high standards to protect consumers, thwart fraud and abuse, and guarantee the proper safeguards against underage and addictive gambling,” former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a supporter of online gaming, told The Las Vegas Sun last month that he is skeptical Congress will pass legislation on the issue. He argued that King's bill is too sweeping and had alienated lawmakers.

Read more: Bill introduced to legalize online poker - The Hill's Hillicon Valley
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

This week Congressman Joe Barton from Texas after a lengthy Internet Poker campaign, has launched introductory legislation to legalize online poker. For republican Barton, this is the second attempt to move forward on the controversial issue, the first being in 2012, and he hopes it does not meet the same fate, being stalled. This Bill, with the name the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013, however when passed federally would only allow Indian citizens and certain states who opt in to conduct online gambling activity.
Barton appeared confident when making a statement that, “Congress may accomplish my goal and create a federal standard.” He added that,” he is only protecting the integrity of the game and the rights of those who play it.” The Bill, he explains is such that it includes safeguards for problem gamblers and of course children.

A spokeswoman for Dina Titus, D-Nev., Caitlin Teare, said, “She plans to closely review Congressman Barton’s legislation to ensure that it includes strong consumer protection safeguards and sound regulatory oversight.” In 2011, Nevada legalized online poker. This year it included further regulations. As well, this year New Jersey introduced legal forms of gaming online and further hopes to launch websites later in the year. Of note, Delaware has legalized online gaming and several states are looking at the issue.
“The complex web of state and local regulations now being devised could leave players at risk,” Barton said. Executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based poker advocacy group, John Pappas, Poker Players Alliance, called Barton’s legislation a, “common-sense bill.”
In summary Barton said, “Poker is an all-American game. “I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online. They deserve to have a legal, on-shore system that makes sure everyone is playing in an honest, fair structure.”



Online Poker Legislation Introduced in USA Again

Motorcycle riders were able to enjoy the nice weather while raising money for a local charity on Saturday. The Ronald McDonald House Charities hosted its 18th Annual Poker Run.

More than 100 riders pre-registered and hundreds participated in the raise.

It's one of the charity's biggest fundraisers of the year.

"We have a lot of people that come back every single year to ride in this. People from, literally all over the country will actually come. We have some people that registered from Florida and make the trip up to participate," said Katie Wertz, the Director of Development at the Ronald McDonald House. "We've really built it up over a long period of time and gained a lot of support and we're very thankful for that."

The Ronald McDonald House wasn't alone in receiving some cash from the event. First and second place riders received $1,000 and $500 prizes.

The Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 is a piece of legislation that if passed in its current form would establish a program for the licensing of Internet poker by States and federally recognized Indian tribes. The bill [H.R. 2666] was introduced by Representative Joe Barton (R-Tex) in the U.S. House of Representatives last week and was referred to the Committee on Energyand Commerce and the Committee on Financial Services. It has a long way to go prior to becoming law, but the 102-page bill is now an at least an issue that Congress will address.

The bill was introduced to Congress following the States of Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey passing laws to legalize online gambling within their borders and a coupe of months after Ultimate Gaming, a majority-owned subsidiary of Station Casinos LLC, became the first company in the United States to offer legal and secure online poker with its UltimatePoker product. Ultimate Gaming announced that it received a recommendation for approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board to continue offering real money online poker at UltimatePoker.com on the same day that Rep. Barton introduced his bill to Congress.

“The Nevada Gaming Control Board has set regulatory requirements for online poker at the highest level,” remarked Ultimate Gaming Chief Executive Officer Tobin Prior. “We are thrilled that our product is the first to not only meet these standards, but exceed them. Ultimate Poker gives online poker fans the game they love in an environment they can trust.” The timing of the Internet Poker Freedom Act’s introduction coincides with momentum of online poker picking up and more states mulling over the idea of passing their own laws to legalize online gambling. However, Chicago-based Gambling Law attorney Mark Lavery does not believe the timing of the bill is all that significant as the new title of the bill and the findings of the bill.

In an interview with FORBES, Lavery emphasized “the bill’s findings referring to the District Court ruling in the DiChristina case holding poker is a game of skill.” He continued, “the bill’s name is phrased in terms of liberty, Internet commerce with a specific focus on a skill-game form of gambling. I think the proximity of legislation in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware relates to the new name and the argument that if people in those states can play a game of skill for money — online poker — then all Americans should be able to play.”

As referenced by Lavery, a citation to the Eastern District of New York decision in United States v. DiCristina stands out on page 3 of the Act. The paragraph containing the reference states, “There is uncertainty about the laws of the United States governing Internet poker, though not about laws governing Internet sports betting. In United States v. DiCristina a Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York held that poker is a game in which skill is the predominant factor in determining the outcome and that in passing the Illegal Gambling Businesses Act, Congress only intended to criminalize clear games of chance.” The sponsor of the legislation affirms that poker is distinct from games of chance, which are traditionally defined as gambling, and holds that consumers would benefit from the strict licensing of Internet poker providers. The Act clearly addresses the core question concerning the legality of online poker, but also criticizes the important Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 for only having partial success in limiting unlawful Internet gaming in the U.S. It also comes at a time when poker players are asking for clarity on the legality of their trade.

“Online poker players don’t know what to think,” said Taylor Caby, CEO of leading poker training site CardRunners LLC to FORBES. ”There’s a lot of positive news and rumors, including the introduction of a bills such as this one, but most of us don’t feel like we have a good sense of our chances for a positive outcome. Most do seem to agree that a Federal solution such as this one would be the best way to get online poker back and thriving in the USA.”

If passed, the Internet Poker Freedom Act will require all Internet poker facilities to go through a licensing process in order to be deemed legal operations. In order to become licensed, an applicant must demonstrate that it maintains appropriate safeguards and mechanisms, including the ability restrict (to a reasonable degree of certainty) that participants are 21-years of age or older, physically located in a jurisdiction that has not prohibited such poker bets at the time they are placed, protected from having their personal information disclosed or disseminated and offered games that are fair and honest, which prevent cheating and the use of cheating devices (including software programs known as “bots”). Failure to become licensed could result in the individuals associated with such facilities to be fined and/or receive up to five years in prison. Licenses issued will be valid for five years upon receipt.

Attorney Mark Lavery believes the licensing process is rigorous, as it should be. ”Poker historically, and Online Poker specifically, has been associated with cheating and corruption,” explained Lavery. ”People associated with unregulated poker in the past should be excluded. As the old proverb states, ‘A new broom sweeps clean.’ New operators like UltimatePoker can grow the industry without cheating or funds commingling issues.”

The Act also seeks to establish the “Office of Internet Poker Oversight” within the Department of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce will be tasked with choosing the Director of the Office, who will be required to have experience and expertise in regulating gaming activities.

It is clear that the Internet Poker Freedom Act is limited to authorizing licensees to accept bets and wagers on poker, and does not include the authorization of accepting money for other games. F

Online poker where real money is at stake is in a legal gray zone in the U.S. It was banned in 2006, but the Justice Department allowed states to determine their own online gambling laws in 2011. Now one lawmaker wants to make it legal across the country.

Rep. Joe Barton has introduced the Internet Poker Freedom Act into the House. As the bill’s name implies, it only applies to online poker. Other online real money gaming, like real money virtual slots, will still be illegal.

To prevent abuse, Barton’s bill would require all online poker services to implement a number of safeguards. For one, every Web site would have to be licensed under the federal government. Secondly, the sites would have to implement technology that would bar underage players from participating, and thirdly, it would require these sites to implement systems that discourage compulsive gambling.

Barton says his legislation is required to protect Americans that could be put at risk due to conflicting state regulations:

“Poker is an all-American game. It’s a game that I learned as a teen and continue to play today. Just like millions of other players I enjoy the strategy and skill involved. I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online. They deserve to have a legal, on-shore system that makes sure everyone is playing in an honest, fair structure. The complex web of state and local regulations now being devised could leave players at risk.”

Despite his saying that, Barton’s bill would still allow states to implement their own online gaming regulations. States like Nevada have already implemented their own rules, but a federal lift of the online poker ban would allow these Web sites to greatly expand their business.

Even if it’s not Barton’s bill, an online real money gaming bill has to pass at some point in the future. There are too many companies, including Zynga, that are now looking at online real money gaming as the future of their business. These companies are already taking their business overseas and it will only get worse unless lawmakers come to a compromise on letting these companies operate online real money gaming services in the U.S.




Rep. Joe Barton Wants To Legalize Online Poker | WebProNews

For the second time Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, is trying to push federal internet poker legislation through Congress.

The bill, titled the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013, would allow states and Indian tribes to legalise the activity without worrying about federal intervention.

Last month Rep. Peter King R-N.Y., introduced an internet gaming regulation bill, however, Barton believes that a poker only bill has a better chance of passing Congress.

Barton said that he has confidence that Congress would “accomplish my goal of protecting the integrity of the game and the rights of those who play it.” He said that the bill offers players various protections and includes safeguards for children and problem gamblers.

Barton went on to say that, “Poker is an all-American game. I continue to be supportive of the Americans who play poker online. They deserve to have a legal, on-shore system that makes sure everyone is playing in an honest, fair structure.”

A few states have already legalised online poker but Barton feels that the complexity of the system could leave players at risk. It is widely believed that the bill will receive strong support and the Poker Players Alliance has labelled it a “common-sense bill.”



Joe Barton Introduces New Federal Online Poker Bill - Online Casino Archives

We media types just got off the phone with U.S. Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, who will be reintroducing a bill in the House of Representatives that would legalize online poker at a federal level.

Online poker – but not other online casino games.

So where does that leave New Jersey, I asked, which now has a law allowing for a variety of games beyond just poker?

Barton didn’t seem aware that New Jersey’s (or Delaware’s) law will allow such gambling when the sites go up later this year.

John Pappas, the executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, was also on the call. He said that the Barton bill is “silent on the ability of states” to offer those other games, so they are not specifically prohibited even if this bill became law (don’t hold your breath).

Barton, a poker player himself, said that it would be “much easier” to pass his online poker-only bill than the more expansive version by New York Rep. Peter King.
- See more at: National online poker bill introduced in Congress - NorthJersey-com

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, introduced the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 on Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would help states legalize online poker without intervention from the federal government. It applies only to poker.

So far, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have legalized some types of online gambling.

If people can sit at home and gamble from the comfort of their couch, surely that will harm profits for brick-and-mortar casinos, right? Not really, according to research in countries where online gambling is legal, said Scott Harrison, a senior analyst at Argent Capital Management LLC in St. Louis, who follows gaming and other sectors.

For example, the Interactive Gambling Act was passed in Australia in 2001, which made it illegal for online gambling operators to offer online interactive gambling, such as poker, to Australian residents. But the act legalized sports betting, lotteries and betting on races as long as they are associated with a land-based business.

From 2001 to 2010, money Australian consumers spent on retail gambling at casinos continued to increase, as well as money brought in from online wagering, according to an analyst report from Morgan Stanley. “Across the globe, where online gambling has been legalized, it has not cannibalized casino revenue,” Harrison said.

Officials from the six area casinos declined comment on the newly introduced legislation, except for Jim Franke, senior vice president and general manager of Ameristar Casino St. Charles, who said the company is still “looking at both the positive and negative impacts” Internet poker could have on its properties.



Would legalizing online poker in Missouri cut into casino profits? - St. Louis Business Journal

Just a year ago, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid was busy making it his mission to prove that Nevada Sen. Dean Heller was inept at the delicate art of culling votes for Internet poker legislation.

Now that there’s no Shelley Berkley candidacy to defend, though, Reid can’t stop singing praises for Heller’s prowess in reviving the online gaming debate.

“This was a very, very good hearing,” Reid said of a meeting Heller ran this morning in the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection.

“I helped him prepare for this,” Reid said.

But just because Reid and Heller are all smiles doesn’t mean online poker has a clear path through Congress.

While there is near-universal concern about the security of online gambling, not everyone believes that online poker should get a special carve-out if Congress tries to walk back the Obama administration’s 2011 interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act.

That interpretation, which validated online gaming within individual states, irrevocably changed the climate around Internet gambling — so much so that some online poker advocates, such as Rep. Joe Barton, have given up the fight.

Barton released a poker bill Tuesday that is silent on the question of the 1961 Wire Act.

That doesn’t sit well with Reid, who politely threw water on Barton’s idea in an interview with Nevada reporters Wednesday.

“I don’t want to denigrate anybody that’s trying to do something well,’ Reid said. “That’s not my approach, but at least it’s an approach.”

In draft Internet poker legislation Reid and Heller were trying to sell to their colleagues last Congress, they envisioned a full walk-back of the 1961 Wire Act to the point of declaring all transactions for online gambling illegal, save for those facilitating online poker games.

Read more: Reid backs off criticism of Heller over online poker - Las Vegas Sun News

I never win ;-)

The American Gaming Association (AGA) gave a thumbs up to yesterday's Senate subcommittee hearing on online gambling and took the opportunity to reiterate the need for online poker legislation at the federal level that would include strengthening laws against online casino games.

The hearing before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance showcased the problems that online gambling expansion would bring, with the expert witnesses providing some solutions that would protect American citizens. The AGA believes that some of those problems would be solved by limiting the regulations to Internet poker-only.

"To address current illegal activity and the threat posed by a state-by-state gambling expansion, the [AGA] encourages a federal ban on online casino-style 'games of chance' and effective regulatory oversight of Internet poker," an AGA press release stated.

The AGA would like federal lawmakers to establish regulatory standards for online poker and allow individual states to opt in if they so choose. Those states would each set up their own procedures that would build upon the foundation created by the federal regulations. Such an endeavor runs counter to the state-by-state approach currently underway that was made possible by the DoJ's December 2011 opinion with regards to the 1961 Wire Act.

“Internet poker is a reality that is here to stay,” said Geoff Freeman, AGA president and CEO. Freeman took over the reins of the AGA beginning this month after Frank Fahrenkopf stepped down after 18 years at the helm. “The question is whether Congress will ensure minimum regulatory standards of online poker, protect consumers, exclude bad actors from the American market and provide Native American tribes with an appropriate regulatory framework.”

The Senate hearing raised a number of valid concerns such as the need to combat money laundering through updated federal statutes and using modern technology to verify player identities. Failing to employ these tactics, the AGA warns, would result in an online gambling "free-for-all" on the state level that would be highly detrimental to the entire country.




AGA Backs Online Poker, Not Casino Games | PokerUpdate

Congressman Joe Barton (R-Tex.) said Tuesday that he believes once more populous states get involved in Internet poker, it will lead to legislation at the federal level within the next few years.

Participating in a conference call hosted by the Poker Players Alliance, Barton, who introduced the Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 last week, indicated that he didn't believe there will ever be a point where enough states pursue regulation to make a federal bill unnecessary.

Instead, he sees the spreading of online poker on a state-by-state basis igniting more and more people to join the fight for their right to play and to have a federal standard that establishes a central set of rules and regulations.

“As people see how well and fair it is in states that allow it, they are going to demand through their congressmen and senators to have it in their states,” Barton said. “I can't say when that general mass will occur, but I can say it will occur and that it won't be 20 years from now. It will be, if not next year, the year after or soon after that.”

Barton reiterated that he will release a group of bipartisan co-sponsors for his legislation in the next couple of weeks. Barton introduced similar legislation in 2011, which led to a hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee of which Barton is a member. Barton said he will be working committee chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to get another hearing on the new legislation but does not have any promises.

“I don't think this policy of 'Just Say No' is going to last much longer,” Barton said. “Once neutral congressmen or senators who may not have interest one way or another see what's happening intrastate, I think it has a good chance to pass and become law.”

Barton told a story about how his father once wanted to be a professional poker player. When he met Barton's mother soon after World War II, he was involved in heavy cash games in Dallas – possibly with the likes of Amarillo Slim. He was making more in these games than he was in the Army Air Corps. But when he asked for the hand of Barton's mother in marriage, Barton's grandfather shot down his plans to support his daughter through poker.

Barton explained that, while his legislation does not include other forms of Internet gambling, neither he nor the bill are against these games. The bill purposefully remains silent on them to maintain neutrality.

“A lot of congressmen are opposed to pure games of chance,” Barton said. “In terms of defending the bill, it's much easier to defend poker because it's a game of skill and you don't come across many people who challenge that.”

On the bill's exclusion of deposit by credit card, Barton explained that this is the same way it is done at most card rooms, where you can only play with the money on the table, and that debit cards would be allowed. He also doesn't want to see people going on tilt and running up large credit card debts.

As for the five-year bad actor's clause, he said that this is five years after federal conviction. That means they wouldn't apply to PokerStars. However, a state or tribal license is a prerequisite to a federal license, and Barton said that he could foresee PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker having difficulty obtaining this license at a state level. Pappas noted that there is nothing in the bill preventing these sites from partnering with U.S.-based companies that can get a license.

Pappas earlier told PokerNews that, despite Internet poker being a huge underdog at the federal level this year or even in this congress, it's essential to the cause to have bills like Barton's.

“I think it's important that we stay on the offensive,” Pappas said. “By staying on the offensive, we play a good defense against any potentially negative bills that would impact people's freedom to play.”



Rep. Joe Barton: U.S. Federal Online Poker Legislation Not Far Away | PokerNews

Hi, i'm relatively new to online poker, and have played about 15 games at Pokerstars.

I am used to bad beats, I mean; it's poker! But out of these 15 games, in about 10 of them I got beat by the river after trapping one or more other players.

I'm writing this after loosing a heads up with Jh 9h against jd 4c. Needless to say; he hit a flush with his pathetic lonely 4 of clubs.
My bullshit radar is tingling and I wonder if there's any sense in keep playing.

Pokerstars sucks......big time!!

Although most of the winners at WSOP 2013 were professional players, the big ‘TV’ names we are used to seeing scoop bracelets year in year out seemed to have been sorely lacking.

WSOP 2011 bracelet winners, for instance, included John Juanda, Jason Mercier and Bertrand Grospellier, while last year Antonio Esfandiari, Vanessa Selbst, and Phil Hellmuth made the headlines.

Perhaps the biggest household names to have won bracelets this year were Mike Matusow, Eli Elezra and Erik Lindgren, although the latter’s recent bad press involving gambling addiction and unpaid loans dampens any great publicity, somewhat.

After winning the WSOP APAC Main Event earlier this year, Daniel Negreanu did come painfully short to picking up another bracelet at the 2-7 Triple Draw event, but eventually finished the runner-up, otherwise 2013 may have been known as the year of Kid Poker.

Phil Ivey, too, won a 9th career bracelet at the WSOP APAC $2,200 Mixed Event, and even made a hefty bet on himself to cash multiple times at WSOP 2013. Unfortunately for Ivey, he had one of his poorer WSOP ever and cashed just once at the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $15,544.

Epitomizing the big ‘TV’ names’ lacking performances at WSOP 2013 is the fact Full Tilt Ambassador Viktor “Isildur1″ Bloom preferred to stay at home and play poker online, instead, while fellow FTP Ambassador’s Tom Dwan and Gus Hansen preferred to allow their $10k Main Event stacks to blind away in favour of playing in a juicy Open Face Chinese Poker game.

However, perhaps the biggest shock of WSOP 2013 was 13-times WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth’s decision to opt out of the charitable $111,111 One Drop event, simply tweeting at the time:

“Yep, It’s true, I skipped #WSOP One Drop Tourn today. I LOVE “One Drop Charity” and will continue to support it, but wasn’t feeling it.”

On the plus side, though, WSOP 2013 will still be remembered for a host of other reasons aside from the performance of household pros. These include 10 players winning a second career bracelet; 2 women poker players, Dana Castaneda and Loni Harwood, winning open event; and Canada winning 10 bracelets despite representing just 5% of the 79,471 player field.



What Happened To The 'TV' Pros At WSOP 2013?

The Bodog Poker Network has been attempting to create a new recreational model for poker players on the internet and has battled a public campaign against poker tracking and poker volume tracking sites.
Recently Dan Stewart’s online poker traffic-reporting site PokerScout-com which Bodog has been trying in vain to delete has indeed disappeared for 24 hours. Tracking sites such as PokerScout benefits the grinders and sharks while only diminishing the very idea of the recreational poker players that are the essence of any online poker system.

The move to completely anonymous tables by Bodog includes large investments in technology to block sites from garnering proprietary data from the poker games. These investments worked well, as it’s now impossible for third parties to collect Bodog poker data, which made tracking sites and the makers of the various poker heads-up-display software to leave and no longer offer support for the Bodog Poker Network.

In a rare acknowledgement of their inability to collect real data from Bodog, the PokerScout web site has added estimation to the numbers it attributes to Bodog Poker Network on the site. These estimates are still being sold to the clients of PokerScout. The practice of gathering data from online poker sites is ethically and most likely illegal and definitely consumer fraud.

After a brief blip in PokerScout’s filing of the estimated data supposedly collected by the site Bodog is once again in the traffic data supplied by the imagination of PokerScout gurus.
Unfortunately the novice poker player will not see the seriousness of this battle for privacy that Bodog is waging. Anonymous poker gives the player a chance to play with confidence that they are gaming in a fair space. Real data is not real data when it is estimated or obtained and sold without the consent of the participants.



Bodog Online Poker Network Still Fighting PokerScout

The recent banning of PokerStars and 888 mobile poker apps from Australia’s Apple store was a quietly done move that ended up having a major reaction in the poker and general media.

It was a bold move requested by an Australian Government department as a federal election looms ever closer. But while freedom and the game of poker are enjoyed by many people around the land down under, chances are the apps won’t be coming back into the store anytime soon.

Although there is an election due to take place in the country in mid-September, the closure of the apps does not and will not even come up on the political radar. That comes despite initial questions on the legality of the apps coming from a politician back in April. At the end of the day, however, the issue is too small to be a major deal, even in the lead up to the next Aussie election.

While a large of number of Australians have acquired iPhones and smartphones, mobile apps are not the only way Aussie poker players are able to play the game online. While the apps have been a popular and convenient way for Aussies to play online poker, those who want to keep playing can easily do so from their computers with little chance of government intervention.

Due to this, it is unlikely there will be a huge uproar over the banning, even though most Aussie players are likely to believe the apps were a great alternative to playing on a computer or laptop.

As stated earlier, political attention to the existence of the PokerStars app was originally brought up by a politician, Australian Federal Senator Richard Di Natale, in April. Senator Di Natale called for the Apple store to ban the sale of the app, stating that it broke Australia federal law (specifically the Interactive Provisions Act).

The Senator’s political party, the Australian Greens, are influential in the current Australian minority Government, which is led by the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The ALP is currently neck and neck with the major opposition party in voting polls, meaning the support from the Greens remains crucial in the lead up to the election. Although the minor party may not play such an important role in the Government after the coming election, it will still be unlikely that the poker app ban will be overturned anytime soon. Technically, the argument that the app breaks Australian law is true, which means any Government move to lift the ban will not happen unless the law is changed.

The app may have been banned from sale in Australia’s Apple App store, but that will likely not be extended to other online poker services open to Australians. Many services, such as those offered on computers, have been open to Australians for far too long and online poker itself is not a major issue in the country.

Playing online poker in the land down under may not have the convenience and diversity of options that it had for the last few years. However, this is nothing close to Black Friday. We can still play online poker, unfortunately, just not on our phones.




Here to Stay? Viewing the Australian Poker Apps Ban | PokerUpdate