Poker forum archive

2010 ended with a thud for online poker players in the United States. There was a great deal of anticipation over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s attempt to push an online poker bill through before Congress adjourned for the year, but to the dismay of many, nothing ever came of it. To others, the bill was terrible, so even though they were happy it died, the sheer fact that it was even up for discussion was disheartening. So, online poker legislation is done for a while, right? In the immortal words of ESPN’s Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”

This week turned out to be a historic one for online poker, as the New Jersey legislature passed the United States’ first intrastate internet gambling bill, which makes online gambling, including poker, legal within state borders. I suppose we should call this week “potentially” historic, as Governor Chris Christie still needs to sign the bill into law. Most think he will despite his possible Presidential aspirations (being the lead dog on internet gambling might not sit well with his conservative Republican constituency).

If Governor Christie does give the bill his blessing, is it good or bad? Here are my initial thoughts, but I urge you to keep in mind that I am neither a political nor a legal expert by any stretch of the imagination.

Fears

It appears that once everything is in place, only online casinos and poker rooms licensed by the state of New Jersey and with their servers, facilities, and employees located in New Jersey will be able to offer games. And the only people allowed to participate in those games will be those located within the state’s borders. Thus, the big question for me is will New Jersey residents still be able to play at other offshore online poker rooms or will they be restricted to New Jersey-based sites?

If, when all is said and done, rooms like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker decide to extricate themselves from New Jersey, a small, but not quite insignificant chunk of players would be removed from the worldwide player pool. One report out of Iowa, another state considering online gambling legalization, stated that 150,000 people, or approximately 5% of that state’s population, gamble online.

If we apply that to New Jersey, that means over 400,000 potential players would not be available for the rest of world to play against. Even if we pare that down some to weed out those who don’t play poker, it is still a decently sized figure.

Even if losing a few hundred thousand players doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, what if other states see that New Jersey pulled it off and pass their own legislation, ring fencing their residents? Florida, California, and the previously mentioned Iowa have all been considering such measures. Those three states combined make up almost one-fifth of the entire U.S. population. The hit to the status quo would definitely be felt if more states followed New Jersey’s lead and the current U.S.-facing rooms exit the market.

Hopes

On the other hand, other states falling in line could result in significant gains by poker players in the long-term. Should everything go smoothly, the rest of the Union might decide to give internet gambling, or at least internet poker, a chance. Possible negative reaction from some will subside when the positives outweigh the negatives. For example, in Georgia, the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship is running out of money. Revenue from internet gambling could breath new life into it, as well as the Georgia Pre-K program, which is also funded by the state lottery. Opponents of gambling like to say, “Won’t anyone think of the children?” Well, here you go.

Naturally, poker rooms confined to the borders of a state won’t have the liquidity of a site that can reach to the four corners of the globe. Thus, the states that do allow online poker will need to bring in more players somehow. One way to do this would be to join forces and create an interstate online poker room a la multi-state lotteries like Mega Millions. Whether this could jive with Federal law remains to be seen, but if enough states wanted it to happen, I could see the law getting changed.

Of course, if we reached that point, I think it would be a distinct possibility that online poker legislation would be revisited, and passed, on a Federal level.

Sandersprice, I visited your link but there's no mentions of any laws / articles. I removed the link - just another website with casino links.
Another link to a random casino site and you're banned.

Despite the proliferation of glitzy poker tours and big-money events across the world, there is still only one tournament that represents the pinnacle of live poker. The World Series Main Event is the oldest, biggest and richest tournament there is, and every year the winner becomes poker’s hottest property. In 2011 that person was Jonathan Duhamel, and after his A-J held to win the final hand of the tournament, his life changed forever.

In that instant the young man from Boucherville, Quebec, Canada, went from being a committed poker pro to global star. He won an incredible $8,944,310 in first-place prize money, the coveted gold bracelet, plus everything else that comes with being world champion. He joined a group of players that includes legends such as Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth and Chris Moneymaker, and secured his place in history. He also became the first Canadian to win the title, another massive honor that carries big kudos and responsibility back home.

The huge change in profile is part and parcel of winning the Main Event. There’s time to party with friends and family, but after that the global media want their 15 minutes. Hours of press conferences are followed by numerous appearances on TV chat shows, as everybody wants a piece of the champ. Duhamel’s poker career has also changed completely, as he now has the bankroll to buy into any game, anywhere in the world, plus a sponsorship deal with PokerStars is in the bag.

"It's a dream come true," Duhamel told the PokerStars Blog. Formerly a cash game player Duhamel is now looking to focus on tournaments, and with the backing of the world’s largest poker site, more glory is firmly in his sights. "I want to be playing the biggest tournaments in the world," he continued, "I'm going to do my best to pull off another big score."

Sure, he’d cashed in events prior to his Vegas success, but his World Series victory was something completely different. He already had a cash on the Heartland Poker Tour as well as 10th place at EPT Prague on his resume, but these results were nothing compared to what he achieved at the Penn and Teller Theatre in November 2011.

Like every player that steps into the Rio Hotel & Casino in June and July, Duhamel arrived full of hope and expectation of what was to come. His series started well, with two small cashes in $1,500 and $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em events, good for more than $40,000. With those results putting confidence into his game, Duhamel put up the $10,000 required to enter the Main Event and took his seat with 7,318 other players in the world’s biggest poker tournament.

He played eight days of intense poker to reach the November Nine, never letting his concentration drop for a second. He made the November Nine as chip leader - which was both a blessing and a curse. Yes, he had the biggest chip stack going in, but also the most pressure. The November Nine was a tough lineup of players, and Duhamel would have to be at this very best to close it out.

Widely regarded as the best final table in years in terms of the standard of poker, the 2011 final sparkled with high-level action, and Duhamel did not have it all his own way. His stack took some dents, but he was able to battle through to the heads-up finale with John Racener, another hugely capable young pro out of Florida. There, Quebec’s finest held another big chip lead and he made it pay, pushing home his advantage to take the title and begin his new life as poker’s world champion.

Viktor “Isildur1” Blom‘s new deal with PokerStars could land him with a colossal tax bill from the Swedish government, according to the newspaper Dagens Industri. Blom, who revealed his online identity as “Isildur1″ during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure last weekend, could be investigated by the Swedish Tax Authority known as Skatteverket and owe around $150 million in taxes despite his move to London last year.

The story developed after newspaper reports this week suggested that government authorities in Sweden are preparing to crack down on online gambling sites operating outside of the country. Under Swedish law, the country’s residents have to pay tax on gambling winnings unless they play on sites based in the European Union or on the state-run Svenska Spel. Dagens Industri claimed Skatteverket was planning to investigate online poker companies such as Ireland-based Full Tilt Poker, where Blom did most of his damage before signing a sponsorship deal with PokerStars.

Professional poker players in Sweden who play outside of the European Union are subject to a 30% tax rate on each winning pot. According to Dagens Industri, Blom played for around $4.5 billion as “Isildur1″ on Full Tilt Poker and could end up owing the Swedish government around $150 million if they decide to follow through with the case.

Dag Hardyson from the Swedish Tax Authority told Dagens Industri that he believed Full Tilt Poker was considered to be outside of the European Union; therefore, Blom would have to pay taxes on his gambling. Another tax agency spokesperson, Erik Boman, said, “Internet poker is something we’re looking into and I know this poker player, but I can’t comment on whether we’ve opened a case.”

Blom, 20, famously ran a $2,000 bankroll into $2 million in a matter of weeks at the end of 2009 and had classic high-stakes battles with the likes of Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Phil Ivey, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond, Brian Townsend, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and many others. However, on one fateful night in December of 2009, Blom lost more than $4 million to CardRunners instructor Brian Hastings, all but draining his Full Tilt Poker account and causing “Isildur1″ to vanish just as rapidly as he had arrived.

Now, despite losing more than $2.5 million overall on Full Tilt Poker, Blom could potentially owe nine-figures to the Swedish government. The mere idea of it has caused outrage in the poker community. One member of the TwoPlusTwo forum inquired, “How is it that these tax people can assumedly be competent and well educated when it comes to numbers and money yet fail miserably at learning/grasping elementary gambling concepts? For an actual educated official to suggest that he owes $150 million is just such outrageous infantile buffoonery on stilts on parade, it is ridiculous.”

Blom, who originally hailed from Ed, Sweden, has recently moved to London, where gambling income is not taxable. But, he could still face the bill of one billion Kroner ($149 million). It was speculated for a long time that Blom masked his identity to avoid facing the harsh tax laws in Sweden. That logic is understandable now that hundred-million dollar amounts are being discussed.

Other Swedish poker pros in the past who were saddled with unexpected tax bills from Skatteverket, as mentioned in the Expressen newspaper, include former World Poker Tour champion Martin de Knijff for $1,476,015 and Daniel Larsson for $147,601.

Moral arguments against legalized gambling have been all but forgotten -- the inevitable result of churches profiting from bingo, states using lotteries to prop up public education and millions of people plunking down dollars for entertainment and a sucker's chance of winning.

But political questions still accompany legalized gambling. And, for our cash-starved state government, the next frontier is online poker.

Americans play Internet poker using offshore websites to the tune of $4 billion a year even though such wagering became illegal when Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006.

Under this legislation, however, individual states may allow residents to play online poker games within their borders. New Jersey jumped first at the opportunity. Its legislature recently sent a bill legalizing online poker to Gov. Chris Christie.

The economics are murky because most online poker sites are privately owned. But an analysis paid for by a coalition of state tribes and card rooms estimated that 489,000 Californians play online poker. The report -- done by consultants that included Tim Gage, a former state finance director -- suggests that California would reap $1 billion in fees and taxes over 10 years through legalized online poker. And a poll conducted last month by Tulchin Research indicates that two in three California voters want online poker taxed and regulated.

Given the state's $25 billion budget deficit, the potential for revenue and voter support of online poker, what are California lawmakers waiting for?

Well, passing legislation that determines winners and losers is rarely easy.

The expectation is that legalizing online poker would make it more popular, thus increasing competition for gambling dollars among tribal casinos, card rooms and horse racing.

So, as Californians contemplate legally playing Texas Hold 'Em at home in their pajamas, the big stakeholders weigh the pros and cons.

The influential Morongo Band of Mission Indians in Southern California has joined other tribes and large card clubs such as the Hollywood Park Casino to form the California Online Poker Association. But other gaming tribes want online poker kept illegal.

There is competing legislation, too. A bill by Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, would allow existing card rooms and tribes in California to seek an unspecified number of online poker licenses. A proposal by Sen. Roderick Wright, D-Compton, calls for just three licenses -- each awarded through bidding. The bidders wouldn't be required to be based in California.

There are other differences. Correa's version would keep profits in California; Wright's might bring an initial avalanche of money because of frenzied bidding by potential operators.

I prefer Correa's bill. It appears crafted for the long haul, it would spread profits throughout the state and it would create competition among operators -- benefitting poker players.

Meanwhile, Gage's report warns that "the potential exists for a federal bill to preempt the state's ability to permit and charge a fee on online poker operations." Meaning: the feds have their eye on this cash prize, too.

Legal online poker is coming. The questions are when and who reaps the profits.

Every Sunday, Bodog Poker hosts a weekly $100,000 guaranteed tournaments and the new year kicked off in style with another installment in the blockbuster series. These massive all-hands-on-deck events take place at 4pm EST on Sundays and feature some of the best online poker action going. Balla686 took first place this week, earning $25,000. They were followed by LIVIN LOUD ($15,000) and jragz333 , who rounded out the top three spots and pocketed $9,500. Here's the rest of the final table results: loansumtimes ($7,000); fasteddy11 ($5,500); roasteph ($4,500); offsuitbluff ($3,500); frame11 ($2,200); chestylaroux ($1,700);

In addition to our show-stopping Sunday events, Bodog hosts its regular weekly tournaments to players, and here's the winners of last week's events!

* January 10 $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack TCrowley
* January 11 $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack Balla686
* January 12 $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack Balla686
* January 13 $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack Whitey03
* January 16 $10k Guaranteed Double-Stack The Destroyer
* January 16 $10k Guaranteed Turbo Double-Stack ceose

Bodog's guaranteed tournaments mean that there's always a big cash pool. Play poker online at Bodog and get your share!

South Carolina Senators will discuss whether to loosen centuries-old gambling laws in the state when it opens session Tuesday.

About the only legal gambling allowed in the state right now is the education lottery. The current law bans any game that involves cards or dice.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will debate whether to loosen the anti-gambling law...from 1802. :helpme

With her recent high-profile departure from another online poker room, poker writers everywhere immediately started formulating theories about what Annie Duke's next move would be. None of them likely saw this coming, however: she's going to be the commissioner of a professionals-only poker league that she envisions as the PGA of Poker. Jeffrey Pollack, the former commissioner of the World Series of Poker partnered with Duke to create the Pro Poker League, which will feature the world's top 200 players.

"I’ve long believed that the top players create enormous value for the industry and are skilled in a way that is worthy of star treatment. Our new league will celebrate poker professionals like never before and provide a tournament experience at the Palms that is first class at every turn," Pollack said in a statement.

The events in the Pro Poker League are going to be rake-free for pros and feature "generous" prize pool overlays. The league will also use a proprietary ranking system that's based on a math-driven formula that factors in achievements during events. Much like professional golf and tennis leagues, there will be guidelines that allow players to be tabulated and ranked.

You've never heard of Royce Prude but the 53-year-old accountant from Dallas has done something very few have: earned a World Series of Poker circuit ring. This week, the relative novice decided to drive up to Durant, Oklahoma to play in the $345 no-limit event at the WSOPC event at the Choctaw Resort and Casino. It was a tough field, with 465 players being whittled down to a mere 33 by the second day, but Prude's steady play pushed him towards the front of the pack with 184,000 in chips.

By the time they reached the final table, however, Prude had a commanding lead of 1,280,000 in chips, far ahead of second-placer Rex Worrell, who had 587,000. He wasted very little time putting those chips into action, knocking out Sececa Easley ($2,133) immediately and then Pete Stovall ($2,645) soon after. Dave Holder knocked the short-stacked Chad Davis($3,324) out of play before Drew Kutler ($4,326) attempted to steal the blinds and ran into Lance Federier's pocket kings.

Play continued for a while and then Howie Shen ($4,326) was kicked to the curb by, you guessed it, Royce Prude and his pocket nines. Fifth place went to Dave Holder, who was run down by Prude's pocket sevens, but he did earn $7,177. Rex Worrell ($9,544) took fourth while Chris Ball ($12,874) got third. Heads-up action between Prude and Worrell was brief and to-the-point, as Worrell was far, far behind Prude's massive chip lead. However, second place meant $17,263 even as Royce Prude earned $28,506 for his first major tournament victory.

A recent study commissioned by California’s Online Poker Association has revealed that the state could benefit to the tune of $1 billion over a ten year period if the game was to be legalized. Despite restrictions, the online poker industry is still thriving in the US. The study also showed that regulation could create more than 1000 new jobs.

In light of this information and the struggling Californian economy, Lou Correa, a state senator, has proposed a new bill entitled Bill 40 – The Online Gaming Accountability Act. The legislation would allow Californian residents to play online poker on sites established within the state and any company wishing to offer such services would be required to apply for a license and pay taxes on their revenues.

Of the bill, Correa said: “the most important aspects of the bill are that it keeps California revenue and jobs (in the state) instead of going out-of-state or offshore.” The likelihood of the bill succeeding is unknown but newly elected governor Jerry Brown has pledged to consider any idea that will increase revenue without affecting public services.

Viktor Blom, the Swedish online poker star who has created quite a sensation in the online gambling world by keeping his identity secret for quite some time, might be wishing he had his anonymity back now.

A Swedish newspaper, Dagens Industri, reports that Blom played for the amount of $4.5 billion with Full Tilt. The could mean that the Swedish government could come after him for $150 million in taxes if they decide to fully investigate the case.

The problem here are the dark clouds that are amassing on Blom’s horizon since there are reports the Swedish authorities intend to look into the winnings of this Swedish online poker player.

Under Swiss law, poker pros don’t pay taxes unless they win outside of the EU. When that happens, they need to pay 30% tax rate on each winning pot.

This issue doesn't seem to be something that the Swedish star needs to worry about at the present time however as Blom is showing a loss at Full Tilt and Poker Stars both. Skatteverket, the Swedish tax authority, has a precedent that should make Blom worry about them a little. They have investigated two other Swedish poker stars in the past to retrieve taxes.

A Tiffin, OH man was sentenced yesterday to ten years behind bars for holding up a home poker game. The judge tossed Christopher Ferstler, 20, the decade-long sentence after he pleaded guilty last week to aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and kidnapping stemming from a home invasion at the home of Al Elchert on August 24th of last year. A second suspect's trial is set for March.

"Had card games for about 50 years, never been robbed before. We never even locked the doors, hardly ever," Echert told the local news. Two masked men stormed into Elchert's home on Fairfield in Tiffin. One was holding a shotgun, he says, and the other a pistol.

"Six of us threw money in the sack. They didn't wait for the other four. They went running out of here through the back alley and dropped $125."

When Tiffin police eventually caught Ferstler and Xavior Purnell, 24, a clearer picture of the crime began to emerge. Elchert explains: "He (Xavior) was here three times that day. He won the first time, lost the second time, said, 'I'll be back.' Then the third time he was in a mask."

As part of his sentence, Ferstler has to pay back the stolen money; all $480 of it.

Investigators in Florida said that authorities located a poker player who disappeared on December 29th after leaving a tournament at the Pensacola Greyhound Track. Alabama resident Danny Pulliam is alive and well in California, giving credence to the police's belief that Pulliam was not a missing person but an "adult runaway."

Pulliam's family disagreed and began circulating posters on the Eastern Shore, along Florida's panhandle and in New Orleans. Upon hearing the news, the family issued a statement: "We don’t understand the reasons he had for disappearing. We are all just happy to hear that he’s alive and safe. We hope he gets in touch with us."

"We now know he’s safe, so this investigation is closed," said Deputy Chris Wellborn, a spokesman for the Escambia County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office.

There will be no criminal charges as a result of the investigation according to Wellborn as there is no law against an adult traveling anywhere in the US, even if they fail to inform family members.

On Dec. 30, family members said they found Pulliam’s locked Chevrolet pickup at the Pensacola track. His cell phone and wallet were inside.

"We don’t know how he got to California, whether he flew or drove," George Pulliam said. "It’s sure a long way to go."

Two online gambling companies have announced real money mobile phone apps in the last two days, quickly escalating the access players have to gambling on the go.

Yesterday, bwin launched the first ever real money iPhone app that would allow players to play online poker. It was only available for purchase in the United Kingdom in Austria initially, but was expected to get a wider release throughout Europe in the near future.

Today, Microgaming joined in on the fun, announcing that they would be launching a real money online poker application for the Android before the end of the quarter. The app would be available for all poker rooms on the Microgaming network.

“For years now, industry experts have speculated on the mobile market’s possibilities for gaming,” Microgaming head of poker Lydia Melton told Card Player Europe. “The technology is ready, the software is ready, and we believe the players are ready as well. The future is here. We are extremely excited about this release.”

While mobile gaming has been a growth industry for several years now, little progress had been made in porting real money gambling to mobile phones. However, many industry analysts had predicted that 2011 would see a noticeable increase in mobile gambling, owing to the increasingly impressive capabilities of mobile phones and the increasing market share of smart phones.

While these programs are among the first wave of real money poker games for smart phones, it’s likely that many more poker rooms and networks will soon follow suit. In contrast, many online casinos have already launched apps that allow customers to play their games on many mobile phones. Mobile poker apps may have lagged behind due to the larger amount of data required and the higher security standards needed for a game in which players are competing against each other for real money.

Here's bodog's press release which was published just for this promotion.

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The World Series of Poker Circuit stop at the Choctaw Resort and Casino in Oklahoma continues apace with more rings and cash being handed out to players from across the region. Bruce Hoyt, a 59-year-old grandfather of eleven is a member of the Choctaw Nation and represented his people well at the $345 HORSE event that was held this week. Bruce, who has been playing poker since 1968 has four total cashes in the WSOPC with three just in the last year. He beat a field of 147 players to take home the ring and $11,477.

Just after Bruce's win, local boy Tommy Coker (hailing from Norman, Oklahoma) took the top spot in the $555 No-Limit hold 'em event, besting 548 other players and winning $55,060 and a circuit ring. Unlike the experienced Hoyt, Coker just started playing poker three years ago but seems to have gotten the fundamentals pretty darn quickly.

Over two dozen events make up the WSOPC event at the Choctaw Resort and Casino and if you're feeling the itch but can't make out there, Bodog offers online poker cash games and tournaments for players at all levels.

Card professional Annie Duke will be the commissioner of a new league that is hoping to become the PGA of poker, defining the game’s best players and hosting invitational tournaments for only its biggest stars.

The yet-to-be-named league is planning four televised regular-season events plus a $1 million championship freeroll at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas this year, league executives said.

“This is incredibly pro-centric,” Duke told The Associated Press. “This is the one piece that’s kind of missing from the poker landscape right now, which is something for the best players in the world to compete against the best players in the world.”

Other tournaments, including the World Series of Poker, are open events with anyone able to play if they’re willing to put up pricey entry fees. The world’s most famous card tournament, the series’ no-limit Texas Hold ‘em main event, costs $10,000 to enter and attracts thousands of players each year.

Jonathan Duhamel, a Canadian professional not widely known before making the final table of last year’s main event,
took $8.94 million for first place.

As poker became more popular during the last decade, growing tournament fields have made it impossible to guarantee showdowns between star players.

Duke, a former “Celebrity Apprentice” runner-up, said she hopes this league will change that by defining what it takes to become a card-carrying pro. About 200 players will be invited to the league based on a mathematic formula measuring finishes in major events, money earned and recent success, she said. It won’t measure success in cash games or in online poker.

The league, created by a private company called Federated Sports & Gaming, Inc., is co-founded by Jeffrey Pollack, a former World Series of Poker commissioner known for being respected among players, especially famous pros.

“Membership in our league will signify standing as a true professional in poker,” Pollack told the AP. “We’re going to apply a little more rigor to that definition.”

Pollack, who will act as the league’s chairman, said he will stay in his current post as chairman of Professional Bull Riders, Inc. He is a former executive for NASCAR and the NBA. The league’s other partners are former executives of Youbet.com, a horse racing wagering site that last year was sold to Churchill Downs, the company that owns the track that runs the Kentucky Derby.

Most league memberships will have two-, three-, or five-year terms, with fewer than 10 lifetime cards being granted to living players who have had unparalleled success in poker, Duke said.

“Fans have shown over and over again that they love the stars of this game,” she said. “It’s the stars of this game that they really want to be watching on television, and I think the stars should get something in return for that.”

Pollack said he doesn’t see the league as competition to the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour or other big poker tournaments. He said the league is about creating a new tradition — where players have to do well in many major tournaments just to get in.

“There are scores of perspectives on this, and we’re trying to clarify a new perspective on professionalism in this game,” he said.
Duke, who lost to comedian Joan Rivers in the Donald Trump reality competition and has cashed 38 times at the World Series of Poker since 1994, said running the league will mean she won’t compete in it and will spend less time playing poker than she has in the past.

“This is something that I really wanted to see happen for a very long time,” Duke said. “And if my sacrifice is to give up playing full time, then that’s my sacrifice and I’m OK that.”

PHIL IVEY, the world's most famous gambler, wins and loses amounts of money that represent salaries, mortgages and superannuation payouts for most Australians.

The 34-year-old American is competing in the Aussie Millions poker tournament at Melbourne's Crown Casino but he says it's not the tournament or its million-dollar-plus main event first prize that has enticed him to Australia, but ''the action'' around the tournament. Ivey is also keen to check out, for the first time, Sydney's Star City casino.

Known as the Tiger Woods of poker - although he thinks a comparison with the disgraced golfer is no longer relevant - Ivey is acknowledged as the best player at all three aspects of the poker - online, tournament and cash games.
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''In the past that was three different people, but over the last few years the best player was just Phil Ivey, and there isn't even an argument, and that's really unusual in a game like poker,'' said Chris Ferguson, another US player in Australia for the tournament.

''It doesn't matter what the game is, Phil's the best,'' said Howard Lederer, a poker pro who has a side bet with Ivey on whether the champ will win another World Series of Poker in the next two years. The bet is rumoured to be $US5 million.

The Aussie Millions is Australia's richest poker tournament, but the organised games are often a sideshow for poker pros playing private cash games and taking side bets.

Ivey started playing card games at his grandfather's house in New Jersey as a child before moving as a teenager to Atlantic City - and spending 10 to 12 hours a day playing poker, courtesy of a fake ID. He later honed his skills at a regular seven-card stud game hosted by the Hustler publisher Larry Flynt.

In 2002, Ivey won three World Series of Poker bracelets, a feat not bettered, establishing himself as the world's best player.

He is best known for his freakish ability to ''read'' other players' cards, but his gambling isn't limited to poker. Along with table games such as craps and baccarat, he also bets heavily on sports results and golf. When asked about the most obscure thing he has bet on, Ivey nominated the speed at which two ice cubes would melt.

''I enjoy myself when I'm betting, life's just more fun that way,'' said Ivey.

His net worth is a popular internet topic, but the softly spoken American doesn't like to talk about specific amounts as people ''can't relate to it and to talk about it seem crass''. However, the poker reference site highstakesdb.com says Ivey has made more than $US18 million in online games since the site started in 2007.

The Aussie Millions runs until Sunday.

I hadnt played there in awhile but jumped in a tournament there yesterday and it seems to run a little better than before.doesnt freeze up as much,atleast they are working on the site to better it. oh yeah the flame thing was funny as all get out,lmao.