IOWA ONLINE POKER BILL PROGRESS HALTED
2011-03-23
Senators delay promising legalisation attempt at committee level
Another legalisation disappointment emerged from Iowa late Tuesday afternoon when state senators delayed a bill that had thus far enjoyed a smooth progress toward House and Senate debate and possible voting.
The DesMoines Register, which has been keeping a close eye on the legalisation bill “Iowa Internet Poker 32 Consumer Protection and Revenue Generation Act of 2011” introduced recently by Sen. Jeff Danielson, reports that the bill failed in a meeting of the full Ways and Means Committee of the Senate, having successfully passed the Senate State Government Committee and a 4 to 1 positive vote in a bipartisan Ways and Means subcommittee as it raced towards an April 1st deadline.
Ways and Means Committee chairman, Sen. Joe Bolkcom, said the bill may need some tweaks. “People needed more time to work through it,” he said.
State lawmakers were reportedly concerned that legalisation would create more gamblers, and the danger of more problem gamblers.
“It’s a terrible, terrible bill,” Sen. Randy Feenstra, a Republican, told the newspaper. “It’s the worst bill I’ve seen in this Legislature and I mean that. We’ve had all these social bills to address credit card abuses, violence, children’s neglect and abuse, and here’s the main issue why these things occur.”
Supporting the bill, Democrat Sen. Bill Dotzler, accepted that it was a real possibility that more Iowans would dabble in online poker if the state sanctioned it, but said: “but I think it’s time the state of Iowa regulates it and makes sure Iowans aren’t getting ripped off and we do capture some of those revenues.”
A Ways and Means sub-committee advanced the bill earlier in the day, only to have the full committee remove it from the schedule of bills up for the committee's vote.
The deliberations saw another contender for the hub contract emerging in digital gaming operator, MGT Inc., which said its system includes global positioning system cards in computers that would kick players out of their accounts if they leave Iowa. US Digital Gaming has so far been the highest profile contender for the deal...if the Danielson legalisation bill is successful.
Another possibility is for the state to run the hub for the casinos by itself., the Registry speculates. The Iowa Lottery would be open handling that, spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said. Scientific Games, a contributor to Iowa political campaigns, currently holds the contract for providing the Lottery’s games.
Lobbyists for the bill suggested that a poll organised by the DesMoines Register and published just before the introduction of the bill, could have dampened enthusiasm for its passage. The poll (see previous InfoPowa report) showed that an overall 73 percent of respondents did not favour the legalisation of online gambling.
“They need more time to understand that this is a very limited regulatory bill and it’s not an expansion of gambling on the Internet, it’s basically regulating what’s already there,” one lobbyist said. “People just need time to get comfortable with that.”
A spokesman for US Digital Gaming commented: “If Iowans understand there are 150,000 currently playing online illegally for money and their dollars are going to overseas illegal operators, we believe Iowans would be in favor of regulating and taxing that activity and keeping those dollars with casinos that are investing in the community and employing people in Iowa.”
WORLD CUP OF POKER CLASH IMMINENT
2011-01-04
56 nations were represented in the 2010 international Pokerstars spectacular
The Bahamas is the place to be on January 14, when the Grand Final of the seventh Pokerstars World Cup of Poker series starts, the climax of an event that has attracted representatives of 56 nations fighting for a place this year, with a $290 000 prize pool on the line, of which the winning national team claims $100 000.
Pokerstars amended its formula in 2010 to give more players a chance to participate in this key event, in which the Grand Final will be held as part of the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure at the Atlantis Resort and Casino.
Players had to initially compete for a slot in their national four-player teams, with successful players graduating to the online divisional finals as part of each national team, competing with other teams to reach the live Grand Final in the Bahamas.
Members of the teams that survive through to the World Cup of Poker Grand Final receive a prize package that includes travel and accommodation at the Atlantis Resort and Casino.
Once there, each team member will compete in a single table tournament to determine their team’s starting chip stack for the World Cup of Poker Final Table.
The live Final Table will be a ‘Tag Team’ event, where all team members will rotate in and out of play until one team takes overall victory. They will get to claim the national glory, $100,000 and the title of World Cup of Poker VII Champions.
This year the finalist teams hail from Argentina, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Spain, Slovakia, Italy, France, Ukraine and the United States, and Pokerstars this week released the names of the captains, all respected pros with impressive experience and success behind them.
Liv Boeree will spearhead the UK drive, whilst Luca Pagano leads the Italians and Arnaud Mattern will helm the French team. The Slovakians will be headed by Dag Palovic, and Argentina’s captain is Nacho Barbero. The Philippinos will be directed by Neil Arce, while the always competitive Spanish squad will be led by Juan Manuel Pastor, and the United States players will be skippered by Vanessa Selbst.
Previous champions in the event have included:
2004: Team Costa Rica
2005: Team Costa Rica
2006: Team Poland
2007: Team USA
2008: Team Germany
2009: Team Chinese Taipei
FOUR MILLION PLAYERS FOR ONLINE POKER SITE
2010-11-03
PKR.com passes key milestone
The UK based 3D online poker site PKR.com achieved a major milestone this week when its player base passed the four million mark.
A company spokesman said "2010 has been a year of landmarks for the site, just over the past few months alone PKR has launched its PKR.FR site, celebrated its 4th Birthday and released its biggest software update since its launch.
Simon Prodge, PKR.com Marketing Director said, “This is a great accomplishment for us and a real achievement considering we don’t take players from America".
FIGHTING THE DECLINE IN ONLINE POKER
2010-08-19
Could operators and providers do more?
The independent online poker monitor Pokerscout.com's report for mid-August showed that across the industry, online poker traffic dropped 1.1 percent, with nine of the top ten tracked sites all booking a loss for the week.
Considered in the context of a growing number of corporate financial reports illustrating an apparent decline in online poker revenues, the stats triggered some interesting and erudite op-ed pieces at Inside Poker Business and Pokerscout, all well worth reading.
Pokerscout noted that a global slowdown appears to be gripping the internet poker market, with traffic overall this year declining by 4 percent over the same period last year. It points out that various reasons have been postulated for this slump, including the depressed world economy, market saturation and even the end of the lucrative and long-running poker popularity boom.
The malaise appears to be impacting even Pokerstars and its rival Full Tilt, although the two sites, which have continued to service the vast US market despite processing problems, still command a 60 percent share of the overall market. Pokerscout notes that the combined traffic of the two giants is declining, with Full Tilt showing an annual decrease of 8 percent, whilst PokerStars maintains a small positive annual growth rate.
The elephant in the room is clearly the future of the US market and its massive potential if freed from the bonds of legal uncertainty. A market where players are free to play without financial and other disruptions to their entertainment on well regulated and safe sites would be a serious market-booster for the industry, and for those sites that achieve regulated status.
Mid-August numbers from Pokerscout show that the top four ranked sites, headed by Pokerstars and Full Tilt, kept their positions for the seventh consecutive week.
Notable movers over the week were flagged as PokerStars.fr, a French market dedicated operation which edged out GTechG2's IPN to take eighth place. Everest Poker moved up two spots to 12th, jumping over People's Network and Svenska Spel. Sky Poker slid down two notches, losing ground to win2day and FullTiltPoker.fr, another dedicated French site.
Inside Poker Business also examined the apparent decline at http://www.insidepokerbusiness.co.uk/poker/analysis/343/reasons-and-excuses.html, noting that revenues have declined at Party Poker, Ladbrokes, Unibet, Bwin (excluding Gioco Digitale) and 888 this year when compared with 2009 numbers.
In a well-informed piece, the publication considers the probable causes, and the main reason put forward by corporate execs - the 'competitive environment'.
"If you believe everything you read then operators around the world seemingly only have one major problem at the present time, and that is PokerStars," it observes, going on to accept that the US-inspired player liquidity and huge marketing budgets of Full Tilt and PokerStars undoubtedly have a significant impact on competitiveness.
However, it poses the question of what other factors may have been contributors to the present situation, such as the rakeback wars, a major cutback in brand advertising by corporates, a reliance on affiliate marketing and online acquisitions and a loss of focus on poker by some sports betting focused operators.
"It's also notable that few sites offer a clear differentiated offering beyond PKR, either in terms of technology or brand positioning," Inside Poker Business remarks. "When PartyPoker did a major software overhaul its final product bore more than a passing resemblance to PokerStars. And while there are some fantastic brands, such as PartyPoker, in the poker sector, the marketing has shifted more to pricing, bonuses and promotions than brand positioning."
The frustration of operators who have opted not to risk the US market is understandable in this industry-wide problem, but Dominik Kofert, chief executive of Pokerstrategy.com, has asked whether operators are doing enough to offset the US problem, pointing to a lack of innovation in the poker market both in software and in brand building.
"Operators have failed to turn their products into experiences for their customer," says Kofert. "The fact everyone always says it's unfair they are taking US players is all true, but that doesn't mean they did the best they could. I'm not saying they can overtake PokerStars and Full Tilt, but there is no reason for resignation or passivity."
Inside Poker Business concludes with the observation: "But what is less obvious is what the firms are doing in response to this problem, beyond focusing on new players to fill the gap left by customers who have tired of a commoditised online poker experience."
WSOP Event 4: Michael Chow Wins Omaha Hi-Lo Event at 2010 WSOP
2010-07-02
The final table of the Omaha Hi-Lo event at the World Series Of Poker, which began on the 30th of May, ended 3 days later and saw Michael Chow win the event. Coincidentally, Chow was celebrating his birthday at the final table and got himself an absolutely upsized birthday present, in form of WSOP gold bracelet along with the huge cash prize, which he bagged along with it.
The final table had a few familiar faces with the likes of Ylon Schwartz, and the winner of a gold bracelet, Dan Heimiller, who were arguably the players with the most experience at the table. They could not make the experience count there though, and were unable to beat Chow’s skilful play.
One of the most common features of Omaha Hi-Lo events is the fact that bad beats are extremely rare. Todd Barlow doesn’t agree with that though. Seeing a flop of 6 5 5 he went all-in for the pot and Heimiller called it. Barlow was holding trip fives and an ace, while Heimiller was pushing for the low pot with A 2 7 Q in hand. But the board ultimately ended with 6 6 , which gave Heimiller triple of six along with an ace queen kicker, while on the other hand Barlow had an ace seven kicker. Both players were not too sure as to whom the pot belonged to, but realisation struck Barlow as he sighed loudly and was the first one to walk away from the final table.
Joe Leibman lost his seat at the table due to a forced all-in from a blind and was completely helpless with the cards he had received.
Michael Chow took control over the game and outclassed Michael Cipolla and Scott Epstein all on his own.
By the time he was through with Epstein who finished fifth, Chow had a whopping 66% of the total chips in play.
Fred Koubi and Schwartz were having a hard time playing against Heimiller and Chow as they were short stacked. They took turns, almost coordinating with each other and going all-in with hopes to double up. Eventually, Heimiller called Koubi and beat hm with a better hand.
Once Koubi was done with, Heimiller and Chow possessed 90% of the total chips in play and Schwartz persisted at going all-in from time to time in the hope of doubling his chip count. Eventually, Heimiller was the one to call again and beat him by a higher pair.
Heimiller and Chow played a gruelling three hours of heads up play, giving each other blow for blow, and exchanging the chip lead in the process multiple number of times. Time passed and neither of them were able to get an upper hand in the game. Blinds reached absurdly high values as well.
Ultimately, the two of them got stuck in a massive pot and Heimiller committed most of his chips to its cause. He was able to get himself a single pair, but Chow got himself a king high straight. Heimiller committed all-in in the very next hand Chow won it again with a king high straight. Chow thus eliminated Heimiller and celebrated his birthday as well his victory with his vocal supporters in the crowd.
Michael Chow haild from Honolulu, USA and has had a career earnings of $645,067.
Final Table Payouts for $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo were as follows:
1. Michael Chow - $237,463
2. Dan Heimillier - $146,684
3. Ylon Schwartz - $94,561
4. Fred Koubi - $69,272
5. Scott Epstein - $51,493
6. Michael Cipolla - $38,794
7. Sasha Rosewood - 29,584
8. Joe Leibman - $22,825
9. Todd Barlow - $17,801
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Intermediate Seven Stud Strategy
2010-06-07
As discussed in part one of our Seven Card stud series, patience and discipline are both very important to becoming a good Seven Card stud player. With that realization, we can now look at some actual playing strategies and techniques that will help you start winning at Seven Card stud. This section will cover starting hands and betting strategies when playing online poker 7 card stud.
In Seven Card stud the starting hands you play depend greatly on the ante of the game. In most low limit Seven Card stud games, the ante is low enough in relation to the betting limits that it is okay to wait around and be patient for great hands. As you advance to the middle and high limit games however, the antes usually get larger in relation to the betting and you will need to play more hands and be more aggressive in order to maintain profitability. For now lets assume you are in a low limit game. With that in mind, you will want to play only the best starting hands. Here is a list of the hands you will want to play in Seven Card Stud online poker:
- Three of a kind: This is the best starting hand you can get in Seven Card stud and it will always bring a smile to your face. You can usually play a little slower with a hand like this and perhaps wait until later rounds to really open up the betting. If however you feel you are up against a strong draw or any other hand right away, by all means make your opposition pay to continue contesting for the pot.
- Jacks or better split: This means a pair of jacks with one of the two cards being hidden and the other being your up card.
- Nines or better wired. A wired pair means that both cards are concealed.
- Three high cards to a flush: Low flushes are not that great in Seven Card stud so the emphasis should be on playing only when you have three high ranking cards to a flush.
- Three cards to a straight flush: Always worth a look.
- Three face cards to a straight: This is even questionable, but if the conditions are right it’s a good hand to start with.
If you find yourself in a game with higher antes, consider making some additions to your starting hand arsenal such as these:
- Any Ace with a face card or any two big face cards.
- Nines or better split, sevens or better wired.
- Add the middle ranking cards for flush draws.
7 Card Stud Betting strategies
Like other poker games, the best strategy to take in Seven Card stud is one that is tight but aggressive. This means that you will be selective in your starting hands, but once you decide to play a hand, you will do so with aggression. Any of the above starting hands usually warrant an aggressive betting strategy except the most powerful ones. A hand like three aces or something similar is usually way ahead, so here it is okay to wait until four or fifth street to raise your opponents. Usually they won’t see it coming and you put yourself in a good position for the rest of the hand.
You’ll notice that most of the starting hand suggestions are for paired hands or only exceptionally high drawing hands. The reason behind this is because drawing hands usually are very expensive in Seven Card stud and simply can get you into more trouble than they can do good. If you are contemplating playing a drawing hand and two or more of the cards you need are out on the board already, you should seriously consider folding. You want to draw only when conditions are excellent for it to happen. Where do you play online poker? Head over to www.sportsbook.com/poker where you can play all your favorite online poker games and bet on sports.
ALL-STAR EVENT PLANNED FOR NEXT WSOP
2010-03-19
Million dollar addition to World Series calendar
The World Series of Poker has announced its intention to add a prestigious, one million dollar All-Star event to its calendar.
The event will take place during the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, during the 41st edition of the poker epic at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
ESPN will cover this No Limit Hold'em event for airing in a special two-hour telecast on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.
"The Tournament of Champions brand has heritage in delivering the big moments," said Harrah's Interacive Entertainment Vice President Ty Stewart. "We're thrilled to reinvent it around a model that should elevate the game by engaging millions of poker fans. We have received a lot of input from players and their affinity for the TOC, and we are excited for them and the fans and hope it's here to stay."
A total of 27 players will participate in the freeroll poker invitational, with 20 players selected by voting from the public. The voting window began this (March) month on www.WSOP.com and remains open until June 15, 2010 at midnight ET.
The top 20 vote-getters will be awarded entry. In the event anyone in the public's Top 20 is unable to participate, the next highest eligible and available vote-getter will be awarded the entry. To qualify as one of the 20 eligible fan-voted participants, players must be a WSOP bracelet holder. All living WSOP bracelet holders are able to receive votes, and currently there are 521 eligible players.
Five entries into the tournament are automatic. The three previous WSOP TOC winners gain automatic entry, plus the reigning WSOP champion and the reigning WSOP Europe champion get seats at the table. Therefore Annie Duke, Mike Matusow, Mike Sexton, Joe Cada and Barry Shulman will make up 5 of the 27 players for this event.
"Tournaments like the Tournament of Champions help elevate poker to the level it deserves and I am honored to participate," said inaugural TOC victor Annie Duke. "Winning the TOC marks one of the most memorable events in my poker career and I'm ecstatic that the WSOP is hosting this prestigious event."
Two sponsor exemptions will be awarded by the WSOP, with details forthcoming on how those seats can be won.
Play will convene at the Rio on Sunday, June 27, 2010 to begin the tournament. Play will halt once the final nine players are reached, and those nine return on Sunday, July 4, 2010 to play for their share of a million dollars and the title of 2010 WSOP TOC Champion. The tournament has been scheduled to avoid conflict with other WSOP events, as no new tournaments begin on either June 27 or July 4.
The TOC event last took place in 2006 at the Rio, when 27 of the game's greatest took to the felt in the freeroll, with the final table all walking away with prize money and 2009 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Sexton taking the top prize.
This year's TOC will be a No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament with the top nine places being paid. First place will win $500 000, the runner-up gets $250 000, third place earns $100 000 and the fourth through ninth place pocket $25 000 each.
The public will be able to track the voting, with the top 50 vote-getters listed and updated automatically after each ballot is completed. In an effort to avoid ballot-stuffing, the tally of individual votes won't be divulged during the open voting period, and balloters will be required to complete an authentication process to ensure one vote per email address.
TECHNICAL NIGHTMARE AT FULL TILT
2009-12-30
The techies' worst - server failure on a busy Sunday
The Internet's second largest online poker site, Full Tilt Poker.com successfully overcame the techies' worst nightmare on Sunday - a server failure whilst tournaments on the busy site were going full blast.
The crash came during one of Full Tilt's heaviest traffic timeframes, when thousands of players around the planet were in action on its famous Sunday tournaments, and the stoppage impacted everyone playing on the site around 19h45 Eastern time.
Technical staff wrestled with the problem for several hours before it was sorted out, whilst the international player community bemoaned the temporary loss of the site and the disruption to their gambling activities.
"Unscheduled Maintenance In Progress: We recently experienced a network outage. We expect to be operational shortly," said one of several messages posted by site management to keep players informed. But after over two hours the site had to cancel all running tournaments.
It was not until 23h15 that Full Tilt's support unit emailed players explaining that when a tournament is cancelled before it reaches the money, according to tournament rule 31.2 (http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/tourRules.php):
1) All players still in the tournament at the time of the cancellation will be refunded their tournament buy-in and tournament fee. Players will have their buy-ins refunded in the tournament prize pool currency.
2) In addition, the remaining prize pool will be divided and distributed according to chip count.
For tournaments that award non-monetary prizes, such as live tournament seat packages, Full Tilt Poker assigns a monetary value to the prize and distributes it in cash to the remaining players based on their chip counts. In ring games, the hand being played at the time of the stoppage was considered dead and all bets were returned at the point of the crash.
The crash is likely to have been expensive for Full Tilt, but operations are now back up and running normally.