Cool Hand Poker Launches Let Us Entertain You Promotion
Online poker room Cool Hand Poker is giving users a chance to win concert tickets worth up to $500 for as little as $0.50. The tickets are part of the site’s November promotion entitled “Let Us Entertain You.” Players who take part can win tickets to see the band or live event of their choice and Cool Hand Poker will foot the bill.
On Friday, November 25th, the site will host its Let Us Entertain You finale. The event will feature a $5 +$0.50 buy-in with unlimited $1 rebuys during the first hour of play. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm GMT and will have five-minute levels. Its winner will receive a $500 voucher to be used towards the event of their choice.
If $5 is still too steep, players can win their way into the final event via one of several feeder satellites that will run twice daily starting on November 1st and have a buy-in of $0.50. Like the final event, the satellites will also have rebuys and add-ons, which run $0.50.
This is not the only unconventional prize offered at the site, which caters to the recreational player looking to play for fun. Cool Hand Poker offers regular $3 + $0.30 buy-in tournaments with iPods as prizes and has given out shopping vouchers and digital cameras in past events as well. In addition to the merchandise, the site offers its fair share of tournaments with cash prizes, including its marquee $20 + $2 buy-in Sunday Fun Day event that boasts a $2,500 guarantee.
Cool Hand Poker offers tons of tips in its monthly newsletter and rewards players who put their newfound poker knowledge to use. Each month, the newsletter publishes a quiz to test players on their recently acquired poker skills. The first 100 people to respond with correct answers get prizes like a seat in one of Cool Hand’s tournaments.
New players can take advantage of Cool Hand Poker’s New Roller Freerolls. These $50 freebies run twice daily and are open to any player who has registered for an account over the past seven days. Users are allowed to play in as many of the freerolls as they want during their first week of registration. Cool Hand Poker offers a 100% deposit match up to $350 and if a user makes a deposit within seven days of registering, they’ll also get 200 free Cool Points in their account.
Cool Points are part of the site’s customer loyalty program and can be used to buy into several multi-table tournaments, sit and gos, and satellite events. Points are paid out based on the number of raked cash games hands played as well as the amount of money paid in tournament registration fees. Players can earn up to 1,000 Cool Points per day.
These points also play an integral role in Cool Hand’s “My Poker Challenge.” The challenge rewards players for the time and effort to put into their game by giving them extra Cool Points. If a player is able to end a day of play with more money in their account than they started with, then they will receive an additional 10% in points. Players can also double their Cool Points by playing on the cash game tables every Monday. If a player can earn the maximum 1,000 points per day and end with a positive balance every day, they also have the chance to win $10,000.
Cool Hand Poker does not currently accept U.S. customers and makes its home on the Microgaming Network.
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Mandalay Media Bids $35 Million for World Poker Tour
It appears that the fight to purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) is not over. In August, a subsidiary of Party Gaming put in a bid to buy the roving tournament series for $12.3 million. Now, Mandalay Entertainment has upped the ante to $35 million.
The price of poker is going up. On Friday, the industry received news that Mandalay Entertainment, which a Los Angeles business publication described as “a global publisher and distributor of branded entertainment for 3G mobile networks, including images, video, TV programming, and games,” offered $1.69 per share to buy the WPT. The dollar value represented a 54% premium over the WPTE’s closing price on October 26th.
At the time of writing, shares of WPTE, which are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the same four-letter symbol, were fetching $1.14. A statement released by Mandalay stated that the previous proposal offered no payout to WPTE investors. Instead, the company would use its $12.3 million in newfound money and invest in a business outside of the poker industry. The Mandalay proposal, worth three times the amount of Party Gaming’s offer, “would provide significant cash and stock directly into the hands of WPT shareholders,” according to the company.
A WPTE shareholders’ meeting took place at 10:00am PT at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel today. On the docket was a vote on the Party Gaming bid. A WPTE spokesperson commented that they could not discuss the proceedings due to SEC rules. Mandalay Entertainment is unrelated to the casino in Las Vegas of the same name, which is owned by MGM Mirage.
As part of the Mandalay proposal, WPTE shareholders would receive $35 million in a mixture of stock and cash consisting of $10 million in Mandalay stock plus the balance in cash. The offer explains, “Based on October 26, 2009 closing prices, our offer represents a 23% premium over the value at closing of your proposed asset sale with Peerless and a 54% premium over WPTE`s closing price.”
Mandalay Entertainment boasts annual revenues of $40 million and the company noted that it could conduct its due diligence of WPTE within 10 days. Its letter to WPTE Board members explained several reasons that it would make for an attractive trading partner, including “seasoned” industry veterans in management roles, social networking experience, and access to a vast mobile phone network that includes users of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile. It added, “Mandalay Media can leverage its mobile platform and operator relationships throughout the world to provide a full mobile social media and sports/poker playing experience.”
Under the terms of its sale with Peerless Limited, a subsidiary of Party Gaming, WPTE agreed to turn over its television library, brand names, and trade names. In return, the company would receive a cash payment of $12.3 million “less the amount of certain obligations of an affiliate of PartyGaming.” In addition, WPTE officials would also receive 5% of future gross gaming revenues and 5% of other funds raised from the sale.
Also in the terms of the WPTE’s sale to Party Gaming is a $1 million termination fee. The WPTE is already on the hook for $1 million owed to Gamynia Limited, which completed purchase of the company’s assets back in August. Gamynia is a subsidiary of Playtech, which owns and operates the iPoker Network, and bid just over $9 million for WPTE.
Mandalay’s stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol MNDL. At the time of writing, its asking price was $0.49 per share, up $0.04 on the day. Shares of WPTE, meanwhile, rocketed on the news, climbing from $1.11 at the close of business on Thursday to $1.42 to open the day on Friday, a rise of 28%, before falling back to $1.14.
We’ll have more on this breaking story right here on Poker News Daily.
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Online Poker Discussed in Massachusetts Committee Hearing
On Thursday, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held a hearing to review proposals to expand gambling within the Commonwealth. Speaking on behalf of the online poker industry was Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Massachusetts State Director Randy Castonguay.
The PPA representative traveled to Boston to speak at the Gardner Auditorium. The goal was to include language in any casino bill that licensed and regulated online poker, which will likely bring in over $40 million per year in revenues to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to figures released by the PPA. Castonguay told Poker News Daily prior to Thursday’s hearing, “Initially, we tried getting internet poker put on this year’s ballot. We were going to have the voters decide whether it should be regulated and taxed to protect the consumer.”
The Boston Globe newspaper noted that 17 bills focused on gambling would be heard on Thursday and that lawmakers were expected to remain in the city “well into the night” listening to proposals. The PPA has 25,000 members in Massachusetts out of more than one million total.
When the Commonwealth took up the issue of gambling, a provision in the proposed casino bill made playing online poker a crime. Castonguay explained in his testimony, “While the game as evolved, the way politicians think about it has not. It is hard to believe that when gaming expansion legislation was introduced two years ago and again this year, the bills included provisions that make poker on the internet a crime punishable by two years in prison and a $25,000 fine.”
On this year’s version of the casino gambling bill, Castonguay told Poker News Daily, “We want to get the language criminalizing online poker out of the current casino bill. Essentially, they took last year’s bill, made a few changes, and put it back in. They didn’t take out the language that criminalizes internet poker. We think that’s ridiculous.” Massachusetts’ inclusion is similar to the Washington State’s stance on internet gambling. There, playing online poker constitutes a Class C felony.
Castonguay tried to submit a copy of a petition backed by the PPA that calls for the regulation of online poker in Massachusetts. He explained, “Unfortunately, our petition was not certified by the Attorney General’s office due to a disagreement with our language. Fortunately, however, this Committee and our State legislature can regulate internet gambling through the formal lawmaking process.” PPA Executive Director John Pappas explained that the disagreement was with “how the petition was drafted and whether it could be put into a sensible ballot initiative.”
Castonguay’s focus was on advocating online poker as opposed to broader initiatives like internet gambling or online wagering on sports. The Massachusetts State Director explained, “We are advocating regulation of internet poker, not internet craps or roulette. And as every member of this Committee knows, unlike craps or roulette, poker is a game of skill that has been played in the home since the dawn of the game.”
A separate Globe article noted that a new casino bill is expected in January. Proponents have argued that allowing casino gambling in Massachusetts will bring badly-needed jobs and revenue to the Commonwealth, while adversaries argue that addiction and other societal ills will increase.
Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a similar measure on the national level. HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was introduced in May and has attracted 62 cosponsors. The measure outlines a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.
Read Castonguay’s online poker testimony.
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Norman Chad, Lon McEachern Preview WSOP Main Event Final Table
As part of a conference call held on Thursday, ESPN poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern previewed the conclusion of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, set to resume on Saturday, November 7th.
On that day, the live audience at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio will watch as the field is chopped from nine players to two. Then, the action will pause until Monday, November 9th at 10:00pm PT, when the two survivors will battle for the $8.5 million first place prize and poker immortality. The proceedings will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, a quick turnaround for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
Chad and McEachern entertained questions from the media and gave their take on the most recent installment of the November Nine. Chad explained, “The Main Event final table always brings a myriad storylines. When you start with Phil Ivey, you’re in great shape. Beyond that, you have a Main Event final table that’s just terrific.” Ivey is Chad’s perennial pick to take down the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament.
One of the only November Nine members to solicit coaching was CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. He sought the aid of one of the game’s top names, Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 WSOP bracelets. Chad and McEachern will almost certainly discuss the relationship on air, with the former telling reporters, “It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history. Jeff and Phil have similar styles of play. It’s hard to argue with getting coaching from the guy who has more bracelets than anyone else.” Shulman’s father, Barry, won the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event.
Much of the conversation on Thursday centered on Ivey, who is currently in “exile” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico preparing for the final table. The poker world watched in horror on Tuesday night as Ivey mucked a winning flush on the most recent installment of the WSOP Main Event on ESPN. After eight days of play, the grind of the tournament seemed to have finally taken its course on the player many consider to be the greatest in the game. Chad gave his thoughts: “I didn’t think that could be happening. When I watched it again, he did something that all of us do routinely: he was unaware that he mucked the winning hand. It was a stunning thing to see. You just don’t expect it to happen, but it does.”
Holding the chip lead when the final table resumes will be Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland who owns no credit card or e-mail address. His journey to Las Vegas for the Main Event in July marked his first time on an airplane, leading many to speculate as to whether another Moneymaker Boom could be in the works should Moon win the most prestigious title in poker. McEachern forecasted, “It’s going to re-instill the hope of people who are your everyday working players watching these shows. The normal Friday night player at home would love to see it happen.”
Chad gave his take on Moon potentially winning the Main Event: “When it got down to Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha [in 2003], I was rooting for Farha. I didn’t see the effect that Moneymaker winning would have. It’s not quite as drastic here, but if Darvin Moon wins, there’s something about the name alone. I think it’s a microcosm of what the Main Event is. It’s an unbelievable, improbable story.” Moon owns one-third of the chips in play entering the Main Event final table. Ivey, by contrast, has just 5%.
Poker News Daily readers who have watched the Main Event unfold each Tuesday on ESPN know that the chemistry between Chad and McEachern, who have worked together since 2003, seems to be at an all-time high. McEachern candidly explained, “You just grow in the role. I came in as a neophyte to the game and probably still don’t know that much. We’re all just getting better at it, quicker at it, and more efficient.” Chad added, “Poker is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to be at the table and a lot of fun to watch.”
Poker News Daily will be live in Las Vegas with all of the action from the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
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Limit Hold’em……a solved game?
Many people have been discussing the relative merits of Limit Hold’em recently with regards to it being a “solved game”. There is no other form of poker that relies so heavily on statistics and mathematics than Limit Hold’em. But while it is a game that can in theory be “solved,” we are certainly a long way from the day when vast numbers of players are going to take the time to do so.
The use of tracking software has also taken us a gigantic step closer to achieving perfection and in Limit Hold’em, there are computer programs that are available now that can play a very powerful game indeed. This has been proven by the latest man vs. machine encounters over the past couple of years or so.
So just how do you go about playing a very strong game of limit? Well first and foremost you need to do an awful lot of work and study, and taking advantage of a good training site with top class Limit players as the tutors will be a gigantic start.
In Limit Hold’em it is possible to construct generic ranges from all positions, which can be accurately moulded around the actions of every single opponent. For instance if you are in the big blind and the cut-off open raises, depending on the rate at which this player makes this action from this position in this situation then you can start to compile a range to play with against your opponent’s range. Once you have enough reliable data on your opponent (I use Poker Office as my software of choice) then you can begin the process of compiling your default range against them.
Software like Poker Stove can be of immense help here, as it can assist us in calculating the equity of every hand that we hold against the likely range of our opponent. So if for instance the player in the cut-off is a solid player, we can look at typical ranges for players in that position who are solid and see with what percentage of their range they are open-raising.
There will be minor differences among players, but solid players tend not to be too dissimilar from each other. Once we know their basic range, calculating our own range to play effectively against theirs is a lot simpler. Note: it actually gets far more involved than this, as a player’s own individual post-flop skill and tendencies impact on your range substantially.
But once you have your default range in place then you can begin to fit the rest of your game around that and make any necessary adjustments that need to be made. This in principle is the same as basic strategy in the game of blackjack. Most of the time you are following this basic strategy but there will come a time where it is correct to deviate and to do something else – these are referred to as “strategy deviations”.
Of course, solid players will have different ranges than loose-aggressive players or tight players for example, but a player’s VPIP (Voluntarily Put Into Pot) and PFA (Post-Flop Aggression) will dictate what type of player they are anyway with reasonable accuracy.
If you begin to understand the likely ranges of your opponents and what range you need in place to combat that, and then couple this with a sound post-flop game, you will see why certain people think that Limit Hold’em is close to being solved.
I also think that as you move up through the levels in Limit Hold’em, game selection becomes crucial probably more than in any other poker variation. The value in Limit games above $20-$40 is becoming less and less, and many players at the higher limits are multi-tabling at lower levels in an effort to increase it.
There will always be weaker players with money dropping into these games: maybe they won big in some large online tournament and have a large amount in their account, maybe the site is attached to a sportsbook and has the facility to allow large sports bettors to drift across with substantial money who are itching to play at a serious level.
But these players are well in the minority and you may have to sit at an empty heads-up table all afternoon before the player that you were hoping to see actually shows up. Even then, there is no guarantee that they will stick around for long. If you start to push them around and take their money they could just leave the table, or to make matters worse, if they are the hit and run type then they could do the same and leave with your money.
I am aware of a few high stakes limit players who actually don’t make much more than $100k-$200k a year now simply because the games have become substantially tougher and they cannot see enough action. I don’t know about Limit Hold’em being solved but there are answers further down the limits for those that care to look and don’t have an ego.
Carl “The Dean” Sampson is sponsored by Cake Poker and can be seen at www.cakepoker.com/thedean and on his blog at www.pokersharkpool.com
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Sally Anne Boyer Sues WSOP Academy and Harrah’s
2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Women’s Champion Sally Anne Boyer has filed a lawsuit against Harrah’s Entertainment, the WSOP Academy, and other related companies for misuse of her image for advertising purposes.
According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, Boyer filed the lawsuit on Monday against the casino giant and the poker training school alleging that her name and likeness have been used in advertising without her permission and that the WSOP Academy states she endorses the school. Also named in the lawsuit were Post Oak Productions of Toronto, Canada (managers of the WSOP Academy) and Post Oak owners Brandon Rosen and Jeff Goldenberg.
After winning the 2007 Women’s Championship during the WSOP, earning slightly over $260,000 and her first WSOP bracelet, Boyer appeared in ads for the WSOP Academy with the byline, “The quickest way to your WSOP bracelet,” and was billed as a graduate of the school. These ads, alleges Boyer’s attorneys Bowler, Dixon, and Twitchell, LLP, appeared in poker magazines, on the WSOP’s website, and in the Academy’s newsletters. The bone of contention between the companies is whether Boyer acquiesced to allow use of her name and image for such purposes and whether she completed the Academy’s classes.
The stakes could be high if Boyer’s attorneys can prove that her likeness was misused. The lawsuit is seeking restitution from the use of her visage and unspecified damages. The WSOP Academy, which has been in existence since early 2007, charges participants anywhere from $1,899 to $2,999, depending upon the intensity of the training, what type of instruction is being conducted, and the instructors involved.
According to sources inside of Harrah’s who requested anonymity due to policies on pending litigation, Boyer’s litigation team contacted the company earlier this year regarding these issues. As Harrah’s and the WSOP do not have any ownership of the Academy, the issue was forwarded onto Post Oak Productions.
As reported also in the Sun, an e-mail dated August 30th, 2007 is a discussion between Rosen and Boyer as to the advertising that would feature Boyer. In the e-mail, which was obtained by Poker News Daily, Boyer states that the ad “looks fine” and offers to send “better” pictures in her “poker… attire” for future advertising. According to sources, Boyer’s attorneys were unaware of this e-mail when the suit was filed and, as of press time, had not returned calls to Poker News Daily.
Poker professional Mark Seif, who is one of the instructors for the Academy, stated to Poker News Daily, “With respect to the recent Sally Anne Boyer filing, I think its best to refer you to a statement Jeff Goldenberg, the CEO of Post-Oak Productions, made yesterday regarding the case.” In that statement, Goldenberg was quoted as saying, “I would like to comment in detail, but our attorneys won’t let us. Suffice it to say we were absolutely shocked that this suit was filed. The suit is entirely baseless and we look forward to being entirely vindicated when all of the facts come out in court.”
Boyer’s lawsuit is reminiscent of the lawsuit filed by seven top poker professionals against the World Poker Tour (WPT) a few years ago. In 2006, the seven players – Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Phil Gordon, Joe Hachem, Howard Lederer, and Greg Raymer – alleged that the WPT’s standard release forms required for participation in its tournaments were a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
The seven players argued that the forms were anti-competitive and conflicted with their contractual obligations to other companies and organizations. After a great deal of posturing, Hachem and Raymer dropped out of the lawsuit (with Hachem notably going on to win the 2006 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic) and the remaining five players eventually settled out of court in April of 2008.
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Andrew Feldman Confirmed for High Stakes Poker Season 6
Another “High Stakes Poker” rookie has been added to the roster of players taking part in the sixth season of the popular GSN show. Full Tilt Red Pro Andrew Feldman will be joining the lineup and is making history as the first British player to ever appear on the cash game franchise.
Feldman burst onto the European poker scene in 2007 with a third place finish in the Grand Final of the Grosvenor Poker Tour. Less than a month later, he won the 888.com UK Open IV for $250,000. More recently, the London-born Feldman made the final table of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final High Roller event, finishing in seventh place. His career tournament poker winnings are in excess of $500,000.
According to Feldman, it was none other than Tom “durrrr” Dwan who suggested that he take part in the show. Feldman told the press, “Maybe he thinks I’m good value, maybe he thinks I’ll give action… I hope it’s the latter. Last month, I played the Full Tilt Million Dollar Cash Game, but this is going to be just as tough, if not tougher!”
Dwan and Feldman both took part in the Million Dollar Cash Game, which was filmed in the U.K. in September. While Feldman did his best to hold his own alongside tough competition like Dwan, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Dwan flourished, winning the largest pot in televised poker history. Dwan and Ivey clashed in a $1.1 million hand when both players turned a straight on a Q-5-3-4 board. Ivey’s A-2 was no match for Dwan’s 6-7 and the tremendous pot was pushed to Durrrr. The Million Dollar Cash Game will begin airing in January on Europe’s Sky Sports network.
Dwan is beginning to rack up a number of record-setting televised poker hands, as he also lays claim to scooping the largest pot in “High Stakes Poker” history. He squared off against Barry Greenstein in a hand worth $919,000 during Season 5. Despite being on the losing end of that hand, Greenstein has confirmed with ESPN’s “Inside Deal” that he will be back for Season 6 and is already planning his latest fundraising efforts for the show. In past seasons, Greenstein has raised money by getting people to pledge donations if he says a unique catchphrase on air. Past lines have included “lol donkaments” and “math is idiotic.” This season, he plans to drop “bing, blang, blaow” somewhere in the action.
GSN has informed Poker News Daily that the Season 6 will be taping from November 11th to 13th at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. While “High Stakes Poker” regular Daniel Negreanu will not be taking part as a result of previous engagements abroad, fellow Team PokerStars Pro Dennis Phillips revealed on his poker podcast “The Lumiere Place Final Table” that he will be taking part in the action. The new season of the show is set to premiere on February 14th.
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Internet Gambling Revenue Analysis Released by Joint Committee on Taxation
Today, Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) released a study by the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) revealing that up to $41 billion could be generated by regulating and taxing the internet gambling industry over a 10-year period.
This is one of several studies to be released by various outfits, but is the first to be handed down by an agency of the United States Government. On the importance of the JCT’s findings, McDermott commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “I suspect that many of my colleagues… will take more interest in this issue once they see $41 billion available that they can match up with any number of worthy programs.” Being debated on Capitol Hill is major health care reform, one social program that could conceivably be funded through internet gambling.
McDermott continued, “I would suspect it’s only a matter of time before Congress appropriately moves to regulate the industry in order to protect consumers and reverse the flow of billions of dollars currently lost offshore as Americans gamble billions online despite attempts to prohibit the activity.” In May, the Washington Congressman unveiled HR 2268, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act. The measure imposes a fee of 2% of deposits on licensed internet gambling operators.
HR 2268 is a companion bill to Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which establishes a comprehensive framework for companies to solicit U.S. customers. The two bills were introduced on the same day and HR 2267 is up to 62 cosponsors on both sides of the political spectrum. Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily, “This is a very significant development in support of the push to regulate the industry. We would expect that there will be more conversation and more interest in internet gambling regulations as Congress is attempting to figure out funding for health care and other various programs.”
Today, Democrats in Congress unleashed health care reform that comes with a price tag of nearly $900 billion. While not able to cover the full amount, legalizing internet gambling could, in theory, put a dent in the price tag. The JCT’s analysis does not include online sports betting, which is barred in Frank’s legislation. Moreover, the findings assume that states will not opt out of HR 2267. A February study by the U.S.-based firm PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that up to $52 billion could be raised by taxing internet gambling companies over a 10-year period.
On the significance of a $4 billion per year revenue stream when programs like health care run over 200 times that total, Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan explained, “It’s realistic to see it packaged with a number of revenue enhancers. As a standalone, in my opinion, it’s not enough money to be able to get people off the mark who have been against this in the near-term.”
Information released today by the SSIGI noted that Frank planned to hold a markup hearing on HR 2267, but the House Financial Services Committee has released no official information. For the balance of the week, Frank’s committee will be bogged down in discussion of systematic regulation, overdraft protection, and investor protection. The grizzly state of the U.S. economy has been the committee’s main focus since September of 2008.
Frank has also introduced HR 2266, the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act. The measure delays industry compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year. As it stands, the financial services industry in the United States must come into full compliance with the 2006 law by December 1st, which is just five weeks away. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the industry’s main lobbying force, has been working feverishly to delay the deadline through other means, including appealing directly to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
The JCT study assumes that wagering taxes will be levied and that HR 2267 will be amended so that internet gambling companies doing business in the United States must also be incorporated in the United States. Read the full internet gambling study.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news from Capitol Hill.
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PartyPoker Renews Gladiator Promotion in November
Returning in November on PartyPoker, the world’s fourth largest online poker site, is the popular Gladiator promotion. At stake are entries into the 2010 Aussie Millions worth AUD $10,500.
The Gladiator asks PartyPoker members to accumulate as many PartyPoints as humanly possible over the 30-day month of November. Racking up 10 PartyPoints for five days of the month results in an entry into a $5,000 freeroll. Earning 20 PartyPoints for five days of the month or 10 PartyPoints for 10 days results in entry into a high-stakes $10,000 freeroll. The top prize is a buy-in to the 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event, which drew 681 players in 2009 and was won by Stewart Scott.
A bevy of cash can also be had through the Gladiator promotion, with between $10 and $3,000 up for grabs. The latter will be awarded to players who earn at least 1,000 PartyPoints for 25 days of the month. Points do not have to be earned on successive days during November to count and are not removed from a player’s account. The $5,000 and $10,000 freerolls held as part of the Gladiator promotion will take place on December 6th and registration begins on December 1st. PartyPoker is only permitting 8,000 players to take to the felts of each freeroll, so members are encouraged to register early.
In a press release distributed by the online poker site this week, a PartyPoker spokesperson looked forward to the upcoming running of the Gladiator: “The Gladiator is back and is stronger than ever before. In this coliseum, you don’t have to worry about lions – just sharks, donkeys, and fish! This promotion isn’t all about maximus PartyPoints, it is about spreading play over a period of time for maximus rewards! It is simple and offers great value and we encourage players to challenge themselves and take a closer look.”
Last year, Scott pocketed AUD $2 million from the Aussie Millions Main Event, which is set to kick off on January 24th from the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Scott, an Australian, was a crowd favorite and bested American poker player Peter Rho heads-up. Previous Aussie Millions Main Event winners include Gus Hansen, who won in 2007. Hansen defeated Jimmy “gobboboy” Fricke heads-up in the largest Aussie Millions feature tournament to date at 747 players. Aussie Millions officials are once again expecting the top prize to approach AUD $2 million.
Also returning to PartyPoker this weekend is the Monthly Million, which takes place on the first Sunday of every month. The $640 buy-in tournament attracts some of the top names in the world of online poker. In its last running, PartyPoker member sebstop triumphed over the 1,476 player field to the tune of $200,000. Others in the top ten of the seven-figure prize pool tournament included tommo662 (second place for $110,000), Supilami928 (third place for $69,000), DontGetLemon (fourth place for $54,500), DcHustler7 (fifth place for $46,000), yong_yong999 (sixth place for $34,500), p00cket00 (seventh place for $26,500), NoFknSnLeft (eighth place for $17,500), brogba84 (ninth place for $13,500), and franic (tenth place for $9,000).
As part of its Million Dollar Hand promotion, which ran in October, PartyPoker players claimed 42,834 pairs, 4,889 two pairs, 2,172 three of a kinds, 392 straights, 272 flushes, 152 full houses, 25 four of a kinds, and three straight flushes during the first 20 days of October. The latter paid out $10,000, but as of yet, no one has claimed the $1 million grand prize for a royal flush.
PartyPoker does not accept players from the United States and is owned by Party Gaming, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange.
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ESPN Producer Discusses WSOP Main Event Final Table Preparations
Resuming on November 7th will be the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. The survivors will play down to two, who will return to the Rio on November 9th to determine a winner. ESPN has 24 hours to edit the finale for airing and on the scene will be Coordinating Producer Jamie Horowitz, who sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the network’s preparations.
Poker News Daily: Talk about ESPN’s setup on site at the conclusion of the 2009 WSOP Main Event.
Horowitz: There will be about 40 HD cameras used. It’s 28,000 pounds of television equipment to produce the WSOP. There were 26 hours of Main Event coverage on ESPN in 2009, which was our highest number ever. That comes from 15-hour workdays while we’re out there in July and August. We anticipate anything that’s possible in November.
PND: Talk about what the general process is for filming and editing a show. How is the process truncated so that the final table can air 24 hours after it is filmed?
Horowitz: Creatively, this is a massive challenge. The show that you normally see takes weeks to put together. In November, they’re going to play from nine players to two on Saturday and a couple of hours in, we’ll start editing. Sunday is a full-on edit day. On Monday, we play from two down to a champion. The hardest part of putting it together is that so much of the story has to be written before it’s played from two down to one. In that journey from nine to two, you have to tell it like there were two champions.
PND: Is having the heads-up match pan out three days later complicate anything logistically?
Horowitz: It’s a big challenge. We try to look at Saturday as if it’s a live event. Our coverage always deals with great storytelling. It’s all about how we got here and how players were eliminated. We have nine stars and every time someone goes away, it’s a huge story.
The big difference from last year to this year is that last year we had a two-hour window to show the final table. We knew going into heads-up play that a good portion of it would get cut. One thing that we wanted to do this year was feature more heads-up play. This year, we’re not creating an off-air time. Our plan is to show the final table from 9:00pm to 11:00pm ET on Tuesday, November 10th, but we’re prepared to go past 11:00 if the story dictates it.
PND: What lessons learned from the 2008 WSOP Main Event final table can you carry over into 2009?
Horowitz: Because the venue is different, we didn’t realize how interested the viewers would be in seeing the live audience there. A couple of months later, you’d talk to fans and ask what they remembered from the final table. Instead of talking about Peter Eastgate winning, their answers were about Dennis Phillips and all of his fans. They talked about it as if Phillips had won. It was a reminder that it’s an event and you have to show that to people.
PND: Have you been pleased with the final product that has aired on ESPN this year?
Horowitz: This has been a terrific season for us. I like to say that we get better every year, but I am cognizant of the reality that the players who advance are part of it. In 2003, we were, television-wise, blessed to have an unknown accountant with the last name of Moneymaker. This year, it’s the opposite. We have Phil Ivey, considered to be the world’s best player, advancing to the final table.
PND: The ratings have shown increase in key demographics like males age 18 to 49 and males age 25 to 49. Speculate on the reason for it.
Horowitz: We have tried each off-season to respond to what viewers want to see more of and less of. I like to think that listening to our fans and acting on to our fans’ requests lead to more viewers.
Catch the 2009 WSOP Main Event on Tuesdays at 9:00pm ET on ESPN.
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