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The arrival of day 1 of the World Poker Tour Foxwoods Poker Classic has given 367 poker players the opportunity to receive a champion's prize of $967,300. In addition to the financial prize, a $25,500 seat at the World Poker Tournament will be provided for this event's winner. Win Big or Lose It All Nam Le captured attention with his legendary pocket 10s. Steve Fiorentini raised every time he had a chance. Le kept matching his bet and even raised to an astonishing 12,500. When the River was presented, Fiorentini moved Le all in and presented the pocket Aces he was hiding this whole time. Le presented his own pair leaving his opponent with an astonished expression on his face, staring at the third 10 that landed in the flop. In just one hand, Le jumped up to the top of the board with 87,600. Lose It All or Win Big The day has left some players with gravely disappointed. David Pham, previously acknowledged by Card Player as Player of the Year, sat by his cards with a silly stack of 2,500. With an A-10 in his hands, Pham recognized the position he was in and accepted his disadvantage by moving all in. With 20 minutes remaining in the first level, Pham was the first professional player to leave the game when his opponent presented an A-J. Sitting beside him in the early elimination room were players like Amnon Filippi, T.J. Cloutier, Lee Markholt and Tom Dwan. The day ended with 218 players surviving for yet another day of poker. Happy Happy, Joy Joy Quite a scene was created when Steve Buckner performed his "Happy Dance" upon seeing the last heart he needed for a flush come down on the river, beating his opponent's set of queens. Loud roars of victory echoed throughout the room as the entire tournament expressed its support of his excitement by applauding and cheering. With an average stack of just 33,376, Raj Patel closed the day with an impressive 192,000. Behind him were Paul Snead (182,775), Brock Parker (180,475) and Barry Greenstein (156,200). Day 1 has displayed miserable defeat and ground breaking victories. As day two arrives, 218 players anxiously wait for noon to arrive in order to display they're skill, luck, and determination.
The upper house of parliament in Holland has ruled earlier this week on the proposed online gambling bill. The bill, which had its fair share of support, certainly among the lower house members who approved it prior to the upper house vote, and was even expected to pass by many in the industry, was rejected by a narrow vote. This sets back Holland Casino that hoped to operate its monopoly gambling website for three more years, and for MicroGaming, which was to provide the software. (In a separate story, MicroGaming said it will not be badly affected from the vote.) Surely it is a strong statement. A grey cloud in these early days of spring, just as we were witnessing the warming up to online gambling in Holland. One does not need to go far to see what I am talking about when talking about a positive atmosphere. In Amsterdam these very days, over a thousand industry people - over 600 casino affiliates, many gambling website operators, and other industry analysts - are meeting for the annual Casino Affiliate Convention. Yes, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Perhaps it is only a coincidence, but the mixed signs are a sign nonetheless. Find the latest news from the Dutch online gambling market and relevant player information such as casino reviews at Online Casino Reports Netherlands.
Shortly ahead of the court hearing scheduled for later in April, Washington state resident, attorney, and poker player Lee Rousso has dropped out of the governor's race. Rousso has been active in challenging the state's anti gambling law as a lawyer and a well-known activist with the Poker Players Alliance, of whom he is state director. He has challenged not only the law, but also incumbent governor Chris Gregoire, by running against him for the Democratic candidacy. He has now decided to drop out of the race, and focus instead on the law case. See You in Court The law in Rousso's home state makes online gambling a felony. Online Casino Reports has reported previously that "On the line is a core question for poker and online gambling, namely whether the states have the jurisdiction to intervene and regulate the games and wagering." The hearing in court is scheduled, as of today, for April 25. A Busy Man Rousso has decided to drop out and focus on the case in court. He has also decided to call off his governorship hopes since the United States Supreme Court forced changes to Washington State's election law in a recent ruling. The court has ruled that only the top vote getters of each party will meet at the state's elections, lowering his chances to reach that stage. We wish him good luck with whatever course he chooses to follow.
Day 2 of the Foxwoods Poker Classic leaves 75 poker players with smiles on their faces as they sleep the evening away knowing that they will have a seat when they wake. The tour was cut short from a six day event due to the small amount of players who registered on Day 1. Although the event was cut short, players still carried a flare in their eyes and were determined to finish the tournament as winners. The first level of Day 2 has left 48 players in the dust. Only 170 players remain at the beginning of round 2 and only 75 will get a second good night sleep before Day 3. Luck Be a Jack-10? The chip leader from Day 1, Raj Patel, once again proves that in order to win big you got to play big. As the flop comes down strong with a Jack of Diamonds-10 of Hearts and 3 Clubs, Elmer Lynn wanted to take advantage of his pocket Aces by matching Patel's exciting ‘all in' announcement. Lynn gave Patel a not-too-shabby amount of nearly 400,000 in chips as a J-10 came from Patel's direction. The win is one of Patel's major reasons for being placed in 2nd place in the chip counts at the end of the day with 393,700. And Then There Were 75... Many pros busted early in the day, including players such as Phil Ivy, Beth Shak, and Joe Brooks. Later in the day, Men Nguyen, JC Tran and Victor Ramdin also shared the grief of losing and joined those who had to pack their bags early. The day ended with Michael Ferris (6th place with 317,300), Eddie Ting (3rd with 393,700) and, in first place, Paul Snead with an admirable 472,700 worth of chips. Day 3 will end with enough rewards for the top 40 players. As 75 remaining players sleep with confidence of their upcoming reward, Day 3 will once again prove the magic in poker as the final cards are passed around. You may have your favorite player and some may be more skillful then others, but nothing can tell us Day 3's winners.
Travesty in Atlantic City's Taj Mahal this past Saturday as an unidentified victim was stabbed to death due to a poker dispute. The violence escalated quickly from the casino floor to the valet parking area leaving Vicente Perez of Georgia into the custody of the Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit. The Atlantic County Prosecutor Office spokeswoman Madelaine Vitale explained that the fight broke out in the Taj Mahal at 2:46 PM with a poker game and ended in the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center at 4:04 PM with the victim's death. Vitale explains that Perez, 57, will be charged with aggravated manslaughter and weapons offence. The knife was discovered at the scene. The identity of the victim has not yet been released pending the notification of his family. Past Violence Only a month ago we have reported on several cases of violence that involved poker games. Our words of concern are, unfortunately, still relevant Be safe.
By her own account, former attorney and gambling addict Arelia Margarita Taveras does not hold a high seat in the popularity polls these days. After unleashing her suit, Taveras reports in her nine minute confession style video, which appears on this article, that many out there who do not really know her are condemning her for not accepting personal responsibility and for trying to manipulate her own personal, social, and professional crash for gain. Lots of gain. In addition, Taveras has even launched her own site so that "people could view my lawsuit without having to pay for it or go to the courthouse to view it", and as a refuge for others who have been downtrodden by the casino machine. Mission of Righteousness Contrary to popular opinion, says Taveras, she is espousing nothing but altruism in her lawsuit. The "racketeering" casinos need to be brought down; she is but a humble messenger. Never mind that a mere 20 million beans would hardly put a dent in the multi-billion dollar casino kingdom. Or that nowhere in her videotaped statement does she make any mention of what she would do with the money toward continuing her battle to bring down the Evil Empire or to help fellow strugglers, which would seem to be the first step in silencing her skeptics. Best of Luck, Arelia At the end of the day, who is to judge whether Taveras is a glutton or a saint? Who can really tell what her motives really are, no matter how strong the indications? At the end of the day, all I have to say is this: Some problem gamblers recover and go home. Others will not stop until they empty out the house. Arelia, you have nothing left to loose and these are your highest stakes yet. Good luck.
More Congressmen seem to be supporting online gambling as Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has become the 48th co-sponsor of the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA). House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) Chairman Barney Frank is behind IGREA. Now, Rep. Frank suggested that the Congress begin a review scrutinizing the effectiveness of the 2006 ban on online gambling. A Man Others Look Up To... Due to his respectable statues in congress, Rep. Nadler brings greater hope along with his support of the IGREA. Nadler is currently serving his 9th term as a Member of Congress representing portions of Manhattan's West Side, Lower Manhattan and areas of Brooklyn. In addition, Nadler serves as Chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee dealing with issues such as expression, religious freedom and privacy. Nadler plays a major role in ideological battles that take place in congress such as online gambling. Nadler also deals with issues such as Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. A man others will follow Nadler clearly presents his support on his website by stating that "there is nothing more fundamental to being an American that the assurance against unwarranted government interference in one's personal affairs." Rep. Nadler's support may be the element needed in order to persuade the rest of Congress to join the side of legal online gambling.
The Weekly Edition, an OCR Live! production in which Kate brings you the headlines for the past week, which begins on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and crosses to Holland, where a proposed gambling bill has suffered a setback, and ends back in the US, where a woman sued six casinos for $20 million. US Congress Hold Hearings on Gambling Ban Statements made by practically all witnesses at the Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology Subcommittee hearings at the US Congress on April 2, 2008 agree that the US gambling ban is ambiguous and difficult to implement. You can read the Online Casino Reports editorial stand on the matter by following the link to this blog entry:BLOG. Holland Gambling Bill Setback The upper house of parliament rejected the bill that would advance online gambling towards a regulated and open market. Gambler Seeks Payoff of Her Life A former lawyer is suing casinos she claims contributed to her reckless, days-long gambling binges - for 20 million dollars.
It's what republicans in congress don't want you to know. It's what you somehow always knew... but never let yourself quite believe. That's correct. Gambling is the ultimate act of charity. That was true, at least, on April 4th in Hastings, Nebraska. MC'd by Nebraskan Democratic candidate for Senator, Scott Kleeb, the long awaited Texas Hold ‘Em Fundraiser Tournament kicked off. Along with the gaming events there was a silent auction, and when the silence needed shattering, a local singing performer was brought in to entertain participants and add to the festivities. Figures as to the financial success of the event were unavailable. Nebraskan Democratic Candidate Leads the Way For Scott Kleeb, this event was right along his line of thinking - except for one detail. Kleeb, a self-described "terrible" poker player, is a long time advocate of community blood drives, CPR instruction, and supporting the Red Cross. Kleeb was inspired by the open-handed American response to the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck East Asia in December 2004, when close to $1 billion in support funds was raised in the United States. "Every day in the county served by this chapter of the Red Cross, we need 100 pints of blood...whether it's for tornado relief, hurricane relief, or whether it's tsunami relief overseas, " Kleeb said in a recent interview. It is guys like Kleeb and events like this that will one day make the world know how potentially good the game poker really is.
Criticism of the devious piece of legislation banning online gambling in America has been mounting, especially as of last week when congress sat for a session exploring the critiques UIGEA - the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Ambiguous Law The Act has drawn condemnation from groups across the financial and law enforcement sectors due to its apparent inability to provide a clear system that can be defined and enforced. Recently, worried bankers have turned to congressional lawmakers for alternatives to what seems to now be the bankers’ legal obligation to crack down on gambling-related money transfers – a task they consider to be well beyond their professional jurisdiction. UIGEA has wasted no time in becoming a cause for friction with the international community as well. Complaints have rolled in from the EU and individual nations stating that the US gambling policy is infringing on their own sovereign right to control or to not control the online habits of their citizens, and constitutes violations of the World Trade Organization. Numerous such confrontations have occurred since the creation of the law, creating a situation that many see as another perpetuation of the “USA versus everyone” worldview. Enter the Wall Street Journal What is interesting about the veteran conservative paper’s entry into the fray is the simple fact that it has done so. This issue is no longer confined to a handful of gambling enthusiasts grumbling to each other in the obscurity of their fledgling website. This issue is on the map, as its inclusion in the Journal underscores. Furthermore, the opinion of the paper is anything but ambiguous. Cleverly titled "Time to Fold," the article is a symbol of the negative public interest that seems to be growing in response to the UIGEA fiasco. Even non-gamblers stand to be affected at this point, both in the US and abroad - and that’s not something that people are going to take sitting down.
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