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Pokerstars bans Sharkscope

admin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:31:07 +0000

The use of database site SharkScope.com has joined Poker Edge and TheCashDB as one of 42 programs that are now banned by PokerStars. SharkScope, according to it’s website, has amassed a database of 178 million sit ‘n’ go tournaments, but a player found to be using it whilst playing on PokerStars can now expect anything from a warning to being banned.

PokerStars terms of service states that ‘Any program that works off of a central database of player profiles or hands played is prohibited.’ Programs that are allowed are listed on PokerStars website and the 60 listed include Calculatem Pro, Holdem Genius, Holdem Manager, Omaha Indicator, Pokerbility, PokerGrapher, Poker Office, Poker Stove, PokerTracker, ThePokerDB, and Poker Wingman.

Chris ‘Fox’ Wallace, a premium poker software expert, said of PokerStars decision, ‘PokerStars has been very good about preventing cheating, but banning the SharkScope website itself, when all of that information is publicly available, will probably serve to hurt players who want to follow the rules, while rewarding those who are willing to break them.’ He also pointed out that it is easy for anyone with both a computer and a laptop to get around the ban simply by running SharkScope on the laptop next to them, and that these people will be virtually impossible to catch making the rule impossible to enforce and giving them an advantage over honest players.

Full Tilt Poker rakeback also does not allow the use of ‘large subscription database’ but has not yet taken the step of enforcing a ban on SharkScope, which also tracks tournaments on Ultimate Bet, Party Poker, and Pacific Poker among others. Players do have the option to block their user name from appearing in SharkScope searches by filling out a form on the website.

Internet Gambling to be censored in Oz?

admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:31:08 +0000

Following Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s seizing of 141 internet gambling domain names in the United States, it looks as though Australia may be planning to do the same. According to an article featured in ‘The Age’, Family First Senator, Steve Fielding, is in favour of blocking ‘hardcore pornography and fetish material’ by ISP and claims that Senator Xenophon would ‘look to use [the ban] to block Australians from accessing overseas online casinos, which are illegal to run in Australia.’
Senator Nick Minchin told The Age, ‘That’s the problem with having this sort of highly centralized government-mandated nationwide filtering system.

The argy-bargy that would result over what is in and what is out strikes me as being almost impossible to manage and it would be a cat chasing its tail.’
The debate in Australia is similar to that which occurred in the United States, where Governor Steve Beshear issued an order to seize 141 of the world’s largest internet domain names including, AbsolutePoker.com, PokerStars.com, UltimateBet.com and FullTiltPoker.com rakeback. Censorship arguments have been raised, backing the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and Interactive Media and Entertainment Gaming Association (iMEGA).

The question ‘The Age’ asks is whether government filtering systems will be able to block content effectively and quickly. The United States were able to block them by revoking the rights to use those domain names. IGC and iMEGA petitioned that the state does not have the jurisdiction and that companies will suffer harm if their domain names no longer operate. On October 16th Judge Thomas Wingate upheld the seizure order, stating the ‘The Internet…is still not above the law.’ iMEGA claimed, ‘What Judge Wingate has done is to create the ‘ultimate weapon’ to be used by the powerful and influential to attack content they oppose. This will enable government to eliminate competition from differing ideas, beliefs and commerce. This decision today is where it starts, but where will it stop?’

Hard Rock was not a hard sell

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:32:31 +0000

The first ever Dream Team Poker tournament at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was a sell out with 25 three-person teams taking the field this November.
The game was a traditional Texas Hold’em tournament, however when each player is knocked out, they receive a score based on their position relative to the size of the field. Dual incentives were given with prizes for both individuals and teams.

The tournament saw 2006 World Series of Poker Champion Jamie Gold, WSOP bracelet winner and Full Tilt Poker rakeback pro Kenny Tran and Bodog Poker pro Justin Bonomo (whose team ‘Team Bluff’ went on to win). Poker player Jason Lilley was the individual winner and scored a ring and bottle of Cristal champagne for his efforts.

Stars of the screen were also there. Actor Mekhi Phifer, of NBC’s “ER” and the big screen’s “8 Mile”, “The Hills” personality Holly Montag, “The Simpsons” co-creator Sam Simon and former Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association) player Chris Mills all made an appearance at the tables.
Daniel Delshad, CEO and co-founder of Dream Team Gaming, said “Having a diverse group of attendees is in line with what the game is about. The socialization aspect of the game provides an opportunity for people to play with friends who normally don’t play poker. It also breeds the opportunity to get celebrities who want to play together in a team format with a pro.”

Casinos Austria Poker Tour

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:11:33 +0000

Austria is very well known for poker in Europe, in fact, it is known as the poker capital of Europe. Having legal casinos that date back to 1775 has helped instill a culture that appreciates not only casino games but also skills games such as poker.

Well today the reputation for having world class events and poker tournaments is still alive and thriving. Thanks to the success of the Casinos Austria Poker Tour (CAPT), poker players are coming to Austria in hordes to play in the week of tournaments and cash games in Seefeld, Bregenz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Velden and Graz.

At the CAPT tournaments, it’s impossible to hear any negative comments about the tournaments at all. In fact all there is to hear is praises about how poker tournaments in Austria are always done to perfection!

“I really love the CAPT tournaments,” says Mihai Manole, winner of the Innsbruck CAPT main event, “I play all over the world and have never been to tournaments that are run this well and have this good of a structure!”

Having just finished the end of CAPT season 1 in Baden with the CAPT Baden and then the Poker EM, people are getting ready for season 2 which starts on January 10th in Seefeld. To qualify for the 2,500 Euro main event in Austria, you are able to play satellites in participating Austrian Casinos as well as online at Win2day.at. If you are living outside of Austria and still want to qualify to playin the CAPT tournaments you can qualify online through SunPoker.com. SunPoker.com sends the most qualifiers to CAPT tournaments outside of Austria.

“I was so impressed with season 1 of the Casinos Austria Poker Tour tournaments that I increased my team from 4 to 8 for the next season” Alex Jagodik, Captain of the Fearsome Foursome says, “Not only are the tournaments well run and amazing but the cash games are a poker players dream!”

This seasons schedule starts with CAPT Seefeld on Jan 10-18 and continues with CAPT Bregenz on Feb 22nd to March 1st, CAPT Salzburg on April 1st to 5th, CAPT Innsbruck on May 3rd to 10th, CAPT Velden on July 12th to 19th, CAPT Graz on August 25th to 30th and ends with CAPT Baden on Oct 4th to 11th.

The Casinos Austria Poker Tour is a breath of relief when it comes to Poker Tournaments world wide. Offering highly trained staff that move games along at a great pace while still being friendly, a tournament structure that allows for ample play time for everyone, and is so classy you will feel like you are in a James Bond film.

Online Qualifiers are starting now, giving plenty of time to win your seat into the Casinos Austria Poker Tour and to share in the estimated prize pool of over 5,000,000 Euro. For more information about the Casinos Austria Poker Tour visit http://www.casinos.at and for more information about how to qualify online to the Casinos Austria Poker

Party Poker Makeover

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:01:35 +0000

Party Poker has had a makeover! Gone are the classic avatars at the tables, instead you can now choose how you appear to other players with their customizable player images. Betting has also been made easier with the action buttons consolidated into one area, revamped the bet slider and introduced bet tabs.

You can also rebuy to the table and deposit money in your account while you play. The note taking and chat facilities have also been improved and the tabbed navigation makes playing multiple tables easier than ever. There’s also an alert system so if you have spread yourself over many tables it will let you know if you have a good hand or if a big pot is up for grabs, so you need never lose out on a winning hand again!

The lobby has also had a makeover, allowing you to go where you want with just one click. The cashier is now integrated in to the lobby, which can also be resized, and you can now jump straight in to multi-tabling. Check out Party Poker to see all the improvements in their fulll glory!

LEOCOP is back

admin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:20:13 +0000

Ladbroke’s European Online Championship of Poker (LEOCOP) is Europe’s longest running Poker Championship, and it is making a welcome return! Starting on Sunday 26th October there will be 16 tournaments over 15 days culminating in the $120,000 Masters Event Freeroll.
There is an estimated $2,000,000 up for grabs along with the last remaining seat at the Poker Million VII Semi-Final which guarantees prize money of $20,000 and the chance to take home the first prize of $1,000,000.

To ensure everyone can take part, Ladbroke will be setting up a qualifying structure for each of the LEOCOP IV Championship Events starting with satellites offering buy-ins from just $1, when you can also take advantage of Ladbroke’s rakeback of 30%! There will be something for every type of Poker player with No Limit, Fixed and Pot Limit Texas Hold’em as well as Pot Limit Omaha and Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, all with a mixture of Freezeout and Re-buy structures.

The first event of LEOCOP IV will be held on Sunday 26th October and is a No Limit Hold’em Re-buy with a Buy in of $150, the second event takes place on Monday 27th October, with more every day with buy-ins ranging from $50 - $1000. Check Ladbrokes.com promotions for the full schedule.
The Main Event takes place on Sunday 9th November and has $250,000 up for grabs. To enter you can either buy-in direct from Ladbrokes Poker’s lobby, or qualify through one of the satellites over the next 11 weeks. The weekly finals will be every Sunday, awarding one seat for every $1,100 in the Prize Pool. Other ways to qualify are through Ladbrokes’s VIP Club Promotion and the MTT Leaderboard promotions throughout September and October.

The LEOCOP IV Leaderboard will be set to pick the best LEOCOP IV Championship players. The leaderboard will have $14,000 total for the top ten players, with the top 80 players of the Leaderboard being invited to play in the LEOCOP IV Masters Event on Saturday 22nd November.
The Masters Event is invitation only, and it offers the chance to win the last Poker Million VII Semi-Final Seat, worth $120,000, and the chance to then progress to the Live Final table, with a first prize of $1,000,000 on Friday 12th December 2008! You could not ask for a better Christmas present!

Signup to Ladbrokes by clicking here

Sun Poker Rakeback Now Bi Monthly

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:26:24 +0000

SunPoker is proud to announce starting this month (Sept 2008) player’s Rakeback will be credited twice a month (Bi-monthly).

Here are the details;

- First Payment will be on the 20th reflecting earnings generated between the 1st - 15th of the month.
- Second Payment will be on the 5th reflecting earnings generated between the 15th - the end of the month.

For grandfathered players before March 1, 2008:

Rakeback credited on the 20th will be 30%. The credit on the 5th will be based on MPP’s earned for the month plus the additional percentage due for the first half of the month.

For Example:
If you earn 8000 MPP’s between the 1st - 15th in September that is 34.8%, however 30% only will be credited. Then if by the end of the month you generate a total off 11K+ MPP’s the credit posted on the 5th will be 38.8%. + the 8.8% times your first half rake (38.8%-30%=8.8%).

Signup to FullTilt by clicking here

Rule Standardisation

admin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:20:21 +0000

Standardisation in the pipeline?
Calls for a standardised set of tournament rules continued to grow after at least two rules were called into question at this years WSOP.
Both rules 87 and 31 were the cause of dispute. Rule 87 deals with the use of mobile phones, it stated ‘A player who wants to use a cell phone must be at least one table length away from their assigned table or be subject to penalty.

The hand of any player talking on a cell phone, texting, e-mailing or otherwise communicationg electronically while in a hand with action pending will be declared dead.’ Rule 31 deals with the use of profanities. ‘Any player who directs any profane and/or abusive language at another player, dealer or tournament staff member or who makes any profane and/or abusive comments about another player, dealer or tournament staff member will be penalised.’
However, it transpired that rule 87 had been changed when a complaint was made against one big poker ‘name’ for alleged mobile usage. However this change was not widely known. As for the profanity rule, it is Harrah’s and not WSOP officials who may take on a zero-tolerance policy.

One WSOP spectator commented, “The money a number of poker’s leading players make is a source of envy for many, and at some point or another, they will find themselves targeted. They’re only human, they can get riled and fly off the handle. Point is, if the game is to have any credibility, they have to be disciplined like anyone else. Too often though, the rules are open to different interpretations which prevents this from happening. At its most rarefied level, poker is in danger of developing into a Premier League-style enterprise where concessions are given to the big names at the expense of ’smaller’ ones. It would be unhealthy were poker to develop along similar lines; to prevent this from happening, the sooner a single, definitive set of tournament rules is drawn up and subsequently adhered to, the better.”

Celebrity Poker

admin — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:19:56 +0000

Poker seems to hold an appeal for celebrities. For years actors, musicians, models and athletes have been going to Las Vegas for the opportunity to play in the prestigious WSOP tournament at the Rio Hotel and Casino. Some are there for fun, some for the media and some because they simply can’t get enough.

This year there was an interesting collection of celebrities in the hunt for the $9.1 million first-place prize at the WSOP main event. Former light heaveyweight champion Chuck Liddell was in the field as a PokerStars-sponsored player at Phil Hellmuth’s table. Fellow Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin also played, even though less than 24 hours earlier, just down the street, he had fought and won against Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson for the UFC light-heavyweight crown. He played, battered and bruised, against doctor’s orders, but neither of them were tough enough to stay in and both were eliminated on Day 1D.

The usual suspects also made an appearance at 2008 WSOP including Jason Alexander, Shannon Elizabeth, Sam Simon, and Jennifer Tilly. All have become regulars at WSOP over the last couple of years though sadly, both Simon and Tilly failed to advance to Day 2 this year. Jason ‘Seinfeld’ Alexander has been one of the most enjoyable celebrities to cover but unfortunately he also did not progress to day 2. Shannon Elizabeth has been spending the majority of her summer in Las Vegas playing preliminary events at the WSOP and it’s proved a good move as she was one of the few celebrities to advance to Day 2.

Athletes were also out in force. Several former Major League Baseball players were in the 2008 WSOP including Orel Hershiser, David Wells, and Jose Canseco. Australian cricketer Shane Warne, is a friend of WSOP champion Joe Hachem and this year is trying his own luck at the tournament and made it to Day 2. He has participated in various tournaments at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, including the PokerNews Cup and the Aussie Millions. Also playing in the 2008 WSOP main event were professional golfer Paul Azinger, and actors Mekhi Phifer and Ray Romano. Azinger and Romano also moved on to Day 2.

Some celebrities who have previously tried their luck at WSOP but who decided not to this year include Nelly, boxing champion Antonio Tarver, Hank Azaria, Janet Jones, Brad Garrett, Norm MacDonald, Montel Williams, and Swedish pop star Dilba Demirbag. Spiderman was also a no show. In previous years Tobey Maguire has played in the WSOP Main Event but he was noticeably absent this year.

Moneybookers now available on crypto

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:35:46 +0000

MoneyBookers is now available to all players for both depositing and withdrawing on the crypto network.

We know that many of you have been looking forward to this for some time, so we are happy to tell you this good news. From today, all of the CryptoLogic casinos and poker rooms are offering Players MoneyBookers.

This will make depositing and withdrawing much easier for all players because MoneyBookers is now one of the most preferred and popular ewallet solutions.

The simple international electronic wallet allows you to maintain your account in local currency by transferring funds from your bank account, credit/debit cards or any other alternative payment methods available in your country directly to your poker account.

You can also use Moneybookers for secure on-line purchases without worrying about disclosing your credit card information.
Visit http://www.moneybookers.com if you don’t yet have an account.