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Televised WPT Alpha8 in Johannesburg Attracts Top Pros

 The televised $100,000 buyIn WPT Alpha8™ event at Johannesburg’s Emperors Palace is running from February 14 to 15 and will host pros from around the world, including Phil Ivey and fellow Ivey League coach Dan Smith.

Ivey and Smith have already confirmed they will be making the journey into the Southern Hemisphere to vie for what is expected to be a $1 million plus first place payout and a prominent WPT title.
The WPT Alpha8 is an elite televised tournament hosted in some of the world’s most exclusive casino resorts. In 2013, Alpha8 events took place in Florida, London and the Caribbean location of St.Kitts. Johannesburg will be 2014’s first stop.
Televised coverage of the Alpha8 events will begin March 16 with each stop to include four hours of coverage, with commentary from Ali Nejad and Olivier Busquet.
Ivey is known as arguably the best all-round poker pro on the circuit, with cash game finesse, nine World Series of Poker tournament titles and a WPT title behind him. He also recognizes the talents of Dan Smith after making it clear he wanted Smith to represent IveyLeague.com as a trainer and a Team Ivey pro.
Dan Smith gatecrashed the poker scene in 2005 after taking down the $1,650 No Limit Hold’em Main Event in Verona’s Heartland Poker Tour for his first pro cash of $101,960. Smith continued to cash for five figures in more pro tournaments, but remained relatively quiet until 2012 where he finally hit his first major high-stakes’ tournament win at the Aussie Millions. Smith took down his second live poker title after grinding to first place in the No Limit Hold’em Challenge and winning $1,041,828, before going on to win European Poker Tour titles and add the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Poker Classic to his list of successes.
In the previous two versions of Alpha8 held in London and then in St. Kitts, it was high stakes poker specialist Phillip Grusseum who took down first place, twice winning over $1 million. He will be back for the WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg, adding yet another dangerous name to the list of entrants, as the German pro looks to make it three Alpha8 titles in a row.
Other big name high stakes players are expected in Johannesburg including the likes of Jason Mercier, The Big One for One Drop champ Antonius Esfandiari, online poker phenomenon Dan “Jungleman” Cates*, Erik Seidel and Jeff Gross.
They will be facing local high stakes pros Greg Ronaldson and Darren Kramer. Ronaldson won his entry into the event after getting through a satellite event in the Emperors Casino now giving him home advantage to be the first South African to win an Alpha8 title.
There is still a chance to join Ronaldson on that list of satellite qualifiers: A $500 rebuy satellite that will take place February 11 to 12. It is currently only 75% full.
Every entrant into the South African WPT Alpha 8 will benefit from five nights in the Peermont D’Oreale Grande Hotel, airport transfers, a personal VIP host, Monster DNA headphones, plus there is a complimentary safari in which visitors will be given the chance to catch a glimpse and take snapshots of some South Africa’s intense wildlife. This event should prove to be one of WPT poker’s 2014 highlights.
Author: Ekaterina
04 . 02 . 2014 y.
Myroslaw Woroch, New Jersey’s Next Poker Millionaire

 Myroslaw Woroch has won the BorgataPoker and partypoker New Jersey tournament to become New Jersey’s “Next Poker Millionaire”. The Cedar Knolls resident takes home a $1m package of cash and tournament entries.

Stage managed and televised from the Borgata Casino, Hotel and Spa in Atlantic City on Saturday, the online qualifiers played live beneath the spotlights. Mike Sexton provided the commentary, and a triumphant announcement as Woroch’s flopped straight held up to give him the win.
“You are New Jersey’s Next Poker Millionaire!!” shouted Sexton as the clouds of confetti burst from the ceiling.
Play started at 3pm and the tournament ended at 9.45pm. It took three hours for the first player to bust. Wayne Pineault was the unlucky guy who had to walk away with a prize of just $1k plus a Borgata tournament package.
The others steadily dropped out until the Myroslaw Woroch and Steven Edwards found themselves heads up for a million dollars. Woroch had the chip stack advantage with 4.3m against Edwards’ 3.7m, and just fifteen minutes later he had all 8m chips and the victory.
The promotion is the biggest so far in the new born New Jersey market and has gathered plenty of publicity for the Borgata/partypoker partnership which still leads the market in terms of cash game traffic.
Author: Ekaterina
03 . 02 . 2014 y.
Cheaters to Get Up To Ten Years in Jail Under New UK Amendments

 In the UK House of Lords, Lord Moyniham has proposed amendments to the UK Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill that expands the definitions of cheating and increases the maximum sentence from two to ten years in prison.

The new amendments are targeted at cheating that affects the outcome of a sporting contest, but their definitions will impact cheating at online poker. Collusion to affect the outcome of an online tournament is clearly covered and would constitute a criminal offence if the amendment is accepted.
The UK bill is now in its final stages and amendments are only likely to be accepted if they have substantial support. The hereditary peer Colin Berkeley Moynihan, 4th Baron Moynihan, is a former Olympic Silver Medalist who served as a Minister for Sport under Mrs Thatcher’s Government. He is also a former Chairman of the British Olympic Association.
It is unlikely that he would propose this amendment if he had not thoroughly tested the political ground in advance. The bill, which introduces the point of consumption regulatory framework, is expected to become law later this year.
Author: Ekaterina
03 . 02 . 2014 y.
Garden City Group Updates Full Tilt Claims Process

 The Garden City Group (GCG) has posted new details on the fulltiltpokerclaims website regarding former Full Tilt Pros, affiliates and those in debt to the US government.

The latest announcement explains that 8,400 notices were sent to former affiliates on January 31. The notices explain how to participate in the claims process and gives a deadline for affiliate petitions of March 2, 2014.
No date has yet been set for former Pros. The GCG notice explains that a review is underway, and following its completion, a separate communication will be sent which will give any eligible Pros 30 days notice to file a claim.
The GCG announced in mid November that they were reviewing the position of Pros and affiliates. Pros were deemed ineligible if they fell under the following definition: “Team Full Tilt players and other players who were playing with funds from FTP or who were compensated by FTP to play on the FTP site.”
Affiliates will be ineligible for repayments as affiliates, but will be able to reclaim; “the portion of their account balances that does not relate to their Affiliate status.”
A number of players have reported on 2+2 that they dispute the final balance calculations listed in the spreadsheet they have been sent by the GCG. The difficulties appear to stem from the way Full Tilt listed payments on player accounts.
The situation is complicated by the common process of receiving rakeback from play from one affiliate and receiving payments from another affiliate for having recruited other players to Full Tilt.
Some players have also been informed that their remission payment will be reduced in part or in whole due to an outstanding debt owed to the US government. Notices went out on January 29 to players who currently have a “delinquent debt qualifying for collection through the Treasury Offset Program.”
In order for these players to receive any remaining amount of their remission, the GCG states that “these Petitioners must complete a Unified Financial Management System Vendor Request Form, which was attached to the email, and return it to GCG within 30 days.”
Author: Ekaterina
03 . 02 . 2014 y.
PokerStars Makes Radical Changes to France Poker Series

 PokerStars has issued the schedule for the 2014 France Poker Series (FPS), with some big changes from last year.

The stages held at Evian and Amneville have been dropped, and replaced by a stop in Monaco plus an online stage. The full schedule is:
FPS Monaco: April 23-26 €500K Guaranteed
Online FPS: 18-20 May €300K Guaranteed
FPS Sunfest Cannes: September 30 to October 2 €300K Guaranteed
FPS Paris 15-22 November €500K Guaranteed
FPS Final—Deauville: January 2015 €500K Guaranteed
The FPS originally reached out to less well known towns such as the seaside resort of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The changes have moved the events to larger, better known destinations, which has worried some players concerned about the higher costs of food and accommodation. The innovation of replacing a live event with an online one has also attracted criticism.
Cédric Billot, PokerStars Business Development manager and President of FPS explained: “We want to create 3 or 4 poker festivals, maximum, per year, in order to create an event for real players. Thus, there will be more time to qualify and larger tournaments with bigger prize pools.”
The FPS has proved perennially to be a popular series. Last year it saw 1095 entries for the Deauville stage, 818 entries in Paris and 559 in Cannes. Amneville was not far behind with 417, but Evian disappointed with just 287.
PokerStars and Winamax are now the major sponsors of live regional tournaments in France, after the Partouche Poker Tour closed in 2012 following a series of PR missteps.
Winamax operates the extensive Winamax Poker Tour, which in the 2013-2014 season boasts over 40 stops in France. It culminates in the Grande Finale in Paris at the end of February, with a €500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
 
Author: Ekaterina
31 . 01 . 2014 y.
PKR Offers First UK Mixed Max Event

 PKR’s biannual tournament series prides itself on being a friendly event in the poker calendar—this year it will be spiced up by the addition of a Mixed Max event.

The Mixed Max format was popularized by the WSOP Europe which has included the format since 2011. The PKR event will be a $500 buyin tournament where the first day is played at nine player tables. Day 2 switches to 6 player tables and when 16 players remain Day 3 will be played as a heads-up shootout.
The heads up matches will be seeded by stack size with the chip leader matched against the short stack and so on. The dynamic makes building a large stack before the heads up phase an important strategy.
The event will come ninth in the PKR Live series, running from March 28 to March 30 at London’s Aspers Stratford supercasino.
PKR’s Head of PR Dan Grant said, “Mixed Max is a real test of versatility and one we hope both our own players and the UK poker circuit will embrace.”
The first WSOP Mixed Max tournament was initially called a “Split Format” event, but Jack Effel, WSOP Tournament Director explained that the name quickly changed: “Once we had it that first year, players started calling it the ‘Mixed Max’. They renamed it, and it just stuck.”
 
Author: Ekaterina
31 . 01 . 2014 y.
PokerStars, Betfair Apply for Bulgarian Licenses

 The Bulgarian State Gambling Commission (SGC) has confirmed that it is to review license applications from PokerStars and Betfair.

The SGC was established to regulate gambling in line with a new law which came into effect in July 2012. The SGC has to date issued only three licenses to online providers: Two went to the state owned lottery operator Toto.bg, the other to Bulgarian-owned Eurofootball Limited.
High taxes were initially levied and seen to be a deterrent to operators, who could see little potential profit in the EU member nation which has a population of 7.3m with a per capita income averaging just $15k. The regulator and many politicians recognized that the potential tax revenues would not be achievable unless taxes were reduced.
Late last year the Bulgarian parliament reduced taxes from 15% of revenues to 20% of profits, making the market a much more attractive proposition.
Betfair was one of the early additions to the newly established Bulgarian blacklist, being added in June last year. A week later, PokerStars joined the list.
Since then the SGC has been assiduous in removing sites which have complied with the regulations it imposes—the first to be removed was partypoker five months ago.
PokerStars.com is still blacklisted but the Betfair.com domain has been removed.
Author: Ekaterina
30 . 01 . 2014 y.
GPI European Player of the Year Award Goes to Ole Schemion

 Last year’s “Rookie of the Year,” German player Ole Schemion, became this year’s GPI European Player of the Year at an awards ceremony last night during the European Poker Tour (EPT) Deauville.

The Global Poker Index (GPI) European Player of the Year awards are in their thirteenth year and provide recognition in 19 categories. The award for European Internet Poker Player of the Year went to Toby Lewis who, like Schemion, is a former “Rookie of the Year,” taking the title in 2011.
Ole Schemion also won the global GPI Player of the Year award. “I had a really great 2013 with so many deep runs and success,” Schemion said. “It makes me feel honoured to win GPI World and German Player of the Year.”
Schemion has already made two scores over $200k this year. He came 7th in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) $25k High Roller Event and 7th in the $100k PCA Super High Roller.
A Lifetime Achievement Award went to British player Barny Boatman, the oldest member of the famous four man Hendon Mob team. He was the first player to make three WSOP final tables in a row and was one of the early personalities of poker when it was first televised in the UK.
Ana Marquez from Spain took the award for Female Poker Player of the Year. Marquez won the Hollywood Poker Open, Lawrenceburg for $320k and cashed in two WSOP events last year. She ranks fifth on Spain’s all time money list.
Author: Ekaterina
30 . 01 . 2014 y.
PokerStars Confirms: Players Can be Banned from Live Events for Conduct Online

 A representative from PokerStars confirmed recently that players banned from playing on their poker rooms online will also be blocked from playing European Poker Tour live events.

“For some time now, we have banned certain players from our live events because of their actions online,” wrote Michael Josem, head of public relations at PokerStars, in a thread on poker forum 2+2.
“PokerStars and the European Poker Tour agree with the general principle that we should use what we know about online activity to also enhance the integrity of our live events,” he added.
In the coming weeks, more information regarding this policy—“what we do, how we do it, and why we do it”—will be publicized.
The statement came in response to a petition on the popular community forum that urged PokerStars to do more to discourage cheating online.
“Cheating needs bigger consequences,” writes a new poster on the forums. “This is a petition that Pokerstars ban repeated or the worst cheaters and scammers not only from their site, but also FTP, EPT and other live tournaments.”
The poll garnered only 68 votes, 80% of which voted in favor of cross-product banning.
The PokerStars representative also confirmed that a blacklist was shared between its two online brands PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. This first came to light when Full Tilt first came back online.
“Our systems will not allow barred or self-excluded players on one site to play on the other site,” Lee Jones, Head of Home Games at PokerStars, stated at the time. “We will ensure that we have the technical solutions in place to preserve our game integrity and responsibility in responsible gaming.”
 
Author: Ekaterina
30 . 01 . 2014 y.
Irish Politicians Complain About Delays in Enacting Gambling Legislation

 Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath complained in the Irish parliament that delays in enacting proposed gaming legislation had so far cost the state €40m in lost revenues.

The Betting (Amendment) Bill was proposed in July last year.
The government responded that the bill had been submitted to the EU, which imposed a statutory three month waiting period while it considered the bill’s compliance with EU treaties.
Mr McGrath’s figures are based on expected gaming turnover of €4bn on which a new 1% tax will be levied. The new bill will require operators targeting the Irish market to obtain a remote bookmaker’s license from the Revenue Commissioner, and they will then be subject to taxes on their Irish customers.
The Finance Minister will also have the power to add an additional levy which will be directed to a “Social Fund.” Other features in the draft text includes advertising restrictions that would strictly limit bonuses and other inducements to play higher volumes.
The bill is now expected to come into force before the end of the year.
 
Author: Ekaterina
29 . 01 . 2014 y.
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