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iPoker Rolls Out New Features: Faster Deal, Rematch, Shootouts and HU Tourneys

 New features across the iPoker network will be rolled out Monday, including new tournament variants, faster dealing, and a new heads up rematch feature.

The new feature set was first reported by pokerfuse back in April, and the client software was rolled out to players at the end of May. Today, many of these new features will be deployed.
Heads-up and Shootout tournaments will debut on the primary iPoker dot-com network. SNGs in Hold’em and PLO games, with buyins ranging from $1 to $200, will be added to the lobby, and MTTs will run every 20 minutes. Shootout tournaments will roll out to regulated markets over the next week.
On top of this, the network is introducing a new card dealing mechanism which will speed up the game. Cards are dealt out to all players simultaneously, rather than one after the other, so the action starts faster.
iPoker will also now support a rematch feature for heads-up SNGs. Once a game is complete, players will have the option of inviting their opponent to play again.
Playtech-owned iPoker is the largest network of online poker rooms serving the international dot-com market, and third behind the independent rooms Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars. It also operates regulated networks in France, Italy and Spain, and its software is also used in Serbia and Finland.
Author: Ekaterina
11 . 06 . 2013 y.
Amazing Racer Maria Ho in New Poker Reality TV Show

 Maria Ho, a poker pro and contestant on The Amazing Race 15, is part of a brand new reality show she hopes will finally bring the jet-setting poker lifestyle to a wider TV audience.

Poker players have tried, with varying degrees of success, to bring the poker world to a more mainstream audience but Ho learned a thing or two from her television experience.
“People watch reality television because they care about the characters,” Ho told PokerListings.com.
“But they also want to live vicariously through them and experience a lifestyle that's exciting and compelling.”
And according to Ho, the poker world encompasses all those elements.
“The show's really about the characters and their relationships but it's set in this exciting world where we might be in Monte Carlo one week and the Bahamas the next week,” she said.
“It's about us trying to find a balance between the lifestyle and everything else that's going on in our lives.
“Not everyone can relate to the poker lifestyle stuff, which I think they'll find interesting, but they can definitely relate to the stuff that we're all going through.”
 
Author: Ekaterina
11 . 06 . 2013 y.
First Trailer of Online Poker Film 'Runner, Runner' Released

 Fox has released the first official trailer of the Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake film, ‘Runner, Runner’, which is based on the world of online poker.

In it Affleck, who normally wears the white hat, plays a villainous businessman in charge of an offshore gambling operation. He’s pitted against Timberlake, who at 32 looks a bit long-in-the-tooth to be playing an Ivy League student who loses his tuition money playing online poker.
Feeling cheated, Timberlake’s character, Richie, jets off to Costa Rica to find the poker site’s corrupt boss, eventually becoming Affleck’s right hand man before getting seduced into a world of gambling, women and yachts.
Of course being Affleck’s protégé, whose character is called Ivan Block, comes with the risk of being fed to the crocodiles, and it’s not long before the FBI get involved, determined to take the entire operation down.
Runner, Runner is directed by Brad Furman, best known for "The Lincoln Lawyer". It co-stars Gemma Arterton from Quantum of Solace and Anthony Mackie from The Hurt Locker. It’s due to hit theatres on September 27.
Author: Ekaterina
10 . 06 . 2013 y.
Three More Pros Join Team Ivey

 The ever growing roster that is Team Ivey expanded yet again this week as a trio of professional poker players were announced as new additions to the squad.

2011 EPT San Remo champion, Rupert Elder, along with rising star Cherish Andrews from Pennsylvania and online poker multi-millionaire German Giuseppe Pantaleo were simultaneously introduced as the latest class of Team Ivey patch wearing pros.
Team Ivey boasts what is arguably the largest collection of live and online pros with this latest class topping the count at 36 total, including Phil Ivey himself. It also owns video training site of LeggoPoker following its acquisition in February.
Author: Ekaterina
10 . 06 . 2013 y.
PokerStars Zoom & Boom: What’s the Greatest Hand Ever?

 PokerStars is looking for the greatest hand in the history of the site and players can win free cash for getting involved in the process.

Just go to the PokerStars YouTube page to watch videos of the greatest hands and vote on your favorite until June 10.
The three videos with the most votes will be sent to PokerStars Pros Liv Boeree, Daniel Negreanu and Lex Veldhuis who will decide the best video.
Furthermore players will be able to win bonus cash if they manage to replicate the winning hand in Zoom No-Limit Hold’em between June 24-30, 2013, and post it to the PokerStars BOOM! Hand Replayer.
Players will receive a reward worth 100 big blinds at the stake level they are playing up to $100 dollars. The cash will be credited to individual accounts within 48 hours, once PokerStars has verified it was indeed the correct hand.
Zoom & Boom is apart of PokerStars massive 100 Billion Hands Promotion where a total of $5 million will be awarded across all events.
Author: Ekaterina
07 . 06 . 2013 y.
BetVictor added to blacklist of illegal operators in Belgium

 The Belgian Gambling Commission has added five internet domains to its list of illegal online gambling operators, including Gibraltar-based bookmaker BetVictor.com.

The company is among the highest-profile betting sites banned in Belgium following last year’s blacklisting of bet365 and William Hill.
Only companies with a land-based partner or land-based presence in Belgium are eligible for a licence to operate in the country, which is a policy many companies argue is in violation of EU law.
BetVictor’s chief executive Michael Carlton, whose company is based in Gibraltar, has been a vocal opponent of Belgium’s online gaming regulations, and was one of several executives to sign an open letter to the European Commission (EC) in 2012 asking the regulator to ensure the country complies with EU law.
Gibraltar-based gaming companies are a hot-button issue in Belgium. As news of BetVictor’s blacklisting broke, the EC said that it will not follow up on a complaint from Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella that Gibraltar's gaming companies engage in anti-competitive behaviour by avoiding taxes.
“The Commission is not currently taking any actions in the area of direct taxation specifically targeting online gambling operators established in Gibraltar, nor is the Commission planning to undertake an impact analysis of gambling operations in Gibraltar,” said Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-Fraud, Audit and Statistics.
That hasn’t stopped BetVictor being added to Belgium’s egaming blacklist alongside Casino GrandLuxe, MonaCasino, City Club Casino and RoyaalCasino. The latest additions brings a total of 74 sites on the banned list in Belgium including Betfair and 888. Other sites which do have a licence to operate in Belgium are PokerStars and bwin party.
Author: Ekaterina
07 . 06 . 2013 y.
Macau Casino Revenue Up In May

 It has been a great month for Macau’s casinos, with recent figures revealing casino revenue totalled $3.7 billion in May 2013, a 13.5 per cent increase from May 2012.

The monthly revenue is also the second highest of the year to date, coming second only to casino revenue that was generated in the Chinese administrative region in March. The revenue increase also matched the forecasts of financial analysts, who previously predicted revenues would rise by between 12 and 15 per cent.
The boost in casino revenues coincides with the growth of poker in the enclave. The Macau Poker Cup has become a staple on the Asian poker circuit in recent years, and the last Cup in April was its biggest ever. A total of 891 players took to the felt in this year’s Main Event at the Cup, which was over 200 players more than its previous record of 635 players.
Macau also plays host to the GuangDong Ltd Asia Millions, a prestigious poker event that has a HK$1 million (around US$130,000) buy in. Currently being played, the event is the second largest by prize pool outside of Las Vegas and features poker greats such as Jonathan Duhamel, Gus Hansen, John Juanda and Joseph Cheong. That is a major feat considering the tournament is occurring at the same time as the WSOP in Las Vegas.
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) also has a leg in Macau, which features upwards of ten events and commonly features poker players from all over Asia and the world. Last year’s APPT Macau Main Event had a field of 184 players and the top two players received cash prizes of over US$450,000 each.
Macau also benefits from being the only place in China where its citizens can legally engage in real money gaming. The gaming hub is a magnet for high spending Chinese gamers who often spend upwards of $160,000 at a time at Macau’s casinos. The continuously booming Chinese economy is also helping Macau, with the region becoming a fast growing destination for middle-class Chinese tourists who wish to play at its casinos.
The future of gaming and casinos in Macau looks even stronger as numerous infrastructure developments begin to take shape. A bridge joining Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau is currently in the works and is set to open by 2016, while upgrades to its ferry terminals and international airport are also being planned.
Author: Ekaterina
06 . 06 . 2013 y.
Networks Bet on Poker´s Return to TV

 Do you miss High Stakes Poker and the semi awkward banter between Gabe Kaplan and A.J. Benza? How about Poker Royale and the cringe worthy conversations during "Battle of Sexes"? Well, you are in luck. Big U.S. Networks think that poker will make a comeback on TV soon.

With the first boom of online poker, poker shows on TV basically proliferated but then faded away one by one after the Black Friday. But now since a few states legalized online poker and several others are on the way, U.S. networks are betting that poker will be back on TV in no time. And it will be better for everyone. First more players will be introduced to the game because of legalization of online poker which will eventually bring poker back to TV. Then even more players will be introduced to the game because of poker shows on TV. It is a winning cycle.
"Online poker will introduce a lot of new people to the game and I think that will bring another big wave to television," said Jamie Horowitz, vice president original programming and production for Walt Disney's ESPN which televises the popular World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament, currently taking place in Las Vegas through July 6. ESPN will air 26 segments on WSOP starting on July 23.
But it won´t be the only thing about poker on TV. A 2009 documentary called "All In - The Poker Movie," will air for the first time on TV on CBS´s Showtime next Wednesday. The documentary is about how poker has come to be part of the mainstream culture.
There has been a lot going on lately with Hollywood agents, TV executives, poker and gaming executives meeting to discuss and pitch new poker programs, from reality shows about female tournament players, to shows potentially featuring new online gaming companies.
However not everyone is so optimistic about the comeback of poker on TV. Some think that a resurgence in poker TV needs more than the three states, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, that have passed online gambling laws to kickstart the game on TV again.
Alec Driscoll, director of gaming development for American Casino and Entertainment Properties LLC. said "Although online gambling may only have momentum in three states right now, it could be a great lead-in for programming,"
There are other obstacles as well. Before black Friday, it was big off-shore poker websites such as PokerStars which supported and sponsored the poker shows on TV. They were the main force behind poker on tv as they bought air time for their own shows. However after Black Friday they don´t have the economical power they once had. Their TV budget isn´t probably as big as it once was.
However the forecast is optimistic. There seem to be sunny days ahead. Casinos and Tv Networks both expect the market to grow rapidly in a relatively short period of time. With Nevada already in action since beginning of May and others like New Jersey and Delaware preparing to start online poker in coming months, both casinos are TV networks are expecting another boom in the upcoming years.
Meanwhile lawmakers in Congress are also working on legislation to allow online poker gambling across the United States, giving casinos and TV networks a bigger market.
Larry Gerbrandt, principal of Media Valuation Partners, said the last poker TV boom helped offshore online poker sites to drive viewers to their sites. Gerbrandt said it will take similar investment by fledgling online gaming companies to fuel television, although he believes poker show ratings are rising.
E! Network is working a new reality show called "Queens are Wild" that follows four top female poker players who room together as they travel the world and compete to win millions. One of the top female poker players featured is Taiwanese-born professional poker player Maria Ho, who has accrued more than $1 million in tournament earnings. She already has some on screen experience as she already appeared on Tv shows "The Amazing Race" and "American Idol".
"When I got into poker, I didn't see myself going down the TV path," Ho said. She gave up plans to go to graduate school to play poker. "It's been the ride of my life." She is currently a commentator on the "Heartland Poker Tour" syndicated TV series.
Gary Quinn, vice president, programming, NBC Sports Group, said the unit is in discussions about different poker projects. It airs the "National Heads Up Poker Championship" and brought back "Poker After Dark" in 2012 after withdrawing it a few years earlier.
As pioneers in the industry, Station Casino Inc's Ultimate Gaming is in talks with networks as well. "We are speaking with NBC and Fox and several other networks to see what the appetite is for the category over the next 24 months," said Joe Versaci, Ultimate Gaming's chief marketing officer. They were the the first company to take online bets in the U.S. in Nevada last April 30. However everyone is aware of the fact that it takes more than a couple of states to kickstart the poker madness again.
"What happens in California in late 2014 and 2105 will be key, not only because it's the epicenter of where TV is produced, but because it's like a country itself and can support a large poker market," he said.
I don´t think anyone doubts that California will eventually legalize online gaming. Online gaming is a huge source of tax income. It creates jobs, it creates opportunities and it creates business for everyone. No state can afford to pass on that.
Author: Ekaterina
06 . 06 . 2013 y.
Federal law to legalise online poker on the table in Congress

 The steady march to full legalisation of online poker in the United States took another step, after Rep. Peter King introduced legislation on Thursday that would legalize online gambling.

The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013 would establish a federal regulatory regime for online gaming, and would follow in the footsteps of Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey in giving the green light to online poker.
Online gambling, which included online poker, was famously stamped out in the US in an event known as Black Friday – the day on April 15, 2011, when the Department of Justice (DOJ) shut down and seized the assets of the three biggest companies serving the US poker market — PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker (which also operated Ultimate Bet) — charging them with bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling.
The DOJ claimed that online gambling had been illegal in the US since the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, however, in late 2011, several states challenged the federal governments interpretation of the law.
Since then, some states have begun explicitly bringing online gambling, and online poker in particular, out of the dark, creating a legislative framework to allow their residents to play cash money games online.
King, a New York Congressman, said the new law would give further protection to the states.
“A common federal standard will ensure strong protections for consumers, protect against problem and underage gambling, and make it easier for businesses, players, lawmakers, and regulators to navigate and freely participate,” King said in a statement.
The bill would create the Office of Internet Gambling Oversight in the Treasury Department which would set criteria for state legislatures to license online gambling operators.
The legislation also includes an “opt-out” provision for any state or tribe “that does not wish to participate in the federal interstate system… and prohibit online gambling or to operate intrastate gaming within its borders as authorized under state or tribal law,” according to a statement from King’s office.
Even before Thursday’s bill was introduced to Congress, the tide was turning against those wishing to prohibit online gambling in the US.
In April, UltimatePoker.com became the first US site to offer secure online poker games since Black Friday, and in little over two weeks had already dealt its millionth hand – a remarkable achievement since it is only meant to be available to residents of Nevada.
Other states and other poker sites have followed, with Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton also planning to introduce online poker legislation by the end of next month, according to his spokesman Sean Brown.
However, the passage of the legislation is not assured. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Jon Kyl pursued federal Internet poker regulation last year but ultimately gave up after some state officials and lotteries resisted legislation that they felt could hinder states’ authority over gambling.
Still, lobbyists in the the US gambling community are more hopeful this time.
"We spent the last four years working very, very hard to get in a position to support such legislation if it was introduced," said American Gaming Association CEO Frank Fahrenkopf. "So we're now left in a situation where Kyl, who was very important in the process, has retired, and you've got a multitude of states starting to pass legislation. So we think the urgency is even more important now."
According to The Hill, Reid and Sen. Dean Heller are working together again this year on an online poker bill, while lobbyists are also on the lookout to replace Kyl with another Republican senator from outside of Nevada.
 
Author: Ekaterina
06 . 06 . 2013 y.
Waxman Wins First WSOP Gold Bracelet

 He has made a number of achievements in the poker world in the last few years, and now Matt Waxman can add a WSOP Gold Bracelet to those accolades.

The American took out WSOP’s Event #6, a $1,000 No Limit Hold’Em event, earning his first ever Gold Bracelet and the $305,952 first place cash prize. A field of 1,837 players took to the felt for the three-day event.
Waxman claimed his first final table scalp fairly early on after eliminating Tuu Ho in eighth place when his Pocket Queens held against Ho’s Ace Queen off suit. Waxman then knocked out Robert Dreyfuss in seventh place after his Ace Seven was outkicked by the eventual winner’s Ace Nine. Waxman hit a Nine on the flop for good measure en route to chopping the event down to its last six players.
One-time WSOP Gold Bracelet winner Brent Hanks made it into the final table as he made an attempt to win his second Bracelet of his career. Eric Baldwin was also another one-time Gold Bracelet winner on the final table and he too was hungry for his second.
In a pre flop show down between both players, Hanks’ Pocket Eights were in the lead against Baldwin’s Pocket Threes. Hanks needed this to stick throughout the board if he wanted to stay in the tournament, but it was not to be as Baldwin hit a 3 on the flop, sending Hanks packing in fifth place.
Waxman claimed his third elimination when he knocked Amit Makhija out of the event in fourth place after his Pocket Aces won out against Makhija’s Pocket Queens. Baldwin was not to be outdone, however, as he eliminated Jess Dioquino in third place after his Queen Ten had Dioquino’s Queen Two dominated.
This left Baldwin and Waxman in heads-up play, and neither of them was prepared to relinquish their chips quickly. It took around seven hours of heads up play for the tournament to finally end, with the chip lead constantly switching between the players throughout that time.
Waxman established a strong lead in the later stages of the tourney, however, and it was not long after that he eliminated Baldwin en route to winning the event.
In the last hand of the tournament, Baldwin moved all in pre flop, which was promptly called by Waxman. Baldwin showed Seven Four off suit while Waxman showed Ace Five off suit, giving him the better hand before the board was shown.
Waxman hit top pair on the flop after the Ace of Diamonds, Ten of Hearts and Three of Spades was shown. The Six of Spades on the turn gave Baldwin an inside straight draw for a chance to stay in the tournament, but this did not happen as the Six of Clubs came on the river.
The hand knocked Baldwin out in second place and made Waxman the event’s winner. The cash prize is not Waxman’s biggest; he won around US$721,000 after taking out the 7,500 Euro No Limit tourney at the 2011 WPT Grand Prix de Paris. The Gold Bracelet win, however, is likely to make this win one of the most memorable for Waxman.
Author: Ekaterina
05 . 06 . 2013 y.
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