Big Money Poker Tournaments

FSN to Broadcast Big Poker Tournament from Monaco

2005-11-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Fox Sports, the first network to have broadcast a live poker tournament, will join forces with Full Tilt to broadcast the FullTiltPoker.net Invitational Live from Monaco on Thanksgiving. Fox Sports has also brought other tournaments to television.

There is an long list of poker pros who will be participating in this poker event. Poker icons such as Phil Hellmuth and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson will be playing against other champions like John Juanda and David "DevilFish" Ulliot. Poker viewers will have to hold onto their remotes and wait until the show is broadcast to see who else will be participating.

The total pot of this poker championship will be $1 million, with players putting in $120,000, and Full Tilt a further $160,000. Just in case viewers crave more action during the game, FSN is adding a little spice. Poker players will be given heart monitors to wear during the course of the game, which will indicate whether or not players are calm.

Poker Tourney Pays Big

2005-11-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

KAMLOOPS, Canada - As reported by the Canadian Press: "A Salt Spring Island man has won the largest legal poker prize in Canada at the B.C. poker championships in Richmond, B.C.
"The four-day Texas hold'em event at River Rock Casino went into the early hours of this morning before James Hawkins took the grand prize of $382,000. He said he's been playing poker for a couple of years and this was only his second tournament.
"The championship consisted of three Texas hold'em events over a four-day period..."

Big money winner hired by PokerStars

2005-11-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Joe Hachem, the 2005 World Series of Poker champion, signed an agreement with PokerStars.com, the world's largest tournament poker site. Hachem, who won the record $7.5 million top prize at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas in July, will represent PokerStars.com as a sponsored poker player and ambassador.The signing of Hachem gives PokerStars.com a triple crown. Currently, 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker and 2004 WSOP champion Greg Raymer both serve exclusively as PokerStars.com representatives. The addition of Hachem means that PokerStars.com has locked up the last three poker author, is also a part of Team PokerStars.Joseph Hachem, age 39, was born in Lebanon. He emigrated to Australia as a child, and now lives in Melbourne with his wife and four children. He has played actively at PokerStars.com since 2001. In the past four years, Hachem has entered hundreds of poker tournaments at PokerStars.com and has played many thousands of poker hands.

Poker Radio On Sirius Satellite

2005-11-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

November 1, 2005
A new radio show is hitting the airwaves every Monday night at 9pm EST, dedicated to the world of one the fastest growing games around, poker. The “Joe Average Poker Show," on channel 122 for Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers, launched in June of this year. The marketing director, Mark Siebert, says the show has a basic format and goes beyond just talking with poker players."We don’t just go to the people who play; we try to get real in depth with the people involved in poker," Seibert says. "It’s for anyone who wants to understand the poker world."Last week Roy Cooke was a guest on the show, and in September it was Lou Krieger, both writers for Card Player Magazine. Politicians are getting in on the act as well, such as North Dakota House Representative James Kasper, discussing poker and politics.

Big money poker tournament benefit

2005-10-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2005 - Camp Fire USA, Texoma Council is hosting a "Texas Hold 'Em for Texoma Youth" poker night Nov. 12. The fundraiser will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2027 South Austin Avenue in Denison."This is something new for us as a fundraiser," said Sandra Ashby, Camp Administrator." Poker is very popular and it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. We hope the public will join us for our first annual Texas Hold Em for Texas Youth' poker night. Not only will it be a fun night, but it will benefit the area's children as well. You just can't lose by being a part of this!"All poker proceeds from the $50 buy-in will benefit Camp Fire USA's youth programs such as "Baby Think It Over," club programming and outdoor education for Texoma youth. Participants must be 21 years old.Registration begins at 6 p.m. Games begin at 7 p.m., and prizes are guaranteed to the top three finishers.Refreshments will be served.To register or for more information regarding this poker event call the Camp Fire USA office at (903) 465-2790.

Big Poker Tourney at the Golden Nugget

2005-10-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Cameras Set to Roll on GSN and FOX SPORTS Series in November

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Television's hottest game returns to the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for two made-for-television poker games featuring some of the biggest names in poker.
The two televised events -- HIGH STAKES POKER, produced for GSN, and POKER SUPERSTARS III, produced for Fox Sports Net (FSN) -- mark the return of televised gaming to the legendary downtown resort. Earlier this year, the Golden Nugget was home to the WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK, which aired on GSN, Speed Channel's Mobil High Endurance Charity Poker Challenge and NBC's NATIONAL HEADS-UP POKER CHAMPIONSHIP, which garnered solid ratings.
"The Golden Nugget is the birthplace of poker in Las Vegas," said Dan Shumny, vice president of marketing for the Golden Nugget. "We are pleased to host these popular televised poker games, and to be a part of the poker phenomenon."
HIGH STAKES POKER
GSN, The Network for Games, is launching its new series, HIGH STAKES POKER in January 2006. The series will unite some of the top professional poker players with elite poker-playing business executives in an exciting match of skill and money. Also known as a "cash game," each player will ante up $100,000 of his/her own money. The stakes are high, as a player can lose several thousands of his/her own money, making the series one of the most exciting poker shows ever to air.
Among the poker aces scheduled to appear are Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Jennifer Harmon, Barry Greenstein and Phil Hellmuth, among other high-profile players.
The series will be filmed in its entirety at the Golden Nugget, Nov. 2-4. Tapings will be closed to the public. The Golden Nugget also served as the location for GSN's 2005 series, WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK, a head-to-head match up of professional and amateur blackjack players.
HIGH STAKES POKER will premiere on GSN Monday, January 16, 2006, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

Poker hand worth $100k

2005-10-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

During April, all the qualifying players from the online heats at Noble Poker tables and the players who decide to buy-in directly for $10,000, will meetin Las Vegas and play a NL Texas Hold'em poker tournament.The event will be televised and broadcasted, featuringthe final table action. Directed by Matt Savage , one of the most famous poker tournament directors in the world, the tournament will be a 3-day poker event. The tournament has an estimatedprize pool of $2M and the final table players will have the chance to win the $100Million Grand Jackpot Prize. The poker tournament details : Location : Las Vegas .Date : April 7th -9 thTournament manager : Matt SavageGame : NL Texas Hold'emThe Final table winning hands:1. Spades Royal Flush- $100 Million*2. Any Straight Flush - $750,0003. 4 of a kind Aces - $500,0004. 4 of a kind Kings - $500,0005. 4 of a kind Queens - $250,0006. 4 of a kind Jacks - $250,0007. 4 of a kind 10's - $250,000

Poker Tournaments in Phoenix increasing

2005-10-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

(PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- The World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, Ultimate Poker Challenge, everywhere you turn these days, people are watching and playing poker. The popularity of poker has exploded since unknown at the time player Chris Moneymaker turned a $40 buy-in online into a World Series of Poker Championship, and 2.5 million dollars. In the Phoenix community, poker is huge.

The vast number of people looking for live or online poker tournaments and home games in Phoenix has created an opportunity for local website PhxPoker.com. PhxPoker.com provides an online community where local poker players can come to find organized tournaments and games. PhxPoker.com also provides poker news, and lots of poker-related content for poker enthusiasts.

"We have partnered with several of the top online poker rooms, and are currently sponsoring several poker tournaments for our members," said PhxPoker.com CEO Chad Mattox.

Big money for Bermuda native at poker tournament

2005-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2005

A poker player from Bermuda gave some of the top names in the high stakes poker game a run for their chips when he made it to the final table of the US Poker Championships .

Chris Furbert finished in sixth place in the No Limit Texas Hold'em event held in Atlantic City - winning a whopping $76,387.

He was one of nine poker players to survive from the starting field of 225 who were all playing for a first prize of $831,532.

Lady Luck seemed to be on Mr. Furbert's side as he took seat number three at the final table on October 9 with a starting chip count of 443,000.

But despite some spirited poker play , he was knocked out by the eventual tournament winner, James Caporuscio.

Both Mr. Furbert and the eventual winner went "all in" before the flop while each holding Ace-King.

Mr. Furbert and Mr. Caporuscio looked set to split the pot until the final card, "the river", was turned and Caporuscio hit a flush.

Before heading to the final table, Mr. Furbert told ESPN correspondent Steve Rosenbloom he had won a $225 satellite poker event at the Trump Taj hotel to get into the event.

Mr. Furbert also told ESPN it was the first time in five tries that he had got into a $10,000 buy-in poker event .

Mr. Furbert shared the final table with several well known poker pros including Men "The Master" Nguyen, who finished in the fifth spot, and John Juanda, who finished eighth. The poker tournament will eventually be broadcast on ESPN TV.

Poker Tourney features Kathy Liebert

2005-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

LONDON, UK - (PRESS RELEASE) - Armchair poker champions across the country will get a chance to put their poker chips where their mouths are - literally - by going head-to-head against Kathy Liebert in an online No Limit Texas Hold 'em tournament. Considered one of the best tournament poker players today, Kathy will give players a run for their money as they compete for an all expenses paid trip for two to the 2nd Annual Caribbean Poker Classic in St. Kitts.

Poker players won the opportunity to test their poker skills against Kathy through radio trivia contests held around the country. Additionally, a satellite poker tournament was held on October 17, 2005, where six poker players advanced to play against Kathy. Beginning October 22, trivia contest and satellite tournament winners will play poker online in the first round of "Beat Kathy" Texas Hold 'em. Winners of each first round table will advance to the final poker table and battle for the Grand Prize worth $10,000.

Not only may this poker contest launch an amateur into the world of professional poker, it will give a poker fan the chance to play face-to-face against Kathy Liebert, and well-known poker players such as World Poker Tour Champion Juhah Helppi, 2005 WSOP "Lady's Night" Champion Jennifer Tilly and 2002 WSOP "Main Event" Champion Rob Varkonyi.

Big poker money at charity event

2005-10-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

October 17, 2005

Poker players, celebrity hounds and hard rock music fans will all be delighted if they happen to show up at the Hard Rock Casino on Friday, November 11. Motley Crue front man and reality-TV show veteran Vince Neil will be hosting the "Off the Strip" poker event will feature No limit Texas Hold'em, the game that seems to be slated to be featured in any and all high profile poker events. Of course, concentrating on the poker game might be tough as distractions come from the all star group of dancers from the top Vegas clubs who will be on hand to watch. The T.J. Martell Foundation will be the ultimate source to benefit from the charity poker event, with the proceeds being collected and passed on by the Skylar Neil Foundation, a charity that was named after Neil's daughter, a victim of stomach cancer.

Brecher and Juanda win Big Money

2005-10-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 14, 2005 -- Poker pros Steve Brecher and John Juanda each made a final table appearance at last week's United States Poker Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.Brecher's third-place finish marks the fourth final-table appearance of his career, and his best overall showing in a major poker tournament. His performance earned him a total of $218,250, bringing his total poker winnings for the 2005 season to nearly $280,000. Prior to his United States Poker Championship performance, Brecher's best result came in the 2004 Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic/WPT Championship tournament where he finished sixth and earned $232,862.John Juanda's fifth-place finish at the United States Poker Championship marks his third final-table appearance of the 2005 season, and his second final table in the past two months. Juanda's $98,213 payday brings his yearly poker winnings to more than $586,000."Over the last two years, there are few poker players who have finished in the money at Championship events more than Steve Brecher," said fellow poker pro Howard Lederer. "One of those players is John Juanda, who might just have the best overall poker record in tournament play over the past five years."

Poker Conference Held in Costa Rica

2005-10-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2005

NEW YORK - (PRESS RELEASE) - A poker industry Conference and Exposition will be held the weekend of December 3-4, 2005 in Costa Rica at the Barcelo San Jose Palacio Hotel.The Poker Expo is an event that will cover the poker business, focusing on management, marketing and technology. Poker room and online poker executives will be in attendance.This poker event will also have a poker tournament in the evening for industry executives and professional poker players. The poker tournament will be held at the Herradura Casino, a licensed casino operating in San Jose, Costa Rica. The poker tournament will represent the best of poker strategies, poker tactics and playing skills by poker executives and some of the most seasoned poker players that exist today.

Prepare for this conference with Costa Rica Poker Party!

Costa Rica is a popular place for travel. Poker is the most popular card game in the US. The Costa Rica Poker Party website will give you all the information to plan your poker trip to Costa Rica. Poker games can currently be found in five casinos in the country. Find out about Costa Rica poker rooms, check flight schedules and find the lowest fares from your city to Costa Rica from within our site.

Bravo Launches Online Poker Tourney

2005-10-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2005

(BravoTV.com) - BravoTV.com will launch the "Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament" where consumers can play to win a trip to Las Vegas and the chance to appear on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown."Qualifying rounds of Texas Hold 'Em will be played online daily, potentially advancing hundreds of winners to the final round. On Sunday, November 20, those lucky winners from the qualifying poker rounds will compete in the grand finale game online at BravoTV.com. The last five eligible poker players remaining at the virtual table will win a trip to Las Vegas to battle it out face-to-face and one of them may get the chance to sit at the poker table with celebrities for the taping of the hit series 'Celebrity Poker Showdown'.On Thursday, September 22, Bravo launched its first online poker games on www.bravotv.com. The poker games are currently up and running on the site allowing visitors to compete for fun in live matches of Texas Hold 'Em at Bravo's virtual table. Those wanting to get a feel for the site before joining the poker tournament can play these games 24-hours-a-day.Lauren Zalaznick, President of Bravo said: The 'Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament provides a fun and engaging way for Bravo to develop a deeper connection with its poker viewers through a show and game that they already love.

Online Poker Room Casino Affiliate Program

2005-10-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

The online Poker Room affiliate program gives webmasters the chance to earn a lot of cash by recruiting money players to Poker Room Online Casino. A money player is a term for describing an online casinos player that registers with the online casino and ends up playing with real money. Affiliates are entitled to a percentage of the money that their recruit generates for the online casino.

Affiliates also get to choose the payment method in which they want to get paid. Poker Room affiliate program allows you to choose between a shared revenue program and a CPA deal.

Affiliates who choose to receive their commission based on shared revenue, earn a share of the revenue that the online casino generated as a result of money players recruited by the affiliate.

Affiliates can also opt to receive their commission in the form of a fixed amount of money for each player they brought to the online casino. Members of Poker Room affiliate program are also given the option to increase their profits by combining the two methods.

The next step would be to select the marketing tools you wish to use in order to attract poker players to the online casino. Poker Room affiliate program also gives affiliates the option of creating customized flyers, for informing players of new promos available at the online casino.

Big Money Poker Tournaments and TNT's poker series

2005-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

TSN isn't bluffing with poker series
By ROB BRODIE -- Ottawa Sun

The poker craze, it seems, isn't dying down anytime soon. If anything, it continues to mushroom. Witness the creation of the Degree Poker Championship, the first all-Canadian version of the popular Texas Hold 'em duel. It's a project that's been in the works for a year at TSN, with the first of four shows airing last night.

It's an all-Canadian affair featuring "everyday" people, said Adam Ashton, TSN's VP of marketing. "The thing we asked ourselves was 'How do you create an authentic Canadian poker tournament championship to find our next undiscovered star?' " he said. TSN conducted an on-line registration for the free poker tournament in the spring and received more than 20,000 responses. Out of that group, 2,000 were randomly selected to compete, equally split into regional poker tourneys at casinos in Niagara Falls and Richmond, B.C.

Forty-five players -- five tables of nine -- made the finals, which were taped at Niagara Fallsview Online Casino Resort in June. The first of four parts of the TV presentation aired last night, with the others tonight, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24. The latter episode includes the $100,000 final and a bonus $1 million final hand poker showdown. Ashton said TSN hopes to draw about 170,000 viewers each night. The entire series has been shot in high-definition format.

So what's the appeal of it to viewers? Ashton believes a lot of it has to do with the way TV presents it. "People at home know what's going on," he said. "To see that unfold is the real drama ... it's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster."

It's important to note that for all poker news or gambling related news visit www.thepokerweb.com. As for related news the WPS Christmas in the Caribbean Florida poker cruise is set to sail with Greg Raymer the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion as Celbrity host. So sign up today and don't miss the boat. Poker News and Poker Blogs are making there way throughout the internet faster than lightning in today's Press.

Online gaming and online casinos have made it big in the past but the time is right for those fans of online poker to get in. Visit the Poker Web for great poker bonuses and online poker free rolls.

Aussie Rookie Wins 2005 World Series of Poker

2005-07-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS - Australian Joseph Hachem prevailed in his first World Series of Poker Saturday, winning $7.5 million and snatching the game's greatest crown in the longest final table in the tournament's history.

Only six hands into the two-man showdown at the end, Hachem eliminated Steven Dannenmann of Severn, Md., when he flopped a seven-high straight.

When it was clear Hachem had won, his fans in the room erupted into "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Hachem immediately embraced Dannenmann, wrapped himself in an Australian flag and shouted: "Thank you, America."

Hachem's victory was astonishing because he had been nursing a short stack of chips for 11 1/2 hours through the night, waiting for the right moment and avoiding confrontations that could cost him a chance at the 36th annual no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event title.

"I never gave up," he said.

The 39-year-old gambler from Melbourne moved with his family from his native Lebanon in 1972 and gave up a 13-year chiropractic career three years ago to play poker for a living.

Nearly 14 hours into the final round of seemingly interminable poker, Hachem pounced, bringing the tournament to a decisive end about an hour after sunrise.

The final play unfolded slowly as Dannenmann raised before the flop — three community cards — was turned over. Hachem called and the dealer revealed a six-five-four flop. Hachem checked, Dannenmann bet another $700,000 and then Hachem raised to $1.7 million.

The turn, or fourth card, was an ace and Hachem threw another $2 million into the pot. Dannenmann raised to $5 million and Hachem went "all-in" with more than $30 million, moving into a high-stakes gear that can either save or break a gambler.

Dannenmann called instantly and then Hachem produced a seven and three, giving him a seven-high straight. Dannenmann showed an ace-three, and needed a seven on the river — the last card — to match Hachem's straight. It didn't happen.

Dannenmann said his top priority was to have a good time. He even carried around a small sheet of paper with a list of things he should remember. Two of them were "have fun" and "nothing to lose."

Toward the end of the round, Dannenmann, a 38-year-old accountant and mortgage banker from Severn, Md., said he just wanted to finish the match.

"I got tired," he said. "I was bored of it. I was trying to make moves."

With the bundles of cash, Hachem also won the coveted white gold and diamond bracelet. It's the last time the event will be held at Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel, where cowboy Benny Binion started the World Series in 1970.

Like Chris Moneymaker in 2003 and Greg Raymer last year, Hachem won in his initial World Series, likely changing his life forever.

"A million dollars changes my life, let alone $7.5 million," he said. "It changes everything. I can look after my family, my mum, my kids."

The final group of nine emerged from a field of 5,619 gamblers. They had survived eight days of mind-numbing poker, overcoming unlucky cards and Darth Vaderesque stares at the Rio hotel-casino and Binion's.

When the first cards were dealt Friday, each player was capable of winning if he was willing to make some of the toughest calls of his life.

After Tex Barch was eliminated in a monster three-way pot, Hachem and Dannenmann found themselves heads up. Hachem was in command of $39.9 million and Dannenmann had $16.3 million.

Soon the two would make gambling history when they ended play at 6:44 a.m. — 13 hours and 56 minutes after the final round began. The table was 18 minutes longer than the previous mark, established in 1983.

To get to that point, the pair had to outlast seven other men — none of whom wanted to go quietly.

Everyone who began the day at the table was guaranteed at least $1 million.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, a well-known professional player who came in sixth in 2001 and 87th last year, had been considered a favorite but was the first to go. He had no regrets.

"I played the six best days of poker in my life," Matusow said. "I'm going to bed happy."

Penn law student Brad Kondracki finished eighth and Daniel Bergsdorf, a Swedish truck driver, was seventh. Scott Lazar was sixth, Irishman Andrew Black took fifth and Aaron Kanter wrapped up fourth, followed by Barch.

About 13 hours into the round, officials dumped the first-place prize in thick stacks of hundreds on a table near the players, causing shouts of "Oh, my God!" For the first time in the tournament, the remaining gamblers saw their elusive goal — guarded by security men with shotguns.

When Hachem finally confronted the mountain of cash, he asked: "Is this all mine?"

Yes.

U.S. Poker Players Believe Skill Outweighs Luck

2005-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Playing Conveniently Online Reduces the Pressure

- Survey Reveals That Women Play Poker as Often as Men and Prefer Online Play Over Casinos -

ANTIGUA and LOS ANGELES, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey of U.S. poker players commissioned by The World Poker Exchange, sponsor of the upcoming London Open lifestyle poker tournament in August, reveals preferences regarding playing poker, a game that is reaching new heights in popularity. Seventy-five percent of players engage in a game at least three times a month. Respondents indicated that 39 percent play five times or more a month. A 57 percent majority of online poker players believe that winning is more about skill than luck versus the 74 percent of traditional casino poker players who believe that skill definitely trumps luck.

Where Poker Players Are Gathering For A Game

Given a choice, nearly half of poker players (45 percent) want to play online, and the same amount (45 percent) prefer playing face-to-face with friends. Women are six times more likely to prefer playing online than in a casino (48 percent vs. 8 percent). Overall, more than three out of four players (77 percent) regularly play online each month.

Among players who play games online, nearly six in ten surveyed (59 percent) prefer to play poker online because it is less intimidating than playing in a casino. A full, 75 percent of online poker players also reported enjoying that online is both convenient and comfortable to play at home. Additionally, as a benefit, they can find a game at any time. Sixty-six percent of the respondents stated they prefer playing online because they don't need to worry about maintaining a "poker face", and 48 percent consider playing online a good way to practice for face-to-face games. Forty-three percent like online play because hands are dealt faster than in a casino.

Venus Vs. Mars Poker Playing Habits

Men and women play poker about the same amount of time, with 60 percent of men playing up to four times each month and 62 percent of women playing up to four times per month. Despite playing the same number of times each month, nearly half the women (49 percent) consider themselves a "social player," compared to 28 percent of men. Almost one in five (17 percent) men rate themselves as "serious players" versus only 7 percent of women players. When it comes to playing poker in a casino, 73 percent of men reported that they are comfortable playing poker in this environment, while only 52 percent of women would be at ease doing so.

Women Are In the Game; Some Are Placing Bets

The old prejudices that playing poker is "unladylike" and that poker is a man's game have disappeared. Half of men surveyed (49 percent) say it is sexy when women play poker. Eighty percent of the female respondents stated that gender is of no consequence in poker. Women are playing as often as men, but they are more interested in the social and fun aspects of the game than men (82 percent of women versus 65% of men). Thirty five percent of the men reported they like to play for money, versus just 18 percent of women who like to wager money when playing poker.

Wagering for Fun, Thrills and to Win

More than half of all players surveyed (53 percent) say they make bets for fun, even if it means "losing a small amount." A strong majority (69 percent) wagers enough to "win a little money occasionally." Only six percent wager enough to supplement their incomes and 2 percent "play full-time as an occupation." Win or lose, four in 10 players say they love the thrill of betting on poker games.

Celebrity Fantasy Game Player Preferences

From a list of celebrities, George Clooney was the most desired fantasy poker player, with more than one in five respondents (21 percent) saying they would most like to play with him. Other popular celebrities that people want to play poker with included Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth and Mimi Rogers. Women were 20 percent more likely to want to play with George Clooney (33 percent among women to 13 percent among men), and men were five times more likely than women to choose Jennifer Lopez as a playing partner (24 percent among men to 5 percent among women).

About the Survey

World Poker Exchange commissioned KRC Research to conduct a Poker Player Habits and Attitudes survey in June, 2005 encompassing 301 online interviews of poker players age 18 and up. The margin of error is estimated at +/- 5.7% at the 95% confidence level. KRC Research is a full-service opinion and marketing research division unit of Interpublic, with offices in Washington, DC, Boston, New York and London.

Poker Show Searching For Players

2005-07-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

(PRWEB) - The producers of the Small Town Poker Tour announced today the venues for season one. The following states will be in the first tour, Vermont, Maine, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi Texas, California and Washington. Executive Producer Mark Fracalossi stated, "Anyone with a valid state driver"s license or ID may play".

The Tour will pick the towns in each state by the nominations received by the players. "Get online visit www.smalltownpokertour.com , tells us why we should come to your town", Fracalossi stated. "We are looking for the Small Towns who have interest in hosting us, and local charities that could benefit from us", he added.

The producers plan to visit possible sites the next few weeks.
The Small Town Poker Tour will donate 100 percent of the money raised to charity. "We want the money to stay local", Fracalossi said.

The tour is set to travel the USA in search of the best amateur poker player, along the way featuring a unique blend of characters that make for some very exciting action.

Billy Frank, Creative Director/Executive Producer of Make It Happen Productions, is in charge of the productions."Make it Happen Productions has the staff, experience and creativity to bring this show to reality," states Fracalossi

The winner of each states tournament will then move on to the season final for cash and prizes.

Goof sends Man to the 2005 World Series of Poker

2005-07-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

KILLEEN, Texas - A computer goof has Robert Guinther headed for a seat at the World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas later this week.

Guinther, 65, entered what he thought was a $10 online poker tournament, but midway through he realized that he had accidentally clicked on a World Series of Poker satellite tournament with a $100 entry fee and it was too late to back out. He went on to win, defeating 180 other competitors and earning a spot in the WSOP $10,000 no-limit championship.

The tournament, which begins Thursday, will involve more than 6,600 players who either qualified by winning a satellite tournament or paid the $10,000 entry fee.

"This is the dream of a lifetime," Guinther said. "I watch these guys on television all the time, and I'm excited about the chance to sit down and play with them."

Guinther's son, Rik, kept tabs on his father's progress from his home computer in San Antonio and had to explain just what the victory meant.

"When I won, I let out a big Yes!" Guinther said. "I just thought I had won $11,000, but then my son told me over the phone, 'Dad, you've just won a seat in the World Series of Poker!' I screamed so loud, you wouldn't believe it."

Guinther, who settled in Killeen after retiring as an Army sergeant first class in 1985, says he's a little nervous about the next step but knows he'll be fine once play begins.

Online Series of Poker Begins

2005-07-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Online Series of Poker (OSOP) is underway. This is the first time in the history of online gaming that a tournament has been held across multiple online poker rooms. Poker players worldwide now have the opportunity to win a share of $100,000 in free prize money by qualifying through online tournaments at participating internet poker rooms.

So far, Greg Langford of Canada and Todd Ivanhoe of the USA have won their respective tournaments at Party Poker and William Hill of the USA and James Campbell of the USA have won their respective poker tournaments at Ultimate Bet. They will soon be joined by six other tournament winners at the Championship Event in October.

The three other poker rooms, Absolute Poker, PokerRoom and Golden Palace Poker, will each host two tournaments in the coming weeks. One will require a $100 buy-in plus a $9 fee, while the other will have a $250 buy-in and $20 fee.

Also, each poker room is running daily satellites offering entry into an OSOP Main Event. You can earn a seat in an OSOP tournament for as little as $10 via these satellites.

The winner of each tournament will be awarded, in addition to the prize money from the tournament itself, a seat at the Online Series of Poker $100,000 Championship, to be held on October 8, 2005, at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. The prize package will also include roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the world, airport transfers, accommodations at the Trump Taj Mahal hotel, and meal vouchers. The winner of the Championship will take home $30,000, but even tenth place receives $5,000, so everybody will enjoy a healthy payday.

Additionally, all players who register at the OSOP website will be eligible for the OSOP Leader Board, sponsored by online payment solutions provider Citadel Commerce. The top six money leaders across all ten events will receive cash prizes, ranging from $3,000 to $500.

Actress Jennifer Tilly Wins Poker Event

2005-06-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Actress Jennifer Tilly is no poker pretender. Tilly won the Ladies no-limit Texas Hold 'Em event at the World Series of Poker, marking the first time a celebrity has won a bracelet at the famous tournament.

Tilly's skillful and self-admitted lucky play earned her $158,625. She beat 600 players to capture first place in the grueling two-day event that featured some of the top female pros in the world. The buy-in was $1,000.

"I think she showed an incredible amount of talent," WSOP media director Nolan Dalla said. "She had an enormous chip lead and never looked back. It was almost as though her victory was never in question."

Tilly, 46, said she's learned plenty of pointers from her boyfriend, poker player Phil "Unabomber" Laak.

"When you're living with Phil, you kinda learn by osmosis," Tilly told CardPlayer.com. "Even in the middle of the night, he wakes up screaming out poker terms. Most guys scream out other girls' names. He'll wake up and go, `I should have bet more on the turn.'"

Tilly, an Oscar nominee for her role in the 1994 film, "Bullets Over Broadway," is the first woman in this year's WSOP to win a bracelet.

The WSOP is being held at the Rio hotel-casino

PokerStars.com Players Shatter Record

2005-06-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

More than 1,000 Qualify for World Series of Poker 2005 (WSOP) Championship
Online Poker Tournament Site is Training Ground for Best Players
The 2003 AND 2004 WSOP Champions playedt at PokerStars.com

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2005-- PokerStars.com, home of the last two World Series of Poker (WSOP) champions, announced today that the online poker site's satellite tournaments have qualified over 1,000 players to participate in the WSOP Championships beginning July 7 in Las Vegas. The WSOP Main Event Championship is the world's largest poker event, generating the largest purse and attracting more than 6,000 players. This year's top players will share a prize pool expected to be in excess of $60 million.

PokerStars.com gained worldwide attention in 2003 as the site that launched the meteoric rise of Chris Moneymaker, now one of the best known poker players in the world. An unknown player, participating in his first land-based tournament, Moneymaker became the first online qualifier to win the prestigious WSOP Championship bracelet, earning a then-record $2.5 million first place prize. Moneymaker was one of 33 players to qualify for the WSOP on PokerStars.com in 2003, a record at that time.

Moneymaker qualified to play in the WSOP Main Event by winning a $39 satellite tournament on PokerStars.com. He went on to defeat the 839 player field to capture the 2003 WSOP Championship.

PokerStars.com then qualified 316 players for the 2004 WSOP championship event, which had grown by more than 200 percent in terms of players. Lightning struck once again - Greg Raymer, a PokerStars.com player who had won his WSOP entry in a $160 PokerStars.com satellite tournament, defeated 2,575 players for first place in the 2004 WSOP Championships in Las Vegas, taking home the winner's bracelet and a record $5 million.

And that was not all. Four of the nine final table players, including runner-up David Williams, qualified on PokerStars.com. In all, the 2004 WSOP paid out more than $11 million in prize money to PokerStars.com players.

Raymer attributes the huge numbers of WSOP qualifiers on the site to the variety and frequency of tournaments and the high quality of support that PokerStars players receive.

"The World Series of Poker is the biggest and most prestigious tournament in poker, and it's the one everyone wants to play," Raymer said. "PokerStars players can win the poker dream of a lifetime for as little as $3 - in fact, PokerStars has two players this year who won $10,000 WSOP entries, cash and hotel stays for an investment of $6. And when players have questions or need help, PokerStars is there for them. You can call around the clock, and get speedy, correct information."

This year, PokerStars.com is giving away more than $2 million in WSOP entry packages, to 125 players via the site's innovative Frequent Player Point system (a system similar to airline frequent flyer points in which players can use their points as a substitute for real money to enter preliminary WSOP events.) An additional 900 players have qualified via the site's satellite tournament system. The number of players who have won 2005 WSOP entries on PokerStars.com exceeds the total number of players who played in the WSOP in 2003

Hollywood Poker's WSOP Celebrity Shootout Tournament Announces Winners

2005-06-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Bob Goen and Emir Benjamin Andersen Win World Series of Poker Packages

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- (PRNewswire) -- Playing in one of the largest online celebrity poker tournaments ever, with 33 confirmed celebrity players, Bob Goen went all in to take the top celebrity prize in Hollywood Poker's World Series of Poker (WSOP) Celebrity Shootout Tournament.

Goen received a World Series of Poker package valued at over $15,000. The event held on June 18, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. PDT was accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators.

Commenting on winning the tournament, Goen said, "I can't believe this. Me ... playing for the bracelet? I've never been good at accessorizing, but I'll try and make Hollywood Poker proud."

Emir Benjamin Andersen from Denmark was the tournament winner winning first place money out of the more than $13,000 prize pool and a World Series of Poker Package, which includes the $10,000 tournament buy-in, 7-night hotel accommodations and airfare to Las Vegas.

Other celebrities that played in the tournament, in order of how they placed following Bob Goen, included Nicholas Gonzalez, Jon Landau, Seth Meyers, Anthony Denison, Krista Allen, Dick Van Patten, Noah Emmerich, Joshua Morrow, Yancey Arias, Michael Kane, Chris Lawford, Bill Smitrovich, Jeremy London, Erik Palladino, Jimmy Van Patten, Tony Griffin, Michael Woods, Eddie Cibrian, Willie Garson, Josh Malina, Michael Ian Black, Stephen Collins, Jonathan Baker, Michael Kelly, Tom Everett Scott, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dule Hill, James Woods, Michael DeLorenzo, Tim Busfield, Kelli Williams and Vince Van Patten. Each participating celebrity had $100 bounties placed on them for anyone who knocked them out of the tournament.

World Series of Poker Pool Expected to Reach $100 Million

2005-06-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Organizers of the World Series of Poker, the richest sporting event on the planet, today predicted the total prize pool at this year's tournament will reach $100 million, more than doubling the record the event set just a year ago.

With a total of 45 events, the 36th annual World Series of Poker is the longest, largest and most prestigious event of its kind. Its unprecedented growth necessitated its move this year from its longtime home in downtown Las Vegas to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino just off the Strip, where the tournament is hosted in a 60,000-square-foot gaming area equipped with 200 poker tables.

"With each new event we host, we're breaking another record," said Gary Thompson, director of operations and communications for the World Series of Poker. "We have brought in 450 of the world's best poker dealers to accommodate the enormous crowds flooding in from around the globe looking for both tournament and live-game action. Those players are contributing to a prize pool that will dwarf such events as the Indy 500, the Kentucky Derby and the Masters."

The record prize pool is being driven by the unprecedented number of players paying entry fees to World Series of Poker events. In 2003, the World Series of Poker generated a total of 7,572 player registrations and a total prize pool of nearly $22 million. In 2004, the total number of player registrations nearly doubled, reaching 14,054 -- and the total prize pool soared to nearly $45 million.

Through only the first 19 events, total registrations at the 36th annual World Series of Poker have exceeded 13,500 and the total prize money has risen beyond the $23.5 million mark. With many of the most popular events still to come, organizers believe total prize money will reach $100 million by the time the tournament's main event begins July 7.

"I've been playing tournament poker for a long time, but I've never seen anything like this," said Robert Williamson III, who has made multiple World Series of Poker final tables in the last five years and has won a gold bracelet in Pot-Limit Omaha. "I've always been bullish on poker -- it's the greatest game I've ever played -- but there's no way I would have guessed we'd hit $100 million this year. No way."

The World Series of Poker is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET), which purchased the tournament early last year. All but the final two days of the 36th annual World Series of Poker will be played at Harrah's Rio casino. The tournament's final days will be played at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas, which hosted the World Series of Poker for its first 35 years.

Poker Great Brenes to Enter World Series of Poker

2005-06-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Humberto Brenes, the godfather of Costa Rican poker, member of the "Costa Rica Connection" and one of professional poker's most beloved players is taking on the world's best in The World Series of Poker (WSOP), the largest poker tournament in the world. es.sportsbook.com, the Spanish edition of the largest sportsbook on the planet is currently offering odds on Brenes and all of the top professional and celebrity players in the tournament.

Brenes sits currently at 1250-1 odds, with favorites Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey both at 300-1. Hollywood stars such as Ben Affleck (2500-1) and Ed Norton (7500-1), both very accomplished players on the celebrity tour, are considered long shots for the title according to es.sportsbook.com fans.

Brenes learned how to play poker from his father at age 7 and began playing poker tournaments a decade ago after a successful career playing baccarat and craps tournaments throughout the Bahamas. Brenes, who maintains homes in Costa Rica and Miami Lakes, Florida, runs a number of successful businesses in Costa Rica including a construction company. Brenes has won two world poker championships.

The WSOP Championship Event takes place July 7 to 15 at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Seidel Wins Entry Into 2005 World Series of Poker

2005-06-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Erik Seidel bested a field of 1,402 of poker's best to take the top prize in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the World Series of Poker of 2005. Seidel took home $611,795 the lion's share of the $2,581,520 prize pool, and a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet for his victory in the ninth event of poker's biggest series of tournaments.

Seidel, a former Wall Street trader turned poker professional, took home his seventh World Series of Poker bracelet, making him fifth on the all-time list of bracelet winners. Seidel joins elite company as only Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, and Johnny Moss have more WSOP titles. Seidel's modest and quiet demeanor separates him from many poker professionals, and he is known as one of the nicest guys in poker. Full Tilt Poker's players have secured five top-3 finishes so far this year, and Seidel's performance marks the second victory for a Full Tilt Poker representative - a remarkable accomplishment considering all 10 events have broken the previous record for number of participants.

"Erik has always been unfairly remembered for his spectacular second place finishes in the past," said fellow Team Full Tilt member Howard Lederer. "Now that Erik has a televised win under his belt, maybe he will start to be remembered for his many victories."

Seidel represents one of the fastest growing online poker sites, www.fulltiltpoker.com, and spends several hours a week online helping amateur players learn the game by sharing his poker knowledge through real-time chats at the virtual tables. Along with Seidel, 26 other top poker professionals play exclusively at www.fulltiltpoker.com, where they have helped to create the best possible atmosphere for players who want to improve their games.

"Team Full Tilt" is a select group of the world's finest professional poker players, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon (Co-host, Celebrity Poker Showdown), Clonie Gowen, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman and others. Full Tilt Poker offers players the unique opportunity to play, chat, and learn with the best in the game. With Seidels's victory, the 27 professional players who play at www.fulltiltpoker.com now have a total of 37 World Series of Poker bracelets, and are looking to add several more to their collection in the remaining 39 events over the next four weeks.

Full Tilt Poker's Allen Cunningham Beats Record Field to Claim 3rd World Series of Poker Title

2005-06-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Full Tilt Poker's Allen Cunningham Beats Record Field to Claim Third World Series of Poker Title

28-year old Allen Cunningham, representative for online poker site fulltiltpoker.com, beat 2,304 tournament players to win $725,405 in the first open World Series of Poker event of 2005.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) -- Allen Cunningham bested a record field of 2,304 of poker's toughest players to take the top prize in the first open event at the World Series of Poker of 2005. Cunningham took home $725,405, the lion's share of the record breaking $3,457,000 prize pool, and a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet for his victory in the $1,500 No Limit Hold 'em tournament.

Cunningham, a 28-year old poker professional who represents online poker site www.fulltiltpoker.com, thrilled the crowd with one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of poker. Deep in the tournament, Cunningham was down to 1,200 chips (the average player held 25,000 chips), with the blinds at 300 and 600 chips. Despite barely having enough chips to survive the blinds, Cunningham refused to give up, and mounted a comeback that would end with a World Series of Poker bracelet around his wrist.

Cunningham represents one of the fastest growing online poker sites, www.fulltiltpoker.com, and spends several hours a week online helping amateur players learn the game by sharing his poker knowledge through real-time chats at the virtual tables. Along with Cunningham, 26 other top poker professionals play exclusively at www.fulltiltpoker.com, where they have helped to create the best possible atmosphere for players who want to improve their games.

"Team Full Tilt" is a select group of the world's finest professional poker players, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon (Co-host, Celebrity Poker Showdown), Clonie Gowen, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman and others. Full Tilt Poker offers players the unique opportunity to play, chat, and learn with the best in the game. With Cunningham's victory, the 27 professional players who play at www.fulltiltpoker.com now have a total of 36 World Series of Poker bracelets, and are looking to add several more to their collection in the remaining 39 events over the next 5 weeks.

"In this era where WSOP bracelets are becoming harder and harder to win, I congratulate Allen Cunningham on winning his third WSOP title in his twenties. I know there will be many more to come," said fellow Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer.

World's First Multi-Room Online Poker Tournament Announced

2005-06-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Online Series of Poker has been announced, giving online poker players the opportunity to win a share of $100,000 in prize money by qualifying through online poker tournaments.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) -- The Online Series of Poker (OSOP) has just been announced, presenting online poker players worldwide the unprecedented opportunity to win a share of $100,000 in prize money by qualifying through online poker tournaments at participating online poker rooms. This is the first time in the history of online gaming that a tournament has been held across multiple online poker rooms.

The online poker rooms, Party Poker, Ultimate Bet, PokerRoom, Absolute Poker, and Golden Palace Poker, will each host two tournaments, starting with Party Poker in early June. Anyone eligible to play at the online poker rooms can participate in as many of the ten tournaments as they wish. Five of the tournaments will require a $100 buy-in plus a $9 fee, while the other five will have a $250 buy-in and $20 fee.

The winner of each online poker tournament will be awarded, in addition to the prize money from the tournament itself, a seat at the OSOP $100,000 Championship, to be held on Oct. 8, 2005, at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The prize package will also include roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the world, airport transfers, accommodations at the Trump Taj Mahal hotel, and meal vouchers. The winner of the Championship will take home $30,000, but even tenth place receives $5,000, so everybody will enjoy a healthy payday.

Additionally, all players who register at the OSOP Web site (www.onlineseriesofpoker.com) will be eligible for the OSOP Leader Board, sponsored by Citadel Commerce, which will track the results of each qualifying tournament. The top six money leaders across all ten events will receive cash prizes, ranging from $3,000 to $500.

For additional information about the online poker tournament and the OSOP, contact Jay Lakin or visit the OSOP official Web site at www.onlineseriesofpoker.com.

World Poker Tour Kicks off Sizzling Season IV

2005-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

WPT Expected to Continue Creating Poker Millionaires in Season IV

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2005--Keeping the momentum in high gear, the WORLD POKER TOUR(TM) (WPT) launched its sensational Season IV at The Mirage with another record-setting tournament. More than 317 players turned out for the $3,074,900 event, which will boast a first prize of $1,128,278.
Drawing an international field of leading poker luminaries along with talented newcomers, The Mirage Poker Showdown, follows on the heels of the WPT World Championship in April at Bellagio. The event capped the WPT's blockbuster $70 million third season. The WPT has awarded more than $100 million cumulatively through its first three years.

The prize purse and attendance numbers for The Mirage Poker Showdown continue the WPT's tradition of breaking records at each stop on its global tour of thrilling high stakes poker tournaments, filmed for airing on The Travel Channel. The Mirage event is the first of 16 on the 2005-06 calendar which visits exotic locales such as Paris, Aruba and the Bahamas.

Given that "Anyone can play; Anyone can win" on the World Poker Tour, it is expected that Season IV's champions will be a mix of famous names and new faces. Among the popular players who have topped the win column are the venerable Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren, Gus Hansen, Phil Laak, Michael Mizrachi, Antonio Esfandiari, David Ulliott, Barry Greenstein, Howard Lederer and Layne Flack. To date, the WPT has created 24 new poker millionaires, with many more likely to join the ranks during Season IV.

"The launch of our fourth season is especially gratifying," said Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: WPTE - News). "We've clearly outlived the skeptics who said that the WPT was just a fad. The game continues to grow in popularity both at the professional and home game level, thanks to our success. As a professional sports league, we are maturing and expanding, providing great entertainment for our fans and a steadily increasing amount of prize money for our players. In Season IV, we look forward to a year of new horizons, robust growth and plenty of exciting surprises at the poker table."

The WPT is the league that launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel Channel on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing poker as a major international sport. The WPT is the only major sports league whose goal is to make everyone a better player while also setting the gold standard in entertainment. Viewers and aspiring tour players can log on to www.worldpokertour.com for ways to improve their game. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in 67 countries worldwide. WORLD POKER TOUR® airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel.

All WPT tournaments (with the exception of the pro/celebrity WPT Invitational) are open to pros and amateurs alike who ante up each tournament's buy-in or play in satellite tournaments for a chance to win an entry. Players can sign up for satellites offered by the casinos and online poker rooms that host WPT tournaments. Anyone age 21 or older wishing to play in WPT tournaments should contact the participating casino to obtain information on the buy-in fee and registration deadlines. Satellite information can be found at www.worldpokertour.com.

David Williams Wins Poker Royale Tournament

2005-05-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

CALIFORNIA -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- David Williams proved he was the best poker player of his generation today, winning a special invitational No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament that was televised by GSN, the Network for Games.

The 24-year-old Williams faced off against five other top young rising stars under the age of 30 in the network's first-ever poker special Poker Royale: Young Bloods which aired Friday, May 20 from 9-11:30 PM ET/PT.

Joining Williams in the tournament were fellow competitors: Michael Sandberg (22-year-old Princeton student who has won over $120K since Sept. '04), Scott Fischman (Youngest player to win two back-to back WSOP bracelets), Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi (First place winner at the 2005 LA Poker Classic), Erica Schoenberg (World Series of Blackjack semi-finalist) and Erin Ness (Second highest female finisher in 2004's World Series of Poker).

Williams triumphed after heads-up action against Ness that lasted over 90-minutes. The lead changed several times between Williams and Ness before the game was decided in a hand when Williams pulled two pairs (Queens and Nines.)

A Dallas native, Williams' aggressive playing style has enabled him to finish in the money in such major tournaments as the 2004 World Series of Poker Champ (second place); 2004 Borgata Poker Open (second place); 2004 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic (first place) and now Poker Royale: Young Bloods champion.

The young poker millionaire, Williams, said about his win, "It feels great to take down the best of my peer group. I am ecstatic to have won this tournament on GSN. The money will go back to the tables."

Ness, a relative newcomer to poker hit it big when her employer, Maxim Magazine, sent her to participate in the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament. The 26-year-old Ness finished as the second highest female at that tournament and since then has found poker fame.

On her efforts today, Ness said: "I was really pleased with my play today. I held my own throughout the tournament and have gained new confidence in my play as I get ready for the 2005 World Series of Poker."

As the tournament's first place winner, Williams earned $20,000 for the top prize and fellow competitor Ness received $10,000 for her second place finish. The rest of the players received $5,000 for their efforts.

Adam Dujmovic Beats "Fossilman" Raymer to Win The British Poker Open

2005-05-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Dujmovic won almost £100,000 in the inaugural British Poker Open Final

London, England -- (PRWEB) -- Adam Dujmovic, the Chicago based semi-professional poker player, won almost £100,000 in the inaugural British Poker Final, knocking out current World Poker Champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer.

Broadcast live on The Poker Channel, Dujmovic battled it out for over 6 hours of top quality poker before revealing a winning hand and knocking out runner up Hakon Waerstad from Sweden. The four other finalists were Matt Born (UK), Andreas Harnemo (Norway), Robert Hill (USA) and Raymer (USA).

Dujmovic commented after the win, “It is absolutely thrilling to win the BPO in what is the biggest win to date in my career. The first thing I want to do is take my little girl to Disneyland.”

Dujmovic qualified for the BPO through the Internet and went on to win the Pokerheaven.com sponsored heat on 12 April. He then went on to qualify in the semi-finals before going on to win the BPO Final on Monday night.

The Poker Channel, the world’s first TV channel dedicated to poker, was launched in March 2005 and is the first channel in the UK to televise the biggest ever live poker tournament.

The British Poker Open is the first major international live tournament televised by the channel and following the success of the BPO, other formats have been planned for 2005 including PokerStars World Cup of Poker starting on May 30th.

With a total prize pot of £216,000, the BPO attracted the world’s biggest names in poker including David “Devilfish” Ulliot, Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. But with the ability to now qualify for tournaments through the Internet, the BPO also attracted first-time players.

Matt Born, a London based journalist, qualified through the Internet and went on to win his heat, a place in the Semi-finals and the Finals before being knocked out on Monday night.

Crispin Nieboer, CEO and Founder of The Poker Channel commented, “The Poker Channel continues to push the boundaries of televised poker entertainment. With over 40 hours of live poker action, with every hand analysed on the fly, through state of the art graphics software, this was the biggest live poker tournament of all time. No wonder it attracted more big US names than other UK televised tournament. We look forward to bringing our audience more great poker in forthcoming months with the World Cup of Poker, WSOP coverage, WPT coverage and other great events.”

Bluff Poker Tour: First International Online Poker Tour

2005-05-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA, GA -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Bluff Magazine has announced the Bluff Poker Tour (BPT); the world's first international virtual poker tour. Participants of the Bluff Poker Tour compete weekly at participating online poker rooms for cash, prizes and seats at World Poker Tour events.

"More people play poker online then they do in Las Vegas and California combined," said Jeff Markley, VP of Online Operations for Bluff Media. "With the Bluff Poker Tour, we've tapped into the venues that they play at most and arranged a unique mix of virtual poker combined with the tangible anchor of America's favorite poker magazine."

The Bluff Poker Tour's weekly online poker tournaments are all No Limit Hold'em events and allow players to be ranked online as they are in terrestrial poker. The Bluff Poker Tour also allows players a chance to compete with heavyweight poker muscle like tour host, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who will be playing in each of the upcoming BPT tournaments. Players who go head to head with Mizrachi have a chance to win an additional bounty should they be lucky or skillful to felt "The Grinder".

Top players at the end of the season will qualify for the BPT Championship Tournament. The BPT Champion will receive buy-in to three World Poker Tour tournaments.

"It is our goal to offer the poker enthusiast the type of excitement normally reserved for those fortunate enough to quit work and join the tour," said Jeff. "By making the BPT an online tournament, we've made professional quality tournament poker available to everyone.

BPT players will challenge poker superstars like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson. And by placing the winner of our online tour into three World Poker Tour events, we will give them the opportunity to live the life of a poker pro without having to give up the lives they have."

ValueSoft Releases Chris Moneymaker's World Poker Championship

2005-05-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Latest Release is Sequel to ValuSoft's Top Selling World Poker Championship Game

MINNEAPOLIS,Minn. -- (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- ValuSoft, a division of THQ Inc.), and a leading global publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and productivity software, today announced the release of Chris Moneymaker's World Poker Championship(TM). This high stakes PC poker game will be available at retailers throughout North America for $19.99 SRP.

"The passion for poker is sweeping the nation, and ValuSoft has been a leading publisher of poker on the PC with our top-selling World Poker Championship* game," said Scott Zerby, Vice President of ValuSoft. "Our newest poker game not only offers players a realistic, challenging game of poker, but now World Series of Poker(TM) champion Chris Moneymaker shares his personal poker tips and strategies for all skill levels, from novice to advanced."

Become a poker champ, one hand at time, with Chris Moneymaker's World Poker Championship(TM). Players can learn to play like a pro in with 'No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw, and Omaha Hold 'Em.

Ten different exciting and exotic international casinos serve as the background, as players challenge their poker skills against real opponents via online games. Players win their way through the ranks against 20 tough computer opponents featuring advanced game Al. Then when it's time for the final round, players go head-to-head against the world champion to test their skills.

"Poker playing is fast, fun, and furious in my World Poker Championship(TM) PC game," said poker champion Chris Moneymaker. "In addition to playing a variety of poker games, players get an up close look at how to become a champ. This game is designed for all skill levels, whether players are just learning to shuffle the deck, or ready to sharpen their skills and go for the title of 'champion'."

Briton plans to retire after shock $1.7m win in Vegas

2005-05-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2005

By Ian Herbert

After 25 years running a company that makes drying equipment for the pharmaceutical industry, Paul Maxfield reckoned he had earned two weeks of fun on the Las Vegas poker tables. But returning home with the largest sum ever netted by any Briton in a poker game in the United States had not formed part of his calculations.

Mr Maxfield was back in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, yesterday $1.7m (£900,000) richer, after clinching the second place spot in the week-long World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship.

So meagre were his expectations of success that he had to cancel return flights home twice, as his participation in the competition was prolonged.

Mr Maxfield, 48, who employs 25 people at the company he established in 1980 with his brother-in-law, Steve Elliot, has always had an eye for the gaming tables.

He started out at age 17 playing for pennies and graduated to a local casino where winnings were £100 tops. Amid the daily grind of producing flatbed dryers and granulation suites, internet competitions have yielded the odd big win. And there have been a couple of good events; among them, a £60,000 payout in the European Poker Tour in Paris last year.

Mr Maxfield, who has two children and is divorced, paid out £1,000 for the cachet of playing in the all-night qualifying competition for the WPT event and surprised himself by earning the right to compete with 450 others in the competition itself.

A place in the last 100 (guaranteed winnings £30,000) was certainly not expected and prompted the second cancelled flight.

As Mr Elliot looked on, Mr Maxfield found the opposition whittled down to five, and eventually one - the talented Vietnamese-American player Tuan Le, with whom he contested a dramatic eight-hour final.

"It was like the Ryder Cup," said Mr Maxfield, as he described the final, at the luxurious Bellagio Hotel, which was watched by a huge television audience in the US. "All the audience [was] shouting for the American and there were only about eight English people shouting for me."

Mr Maxfield's success adds to the reputation in the US of British poker players, whose audiences in the UK have been limited to competitions screened by Channel 4 and Sky Sports.

Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, a former stand-up comic, bricklayer and lorry driver from Hull, has had an extraordinary five-year record on the US poker tables and was watched by 1.7 million British insomniacs when he won a competition on Channel 4 in 1999. But his biggest purse, $589,000, for seeing off a field of 160 players in the Jack Binion World Poker Open at Tunica, Mississippi, last year, pales in comparison with Mr Maxfield's haul.

Mr Maxfield has decided that his winnings will buy a "Mercedes, not a Ferrari" and said that he is looking forward to leaving the pharmaceutical industry. "I'm going to pay off my mortgage and retire - which isn't bad for 48," he said.

Poker Tournaments and Fund Raisers

2005-05-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Posted on Mon
May. 02, 2005

I knew when to fold 'em, but unfortunately not when to texas hold 'em, Friday when I played in the second annual Celebrity Poker Challenge at the President Casino on the Admiral.

The St. Louis riverfront casino held the tournament to benefit charity and generate some good buzz for poker, the hot game of the moment, and it's Saint Louie's Poker Room.

The poker tournament was a chance to win $2,000 or smaller second- and third-place prizes to donate to the charity of your choice. Even if you didn't win a poker news hand, which I didn't, your charity got $100.

There were 20 of us, including some people who actually are celebrities such as Rich Gould, Channel 11 sports director, the venerable Jay Randolph, Ron Jacober, radio personalities Guy Phillips and John Carney, former St. Louis Blues player Tony Twist and TV anchor Donna Savarese.

I figure it was Savarese sitting next to me who most likely distracted me and threw me off my game. Ed Goodman of KEZK-FM radio won. Gould finished second and Twist was third.
Chris Strobbe, vice president and manager of the President, said the casino has always tried to be a good corporate citizen and to be involved with area charities.

"We don't forget the metro-east," he said. "In fact 60 percent of employees from the metro-east." It never hurts to have a few celebrities around to publicize poker, either. Not that poker needs that much of a boost. Strobbe said the popularity of poker has skyrocketed in the past couple of years mostly due to national poker tournaments and television exposure.

"It has brought in a new type of customer for us," he said. "Everyone is playing poker. It really has enhanced all our table games play. "When the poker tables are full, they go to other games."
He said casino poker in St. Louis started out with the President and Ameristar.
"Harrah's added a poker room and we saw an increase in our play," he said. "People became more aware." He said their business was 80 percent in

As time passes more and more

poker rooms will host poker charities events. Online poker rooms have now alotted advertising dollars to host events that will boost there image around the world. Online poker or poker tournaments mean entertainment and high advertising dollars. So as one correspondant writer poker is with us for the long online poker ride.

Absolute Poker's Tournament Will Pay the Tuition for One Lucky College Student This Fall 2005

2005-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

- AbsolutePoker.com Has Arranged a Special Free-Roll No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament Exclusive to University and College Students With the Winner Receiving Free Fall Semester Tuition

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- (PRNewswire) -- Absolute Poker, is holding a Free "Win Your Tuition" Texas Hold'em tournament for all University and College Students. Students need to pre-register for the tournament and the tournament will be held on May 26.

"We realize how popular poker, and specifically Texas Hold'em, is among College Students, and this is a great way for students to have fun and, for one lucky student, to win his or her tuition," said Gian Perroni, Abosulte Poker's Poker Room Manager.

Access for players to participate in games and tournaments at their discretion is something that appeals to College Students who have demanding schedules.

"We anticipate a few thousand players will be vying for the prize," continued Mr. Perroni. "We came up with the idea for the tournament because we at Absolute poker haven't forgotten how expensive it is to go to school, and we thought this would be a great prize for someone. Free tuition will certainly allow our winner a few less sleepless nights during what can be a tough school year."

Full Tilt Poker Announces a $10 Million WSOP Main Event Giveaway!

2005-04-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

-The Biggest Cash Prize in Any Sporting Event Just Got Bigger at www.fulltiltpoker.com

LOS ANGELES, CA. (PRWEB) -- The biggest cash prize in any sporting event just got bigger at the WSOP Main Event. Full Tilt Poker announces the richest poker giveaway ever.

With the World Series of Poker only two months away, Full Tilt Poker ups the ante by announcing an unprecedented $10 million giveaway. By qualifying for the WSOP Main Event on www.fulltiltpoker.com and then winning the Main Event, Full Tilt Poker will award the first place winner an additional $10 million cash prize over and above their winning purse.

This year, the WSOP Main Event is expected to award the biggest cash purse in history, estimated to be a $60 million prize pool. The first place winner is expected to take home as much as $10 million. If you win your qualifying seat through www.fulltiltpoker.com, you can add another $10 million to your winnings and walk away with up to $20 million.

Full Tilt Poker offers many ways to qualify for the Main Event on www.fulltiltpoker.com, increasing your chance to earn a seat at the biggest game of the year. Many top winners of the WSOP qualify for the Main Event online, but only those qualifying at www.fulltiltpoker.com will be eligible for the additional $10 million cash prize should they win the Main Event.

On www.fulltiltpoker.com you can sharpen your skills with the Team Full Tilt pros as you prepare for the big game. Team Full Tilt is the group of world-renowned poker champions behind Full Tilt Poker, who as a group have 23 World Series of Poker bracelets. These champions include: Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon (Co-host, Celebrity Poker Showdown,) Clonie Gowen, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman and others.

"I know that players have many options when choosing where to win their way into the WSOP Main Event," said Howard Lederer. "But with this amazing $10 million incentive, I can't imagine why one would try to win their seat anywhere else, but at www.fulltiltpoker.com?"

Big Money Poker Tournaments and Texas Holdem

2005-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Has popularity of Texas Hold'Em, gone from the back room to the board room? Small Town Poker Tour Show, Executive Producer, Mark Fracalossi, would neither confirm or deny the buzz that is surrounding the story. The Small Town Poker Tour Show is a new television show set to hit the air.

"I have received countless calls the past few days asking me to confirm the Trump-Burnett connection," Fracalossi said. "All I can say at this time we have some interesting proposals on the table, and we have not finalized the broadcast end of the deal, what I can say, Make it Happen Productions, a Los Angeles based production company and Billy Frank Creative Director/Executive Producer, have partnered with us to produce the show".

Make It Happen is a full-service production company that specializes in fully-executed productions from conception through postproduction. "It's not that bad having your name and project associated with such a great American Icon," Fracalossi said.

The show will add a new grass roots look to the nations fastest growing card game Texas Hold'em. The Poker Show will be different from the rest, "We put more on the people aspect and feature unique locations." It will also raise money for charity along the way. The Tour comes to town everyone who lives in that state is invited out to play, 100% of the money is given to a local charity. All of America will get to vote on the Towns the tour visits. The tour will travel all 50 States, in search of the best amature poker player in America.

"We are going to take poker back to where it all started", Fracalossi said. "Everyone views the shows now with their high stakes, and flashy sets, but the roots of Poker games can be found in every small town in the USA."

So don't be surprised if you see someone who looks like the grandmother next door or the guy who bags items at your local store at the final poker table or you read it in a poker magazine. "Our goal is to make this a fund raising machine for the towns we visit".

The WPS poker tour has reinvented the way it produces poker tournaments. They complement on the fact that Texas Holdem and Omaha Hi/Lo. So please sign Up today for a chance at winning big prizes for our poker tournament.

Poker Book Signing by Author Doyle Brunson at Rio Hotel

2005-03-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

By RazzO and Mo Kings
March 16, 2005

It seems The Poker Web is at it again. Today RazzO and Mo Kings from The Poker Web Exclusive have teamed up to give you a look into the lifestyle of the greatest poker legend that ever lived. Yesterday Rio Hotel in Las Vegas hosted Doyle Brunson's book signing event. The people were many who showed up to get the Hottest selling Book on the market out into the hands of poker players. Doyle Brunson's Super System II , a course in power poker, will by far be the hottest selling poker book in 2005. From beginners to old school, many lined up to have Doyle Brunson sign their copy of his latest book to hit the book shelves. As a Poker Web Exclusive, RazzO from RazzO.com got up close and personal to Doyle Brunson and all the famed guests at the event, taking a mountain of pictures that will discover a glimpse into the lifestyle of poker legend Doyle Brunson.

Buy Now: Super System II by Doyle Brunson

The book signing event was a great success many poker players from all around Vegas made an appearance into the Rio Hotel to witness a poker legend. “The crowds were great, people waited their turn to have Doyle sign their book. It was an exciting event, people walked away with smiles and relished the moment.” said RazzO while making his way through the crowds. So if you love poker and want to keep on learning more check out Doyle Brunson's latest poker book, Super System II .

WPT boot camp find its place

2005-02-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

WPT BOOT CAMP is the brainchild of Ron Rubens and Steven Berman, co-founders of River Gaming, LLC. The duo developed the program after years of work in the gaming industry and prior experience producing instructional seminars. River Gaming is a licensee of WPT Enterprises, Inc., which holds an ownership interest in the WPT BOOT CAMP.

"By bringing the WPT BOOT CAMP to multiple markets, we make this knowledge accessible to the growing number of poker enthusiasts across the country," said Berman. "This just-announced slate of events is a starting place and we expect to be expanding into other cities throughout the year. We encourage players to watch our website to stay current on newly added sites."

A fantasy camp for poker enthusiasts, WPT BOOT CAMP is designed to give amateurs an intensive emersion in poker strategy over a weekend. Instruction comes from WPT(TM) commentators Mike Sexton and Vincent Van Patten, as well as poker expert Alex 'The Insider' Outhred, the man behind the camera who analyzes all hands played at WPT Final Tables. This core instructional group is augmented with a slate of poker champions. A portion of the coursework is also based on Sexton's new book, WPT: Shuffle Up and Deal (HarperCollins) being released in March. WPT BOOT CAMP students will receive a copy of the book upon graduation--while supplies last.

Each informative WPT BOOT CAMP limits enrollment to only 50 students so the learning experience is maximized. The cost is $1,495 per person, and seats can be reserved at www.wptbootcamp.com or by calling 866-WPT-BOOT. Top students who perform well in tournament play at the Boot Camp will be rewarded with entry into a WPT sponsored satellite tournament. The initial cities WPT BOOT CAMP will visit are Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Hollywood, New York and Washington.

Students who refer a friend to the program will receive $25 in cash, and the friend will get a $100 discount off the price of the camp.

Cruise Freeroll

2005-01-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

Cruise Freeroll at www.redlightpoker.com

Well the waiting is finally over and I can take great pleasure in announcing the Redlight Poker WPS Cruise Tournament!

The tournament will be taking place on Tuesday the 25th of January and will kick off at 8pm EST. Registration is now open so log into the Redlight Poker software and sign up to play! We've set a very low buy-in of just 5 Loyalty Points so that everyone has the opportunity to enter and perhaps walk away with that star prize! If you don't have the crucial 5 Loyalty Points then you can pick some up by finishing in the top ten in any of the tournaments currently running on RLP.

In case you need reminding, the top prize is a cabin for two aboard the Mariner of the Seas for the World Poker Showdown Caribbean Cruise, which sets sail from Port Canavral in Florida for a week of sun-soaked poker action on February 6th. The winner of the tournament wins the cabin - it's as simple as that. Have no fear though, second and third place will receive consolation prizes of a Redlight Poker t-shirt.

Included with the prize is entry to the first on board tournament, though the winner will be responsible for arranging their own travel to and from Florida. Full details of both the cruise event and the Mariner of the Seas can be found at www.worldpokershowdown.com.

Midas Entertainment to Launch High Stakes Tournaments at CityPoker.com

2005-01-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

DAVIE, Fla., Midas Entertainment, Inc., an online poker software company, announced today that its Internet property, CityPoker.com, will be hosting tournaments in which players could win entry to the EPT French Open Deauville Poker Tournament, February 15th through the 19th, and the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Poker Tournament, March 7th through the 11th. Full details on those tournaments, and others, can be found on http://www.CityPoker.com.

Midas Entertainment's President, George Gutierrez, remarked, "There is a unique buzz surrounding the Poker industry today with the growing number of land-based tournaments being produced by groups including the World Poker Tour; consecutive record jackpots at the World Series of Poker; the growing number of televised, land-based events on ESPN and the Travel Channel; and the newly released television series 'Tilt' on ESPN. Collaborations between online and land-based gaming groups, allowing online winners the chance to play in land-based tournaments, have been a huge hit. The past two World Series of Poker Champions earned their way into that tournament by winning online tournaments. We are excited that CityPoker.com is able to provide these types of opportunities to our online players."

About Midas Entertainment, Inc.
Midas' wholly owned subsidiary, Creative Millennium Ventures, provides gaming software to online-poker sites including CityPoker.com, KingMidasPoker.com, DesertPoker.com and SharkPoker.com. Midas' operations were spun-off from AngelCiti Entertainment, Inc. and into Midas in July 2004. AngelCiti owns 4.6 million shares in Midas Entertainment.

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding Midas' business strategies and future plans of operations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The company's risks and uncertainties include: intense price competition, economic, political and regulatory uncertainties, the need to raise additional capital for growth and expansion and its reliance on the Internet as a means for promoting the software it sublicenses. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date hereof and Midas disclaims any obligation to provide public updates, revisions or amendments to any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect changes in Midas' expectations or future events. The representations of net handle and gross net win in this press release are presented as measures of performance for the company that are different from those presented in the income statement in accordance with Regulation G promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be considered as revenue or a GAAP related financial disclosure criteria.

For more information, contact:
OTC Financial Network
Rick McCaffrey, Investor Relations
781-444-6100 x625
rick@otcfn.com

Midas Entertainment, Inc.
Gabriella Jarquin
888-765-3781
Gabriela@Midas-Gaming.com

Poker Tournaments: Harrah's retain Pilson to negotiate deal with ESPN

2005-01-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

Harrah's, which acquired the long-standing poker tournament last year when it purchased Binion's Horseshoe, expects to draw more than 5,000 entrants to the championship event this summer.

ESPN produced 22 hour-long episodes from last year's World Series of Poker and a network spokeswoman said the 24-hour cable sports channel expects to air the same amount or more this year following the 36th annual event.

Recognizing the drawing power of televised poker and the game's signature event, Harrah's executives turned to Neal Pilson, who headed CBS Sports for 20 years, in an effort to make the most of the World Series of Poker.

Pilson Communications worked with NASCAR in negotiating a $2.4 billion network television agreement with the Fox, NBC and Turner networks and with the International Olympic Committee to structure its recent $2 billion network agreement with NBC.
More...and full story

Poker Cruise starts in 3 weeks. Sign Up Now!

2005-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

25 days left fot the WPS Caribbean Event poker cruise 2005. This is a 7 day cruise which has teaching tables explaining poker strategies and the like. Chance to join Chris Moneymaker and other poker professionals at the teaching tables.

Don't miss out on the prize pool of $750,000 dollars. Your entry fee into first $100 buy in poker tournament is included.

Here is the easy to Sign-Up-Now-Link.
Don't miss the Boat! Royal Caribbean Cruise lines aboard the "Mariner of the Seas". Have a fantastic pre-view

PS: More information can be found on one of the World Poker Showdown Links or here: Poker-Cruise.com

Poker Tournaments Schedule January 2005

2005-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Click on the tournament name for a detailed schedule of events. We advise you to call the organizers to confirm tournament schedules prior to travel.

Date	Tournament Name	Casino, Location
January 29, 2005	Southern California Poker Tour	Golden West Casino Bakersfield, CA United States
Notes: $25,000 Guaranteed Registration begins at 9:00am NOTE: Southern California Poker Tour events are televised in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets. Check your local listings. Season 2 begins airing in February2005.
January 27 to 29, 2005	WPPA (World Poker Player Association) Championship of Poker Tour "Memorial Championship ofPoker"	Orleans Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV United States
Notes: WPPA Championship event is expected to be televised with 100% of earnings going to WPPA Members
January 27 to February 6, 2005	The San Diego Super Bowl of Poker	Sycuan Casino El Cajon, CA United States
January 26 to February 24, 2005	LA Poker Classic / WPT Event	Commerce Casino Los Angeles, CA United States
Notes: $50,000 Best All Around Player Awards and $15,000 Best All Around Super Satellites Awards
January 26 to 30, 2005	The Scandinavian Open	Casino Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark
Notes: Prize money for the best 10 daily players
January 25 to 29, 2005	Seven Card Winter Challenge 2005	Casinos Austria Seefeld, Austria
Notes: On all tournament days Cashgame starting at 15.00 (Omaha; Seven Card Stud) High Hand â‚ 777,
January 20 to 23, 2005	Casino Edmonton / CPT Event	Casino Edmonton Edmonton, AB Canada
January 17 to 26, 2005	America's Poker Classic	Bicycle Casino Bell Gardens (Los Angeles), CA United States
Notes: The point champion wins $2,000 cash, Three $1,060 seats will be added to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Best All AroundPoints Playoff.
January 17 to 23, 2005	The Grosvenor Grand Challenge	Grosvenor Casino Luton, Bedfordshire United Kingdom
Notes: The casino will be open from 2pm daily for cash games and satellites. All Tournaments are restricted to 140 players
January 13 to 16, 2005	Escargot	Bicycle Casino Bell Gardens (Los Angeles), CA United States
Notes: This year a $40 registration fee will be charged. The registration fee provides each guest with six meal comps, which can beused anytime from Wednesday January 12 through Monday, January 17 (please note that ownership of a free Classic Card from the Bike gives you even more free food opportunities). It also coversthe cost of the awards banquet, trophies, and a s00per secret souvenir. The registration deadline is Monday, January 10, 2005. Please register as soon as you can to make life easy on theorganizers. Registrations for ESCARGOT will be on-line only. There will be no on-site registration.

It's Men vs. Women for Seven Episodes of GSN's 'POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES'

2005-01-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

Syndicated Radio Personality Tom Leykis and Kennedy Represent Their Respective Sex And Spar As Hosts

The World's Finest Poker Players Ante Up Including Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Paul Wolfe, Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman, and Clonie Gowen

Poker Royale Inaugurates GSN's New Casino Night Friday, January 21

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Do men have the advantage over women in the game of poker? GSN, the network for games, dares to find out pitting 12 of the world's top professional poker players together in a no-holds barred poker tournament like never before seen. POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES, is a seven episode invitational tournament hosted by syndicated radio personality Tom Leykis, who is known for defense of the male species. This marks Leykis' first hosting duties on television. He is joined as host by Kennedy, the outspoken TV and game show veteran, who proudly represents the female voice. Also joining them as the play-by-play commentator is Robert Williamson III, one of the most respected and skilled poker players around. The announcement was made today by Ian Valentine, Senior Vice President of Programming, GSN.

POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES will break new ground when it premieres on GSN's new Friday Casino Night, January 21 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. Immediately following POKER ROYALE is WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK featuring the world's finest blackjack players vying for their chance to win the $250,000 grand prize.

"Based on the success of our first poker series, we wanted to follow with a second installment with a unique twist. POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES is entertaining and engaging for players of every skill level," said Valentine. Valentine continues, "There's a real ongoing debate in the poker world as to whether the women are as good as the men. We sit our viewers right at the table to watch the play and hear the banter."

Leykis, the controversial sharp tongued broadcast radio personality, will undoubtedly root for the men. The "Tom Leykis Show" has been syndicated from Los Angeles since 1994, and has developed its reputation as a forum on male/female issues. In the ladies corner is TV personality Kennedy, who will lend her sassiness to the women's corner. Kennedy began her career as a radio DJ on LA's KROQ-FM, and later became known as a witty MTV VJ. Most recently, she was host of GSN's FRIEND OR FOE? and mediated over WHO WANTS TO BE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA?, GSN's game show about California's historic Governor recall election.

POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES includes the world's top players including Chris Moneymaker (2003 World Series of Poker 1st place), Paul Wolfe (2003 World Championship Online Poker final runner up), Greg "Fossilman" Raymer (2004 World Series of Poker 1st place), Amir Vahedi (2001 No Limit Texas Hold'em Player of the Year), Layne Flack (5 Time World Series of Poker Champion) and Antonio Esfandiari (World Poker Tour first place champion). In the women's corner are Kathy Liebert (2002 Party Poker Million champion), Jennifer Harman (World Poker Tour Bellagio 4th place), Evelyn Ng (World Poker Tour Ladies Night 2nd place), Karina Jett, Kristy Gazes (2001 World Series of Poker Shoe 5th place) and Clonie Gowen (World Poker Tour Ladies Night champion).

In each of the first six episodes of POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES three men and three women from the teams of men and women will play a game of No Limit Texas Hold'Em. Every episode champion wins $10,000 and six points. The player who finishes second receives five points, third place receives four points, fourth place receives three points, fifth place receives two points and last place receives one point. In the seventh episode's final match, the top three point leaders for the men and women will face off for the championship. The winner of the tournament takes home $100,000 and wins an extra $30,000 to be split among the remaining team members.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network features game shows, reality series, light sports, documentaries and casino games. GSN is the industry leader in interactivity and as such allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via GSN.com. Reaching 56 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

Source: GSN

Snooker star beats Darts champion and Tennis Ace in Poker Tournament

2004-12-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

The 2003 UK Snooker champion Matthew Stevens defeated World Darts champion Phil Taylor and former World Number 1 Tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov to win the Pacific Poker Open tournament.

Stevens beat a final field of 108 competitors made up of both poker professionals and internet qualifiers to the £260,000 first prize in the UK's richest poker tournament.

The 27-year-old Welshman has only been playing poker for 18 months and his first prize was worth more than three times the amount he collected for winning the 2003 UK snooker championship.

11 time World Darts champion Phil Taylor finished runner-up with Kafelnikov third.

Poker tournaments raise questions

2004-12-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

By BRENDAN BURKE

Texas Hold 'Em at Sidelines

* How it works: Contestant pays a set amount to enter tournament, is given a set number of chips with no monetary value and competes with other poker players at Texas Hold 'Em. Winners determined by the player that ends up with all chips at a table. Winners then go on to compete against other individual table winners until only eight players left. Final eight compete at final table, and winner of this table is crowned champion.

* Actual money gambled: None.

* Who acts as the "house": Because no money is actually gambled, no one -- although entry fees are paid to the sponsor to pay for administration and prizes, and sometimes donations are made to charities.

* Charitable requirements: Optional, although Clear Channel does donate some of the money it makes on its tournament to charity.

Last Sunday, Dennis and Donna Jackson of Casper made their way up to Sidelines Sports Bar to play a game they, like many other Americans, have grown to enjoy immensely in the past year -- Texas Hold 'Em.

They headed to Sidelines, as they have an many recent Sunday afternoons, to play in Clear Channel Radio's weekly Texas Hold 'Em tournament against about 60 other card sharks.

Neither Jackson came out on top on Sunday, although Donna finished second at her table and Dennis has won his table before, they said.

Despite the fact they didn't come out on top, they did have fun, they said. And their enjoyment only cost them $25 apiece.

The Jacksons didn't risk any money playing in the tournament, so they didn't think what they did at Sidelines was gambling, they said.

However, there is some debate that, legally speaking, the Jacksons' take on Sidelines' tournament, and other Texas Hold 'Em tournaments that have popped up at bars around the state, is wrong.

Texas Hold 'Em is a style of poker made popular by such televised events as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour.

State law makes it clear that professional gambling is illegal in Wyoming. What is not so clear is whether Texas Hold 'Em tournaments are professional gambling.

Local Clear Channel General Manager Bob Price said neither his company nor Sidelines engages in illegal professional gambling by holding the tournament.

Professional gambling is first defined by Wyoming law as "aiding or inducing another to engage in gambling, with the intent to derive a profit therefrom."

Neither Sidelines nor Clear Channel intends to profit from the poker tournament, said Price and Bobbi Gerlock, general manager of Sidelines.

At the Sidelines tournament, players pay $25 to enter and are given a certain number of chips, Price said. They are then seated at a table with seven other players, and the eight play Texas Hold 'Em until the winner controls all eight players' chips, Clear Channel's Staci Ownes said.

The chips used in the games have no monetary value, and the winner of the table is given no monetary reward, Price said. Instead, the winners advance to later rounds in the tournament.

The tournament's eventual champion will win a trip to Reno, Nev., and the opportunity to play in a World Poker Tour event there, Owens said.

Revenue from the $25 entry fees is used to pay for the administrative costs of the tournament, to pay for prizes, and a portion is donated to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Owens said.

While the hosts and sponsors of the tournaments may be careful not to take direct revenue from the games, there are still some questions regarding the legality of poker tournaments at bars, because the hosting establishment may earn indirect revenue via food and beverage sales, Wyoming Attorney General Pat Crank said.

Gerlock, however, said most poker players are not the type of people who run up big bar tabs, as they tend to remain sober while playing.

"Do we see an increase in business" on Sunday afternoons when poker is being played? "Not really," she said.

While Natrona County officials haven't stopped the tournaments at Sidelines, Laramie County and Albany County officials have taken aim at some poker tournaments in Cheyenne and Laramie. Cheyenne police, for example, asked bars to voluntarily shut down their poker tournaments after police consulted with state, county and local attorneys to determine that the games are banned under state law.

Skill or luck?

Wyoming law further defines professional gambling as "participating in gambling and having, other than by virtue of skill or luck, a lesser chance of losing or a greater chance of winning than one or more of the other participants."

Texas Hold 'Em tournaments do not fit this definition of professional gambling either because poker, unlike blackjack, is not a broken game which intrinsically favors one player over others, the Jacksons said. The only way a player has an advantage in poker is if that player has more skill.

"Poker's a game of skill where you play your cards and you play off other people," Donna Jackson said. "It requires reading people."

Neither Jackson considers the way they spend their Sunday afternoons gambling, they said. It is totally different from playing games like blackjack in Deadwood, S.D.

Players in Clear Channel's tournament know how much money they are going to spend on playing, $25, and know they will not win any money for their efforts, Dennis Jackson said.

A Texas Hold 'Em tournament such as Clear Channel's is no different than a billiard tournament or a dart tournament in which players pay an entry fee and the winners end up winning prizes, Price said. Poker, pool and darts all take skill and some luck to win, he added.

Actual money gambled - None
Who acts as the "house" - Since no money is actually gambled, no one. Although entry fees are paid to the sponsor to pay for administration, prizes and sometimes donations are made to charities.
Charitable requirements - Optional, although Clear Channel does donate some of the money it makes on its tournament to charity.

Affleck Wins Big Money At Poker Tournament.

2004-12-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Actor Plays Big, Wins Seat at Next Year’s World Poker Tour Championship. Bummed by the quick marriage of his ex-fiancée, Jennifer Lopez, to her new love Marc Anthony, Ben Affleck turned to gambling to forget. The multi-talented actor is the Ben-half of the once giant Bennifer media monster that stalked the world last year. That phenomenon will take one last gasp with the release of Jersey Girl, their latest film together, but reportedly, the star has said that he is tired of acting and wants to spend more time writing, producing and directing now.

Who knew that the handsome 31-year-old star of Pearl Harbor, Good Will Hunting and Gigli also has a poker face? A man used to living large in a large world, Affleck plunked down $10,000 to play in the Commerce Casino’s California State Poker Tournament. Triumphing over 90 other players including fellow actor Tobey Maguire, professional poker player Stan Goldstein and president and co-founder of Castle Rock Entertainment Chuck Pacheco, Affleck walked away with $356,400 and the Championship. The win earns him a chance to play in the $25,000 a seat World Poker Tournament next April in Las Vegas.

Compare the Top10 Poker Free Tournament Sites at www.freetourneys247.com.

Testament to the growing poker popularity

2004-11-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

WPT and Foxwoods Set New Record with Fourth Largest Tournament in the History of $10K No Limit Texas Hold'Em Poker.
Third Annual World Poker Finals Draws 674 Players, More than $6.7 Million Total Prize Money.

Fans are already turning out in record numbers to watch the tournament that has attracted amateur and professional players alike. Some of the most recognizable faces playing at the tables Saturday and Sunday included Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, James Woods, Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, and Scottie Nguyen. The public is invited to be part of the WPT Final Table television audience, when the World Poker Finals concludes at Foxwoods on Wednesday, November 17. Fans will be admitted from the WPT Viewing Party in Grand Pequot Ballroom A. Admission is free and seating is first come, first serve; Viewing Party doors open at noon and seating begins at 3:30 p.m.

Reno Hotel presents "World Class Championship Poker"

2004-10-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Championship Poker Tournament - Poker is the hottest game going and thePeppermill’s smoke-free Poker Room is playing host to some the game’s topplayers this November 13-21 for the prestigious Peppermill Reno Fall PokerTournament, which has a total prize pool of over $350,000.

The action begins on Saturday, Nov. 13th with a warm up Satellite Daytournament with a $60 buy-in followed by the First Chance tourney with a $220buy-in and no re-buys.

The serious competition begins with No Limit Hold ‘em on Sunday, November 14that noon. There is a $225 buy in with a $200 re-buy.

Here is the daily schedule:
•Saturday, Nov. 13 – “Satellite Day”
10am: $60 buy-in, Limit and No Limit Hold ‘em satellites
•Sunday, Nov. 14 – Noon: No Limit Hold ‘em $225 buy-in, $200 rebuy, 7pm:Limit Hold ‘em, $120 buy-in
•Monday, Nov. 15 – Noon: Limit Hold ’em, $225 buy-in, $200 re-buy
7pm: No Limit Hold ‘em, $120 buy-in
•Tuesday, Nov. 16 – Noon: No Limit Hold ’em, $220 buy-in,
no re-buy
7pm: Omaha Hi/Lo Split, $120 buy-in
•Wednesday, Nov. 17 – Noon: Omaha Hi/Lo Split, $120 buy-in, $100 re-buy
7pm: No Limit Hold ‘em, $120 buy-in
•Thursday, Nov. 18 – “Terminator Event”
Noon: No limit hold’em, $120 buy-in, $100 re-buy
7pm: Limit Hold ‘em, $120 buy-in
•Friday, Nov. 19 – Noon: Limit hold’em, $120 buy-in, $100 re-buy
7pm: No Limit Hold ‘em, $120 buy-in
•Saturday, Nov. 20 – “Championship Event”
Noon: Limit Hold ’em $535 buy-in, no re-buy
7pm: No Limit Hold ‘em $120 buy-in
•Sunday, Nov. 21- “Championship Event”
Noon: No Limit Hold ‘em $535 buy-in

Tournament players will enjoy playing in our smoke-free environment; there is also food service available, and there are several plasma screen televisions throughout the room. Special room rates are available for tournament players, based on availability.

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