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Vanessa Rousso to appear on Big Brother

Wednesday, June 17th, 2015

When summer arrives, television viewers can expect to find new television shows to launch during the off-peak season. For the most part, new shows are of the reality variety with one of the most popular being Big Brother of the CBS Network. Big Brother places a certain number of individuals in a home that is restricted of no televisions, radio or outside contact. Each contestant competes for rewards and the coveted Head of Household to have a say in who gets to stay and who goes home. It has recently been announced that a top poker pro will be taking part in the upcoming season of the reality show.

Vanessa Rousso will be one of 14 house guests featured on the show and should be able to put her poker skills to good use. Many guests of the Big Brother house use their skills and do not reveal who they are or what they do for a living. As an avid fan of BB, it would be smart for Rousso not to reveal what she does for her career, unless someone recognizes her.

Other guests of the BB house will realize that Rousso can use her poker skills to lie and manipulate the other guests and may feel threatened. The poker pro is all about competition and commonly takes part in poker tournaments, earning cash outs or title wins.

The new season of Big Brother begins on the 24th of June on CBS and will feature Rousso being introduced as a member of the cast. For two nights the show will introduce the new cast mates so everyone will get to see Vanessa as she interacts with others and plans out her strategy to win the game. It will be definitely be an interesting season as the poker pro joins in for 2015!

 

 

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WSOP Millionaire Maker Win Goes to Adrian Buckley

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

file4741238088930Twenty seven year old Adrian Buckley just had his poker dreams come true by earning his first ever WSOP cash out at the Millionaire Maker event. Buckley did not just cash out in the event, he took it down, outlasting the field of over 7,200 players to earn the first place win, his first gold bracelet and just over $1.2 million in cash!

Buckley could not believe he had earned the title win. Speaking just after the tournament, the player stated that his win was 100% surreal and that the past few days have been crazy, as it was definitely the run of the century.

During the tournament, Buckley would have to defeat several top competitors to move on in the event. Such pros as Erick Lindgren, Mike Sexton and Olivier Busquet were taking part in the poker event. When final table play began, Buckley would hold the shortest stack but would soon gain the chip lead and be ready to take on Javier Zarco in heads up play.

On the final hand, Buckley would open up with 2,000,000 with Zarco then moving all in with 17 million. Buckley would call and show pocket tens. Zarco held pocket sixes and looked to be in big trouble. The board fell K-J-3-K-2 and gave Buckley the hand and the title win. Buckley is now a millionaire but plans on continuing his job with Lockheed-Martin as an electrical engineer. The player came to the WSOP to compete in 10 events and now says he will definitely be taking part in the upcoming Main Event.

Final Results:

First Place                            Adrian Buckley                  $1,277,193

Second Place                     Javier Zarco                        $791,690

Third Place                          Olivier Busquet                 $589,569

Fourth Place                       Randy Pfeifer                    $441,465

Fifth Place                           Mohammad Siddiqui      $333,038

Sixth Place                          David Miscikowski           $253,094

Seventh Place                   Erick Lindgren                    $193,675

Eighth Place                        Justin Pechie                      $149,238

Ninth Place                         Mike Sexton                      $115,890

 

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Judge Dismisses Cheung Yin Sun Lawsuit

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015

Having been named Phil Ivey’s partner in an Atlantic City lawsuit, Cheung Yin Sun recently lost an additional lawsuit involving the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Sun along with two additional players were suing the casino for winnings as well as deposit funds after they were denied the money and accused of cheating the casino.

A judge dismissed the case this week and none of the gamblers will be receiving the money they believe is rightfully theirs, some $3 million. The individuals of the case had visited the casino in 2011 and used what they are calling a legal method of card sorting to determine which cards were in play. The non-playing sides of the cards reportedly had distinguishing marks that helped the gamblers make the appropriate moves to win a ton of cash.

With this case, the gamblers had deposited $1.6 milllion to play the mini-baccarat game and then won $1.1 million. All the money was kept by the casino based on what they were calling methods of cheating. The gamblers filed the lawsuit seeking $100,000 each for damages as they say the casino was in violation of their civil rights.

However, the case was dismissed as the owner of the casino is an Indian tribe and the judge ruled tribal sovereignty in the case. Sun also had a case in the United Kingdom in which she lost based on edge-sorting. Sun, along with Phil Ivey, failed to recover $12.1 million in winnings they earned from Crockfords casino due to edge-sorting. The casino refused to pay and won in court, never having to pay up the millions of dollars in winnings.

The two now have an on-going lawsuit against the Borgata for $9.6 million, which is still pending. If this case goes the same as previous attempts, the gamblers will never see any profit from their edge-sorting scheming.

 

 

 

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GeoComply CEO Replies to Technology Complaints

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

file4741238088930Geolocation services are a must in the United States when it comes to online casino and poker game play. In the states that offer such gaming, Delaware/Nevada/New Jersey, the technology is used to help ensure players are located within the states borders. Without this technology, the regulations in place would not be followed and players from anywhere would be able to take part. The location services were spotty at first but have since adapted and been able to provide quality service to those who are located in each state.

Of course, there are those who believe Geolocation does not work and try to push the issues to stop online gaming from taking place. This includes the opponents to the activity such as the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling. Just recently, the Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores, Lyle Beckwith, spoke out on the matter.

Beckwith stated that legalized gaming should not be allowed and spoke out on several areas of the industry. It seems as though Beckwith does not believe that the industry is safe and is against the technology used to ensure players are not able to access the gaming sites from out of state as well as minors.

It seems as though the post by Beckwith was just enough to push the buttons of Anna Sainsbury, the CEO of GeoComply and she has now fired back at those who want to talk out against geolocation services.

In her rebuttal, Sainsbury stated that as a licensed provider of geolocation technology in the three states offering such gaming, she can assure any naysayers that regulators ran thousands of tests outside their boundaries to ensure that no problems existed. She ensures the results provided are the correct ones and safeguards are in place for quality gaming. The regulators audited the geolocation systems as well as three independent labs to ensure the integrity of the technology.

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PokerStars Pros Offering Media Briefing in California

Wednesday, May 20th, 2015

PokerstarsPokerStars is trying hard to remain in the online poker game and moving into the United States is a major goal of the company. This Thursday, the online poker brand is sending two top pros to speak on their behalf during a media briefing one day after the legislators of the state meet to discuss online poker legalization and regulation.

There are currently several online poker bills on the table in the state of California and one managed to move out of the legislative committee in April. This was the very first time a lawmaker voted on a bill for online poker and this was a nice turning point in the positive for online poker within California.

PokerStars wants to help push the state to legalizing the option and will be sending Daniel Negreanu and Jason Somerville to Sacramento later this week to discuss online poker. Negreanu will be hosting the event and will offer an online poker demo. The briefing will take place in Hearing Room 100 in the Legislative Office Building in the early morning hours from 10:30 to 11:30.

The goal of the briefing is to discuss online poker and cover such topics as consumer protections and the platform of PokerStars. Negreanu posted on Twitter of the upcoming briefing by stating he would be in Sacramento on Thursday to discuss politics and online poker as a representative of PokerStars, saying it feels like the right time to get California on board.

PokerStars was just acquired by Amaya Gaming in 2014 and is a big player that has the potential to enter into the online poker market if California passes legislation. California is being watched closely as the state is the largest in the US and could bring about a major turning point in the online poker industry of the United States.

 

 

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Manny Pacquiao Dropping Poker Hands instead of Punches

Monday, May 11th, 2015

It is no surprise to hear the name Manny Pacquiao associated with the boxing world but many do not know the boxer is also a poker player. Pacquiao frequently enjoys poker gaming and has been known to hit the high stakes tables a time or two. In a recent Sports Illustrated issue, the magazine delves deep into the boxer’s love of poker, even reporting that he spent $100,000 in many a poker game.

Pacquiao is no stranger to gaming and has been known to drop hundreds of thousands on cock fighting as well as poker game play. It was reported in the article that the boxer will frequently spend $100,000 at the poker tables, a seemingly large amount for one that does not play the game on a career level.

While $100,000 is a huge sum for most, the boxer has a high pay grade so can easily afford the loss. It seems as though the player regularly hits the tables, especially when you take in to account the regular sightings posted at popular poker forums. The boxer would frequently hit the tables after a fight in Las Vegas or even after simply promoting a fight. Anytime he could play, it seemed Pacquiao would be at the gaming tables.

It is not uncommon to find sports stars or even celebrities at the casino gaming tables. Poker is a common past time that many enjoy and even some sports stars earning sponsorships from major poker brands such as PokerStars. The boxer has now earned a pretty penny in his recent match against Floyd Mayweather and certainly has the cash to compete. After earning $100 million just for showing up at the fight, we may soon see Pacquiao once again at the poker tables throwing down $100,000 games or possibly even more!

 

 

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Fantasy Sports Bill Moves Forward in Kansas

Wednesday, May 6th, 2015

Image result for fantasy sports bettingOptions for betting are quite limited in the United States with only select areas offering online as well as land based gaming. States are beginning to create additional legislation to offer betting options so players have more options for enjoying game play. In the state of Kansas, a new bill has moved forward to allow fantasy sports betting within the state.

On Monday, the senators of the state approved a new bill that will allow fantasy sports to take place. The games will be considered skill based and would be deemed legal in the eyes of the law. The bill was passed in the Senate with a vote of 37 to 1.

The bill will now need to move forward to the House and pass before it can be signed by the governor. If the bill is passed by the House, the governor will have to be in approval and sign the bill into law before the gaming can be enjoyed.

The debate of fantasy sports has been a strong one in the state as the gambling regulator of Kansas believes that fantasy sports leagues in the private sector are considered illegal lotteries based on the state’s constitution. However, the attorney general of the state says that the games are not illegal because they are skill based and are not considered gambling.

The bill that has been introduced would make the law clear so gamers could take part in fantasy sports leagues. The bill was introduced by Representative Brett Hildabrand to ensure that residents are not going to be given violations for gambling due to taking part in fantasy sports online.

Fantasy sports joins online poker in the US as a gaming alternative that has to gain approval and legislation to be able to provide gamers with legalized options before the option can be enjoyed without any threats during game play.

 

 

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Curacao Pulls Lock Poker License

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Lock Poker and continued to be subject of bad press as players have waited years for access to online poker funds to no avail. The site went downhill fast once reports began to surface that players were having difficulty withdrawing funds. An article at 4Flush now reports that Lock Poker has lost their gaming license in Curacao. The sites went offline beginning on the 17th of April and now it seems the site will no longer be functioning alongside sites related to the brand.

Lock has not been forthcoming or helpful with any information pertaining to any issues that players have been experiencing. A press release has yet to be made by the company on the situation of payment or the fact that they seem to have lose their license to operate. Players were wondering why the site shut down on the 17th and now it seems that the sites associated with Lock as well as Lock Poker are dead.

At 4Flush, a search was done on the license number of Lock Poker as well as Superwins, the sister site of the brand. The search consisted of interactive gaming records and their report shows that the Lock Casino license is invalid.

Launching in 2009, Lock Poker first operated on Cake Poker Network and then moved to Merge Gaming one year later. Returning to Cake Poker Network in 2012, Lock was rebranded as Revolution Gaming. At the time it was believed that Lock had acquired a new network but that is not the case.

It was in 2012 that players began to complain that payments were slow within the company. Many players requested a withdrawal and were never paid, as far back as November 2012. By 2013 the site was independent. Players have continued to report issues and now it seems as though licensing has been pulled. Both sites are still live, at Lock and Superwins, with the casino online as well but none of the gaming platforms will function.

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Online Gaming on the mind of Iowa Officials

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Many different states in the US are considering becoming involved in the online gaming industry in one form or fashion. The states of New Jersey and Delaware already offer online poker and casino gaming while Nevada is strictly an online poker only state. Other states offer lottery ticket sales online, making it easier for gamblers to purchase tickets whenever they like. The state of Iowa is one that has considered online poker in the past and is now looking at online gaming potential in the state.

The state lottery would like to see online gaming come to fruition within Iowa, based on numerous reports coming out of the state. The CEO of the Iowa Lottery, Terry Rich, was speaking before the Iowa House Government Oversight Committee on the subject of online gaming and stated that Iowa must remain competitive.

Rich went on to comment that the opinion of an attorney general is that the lottery has the authority to conduct gaming online. Currently, around 12 states in the US offer lottery gaming online in some form or fashion. However, there are none that offer peer to peer gaming such as Nevada, Delaware and NJ area offering.

In a previous study, not officially conducted by regulators, it was found that gamblers who visit the casinos in Iowa also play online poker. The study showed that half of the casino visitors logged online at least a few times away to play the game. But just like every other state in the US, there is some opposition. In 2012, the senate of the state signed off on a bill for online poker but the House did not move forward with the legislation. It will be interesting to see if additional measures are proposed within the state and if movement is made to allow such gaming to begin.

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PokerStars and Jonathan Duhamel Part Ways

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015

PokerstarsPokerStars is a top online poker site known for signing top pros to sponsorship deals. With several areas of sponsorship, the site has Team players, Friends of PokerStars and more. For years, PokerStars has had a strong team of players, heading up live events as well as taking part in online game play. However, since Amaya Gaming took over the online poker brand, there have been several cuts within the sponsorship department.

Just last year, Joe Cada, the 2009 World Series of Poker winner, was cut from the site and now it seems the 2010 World Series of Poker Champion has left the site. Jonathan Duhamel is no longer located on the PokerStars website which would indicate the pro is no longer working with the online poker brand.

Several other players are no longer working with PokerStars after last year including:

Humberto Brenes

Angel Guillen

Jose Barbero

Marcel Luske

George Danzer

Alex Kravchenko

David Williams

Dario Minieri

The online poker industry seems to be taking a different turn when it comes to player sponsorships. Players who are now being signed seem to be in the new wave of technology being used for online poker. Gone are the days when players are signed based on significant live game play. Today, online poker sites are searching for something new and seem to be moving to live streaming to find new players to sponsor.

The online site signed Jason Somerville just last year after he became quite popular on Twitch, a live streaming service. Somerville teaches strategy on Twitch and has gained quite a following for his game play tutorials. It is very interesting to note the changes in industry standards with the new streaming technology and mobile gaming that has become so prevalent today. It will be interesting to see if the shift will continue and players who use Twitch are more likely to be signed by such sites than their live tournament gaming counterparts.

 

 

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