http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/ http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6917/888-looks-to-extend-relationship-with-caesars-interactive Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:14:40 GMT In the competitive online poker market, companies are always looking for the latest and best ways to pull ahead of their competitors; meanwhile, some of the market leaders are employing a 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' attitude...

Online gaming operator 888 Holdings has shown that it is not in the business of making rash changes to its set up, as it seeks to extend its relationship with Caesars Interactive. The announcement has come from the company's Dragonfish independent business to business arm; the two companies have been enjoying a successful working relationship and are currently looking to carry on with it for the foreseeable future.

Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world's largest land-based gaming company, with Caesar Interactive being its online subsidiary division.

The pair have given some insight into their plans for the future, after they announced that they would be aiming to implement a new deal which will see Dragonfish powering a range of virtual poker brands to be released by Caesars Interactive – the deal is thought to be an exceptionally lucrative one if legalisation of online gambling to go ahead in the United States.

A statement regarding the matter has recently been issued by 888 Holdings, which read: “Utilising 888's state-of-the-art poker platform, the agreement will allow the launch of a real-money offering immediately as either federal or state-based regulation is finalised and upon licensing by gaming authorities.”

As the pair look to be hitting full stride in their working relationship, it is certain that their competitors in a crowded market will be keeping a close eye on further developments in the upcoming months.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6912/2012-gukpt-gets-underway-in-manchester Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:06:53 GMT Of all the different poker tournaments which happen every year in Europe, nothing has quite the same level of excitement and buzz about it as the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT)...

The 2012 GUKPT looks set to carry on the tradition of its predecessors by giving poker fans one of the best poker experiences of the year; the sixth incarnation of the annual GUKPT promises to be the biggest and best so far. Organisers of this year's event promises that only a few minor tweaks and changes have been made in order to maximise player enjoyment; these include a number of features that have been brought back to the tour by popular demand.

The 2012 GUKPT kicked off in Manchester on January 23rd and is set to stop at all its usual haunts; however, due to the massive demand for the tour, there have also been two new stops added – making a total of 12 legs all in all.

Walsall will be the next stop on March 11th; then Stockton on April 8th; followed by Thanet on April 22nd; then May 6th will see a return to Dublin; Belgium will play host to the sixth leg on June 3rd; followed by Plymouth on July 1st; Bolton will see the tour on July 15th, followed by Coventry on August 19th; then September 16th will be held in London Victoria; then Luton on 14th October and finally Blackpool on November 4th.

The Grand Final will take place at The Vic, keeping in the tradition of previous years.

In addition to new dates, there will also be four new main events with a £500 buy-in; these new games will alternate between deep stack and six-man formats to add a new dimension of excitement to the 2012 GUKPT.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6911/william-hill-poker-players-get-chance-to-win-their-way-to-2012-irish-open Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:52:08 GMT The Irish Open has quickly become one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the European poker calendar, gathering more and more loyal fans each and every year...

Now players at William Hill poker have been given the chance to propel themselves into the action, thanks to one of the hottest promotions of 2012. players now have the opportunity to get themselves a seat at an event that has seen some of the most dramatic poker action in recent memory unfold at its tables. For a few lucky William Hill Poker players, this year's event is not only a chance to check out the bustling capital city of Dublin, but it is also a once in a lifetime opportunity to rub shoulders with some of professional poker's elite players.

Up for grabs is an incredible all-inclusive package, which not only features a trip to the Emerald Isle to compete at the 2012 Irish Open but many more goodies and perks that make this offer truly one of the best of the year.

Players can battle it out for this superb prize by entering one of William Hill Poker's advertised satellite events; considering the size of the prize on offer, satellite events are great value for money, starting at as low as 2 Euros. Those who showcase their skills at the mini-satellites will win their seat at the main satellite event, putting them within arms reach of an incredible trip to the Irish Open – it is rumoured that this year's event will be the biggest to date, with an expected prize pool of an unbelievable 3 million Euros up for grabs.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6907/gaming-industry-believes-that-protection-of-players-should-be-number-one-priority Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:12:50 GMT It seems that the gaming industry has come to a consensus that the number one priority for the year ahead is to ensure that players are fully protected while frequenting their online establishments...

The prioritising of online gaming is thought to have arisen following the events of 'Black Friday' in the United States; during these events, several top online gaming providers were indicted by the US Government, in what many viewed as an extremely damaging incident to the integrity of the the worldwide online gaming industry. In the wake of these events, the gaming industry (with the online poker sector of the market in particular) are looking to make 2012 the year in which customer security while using their services the number one priority.

The world's number one online poker room, PokerStars, has shown that is has keen to blaze a trail in this endeavour by announcing its 'PokerStars Player Protection Plan'. This innovative new scheme puts the funds that have been deposited to the website firmly under the watchful eye of third-party protection firms – PokerStars have chosen their protection firm to be the French-owned IFG Group. The funds of players under this scheme will be watched over by a fund manager who is regulated by Financial Services Authority.

The purpose of this scheme is to ensure that companies who offer online poker services have enough money at their disposal in order to repay all the money that they may owe to their players at any given time.

Although PokerStars have got the ball rolling with their scheme, it is thought that it will not be too far in the future until other top online poker operators are part of a similar scheme. 2012 certainly looks set to be the year of regaining player trust in the online poker sector.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6905/united-kingdom-full-tilt-poker-players-advised-to-call-police Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:40:52 GMT It is easy to be sympathetic to the plight of players at former online poker giant Full Tilt Poker; it appears that the ordeal might not be over, as players are given some less than satisfactory advise regarding their missing funds...

Full Tilt Poker were indicted by the United States Government following the events of 'Black Friday'; this meant that the funds held in the accounts active at the time of the indictment were frozen, leaving a myriad of distraught players around the globe.

Since the announcement that the fallen poker provider was to be bought by a French investment group, it did appear that some players were making headway in retrieving their missing money; however, players in the United Kingdom have been told that they should 'call the police' if they want to progress the matter of their missing funds any further.

The rather lacklustre advice was issued by the poker room's former regulator following a recent announcement by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission; the announcement informed players that, as they no longer issued a gaming license to the shamed online poker operator, they were in no position to mediate between Full Tilt Poker and its legions of unhappy former customers – this meant that players seeking some form of recompense for their troubles will have to look in other directions.

Despite this, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission has said that it will continue to forward any complaints that it receives to the police, but it has also advised that players should take any future complaints that they have directly to the police themselves. The memo from the commission did not make any mention of Full Tilt Poker's new owners, Groupe Bernard Tapie.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6901/european-poker-tour-chief-executive-officer-resigns Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:21:52 GMT The European Poker Tour is the biggest poker tour within Europe, attracting professional players from many countries; however, there has recently been a shake up within the organisational structure of the tour...

Chief executive officer of the European Poker Tour, John Duthie, has recently announced that he has resigned from his position; the announcement was made in the form of a post at 'TwoPlusTwo'.

Duthie founded the European Poker Tour after parting company with the world's largest online poker provider, PokerStars, back in December 2004. Duthie has been the driving force behind the tour, which has grown in stature and prestige at a steady annual rate ever since its conception.

In a statement about his resignation, Duthie said: "It is time to move on and to leave the EPT in the capable hands of the existing management team,

"It has been a fascinating and challenging seven years and I have watched the EPT grow phenomenally in that time, thanks to the support of the players and the professionalism of a great team on the ground.

Duthie was quick to highlight that his departure would not herald the end of the European Poker Tour, saying: "There are going to be some amazing opportunities coming up in 2012 and 2013 as the U.S. market prepares to open up for business once again and I want to be available to take on new challenges and to cement new relationships moving forward."

Duthie utilised his association with former employers PokerStars to grow his newly founded European Poker Tour into one of the largest in the world.

"Currently, they are the largest online poker site in the world and their dominance of the European market is in many ways thanks to the success of the European Poker Tour and the resultant massive exposure on European TV channels,” added Duthie.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6899/poker-legend-phil-ivey-sued-by-ex-wife Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:25:01 GMT 2011 has been a year filled with lawsuits for Phil Ivey; this trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future, as legal action is pursued by the poker legend's ex-wife...

Ivey has been in the media spotlight as the saga of his divorce has spilled into the public forum on several occasions already this year; a new chapter looks set to be added to that saga, as the Las Vegas Sun reports that Ivey's wife is not only suing him, but is also claiming that she has been cheated out of a large portion of the professional poker player's wealth.

Ivey's wife, Luciatta Ivey (who lives in Florida), has reportedly filed a lawsuit with the United States District Court of Nevada; Luciatta also claims that Ivey's former attorney David Chesnoff John Spilotra "failed to safeguard the financial interests of his client" – Luciatta also claims that Ivey and his attorneys "engaged in a combination and conspiracy"; this allegedly took place while the couple underwent divorce proceedings back in 2009.

This is not the first time that Ivey has been involved in a lawsuit this year; following the events of 'Black Friday', Ivey decided to sue his former employers at Full Tilt Poker. The legal action against his former employers did not last long as in yet another dramatic twist, news came to light that Ivey was in fact in debt to Full Tilt Poker. Soon after this fact emerged, Ivey soon dropped all legal action against his former employers.

As 2011 draws to a close, it is certain that the global poker community will be keeping a close eye on Ivey and the events that seem to frequently surround him.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6898/joe-hachem-takes-leave-of-pokerstarscom Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:19:49 GMT There has been plenty of change in the global poker community over the course of the past year; that change has been highlighted by the 'comings and goings' of various professional poker players...

The latest 'going' has been undertaken by the Australian professional poker player, Joe Hachem, who has recently announced that he will be parting ways with PokerStars.com.

The departure has come as a shock to many industry analysts, as Hachem has been a longstanding feature at PokerStars, having being a member of the Team Poker Stars for no less than six years. Hachem became a member of Team Poker Stars following his victory at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) back in 2005; since that career landmark, the Melbourne native has been the face of PokerStars.com throughout Australia.

The 45-year-old has recently commented on his rationale for taking leave of PokerStars.com, saying: “It’s been a great run with PokerStars.com and I’m proud of my association with the people and the company.

“But, it’s time for me to pursue other career opportunities and it will be fun to have some down time to spend with my family. I look forward to the future with much excitement and anticipation and will always have fond memories of my time at PokerStars.com,” he added.

Meanwhile, PokerStars.com have also commented on the Australian poker champion's departure.

“Joe has been a terrific endorser for PokerStars.com over the years and, while we are sad to see him leave the team, we are looking forward to continuing to watch him play,” said Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications for PokerStars.com.

“We thank him for all he’s done for our brand and for poker and we wish him all the best at the poker table and in life,” added Hollreiser.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6894/absolutepokercom-co-founder-pleads-guilty-to-criminality Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:03:48 GMT This year has been one of great upheaval in the global poker community; the dramatic poker events show no signs of coming to a halt as the year draws to a close...

The latest dramatic twist to hit the poker industry comes as one of the men who was indicted earlier in the year by the United States Government has now pleaded guilty to criminal actions in the ongoing case. Brent Buckley is the co-founder of AbsolutePoker.com; he was caught up in the United States Government's federal case against operators FullTiltPoker.com, PokerStars.com and his own company.

Buckley has recently pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy during a case being held in New York; he entered his plea last Tuesday at the US District Court, Manhattan – among the admissions from Buckley were that he was fully aware of violations of the law, as well as arranging for several US banks to process proceeds made through AbsolutePoker.com.

Buckley informed Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis that he “knew that it was illegal to deceive the banks”; the admission is thought to be part of a plea deal by Buckley, which could ultimately see him imprisoned for up to a year and a half. Many see the plea deal as an extremely easy option for Buckley, as the maximum sentence that can be imposed for such a crime is up to 30 years - Buckley is being prosecuted under the 'Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006'.

Buckley has now become the second defendant to plead guilty in the infamous 'Black Friday' case, after fellow defendant Bradley Franzen admitted to charges of bank fraud and handling of unlawful gambling funds.

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]]> http://poker.gamingsupermarket.com/news/6887/unibet-poker-let-customers-know-that-size-does-matter Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:13:51 GMT Unibet Poker is quickly becoming one of the most popular online poker destinations on the web; at the forefront of helping it to gain its notoriety has been its superb customer promotions, which don't look likely to be going anywhere anytime soon...

There has never been a better time than now to get in on the action at Unibet Poker, thanks to the launch of their superb 'size does matter' promotion – which is sure to leave many Unibet Poker customers more than a tad curious...

This latest promotion from Unibet Poker runs until December 15th; in essence, it allows players to challenge for a seat in one of the poker room's excellent free rolls – only it does so via quite a unique format. The major twist in the plot of Unibet Poker's new free roll system is this: the amount of chips that players start with in the game is entirely dependant on how many VIP points they manage to accumulate during a specified time period. To put it plainly, the more VIP points a player gets, the more chips that they will have to throw around when it is time to play their free roll game.

There are various tiers of VIP-to-chip amounts; 100-199 VIP points in the minimum that can be achieved, and leaves players with a 100-chip starting stack in the free roll. While 3000+ VIP points is the maximum amount that a player can amass, which will give them a massive advantage in the free roll thanks to a starting stack of 3,000 chips.

The top 20% of finishers in the free roll game will earn themselves a share of a whopping $10,000 prize pool; those interested in participating in this excellent promotion are advised to check out the full details at the Unibet 'Size Does Matter' promotion page.

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