Latest Worldwide Poker News

Yesterday, November 24, 2008, 5:44:28 PM | Dan Cypra

In an e-mail sent by affiliate group Chipleader to its business associates on Monday, it was revealed that CEREUS, the merged player base of Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, would launch on Tuesday. The formation of the network was originally announced back in July, but has since been put on hold. In the background has been the ongoing legal battle between Excapsa, the former owners of Ultimate Bet, and Tokwiro, its current ownership group. A reliable source at Ultimate Bet also confirmed the launch of CEREUS on Tuesday.

On November 5th, a press release distributed by Tokwiro stated that Excapsa had been ordered to pay the company $15 million which would be used to “refund players who were affected by the cheating scandal that Tokwiro inherited when it purchased the business from Excapsa.” During the course of the investigation by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), the organization that licenses Ultimate Bet, Russ Hamilton was identified as the main perpetrator behind the cheating scandal. Now that the legal battle has been settled, it appears that the green light was given for the launch of CEREUS, although no direct link between the two events has been made.

Information given by Ultimate Bet about CEREUS states, “CEREUS is the result of more than 12 months innovation and development to deliver a secure, responsive, and flexible online poker gaming experience for the entire UB community.” The player bases for Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker will be merged into one network, but players are expected to log on and play from their respective online poker rooms. However, player traffic will increase noticeably, as will promotions like the Bad Beat Jackpot, which the Chipleader e-mail stated will “double in size.”

On Saturday, an entry in the Ultimate Bet blog, which was generically authored by “The Card Room,” stated that CEREUS would be launching “very” soon. Right now, Ultimate Bet hosts a $200,000 Guaranteed tournament every Sunday. The $215 buy-in event nearly always sees an overlay, which means that the guarantee exceeds the actual prize pool of the event (the buy-in multiplied by the number of players). This weekend, 873 entrants flocked to UB for the $200K Guaranteed, meaning that the actual prize pool was $174,600. Ultimate Bet therefore covered a $25,400 overlay. The tournament was won by irishgirl08, who pocketed $45,000 for the win. Coming in second place was yellowhat, who scored a $27,000 payday. The top 90 spots paid out and the top five on the leader board cashed for at least $10,000.

Absolute Poker, which is also owned by Tokwiro, operates a $150,000 Guaranteed tournament every Saturday. The $530 buy-in tournament also consistently sees an overlay. This weekend, 250 players competed in the event, creating a $25,000 overlay. Emerging victorious from the pack was THEMESSS01, who scored $37,500 for the win. The top 36 spots paid out and the top four players banked at least five figures.

It’s unknown whether the major tournament schedule will change once CEREUS launches. For example, Tokwiro could elect to pool the resources of its two online poker rooms together and host a $350,000 guaranteed prize pool tournament weekly. This would be in similar fashion to how other poker networks structure their promotions. The largest weekly online poker tournament can be found on PokerStars, which runs a $1.5 million guaranteed event every Sunday.

The Bad Beat Jackpot on Ultimate Bet stands at $285,000 at the time of writing. It was last hit by hearts13 one week ago. The bad beat was worth $200,000 then. Special jackpot tables are available on Ultimate Bet. $0.50 from each pot is raked and goes towards the mammoth prize and in order to qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot, four eights must be defeated and both hole cards must be used to make up the final hands. The hand needs to go to showdown in order to qualify and collusion is strictly frowned upon.

Ultimate Bet is expected to issue a formal press release later today outlining more specifics on the transition to CEREUS. We’ll have more information for you right here on Poker News Daily.

Yesterday, November 24, 2008, 4:50:52 PM | Dan Cypra

On December 12th, a three judge Appeals Court panel will convene in Louisville, Kentucky. The group will hear oral arguments in a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names, including those belonging to some of the world’s largest online poker rooms such as PokerStars, Ultimate Bet, and Full Tilt Poker. Lawyers from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) will be among those present. Joe Brennan, Chairman of iMEGA, sat down with Poker News Daily to talk about what we can expect in the landmark case.

After a ruling on favor of the State was handed down by Judge Thomas Wingate in a Frankfort court room in October, lawyers from iMEGA and the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) filed a petition to the Kentucky Court of Appeals to intervene. The two organizations argued, among other things, that the owners of the 141 internet gambling domain names would suffer irreparable harm if their sites were ultimately forfeited. In essence, a formal appeal would be too late. iMEGA and the IGC noted that the State did not have jurisdiction to act in the first place. A three judge Appeals Court panel accepted the petitions and granted that the case be stayed, which essentially means that the final forfeiture hearing, which had been scheduled for December 3rd, is now postponed indefinitely.

On how critical it was that the Appeals Court panel ordered that the case be stayed, Brennan commented, “It’s important because everything from the beginning had been moving at a quick pace. The case got into court without notice to the domain owners and moved quickly for the seizures. Had iMEGA not gotten on the ground, who knows what could have happened.” On October 16th, Judge Wingate ordered that unless domain name owners blocked access by Kentucky residents, their URLs may be forfeited. In response, a flurry of online poker rooms, initially including the Merge Gaming Network and Microgaming Network, stopped accepting new Kentucky customers. The latter has since stopped taking new U.S. accounts entirely.

How the hearing and any subsequent developments in the case will play out is anyone’s guess. However, Brennan told Poker News Daily, “I believe that what you’ll have [on December 12th] are oral arguments. The Court has combined the hearing between the IGC and us. The Court can take petitions as they’ve been filed, entertain oral arguments, and then deliberate for a decision. I think that’s the way it will go.” Whether the proceedings will just occur on December 12th or over multiple days is currently unknown.

Many in the industry have wondered how the case has managed to advance as far as it has. If the State seized the domain names without proper jurisdiction and used dubious means to do so, then why has a formal forfeiture hearing already been scheduled? Brennan weighed in on this burning question: “I just think this was something so far beyond the norm of what Judge Wingate would see. You have a person with no judicial track record on this and he had no experience to draw upon. Usually, judges will err on the side of the State rather than a defendant in an unfamiliar action. When the Governor describes the industry in the most unsavory terms possible, you can see why it would have happened.”

The case will resume in Louisville at 10:00am Eastern Time on Friday, December 12th. We’ll have the latest for you as it develops right here on Poker News Daily.

Yesterday, November 24, 2008, 4:27:02 AM | Dan Cypra

Poker News Daily: How did you get started in poker?

Lynch: Like most people, after Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Main Event, everyone was playing. I got invited to a lot of home games and I stunk. I got tired of losing money, so I started learning the game and tried to figure out what to do. One of my friends pointed me towards PartyPoker and I put $50 on there and got really lucky at first. I ran up my bankroll to $300 and then it fell back down to $50 before I realized that I wasn’t very good. I started studying and started to take poker fairly seriously. Eventually, I got into tournaments. When I first started playing online in 2004, there were mainly just cash games available. I won an $11 rebuy on PokerStars in 2005 and it snowballed from there. I can’t point to any one incident that made things click. I just started running well.

PND: How do you balance your family life and poker life?

Lynch: I make sure to take two days per week off when I try to do nothing poker-related. It’s like the weekend for me. I try to start around the same time every day and play five to eight hours per day for a 40 hour week. Sundays are a little longer. I try to force myself to spend the rest of the time away.

Poker is a very addictive game when you can put an hourly rate on the time that you’re not sitting in front of the computer, which can make it difficult not to spend as much time as possible on it. I’ve gotten to experience a lot with my kids and they are so important to me. It’s one of the main benefits of playing poker as a career. I wouldn’t have been able to have so many experiences with my kids if I played 70-80 hours per week.

PND: Talk about deriving strength from your family.

Lynch: They keep me very balanced. A lot of players have problems with bankroll management. I have four mouths to feed, including mine, and that depends on not doing irresponsible things with my money.

PND: You’re an author as well. How did you get into that?

Lynch: I’ve always enjoyed writing. For a period of time, I wrote for PocketFives, CardPlayer Magazine, and Bluff Magazine. Even before poker, at my software engineering job, I wrote documents (which are really boring). It’s a way for me to give back. When I was coming up, I learned a lot of things from books, forums, and good players that were willing to take their thoughts and put them on paper. I enjoy doing the same thing.

It also helps me. It forces me to take a lot of ideas, think them out, and then articulate them. It helps me understand the concepts better. There are a lot of basics that, especially at a high level, you get away from. Getting back to the basics can help a lot, especially during a downswing. Forcing myself to explain what I’m doing constantly has helped me keep my play solid.

PND: What books did you find helpful?

Lynch: I read all of the standard books such as Theory of Poker and Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players. I read just about anything that I could get my hands on. When I first started, there were only a few good books out there. I’ve done so much that it reinforces concepts that I have. If I can only pick up one thing from reading a book, then it’s worth thousands of dollars, so it’s worth it.

Yesterday, November 24, 2008, 2:27:59 AM | Eric Lynch

As I am writing this, I have just returned from watching the World Series of Poker Main Event live at the Rio. I, like most poker players and fans around the world, was very curious to find out how all the hype and buildup around the three and a half months off would impact the final table. I have to say that even though I was quite skeptical at first, things seemed to play out pretty well. It seems to have boosted television ratings and brought some attention back to the game, so in that sense I think it was a very good thing for both the World Series of Poker and the game in general.

I had the good fortune of getting to help Darus Suharto prepare for the final table, so that allowed me the privilege of front row seats for the entire thing. It really is tough to cram nearly 16 hours of action into a mere two hours of television (much less after taking out commercials, announcements, and the occasional SportsCenter update) and I think ESPN does an incredible job in putting together a production that is good for both the players and fans, especially considering the time constraints they were under this year. Having said that, and having the good fortune to have seen things live and then see the taped version just a day later, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little about some of the things that I noticed at the table from a poker player’s perspective that may not have come through in the television broadcast.

The first thing that struck me was the initial pace of the action. It was super slow. For a while, a few of the pros next to me in Chino’s section (I believe it was Greg “FBT” Mueller and one of the Mizrachi brothers) were trying to come up with a good over/under line for how long it would take before we would see a flop. One of them tried to set the initial line at eight hands and then the other wanted it to be moved higher if they were taking the under. They never did come to an agreement, but it was close to two full orbits (18 hands) before we saw a single flop.

I didn’t actually see the 2007 coverage, but many people I talked to expected that after the way Jerry Yang won it last year, at least a few of the players would come out with guns blazing. No such thing occurred and play was VERY slow for the 25 minutes remaining in the level they started at and the entire next level. In fact, one thing that struck me in general about the entire final table is that most of the significant action in every hand was pre-flop, with very few flops being seen and even fewer turns and rivers. Part of this seems due to the shallow stacks, but a lot of it definitely has to do with the overall level of pre-flop action that goes on in today’s tournaments. This year more than ever, it really appeared to me that a lot of the World Series of Poker No Limit events were complex pre-flop chess matches with lots of raises and re-raises taking place. This isn’t necessarily true in the earlier levels, but as the blinds and antes get bigger, this is definitely a big part of the play. That’s just an observation though and not really a complaint or endorsement of this style of play.

Once the table got into more of a “flow,” the one thing that became obvious to me was Peter Eastgate was in control and largely being unchallenged. I believe part of this was due to his seat at the table. Early on, Ylon won a few big pots and most of the chips Dennis Phillips had ended up in his stack and then later Ivan’s stack. Peter was able to act after Ivan in every hand, essentially allowing him to know if the only stack that could do significant damage to him most of the tournament would be in any given pot with him before he had to make any decisions. I think that Peter played some amazing poker, but I think it really showed how important your table draws and position can be. Ivan and Peter, while both incredible players, both had the advantage of the most aggressive players at the table, notably Scott Montgomery and Chino Rheem, being directly to their right. Peter’s position was obviously more advantageous, as Ivan can be fairly aggressive in his own right. It probably also helped Peter some early that Kelly Kim held on as long as he did because none of the short stacks really wanted to go out before him, as the first pay jump was nearly $600,000.

Heads-up play was fun to watch. Only two hands were shown on television, but heads-up play lasted well over 100 hands. Ivan actually came out of the gate much faster, moving to about even and perhaps a few hands ahead of Peter in chips before Peter regained control. Ivan was definitely the more aggressive of the two players. Peter seemed to counter this aggression by playing a much more “trappy” style and generally letting Ivan bet his hands for him. Since Peter caught hands, this strategy worked brilliantly. Ivan probably could have adjusted by not making as many big multi-street bluffs and semi-bluffs, but I felt like Ivan played really well and just wasn’t hitting a whole lot.

All in all, I felt that this year’s final table had a much higher overall skill level than I’ve seen in a while. The last few years have seen some great players make it deep, but this year I just felt like there were virtually no weak spots at the table and every hand and chip was fought hard for. Congratulations to Peter Eastgate, now the youngest World Champion ever. Getting to see it all first-hand, not more than 20 feet from the table, was a great experience and I can’t wait until 2009 when I get another shot to be among the final nine.

Yesterday, November 24, 2008, 1:51:40 AM | Dan Cypra

The regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) were recently released and keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings was Keith Whyte, the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). The newly-created UIGEA rules, which are set to be implemented officially on January 19th, cut off funds for gamblers, but do not directly address the roots of problem gambling or allocate money for it.

Whyte commented on the rules as they relate to internet gambling: “Like a lot of gambling legislation, while proponents talk about helping people with gambling problems, [the end product is] only a very indirect means. It would be like cutting off money for people who drink. It doesn’t address the root cause. It just makes it harder for them to gamble in one venue.” Whyte added that no money allocated to enforce the UIGEA regulations is earmarked for problem gambling.

According to the NCPG’s website, problem gambling is marked by increased “preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, ‘chasing’ losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences.” Its website contains contact information for problem gambling counselors as well as literature covering the issue.

In terms of what existing online poker rooms are doing to address problem gambling, Whyte explained, “The online gambling industry has fallen into the trap of waiting for regulations before they address responsible gambling. I think that the industry should come out with a responsible gambling platform in advance of regulation. Most operators are reluctant to do a whole lot until a mandate comes down.” PokerStars, for example has a self-exclusion option that its members can register for. By doing so, customers can elect to have themselves blocked from hitting its felts for seven, 30, 60, or 120 days.

Full Tilt Poker encourages its members to e-mail Support with self-exclusion time frames ranging from 12 hours to 90 days. Deposits and withdrawals are not allowed during the specified time period and players are not permitted to end their exclusions early. Ultimate Bet has a similar procedure for self-exclusion. All three poker rooms suggest that problem gamblers install software such as GamBlock, which restricts access to online gambling sites.

Poker News Daily also asked Whyte to comment on the internet gambling squabble in Kentucky, where the State’s Governor, Steve Beshear, is attempting to seize control of 141 prominent internet gambling domain names. He noted, “If the State of Kentucky were to say that people should gamble on the Lottery because they deal with responsible gambling better, it would be a very tenuous statement. Kentucky spends less than $250,000 per year on problem gambling in the State. It’s better than nothing, but if online poker sites could stand up and say that Kentucky only does that and we do other innovative things, then maybe the court of public opinion would embrace it.”

Finally, with the worldwide economic slowdown, Whyte expects to see a growth of gambling offered to the general public throughout the United States: “I think that there will be expansion in terms of states legalizing new forms of gambling and loosening the regulations for existing forms.” For gamblers who may see an increased detrimental urge to risk money, the NCPG offers a hotline at 800-522-4700. The organization is based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1972 by Joseph A. Dunne and Dr. Robert Custer, among others.

Sunday, November 23, 2008, 11:13:35 PM | Dan Cypra

Today, many members of PokerStars were able to pick the brain of one of the top names in the poker industry. Three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and Team PokerStars Pro member Barry Greenstein held a Masterclass Eight Game Single Table Tournament, explaining the logic behind his every move and answering questions from observers along the way. The 60,000 Frequent Player Point buy-in tournament had a $6,000 prize pool. In the event that Greenstein finished in the money in the sit and go, he would donate his earnings to the Children Incorporated charity.

The eight games played by Greenstein and company on Sunday were Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha Eight or Better (Hi/Lo), Razz, Limit Seven Card Stud, Limit Stud Eight or Better (Hi/Lo), No Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. The tournament was played six-handed and the game changed every level. Limit 2-7 Triple Draw was the first game on the docket and the games rotated in the same order listed above. PokerStars commented on the uniqueness of playing eight different styles of poker with Greenstein: “Barry will be answering questions and showing his hole cards at every opportunity, so if you can’t play, be sure to watch.”

PokerStars is even going so far as to replay the tournament in its entirety, with all hole cards showing to the viewer, starting on November 30th. All players in the tournament received a copy of Greenstein’s book, “Ace on the River.” The book is listed at $25 and is famously signed by Greenstein and given to the player who busts him out of major tournaments. He also includes information about the poker champ’s final hand.

Greenstein won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2004 in a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw tournament, defeating Full Tilt Poker pro Chris Ferguson heads-up. The final table was anything but a walk in the park, as it also included Howard Lederer, cash game king Chau Giang, and World Poker Tour founder Lyle Berman. In 2005, Greenstein took down his second bracelet, winning a $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. Ferguson was also at the final table of that event.

In 2008, Greenstein scored his third bracelet by emerging victorious from a pack of 453 players in a $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Razz tournament. He owns three bracelets in three different genres of poker and has cashed in 13 disciplines in total in WSOP play. He has 37 cashes in World Series of Poker tournaments for a total of $2.1 million. His sixth place showing in the 2008 HORSE Championship was worth $355,200. That tournament was won by a disgruntled Scotty Nguyen, who pocketed nearly $2 million.

Every Sunday at 4:30pm ET, PokerStars hosts the $1.5 million Guaranteed Sunday Million. It previously was, as its name implies, a $1 million prize pool event. The buy-in is $215 and last week 7,799 entrants descended upon the online poker room for the event. Winning the marquee Sunday major tournament on November 16th was kesher79, who took home $195,976. Heads-up, the PokerStars member defeated rS.Wisdom, who pocketed a consolation prize worth $132,143. The top 1,170 spots paid out and the five best players banked over $50,000. The tournament presents a rare opportunity to turn $200 into a house payment in a matter of a few hours.

Also held on PokerStars every Sunday are the Warm-Up and Second Chance, which boast $750,000 and $250,000 guaranteed prize pools, respectively.

Sunday, November 23, 2008, 4:32:51 AM | Dan Cypra

Earlier this month, some Chinese television viewers noticed something a little bit different on their dials. Hitting the airwaves on Nanjing Entertainment Television in the Jiangsu province was the Traktor Poker Tour. A World Poker Tour sponsored tournament series, the Traktor Poker Tour became the “first government sanctioned nationally-televised poker competition in China,” according to a press release distributed by WPT officials on Friday.

Nine programming hours of Season I of the Traktor Poker Tour Grand Finals will air in total. The tournament series is also already in high gear for its second season. Last year, World Poker Tour Enterprises, which is the parent company of the highly-successful American poker franchise, inked a 10 year agreement with the China Leisure Sports Administrative Center (CLSAC) to market poker in China. It was one of the first ventures by the California-based company to expand a variation of its product outside of the traditional Texas Hold’em poker markets.

In a press release from August of last year, World Poker Tour Founder, President, and CEO Steve Lipscomb commented, “Poker, especially Tuo La Ji Poker, requires a great amount of skill and passion, both key ingredients in creating dynamic and engaging sports television. We look forward to applying our expertise revolutionizing televised poker in the United States to help bring this exciting sport to Chinese television for the first time.”

Since then, the WPT has focused on building internet and mobile platforms for its hallmark Chinese game. Traktor Poker uses two decks of cards with jokers and is a team competition. Points are accrued for the cards contained in each “trick” won by teams and trump suits also mix the game up.

Gambling in China is centered in Macau, where two major Asian poker tours, the PokerStars-sponsored Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and the Asian Poker Tour (APT) both recently conducted tournaments. Yevgeniy Timoshenko, also known as “atimos” online, took down the 2008 installment of the APT Macau tournament, pocketing $500,000. He defeated Joon Hee Yea heads-up. The APT lured some of poker’s biggest stars to Macau, including “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson, his son Todd, APT Philippines winner David Saab, 10 time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Johnny Chan, PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main Event winner J.C. Tran, and 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event winner John Juanda.

The APPT Macau event was held in September and was won by American Edward Sabat, who took home $453,000. There were 538 entrants and also finishing in the money were David Chiu, Carter Gill, Quinn Do, Juanda, and Aussie Millions winner Lee Nelson. In both the APT and APPT events, the name of the game was Texas Hold’em.

In the United States, the World Poker Tour is gearing up for its Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, which kicks off on December 13th from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The $15,000 buy-in tournament will crown a champion six days later. Each player will start with 45,000 chips and blind levels will run for 90 minutes. Blinds start at 50-100 and antes kick in beginning in Level 3. In the WPT’s last tournament, Jonathan Little, who is known in the online poker world as “FieryJustice,” pocketed $1.1 million for his win in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals. Also at the final table were Jonathan Jaffe, Charles Marchese, David Pham, Jack Schanbacher, and Full Tilt Poker pro Mike Matusow.

Sunday, November 23, 2008, 3:36:50 AM | Dan Cypra

ESPN World Series of Poker commentator Lon McEachern is one of the most recognizable faces in the poker industry. Fresh off the production of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, McEachern sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the process of airing poker. He also shares how he got his start in the industry and reveals what Norman Chad is really like when the cameras stop rolling.

Poker News Daily: What led you to become a broadcaster?

McEachern: Major league baseball scouts ignored me when I was playing baseball at the city college in Santa Barbara and so I needed a backup career. I had always been interested in broadcasting. My dad was in television in the early days back in the 1950s and my brother got into it as well. When baseball did not work out for me, and that was my original career path, I decided to take up broadcasting like the men in the family before me. At UC Santa Barbara, I got into all of the communications classes I could, worked at the college radio station, got a job in commercial radio in Santa Barbara, and worked my way up from the small time.

PND: How did you become involved in announcing poker?

McEachern: After several years of small town television, I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area and got a job as a freelance sports guy in San Francisco. I started working around and got hooked up with ESPN because they were owned by the same company at the same time. I started working as a play by play announcer and freelance host in 1993. I worked with a number of producers. As you go through, you become your own best agent. Different producers know each other and through word of mouth ask who you use.

It was the 2002 Main Event that I got a call to do. A producer knew a producer and recommended me. I did that show with Gabe Kaplan and it was a one-off thing at the time. ESPN came back a few months later and decided that they were going to do six episodes in 2003. They called me since I had done the last poker show for them. Luckily, Chris Moneymaker won.

PND: Explain how the process of commentating on poker hands works. Where do the scripts come from and when do you record the show?

McEachern: The only real scripts that we have are the show open and the show close along with any feature material we might have that has been pre-produced. Norman and I are given a show outline. We know up front what the hands are going to be. The call of the hand is not scripted. That’s when Norman can be Norman and the chemistry between the two of us, which we’re lucky enough to have, will hopefully emerge. The goal of the shows is to have them voiced a week ahead of time before they air. By the time we get in the sound booth, we’re working pretty much with a finished product. We look at it as doing the hands live. There’s not much of a script when we get into the booth, which is nice.

PND: How long does it normally take to record a two hour episode of the WSOP and what is the mood like on the set?

McEachern: They’re unique to anything I’ve ever worked on. To take a multi-hour event like the final table and compress it into one or two hours is very difficult to do when your goal is to accurately relay the main storylines, personalities, and actual competition to the viewers. In the final product, the producers use every frame of video they have to move the show and the storyline forward. The voicing of the show really has the goal of making sure that those storylines come through to fruition. If we’re lucky, there’s a lot of table talk that we need to talk around. A lot of times, that can be dicey to get in and out and do that right. There are a lot of factors that go into the voicing of the show.

It takes a day to the show. We’ll go in the sound booth in the morning and make a run at it and get through the show. We’ll take a lunch break and then all of the producers, including the Executive Producer, will come in and we’ll all watch the show, segment by segment, take notes, and share notes. At the end of that session, which lasts for a couple of hours, we’ll go back into the booth and fix anything.

I do a lot of fighting shows for ESPN. I do an MMA show on NBC. For those, if I come in prepared, I sit down, do the show, and we can do a number of them in one day. Poker can be tedious and it can make for long days, but the final product is worth it.

PND: You’ve had a chance to cover some of the most interesting storylines and characters in poker. Are there any that stand out?

McEachern: I think it’s the old days that I really enjoy. In the early days that we were televising the World Series, the names and personalities that came out so strong then still hold a near and dear place in my heart. I still get asked all of the time about Sammy Farha, who of course finished second to Chris Moneymaker and had the Humphrey Bogart look that made such an impression on the viewers. During Sam Grizzle’s show we did, he was like a rusty barb in Phil Hellmuth’s side. There are just some priceless moments that stick with me. We’re always getting new characters, but the original ones that we brought forward on the ESPN shows really stand out. They’re still fresh in people’s minds.

PND: We all know what Norman Chad is like when he’s on screen. Can you tell us what he’s like when the cameras stop rolling?

McEachern: What you see is what you get. Norman is cynical and funny. I respect what Norman brings to the show so much. He has incredible journalistic integrity. He’s the backbone of the show. I really respect his opinions. We’ve become very good friends. We’ll spend the whole day together in the sound booth and then still go have dinner and have a fun time. He has a great heart. He loves kids. Once you’ve known him for a while, don’t be surprised if two frozen pizzas end up on your doorstep mailed from his favorite Chicago pizza joint. He’s that kind of guy.

PND: Are there any big changes regarding the WSOP on ESPN planned for the future? What keeps the show fresh?

McEachern: Not that I know of. We generally have a meeting early each year to talk about what we’ve done and share thoughts for the coming year. We’re still trying to recover from the tremendous effort that everyone put forth for the Main Event final table. As far as keeping it fresh, I give all of the credit to the players. If we do our job, it all comes down to the players.

Poker is such a fascinating game. You have nine people competing in a restricted arena of a table. You have big money and the blind structures force weaker players to act. Poker creates its own drama. If we can be a really good fly on the wall and good reporters at the same time, it will stay fresh forever.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 8:42:13 PM | Brett Collson

The hunt for a new L.A. Poker Classic tournament director has come to a close with the announcement that world famous event manager Matt Savage will take the reins at Commerce Casino come January.

Savage, most recognized for his work with the World Series of Poker during the poker boom, will attempt to make the same type of transition at the World’s Largest Poker Room.

“Being Tournament Director at the Commerce Casino is great opportunity for me,” Savage told Poker News Daily. “I have always felt that the L.A. Poker Classic is one of the four major tournaments in poker and it is my goal to take it to the next level of prestige.”

Savage will take over for longtime L.A. Poker Classic tournament director Cheri Dokken, who retired earlier this month. Tim Gustin, casino manager at Commerce Casino, said management was searching for someone who already had a lot of experience handling prestigious, big-money events, as well familiarity with television production crews. Savage fit the job description perfectly.

“The Commerce is the largest poker room in the world and the L.A. Poker Classic is one of the greatest events in tournament poker,” Savage added to Poker News Daily. “I am honored to have the chance to improve on the high standard already set by Cheri and the Commerce staff.”

According to Commerce Casino Development Manager John Griffo, Savage possesses a lot of personal characteristics that make him the perfect person to replace Dokken, who had been the Commerce Casino’s tournament director since 2000.

“Savage is seen as one of the top tournament directors in this country, if not the world,” says Griffo. “A lot of that has to do with his reputation for running smooth, fair tournaments. But he also oversees tournaments as if he was hosting a party. He is well liked and connects on a personal level with everyone. That is something L.A. Poker Classic players have become accustomed to at Commerce Casino, and I believe that will continue with Savage at the helm.”

In 2001, along with Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher and David Lamb, Savage founded the Tournament Directors Association, an organization that works to standardize poker tournament rules all over the world. The TDA has become the worldwide standard for tournament rules and is now used in most major tournaments. Savage became the inaugural inductee into the Poker Room Manager’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

Savage was invited to manage the World Series of Poker in 2002 and aided in the event’s explosion within a matter of years. He has also directed televised poker games for shows on ESPN, GSN, Fox Sports and Travel Channel.

The WPT L.A. Poker Classic will run from Thursday, January 22 through Monday, March 2, 2009. Phil Ivey will attempt to repeat as the winner of the 2008 main event.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 7:01:29 PM | Earl Burton

In a heartfelt e-mail sent to the members of the World Poker Association, founder and professional poker player Jesse Jones made an passionate plea for members to step up and assist him in the running of the three year old organization.

The e-mail detailed the tumultuous history of the WPA, which Jones started with $100,000 of his own money back in 2005. “The mission was to represent tournament poker players worldwide, establish uniform tournament rules, procedures, structures and payouts and to improve playing conditions for players,” Jones stated at the beginning of the letter, which was sent to the 1400 member organization. He then went on to discuss how the organization has grown and some of the problems that it has faced.

Jones, a throat cancer survivor, admitted that his own health issues prevented him from continuing in a leadership role with the WPA. With this in mind, an original Board of Directors was chosen by the membership in 2007 and an entirely new Board was seated at the beginning of this year. It was at this point that some problems emerged.

“I disagreed with the leadership as I felt they had been “pushed through” and made my feelings known to some of the board members,” Jones stated. He also disagreed with the assessment of yearly membership fees and other ideas that the newly elected Board was bringing up. Two weeks after the leadership of the WPA was chosen, nearly all the members, save Jones and fellow pro Blair Rodman, had resigned their positions, leaving Jones and Rodman to helm the organization.

Rodman left the Board soon afterwards and Jones has been diligently attempting to advance the cause of the WPA. During the run of events at the 2008 World Series of Poker, Jones says, “I had very serious discussions with an individual who was planning an international tour and sharing the proceeds with the players. Those discussions ended because of philosophical differences.” He also stated that he had other discussions with some prominent players about taking more of a leadership role with the WPA as well, but that the people he had spoken with were not able to step up at this time.

“I take full responsibility for falling short in leading the WPA,” Jones admitted in the e-mail. “For whatever reason the right mix of leadership or the lack of proper marketing of the WPA has prevented the WPA from growing into a size befitting tournament poker.” With that stated, Jones has sent the call for some of the membership to step up and assist him with the future of the WPA.

“I welcome three to five individuals who have leadership skills and business expertise to send me an email with their interest and background,” Jones said. “Being a board member means devoting time once a month at board meetings, via conference calls or in person, and devoting additional time to special projects or committees.” He also is potentially seeking support from major players in the online poker world.

Jones finished his message by saying, “When I put in $100,000 of my own funds to found the WPA, I did it with the knowledge that it may fail and the money may go waste. I was encouraged by the initial response and support. It’s up to you, the members, whether it succeeds in its mission.” For more details on the World Poker Association and perhaps join in advancing it towards their goals, visit the World Poker Association website and contact founder Jesse Jones there.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 6:37:53 PM | Dan Cypra

Poker News Daily has learned that the fifth season of the popular cash game television series “High Stakes Poker” will be filmed at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas from December 19th to 21st. The minimum buy-in will be $200,000 and the show will once again air on cable station GSN, which also owns the rights to air the sixth season of the World Poker Tour. The $200,000 price tag is the “largest buy-in for an entire run of a television series,” according to a press release distributed by GSN on Thursday.

The Executive Producers of High Stakes Poker are two of the top names in the poker business, Henry Orenstein and Mori Eskandani. Orenstein was just inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame alongside poker legend Dewey Tomko during the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event final table. Orenstein, according to WSOP officials, holds over 100 patents, including ones related to Sesame Street toys, Snoopy toys, and Transformers. He famously holds patent number 5,451,054, the rights to the hole card camera in poker. Now embedded either in the ring of a table or beneath a glass window, the hole card camera helped propel poker into a true spectator sport.

In the press release sent out to the media by GSN, Orenstein commented, “High Stakes Poker, by a wide margin, has become a must-see on GSN for poker players and poker fans all over the world. We are happy to bring back the top amateurs and professionals risking hundreds of thousands of their money in the new season.” GSN recently moved its poker programming, which consists of High Stakes Poker and the World Poker Tour, to Sunday nights. Coincidentally, Fox Sports Net, which owns the rights to air the seventh season of the WPT, will also air its poker programming on Sunday nights. The first five seasons of the WPT aired on The Travel Channel.

Orenstein is a Holocaust survivor and also the proud owner of a World Series of Poker Bracelet. He took down a $5,000 buy-in Seven Card Stud tournament in 1996 for $130,000, defeating a competitive final table that also included PokerStars pro Humberto Brenes, Cyndy Violette, T.J. Cloutier, and WPT Host and Poker News Daily columnist Mike Sexton. Orenstein finished eighth in the 1995 WSOP Main Event for $51,900, the year that Dan Harrington won, and placed 12th in poker’s biggest tournament two years prior.

On the fifth season of High Stakes Poker, Eskandani commented, “I am very excited about the mix of players that we will bring together for this next season of High Stakes Poker. Viewers are in for a thrill.” GSN officials told Poker News Daily that the cast for the show is still being finalized. More details will be released in the beginning of December after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

High Stakes Poker pits some of the world’s top poker pros against each other in a televised cash game. It is hosted by “Welcome Back Kotter” star Gabe Kaplan and A.J. Benza. Past seasons have featured poker pros Daniel Negreanu, Jamie Gold, Phil Ivey, and CardRunners instructor Brian Townsend. Barry Greenstein famously uttered “lol donkaments” and raised $10,000 for charity on one episode of the show, which has become a part of many poker fans’ weekly schedule.

Season V will be filmed at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. Past seasons have included stops at the South Point Casino and The Palms. Justin McVay, Public Relations Manager for the Golden Nugget, told Poker News Daily, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Game Show Network in filming the fifth season of High Stakes Poker. The Golden Nugget is known for exciting poker events and we feel it just makes sense to bring a program like High Stakes Poker to our property. It’s a perfect fit for the players, the fans, and the Golden Nugget.”

Friday, November 21, 2008, 5:31:57 PM | Earl Burton

When the argument about the best female player in the game is debated, there are a host of names that come to the list. From the female pioneers in the game, such as Barbara Enright and Wendeen Eolis, to current stars such as Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman to even Annette Obrestad, who many think may be the future of poker, the list is highly contentious. For longevity, success and continued drive at the tables, poker professional Cyndy Violette has to be added to that list.

Violette, who was born in Queens, NY and grew up in Las Vegas, was indoctrinated into poker by her family. She played card games with them but it took some time before she was drawn to the game of poker. Violette learned the games the way many players have: by working blackjack and poker tables.

In 1984, Cyndy began playing poker tournaments (in her favorite form of poker, Seven Card Stud) and amassed a small bankroll. She continued to have strong performances at the table and this drove her to leave the dealer’s box and take on poker full time. In 1986 at the Golden Nugget, Violette earned a victory that was, at that time, the largest ever tournament win for a female ($74,000).

After some time away from the game and some difficulties in her personal life, Violette returned to the poker table. In 1994, Cyndy returned to having successful finishes and altogether has cashed in fifty tournaments in her lifetime, with five of those coming at the most recent World Series of Poker. Cyndy is also the proud owner of a WSOP bracelet, which she won in 2004 in the $2000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event. Her tournament earnings in her career exceed $1.2 million and she is in the Top Ten when it comes to earnings by a female player.

Violette is a strong believer in a positive outlook on life and especially at the tables. This helps her tremendously and gives her the ability to concentrate on the game and not let the downswings of luck send her into tilt. Her sunny demeanor can also throw off her opponents, as her calm exterior and smile have an effect on whomever comes against her. Cyndy is arguably one of the better readers of board texture, most likely from her days in Seven Card Stud, and can escape the well-planned traps that many may spring at the No Limit table.

Now approaching the 25th anniversary of her start in the professional poker world, Cyndy Violette has proven that she is one of the best players in the game, male or female. As she continues on the poker trail, it is without doubt that Cyndy will continue to be one of the best players in the game in whatever discipline of poker is on the table.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 5:13:43 PM | Dan Cypra

Poker News Daily has confirmed that Cake Poker is no longer accepting new customers from the state of Kentucky. A reliable source at Cake Poker told Poker News Daily, “We still continue to accept U.S. players, except players from Kentucky.” The ban on new players from Kentucky went into effect about a week ago.

The trouble in Kentucky started in September when its Governor, Steve Beshear, ordered the seizure of 141 internet gambling domain names. They included those belonging to popular online poker rooms PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, Absolute Poker, Doyle’s Room, and Cake Poker. In a court room in Frankfort, Kentucky, the state’s capital, lawyers for the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) argued that Kentucky did not have jurisdiction to seize domain names, that violations of due process occurred, and that Beshear’s actions infringed on the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.

In his ruling dated October 16th, Circuit Court judge Thomas Wingate upheld the seizure order and scheduled a final forfeiture hearing in the case. However, he added that companies that ceased taking customers from Kentucky would be absolved from further legal action. His mandate read, “Any of the Defendants 141 Domain Names… who on or before 30 days from entry of this Opinion and Order, installs the applicable software or device… which has the capability to block and deny access to their online gambling sites… shall be relieved of the effects of the Seizure Order.”

Both iMEGA and the IGC filed writs to the Kentucky Court of Appeals urging intervention in the case. The groups argued that the Commonwealth of Kentucky did not have jurisdiction to act and that the 141 internet gambling domain names would suffer irreparable harm if their URLs were forfeited. Should this occur, the domain would not only be inaccessible for users in Kentucky, but also all over the world. The Court of Appeals granted motions to stay the case. Oral arguments are now scheduled for December 12th in a Louisville court room.

Despite the fact that the case is stayed, several internet gambling sites have stopped taking customers from Kentucky. The Merge Gaming Network was one of the first to act. Sites that make their home on the Network include CarbonPoker, PDC Poker. Poker Nordica, Iron Duke, Rumble Poker, Spin32Poker, Reefer Poker, RPM Poker, and ACED. Existing customers from Kentucky are able to play as normal.

Originally, the Microgaming Network also exited the Kentucky market, doing so by enforcing a ban on customers from 13 states using IP blocking technology. However, the Microgaming Network recently stopped taking new U.S. customers entirely. Sites on the Microgaming Network include 32Red Poker, Intertops Poker, PokerTime, Royal Vegas Poker, Ladbrokes, Betway, Unibet, Pokerwize, Doyle’s Room, Gnuf, and Eurolinx.

A three judge Appeals Court panel will hear the case in December. Judges Caperton, Keller, and Taylor issued the order to stay the case at the lower court level, which means that the final forfeiture hearing, which had been scheduled for December 3rd, is now postponed indefinitely. Several groups have filed amicus briefs in the Kentucky case including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

The PPA’s brief asserts that poker is a game of skill, which it argues is legal under Kentucky state law: “It is therefore undisputed that poker hands are not usually won or lost based upon the cards held by the players, and that the skill involved in betting, checking, raising, and folding greatly overwhelms the element of chance contained in the turn of the cards.” Bluffing, for example, involves scooping a pot without having the best hand.

Cake Poker offers its customers $4.5 million in monthly guarantees including a $250,000 prize pool tournament on the final Sunday of the month. A $100,000 guaranteed tournament runs on all other Sundays. The online poker room is licensed and regulated by the country of Curacao, which is just off the coast of Venezuela.

Friday, November 21, 2008, 3:20:13 PM | Jeremy Olson

The Quick Summary

bwin Poker has been operating since the dawn of online poker, after opening in 1999. bwin is truly one of the veterans of online poker and it shows in their software and large player base. This room also does an excellent job of catering to people all over the globe: bwin Poker is available in 22 languages.

Popularity: 9.5 of 10 - Excellent

bwin is part of the OnGame Network, which is one of the biggest networks in the world; this gives bwin members access to the giant player base OnGame offers. Most of the room’s traffic will be found at the Texas Hold’em tables, but players can still find a decent Omaha game at any time of the day. The tournaments draw a lot of players too, since bwin hosts one every five minutes.

Security: 9.5 of 10 - Excellent

In order to protect their players’ personal and financial data, bwin uses advanced encryption technology from VeriSign. In addition to its encryption technology, VeriSign is also one of the top providers of online transaction security. In short, bwin players won’t have to worry about their money being stolen or personal data getting hacked into.

Player Competition: 7 of 10 - Good

Unlike a lot of poker rooms which also offer casino/sportsbooks, bwin players aren’t terrible: they know how to play the game and don’t make stupid mistakes. This isn’t to say that everyone is good though; plenty of fish can be found playing in the lower stakes games at bwin, which evens out the competition.

Site Software: 9 - Very Good

Since bwin has been around a while, they have had time to work all the kinks out of their software. OnGame has done a good job in making sure bwin players won’t have any trouble with the software. There is certainly nothing fancy about the design of the lobby or tables, but this is because everything is geared towards usability and reliability.

Customer Support: 8 of 10 - Good

bwin provides its members with several different ways to contact the customer support staff. There is e-mail, fax, and telephone support for those who can’t find an answer to their question or inquiry in the FAQ section.

The telephone number is 00350-200-777-61, and people can get a hold of a representative from 10:00 - 22:00 (GMT+1) on any day of the week. The fax number for bwin is 0043-1-5856044-18 while e-mails are sent through a contact form on the site. If there is any complaint about the support it is that there is no live chat option offered.

Company Ethics: 10 of 10 - Excellent

Few companies care about their players as much as bwin does, and this is evidenced by the fact that they’ve got a special department dedicated to responsible gaming. This corporate social responsibility department aims to prevent gambling addiction and looks at ways to constantly improve the company’s ethics. bwin also does everything possible to ensure that minors don’t play poker at their site.

Site Promotions: 7 of 10 - Average

bwin Poker used to be one of the worst rooms in terms of promotions since they didn’t even offer a deposit bonus. However, this has changed in recent years and the site now offers a standard $100 signup bonus as well as other promos. The $100,000 Freeroll is always a hit, and bwin gives players the chance to win land-based tournament seats too.

Overall Review: 8.57 of 10

With a huge player base, reliable software, and outstanding dedication to company ethics, bwin Poker looks to be around for a long time. The promotions and customer support could still use some work, but they’re definitely adequate when compared to other online poker rooms.

Final Result: We give bwin Poker a final overall score of 8.57 out of 10

Thursday, November 20, 2008, 9:48:29 PM | Dan Cypra

A software update for popular online poker room Absolute Poker recently caused confusion among customers when the security program AVG identified a component of it as a Trojan Horse. In response, Absolute Poker sent out an e-mail to concerned users explaining the situation. Poker News Daily sought explanation from Absolute Poker as well as feedback from a customer who experienced the abnormality.

Poker News Daily spoke with Jared Detwiler, who signed up for Absolute Poker in hopes of playing in a freeroll on the site. He told us that when he logged onto Absolute Poker, “My anti-virus asked if I wanted to allow the Trojan. I figured Absolute Poker was reliable and allowed it. After this, Absolute Poker was completely disabled and there was no way for me to log on.”

The e-mail sent to Poker News Daily from Absolute Poker stated, “With the implementation of the new banners on the AP application, the AVG antivirus recognized the interaction between those banners and the Microsoft Internet Explorer as a potential virus.” The e-mail noted that Absolute Poker developers have been in contact with AVG programmers in order to update the virus definitions and stop the error from occurring. When AVG starts, the program typically checks for updates automatically in order to ensure that users are protected. AVG offers both a free and a paid premium version.

In order to reinstall Absolute Poker properly, customers are instructed to go to “Start,” “Control Panel,” and “Add / Remove Programs.” Then, select Absolute Poker and uninstall the file. Once this is complete, open “My Computer,” access the C Drive, and then open “Program Files” to delete any straggling Absolute Poker files. Then, open Internet Explorer and click on “Tools” in the top menu bar. Delete all temporary internet files and cookies. Download Absolute Poker and run it.

Absolute Poker’s statement to Poker News Daily continued, “To perform a [virus] update, the customer just needs to right click over the AVG icon located at the bottom right of the Windows Taskbar and select Update.” AVG will then take a few minutes to download and install updated virus definitions. If this is performed manually, the software will oftentimes prompt a user before it updates the definition file. Players with additional questions are urged to e-mail Techsupport@AbsolutePoker.Com.

However, for many poker players, having to uninstall programs, delete cookies, and erase internet files can be a burdensome task, especially for users who are not particularly computer savvy. Detwiler explained that he had not yet contacted Absolute Poker “because I wanted to try them out with the freeroll and hopefully everything would work out. Basically, I just gave up and figured it was their loss.”

The issues with potential Trojan Horses seem to be isolated to AVG, as opposed to other anti-virus software programs like Norton and McAfee.

Absolute Poker is owned by Tokwiro, the same company that has ownership interest in online poker room Ultimate Bet. Its flagship tournament is a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool event that runs every Saturday at 16:30 ET. The tournament comes with a $530 price tag and regularly sees an overlay, which means that the $150,000 guarantee exceeds the actual prize pool. Last week, the tournament attracted 280 entrants and was won by Jon apestyles Van Fleet, who cashed for $37,500. Heads-up, Van Fleet defeated World Poker Tour Bellagio Cup IV winner Mike “SirWatts” Watson, who finished second for $24,000. The top 36 spots paid out.

Thursday, November 20, 2008, 8:18:34 PM | Dan Cypra

The Free Poker Experience, which is a representative of the Free Poker Network, has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The organization, which operates free Texas Hold’em tournaments in bars and other establishments around the country, is looking to break into the New York market. Standing in its way is the New York State Penal Law.

According to a press release distributed by the Free Poker Network on Thursday, the Law in New York states “that playing any game wherein you risk ‘something of value’ is gambling. The State further defines ‘something of value’ as anything… ‘involving entertainment or a privilege of playing at a game or scheme without charge.’” Its lawsuit centers on, among other areas, the fact that free tournaments similar to the ones that the company desires to organize are permitted in other industries besides poker. The suit claims, “The statute denies equal protection of the laws, is arbitrary and capricious, selectively applied and enforced, and is in violation of other constitutional rights.”

Benjamin Scheck, Managing Member of the Free Poker Experience, told Poker News Daily, “The law is wrong. If you risk nothing to play, then it shouldn’t be considered gambling. If you rule against us, we expect the State to storm the Harvard Club and the Yale Club and arrest anyone who plays bridge on Tuesday nights.” Scheck added that this selective enforcement means that poker is being singled out, hence the impetus for the organization’s lawsuit.

The Free Poker Network believes it can sign up 1,000 bars and restaurants in the State of New York if free poker were explicitly legal, meaning revenue of $60,000 per week. The notoriety gained by virtue of winning a landmark court case and being the first to enter the market would help drive sales. However, it does not want to jeopardize its status legally as well as the liquor and other operational licenses of the bars in question. Its contract for New York State licensees actually includes a clause that states, “This agreement shall take effect and be binding upon the parties only upon the courts of New York having entered a final declaratory judgment that free poker… is in all respects legal under the laws of New York.”

When the company signs up a new bar, for example, it charges a $60 fee each week that the free poker tournament is run. The Free Poker Network takes a commission and then uses the remaining portion for prize money. Right now, over 400 establishments host the game. Prizes include seats to the World Series of Poker, seats to the World Poker Tour’s Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio, WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star seats, Heartland Poker Tour entries, Playstation 3 gaming consoles, custom poker tables, and more.

The lawsuit further explains, “Suit is plaintiff’s only option to resolve this controversy.” In terms of the discriminatory aspects of the enforcement of the law, the brief explains, “When justices and divines are playing bridge at the Harvard Club, the [State Liquor Authority] does not apply the [Alcoholic Beverage Control Law] or the Penal Law. They wouldn’t dare. When chess players are in their clubs or in Washington Square Park playing on concrete tables built by New York City and partially funded by defendant – what police officer is going to arrest them?”

The Free Poker Network operates games in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Scheck told Poker News Daily that he plans to file a lawsuit in New Jersey as well as 28 other states where free poker tournaments are problematic. The suit is being funded by Scheck and two partners. Free Poker Experience, LLC is based in St. Louis, Missouri.