Poker for PS3

Written by Nigel

Here’s more for us poker lovers.  It seems to me that this is an exciting year for poker!

Sony Online Entertainment is developing High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition for the PlayStation 3. The game is anticipated to be available for digital download through the PlayStation Network this Winter for US$10.

High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition will give players a chance to show off their skills in Texas Hold’em, Super Hold’em, Billabong, Tahoe and Shanghai. Each of the five different styles of poker can be played as limit, pot limit or no limit poker. Multiplayer is available for all games, and will allow up to six people to play together on one table at a time, in high definition up to 1080p.

“Being among the first PlayStation Network publishers to release a game that takes advantage of the EyeToy USB Camera (for PlayStation 2) and other PC compatible USB cameras is not only exciting, but also puts the player into a realistic game play setting featuring live audio and video feed,” said Michael Lustenberger, VP of Marketing for Sony Online Entertainment.

Players have the option to log in for a quick match or play through a whole season. The game also offers a Turbo Mode to power through the tournament circuit to advance a player’s career. In addition, players can track their stats and see how they compare to others through online leader boards, and used points earned to unlock items for their customisable character.

For those who have PS3s (who doesn’t want one???) then this should be something to look forward to!

Poker Players Alliance

Written by Nigel

Good news to poker players in the United States.  We all have heard about the Internet Gambling Act which has limited – if not cut off – playing for money online.  After the first few months, the outcry seemed to have died down.  However, here is something that will give heart to those who have been affected by the ban.

The Poker Players Alliance has revealed that its grassroots organization, headed by the honorable former Senator of New York State Alfonse D’Amato, has ballooned to 500,000.
Over the weekend, D’Amato expressed how prohibition has failed repeatedly throughout United States history and will fail again with certain politicians attempts to quash online poker (a la Senator Jon Kyl out of Arizona).

An animated D’Amato predicted just as the prohibition of the 1920s failed, so too will today’s restrictions of Internet poker. “Only meaningful regulation of online poker, like the Frank plan, will produce positive outcomes for the players, children, the economy, the taxpayer, and society in general.”

Amato expressed his views in the Boston Herald.  “Perhaps the biggest government blunders in U.S. history have been prohibitions,” wrote D’Amato in the Herald. “The prohibition against alcohol led to black market smuggling and speakeasies, and reaped huge profits for organized crime. Today, the prohibition on Internet gambling promises to funnel players underground, diminishing society’s ability to deal with serious challenges such as underage and problem gambling, and, more importantly, interferes with the right to individual liberty and privacy.”

It is nothing concrete but it is better than nothing.

Sharing Texas Hold ‘Em

Written by Nigel

The other night I went with some friends to their home town in the outskirts of the city.  Not really knowing anyone there, I was quite apprehensive that I would be bored or feel out of place.  Anyway, I went down there not expecting much.  It turned out to be an unfounded fear as the people were very friendly and accommodating.  More than that, they loved to play cards.

Unfortunately, the kind of card game they were playing was alien to me.  After a few hands, they asked me to join in so I took the chance and asked them if they have ever played Texas Hold ‘Em.  Believe it or not, they had never heard of it!  So I got pretty excited and asked them if they would like to learn.  It all began there…

We started off a bit awkwardly, with me having to explain every little thing to each of them (there were four of us initially).  After several hands, though, they got the concept well.  We did not really play for money but we used coins as chips.  As a testament to the “funness” of this game, after an hour or so, we had about 6 players at the table!  The funny thing is that I found myself losing quite more than I normally do.  Call it beginner’s luck or whatever but I had fun anyway.

Now I am not one to dwell much on things but that night reminded me of something.  Playing poker can be fun with out having to put real money at stake.

Lucky You

Written by Nigel

As a poker nut, I am fascinated by anything related to this card game.  That is perhaps one reason I really liked Casino Royale.  Being the movie lover that I am, having a movie with lots of poker action in it just made my day.  Of course, not to mention the awesome cars in that movie – and the fact that it was a James  Bond flick.  In any case, there is a new movie coming out and it is all about poker!

Lucky You is a movie by Curtis Hanson who is clearly a poker nut just like the rest of us.  I honestly haven’t seen the movie but the reviews and write ups I have read so far make me want to see it.  Starring Drew Barrymore and Eric Bana, Lucky You is all about a veteran Las Vegas poker player and his singer girlfriend.  Though the plot of course has more than poker to it, it unmistakable that poker is the theme of this movie.  That in itself tells me that it is worth watching.  Then again, if you are not into poker that much (then why are you reading this blog, may I ask?) you probably wouldn’t like the movie.

Still, some write ups are skeptical about the movie mainly because of its topic being too specific – poker.  I do not know what to say to that, being too involved in the subject.  However, I do believe that despite the specific topic, there should be quite a lot of interested viewers.  After all, poker is quite popular these days, isn’t it?

Yahoo and Poker

Written by Nigel

Are you a fan of Yahoo?  Well I use their e-mail and play their games but when it comes to search engines it’s another story.  The good thing is, this post is about poker and Yahoo has entered the picture!  Poker nut that I am, I was quite excited by the news item I ran across just a few minutes ago.  Here, read for yourself:

Search engine giant Yahoo! is expanding its online gaming presence with a partnership with St Minver and Boss Media AB to launch Yahoo! Poker.  The new portal will offer an innovative and user-friendly experience that requires no download through a flash-only browser based design.  The new poker site was designed and built by St Minver and uses poker software from Boss Media AB.  Yahoo! UK has also partnered with Endemol Gaming, to create exclusive video tutorials and interactive guides to help player develop their skills.   Jim Ryan, CEO of St Minver, said: “We are delighted to welcome Yahoo! UK into Boss Media AB and St Minver’s partner-based International Poker Network. We have created a simple, safe and entertaining online poker offering that will be engaging for Yahoo! customers. Poker continues to be one of the most popular online card games and the introduction of Yahoo! UK in to the sector is definitely going to broaden its appeal.”
St Minver is Europe’s largest online games network operator and already runs Yahoo!’s bingo website.  Yesterday it was announced that Yahoo! acquired online advertising arm Right Media for $680 million (£342 million), subject to approval.   The purchase follows Yahoo’s purchase of a 20 per cent stake in the company last October.

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