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.

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.

Negreanu on I-play

Written by Nigel

I thought I’d diverge from the strategy topics that we have been talking about lately as I saw this bit of news that you poker nuts out there would probably rave about – it certainly pumped up my blood.  We all know Daniel Negreanu, one of the most prominent pro poker players today.  Well, it seems that he has signed up with I-poker to bring us consumers more poker fun.  Here is the news clip, read for yourselves:

The UK company’s roots are in mobile gaming, but it diversified into video last year. The signing of Negreanu, arguably the most successful tournament player in poker history, should broaden I-play’s product roster significantly.

It’s now planning a range of poker products such as over 100 made-for-mobile streaming video clips spanning the basic fundamentals of Texas Hold’em poker to more advanced topics such as tournament play, no-limit strategy to tells and bluffs. The footage will be shot at the Venetian Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. I-play and Negreanu will also work on a next generation poker game using AI that will be tested against the poker legend himself.

Leighton Webb, I-play’s SVP of content strategy and licensing, said: “We are thrilled to be working with someone as accomplished and well-respected as Daniel.  I-play’s streaming mobile video app and game will be the ultimate poker products available on the market. The mobile video signals a ground-breaking new product and an industry first.”

Negreanu has accumulated over 36 tournament poker victories in his career earning $9.6 million dollars. In 1998, he became the youngest World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion.

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