Poker Stars - Pacific gives WSOP seat to PL.com player

Pacific gives WSOP seat to PL.com player

The 33-year-old, self-employed management and financial consultant has been playing poker for about three years.

Killenberger said he was first attracted to poker because of the "competition, the strategic approach and complexity of the game and, of course, the possibility to win money." Now he plays online at Pacific Poker about four times a week.

All that play translated to earning enough player points to get into the WSOP freeroll staged last week at the poker site. Killenberger had signed up at Pacific Poker through PokerListings.com, so he was eligible for the WSOP freeroll after collecting 50 player points during the qualification period.

He was among 151 players who took advantage of the freeroll, which turned out to be a very international event.

"The top eight finishers came from Germany (me), Canada (two guys), Romania, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia and Britain," Killenberger said.

In the end it was German ingenuity that won out as Killenberger took down a player called Honeyel in heads-up play. Killenberger describes the final hand like this:

Blinds were $2,000/$4,000
Chipstacks: me $129,264; Honeyel $21,736

Me SB: Ad-Qd

Just limped in to trap. Hoped he will go all-in pre-flop.

Honeyel checked

Flop came: 6d-Th-4c

I checked. Honeyel went all-in. I called with the two overcards.

Honeyel showed 6s-5s

Turn came Kh. Finally, river came Qc and made me higher pair.

And with that, Killenberger had won a prize package to the 2008 WSOP Main Event that includes the $10,000 buy-in plus money for travel and accommodations.

 

It's not the first time Killenberger has had some good fortune at Pacific Poker either.

"At Pacific Poker about 1-2 years ago, the room hosted a few tournaments with German bracelet winner Michael Keiner, which were called Michael Keiner Bounty," Killenberger said. "The guy, who took him off the table earned a bounty of $50. I was the one who took him off in the first hosted tournament, and therefore was the first guy who earned the bounty on Pacific Poker."

Perhaps that experience will come in handy when Killenberger heads to Vegas to square off against thousands of players, including some of the world's top pros, at the Main Event.

This will be his first trip to Las Vegas, and it's always been a dream of his to visit the city and play in the Main Event.

"I'm a little bit nervous of course," Killenberger said. "But the pleasant anticipation weighs stronger."

He's also got a healthy mix of nervousness and excitement at the opportunity to play some of poker's star players. He said some of the pros he's excited to play against include Doyle Brunson, "because he is a living legend, and I read Super/System 1 and 2."

He would also be excited to go up against Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and Allen Cunningham.

The big question, of course, is what will Killenberger do if he turns his free seat into a Main Event win?

"I would try to do the same as former winner Joe Hachem," he said. "Just further improve my game and prove that [I am] no one-time-wonder. I would take a big part of the money to make a living for me and my family - just use a part of it as a poker bankroll. And, of course, trying to go pro."

There's still plenty of time between now and the Main Event for Killenberger to hone his poker skills at Pacific Poker and pick up some tips at PokerListings.com.

Killenberger is a regular at PokerListings.com, which he says he visits weekly as well as subscribes to the newsletter.

"It's a very good site with a lot of useful information, e.g. poker toplists and poker strategy," he said. "It's my favorite poker site on the Web."

Another player also recently took advantage of what Pacific Poker offers PokerListings.com players and walked away with a trip to Spain to see Sevilla (sponsored by 888.com) take on Barcelona in a soccer game. French player 78clem won the all expenses paid trip worth $2,500.

These are just a few of the many exclusive promotions Pacific Poker has to offer PokerListings.com players. For more information, check out the Pacific Poker review on PokerListings.com or head to the poker site itself and get in on the fun.

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NHUPC first round set to go

Some of the interesting pairings that resulted include Phil Ivey being paired against PokerStars qualifier Alisha Kunze. She battled her way to a seat for free at PokerStars.net, proving she's got what it takes to compete in heads-up action.

However, Ivey is coming off his first World Poker Tour win, which he added to his resume Thursday night at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic while the other NHUPC players were partying.

Phil Hellmuth also made the final table of the LAPC where he came in sixth place. He's matched up against Tom "durrr" Dwan, an online player who started making a name for himself in the live poker world toward the end of 2007 when he came in fourth at the WPT World Poker Finals.

Despite women comprising a low percentage of the playing field, the first round will have some girl-on-girl action as well with Jennifer Tilly and Clonie Gowen facing off.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg of the pairings that take place today. The brackets for the event are as follows:

Hearts

• Vanessa Rousso vs. Antonio Esfandiari
• Shannon Elizabeth vs. Andy Bloch
• Todd Brunson vs. Scott Fischman
• Jamie Gold vs. Tom Kelly
• Ted Forrest vs. Orel Hershiser
• Allen Cunningham vs. Chad Brown
• Jean-Robert Bellande vs. Sam Grizzle
• Paul Wasicka vs. Freddy Deeb

Diamonds

• Jason Alexander vs. Huck Seed
• David Pham vs. Brian Townsend
• Jennifer Tilly vs. Clonie Gowen
• Daniel Negreanu vs. Michael Mizrachi
• Barry Greenstein vs. Howard Lederer
• David Benyamine vs. Jennifer Harman
• Sam Farha vs. Doyle Brunson
• Erick Lindgren vs. Eli Elezra

Clubs

• Jonathan Little vs. Erik Seidel
• Patrik Antonius vs. Gabe Kaplan
• Greg Raymer vs. Hooman Nikzad
• Kenny Tran vs. Scott Clements
• Mike Matusow vs. Joe Hachem
• Tom Dwan vs. Phil Hellmuth
• Tom Schneider vs. Gavin Smith
• Chris Ferguson vs. John Juanda

Spades

• Don Cheadle vs. Gus Hansen
• Scotty Nguyen vs. Bill Edler
• Chris Moneymaker vs. Jerry Yang
• David Singer vs. Phil Laak
• Phil Ivey vs. Alisha Kunze
• David Williams vs. Johnny Chan
• Daniel Schreiber vs. T.J. Cloutier
• Annie Duke vs. J.C. Tran

The Hearts bracket is scheduled to begin play at 10:15 a.m. (PST). The Diamonds are expected to begin play at 1:15 p.m., with the Clubs following at 4:15 p.m. and the Spades at 6:45 p.m.

You're not going to want to miss a single minute of this action, and PokerListings.com will be on scene to make sure you get all the updates from the event that you can handle. Check out the action in the Live Tournaments section.

Related Article: Players Face Off Friday at NHUPC

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Paradise Poker stages Fantastic 1st events

Naming the day "Fantastic 1st," Paradise Poker has three extra ways during the day that players can walk away winners.

The first is the Double Your Winnings promotion. Just as in the February event, players who finish in the money in selected tournaments on Saturday will earn double their winnings.

"The last time we did a Double Your Winnings promotion, 331 lucky Paradise players were in the money as we gave away a massive €84,000," said a spokesperson for Paradise Poker.

This time, players can earn double their winnings in the following tournaments:

Time	Guarantee	Buy-in
2:30 p.m.	€6,000 GTD REBUY	€10
6 p.m.	€10,000 GTD REBUY	€10
2 a.m.*	€3,000 GTD REBUY	€20

*Takes place Sunday March 2.

The second special event will be entry to a €10,000 Freeroll. All Paradise poker players who play 10 raked hands on Saturday will be eligible to enter the freeroll taking place at 5 p.m.

Last month the tournament was won by art134, who added €2,000 to his bankroll with his first-place finish.

The tournament can be found in the multi-tourney lobby under the name €10,000 Freeroll. Registration for the tournament will open at 2:30 p.m.

Last up for the Fantastic 1st is the 24 Hour FPP Chase. Player can get even more for their Frequest Player Points on Saturday with this promotion.

Simply collect at least 50 FPPs to participate in the 24 Hour FPP Chase, according to Paradise Poker. For collecting 50 FPPS Saturday, players will receive a €10 pending bonus.

Players will need to claim their €10 bonus through the Paradise Poker Web site where it will be added to their pending bonus accounts and must be earned out before April 6.

The more FPPS a person collects on Saturday, however, the better the bonus money they receive. For 500 FPPS, players will receive a €25 cash bonus, and for 1,000 FPPS, players receive a €75 cash bonus.

The two top players who collect the most FPPs will then play heads-up for €500.

Note: All times are in GMT.

Related Article: Paradise Poker Pumps Up Action Friday

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Poker Stars - Harrah's 2007 Earnings Report: Regional Clouds and Silver Linings

Harrah's 2007 Earnings Report: Regional Clouds and Silver Linings
On Wednesday, Harrah's Entertainment released its Fourth Quarter and Full Year financial results, giving us a window into the largest casino operator in the world and a view of the health of the industry at large. As the rights holder...

Poker Stars - Women's Poker Spotlight: Dianna Donofrio - Behind the Poker Curtains

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WSOP-C Council Bluffs, Final Table: Ben Hock Wins Ring
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Players face off Friday in NHUPC

The NHUPC is the granddaddy of all made-for-television poker tournaments. The heads-up format allows for the players' personalities to shine through, and the one-on-one drama matches that of any other televised sporting event. Then there's the money: whoever wins takes home $500,000.

The first-round brackets won't be determined until the draw party at Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace later tonight. The entrants for the tournament, however, have already been confirmed.

As usual, the field is composed mostly of world-class professional poker players and others who have won major tournaments. Eleven former WSOP Main Event champions, including 2005 NHUPC winner Phil Hellmuth, will compete this year. They'll be joined by five players who have finished runner-up at the WSOP Main Event, including Paul Wasicka, the defending NHUPC champion.

Players who had incredible success in 2007 will be well-represented this weekend. WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider will get a chance to spotlight his skills, as will all three players who won Player of the Year plaudits from major poker publications last year: David "The Dragon" Pham, Bill Edler and J.C. Tran.

The NBC event has always had a celebrity factor, and this year is no exception. Actor Don Cheadle, former WSOP women's event champ Jennifer Tilly, High Stakes Poker co-host Gabe Kaplan and 2007 NHUPC semifinalist Shannon Elizabeth all return for another crack at the tournament, while ex-Seinfeld star Jason Alexander and former Los Angeles Dodger Orel Hershiser get to try their hands for the first time.

This year's field will feature a number of younger players known as much for their online play as their live success. Jonathan "FieryJustice" Little, Brian "sbrugby" Townsend, Daniel "Rekrul" Schreiber, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Scott "BigRiskky" Clements will all make their NHUPC debuts on Friday at Caesars Palace.

Thanks to a few seats set aside for qualifiers, three other players will join the world's best at the NHUPC. Two players - business owner Hooman Nikzad and former Wall Street executive Tom Kelly - won their seats through satellites held at Caesars Palace. Alisha Kunze, a 23-year-old nursing student from Greensburg, Ind., won the final seat through a free promotion on PokerStars.net.

NBC will air the first two-hour installment of its tournament coverage on Sunday, April 13, at 12 p.m. (EDT), and subsequent episodes will air each of the next five Sundays.

In alphabetical order, here are this year's competitors, followed by the prize pool breakdown.

1. Alexander, Jason	33. Hershiser, Orel
2. Antonius, Patrik	34. Ivey, Phil
3. Bellande, Jean-Robert	35. Juanda, John
4. Benyamine, David	36. Kaplan, Gabe
5. Bloch, Andy	37. Kelly, Tom (Caesars Palace qualifier)
6. Brown, Chad	38. Kunze, Alisha (Online qualifier)
7. Brunson, Doyle	39. Laak, Phil
8. Brunson, Todd	40. Lederer, Howard
9. Chan, Johnny	41. Lindgren, Erick
10. Cheadle, Don	42. Little, Jonathan
11. Clements, Scott	43. Matusow, Mike
12. Cloutier, T.J.	44. Moneymaker, Chris
13. Cunningham, Allen	45. Mizrachi, Michael
14. Deeb, Freddy	46. Negreanu, Daniel
15. Duke, Annie	47. Nguyen, Scotty
16. Dwan, Tom	48. Nikzad, Hooman (Caesars Palace qualifier)
17. Edler, Bill	49. Pham, David
18. Elezra, Eli	50. Raymer, Greg
19. Elizabeth, Shannon	51. Rousso, Vanessa
20. Esfandiari, Antonio	52. Schneider, Tom
21. Farha, Sam	53. Schreiber, Daniel
22. Ferguson, Chris	54. Seed, Huck
23. Fischman, Scott	55. Seidel, Erik
24. Forrest, Ted	56. Singer, David
25. Gold, Jamie	57. Smith, Gavin
26. Gowen, Clonie	58. Tilly, Jennifer
27. Greenstein, Barry	59. Townsend, Brian
28. Grizzle, Sam	60. Tran, J.C.
29. Hachem, Joe	61. Tran, Kenny
30. Hansen, Gus	62. Wasicka, Paul
31. Harman, Jennifer	63. Williams, David
32. Hellmuth, Phil	64. Yang, Jerry

First place: $500,000

Second place: $250,000

Third & fourth place: $125,000

Fifth-eighth place: $75,000

Ninth-16th place: $25,000

PokerListings.com will be live on the scene as well once the cards hit the felt to bring you live updates, reports, interviews, photos and more from the NHUPC. Check it out in the Live Tournaments section.
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EC takes action against Greece, Netherlands

The Commission announced today it has formally requested that the two nations amend their respective laws, following consideration of their replies to its official requests for information about their online gambling policies.

The EC was seeking to verify whether the restrictions in question are compatible with Article 49 of the EC Treaty, which guarantees the free movement of services.

The complaints against Greece involve the fact that providers lawfully licensed in another EU Member State are not allowed to provide sports betting services and other games of chance in Greece. Those restrictions also extend to the promotion or advertising of the services and to whether Greek nationals can participate in the game.

According to the EC, the Dutch investigation relates only to the provision and promotion of sports betting services.

The EC inquired into the compatibility of both nations' laws with the EU law after receiving complaints made by a number of service providers and on information gathered by Commission staff.

After receiving responses from Greece and the Netherlands, the EC has determined that restrictions in question aren't compatible with EU law.

The EC said in a press release that "the measures taken by these Member States to restrict the free movement of gambling services have not been shown to be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory."

The EC also said it considers that because both nations have recently introduced new addictive games and intensive advertising, and neither has implemented concrete measures against gambling addiction, there is clear evidence that neither country is promoting a consistent and systematic policy aimed at genuinely reducing gambling opportunities.

The European Gaming and Betting Association said today it welcomes the EC decision on Greece and the Netherlands' online gambling laws and the formal request to have the countries amend their laws.

"Today's reasoned opinions send a clear signal that national gaming legislation, which does not serve any genuine consumer protection or public order interest, has no future," said Sigrid Ligne, EGBA secretary general. "Leading European online operators are now calling on Greece and the Netherlands to implement sustainable reforms that will guarantee a fair, open and regulated market access".

Greece and the Netherlands have two months to respond to the EC's request to amend their online gambling policies. If the EC doesn't receive a satisfactory reply within two months, it may refer the matters to the European Court of Justice.

The European Court of Justice has previously ruled that any restrictions which seek to protect general interest objectives, such as the protection of consumers, must be "consistent and systematic" in how they seek to limit gambling activities.

"A Member State cannot invoke the need to restrict its citizens' access to gambling services if at the same time it incites and encourages them to participate in state lotteries, games of chance or betting which benefits the state's finances," the EC said in a press release.

Related Articles:

• EC Eyeing Germany, Sweden Net Gambling Laws
• Dutch Stepping Up Net Gambling Restrictions
• EU Moving on German Net Gambling Ban

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Poker Stars - Poker Player Shot During San Antonio Game Robbery

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Poker Stars - Stars, Titan traffic growing

Stars, Titan traffic growing

Tracking and analyzing close to 20 million hands a month, the MarketPulse section is the most comprehensive statistical overview of online poker on the Web, and subsequently can provide some pretty illuminating numbers.

Case in point: cash-game traffic, which, continuing a strong trend over the last few months, was dominated again by PokerStars in February.

Stars was far and away the cash game leader again this month, with upwards of 21,000 players at peak times and an 18% upswing in traffic volume overall. In total: averaging a massive 13,675 real-money cash players over a 24-hour period.

A distant second overall, but also experiencing a nice upswing of 9% in February, is Full Tilt Poker. which averaged 7,631 players over each 24 hour period - up from 6,976 in January.

Next biggest increase for February goes to the leading room in the iPoker network, Titan Poker, with a 4% increase in cash game traffic bringing it to 5,252 players on average.

Also of particular interest: a significant overall rise in average traffic at both PokerStars and Full Tilt, beginning back in December 2007; both have seen a very strong jump in action, with 2-3,000 more players apiece regularly dropping in for a round at the tables.

Check out the full online traffic report here.

Other numbers of note:

Average pot size (generally indicating looser or more passive games) was up at three rooms last month - Titan Poker, Mansion Poker and Party Poker.

Titan and Mansion in particular experienced fairly big upswings, with the average pot at Titan growing 7% to $26.20 and the average pot at Mansion gaining 6% to $23.10; details here.

On the juiciest games front, Bodog Poker and Pacific Poker still lead the way in low-to-mid stakes No-Limit and Limit Hold'em. Viewed-flop percentages are still hovering around 50-54% for both, although pot sizes on average are much larger at Pacific, topping out at $164 in the mid-stakes games ($1/$2-$3/$6).

#img: phil-ivey_17464.jpg: right: Phil Ivey: Knows how to drag big pots.#

At the highest stakes, Full Tilt, PokerStars and Titan hold down the top spots decidedly, dominating a large percentage of the juicy high-stakes action.

Biggest Hold'em pot won over the last 30 days remains a massive $384,951 pot the one and only Phil Ivey took from online rival seda1 - rumored to be Beverly Hills attorney Shawn Sedaghat - at Full Tilt Feb. 19.

The two had an epic series of high-stakes $500/$1,000 No-Limit Hold'em sessions over the last few weeks, with seda1 decidedly taking the worst of it - esepcially on the 19th, when he came out a mind-noggling $600k lighter in the wallet.

To see a full breakdown of the massive $385k pot, jump to our strategy snapshot here. Or you can check out some of the other huge pots they played in the MarketPulse biggest pots section, where you'll find the biggest Hold'em pots won online over the last day, week and month.

Related Articles:

• Glutton for punishment? seda1 back for more
• Ivey crushes seda1 for $600k
• Ivey takes three $100k pots in last week 

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Jesse Jones named WPA chairman emeritus

Jesse Jones established the WPA in 2005, and this step allows him to focus on his broad strategic vision for the organization. He was previously the chairman of the board of directors, and he will remain a part of the board.

Jones' goal is to make the WPA the PGA of poker. The WPA's mission is to promote professionalism in poker worldwide and support the standards of ethical conduct in tournament poker activities.

"The WPA represents the interests of tournament poker players around the world that seek to affect the future of tournament poker, individually and as a group," says the WPA Web site.

To fill Jones' chairman roll, Wendeen Eolis has been moved up from vice chairman to chairman of the Board.

Eolis is the CEO of Eolis International Group, a legal/business consultancy. She had been a longtime advisor to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and later became an advisor to Gov. George Pataki in New York.

Her poker resume includes election to the inaugural World Poker Tour Professional Poker Tour and six cashes in the World Series of Poker. The WSOP has also issued a commemorative chip in her honor.

"Our Board of Directors is pushing forward with its efforts to promote poker as a sport with the highest ethical standards because of Jesse's vision and determination to create this vibrant association," said Eolis in accepting her new role.

"The depth and diversity of talent provided by Ken Adams in tandem with fellow officers Joe Hachem and Harry Thomas, who remain as Secretary and Treasurer respectively, allow[s] us to broaden our vision and has strengthened our leadership."

Ken Adams was recently added to the board of directors, and he will be taking over the vice chairman spot vacated by Eolis.

Related Articles:

• WPA Elects Ken Adams to Board
• WPA Brings Ethics into Tournament Poker
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More bounties today at DoylesRoom.com

The DoylesRoom.com Bounty plays every Wednesday and has a $27.50 buy-in. Normally there are three contestants in the game with bounties on their heads, and players win extra money for knocking them out.

In today's game, there will be six, giving players double the chances at the cash. They are:

• TEX_DOLLY: 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Doyle Brunson
• Nicky_Hilton: The Hilton heiress and fashion designer Nicky Hilton
• Jamie-Lynn: Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow in The Sopranos
• Mike_Caro: "Mad Genius of Poker" and foremost poker authority Mike Caro
• POKERPRO33: Jim Campbell, a top-ranked online poker pro and longtime DoylesRoom.com player
• AJKHoosier1: Alex Kameris, the online poker champion with multiple big tournament wins

If a player can manage to knock out one of these players, she or he will receive $500. Knock out two for a $5,000 reward, and busting three of the bounty-carriers will net $25,000.

That means $50,000 in bounties could potentially be given out in today's tournament.

Sweetening the deal even more for players is that first-time Bounty Tournament competitors can play risk free. If you're a first-time player, all you have to do is request a refund at the end of the tournament and get your $27.50 buy-in back.

For more information about this and other promotions, visit DoylesRoom.com.

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NBC sued over Deal or No Deal
NBC and two associated companies are being sued in the state of Georgia over claims that their popular game show Deal or No Deal encouraged viewers to participate in a lottery-style drawing that attorneys argue was illegal under Georgia law. That’s according to a story published ��...full article

NBC and two associated companies are being sued in the state of Georgia over claims that their popular game show Deal or No Deal encouraged viewers to participate in a lottery-style drawing that attorneys argue was illegal under Georgia law.

That’s according to a story published today in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Excerpt:

In the past, viewers were invited during each broadcast to play the “Lucky Case Game” by choosing which of six on-screen gold briefcases was the lucky case. Viewers submitted their choice on the Internet for free or through a text message that cost 99 cents. At the end of the program, the winning briefcase was revealed, and the winners were entered into a random drawing. The winner of that drawing received a prize of as much as $10,000.

Buchanan, a Columbus lawyer, called the game an illegal gambling operation. Since the 1760s, he said, Georgia law has allowed losers of such an operation to sue to get their money back.

The court should not turn a blind eye “and let NBC rake in millions of dollars” on illegal gambling, Buchanan said during arguments Tuesday held at Emory University law school.

Whole thing here.

Possible issues with TridX poker network
A thread on CasinoMeister’s forums raises some concerns about rooms on the TridX network that, if legitimate, should be worrying to any players with funds on rooms connected to that network. The thread details a lack of communication from support, issues with cashouts, and a host ��...full article

A thread on CasinoMeister’s forums raises some concerns about rooms on the TridX network that, if legitimate, should be worrying to any players with funds on rooms connected to that network.

The thread details a lack of communication from support, issues with cashouts, and a host of smaller issues. Excerpt:

(more…)

Israel MK seeks online gambling censorship

The bill, which was passed in its first reading Wednesday, would automatically block online casinos, online poker sites, online porn sites and more unless customers specifically ask to be allowed to visit those sites.

It will now be sent to the Economic Affairs Committee before returning to the Knesset plenum for second and third readings.

According to YNetNews.com, to implement the censorship, Internet service providers would be required to include filtering software for all new clients. That same software must also be offered free of charge to all clients and service providers may impose the filtering system on all clients.

Clients who don't want the filtering system will have to verify that they are of majority age and submit a personal request to disable the system.

Cohen initiated the bill, claiming that it will protect the 60% of Israeli children who come into contact with these sites.

He said in the YNetNews.com article that he doesn't think the legislation is the most appropriate tool to achieve his goal, but stagnating efforts to reach a settlement with the country's ISPs over the past three years have left him with no other choice.

According to a Haaretz.com article, the Economic Affairs Committee legal adviser said he would find it difficult to defend the bill in the High Court of Justice in light of the refusal of Communications Minister Ariel Atias to provide a list of sites to be blocked for the committee's approval.

Meanwhile, the Economic Affairs Committee has already rejected a bill submitted Tuesday by MK Alex Miller which would have forced ISPs to provide customers with a pamphlet instructing users on how to block Web sites.

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WYDI to sponsor WPT Celebrity tourney

"Estimates show that over 60 million people in the U.S. play poker, with an even larger audience observing the events on television," said Dan Fleyshman, WYDI president.

"With sponsorship of this WPT event, I firmly believe that the Who's Your Daddy brand is entering a new level of name recognition while establishing our drinks in the poker world."

The WPT Celebrity Invitational is a particularly high-profile poker event as it brings stars from the celebrity realm as well as those from the poker firmament together at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles to play for charity.

Last year saw celebrities such as Vince Vaughn, Laura Prepon, Pete Sampras, Paris and Nikki Hilton, Mekhi Phifer, Jason Alexander, Norm MacDonald, Willie Garson, Ricki Lake, Donnie Wahlberg and more in the 420-player field.

Among the poker players who've played in the event before are Phil Laak, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Tilly, Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Vanessa Rousso, Robert Mizrachi, Mike Sexton, Evelyn Ng, Erik Seidel and more.

Last year, the tournament was won by Adam Weinrob, the owner of a safe/security company in Orange County, Calif., who won his seat in a charity auction.

"Texas Hold'em is a worldwide phenomenon that many celebrities love to play, which makes the Invitational the perfect opportunity to bring together entertainment and philanthropy in a fun, yet competitive environment where everyone walks away a winner - and one person walks away with a World Poker Tour title," said Rose Odeh, WPT chief marketing officer.

This year's WPT Celebrity Invitational will take place March 1-3. It will be filmed for broadcast on GSN July 21 at 9 p.m. (EDT).

The winner of the event will receive $100,000 and a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in April.

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Poker Stars - WSOP-C Council Bluffs, Day 2: Michael Martin, Bernard Lee Head Final

WSOP-C Council Bluffs, Day 2: Michael Martin, Bernard Lee Head Final
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Poker Stars - Inside the Tour, Vol. 85: Inside 'The Book of Bluffs'

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WSOP-C Council Bluffs, Day 1: Howard Wolper Takes Early Lead
98 men and one woman took to the felt yesterday at the Horseshoe in Council Bluffs, Iowa to vie for the World Series of Poker Circuit Championship ring and a seat at the World Series of Poker Main Event, with notable players such...

He Said, She Said, Vol. 7: Stu Ungar's Famous 10-high Call
There are many Stu Ungar stories from his glory years, and some consider him the greatest tournament poker player that ever lived. However, what is perhaps Stu's most famous hand occurred in a heads-up tournament against reigning World...

Poker Stars - Inside the Tour, Vol. 85: Inside 'The Book of Bluffs'

Inside the Tour, Vol. 85: Inside 'The Book of Bluffs'
I have hundreds of poker books in my library and most of them are not very good, in my opinion. I am trying to recommend a few good books to put on your shelves, though, and that has made me re-examine some titles that had gone into...

He Said, She Said, Vol. 7: Stu Ungar's Famous 10-high Call
There are many Stu Ungar stories from his glory years, and some consider him the greatest tournament poker player that ever lived. However, what is perhaps Stu's most famous hand occurred in a heads-up tournament against reigning World...

Poker Stars - 888.com Announces $3 Million World Poker Crown

888.com Announces $3 Million World Poker Crown
Early qualifiers have just started for a major new event on 888.com, the World Poker Crown, with a $3 million prize pool. The final eight players in a series of online events which began on February 20th and will run into late April...

Hectic WSOPC weekend leads to Championship today

The lead-up to the finale saw seven champions crowned in various events over the weekend.

Event 4

Two final tables played out Friday, the first being the $500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament. The field of 246 players had been winnowed to the final nine on Thursday, with Darin Rima wearing the mantle of chip leader.

Rima was behind the first three busts on the final table, building a sizable chip advantage. However, he slowly took a back seat. After an hour of three-handed play Rima was ousted from the tournament by Tom Petric when Petric's flopped two pair stood up to Rima's pair of queens.

Sciscoe and Petric were nearly even in chips as heads-up play started. The battle between the two lasted 30 minutes, with Sciscoe becoming more aggressive as he noted his opponent becoming more conservative.

On the final hand, Sciscoe limped in with Petric and the two men saw a K-Q-4 flop. Petric led into the pot with 100k, only to see Sciscoe move all-in again. Petric called with K-8 for top pair but was dominated by Sciscoe's slow-played pocket aces.

When the turn and river provided no help for Petric, Sciscoe became the champion of the $500 NLHE tournament. The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Tim Sciscoe	Omaha, Neb.	$38,178
2nd	Tom Petric	Wilmette, Ill.	$20,999
3rd	Darin Rima	Sioux Falls, S.D.	$10,738
4th	Bob Slezak	Omaha, Neb.	$8,352
5th	Rick Fitzgerald	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	$7,159
6th	Drew Woodke	Omaha, Neb.	$5,966
7th	Luke Schneider	Milwaukee, Wis.	$4,772
8th	Chance Langeness	New Richmond, Wis.	$3,579
9th	Howard Wolper	Atlantic City, N.J.	$2,380

Event 5

Next, one of the non-Texas Hold'em tournaments hit the felt. The $300 Omaha Hi-Lo had whittled its way down from 148 starters on Friday and found Brian Brashaw leading a tightly packed final-table field. His supremacy was challenged by Shawn Ng, whom he faced off with in heads-up play.

It was all over when both players made queens and tens on a Q-10-3-9-Q board but Brashaw's king out-kicked Ng's eight for the championship. Final-table results were as follows:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Brian Brashaw	Omaha, Neb.	$13,954
2nd	Shawn Ng	Lincoln, Neb.	$7,522
3rd	Steve Quiroz	Omaha, Neb.	$4,307
4th	Bill Short	Abilene, Kan.	$3,445
5th	David Anderson	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$2,584
6th	Manny Varela	Denver, Colo.	$2,153
7th	Kevin O'Donnell	Seward, Neb.	$1,723
8th	Richard Walter	Shakley, Neb.	$1,292
9th	Curtis Diede	Jamestown, N.D.	$891

Event 6

Of those who remained from Friday's 156 runners for the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em final table on Saturday, Nick Bickey held the chip lead at the start of action and used it to drive on to the title.

Bickey was joined at the final table by two friends he travels the tournament circuit with, Jason Bartholomew and Dan Hicks, but Bickey pointed out there was no collusion between the three. "We all try to knock each other out for bragging rights," Hicks stated. Bartholomew was first out in ninth place and Hicks finished in fifth.

Heads-up, Bickey and Joe Siedlik decided on an even-money chop, with Bickey getting the championship in the deal. Under Iowa law, however, they had to play out the tournament. Although Siedlik doubled up once with a 9-5 that turned into a boat, he was beaten when he couldn't make his K-6 stand against Bickey's A-4.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Nick Bickey	Belleair, Fla.	$49,029
2nd	Joe Siedlik	Papillon, Neb.	$25,724
3rd	Sonny Nicewaner	Rollo, Mo.	$15,132
4th	Leonard Daniels	Carroll, Iowa	$12,106
5th	Dan Hicks	Tampa, Fla.	$9,079
6th	Steven Hipes	St. Louis, Mo.	$7,566
7th	Duane Gerleman	Ridgeway, Iowa	$6,053
8th	Ron Picou	Willisville, Ill.	$4,540
9th	Jason Bartholomew	Sarasota, Fla.	$3,026

Event 7

This $300 No-Limit Hold'em tournament also began Friday and was unable to get to its final table in one day. The 100 starters in the event had only worked down to 12 by the end of play on Friday, so those dozen men came back to the felt on Saturday to determine the champion.

Dukich was responsible for the elimination of five of the seven players who left before he reached heads-up action against Dmitri Soudakov, who couldn't prevail against Dukich's 3-1 chip lead. It took three hands for Dukich to eliminate Soudakov during heads-up play and win the title.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Frank Dukich	Carter Lake, Iowa	$9,429
2nd	Dmitri Soudakov	Minnesota	$4,947
3rd	Patrick Galloway	Omaha, Neb.	$2,910
4th	John Biebel	Denver, Colo.	$2,328
5th	Leon Johnson	Rockford, Ill.	$1,746
6th	David Hiers	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$1,455
7th	Andrew Strauss	Kansas City, Mo.	$1,164
8th	Jim Hansen	Omaha, Neb.	$873
9th	Vic Hoffman	Onslow, Iowa	$582

Event 8

Sunday was a busy day at the Horseshoe, with three final tables slated for action. First up was the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em final table, winnowed down from a 109-player field.

David Dicken led the final table at the start of action and was the aggressor in the early going, building on his chip lead and cruising to the heads-up action against Kou Vang.

With a 2-1 chip advantage, Dicken looked unbeatable, but Vang steadfastly began to grind into his lead. On the final hand Vang flopped a nine to match his K-9 and outrun Dicken's pocket eights for the title.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Kou Vang	Woodbury, Minn.	$51,383
2nd	David Dicken	Waterloo, Iowa	$26,961
3rd	Blake Cahail	Columbia, Mo.	$15,860
4th	Jeff Bryan	Fort Calhoun, Neb.	$12,688
5th	Mike Sortino	Papillon, Neb.	$9,516
6th	Jovan Sudar	Omaha, Neb.	$7,930
7th	Phil Mader	Ridgeway, Iowa	$6,344
8th	William Burdick	St. Petersburg, Fla.	$4,758
9th	Mark Fernandez	Brooklyn, N.Y.	$3,172

Event 9

The $500 H.O.R.S.E. event was a marathon: 87 rounders played for 12 hours on Saturday and then till 10 p.m. Sunday to reach a final table that didn't wrap up until the wee hours.

Karl Tretter's Day 1 lead would not allow him to see the light of day, with Teddy Nassif and Kevin O'Donnell facing off even in chips heads-up. Nassif soon went on the offensive.

After several rounds, he was able to climb into the lead over O'Donnell and crippled him during the next Omaha segment. Nassif was able to close the deal when he made a flush in Seven-Card Stud and O'Donnell blanked out.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Teddy Nassif	Ames, Iowa	$15,400
2nd	Kevin O'Donnell	Seward, Neb.	$9,283
3rd	Tony Merksick	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$5,485
4th	Karl Tretter	Queens, N.Y.	$4,009
5th	Yuval Bronshtein	Atlanta, Ga.	$2,954
6th	Umeme Hoye	Detroit, Mich.	$2,110
7th	Michael Altman	Mequon, Wis.	$1,688
8th	Dan Sindelar	Omaha, Neb.	$1,266

After that flurry of poker, players are ready for the $5,000 Championship Event that starts today. PokerListings' reporting team will be there for all the action, so be sure to check out our Live Tournaments section for the full details on the WSOPC action in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Visit PokerListings.com

Sexton's Corner, Vol. 33: Archie Karas, Part 3
If you won $7,000,000 on a three-month rush, and stacked up all the cash on a big table, would you then risk it all playing the world's greatest players, including Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Johnny Chan, and a host...

PokerStars qualifier wins EPT Copenhagen

To get to his win, Vance came up against Soren Jensen as they waged a four-and-a-half-hour heads-up battle, the longest in EPT history, to come up with a winner. For the win, Vance takes home 6,220,488 DKK (approximately $1,236,584 USD).

Vance's road to the final table was a bit of a roller-coaster as he finished Day 1 with only 11,000 in chips. But he made it into Day 2, then survived to Day 3 and finally ended up arriving at the final table with the chip lead.

The final table started with the following players:

Seat	Name	Country	Chip Count
Seat 1	Rasmus Hede Nielsen	Denmark	789,000
Seat 2	Timothy Vance	United States	1,408,000
Seat 3	Daniel Ryan	United States	557,000
Seat 4	Patrik Andersson	Sweden	283,000
Seat 5	Simon Dorslund	Denmark	267,000
Seat 6	Nicolas Dervaux	France	336,000
Seat 7	Soren Jensen	Denmark	500,000
Seat 8	Magnus Hansen	Denmark	458,000

First out was Patrik Andersson, who pushed all-in behind a button raise from Daniel Ryan, who had also won his seat in the tournament at PokerStars. Ryan called, showing A-5 to Andersson's K-6. A five on the flop was all it took to seal the hand for Ryan and Andersson headed to the rail.

It was almost two and a half hours later before another player was eliminated. Taking the seventh-place spot was Simon Dorslund. After Vance had raised, Dorslund pushed from the small blind.

Vance called with A-K versus Dorslund's A-8. The board bricked out and Dorslund was sent packing.

Nicolas Dervaux was out next as he moved all-in with J-5 and got a call from Jenson, who was holding A-7. Dervaux was looking good after a jack hit the flop, but an ace on the turn gave Jenson the win.

After the dinner break Ryan made his final move as well. He was forced to make a move with A-Q and was called by Rasmus Nielsen who was holding A-K. The big slick was enough to take out the PokerStars qualifier.

Despite raking in Ryan's chips, Nielsen was the next to bow out of the final table. He ended up calling an all-in after a flop of 9-7-J rainbow from Vance. It turned out his pocket eights put him ahead of Vance's A-Q.

A jack on the turn paired the board, and Vance was left calling on a little luck to win the hand. Luck came through for him, bringing an ace on the river to win the hand.

Soren then took a turn busting a player to bring the game to heads-up. On a flop of T-4-9, Magnus Hansen raised and saw Soren move all-in.

Magnus made the call and Soren showed 9-4 for two pair, while Hansen showed T-6 for a pair of tens. The turn gave Hansen a flush draw possibility, but it didn't materialize on the river.

Then Soren and Vance locked horns for the heads-up battle. Four and a half hours later it came down to Vance's A-T of spades that gave him the nut flush and the win.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Prize
1st	Tim Vance	6,220,488 DKK
2nd	Soren Jensen	3,521,429 DKK
3rd	Magnus Hansen	2,045,381 DKK
4th	Rasmus Nielsen	1,560,394 DKK
5th	Daniel Ryan	1,286,270 DKK
6th	Nicolas Dervaux	1,012,147 DKK
7th	Simon Dorslund	801,283 DKK
8th	Patrik Andersson	569,333 DKK

For more details from the final table and the other days of the EPT Copenhagen event, visit the Live Tournament section.

Visit PokerListings.com

Svenska Spel reports a profitable 2007
Svenska Spel, Sweden’s gambling monopoly, announced its 2007 revenues. Profits increased significantly from 2006 numbers, with a nine percent overall increase to $834 million, but revenues specifically from online poker contributing to a nearly 40 percent increase in Internet and mobile phone gambling. Jesper Kärrbrink ��...full article

Svenska Spel, Sweden’s gambling monopoly, announced its 2007 revenues. Profits increased significantly from 2006 numbers, with a nine percent overall increase to $834 million, but revenues specifically from online poker contributing to a nearly 40 percent increase in Internet and mobile phone gambling.

Jesper Kärrbrink of Svenska Spel urged caution, however, noting that, “it will be difficult to maintain the growth we have had in 2006 and 2007. Lately we have observed a certain weakening of the growth in the gaming business, and we know that, for instance, the casino business depends to some extent on the general economic situation of the country.”

The CEO added that he is “most satisfied,” continuing, “We have worked more than ever in order to improve our gaming responsibility, the result is better than ever and we have succeeded in channelling an essential part of Swedish gaming into a safe and controlled environment.”

A large part of the responsibility referred to lies with Playscan, a technology introduced over the summer which reads players actions and alerts them to the statistical likelihood of the development of a gambling problem. Svenska Spel reported that they see a lower rate of problem gambling than their competitors.

Increased revenue was reported in every aspect of Svenska Spel.

Poker Stars - Svenska Spel reports a profitable 2007

Svenska Spel reports a profitable 2007
Svenska Spel, Sweden’s gambling monopoly, announced its 2007 revenues. Profits increased significantly from 2006 numbers, with a nine percent overall increase to $834 million, but revenues specifically from online poker contributing to a nearly 40 percent increase in Internet and mobile phone gambling. Jesper Kärrbrink ��...full article

Svenska Spel, Sweden’s gambling monopoly, announced its 2007 revenues. Profits increased significantly from 2006 numbers, with a nine percent overall increase to $834 million, but revenues specifically from online poker contributing to a nearly 40 percent increase in Internet and mobile phone gambling.

Jesper Kärrbrink of Svenska Spel urged caution, however, noting that, “it will be difficult to maintain the growth we have had in 2006 and 2007. Lately we have observed a certain weakening of the growth in the gaming business, and we know that, for instance, the casino business depends to some extent on the general economic situation of the country.”

The CEO added that he is “most satisfied,” continuing, “We have worked more than ever in order to improve our gaming responsibility, the result is better than ever and we have succeeded in channelling an essential part of Swedish gaming into a safe and controlled environment.”

A large part of the responsibility referred to lies with Playscan, a technology introduced over the summer which reads players actions and alerts them to the statistical likelihood of the development of a gambling problem. Svenska Spel reported that they see a lower rate of problem gambling than their competitors.

Increased revenue was reported in every aspect of Svenska Spel.

Hectic WSOPC weekend leads to Championship today

The lead-up to the finale saw seven champions crowned in various events over the weekend.

Event 4

Two final tables played out Friday, the first being the $500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament. The field of 246 players had been winnowed to the final nine on Thursday, with Darin Rima wearing the mantle of chip leader.

Rima was behind the first three busts on the final table, building a sizable chip advantage. However, he slowly took a back seat. After an hour of three-handed play Rima was ousted from the tournament by Tom Petric when Petric's flopped two pair stood up to Rima's pair of queens.

Sciscoe and Petric were nearly even in chips as heads-up play started. The battle between the two lasted 30 minutes, with Sciscoe becoming more aggressive as he noted his opponent becoming more conservative.

On the final hand, Sciscoe limped in with Petric and the two men saw a K-Q-4 flop. Petric led into the pot with 100k, only to see Sciscoe move all-in again. Petric called with K-8 for top pair but was dominated by Sciscoe's slow-played pocket aces.

When the turn and river provided no help for Petric, Sciscoe became the champion of the $500 NLHE tournament. The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Tim Sciscoe	Omaha, Neb.	$38,178
2nd	Tom Petric	Wilmette, Ill.	$20,999
3rd	Darin Rima	Sioux Falls, S.D.	$10,738
4th	Bob Slezak	Omaha, Neb.	$8,352
5th	Rick Fitzgerald	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	$7,159
6th	Drew Woodke	Omaha, Neb.	$5,966
7th	Luke Schneider	Milwaukee, Wis.	$4,772
8th	Chance Langeness	New Richmond, Wis.	$3,579
9th	Howard Wolper	Atlantic City, N.J.	$2,380

Event 5

Next, one of the non-Texas Hold'em tournaments hit the felt. The $300 Omaha Hi-Lo had whittled its way down from 148 starters on Friday and found Brian Brashaw leading a tightly packed final-table field. His supremacy was challenged by Shawn Ng, whom he faced off with in heads-up play.

It was all over when both players made queens and tens on a Q-10-3-9-Q board but Brashaw's king out-kicked Ng's eight for the championship. Final-table results were as follows:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Brian Brashaw	Omaha, Neb.	$13,954
2nd	Shawn Ng	Lincoln, Neb.	$7,522
3rd	Steve Quiroz	Omaha, Neb.	$4,307
4th	Bill Short	Abilene, Kan.	$3,445
5th	David Anderson	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$2,584
6th	Manny Varela	Denver, Colo.	$2,153
7th	Kevin O'Donnell	Seward, Neb.	$1,723
8th	Richard Walter	Shakley, Neb.	$1,292
9th	Curtis Diede	Jamestown, N.D.	$891

Event 6

Of those who remained from Friday's 156 runners for the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em final table on Saturday, Nick Bickey held the chip lead at the start of action and used it to drive on to the title.

Bickey was joined at the final table by two friends he travels the tournament circuit with, Jason Bartholomew and Dan Hicks, but Bickey pointed out there was no collusion between the three. "We all try to knock each other out for bragging rights," Hicks stated. Bartholomew was first out in ninth place and Hicks finished in fifth.

Heads-up, Bickey and Joe Siedlik decided on an even-money chop, with Bickey getting the championship in the deal. Under Iowa law, however, they had to play out the tournament. Although Siedlik doubled up once with a 9-5 that turned into a boat, he was beaten when he couldn't make his K-6 stand against Bickey's A-4.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Nick Bickey	Belleair, Fla.	$49,029
2nd	Joe Siedlik	Papillon, Neb.	$25,724
3rd	Sonny Nicewaner	Rollo, Mo.	$15,132
4th	Leonard Daniels	Carroll, Iowa	$12,106
5th	Dan Hicks	Tampa, Fla.	$9,079
6th	Steven Hipes	St. Louis, Mo.	$7,566
7th	Duane Gerleman	Ridgeway, Iowa	$6,053
8th	Ron Picou	Willisville, Ill.	$4,540
9th	Jason Bartholomew	Sarasota, Fla.	$3,026

Event 7

This $300 No-Limit Hold'em tournament also began Friday and was unable to get to its final table in one day. The 100 starters in the event had only worked down to 12 by the end of play on Friday, so those dozen men came back to the felt on Saturday to determine the champion.

Dukich was responsible for the elimination of five of the seven players who left before he reached heads-up action against Dmitri Soudakov, who couldn't prevail against Dukich's 3-1 chip lead. It took three hands for Dukich to eliminate Soudakov during heads-up play and win the title.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Frank Dukich	Carter Lake, Iowa	$9,429
2nd	Dmitri Soudakov	Minnesota	$4,947
3rd	Patrick Galloway	Omaha, Neb.	$2,910
4th	John Biebel	Denver, Colo.	$2,328
5th	Leon Johnson	Rockford, Ill.	$1,746
6th	David Hiers	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$1,455
7th	Andrew Strauss	Kansas City, Mo.	$1,164
8th	Jim Hansen	Omaha, Neb.	$873
9th	Vic Hoffman	Onslow, Iowa	$582

Event 8

Sunday was a busy day at the Horseshoe, with three final tables slated for action. First up was the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em final table, winnowed down from a 109-player field.

David Dicken led the final table at the start of action and was the aggressor in the early going, building on his chip lead and cruising to the heads-up action against Kou Vang.

With a 2-1 chip advantage, Dicken looked unbeatable, but Vang steadfastly began to grind into his lead. On the final hand Vang flopped a nine to match his K-9 and outrun Dicken's pocket eights for the title.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Kou Vang	Woodbury, Minn.	$51,383
2nd	David Dicken	Waterloo, Iowa	$26,961
3rd	Blake Cahail	Columbia, Mo.	$15,860
4th	Jeff Bryan	Fort Calhoun, Neb.	$12,688
5th	Mike Sortino	Papillon, Neb.	$9,516
6th	Jovan Sudar	Omaha, Neb.	$7,930
7th	Phil Mader	Ridgeway, Iowa	$6,344
8th	William Burdick	St. Petersburg, Fla.	$4,758
9th	Mark Fernandez	Brooklyn, N.Y.	$3,172

Event 9

The $500 H.O.R.S.E. event was a marathon: 87 rounders played for 12 hours on Saturday and then till 10 p.m. Sunday to reach a final table that didn't wrap up until the wee hours.

Karl Tretter's Day 1 lead would not allow him to see the light of day, with Teddy Nassif and Kevin O'Donnell facing off even in chips heads-up. Nassif soon went on the offensive.

After several rounds, he was able to climb into the lead over O'Donnell and crippled him during the next Omaha segment. Nassif was able to close the deal when he made a flush in Seven-Card Stud and O'Donnell blanked out.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Hometown	Prize
1st	Teddy Nassif	Ames, Iowa	$15,400
2nd	Kevin O'Donnell	Seward, Neb.	$9,283
3rd	Tony Merksick	Council Bluffs, Iowa	$5,485
4th	Karl Tretter	Queens, N.Y.	$4,009
5th	Yuval Bronshtein	Atlanta, Ga.	$2,954
6th	Umeme Hoye	Detroit, Mich.	$2,110
7th	Michael Altman	Mequon, Wis.	$1,688
8th	Dan Sindelar	Omaha, Neb.	$1,266

After that flurry of poker, players are ready for the $5,000 Championship Event that starts today. PokerListings' reporting team will be there for all the action, so be sure to check out our Live Tournaments section for the full details on the WSOPC action in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Visit PokerListings.com

PokerStars qualifier wins EPT Copenhagen

To get to his win, Vance came up against Soren Jensen as they waged a four-and-a-half-hour heads-up battle, the longest in EPT history, to come up with a winner. For the win, Vance takes home 6,220,488 DKK (approximately $1,236,584 USD).

Vance's road to the final table was a bit of a roller-coaster as he finished Day 1 with only 11,000 in chips. But he made it into Day 2, then survived to Day 3 and finally ended up arriving at the final table with the chip lead.

The final table started with the following players:

Seat	Name	Country	Chip Count
Seat 1	Rasmus Hede Nielsen	Denmark	789,000
Seat 2	Timothy Vance	United States	1,408,000
Seat 3	Daniel Ryan	United States	557,000
Seat 4	Patrik Andersson	Sweden	283,000
Seat 5	Simon Dorslund	Denmark	267,000
Seat 6	Nicolas Dervaux	France	336,000
Seat 7	Soren Jensen	Denmark	500,000
Seat 8	Magnus Hansen	Denmark	458,000

First out was Patrik Andersson, who pushed all-in behind a button raise from Daniel Ryan, who had also won his seat in the tournament at PokerStars. Ryan called, showing A-5 to Andersson's K-6. A five on the flop was all it took to seal the hand for Ryan and Andersson headed to the rail.

It was almost two and a half hours later before another player was eliminated. Taking the seventh-place spot was Simon Dorslund. After Vance had raised, Dorslund pushed from the small blind.

Vance called with A-K versus Dorslund's A-8. The board bricked out and Dorslund was sent packing.

Nicolas Dervaux was out next as he moved all-in with J-5 and got a call from Jenson, who was holding A-7. Dervaux was looking good after a jack hit the flop, but an ace on the turn gave Jenson the win.

After the dinner break Ryan made his final move as well. He was forced to make a move with A-Q and was called by Rasmus Nielsen who was holding A-K. The big slick was enough to take out the PokerStars qualifier.

Despite raking in Ryan's chips, Nielsen was the next to bow out of the final table. He ended up calling an all-in after a flop of 9-7-J rainbow from Vance. It turned out his pocket eights put him ahead of Vance's A-Q.

A jack on the turn paired the board, and Vance was left calling on a little luck to win the hand. Luck came through for him, bringing an ace on the river to win the hand.

Soren then took a turn busting a player to bring the game to heads-up. On a flop of T-4-9, Magnus Hansen raised and saw Soren move all-in.

Magnus made the call and Soren showed 9-4 for two pair, while Hansen showed T-6 for a pair of tens. The turn gave Hansen a flush draw possibility, but it didn't materialize on the river.

Then Soren and Vance locked horns for the heads-up battle. Four and a half hours later it came down to Vance's A-T of spades that gave him the nut flush and the win.

The final-table results were:

Place	Name	Prize
1st	Tim Vance	6,220,488 DKK
2nd	Soren Jensen	3,521,429 DKK
3rd	Magnus Hansen	2,045,381 DKK
4th	Rasmus Nielsen	1,560,394 DKK
5th	Daniel Ryan	1,286,270 DKK
6th	Nicolas Dervaux	1,012,147 DKK
7th	Simon Dorslund	801,283 DKK
8th	Patrik Andersson	569,333 DKK

For more details from the final table and the other days of the EPT Copenhagen event, visit the Live Tournament section.

Visit PokerListings.com

Poker Stars - Carnival Cruises to host poker tourneys

Carnival Cruises to host poker tourneys

Carnival Cruise Lines will host a series of No-Limit Hold'em poker satellite tournaments on dozens of Fun Ship voyages this year.

The 2008 Carnival PokerPro Challenge will occur on select cruises now through June 30, with the winners of the preliminary tournaments facing off during the Grand Final Playoff on the Carnival Fantasy's Oct. 4 voyage. At stake in the Grand Final Playoff will be $45,000 in cash.

According to a press release from Carnival Cruise Lines, the tournaments will be played on recently installed PokerPro tables. These dealer-less, electronic tables display the players' hands, commitments, table stakes, pot amount and the community cards.

Entry fee and buy-in for the 10-player tournaments is $150, with a $15 rake per entry. Tournaments will take place on the following voyages:

• Carnival Pride (excluding June 15, 2008 sailing)
• Carnival Spirit
• Carnival Conquest
• Carnival Legend
• Carnival Glory (excluding May 10, 2008 sailing)
• Carnival Valor
• Carnival Liberty
• Carnival Fascination
• Carnival Victory
• Carnival Miracle (excluding the April 23, 2008 sailing)

First-place winners of the preliminary tournaments will win $750 plus entry into the Grand Final Playoff on the Carnival Fantasy. Finalists booking their Grand Final Playoff cruise will receive an early booking bonus of $100, redeemable on board during the cruise, if they book within one month of qualifying.

"With the increasing popularity of No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournaments throughout the gaming community, these events not only combine the excitement of a high stakes casino tournament, but also provide guests the opportunity to experience a fun and memorable cruise vacation," said Rodney Dofort, Carnival Corporation's Vice President of Casino Operations.

"We are particularly pleased that we are able to hold the Grand Final Playoff on board the Carnival Fantasy following the implementation of her full Evolutions of Fun upgrades later this year."

Guests can register for the tournaments on the first night of their cruise at the casino cashier cage, subject to availability.

Related Articles:

• Cruise Leads to WSOP Seat
• Carnival Cruise Has WSOP Seat

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ASA Survey: Gambling ads a safe bet

The survey was conducted by the ASA's compliance team across media between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2007, in order to assess the compliance rate of gambling ads with the new tightened gambling advertising codes.

The new advertising rules are designed to ensure that gambling advertisements from land-based and online establishments are socially responsible, especially with regard to protecting young people and vulnerable members of society. The codes went into effect Sept. 1, 2007, with the new U.K. Gambling Act.

According to the ASA, 784 advertisements were monitored, and only seven (1%) seemed to breach the Advertising Codes.

The advertisements that were assessed included 312 press and magazine ads, 344 Internet banner or pop-up ads, 56 TV ads, 31 radio ads, 28 direct mailings, eight circulars and five outdoor ads.

Six of the seven ads that appeared to be in breach of the new standards were TV ads, and four of those were produced by one advertiser. The only other potential problem came from an Internet pop-up ad.

The ASA report doesn't name the companies whose ads are in breach of the regulations.

However, the ASA did say the advertisers have been contacted and the Compliance team sought assurances that the ads will not be run again.

"Action was taken by Compliance against those ads that appeared to breach the Codes," said the ASA. "Ongoing monitoring of gambling ads across all media will continue to ensure high levels of compliance with the Codes are maintained."

According to the ASA, it has only had cause to formally investigate complaints about one gambling ad since the new rules were introduced, which reflects the high compliance rate revealed by the survey. The complaints were about a TV ad for Ladbrokes, and the complaints were not upheld.

"The ASA understands the concerns of many members of the public about the potential for harm from irresponsible advertising. Our prime concern is protecting consumers, particularly the young or vulnerable, by ensuring that advertising for gambling products adheres to high standards," said Christopher Graham, ASA director general.

"The results of this compliance survey are confirmation that advertising self-regulation is working effectively and that advertisers in the gambling sector are demonstrating a proper concern for social responsibility in their marketing communications."

According to Andrew Lyman, Gambling Commission director of monitoring and enforcement, the survey is also welcomed by the Gambling Commission.

"The Commission will continue to work closely with the Advertising Standards Authority and its own licensees to make sure the codes of practice are effective," Lyman said.

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PokerStars qualifier wins EPT’s Scandinavian Open
An American is the latest winner on the European Poker Tour, as PokerStars qualifier Tim Vance won the tour’s stop in Copenhagen, Denmark. Vance, a 46-year-old construction company manager from near St. Louis, Missouri, won the first prize of 21,086,400 Danish Kroner (around 830,000 Euros or ��...full article

An American is the latest winner on the European Poker Tour, as PokerStars qualifier Tim Vance won the tour’s stop in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Vance, a 46-year-old construction company manager from near St. Louis, Missouri, won the first prize of 21,086,400 Danish Kroner (around 830,000 Euros or more than $1.2 million). He outlasted 460 players to earn the title of the tournament, which had a prize pool of about 3 million Euros ($4.5 million)

Vance entered the final table with a huge chip lead, more than 1.4 million in chips to the second-place competitor’s 800,000.

Once the tournament got to heads up, there were apparently hundreds of hands played between Vance and Denmark’s Soren Jensen, with few confrontations. Vance finally won when Jensen shoved into his Vance’s nut flush on the turn. For a look back at the heads up battle, you can check out pokerlistings.com.

For more details on the event, visit the tournament’s Web site.

Titan sending players to Ireland

The poker site already has players picked from Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Spain and Switzerland to send to Dublin for the tournament.

According to Titan Poker, all 16 players who won the trip to Dublin have been awarded $8,500 prize packages to the Irish Open taking place March 19-24.

The prize package includes entry into the €3,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event, flights, accommodation and a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and charm of Dublin.

Ole Langvad Wessby, a winner from Denmark, plans to turn his win into a family vacation. His wife, two children and parents will be heading to Ireland with him for a vacation and to cheer him on.

"I'm really excited for this opportunity to compare my poker abilities against the pros," said another winner, Jeffrey Maynard from the Netherlands.

The Irish Open isn't the only tournament Titan Poker players have been sent to. The poker site regularly awards its players with seats to major tournaments around the world.

It has sent players to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, the Aussie Millions and various European Poker Tour events.

Related Articles:

• Prize pools rise again at Titan Poker
• Titan Poker Celebrates Leap Year with Tournament
• Canuck to Represent Titan at WPS

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Poker Stars - PokerStars qualifier wins EPT’s Scandinavian Open

PokerStars qualifier wins EPT’s Scandinavian Open
An American is the latest winner on the European Poker Tour, as PokerStars qualifier Tim Vance won the tour’s stop in Copenhagen, Denmark. Vance, a 46-year-old construction company manager from near St. Louis, Missouri, won the first prize of 21,086,400 Danish Kroner (around 830,000 Euros or ��...full article

An American is the latest winner on the European Poker Tour, as PokerStars qualifier Tim Vance won the tour’s stop in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Vance, a 46-year-old construction company manager from near St. Louis, Missouri, won the first prize of 21,086,400 Danish Kroner (around 830,000 Euros or more than $1.2 million). He outlasted 460 players to earn the title of the tournament, which had a prize pool of about 3 million Euros ($4.5 million)

Vance entered the final table with a huge chip lead, more than 1.4 million in chips to the second-place competitor’s 800,000.

Once the tournament got to heads up, there were apparently hundreds of hands played between Vance and Denmark’s Soren Jensen, with few confrontations. Vance finally won when Jensen shoved into his Vance’s nut flush on the turn. For a look back at the heads up battle, you can check out pokerlistings.com.

For more details on the event, visit the tournament’s Web site.

PokerStars EPT Copenhagen: Vance Bests Jensen for Title
Timothy Vance took the chip lead into the final table of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Copenhagen championship, and after a marathon heads-up battle, he bested Soren Jensen for the title and the $1,236,095 first prize money...

2008 Duplicate Poker World Championship Announced
DuplicatePoker.com has announced its first-ever 'Duplicate Poker World Championship,' which will run for several months and culminate with the championship final this fall. The 2008 competition uses the unique Duplicate Poker format

Poker Room Review: Route 66 Casino Hotel, Albuquerque, NM
New Mexico has a nice cluster of poker rooms situated within 30 minutes of the corridor between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. There are seven rooms in all – though some don't operate full time, and only one has a full host of games...

Poker Stars - Lee Russo vs Washington’s online gambling ban: Court date set

Lee Russo vs Washington’s online gambling ban: Court date set
Lee Russo, the Washington State lawyer who challenged the constitutionality of the Washington law that effectively criminalized the act of placing a wager online, will have his day in court sooner than later. Russo, who is also the WA State Rep for the Poker ��...full article

Lee Russo, the Washington State lawyer who challenged the constitutionality of the Washington law that effectively criminalized the act of placing a wager online, will have his day in court sooner than later.

Russo, who is also the WA State Rep for the Poker Player’s Alliance, announced on the PPA website that the hearing for his challenge has been scheduled for April 25th. Below is the text of his announcement on the PPA website:

I have obtained a hearing date of April 25 at 11:00 a.m., Kent courthouse, for my constitutional challenge to Washington’s law governing internet gambling. I will be filing my brief on or before March 28 and will provide a copy to post on the PPA website.

I hope Washington state poker players will come to the hearing and show their support.

Lee Rousso

Here’s the PPA page tracking Russo’s efforts.

The case has several potentially significant impacts, chief among them the role it might play in determining whether or not states have the jurisdiction to regulate online gambling.

We’ll update as the date draws nearer.

Proposed California Bill to Determine Online Poker Legality
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, has introduced a bill in California that will study the legality of intrastate online poker in California. The bill is designed to evaluate the potential for California to establish and...

Speculation continues regarding the identity of seda1
Seda1, the mysterious online poker player who has been battling it out with Phil Ivey in the largest cash games online lately at Full Tilt Poker, has finally been identified - at least that’s the speculation coming out of Poker King and 2+2 recently. PK ran ��...full article

Seda1, the mysterious online poker player who has been battling it out with Phil Ivey in the largest cash games online lately at Full Tilt Poker, has finally been identified - at least that’s the speculation coming out of Poker King and 2+2 recently.

PK ran a story yesterday based largely on a 2+2 thread that identified seda1 as Shawn Sedaghat. Excerpt:

It seems as though the true identity of “seda1″ is likely to be Shawn Sedaghat.

Sedaghat is a wealthy businessman who has been known to play in some high-stakes poker games. He reportedly took millions of dollars off of Ron Meyer, long-time head of Universal Studios, according to this article.

Sedaghat won $29,925 at the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, which is the only cash that I can find to his name.

Sedaghat was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of Seda Specialty Packaging until the company was purchased by CCL Industries, Inc. on June 16, 1997. SEC Document here

Whole thing here.

2+2 thread here.

PokerStars EPT Copenhagen, Day 3: Vance Heads Final Table
39 players returned to compete on Day 3 of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Copenhagen championship, with Rasmus Hede Nielsen leading the pack as the day began. Notable players still alive included 2007 WSOP bracelet winner Alex...

Stud Poker Strategy: Problems to Ponder
I have some problems for you to ponder until next week when I'll fill you in on my answers. For now, take out a piece of paper and jot down what you think the best answers are to the following questions. Don't sweat...

Antonio Esfandiari hired by the WPT to do something or other
The WPT has apparently decided that their model for success relies on fewer tournaments and more hype - at least that’s one conclusion you could draw from today’s announcement that the World Poker Tour has hired Antonio Esfandiari to be the ‘face of the WPT ��...full article

The WPT has apparently decided that their model for success relies on fewer tournaments and more hype - at least that’s one conclusion you could draw from today’s announcement that the World Poker Tour has hired Antonio Esfandiari to be the ‘face of the WPT Poker-Made Millionaire’.

CardPlayer ran a story on the announcement. Excerpt:

According to the WPTE, Esfandiari will leverage his experience to provide poker tips, tools and tricks for fans and players while delivering updates and information from tournament stops via WPT Live Updates, web videos and online blogs. He will also represent WPT in tournaments and events across the world, including the upcoming WPT tournament at Casino Barcelona in May, which is the first of many regional events WPT will implement in various markets worldwide.

“Antonio embodies the excitement that has become the WPT journey,” said Lipscomb. ”This is the only sport in the history of televised sports that allows you to watch it, dream it and be it. Now, WPT fans and poker enthusiasts can take the journey with Antonio as he leads the way for the next WPT Poker-Made Millionaire.”

Whole thing here.

Pokerati ran a bit on the story here.

Wicked Chops hasn’t run anything on it yet, but they probably will soon. You should go there regardless.

Fallen Heroes Poker Benefit Set for Sunday at Bicycle Casino
In his 20-plus years of police work, Scott Diamond has witnessed first-hand the devastation faced by families of officers who die in the line of duty. Those families often struggle to make ends meet. Diamond decided that he needed...

Lunch with Jack Effel: Changes to the 2008 WSOP, Part 2
Event Structure: Since the inception of the WSOP in 1970, the tournaments have always been dollar for dollar. In 2007, WSOP management decided that they would follow what many of the other tournaments have done and give double...