Poker in Paradise: Bali Woman's Poker Club aims to train world-class players

Known for its crystal waters and sandy beaches, the Indonesian island of Bali has often been called heaven on Earth. But the center of a budding women's poker community? Indeed, Bali is home to many poker playing ladies, a number of whom are part of the Bali Woman's Poker Club.

Friday, 30 December 2005

Cigars Bust Out as Poker Sees the End of an Era

In the days of smoky back-room poker, cigars were the perfect accessory for every hard-boiled poker buff. From the stogie-chomping pros in “The Cincinnati Kid” to C.M. Coolidge's famous poker playing dogs, cigars were a integral component in any given game.

Thursday, 29 December 2005

Full Tilt Poker Goes All-In with Mac-Compatible Online Poker

Widening the compatibility of online poker rooms seems to have become something of a trend in poker these days. To accommodate the many players who don't play on a PC, a number of poker sites have recently launched Mac compatible online poker rooms. Full Tilt Poker .com announced today that it has followed suit.

Wednesday, 28 December 2005

Online Poker Room Purple Lounge Puts Soccer Fans in the Pink with World Cup Giveaway

Online poker room Purple Lounge has just announced a promotion that will have soccer fans in the pink. With the World Cup taking place only every four years, Purple Lounge is giving poker fans a rare opportunity. Purple Lounge is further bridging the gap between poker and team sports by giving people the chance to win their way to the FIFA World Cup 2006 final taking place in Berlin this coming July.

Tuesday, 27 December 2005

Armed Off-Duty Cop Arrested in Poker Bust

Police descended on an allegedly illegal poker game in the affluent suburb of Great Falls, Virginia, arresting two people, one of whom was a police man himself. Sixty players were in attendance, each having shelled out $300 for the chance to play.

Monday, 26 December 2005

Poker- Just Another Fleeting Fad? Say It Ain't So

Since the beginning of the poker boom, skeptics have been quick to say that this was one game that just wouldn't last. But weeks became months, and months turned into years (well, at least a few of them), and poker is still the talk of the nation, if not the world.

Sunday, 25 December 2005

Nudie Poker Reigns- But Sex? No Thank You

Online poker is full of newbies, but did you know it was full of nudies as well? Well, it's true, at least according to Paddy Power Poker .com, the poker wing of Irish betting company Paddy Power. Paddy Power Poker just released this interesting tidbit, along with several other interesting findings, as a prelude to the official publication of its “Poker 2006: The State of Play” report next month.

Saturday, 24 December 2005

Poker is Back on the Table at Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Joining the ranks of the Las Vegas Hilton, The Mirage and the Golden Nugget, Caesars Palace has become the latest Las Vegas joint to reinstate its poker room. Poker suffered something of a bad beat during the 1990's, a period of waning popularity for the game.

Friday, 23 December 2005

Online Poker Boom Gets Help from New York Transit Strike

Creeping into its third day, the New York transit strike has left around seven million people up the creek without a paddle, so to speak. Those who could walk, walked; those who managed to flag down a cab indeed did so; those who couldn't manage either apparently stayed home and played poker online.

Thursday, 22 December 2005

Poker Game Claims Five Lives in Mexican Border City

A poker game in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo became the site of a brutal shooting that claimed the lives of five players on Monday night. Residents ran for cover after hearing the shots, a sound that, unfortunately, is becoming increasingly familiar to the people in this violence-ridden town.

Wednesday, 21 December 2005

Negreanu, Hellmuth, Brunson and More Expected to Make Bluff's Poker Power 20

Bluff Magazine, the most widely published poker magazine in the U.S., is getting ready to name “The Poker Power 20,” its list of the people and organizations that have made the biggest mark on poker this year. The Poker Power 20 promises not to be just another “top earners” list; rather, it's about the concepts and personal drive that are largely to thank for poker's current success.

Tuesday, 20 December 2005

Anticlimactic Poker Raid in Baltimore Ultimately Ups the Ante

Six weeks following the November 2nd raid on a Baltimore poker tournament and the subsequent release of 80 arrested patrons due to a police error, authorities have filed charges against 15 additional employees and managers of the Owl's Nest in South Baltimore. This time, however, police are making sure that the charges won't be mucked.

Monday, 19 December 2005

Update: BETandWIN acquisition talks with Ongame bear fruit; Share purchase agreement signed

Following up on last week's article, "BETandWIN Aims for Online Poker Greatness with Ongame Takeover Initiative,” BETandWIN announced this weekend that it had inked a Share Purchase Agreement for a 100 percent stake in online poker solutions provider Ongame.

Sunday, 18 December 2005

Hollywood Moves to Vegas For Poker Party Featuring DJ AM, Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker

LG Electronics is tapping into the poker trend to help hype its new mobile phone, the very cryptically named “V.” Tomorrow, Hollywood poker aficionados will make their way to the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for the inaugural LG All-Star Poker Showdown, hosted by “it-girl”-turned-comedienne Jenny McCarthy.

Saturday, 17 December 2005

SaveMyFinger.com: An online poker publicity stunt to make even Golden Palace cringe

The race for players must be especially tight for online poker rooms these days, considering some of the desperate, absurd marketing schemes cropping up. A quintessential example of this is Save My Finger .com, a site that presents a do-or-die predicament involving a “high-stakes” poker game of another kind.

Friday, 16 December 2005

Poker Table Signed by Usher, Mariah Carey, Green Day, and 50 Cent to Be Auctioned on EBay

The above-named musicians and more are expected to sign the poker table, making it an immediate collectors item. After the Radio Music Awards, Aces.com will auction off the “Celebrity Poker Top” on eBay to raise money for charity. The Make a Wish Foundation will be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the poker auction.

Thursday, 15 December 2005

Online Poker Addiction Drives University Class President to Rob Bank

Proving that addiction and desperation are phenomena not reserved for any particular sector of society, Lehigh University class president Greg Hogan was allegedly driven by a poker addiction to rob a bank. Greg Hogan, who also plays second-chair cello in the Bethlehem, PA, university's orchestra, is now facing felony charges of robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.

Wednesday, 14 December 2005

Poker Climbs the Ranks of Top Online Search Terms

Poker aficionados and newbies alike can rejoice because the Lycos search engine has recently provided further evidence that the poker trend in on the up-and-up. Yes, it's that time of the year again, time for “The Lycos 50,” a list of the site's most popular search terms of the year. The list is a handy indication of what's on the screens of Web surfers around the globe.

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

Poker Oddity of the Week: Texas hold'em as musical stylings

Just when you thought that poker was everywhere, on your television, on the radio and, of course, on your PC, you can now get poker on your stereo. And the man to bring it to you: a funk/smooth jazz artist named Joe McBride.

Monday, 12 December 2005

Opposition Presses Australian State's Government to Lower Taxes on Video Poker

Controversy has been brewing in the Australian state of New South Wales regarding the taxation of video poker profits. As video poker is very popular “down under,” the local government is naturally interested in taking a piece of the pie for themselves, in the form of tax revenues. The tax is not popular with members of Clubs New South Wales, a local organization of clubs, many of which own the heavily patronized video poker machines.

Sunday, 11 December 2005

Betandwin Aims for Online Poker Greatness with Ongame Takeover Initiative

In a move that could shake up the ranks of the online poker industry, gaming company BETandWIN is reportedly in takeover negotiations with Ongame, a software provider and owner of internet poker site Poker room .com. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding this past week regarding the potential acquisition.

Saturday, 10 December 2005

Texas Hold 'Em Bonus Poker Licensed to Use WSOP Brand Name

Texas Hold 'Em Bonus(TM), a game developed by Progressive Gaming International Corporation, is being released in an upgraded version boasting the World Series of Poker brand name. Texas Hold 'Em Bonus is benefiting from the WSOP brand following a licensing deal inked between Progressive Gaming International and Harrah's Licensing Company, LLC, which owns the rights to the WSOP.

Friday, 9 December 2005

Dave “The Devilfish” Ulliott Film Offers Glimpse into UK Poker Craze

The UK has officially caught poker fever. The Brits are longtime sportsbetting enthusiasts, so it's only logical that the Texas hold'em craze that shook the US would take hold on the other side of the Atlantic as well.

Thursday, 8 December 2005

Daniel Negreanu Mentoring Opportunity up for Grabs for Online Poker Tournament Winner

Daniel Negreanu, one of the best known and most accessible professional poker players around, announced last night that he was in search of a protege upon whom to lay his pearls of poker wisdom. The protege search is part of a promotion launched jointly by Negreanu and online poker room Full Contact Poker.

Wednesday, 7 December 2005

DiCaprio and Brunson Strengthen the Hollywood Poker Connection with Upcoming Film

All systems are go for production on Leonardo Dicaprio's feature-length environmentalist film project, which is partly the fruit of a budding friendship and business relationship between the actor and poker legend Doyle Brunson.

Tuesday, 6 December 2005

Tribe Presents Case against State to Get Video Poker Clearance in South Carolina

After being denied a second bingo hall last year, the Catawba Nation of South Carolina raised the stakes when, in July, the tribe made good on its promise to sue the state for the option to manage video poker operations. As part of the continuing lawsuit, the Catawbas appeared in court this past Friday to defend their right to operate video poker, presenting their 1993 land settlement in support of their claim.

Monday, 5 December 2005

WSOP Champ Joe Hachem Moves from Down Under to the Golden State

Joe Hachem, possibly poker's biggest star today, has a small problem, and it's called location. A relative newcomer to the world of professional poker, the Australian poker player practically came out of the blue this summer when he won the 2005 WSOP championship. Since winning the WSOP, Hachem has become a mainstay on the tournament circuit.

Sunday, 4 December 2005

Online Poker Profits Make a Winner out of Sportingbet

Sportingbet, the group that runs online poker site Paradise Poker, has reported strong growth figures, in particular a large increase in gross revenues. Solid growth from Sportingbet will help make the furture of the gaming industry as a whole appear more stable.

Friday, 2 December 2005

Retired Soccer Player Goes Pro, Poker That Is

Former professional soccer player Tony Cascarino is officially pursuing a professional career in a sport of another color, namely poker. Although in the past, Cascarino has played poker semi-professionally, even appearing on a British celebrity poker television show, the former striker is now looking to strike it rich on the felt full time.

Thursday, 1 December 2005