Archive for the ‘Poker’ Category

21
Jul

World Series of Poker update

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Poker pro Brandon Cantu won the US$1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or better event to earn the second bracelet of his young career. He topped veteran pro Lee Watkinson heads-up and took home the top prize of US$228,867. Cantu won his first bracelet in the 2006 US$1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event, his first career WSOP cash. Veteran player Phil “Poker Brat Hellmuth” also cashed in the Omaha 8 tourney to extend his record of WSOP cashes to 73.

The final table is set for the US$50,000 buy-in World Championship H.O.R.S.E. event. WSOP money leader Vitaly Lunkin looks to take down his second big-money buy-in event after winning the US$40,000 40th anniversary event earlier this month. Finnish pro Ville Wahlbeck also looks to get back into the Player of the Year race with a win in this event. Other notable pros at this final table include Erik Seidel, Chau Giang and former Main Event champion Huck Seed.

In one surprising bit of news, Jeffrey Lisandro is actually not in contention for another Seven Card Stud bracelet. American Chad Brown has made the final two tables at the US$1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better event. Brown has twenty-six WSOP cashes in his career but has yet to win a bracelet. His best finishes in Seven Card Stud events have been two second-place finishes. Other players at the final two tables include veteran pro Vince Burgio and former tournament director Matt Savage.

The US$10,000 buy-in World Championship No-Limit Hold’em Main Event starts Friday, July 3. Day 1 play will run from July 3 to July 6, then Day 2 play will continue on July 7 and 8. The entire field will come together July 10 and play down to the final table July 15. The “November Nine” will come back to play the final table on November 7 and the champion will be crowned on November 10.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

GamblingPlanet.org online bonuses and information now made available to US customers

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

The team at GamblingPlanet is pleased to announce that US visitors will now be able to take full advantage of the Internet’s Number One Gambling Portal – GamblingPlanet.org.

Big plans for the future

Next to hundreds of pages of GamblingPlanet content covering everything related to online gambling, there are also plans for an extensive resource section with unique tools to boost your gambling experience.

GamblingPlanet.org continues to strive to be your first stop on the Internet whether you’re hunting for an online casino or would like to gather more information about online gambling to improve your gaming experience. Now, the GamblingPlanet team is extending this objective to meet the needs of its American users and fans as well.

Improved reviews and relevance

The comprehensive and continuously updated reference point-style content provides everything you need to know when you’re ready to make a bet. From reviewing the best casinos on the Internet today to explaining how to play the games you want to play, everything at GamblingPlanet.org is aimed at providing you with a wide selection of relevant information ensuring that you have a satisfying gambling experience.

Development in dialogue with users

Already global in scope, the team at GamblingPlanet can now reach out to one of the most vibrant and dynamic markets in the world. Through the use of our feedback and comments section, visitors will now be able to provide our developers and editors with the information they need to create the ultimate gambling portal. Non-US visitors will also benefit as more and more content is produced through the feedback and reviews we receive from our visitors.

- The Team @ GamblingPlanet.org

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

News and notes from 2009 World Series of Poker

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Australian poker pro Jeffrey Lisandro earned his third bracelet of this year’s World Series and the fourth of his career when he won the US$2,500 buy-in Seven Card Razz event. In addition to his wins at the US$1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud Hi event and the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Eight or Better tournament, Lisandro has garnered titles in each of the major varieties of Seven Card Stud. Along with cementing his status as the best Seven Card Stud player in the world, his wins have also given his a huge lead in the Player of the Year race.

Former pro hockey player Greg Mueller earned his second bracelet of the Series in the US$1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em Shootout. The win also put an extra US$195,000 in his pocket alongside his earlier win in the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship Limit Hold’em event. Mueller’s winnings in this year’s events total over US$700,000 and his career WSOP earnings are now over US$1.5 million.

In the US$50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event, Russian poker pro Vitaly Lunkin leads the final nineteen players going in Day Three. Lunkin also currently leads the field in winnings at this year’s series with over US$2.3 million, thanks in large part due to his win at the US$40,000 buy-in 40th Anniversary event that earned him nearly US$1.9 million. He also finished second on the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha event and cashed in the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship Mixed Event.

All of these events are serving to build the anticipation for the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship No-Limit Hold’em Main Event that starts July 3. The biggest event in poker winds down to the final table July 15. The final table will restart November 7 and the Main Event champion will be crowned November 10.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

The Iceman is on fire at the 2009 WSOP

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Proving that old dogs can learn new tricks, longtime Seven-card Stud expert Jeffrey Lisandro has thus far added three 2009 WSOP bracelets and six cashes to his arsenal of awards, and the Iceman’s not done yet. Lisandro’s three bracelets have been won in his signature events: Seven-card Stud (Event 16), Seven-Card Stud H/L-8 (Event 37), and Razz (Event 44). But the stud master has also posted cashes in PL Omaha and PL Omaha H/L Split, making him a formiddable sight at almost any table.

Lisandro’s three wins and six cashes have catapulted him to the top of the POY leaderboard, displacing Ville Wahlbeck who held the lead for the majority of the series. With just a week remaining until the Main Event (which will count toward POY standings for the first time in the history of the tournament), Lisandro has a strong lead at 355 points with Wahlbeck sitting comfortably in second at 275 and Phil Ivey in third at 242. The other multi-bracelet winners of this series—Greg Mueller and John Brock Parker—round out the POY top five at 240 and 227 points respectively.

At press time the battle for first was still raging with Wahlbeck fighting toward the final table in Event 49 and Lisandro finishing as a chip leader in second day competition for Event 52. On Sunday Lisandro predicted that one more final table would win him the honor of Player of the Year; if that’s true, he just may seal the deal tomorrow.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

The Russian casinos revolution

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Beginning on 1 July, all casinos and slot machine halls in Russia are due to be banned and replaced by a handful of Vegas-style ‘gambling zones’ distributed throughout the country.

In 2006 Vladimir Putin, who was president at the time, pushed through the law that ban gambling all over the country except for in four specifically chosen ‘gambling zones’: one in the Far East near the North Korean and Chinese borders; one in the Altai region; a third in Kaliningrad; and a fourth close to the Azov Sea in the south of Russia. Touted as developing future Russian Las Vegases, the plan represents an effort to shift gambling away from major cities (30 casinos and over 500 slot machine halls in Moscow alone would be forced to close) and bring business and tourism to other, more remote, areas of the country.

The new gambling zones at these sites, however, have yet to be built despite the 1 July implementation date of the new law and the closing of existing gambling establishments with casino games could therefore have a negative impact on unemployment thereby exacerbating already difficult economic conditions.

Players are expected to flock to nearby pro-gambling destinations and legal casinos in Eastern Europe, and poker players may take some comfort in the fact that the ban could see an emergence of ‘poker sports clubs’ or ‘private members clubs’ where poker – which is categorised as a sport in Russia – would still be allowed. Indeed, several existing casinos have held poker lessons for the past few months to attempt to create a market amongst those who will no longer have lega casinos to visit nearby.

The casinos have pleaded for delays and carve-outs including proposing a regulatory body to monitor and reduce abuses and, more recently, emphasising that the ban would create hardships for workers during the current economic crisis. The industry has also highlighted the fact that it contributes more than 1 billion USD in taxes each year.

It is unclear, however, what impact this would have on the online casino community but it is fairly safe to assume that many Russians will turn to this outlet following the ban. Online gambling will more than likely increase in popularity in Russia as a result of the ban now that players – particularly those in Moscow – will no longer have the option of playing in a nearby live casino.

The impact in Moscow is already visible – casinos on the main casino strip in Moscow have already turned off their lights. One of the oldest casinos in the country, Metelitsa, displays a sign which reads "Thanks for 16 years of trust" while also advertising the space as now for rent.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

DiCaprio’s lucky break

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Long before we affectionately knew him as the moron who dumped Gisele Bundchen, Leonardo DiCaprio was a snot-nosed vagabond on the hit show Growing Pains. Following his career, you’ll see that Leo quickly became a mega-star, sharing the screen with De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Bill Paxton. Okay, so maybe Paxton isn’t noteworthy, but I like Club Dread’s Coconut Pete and don’t really care what you think about it!

You’d certainly be hard-pressed to find something going on in Hollywood today that doesn’t have DiCaprio’s name attached to it. While most assume this is due to his great acting talent (get real!), or his heartthrob appeal (he looks like he’s 12!), it could very well be that Leo is a leech, firmly stuck to the teat of every big project in production and using his star capital to remain fastened.

So, what does a guy star in who literally has the movie world at his fingertips? Sweeney Todd! Oh, wait a minute. I got Leo confused with Johnny Depp. Well, judging by Leo’s newest, seemingly obscure role, one would wonder if he’s coming down with a case of Depp-itis, only starring in “artsy” and “character” pictures, instead of the balls-to-the-wall blockbuster releases. In DiCaprio’s newest picture, he’ll bravely delve into the world of online casinos. That’s right – I said online casinos!

Hooking up with the writers of Ocean’s Thirteen, the third in the series that finally helped Casey Afleck stand out from big brother Ben, Leo is working on an untitled project that deals with Internet gambling’s hub, Costa Rica. Details on this picture are very scarce to date, but that doesn’t stop the rumors from heating up. People want to know exactly what Leo will be doing. Good guy, bad guy, lowly gambler, twisted genius, what? What will you be doing, dude; why the secrecy?

If we’ve learned anything from Leo’s past films it’s that production takes a simple plot and turns it into a 140-minute snooze fest. If you like Leo’s movies, then this is probably great for you. But the rest of us have had to suffer through The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Body of Lies, and Revolutionary Road. Untitled, as we’re calling it, undoubtedly follows along these lines.

Here’s the best educated guess you’ll find online: Leo is a smart kid turned genius, graduating from an Ivy League university early, and developing casino software in order to strike it rich. He finds some hardcore Costa Ricans (not the same as Puerto Ricans) that lend him the startup capital. But Leo’s character, probably named Edward or something, figured out that he can siphon 3 cents of every dollar profit without his gangster-slash-investors finding out.

Within a few years, Leo (sorry: Edward) is a millionaire, living it up in the beautiful sundrenched Costa Rica, and finding that too much is never enough. Of course, he’ll bite off more than he can chew, and the investors find out he’s been dipping his nerd stick into the honey pot!

All holy hell will then break loose, with Leo having to flee the area, taking only a bit of his cash, and hiding in every rat hole he can to get away. He’ll find a love interest, probably Megan Fox or Eva Mendes, and she’ll be pulled into the pit of despair with him.

Leo isn’t going to make a comedy, so forget about that. Even Catch Me if You Can was a dramady. No matter what’s going on in this movie, you can be certain of a few things: It will run over 2 hours, there will be a corny love interest to make the mediocre action seem that much more intense, and it will be a run-of-the-mill movie for which Leo will receive far too much credit. But hey, at least they’re finally dealing with online gambling. It’s only been one of the world’s top earning industries for a decade now!

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

PartyPoker buys some pros

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

For years now top poker sites like UltimateBet and PokerStars have been pumping their numbers through the commercial use of recognizable pros. Many aspiring amateurs get starry-eyed at the mere thought of rubbing elbows with poker legends like Daniel Negreanu, and many poker sites have been cashing in on this idol-worship by sponsoring their own teams of pros. While other online poker rooms pimped out their teams in trade for added traffic, PartyPoker has been largely neutral toward the movement…until now.

In a bid to maintain their historically high numbers, PartyPoker has joined the scramble for sponsored pros by adding a few recognizable faces to their own roster. From the beginning, PartyPoker’s only payrolled player was WPT commentator Mike Sexton. Whether Sexton was tired of going it solo or not, he’s going to get some company. In light of the site’s international crowd, their new team of pros is appropriately diverse.

The first PartyPoker pro addition is Englishman Ian Frazer, already a familiar face at PartyPoker’s major live tournaments. Days after announcing their first selection, PartyPoker announced two more: Frenchman Remy Biechel and Brazilian Felipe Ramos. While these three players may be relatively unknown to American poker fans, they’ve all placed in the money at the WSOP (with Ramos appearing at the Event 35 final table just last week) and have posted major international tournament wins.

PartyPoker’s recent additions officially give them their own team of pros, and insiders speculate more are coming soon. This should be exciting news for existing members of the popular poker room.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

WSOP Event 41 features a kiddie table

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Tuesday night there wasn’t a single player at the WSOP Event 41 final table that had seen major tournament action before 2006. That’s probably because none of the players were old enough to compete in 2005. Out of a field of 281 entrants (including seasoned superstars like Phil Ivey and David Pham) the last men standing going into Day 3 of the $5000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout were barely men at all. At 24, Danny Wong was both the oldest and most experienced player left competing for the bracelet. While the table was light on age and experience, it was still extremely diverse with four different countries represented by the top five players (Hungary, Russia, Germany, and the United States).

Don’t let the fresh faces fool you though—these young guns definitely earned their places at the final table. El Nasr got his seat after two grueling hours of heads-up play against Ivey-eliminator Barny Boatman. And Lichtenberger personally put out two-time WSOP bracelet winner David “The Dragon” Pham. Ultimately though it was 22-year old Hungarian pro Peter Traply that rose to the top of this pool of young talent to claim his first WSOP bracelet. Prior to taking the Event 41 title, Traply’s highest WSOP placing was 188th in last year’s Main Event.

The final placings for the “Fab Five” table were as follows:

1. Peter Traply – $348,728Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
2. Andrew Lichtenberger – $215,403Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
3. Max Lykov – $145,063 Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
4. Danny Wong – $105,609 Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
5. Nasr El Nasr – $82,697

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

News and Notes from the 2009 World Series of Poker

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

As the World Series of Poker winds down toward the US$10,000 buy-in World Championship No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, the established pros continue to rack up some great results.

Event: US$5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em ShootoutSources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
While the final table in this event is devoid of bracelet winners or big-name pros, Phil Ivey continued to prove his dominance this year by finishing in eighth place, winning just over US$16,000 and making his fifth cash finish in this year’s Series. With this finish, he ties four other players with five cashes and takes the lead in the WSOP Player of the Year race.

Event: US$10,000 buy-in World Championship Pot-Limit OmahaSources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
Russian poker pro Vitaly Lunkin, who won the US$40,000 buy-in 40th Anniversary event earlier this month, came up short in his attempt to be the fourth double bracelet winner this year. He lost to American Matt Graham in a marathon heads-up session to take down US$419,832. The final table included such poker superstars as Josh Arieh and Barry Greenstein.

Event: US$1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’emSources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
Young poker pro Brandon Cantu also came up just short in winning his second career WSOP bracelet. His opponent, Ray Foley, crippled Cantu when he went all-in with a pair of tens and Cantu called with king-nine. A king came on the flop to improve Cantu’s hand, but a ten on the turn gave Foley three tens and demolished most of Cantu’s stack. Cantu earned over US$400,000 for his second-place finish.

Can Ivey repeat his 2002 WSOP performance and win three bracelets, or will another player hit the poker trifecta?

Will a big-name pro step up and win the Main Event this year, or will another unknown shine on the game’s biggest stage?

Keep checking back with us for the latest news from the World Series of Poker.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

21
Jul

Jeffrey Lisandro wins World Series of Poker seven-card stud hi-lo World Championship

No commentsPokerJuly 21st, 2009admin

Australian professional poker player Jeffrey Lisandro won his third career World Series of Poker championship bracelet by taking down the US$10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo World Championship and the top prize of US$431,656. Lisandro also joins Brock Parker and Phil Ivey as two-time bracelet winners in this year’s series of tournaments. Earlier this month, Lisandro also won the US$1,500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud event, garnering a prize of US $124,959.

Lisandro is acknowledged as being one of the top pros for both tournaments and high-stakes cash games. In 2007, Lisandro won his first bracelet in the US$2,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud tournament for a cash prize of US$118,426.

While Lisandro is considered a Seven-Card Stud expert, he has also experienced success in other forms of the game and has clashed with some of the biggest names in poker along the way. In December 2004, Lisandro overcame Howard “The Professor” Lederer in a US$25,000 buy-in limit hold’em heads-up tournament. The following summer, Lisandro beat Ivey for the championship at the World Series of Poker Circuit US$10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. During the 2007 World Series, Lisandro finished second to poker pro Allen Cunningham in the US$10,000 buy-in pot-limit hold’em World Championship tournament.

In what is becoming the “Year of the Pro” at this year’s WSOP, Lisandro has earned well over US$600,000 over the forty tournaments conducted thus far. His win has also put him atop the current WSOP Player of the Year standings, tied with Ivey and Finnish pro Ville Wahlbeck. He is also tied with Parker and fellow poker pros Roland de Wolfe and Daniel Alaei for most cash finishes in this year’s World Series with five.

Sources: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/

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