Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players

Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

Sometimes I just don't understand the offline casino world. Another casino executive is saying publicly that they do not support online gambling legislation. Anthony Marnell of the M Resort in Vegas feels legalizing online poker won't provide structure to the industry it will increase the number of underage gamblers. Marnell explained that with “real” casinos it is much easier to regulate play than you can online. Legal online gambling will produce more gambling addictions according to Marnell. The logic is hard to determine in Marnell's case. Addicts don't need help feeding an addiction and to presume anyone under age will succumb to a problem simply because of their age is silly. Perhaps instead of focusing on what can't be controlled (and currently isn't controlled) Marnell and people like him should use their press time to promote gambler education and addiction assistance. Online poker did not invent gambling addiction. As the push for online gaming legislation and intrastate gaming laws increases so will opposition; its just the nature of the beast. The reason the sentiments of folks like Anthony Marnell and Sheldon Anderson get press time is because they are an influential part of the established casino industry. It seems like a strange stance for folks that make money, live comfortably and benefit daily from gambling should raise such an objection. Is it fear of the Internet or fear of too much competition? It seems a little naive to me to think that minors today don't already know how to operate illegally online no matter the rules in place. Minors buy drugs, watch pornography and organize violent acts online all the time. If a child wants to do something illegal they will. Raising your child to know the difference between right and wrong is a parent's responsibility not the poker industry's responsibility. If fear of misuse is enough to stop online gaming legislation in its tracks, I'm afraid we're getting nowhere fast.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/feed/ 0 Poker Relations Predictions for 2012 http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:11:58 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1615

Yes its that time of year when everyone likes to predict what is going to happen in the coming months. 2011 was quite a year full of scandal, gossip, unexpected wins and newly created poker tournaments. If you were paying attention last year to the poker news then the predictions below make sense. I'm just not sure if I want to be proved right in every case. Predictions

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Pokerstars has been in the spotlight lately because of some of their choices in regards to the Black Friday affair but this week Pokerstars has a bit of positive spin to share. The online poker giant is one of only three sites that will offer real money gambling in Belgium. Belgium, like the United States, is attempting to crack down on illegal websites. Their new Gambling Act has enough stipulations to keep casinos kosher. Pokerstars established a relationship with a Belgium gaming group almost two years ago possibly in preparation for this new legislation. The Pokerstars.be site will be blocked to any player who is not authorized to play real money poker in their physical location. Pokerstars is Belgium's largest poker site. It provides the country and surrounding area with the majority of its poker tournaments. Having a recognizable name on the books is always good for business. As Pokerstars.be gets underway John Duthie, an established member of the Pokerstars team declined to renew his contract for 2012. Duthie was a foundation stone for the Pokerstars Europe team and is often thought to be the catalyst behind the European Poker tour. Poker forums are speculating on the reason for the split but Duthie claims no politics or company changes have anything to do with his decision. Pokerstars weathered the Black Friday affair much better than its competitors. Pokerstars is a world wide brand with casinos in a lot more locations than just the United States. Seems they took their American slap on the wrist and used it as a catalyst for new marketing strategies in other parts of the poker playing world. We'll see how it goes.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/feed/ 0 WSOP Winner Duhamel Assault Update http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:34:07 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1605

Last week the poker forums were buzzing with the news of the break in at former WSOP champion Jonathan Duhamel's residence. His WSOP gold bracelet, a WSOP watch and a large sum of cash were taken. Duhamel suffered a physical attack during the break in. Authorities acted quickly and now PokerNews.com is reporting that four suspects are being held in custody in connection with the home invasion. In his first statement to the press Duhamel offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of his attackers. Calls to the local police in Quebec, Canada (where Duhamel resides) ended in the arrest of Bianca Rojas-Latraverse last Saturday. She has been charged with conspiracy to commit a criminal act. After being questioned by police Rojas-Latraverse offered up two more names: John Stephan Clark Lemay and Andre Robert Perron. The suspects ages are 20, 22 and 26 respectively. A fourth individual went into custody Friday morning although police have yet to release any personal details. It seems Duhamel's watch which was a Rolex submariner's watch presented to him by PokerStars was actually in one of the suspects possession at the time of their arrest. There is no word that it has been released to Duhamel and will probably end up as an exhibit in the court case. What is still missing is Duhamel's irreplaceable one of a kind diamond encrusted gold bracelet giving to him after wining the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Estimates state the bracelets are valued between K to K although I don't see how you could sell it on the street. A tad conspicuous to say the least. In the weeks to come there should be more details as well as some solid court dates to report.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/feed/ 0 UIGEA Next on the Clarification List After Wire Act? http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:29:04 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1601

In 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed through Congress on the back of another bill. Its goal was to stop banks from processing monies earned through online gambling sites. Of course with the Black Friday affair we know this wasn't very successful. Online casinos found other ways to get around the process or blatantly broke the law hoping they wouldn't get caught. This week the 1961 Wire Act was reinterpreted and many think the UIGEA is next. After the UIGEA the number of violations actually increased rather than decreased showing the law was in effective. With the new clarification of the Wire Act it no longer appears to apply in the Black Friday cases. Prosecutors are holding on to the violation of the UIGEA not to mention money laundering and fraud. But do they have the right? The UIGEA is an American law applying to businesses operated in America. The Big Three poker sites actually hold licenses from other countries and have a physical address in other countries. They are not businesses in America. They do however have American players and that's where the Depart of Justice finds its justification for the upcoming court cases. It looks as though the lawyers of the accused will be arguing that the UIGEA law is vague and hard to apply to the individual cases. It is a vague law. The UIGEA does not define what a bet is. It does not discuss differences between a game of chance and a game of skill. It does not define poker as a game of skill or a game of chance. Vague is an understatement. The UIGEA is an afterthought. With the Black Friday trials coming up early next year it will be interesting to see who calls for official clarification of the UIGEA. It could be the Poker Players Alliance, the Department of Justice or the legal counsel of the defendants. We'll wait and see.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/feed/ 0 WSOP Player of the Year and GPI Player of the Week http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:21:21 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1581

As 2011 draws to a close we start looking at the ranks of poker professionals and where everyone stands before going into the new year. There are a number of different ranking systems out there but most folks accept the WSOP point system. The newly formed Global Poker Index (GPI) website provides a weekly look at the amount of points players from across the globe have earned. Both systems have provided a top ten this week with a few similarities but also a few differences. The WSOP point system is based on success or failure within their organized events. Only tournaments that offer WSOP bracelets count towards a player's score. Here are the results so far: 1. Ben Lamb 909.05 2. Phil Hellmuth 755.25 3. Chris Moorman 753.95 4. Shawn Buchanan 631.74 5. Pius Heinz 570.00 6. Brian Rast 550.00 7. Bertrand Grospellier 545.75 8. Jason Mercier 449.08 9. Martin Staszko 446.00 10. Jake Cody 445.23 Despite having won the WSOP Main Event Pius Heinz did not have enough accumulated points to lead the board. In fact Main event finalist Ben Lamb has a great year even if he didn't snag that final bracelet and came out the clear winner.

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

With the most accumulated points across the board this week Jason Mercier is holding on to the GPI's top spot although he only comes in at number eight on the WSOP board. This weeks results are a good reminder of the fact that the best player of the year or week often depends on who is doing the scoring.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/feed/ 0 2010 WSOP Winner Duhamel Crime Victim http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:15:07 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1578

Jonathan Duhamel known to poker fans at the Canadian poker professional that snagged the 2010 WSOP Main event title was a victim of crime this week at his home I Quebec. Apparently two men entered his home, threatened his life, beat him up and stole his possessions. Duhamel is not seriously injured and no arrests have been made. Among the items stolen from Duhamel's home were his 2010 WSOP bracelet and a Rolex watch custom engraved with his WSOP win. Although his entire poker winnings were not just sitting around his house a few 500 Euro bills were. The police are hoping the robbers attempt to catch in the rare Euro money to give them a lead. There has been no official statement that Duhamel was targeted because of his 2010 championship win but the fact they stole his bracelet and watch is a good indication they knew who they were robbing. The incident occurred on Wednesday and it was a full day before Duhamel made a public statement although his publicist had confirmed the attack the day before. According to Duhamel he was tied up and then beaten badly by his attackers which seems a little like overkill. A few bumps and bruises were not enough to send Duhamel to the hospital but he has decided to spend the holidays with friends. He stated to the Canadian press that he fully intended to start playing professional poker again as soon as possible. Its never fun to report on this type of thing, especially during the holidays. It does however remind us that professional poker players are real people not just card playing icons on a screen. We wish Duhamel and his family a safe holiday season.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/feed/ 0 Bodog Makes a Come Back to American Market http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:26:18 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1569

Okay so we all know what happened on Black Friday back in April right? Well when the big three poker sites made an exit from the online market, other poker sites that had not been indicted but did hold a domain name in the U.S. started to worry. Bodog Poker was one of these smaller poker sites. They voluntarily withdrew from the American market in the summer but it seems they are making a return. The problem for Bodog and other online sites was having an American domain with assets attached to it. If they didn't have an American domain name the U.S. Department of Justice could not go in and seize their assets. Many poker sites, including Bodog, ended play for American players and moved their site to a European domain name. Now Bodog has returned to the U.S. Market offering cash money games through a new website Bovada.lv. The domain “lv” is reserved for the country for Latvia but Bodog is using it to symbolize Las Vegas. This is a reference to the state of Nevada's early jump on licenses in preparation for the passing of federal gaming legislation. So far, Bodog aka Bovada is the first poker site to do this but it could be the beginning of a new trend. If you go to the Bodava website the home page displays an image of Las Vegas and what is meant to be a welcome to Nevada sign where Nevada has been changed Bodava. This is the site's way of saying they are operating in the U.S.? Either way they are offering ,600 in signing bonus so what the hey. Site users can bet on poker games, casino games, horse races and sports. The American online gaming world has certainly suffered a devastating blow this year but sites like Bodog are finding ways around American gaming laws to provide players in the U.S. the same privileges enjoyed by folks all over the world. Hopefully federal legislation is in the near future and things can get back to normal.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/feed/ 0 Epic Poker Announces Life Time Achieve Award for Doyle Brunson http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:21:42 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1566

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

Sometimes I just don't understand the offline casino world. Another casino executive is saying publicly that they do not support online gambling legislation. Anthony Marnell of the M Resort in Vegas feels legalizing online poker won't provide structure to the industry it will increase the number of underage gamblers. Marnell explained that with “real” casinos it is much easier to regulate play than you can online. Legal online gambling will produce more gambling addictions according to Marnell. The logic is hard to determine in Marnell's case. Addicts don't need help feeding an addiction and to presume anyone under age will succumb to a problem simply because of their age is silly. Perhaps instead of focusing on what can't be controlled (and currently isn't controlled) Marnell and people like him should use their press time to promote gambler education and addiction assistance. Online poker did not invent gambling addiction. As the push for online gaming legislation and intrastate gaming laws increases so will opposition; its just the nature of the beast. The reason the sentiments of folks like Anthony Marnell and Sheldon Anderson get press time is because they are an influential part of the established casino industry. It seems like a strange stance for folks that make money, live comfortably and benefit daily from gambling should raise such an objection. Is it fear of the Internet or fear of too much competition? It seems a little naive to me to think that minors today don't already know how to operate illegally online no matter the rules in place. Minors buy drugs, watch pornography and organize violent acts online all the time. If a child wants to do something illegal they will. Raising your child to know the difference between right and wrong is a parent's responsibility not the poker industry's responsibility. If fear of misuse is enough to stop online gaming legislation in its tracks, I'm afraid we're getting nowhere fast.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:11:58 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1615

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Pokerstars has been in the spotlight lately because of some of their choices in regards to the Black Friday affair but this week Pokerstars has a bit of positive spin to share. The online poker giant is one of only three sites that will offer real money gambling in Belgium. Belgium, like the United States, is attempting to crack down on illegal websites. Their new Gambling Act has enough stipulations to keep casinos kosher. Pokerstars established a relationship with a Belgium gaming group almost two years ago possibly in preparation for this new legislation. The Pokerstars.be site will be blocked to any player who is not authorized to play real money poker in their physical location. Pokerstars is Belgium's largest poker site. It provides the country and surrounding area with the majority of its poker tournaments. Having a recognizable name on the books is always good for business. As Pokerstars.be gets underway John Duthie, an established member of the Pokerstars team declined to renew his contract for 2012. Duthie was a foundation stone for the Pokerstars Europe team and is often thought to be the catalyst behind the European Poker tour. Poker forums are speculating on the reason for the split but Duthie claims no politics or company changes have anything to do with his decision. Pokerstars weathered the Black Friday affair much better than its competitors. Pokerstars is a world wide brand with casinos in a lot more locations than just the United States. Seems they took their American slap on the wrist and used it as a catalyst for new marketing strategies in other parts of the poker playing world. We'll see how it goes.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:34:07 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1605

Last week the poker forums were buzzing with the news of the break in at former WSOP champion Jonathan Duhamel's residence. His WSOP gold bracelet, a WSOP watch and a large sum of cash were taken. Duhamel suffered a physical attack during the break in. Authorities acted quickly and now PokerNews.com is reporting that four suspects are being held in custody in connection with the home invasion. In his first statement to the press Duhamel offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of his attackers. Calls to the local police in Quebec, Canada (where Duhamel resides) ended in the arrest of Bianca Rojas-Latraverse last Saturday. She has been charged with conspiracy to commit a criminal act. After being questioned by police Rojas-Latraverse offered up two more names: John Stephan Clark Lemay and Andre Robert Perron. The suspects ages are 20, 22 and 26 respectively. A fourth individual went into custody Friday morning although police have yet to release any personal details. It seems Duhamel's watch which was a Rolex submariner's watch presented to him by PokerStars was actually in one of the suspects possession at the time of their arrest. There is no word that it has been released to Duhamel and will probably end up as an exhibit in the court case. What is still missing is Duhamel's irreplaceable one of a kind diamond encrusted gold bracelet giving to him after wining the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Estimates state the bracelets are valued between $20K to $30K although I don't see how you could sell it on the street. A tad conspicuous to say the least. In the weeks to come there should be more details as well as some solid court dates to report.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-winner-duhamel-assault-update/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:29:04 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1601

In 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed through Congress on the back of another bill. Its goal was to stop banks from processing monies earned through online gambling sites. Of course with the Black Friday affair we know this wasn't very successful. Online casinos found other ways to get around the process or blatantly broke the law hoping they wouldn't get caught. This week the 1961 Wire Act was reinterpreted and many think the UIGEA is next. After the UIGEA the number of violations actually increased rather than decreased showing the law was in effective. With the new clarification of the Wire Act it no longer appears to apply in the Black Friday cases. Prosecutors are holding on to the violation of the UIGEA not to mention money laundering and fraud. But do they have the right? The UIGEA is an American law applying to businesses operated in America. The Big Three poker sites actually hold licenses from other countries and have a physical address in other countries. They are not businesses in America. They do however have American players and that's where the Depart of Justice finds its justification for the upcoming court cases. It looks as though the lawyers of the accused will be arguing that the UIGEA law is vague and hard to apply to the individual cases. It is a vague law. The UIGEA does not define what a bet is. It does not discuss differences between a game of chance and a game of skill. It does not define poker as a game of skill or a game of chance. Vague is an understatement. The UIGEA is an afterthought. With the Black Friday trials coming up early next year it will be interesting to see who calls for official clarification of the UIGEA. It could be the Poker Players Alliance, the Department of Justice or the legal counsel of the defendants. We'll wait and see.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/uigea-clarification-list-wire-act/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:21:21 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1581

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

With the most accumulated points across the board this week Jason Mercier is holding on to the GPI's top spot although he only comes in at number eight on the WSOP board. This weeks results are a good reminder of the fact that the best player of the year or week often depends on who is doing the scoring.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/wsop-player-year-gpi-player-week/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:15:07 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1578

Jonathan Duhamel known to poker fans at the Canadian poker professional that snagged the 2010 WSOP Main event title was a victim of crime this week at his home I Quebec. Apparently two men entered his home, threatened his life, beat him up and stole his possessions. Duhamel is not seriously injured and no arrests have been made. Among the items stolen from Duhamel's home were his 2010 WSOP bracelet and a Rolex watch custom engraved with his WSOP win. Although his entire poker winnings were not just sitting around his house a few 500 Euro bills were. The police are hoping the robbers attempt to catch in the rare Euro money to give them a lead. There has been no official statement that Duhamel was targeted because of his 2010 championship win but the fact they stole his bracelet and watch is a good indication they knew who they were robbing. The incident occurred on Wednesday and it was a full day before Duhamel made a public statement although his publicist had confirmed the attack the day before. According to Duhamel he was tied up and then beaten badly by his attackers which seems a little like overkill. A few bumps and bruises were not enough to send Duhamel to the hospital but he has decided to spend the holidays with friends. He stated to the Canadian press that he fully intended to start playing professional poker again as soon as possible. Its never fun to report on this type of thing, especially during the holidays. It does however remind us that professional poker players are real people not just card playing icons on a screen. We wish Duhamel and his family a safe holiday season.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/2010-wsop-winner-duhamel-crime-victim/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:26:18 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1569

Okay so we all know what happened on Black Friday back in April right? Well when the big three poker sites made an exit from the online market, other poker sites that had not been indicted but did hold a domain name in the U.S. started to worry. Bodog Poker was one of these smaller poker sites. They voluntarily withdrew from the American market in the summer but it seems they are making a return. The problem for Bodog and other online sites was having an American domain with assets attached to it. If they didn't have an American domain name the U.S. Department of Justice could not go in and seize their assets. Many poker sites, including Bodog, ended play for American players and moved their site to a European domain name. Now Bodog has returned to the U.S. Market offering cash money games through a new website Bovada.lv. The domain “lv” is reserved for the country for Latvia but Bodog is using it to symbolize Las Vegas. This is a reference to the state of Nevada's early jump on licenses in preparation for the passing of federal gaming legislation. So far, Bodog aka Bovada is the first poker site to do this but it could be the beginning of a new trend. If you go to the Bodava website the home page displays an image of Las Vegas and what is meant to be a welcome to Nevada sign where Nevada has been changed Bodava. This is the site's way of saying they are operating in the U.S.? Either way they are offering $1,600 in signing bonus so what the hey. Site users can bet on poker games, casino games, horse races and sports. The American online gaming world has certainly suffered a devastating blow this year but sites like Bodog are finding ways around American gaming laws to provide players in the U.S. the same privileges enjoyed by folks all over the world. Hopefully federal legislation is in the near future and things can get back to normal.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/bodog-american-market/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:21:42 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1566

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over $5 million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full of Poker Blog » Poker Players http://blog.fullofpoker.com Poker by Poker Players Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Another Casino Owner Opposes Legislation: Anthony Marnell of M Resort http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/casino-owner-opposes-legislation-anthony-marnell-resort/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:52:32 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1622

The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase their state economy.
Erik Seidel will break a few more records and become one of the new inductees for the poker hall of fame.
Phil Ivey's private life will have him off the tournament grid for most of the year.
Full Tilt Poker will attempt a relaunch under new ownership. The slow start will affect the future of the brand forever.
Creation of new poker apps endorsed by some of the big players.
Another tournament organization will come into being and rival traditional sources for schedule space.
The Full of Poker blog will take off with a few thousands subscribers.

A new year a lot of new possibilities. It will be interesting to see how things turn out.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/poker-relations-predictions-2012/feed/ 0 Lots of Changes for Pokerstars http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-stuff/lots-pokerstars/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:59 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1612

Jason Mercier 2554.65
Bertrand Grospellier 2477.48
Erik Seidel 2470.40
Eugene Katchalov 2436.92
Sam Trickett 2320.02
Shawn Buchanan 2310.72
Samuel Stein 2268.33
Sorel Mizzi 2207.50
Chris Moorman 2207.29
Matt Marafioti 2069.71

Before there was TV poker, online poker and gaming software there was Doyle Brunson and players like him that made the world pay attention to the skill game that is poker. The Epic Poker League, still new on the poker tournament scene, has decided to celebrate both the old and the new. Doyle Brunson receives a lifetime membership that qualifies him for all future EPL tournaments. The Epic Poker League was created by Annie Duke and a few other professional poker players who wanted a player oriented tournament that would offer a few new twists and celebrate a larger number of players. The EPL has unfortunately dealt with a few scandals already including having to place one of their champions on probation. Despite setbacks they do seem to keep up a positive front. According to news sources Brunson found the gesture of lifetime membership very nice but he doesn't expect to play a lot of tournaments in the future. Doyle Brunson won the WSOP Main Event two years running back in 1976 and 1977. To date he has 10 WSOP bracelets, 52 cash winnings and over million in lifetime earnings. Brunson is 78 years old and hopes to play poker professional until he hits 85. EPL's third tournament started this December 10 and runs through the 18^th with the Main Event airing live. This will be the last tournament in the first season of the EPL. All indications are they will be around for a while. You know, kinda like Doyle Brunson.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/epic-poker-announces-life-time-achieve-award-doyle-brunson/feed/ 0 Full Tilt Poker Reaches Asset Transfer Agreement With Groupe Bernard Taipe http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/full-tilt-poker-reaches-asset-transfer-agreement-groupe-bernard-taipe/ http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/full-tilt-poker-reaches-asset-transfer-agreement-groupe-bernard-taipe/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:15:08 +0000 Poker News http://blog.fullofpoker.com/?p=1563

Its been a long time coming but it looks as though the Full Tilt Poker operation is being sold to Groupe Bernard Taipe (GBT). The agreement was decided between Full Tilt, Bernard Taipe and the U.S. Department of Justice. It was a two thirds majority vote and comes almost a month after the idea of asset transfer became viable. GBT takes on Full Tilt's assets and its debts, including the paying back of American players. Of course GBT also takes on all of Full Tilt's other debts whether related to the American portion of their company or not. Pokerlistings.com reports a $150 million in debt owed to players outside of the United States. The American player debt will be “facilitated” by the Department of Justice. Who knows if this is some sort of loan to GBT or the use of public funds. At the moment that isn't clear. There is a long way to go for the matter of Full Tilt debt to be settled. Another part of the agreement still under negotiation is the civil charges against the company that owns Full Tilt Poker. Until these charges are dropped or followed through, the poker site cannot be put back into action. Some poker fans suggest that a lot of the American players owed money will not claim it if the Department of Justice has access to their personal files. Maybe this is exactly what the DoJ and GBT want. One has to wonder why GBT would follow through on this deal with such determination. Do they know something that we don't know? Do they really think players will flock back to the company that found every excuse under the sun not to give them their money back? GBT has stated in the past that their main interest was in Full Tilt's gaming software but it certainly seems like a high price to pay. I'm guessing there is a lot more to his situation than is being reported in the media.]]> http://blog.fullofpoker.com/poker-news/full-tilt-poker-reaches-asset-transfer-agreement-groupe-bernard-taipe/feed/ 0