() bracelet winner Blair Hinkle came out on top of the pack in the Circuit Championship at Council Bluffs, Iowa. The $1,600 buy-in poker tournament attracted a field of 251 players.
Hinkle’s reward for winning the Circuit Championship was $88,000 in cash, a diamond and gold ring, $10,000 to buy into the 2011 WSOP Main Event at the Rio in Las Vegas, and a seat in the Circuit National Championship in Sin City, the brand new $1 million tournament. The latter event is capped at 100 players and awards a WSOP bracelet to its winner. The price tags of the Main Events at each Circuit stop have been lowered to $1,600 and four Regional Championship sites feature $10,000 finales.
Hinkle’s bracelet came in 2008, when he took down a $2,000 No Limit Hold’em event to the tune of $507,000. He became one-half of the first set of brothers ever to win bracelets in the same year after his sibling Grant landed in the winner’s circle of Event #2 that year, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament. Grant faced some stiff competition at the final table of his bracelet event, including former November Niner , Poker pro , Theo Tran, and 2009 WSOP HORSE champ David Bach.
In the defining hand of heads-up play, Shiva Dudani bet 400,000 with the board reading 10-9-5-9. Hinkle called and the river was a benign deuce. Both players checked and Hinkle tabled A-8 of spades for ace-high, enough to take down the pot against Dudani’s king-high. Then, Dudani committed his chips on a board of 9-6-7-4-K with J-8 for a busted straight draw, while Hinkle made the call with K-6 for kings-up. The pot earned him $88,000 in cash and his first WSOP Circuit title.
The final table bubble boy at Council Bluffs was Poker News Daily Guest Columnist , who moved all-in pre-flop with A-K. Dudani looked him up with a wired pair of kings and the better pre-flop hand held. Lee, a sponsored pro of Foxwoods, walked away from the Midwestern casino with $6,500 for his 10th place finish.
Thirty-three events played out at Council Bluffs with a total attendance of 4,056 players, a 12% growth year over year. The last time the WSOP Circuit came to the Iowa casino was in February, when the $5,150 buy-in Main Event drew a crowd of just 46 players for a total prize pool of $212,100. This year, attendance increased five-fold, with the prize pool mushrooming by 70%.
Also making an appearance at Council Bluffs was Doug “Rico” Carli, who has a ridiculous 42 Circuit cashes, the most of any player. Carli recorded five in the money finishes on the big stage during the WSOP in Las Vegas this year, including a $42,000 haul for taking 259th in the Main Event. He has nearly $900,000 in WSOP and Circuit Event earnings spread across 64 cashes, an average of $13,000 each, and is a two-time gold ring winner.
Here were the final results from the WSOP Circuit Championship at Horseshoe Council Bluffs:
1. Blair Hinkle – $88,555
2. Shiva Dudani – $54,715
3. – $39,531
4. Matthew Lawrence – $29,092
5. Charles Moore – $21,795
6. Jack Do – $16,608
7. John Wakeen – $12,867
8. Daniel Biddle – $10,131
9. Kevin Calenzo – $8,103
Next up for the WSOP Circuit is a trip to Horseshoe Southern Indiana, located on the Ohio River just downstream from Louisville, Kentucky. The festivities get underway on October 2nd, with the Circuit Championship kicking off on October 10th and crowning a champ two days later. The buy-in for the Main Event is once again $1,600.
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09 2nd, 2010
After a two-month long public voting period, Harrah’s officials unveiled the top 10 vote getters for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 on Wednesday. Now, the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council will review the list and axe anyone deemed not eligible to enter.
Four criteria are required for a person to be considered for the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame: “A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition; played for high stakes; played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers; stood the test of time; or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.”
Each of the 10 finalists appears to foot the bill. Last year, no women were among the final ten. This year, two are up for consideration, and . Johnson, a Guest Columnist here on Poker News Daily, was an inaugural inductee of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. Harman, meanwhile, will be enshrined on Friday as part of its Class of 2010. Johnson and Harman have taken up a considerable amount of charitable work and been responsible for the growth of the game among women.
Four former () Main Event champions will be considered as well. Poker’s (2000), (1995), Tom McEvoy (1983), and (1998) may find themselves as the center of attention at the Poker Hall of Fame’s induction during the November Nine weekend at the Rio in Las Vegas.
ESPN.com Poker Editor Andrew Feldman, who will join this author on the 17-member media panel that will vote for the Class of 2010, told Poker News Daily, “The nominees this year show the amazing diversity that we have in the industry and there are definitely some names that stick out above the rest. Every player on the list will definitely deserve some credit.”
Several younger players also grace the top 10, including and . The two are a combined 70 years old, nearly the same age as both McEvoy and Harrington. Ivey has eight WSOP bracelets, tied for the fifth most overall with fellow nominee . Rounding out the list of 10 finalists for the Poker Hall of Fame is , whose generosity off the felts has not gone unnoticed.
WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla shared many of Feldman’s sentiments, telling Poker News Daily on Wednesday, “I can’t imagine a better or more qualified group of 10 nominees than this. The only question I see on each of these names is not if they will make it into the Poker Hall of Fame because in the long-run most of them will inevitably be inducted. The real question is which one or two candidates will be inducted this year. The best thing about this list is there’s no question that he or she will be most deserving.”
A total of 102 “valid unique names” received nominations, 44 of which garnered multiple votes. On September 13th, the 16 living Hall of Fame members and 17 members of the media will receive a final ballot. The group of 33 will rank who they deem worthy of admission and the top two vote getters will be inducted in November. Each of the two finalists must have received at least 50% of the vote. Last year, host was the Poker Hall of Fame’s lone inductee; the threshold for enshrinement in 2009 was 75% of the vote.
Here are the 10 nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010 following the two-month public voting period:
Chris Ferguson
Barry Greenstein
Jennifer Harman
Dan Harrington
Phil Ivey
Linda Johnson
Tom McEvoy
Daniel Negreanu
Scotty Nguyen
Erik Seidel
Visit WSOP.com for more details. I look forward to being part of the voting process once again this year.
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08 31st, 2010
is the chip leader among the November Nine this year heading into the 2010 Main Event final table. Duhamel hails from Montreal, Quebec in Canada and was on hand at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino for their recent tournament promotion. While there he met up with Poker News Daily correspondent . The two talked and Lee found out that Duhamel likes to conduct a prop bet with his friends that travel with him over just about any debate that might come up during the trip. The way they settle the debate is through a game of Rock, Scissors, Paper. The winner gets their way with the argument and Bernard Lee was on hand to capture the latest in these high-stakes bets.
At stake in this prop bet, against Duhamel’s good friend Vincent, is who gets to sleep in the nice bed while the lose must take the bed that is next to the window. The two played a best of three edition of Rock, Scissors, Paper and Duhamel explains why him and his friends always prop bet anything they possibly can.
For those of you born in a cave, the game of Rock, Scissors, Paper is one often played by children or drunks trying to determine who is stuck with the bar tab. The game is simple, you “bounce” your hand while counting to three and when you say three out loud, you form your hand into a rock, scissors or paper. Rock defeats scissors. Scissors defeats paper. Paper defeats rock. Often times the game is referred to as rochambeaux.
Duhamel is currently sponsored by the world’s largest poker site, . Previous to his amazing Main Event run, he bubbled the final table of the No Limit Hold’em EPT Championship in Prague for $55,000. He also cashed at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event and qualified for the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event through an online qualifier at PokerStars.
Bernard Lee is the official spokesperson for Foxwoods Casino and can also be seen on the ESPN.com web show “The Inside Deal”.
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08 31st, 2010
The () and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced Monday that they will continue their broadcast and promotional relationship, settling on an agreement that will stretch until 2013. Seasons 9, 10, and 11 of the highly popular show will feature prime time national premiere airtimes of 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM on Sunday nights, as well as multiple repeat airings throughout the week on FSN.
WPT’s Season 9 will begin airing in January 2011 and kick off with Bellagio Cup IX. Several changes and enhancements will be made to the broadcast, including new anchor Kimberly Lansing; a new tour stop at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida; and the introduction of the beautiful Royal Flush Girls, who will serve as on-air fixtures during every show. Season 9 will also debut a brash, yet-to-be-named new analyst, who will host a recurring segment called “The Raw Deal.” The WPT held auditions for the new position during the WPT Legends of Poker tournament on August 19 at the Bicycle Casino.
“This season promises to be unlike any previous incarnations of the WPT,” said Steve Heller, CEO of WPT. “The shows will be faster-paced and edgier, featuring the biggest names in poker mixing it up with more up-and-coming stars, pre-final table action and, as always, poker’s greatest and most recognizable play-by-play commentary team of and Vince Van Patten.”
Sexton and Van Patten return for their ninth season in the WPT broadcast booth and are excited about adding “The Raw Deal” host to the team. “We’re looking for sort of a Simon Cowell kind of character that’s not afraid to bring down even a , a , a , if he feels like they made a bonehead play,” Sexton said to Poker News Daily’s Sean Gibson. “They need to have poker experience and knowledge to be capable of critiquing an excellent, superb poker player.”
Fox Sports Net is composed of 16 regional television stations that reach over 80 million homes throughout the United States. The network acquired the rights to Season 7 of the WPT after GSN declined to pick up its option following Season 6. The first five WPT seasons aired on The Travel Channel.
“As a leader in sports programming, FSN has been a great champion of the WPT and we are thrilled to make this long-term commitment as we celebrate a new day for the WPT,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “The better airtimes, improved promotion and the increased number of repeat episodes promise to be a boon for fans and the perfect showcase for the exciting changes coming to the WPT starting in Season 9.”
Season 9 saw the first-ever WPT stop in London get underway Monday with a surprisingly low turnout as only 72 players entered Day 1a of the £5,300 buy-in event. Thirty-six players made it through the day, including Pros Phil Ivey, , and chip leader . The tournament wraps up with the final table on Saturday.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news on the World Poker Tour.
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In November, voters in the United States will head to the polls for general elections. On Capitol Hill, the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be determined. If Republicans were to gain control of the House, then Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) tenure as Financial Services Committee Chairman may come to an end.
A recent discussed the future of the lower Congressional body: “Polls show control of the House of Representatives is too close to call while the Democrats are expected to retain control of the Senate, albeit with a reduced majority.” Frank has been in the House since 1980 and served as the Financial Services Committee Chairman since 2007. Democrats currently control nearly 60% of the seats in the House and Senate.
Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) serves as the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, although he apparently seems far from a lock to take over the Chair should the opportunity arise. However, the Financial Times revealed, “Mr. Bachus said, ‘I will be the chairman if we’re in the majority.’ [Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)] said, ‘My expectation is that Spencer Bachus will be the next Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and I support him.’”
What’s the significance of this story for online poker players, you ask? Frank is internet gambling’s number one supporter on Capitol Hill, having offered up a handful of bills to legalize the industry in the United States. His latest effort, HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was marked up in the Financial Services Committee in late July and has received the support of 70 co-sponsors.
HR 2267 received about a dozen amendments during mark-up, ranging from ensuring that online sports betting would not be legalized to prohibiting existing sites that serve the U.S. market “illegally” from applying for a license. Now, the measure awaits its time on the House floor, although HR 2267 being attached to a must-pass bill later this year is a possibility. Ironically, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act () was attached to an unrelated port security measure to become law in 2006.
Bachus remains one of the strongest opponents of legalized internet gambling. During HR 2267’s markup hearing on July 28th, Bachus opened the proceedings by arguing, “After all of the talk of the past year of shutting the casinos down on Wall Street, why would we take steps today to open casinos in every bedroom and every dorm room on iPods, Blackberrys, iPhones, and computers?”
In the meantime, HR 2267 has caused a rift of sorts in the poker community. The Commerce Casino’s Tom Malkasian was among those witnesses who spoke against the bill in a July 21st House Financial Services Committee hearing. In response, the (PPA), the industry’s main lobbying voice, issued an online petition to force the Commerce to change its position. The petition, found at , has received over 7,000 signatures.
The Commerce Casino then fired back, arguing in a press release distributed in Friday, “Nevada casinos, offshore companies, and Washington insiders don’t want California to benefit from its own market. Our economic future is not their concern. We support free enterprise, fair competition, and the principle that what plays in California, stays in California.” The Los Angeles casino also claimed support from the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens Casino, and Hollywood Park Casino.
Several poker pros have suggested a boycott of the Commerce Casino, although one has not yet occurred. The Bicycle Casino is fresh off hosting the ’s Legends of Poker, which saw Andy Frankenberger walk away with the title and $750,000 top prize.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest headlines from Capitol Hill and beyond.
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08 31st, 2010
Happy Monday to everyone! On today’s Daily Deal, the Commerce Casino receives support from several of its competitors, fires insults at , and an important figure in the Senate comes out in favor of online poker legislation. It’s all ahead… right now!
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
Let the battle lines be drawn. Several days after the issued a petition to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance against pro-internet gambling legislation in the United States, more casinos have come onboard to strike down the bill. In a letter issued to the press late Friday night from Commerce Casino Board members, it was revealed that the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park casinos also oppose Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267.
The press release claimed, “Californians wager an estimated thirteen point four billion dollars annually. That makes California the largest internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.”
Why the Commerce Casino, Bike, or any other California casino wouldn’t just apply for a license under HR Two-Two-Six-Seven remains to be seen. PPA Executive Director John Pappas speculated in an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily, “They don’t want to compete with existing online operators or Harrah’s or Wynn or Google or anyone else who may get involved in internet gambling. They prefer to have their own fiefdom in California… A lot of lawmakers went out of their way to address their concerns via amendments, yet they still continue to oppose the bill.”
Moving over to another bitter dispute, in an interview with PokerPlayer, pro Daniel Negreanu fired off what many have deemed inappropriate comments against Annie Duke. In an article entitled “The Evolution of Daniel Negreanu,” he was asked about the two-thousand ten Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played.
Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the tournament:
“What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”
Wow. Well … after afterwards Duke issued an open letter to PokerStars about the use of the c-word and the site ultimately responded, “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”
Duke’s brother and Tony G have been among those pros weighing in on the spat.
Finally, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed he would support the legalization of online poker in the United States. Reid also stated he would not support any other form of online gaming, including sports betting.
Reid also won’t support anything that hurts Nevada jobs, but the Senate Majority Leader will play a huge role in whether online poker is legalized. No progress has been made on legalizing internet gambling or online poker in the Senate, so having Reid as an ally could go a long way.
That does it for today’s Daily Deal, be sure to check back every weekday for a new episode of this show. Also be sure to check back with Poker News Daily throughout your day to find out the latest in poker news. I’m Sean Gibson hoping you have an amazing week at the tables!
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08 29th, 2010
Team Pro member ‘s hurtful remarks about ‘s during interview with PokerPlayer.co.uk have sent the poker community taking sides between the two superstars. Negreanu called Duke a “f***ing c***” during what Negreanu thought to be an “off the record” conversation with writer Mark Stuart last week. His comments were published, however, and a verbal spat between the two sides followed.
In the article, titled “,” Negreanu was asked what irked him about the 2010 Ladies Event in which more than a dozen men played. Negreanu voiced his disgust at the whole situation and then went on a tirade about Duke, who has never been an advocate of the Ladies Event as a believer of sexual equality at the poker table. “What irked me is that this woman has the audacity on her website to call herself ‘the best female poker player in the world.’ So I’m like ‘how offensive are you, you f***ing c***? You want to say you’re speaking for women, yet you claim superiority over all of them.’”
The article was quickly passed through forums and other social media networks and eventually made its way to Duke, who was astounded by the comments made about her. Responding to the verbal assault, Duke wrote on Twitter, “Thank you for the support. I was certainly shocked at the language myself. I welcome criticism, but not abuse.”
PokerStars received word of the remarks made by Negreanu, the site’s most famous spokesperson, and one member of the PokerStars support team replied to an e-mail sent by a player on the site: “Although Daniel Negreanu is a Team PokerStars Pro, he is an entity to himself and as such will always be encouraged to express his views and speak his mind as he would otherwise do so, PokerStars Pro or not.”
Needless to say, Duke wasn’t satisfied with that response. She fired back with an “Open Letter to PokerStars” on her website demanding some sort of reprimand: “I am not offended by Daniel’s opinion. He has a right to disagree with me and dislike me. And I, just like PokerStars, would encourage him to express his views and opinions. This is not about his views. It is about a particular word he chose to express those views. The word “c**t” is not an opinion, it is an abusive epithet, and PokerStars is completely ignoring the use of that term in their response.”
Duke continues, “But more distressing is the use of the word ‘encouraged’ here. So, PokerStars, you are encouraging Daniel to continue to express views in this manner, to conduct these public attacks using offensive slurs and inappropriate language? I am more than dismayed that PokerStars is making a statement here that they encourage this kind of behavior, this kind of language use. According to PokerStars, this kind of behavior enriches our community.”
PokerStars then answered with an official statement in response to Duke’s letter, saying that the first e-mail was not PokerStars’ official statement on the issue: “PokerStars does not support the use of derogatory or hurtful language directed at any other player. While this was a personal matter between two players, we wish that better judgment had been used in the choice of words.”
Several high profile poker players have weighed in on the conflict, including Duke’s bother and Poker pro , who came to her defense with a Twitter update shortly after the article was posted. “Hey Daniel, nice job representing poker and reinforcing that our attitude towards women is still Neanderthal,” Lederer said. “I understand some agree w DN on the ladies poker event issue. Many do. But abusing those you disagree with is never cool.”
Even the brazen Tony G offered to act as a mediator. “Let’s smooth over this situation, let’s try and forget that it ever happened. I know this fantastic place in Utah where you can get away from the world and I will pay for you to both go there and relax and chill out,” the pro said in his blog Wednesday. “You are both important ambassadors for the game we love – please let’s resolve this in a diplomatic manner otherwise someone is going to get really hurt.”
Negreanu has yet to offer an apology to Duke, which will certainly cause even more tension at the tables in the future. It’s public knowledge that the two haven’t gotten along since even before the poker boom of 2003 and it’s certainly keeping the community talking. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for more high-stakes drama.
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Recently, the (PPA), the main lobbying force for the poker industry, launched a petition at to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance on critical internet gambling legislation. HR 2267, dubbed the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was successfully marked up in the House Financial Services Committee last month and now waits for its time to be debated in Congress.
Nearly 7,000 players had signed the online petition at the time of writing and the PPA was shooting for 10,000. The push came as a result of an action alert sent by the PPA to its members and followed testimony in the House Financial Services Committee from the Commerce Casino’s Tom Malkasian. His testimony claimed in part that HR 2267 is “based on false revenue assumptions that would require removal of the right of any state or tribe to opt out of the bill in order to achieve the advertised tax revenue of $42 billion over ten years.”
Malkasian also highlighted that allowing illegal operators to receive licenses under HR 2267 equates to “locking in unprecedented market advantages that can undermine and destabilize the land-based casino gaming industry.” He also voiced concerns over HR 2267 conflicting with tribal compacts and allowing internet gambling sites to be located outside of the United States. The latter three concerns were each addressed during markup as part of a dozen amendments tacked onto the bill.
PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “They don’t want to compete with existing online operators or Harrah’s or Wynn or Google or anyone else who may get involved in internet gambling. They prefer to have their own fiefdom in California… A lot of lawmakers went out of their way to address their concerns via amendments, yet they still continue to oppose the bill.”
The PPA’s action alert merely called for players to contact the Commerce and express their disappointment with the casino’s stance towards the sweeping internet gambling legislation. Players took it upon themselves to suggest a boycott, which the PPA did not initially ask for. Pappas explained, “We felt that poker players can make those types of decisions on their own. We want to reserve a boycott and I don’t think it’s something we intended to call for. Should the Commerce continue to be obstinate, then we might revise our stance there.”
Pappas questioned why the Commerce wouldn’t be content to apply for a license under HR 2267 if the bill were to become law. The PPA’s main face speculated, “For a long time, they dominated the poker scene in California and they feel entitled to California’s online poker players’ money. Maybe they don’t feel that they’re as strong and won’t be able to compete.” On Friday night, Commerce Casino officials distributed a press release claiming support from the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens Casino, and Hollywood Park Casino in opposition to Congressman Barney Frank’s bill.
As part of his House Financial Services Committee testimony, Malkasian likened legalizing internet gambling to legalizing marijuana, a comparison Pappas did not look kindly upon: “In essence, they’re calling the pro players endorsing sites drug dealers. That would offend me, especially when it comes from our purported friends. It wouldn’t have been shocking if it were from Focus on the Family or Congressman Bob Goodlatte, but when it’s coming from a supposed friend of poker because it doesn’t fit their business model, of course we’ll voice our concern.”
After an internal debate on the proper course of action, the PPA launched PlayersBeforeProfits.com. “We came to a decision after hearing from so many of our members,” Pappas told Poker News Daily. “We felt obligated to inform our members about it. Our goal is to get 10,000 signatures. We’ll go back to the Commerce and see if they’ve revaluated their position after we do.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest legislative developments.
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08 28th, 2010
On Thursday, the poker world learned that Blanca Games, which features Chief Executive Officer Stuart Gordon, had . and both make their home on the USA-friendly network and the former features as a sponsored pro. Shortly after the acquisition announcement, Poker News Daily caught up to the former “Poker2Nite” host.
One year ago, Sebok signed on with UB.com and immediately became involved in the site’s investigation into the superuser scandal orchestrated by former () Main Event champ Russ Hamilton. He’s remained one of the more visible UB.com pros in a roster that also includes Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and 11-time bracelet winner .
Sebok gave us his reaction to the news that Blanca Games had taken control of CEREUS: “I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s a further break from the past and fewer connections to the former owners of , not to mention my own excitement about bringing Blanca into the fold and beginning something new. Gordon has a proven track record and I think bringing them into the poker arena is only going to breathe some new excitement into our business.”
Who is Gordon, you ask? He’s the founder and operator of BingoMania.com and Helix Gaming International, both of which hold licenses from the nation of Antigua and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Blanca Games has its headquarters in Antigua and offices in Costa Rica. Sebok elaborated that despite the change in ownership, players should expect continued growth: “The player experience shouldn’t change one bit, except for all of the improvements that will come from us being bought by Blanca. I think we are really going to be able to do many more exciting things now.”
Text found on Blanca Games’ website does not shed much light on its identity, instead only offering up, “The operations of the Blanca Group are conducted by subsidiaries and associated companies.” According to whois.domaintools.com, BlancaGames.com was registered on July 15th, 2010.
Sebok explained that the timing of the sale with his one-year anniversary of joining UB.com is purely coincidental. That said, he is ready to put the past behind him and continue supporting the USA-friendly site and network: “I always knew that we needed to deal with the past, which we continue to do, but the really exciting period was always going to be growing the company and turning it into what we would like it to be. Soon, UB won’t be known for the scandals of the past, but rather for helping lead online poker into the future.”
Poker News Daily can independently confirm that no staffing or operational changes are expected in the new Blanca Games regime. Sebok added, “Blanca wanted, and needed, the entire operation and the offices and staff to remain largely the same.” In addition, Sebok revealed that no changes to the CEREUS Network’s or promotions would occur.
Some in the online poker community have questioned whether the fleet of UB and Absolute Poker pros may be turned over. However, Sebok told us that he’s staying put: “I look to continue my role and am excited about possibly taking on more. Anyone that knows me knows I like to get involved and get my hands dirty, so whatever UB asks of me, I would love to get involved with.” Sebok finished 56th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, catching a wealth of face time on ESPN and $108,000 in cash to boot.
Given Victory Poker’s move from the Everleaf Network to the Network on September 1st, one wonders whether the CEREUS family of sites will follow suit with consolidation. According to PokerScout.com, the CEREUS Network is the sixth largest worldwide, with a seven-day running average of 1,760 real money ring game players. It includes just two sites and accepts action from the United States.
On the prospects of the CEREUS Network taking on additional sites given new ownership, Sebok told Poker News Daily, “The company’s strategy is not to have network partners. But, I think that more acquisitions in the future are not out of the question.” Also merging in the first quarter of 2011 are Party Gaming and .
Tokwiro Enterprises, the former owners of UB.com and Absolute Poker, will issue a press release with more information about the transaction early next week.
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08 28th, 2010
We have an ACTION PACKED Friday edition of the Daily Deal. Today, we talk about Jungleman12 starting up in the Challenge, the CEREUS network being sold off and Victory Poker heading over to the Network. Get your popcorn ready!
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
Our headline story comes from Poker as the latest edition of the Durrrr Challenge started up last night. As we reported previously that Jungleman12 was just days away from starting up, the action hit the tables late last night around one-thirty a.m. eastern time. The two played four tables of two hundred / four hundred blind no limit texas hold’em heads-up. Both participants have expressed an interest in getting the 50,000 hand challenge done quickly so we expect a ton of action in the next couple of weeks. Although stats haven’t been released at the time of the taping of the daily deal, it looked like durrrr took about two buy-ins away from Jungleman12 during the first session.
The two got back together and Jungleman12 went on an EPIC run and after all was said and done at around 9 a.m. Friday morning the two had already played ten percent of the hands possible. The tally as it stands now (unofficially) after 5,829 hands is that Jungleman12 is up a stunning $518,202.75!!!!
As more breaks at the tables, we’ll be sure to recap the action right here.
In another huge announcement, On September 1st, Victory Poker, which currently makes its home on the Everleaf Network, will jump ship to the Cake Poker Network. The site, which features pros like and former Player of the Year Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, has become a force in the online poker world. It also happily accepts players from the United States.
Poker News Daily sat down yesterday with Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman. We asked him why the popular site decided to jump to Cake and he responded,
“I’ve always liked Cake. It’s a great network and I met with their guys back in January at the London convention, but I had made my decision prior to that. I wanted to be a premiere site on a network when we launched and felt I’d be second or third at Cake. When I signed with Everleaf, they had so much passion, knew I’d bring players, and they worked hard. I’m happy with the way it all turned out.”
For those playing on the Everleaf Network right now Fleyshman told us that he believes the family of sites is in good hands even without Victory Poker and that they’ll keep improving and moving in the right direction … just without Victory Poker.
In our final bit of huge poker news, it broke late Thursday afternoon that Blanca Games had purchased the CEREUS Poker Network, which includes and . An official press release is expected out early next week and for now, the purchase price and terms were not released. Stuart Gordon is the CEO of the CEREUS Network’s new parent company and commented on Thursday evening,
“The acquisition of CEREUS is a significant opportunity for us. CEREUS is a major platform of well-managed assets. Over the past few years, it has created new brands, like UB.com, that are extremely well-positioned in the most desirable demographic in our market: players in the 20s and 30s age brackets.”
Gordon founded and manages BingoMania.com and Helix Gaming International. Both of those sites, like UB.com, are licensed by the Kahawake Gaming Commission. Poker News Daily has independently confirmed that no staffing or operational changes are expected at UB.com or Absolute Poker during the transition to Blance Gaming. Gordon also commented that he does not expect any changes to occur in the playing experience for either site. Currently, the CEREUS network ranks as the sixth largest poker network online.
Well, that does it for a jam packed Friday here on The Daily Deal! Be sure to check back with us all throughout your day to catch the latest poker headlines. I’ll be back on Monday with a brand new episode of The Daily Deal. Until then, I’m Sean Gibson hoping you crush the competition and reel in those fish at the cash game tables this weekend!
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