Internet poker online
03 5th, 2010
After getting and the crew, he seems to have a new approach to poker in 2010.
Isildur1, who is rumored to be Swede Victor Blom, has been grinding his way back into the big games by playing marathon heads-up battles across multiple tables.
Yesterday Isildur1 played 9,963 hands, which is 6,084 more than Phil Ivey has played over the entire year.
Isildur1’s day started with a 2,690 hand heads-up session of $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em against URnotINdanger2. By the end of this 2.5 hour battle Isildur1 was stuck for $95k.
Up next came 596 hands of $200/$400 Cap Pot-Limit Omaha versus David Benefield and Daniel “FakeSky” Alaei, where Isildur1 made $165k, before moving to a heads-up table to continue the game with just Benefield.
Benefield and Isildur1 played 971 hands of Cap PLO with Isildur1 up $167,861. The two rivals then moved their game to a regular $200/$400 PLO table where they stayed for another 3,106 hands.
By the end of the massive session Benefield had ground back $94,240.
Despite having played over 7,000 hands so far, Isildur1 wasn’t anywhere near finished. Unknown online player skjervoy beat Isildur1 for $77k over 982 hands of $100/$200 PLO.
In a final surge of activity Isildur1 won $19,000 over 644 hands of Cap PLO and lost $275k against Alexander “PostflopAction” Kostritsyn in 973 hands of $200/$400 PLO.
At this point Isildur1 finally called it, ending the day down $190,369.
Below you’ll find three of Isildur1’s biggest hands of the day, or head to for more.
03 5th, 2010
In a Tweet posted on Wednesday by officials from the (), it was revealed that a special All Star Game may be in the works. Its composition and players involved are currently unclear.
A Tweet from the WSOP cryptically questioned, “Which 20 WSOP Bracelet-Holders would you like to see compete in an All-Star game? Stay tuned… #WSOP.” Last year, the WSOP held its first ever Champions Invitational, which featured 20 former Main Event winners vying in a made-for-television tournament for a vintage car. 1983 WSOP Main Event winner Tom McEvoy, a sponsored pro, ultimately came out on top and drove home in a classic 1970 Corvette.
The tournament aired on ESPN, which owns the exclusive rights to the annual Las Vegas spectacle. Others who participated in the grand event included WSOP Main Event champs Amarillo Slim, , Jim Bechtel, , , Carlos Mortensen, , , , , and Jerry Yang.
When prompted for comment by Poker News Daily, Harrah’s officials were equally vague, saying about the Tweet, “It was cryptic for a reason. I’m intrigued, are you?” In December, Harrah’s released the 2010 WSOP schedule, which kicks off with the annual $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em event on May 28th. On the same day, a brand new $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship will begin. The event will be televised by ESPN and take on an eight-game format: Limit Hold’em, Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low Split Eight or Better, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.
Although no word has been handed down, it appears that 20 players, according to a fan vote, will assemble and compete for a grand prize during the 2010 WSOP. Given the internet vote, many posters on TwoPlusTwo questioned the makeup of the field. TwoPlusTwo member “Kevmath” explained, “If they allow voting on the internet, I’m sure someone not as deserving could sneak their way into the field.”
For example, Tom “” Dwan, born in 1986, was nominated by the general public through an online vote to become a nominee for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2009. A nominating committee was quick to squash his bid, charging that Dwan had not yet stood the test of time, one of the criteria required for entry. Instead, names tossed out by TwoPlusTwo members as possible participants in a WSOP All Star Game include 11-time bracelet winner and popular female pro .
Others called for several side events during the All Star Game, similar to the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout held during basketball’s All Star Weekend. “TheCanoe” explained some possible diversions: “Chip Stacking with Carlos Mortensen, Beer drinking with Scotty, [and] Scooter races with Doyle.”
One poster even tossed out an idea whereby players could rebuy according to the number of bracelets they own, meaning that Hellmuth could buy back in 11 times. Players who would be well off under this setup include (10 bracelets), (10 bracelets), (eight bracelets), (seven bracelets), and Billy Baxter (seven bracelets).
TwoPlusTwo posters also clamored for the women of poker to join the All-Star fray like GoDaddy Girl , UB.com pro Liv Boeree, and Tilly, who has long been associated with Unabomber Poker namesake . Other possibilities include Duke, Linda Johnson, Kara Scott, , Isabelle Mercier, and Maria Ho.
Not everyone was optimistic about the end product. TwoPlusTwo poster “ptartaglio” explained the mindset of some in the online poker community: “These types of tournaments are always horrible. They never have the better players, only the recognized players, and they always turn them into crapshoots. The Tournament of Champions that won wasn’t too bad for TV, but other than that they horrible.” The first Tournament of Champions was held in 2004 and featured earning the winner-take-all $2 million prize. Sexton won the event in 2006.
We’ll keep you posted on the latest WSOP news on Poker News Daily.
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03 3rd, 2010
Not all the interesting news in the world of poker occurs at the tables or in the halls of government. Sometimes, it is simply people themselves that catch our attention. Case in point: the budding romance between Team member and fellow pro Erica Schoenberg.
Our friends over at PokerListings.com were the first to provide the evidence to the general poker public. At the L.A. Poker Classic, Lindgren was spotted “railing Erica as she played deep in the LAPC main event,” was the first to console her after she busted out, and most notably, they were seen kissing.
Schoenberg, a model turned poker pro, had previously formed half of one of poker’s power couples, as she was once engaged to recent Premier League IV champion and “High Stakes Poker” fixture . Their relationship was one of the central themes of the September 6th, 2009 episode of G4TV’s “2 Months, 2 Million,” a show in which four online poker pros - Dani Stern, Jay Rosenkrantz, Brian Roberts, and Emil Patel - lived together in Las Vegas and attempted to win $2 million playing poker in two months. Rosenkrantz, one of the founders of the poker coaching site DeucesCracked.com, had once played Benyamine online when, to his disappointment, Benyamine left for a higher stakes table. Upset about the apparent “hit and run,” Rosenkrantz berated Benyamine in the chat box, calling him a “fish.” Schoenberg then proceeded to stand by her man, calling Rosenkrantz “just a typical NL a**-clown” in her blog.
In the “2 Months, 2 Million” episode, Rosenkrantz saw Schoenberg at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Pool and reached out to mend fences. The two let bygones be bygones and Schoenberg set up a time for the two men to play heads-up online. Benyamine ended up winning $60,000 from Rosenkrantz.
The details behind the Schoenberg/Benyamine break-up are not known, but their relationship was rumored to have ended in October.
Schoenberg’s new companion is no step down at the poker tables. Lindgren has won two (WPT) titles and was named WPT Player of the Year in 2004. In 2008, he finally earned his first () bracelet, capping a fantastic WSOP in which he made three final tables, cashed five times, and was named 2008 Player of the Year. On the live tournament circuit, Lindgren ranks 22nd on the all-time money list.
Schoenberg, while perhaps best known for being one of the most attractive poker players in the industry, is no slouch on the felts, either. Even though she is relatively new to the game, she has three six-figure tournament cashes. The first was for a 16th place at the 2006 $25,000 WPT Championship ($117,165) followed by a victory in the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2007 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship ($105,875). Her largest cash to date is $261,646, earned by placing third in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2007 WSOP.
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03 3rd, 2010
Not a college basketball fan? Don’t fret. has its own version of March Madness to help pass the time this month. The world’s second largest poker site will unleash its popular Sit and Go Madness on Friday, March 5th, giving players a chance at more than $125,000 in cash and prizes just by playing single-table Sit and Gos.
The action gets underway on at 16:00 ET on March 5th and runs through 16:00 ET on Sunday, March 7th. By simply playing Sit and Gos on the site, players can win a cut of leaderboard prize money, tickets to the Madness Raffle, and an entry to the Madness Freeroll, where they’ll play for a share of a $50,000 prize pool.
The promotion will be equally split into 24 two-hour blocks, with leaderboards for each of four separate groups during every two-hour period. The top seven players at the end of each two-hour block will have the opportunity to claim a payday:
| Group A ($1-2) | Group B ($5-11) | Group C ($20-33) | Group D ($50-110) | |
| 1st Place | $20 | $100 | $200 | $500 |
| 2nd Place | $12.50 | $60 | $125 | $300 |
| 3rd Place | $7.50 | $40 | $75 | $200 |
| 4th place | $5 | $25 | $50 | $125 |
| 5th Place | $2.5 | $12.50 | $25 | $60 |
| 6th Place | $1.5 | $7.50 | $15 | $40 |
| 7th Place | $1 | $5 | $10 | $25 |
There is also an Overall Leaderboard for each respective group for the entire 48 hours of the event, which is determined by the best performance in one of the two-hour time periods. The top two players in each group’s Overall Leaderboard will meet in a $5,000 Sit and Go Freeroll where the top three places will be paid. The Freeroll will take place on Saturday, March 13th at 15:05 ET.
Players who don’t make it onto one of the Sit and Go Madness Leaderboards still have a chance to win big with the $50,000 Madness Freeroll. By winning at least two qualifying Sit and Gos during the 48-hour period, players will be automatically entered into the Madness Freeroll on Saturday, March 13th at 16:50 ET. The winner of the freeroll is expected to receive close to $5,000.
In addition, Full Tilt Poker is giving away more than 1,000 prizes as part of its Madness Raffle. For every qualifying Sit and Go that a player cashes in during Sit and Go Madness, he or she will earn one raffle ticket good for entry into a drawing for gear from the Full Tilt Store, Tournament Dollars, and Satellite Tokens. Some of the prizes include Full Tilt hats and t-shits, $26 and $75 Satellite tokens, $200 and $500 in Tournament Dollars, and a Full Tilt Poker Deluxe Home Game Package.
Qualifying Sit and Go Madness tournaments can be found in the 1-Table Sit and Go section of the Full Tilt Poker lobby. Sit and Gos Madness tables are highlighted in green.
For more information about Sit and Go Madness or any other Full Tilt Poker promotions, visit .
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With the advent of the world of Twitter, people can fill you in on their lives in quick, 140-character bursts. Poker’s royalty have taken to the medium to inform their fans of their latest activities as well as their views on different issues. Poker News Daily continually tracks these Tweets to let you know what the latest buzz is in the poker community.
Last weekend, poker players were torn between performing their jobs on the felt and following the end of the Winter Olympics. Of particular interest to many was the gold medal hockey game between the favored Canadian national team and the upstart Team USA. A week prior to the game Sunday, the Americans had surprised the Canadians by defeating them 5-3 in pool play and the gold medal match – which was also the last medal awarded at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver – was a chance at redemption for the boys from the Great White North.
As the game began on Sunday, poker players announced their allegiances across the Twitterverse. Unlike many who watched the gold medal game on television, poker player Terrence Chan was one of the fortunate who saw the game live at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver. “Sec 120 row 4 seat 106. Ten feet from (Canadian goalie Roberto) Luongo,” Chan Tweeted prior to the start of action, drawing a reaction of, “So jealous you’re there,” from fellow pro Shaun Deeb. Lining up on the Americans’ side were poker players such as Deeb, Eric Mizrachi, and Joe Sebok, while the Canadians held a rooting section that included Chan, Brad “Yukon” Booth, and Isabelle Mercier.
As the game played out, Tweets flew nearly as fast as the pucks and Canada moved out to a 2-0 lead. Playing in the L.A. Poker Classic at the time, UB.com pro took the time to jokingly Tweet, “LOL! I’m a little surprised team USA can’t find a goalie fat enough to block the entire net.” The Americans grinded their way back and, with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, tied the score at 2-2. Even L.A. Poker Classic tournament director Matt Savage was sidetracked by the gold medal game as he Tweeted, “Tournament room @LAPokerClassic went crazy when USA tied the game 2-2. @RealKidPoker () not happy!”
As the sudden death overtime period played out, many of the top names in poker were on pins and needles as the game continued. “High Stakes Poker” hostess Kara Scott alluded to this when she Tweeted, “Ugh, so tense with the Hockey. Come on CANADA.” After Canada’s Sidney Crosby slipped the game winner past Team USA’s Ryan Miller almost eight minutes into overtime, the victorious Canadian poker players/fans had much to say. “Yaaaaaaaaa!!!! What a game. Canada continues to reign supreme on the ice. Oh that was so awesome!,” Daniel Negreanu fired out over the Twitterscape after the win. “Poker2Nite” host Scott Huff was less than impressed when he Tweeted, “Oh come on. Canada celebrating winning the gold in hockey is like me celebrating paying my bills on time.”
Poker’s best also found some time to play in the L.A. Poker Classic while the Winter Olympics were wrapping up. Duke, who played deep into the championship tournament, noted in her Tweet, “HowardHLederer just got drawn to my table. Luckily he’s on my right lol.” Adam “Roothlus” Levy admired the chip stacking skills of ’s Carlos Mortensen in his Tweet and accented it with a picture, saying, “Carlos Mortensen’s stack. He should be an architect. Such vision.”
Negreanu lamented his table on Sunday when he Tweeted, “Brutal seat @lapokerclassic Steve Sung on my right Carlos Mortensen on my left, and to his left the guy who crushed me yesterday.” The table must have been difficult, as soon after “Kid Poker” came back and Tweeted, “Very disappointed on how I played the last hand. Going to cool off by chilling in LA for a bit. Weather is awesome. Should have shoved!” The pros didn’t do badly during the LAPC WPT Main Event, with Negreanu cashing in 66th place, Duke dropping out in 19th place, and Sung and Mortensen falling short of the WPT final table in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
On the lighter side of Twitter, players Lacey Jones and Alex Outhred bantered about Outhred potentially having to sit in for Jones on “Poker2Nite.” With Jones facing flight delays in Canada and potentially missing the taping of the popular poker show, Outhred volunteered to take her place. “@Poker2Nite get me a wig, razor, man-spanx, and make-up. I think I could double for @LaceyJones,” Alex Tweeted to the producers. Lacey was quick to fire back, “@alexpokerguy Ur a life saver. But don’t forget to stuff your bra! Haha.”
Twitter continues to provide entertainment for millions around the world and the poker community just makes it better. Poker News Daily follows poker in Twitter and adds to the enjoyment itself. Be sure to follow @pokernewsdaily on your Twitter account for all the latest news and information from the world of poker.
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03 3rd, 2010
The series runs May 2-16, with events across a range of poker games and buy-ins as all 38 will feature three buy-in levels.
“What I find most exciting about SCOOP is that players at all stake levels get an opportunity to play in a championship-level event,” said PokerStars Tournaments Team Leader Bryan Slick.
SCOOP will guarantee $45 million in prize money, edging out last year’s total prize pool of $39,372,270 with the main event guaranteeing prize pools of at $1 Million, $3 Million and $5 Million in the low, medium and high buy-in levels respectively.
The first event of the series is a No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max event, with buy-ins of $22, $215 and $2,100.
The series will offer several other events with buy-ins ranging from $109 to $10,300, plus a two-day Heads-Up Match Play tournament with a buy-in of $25,500.
The SCOOP schedule includes most of the games PokerStars offers, including Badugi, Omaha, Draw, Stud and Hold’em.
Highlights include Shootouts, 2X Chance Turbos, 8-game and HORSE.
For more on the 2010 SCOOP schedule click through to .
Visit
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03 3rd, 2010
As well known players like two-time World Series of Poker Main Event champion Johnny Chan, Celebrity Apprentice star Annie Duke, three-time WPT final table participant Steve Sung and 2001 Main Event champ and two-time WPT title winner Carlos Mortensen all fell throughout 14 hours of poker Tuesday, a final six all making their televised table debut emerged.
The final table will begin Thursday at 4 p.m. inside the Commerce Casino in East Los Angeles with Hungarian Andras Koroknai holding the chip lead.
Although he has just one small live cash from the Austrian Classics in 2008, Koroknai will bring with him a rather boisterous group of Hungarian supporters from the L.A. area.
Fountain Valley, California resident Raymond Dolan currently sits second in chips and while two small cashes including a 12th place finish at a prelim in this series is all Dolan can count on for experience, he is the brother of Tim Phan, who made the final table at WPT Legends in 2005.
Coming in third in chips is Canadian Tri Huynh looking to add to his $30k in career earnings that includes a final table appearance at an L.A. Poker Classic prelim in 2007.
Armenian American Gevork (George) Kasabyan has half a million in career earnings from a boatload of small tournaments in the L.A. area and will come into the final fourth in chips while Canadian Jean-Claude Moussa brings three WSOP cashes worth almost $60k and the experience of playing regularly online as high as $50/$100 to the table while currently fifth in chips.
The short stack is L.A.’s own Michael Kamran, happy to be through to his first final six after making seventh at WPT Bay 101 last year.
For comprehensive coverage, tune in to PokerListings’ and March 4.
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02 16th, 2010
But one thing is certain: Isildur1 is back and he’s shooting the lights out again.
After going on the most prolific high-stakes swing of all time near the end of 2009, including losing the biggest online pot ever played worth over $1.3 million, the unknown Swede has been playing lower stakes games keeping mostly under the radar.
From playing epic sessions of $500/$1,000 just a few months ago to grinding as low as $5/$10 at the beginning of this month, the general assumption was that Isildur1 was just about bust.
From February 3-8, Isildur1 played aproximately 16,000 hands on , losing $147,079 in those five days. He then took five days off, returning to the tables on the 13th to play $50/$100 No-Limit Hold’em.
After 1,011 hands, and dumping another $30k, he suddenly stepped up to $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em and hasn’t played anything lower since.
First he made over $327k, mostly at $200/$400 Cap Pot-Limit Omaha from players like URnotINDanger2, Di “Urindanger” Dang and Andrew “PostflopAction” Kostritsyn.
Next he took on Isaac “LuvtheWNBA” Haxton heads-up at $100/$200 NLHE, dropping $90,000.
Then last night, with his profits cut to $237,122, Isildur1 did what he does best, putting everything he had just made into play heads-up.
This time it was $200/$400 NLHE against Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo. After 1,944 hands, on as many as seven concurrent tables, Bonomo left the match down a massive $567k.
In the last three days, Isildur1 has made an impressive $806,685, which could set the stage for a second round of furious nosebleed action and million dollar pots.
Below are three of the largest pots Isildur1 has played in the last week. To see more replays from these sessions and others head to .
02 9th, 2010
Poker News Daily Guest Columnist is now a spokesperson for Foxwoods, casino officials announced on Tuesday. Foxwoods has purportedly become the first casino to sponsor a poker pro.
Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises President Michael Speller commented in a press release distributed by Foxwoods, “We’re thrilled to add Bernard Lee to the Foxwoods team. Bernard is such a compelling figure on the poker landscape and we’re certain that his expertise and talent will bring even more excitement and energy to the poker experience at Foxwoods.” Lee has been a loyal patron of Foxwoods ever since the casino opened its doors 18 years ago.
To say that Lee has dominated the Foxwoods tournament poker scene would be an understatement. He claimed titles at the East Coast casino in back-to-back-to-back years from 2006 to 2008. He began his “three peat” in 2006, winning a $4,800 No Limit Hold’em event during the World Poker Finals for $368,000. Heads-up, Lee defeated one of the legendary names in the world of poker, Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, and a top 10 that also featured James Van Alstyne, UB.com pro Michael Binger, Chris Bjorin, and “Survivor: China” castaway Jean-Robert Bellande.
In 2007, Lee took down a $1,850 No Limit Hold’em event at Foxwoods for $239,000, outlasting a field of 406 players. In 2008, it was the same story, as the East Coast media personality came out on top of the pack in a $530 No Limit Hold’em Shootout for $22,000. Back in 2005, Lee cruised to a 13th place finish in the () Main Event, pocketing $400,000; eventual winner pulled down $7.5 million.
In the last three years, according to Foxwoods officials, Lee has hauled in $1.35 million and three titles in tournaments around the world. He’s a staple of the New England area, owning degrees from Harvard University and Babsen College. Prior to hopping over to the poker scene, Lee worked as a Senior Marketing and New Business Development Manager at a Fortune 500 company. Lee explained in the same press release why signing with Foxwoods was a no-brainer: “If there is such a thing as home-court advantage in poker, for me it’s at Foxwoods. I’m proud and humbled that Foxwoods would choose me to be their official spokesperson among the millions of poker players in the world.”
Lee has made his mark in the live media world. He serves as a co-host of the ESPN poker franchise “Inside Deal,” which emanates from Bristol, Connecticut, and authors a recurring column for the Boston Herald newspaper. Lee hosts the “Bernard Lee Poker Show” on the radio airwaves in Boston; accordingly, the series is now presented by Foxwoods. Poker fans can catch Lee on the radio on 1120 AM in the Boston area or tune in online at RoundersRadio.com.
Lee is an instructor for the WSOP Academy and a commentator for the WSOP and New England’s Eastern Poker Tour. According to Lee’s publicist, Tuesday’s story has garnered a considerable amount of interest from the Boston Herald, which published an article on its website about the poker player’s signing. Additionally, local papers near where Lee lives are also rumored to be penning stories. At the time of writing, neither CardPlayer nor Bluff had posted pieces relating to Lee’s signing.
Foxwoods offers the only () branded poker room in New England. Last November, 353 players descended upon the rural casino for the annual World Poker Finals. In the end, CardPlayer Player of the Year finalist Cornel Andrew Cimpan bested Soheil Shamseddin in a tough final table that also included Lock Poker pro Matt “All In At 420” Stout, Eric “EFro” Froehlich. Curt Kohlberg, and Victory Poker pro Lee Markholt.
Congratulations from all of us here at Poker News Daily to Lee for signing with Foxwoods.
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In recent days, online poker players trying to use Visa and MasterCard credit cards to deposit funds into their accounts have experienced major setbacks. Due to what eGaming Review dubbed an “overnight tightening of restrictions,” deposits are now down sharply on some of the industry’s largest sites. Poker News Daily sat down with an insider in the world of payment processing to break down what happened.
Poker News Daily: Do you believe that it was ever acceptable for MasterCard to process an online poker transaction after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act () was passed in the United States in 2006?
It hasn’t been legal for MasterCard or Visa for over 10 years now, so this is nothing new to U.S.-facing companies in particular. What is new is the way they have caught people who were circumventing their rules.
PND: Are all transactions related to internet gambling blocked or just credit card deposits?
They not blocked everywhere. Some seem to be operating MasterCard with no issues.
PND: Are daily transaction counts down as a result or are online poker players finding other ways to get money online?
From what I have been told, cash in is down significantly. Obviously, if you take a credit card channel as big as MasterCard away from your portfolio, there will be a big hit.
PND: Do players realize that their funds aren’t being deposited using credit cards?
The players are not notified. The deposits go through and they will still be billed for the transaction. The issue is that the gaming company never receives the funds, as they are “intercepted.” The processor the gaming company used then has their account with MasterCard closed and they are fined; this is usually passed onto the gaming company directly.
PND: Does a player lose the intercepted funds?
If MasterCard closes the middleman down, they keep all funds frozen until they ascertain what happened. The player gets billed and knows nothing. The player gets his money in his gaming account and has his credit card billed. We basically just gave him free money. These companies do not settle instantly with the poker rooms and that is where the big risk comes. MasterCard doesn’t settle with the processor instantly either.
PND: How did MasterCard block internet gambling transactions?
Rumor has it that they audited thousands upon of transactions manually. They looked at coded declines and then at subsequent approved transactions. This would tell them that they were being “bounced” to another uncoded source. They deemed that these transactions were illegal and closed down the processing account attached to them.
PND: Is the recent MasterCard blocking due to the UIGEA, charge backs, or some combination of both?
I’m not sure about their motives. MasterCard has always been more aggressive than others with this. We have been warned for many months that this was coming, but there is no way of knowing until it actually happens. As always, this industry is resilient and will bounce back. It always has and it always will.
PND: What has been the reaction of players you’ve talked to at your site?
Players are used to cards being declined fairly regularly. Obviously, some want to know why, so we try to direct them to other trusted methods such as e-wallets wherever possible.
PND: Can online poker players use debit cards to deposit?
MasterCard does not run debit cards. Visa or the bank runs them usually. I know that Canada shut off most debit cards to poker companies last year. TD, Scotia Bank, and RBC all stopped too.
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