Internet poker online
Almost two weeks ago, over 500 celebrities, poker players, and media descended upon the Commerce Casino for one of the most fun-filled tournaments on the poker calendar. Essentially a free roll, with a one time add-on being donated to charity, the…
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Representatives of the Poker Players Alliance spoke in front of a Massachusetts State Legislature committee last week to support a proposed bill that would classify poker as a game of skill.
No state legislature has made such a declaration…
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02 26th, 2010
The UB.com sponsored poker news show “Poker2Nite” has seen its final new episode air on cable station Fox Sports Net. Season 2 of the franchise will appear on Versus, according to a post on PokerRoad.
The new season will hit television airwaves on Wednesday, March 3rd, where it will appear in the 11:00pm ET time slot. The show stars poker pro Joe Sebok and PokerRoad personality Scott Huff, who break down the latest news and events from the industry. In addition, Dana Workman offers up a satirical look at the latest poker headlines in the Weekly Misdeal. The program runs for 30 minutes and aired an original season that lasted for 13 episodes.
Now, it’s on to Versus, although no official statement has been made by show sponsor UB.com on its future. Text found in an article posted on PokerRoad explains what viewers can expect on the show’s new home: “Versus, formerly OLN, is already a regular cable stop for fans of NHL hockey, cycling, and outdoor sports like hunting and fishing, but thus far hasn’t ventured far into the world of poker. However, with Poker2Nite now in their rotation, that may all change for the better.” OLN stands for the Outdoor Life Network.
Versus is owned by cable goliath Comcast and airs over 50 National Hockey League (NHL) games every season. In addition to smash mouth hockey, Versus airs cycling, hunting, fishing, Mixed Martial Arts, Indy Car racing, bull riding, and college football. According to the network’s schedule posted on its website, two episodes of “Sports Jobs with Junior Seau” will serve as the lead-in to “Poker2Nite” next Wednesday. Following the poker show is a 30-minute program called “Whacked Out Sports.” The channel airs in stunning high-definition.
November 18th marked the first episode of “Poker2Nite” on Fox Sports Net. The show welcomed ESPN () announcer Lon McEachern to the stage. McEachern, who was fresh off a trip to watch the WSOP Main Event final table unfold in Las Vegas, told Huff and Sebok, “It’s an event now. To have that many people watching nine guys sit and play cards was incredible. To come from the obscure beginnings to where it is now has been the ride of a lifetime.”
Initial reviews of the poker news series were favorable, although many critiqued Sebok’s nervousness in front of the cameras. By the time the show welcomed UB.com pro on December 9th during its fourth episode, Sebok was in full stride. Hellmuth announced that he had taken a break for the remainder of a rough 2009 calendar year and noted, “There is some luck. That’s what people at home don’t understand. I just have to find a way to come back in 2010 and win one or two. That’s what it’s all about.” Hellmuth is an 11-time WSOP bracelet winner, which leads all players.
Besides Hellmuth and McEachern, other “Poker2Nite” guests have included 2009 Poker Hall of Fame inductee , (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas, prop better extraordinaire , 2009 CardPlayer Player of the Year Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin, and tournament director Matt Savage. Its final new episode, which aired on February 3rd, featured “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander, who previewed the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Recurring contributors on “Poker2Nite” included , Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and pro Lacey Jones.
Fox Sports Net continues to air Seasons 7 and 8 of the () on Sunday nights. The network often sees its original programming preempted due to local sporting events, including college hoops, college football, and pro contests.
We’ll have a full recap of “Poker2Nite” Season 2’s kickoff episode right here on Poker News Daily.
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02 17th, 2010
The California state director for the Poker Players Alliance left last week’s informational hearing in the California Senate Governmental Organization Committee convinced that the state’s legislature will move forward on intra-state poker in the…
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Did you miss any news this week? Well you probably missed the news on the Dutch government and what they’re doing to poker players, Mastercard blocking poker, and Isildur1 coming back on the scene - or not.
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02 4th, 2010
One of the truths of the Championship Event is that, since won the World Championship in 2001, only non-professional (some would say “amateur”) players have won what is considered the ultimate championship in poker. Even though this may be true, some of the players who captured poker’s greatest title have moved on to become top notch professionals in their own right. One of those players is 2004 World Champion Greg Raymer.
To call Raymer an amateur would be an insult to the vast skills that he has shown in the game. His first cash in a poker tournament dates back to 1996 and, while he worked a 9-to-5 job as a patent attorney in Connecticut, Greg became a terror in the poker room at the Foxwoods Casino and Resort. He earned eight cashes, including one victory, in different events offered by Foxwoods between 1998 and 2003.
2004 would prove to be the breakout year for Raymer. Even though he had cashed at the World Series of Poker in 2001, nobody knew who the gentleman at the table was who used a fossilized rock as a card cover – hence his nickname “Fossilman” – and wore odd, lizard-eye hologram sunglasses. After earning his way into the $10,000 Championship Event through a satellite tournament on , Raymer went on to defeat a strong final table that included former World Champion Dan Harrington, top professional and eventual runner-up . At the time of his championship in 2004, Raymer captured the largest ever first place prize in the history of the WSOP up to then: $5 million.
What “Fossilman” has done since then has catapulted him into the true professional ranks of the poker world. In 2005, Raymer made a deep run at the $25,000 Championship in April before succumbing in 33rd place. He then went on to defend his title at the WSOP, driving deep in the 5619 player field (at that time the largest field ever in the WSOP Main Event) before leaving the tournament in 25th place. If his achievements in 2004 and 2005 weren’t enough, Greg solidified his place in WSOP history when he finished third in the 40th Anniversary No Limit Hold’em event, a $40,000 buy in event, on last year’s WSOP schedule.
Raymer has cashed twelve times in WSOP tournaments that span all spectrums of poker. Whatever the game is, be it Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Deuce to Seven Lowball or No Limit Hold’em, Greg can claim at least one cash in every event. In addition to his success at the WSOP, Raymer has two cashes on the and has earned over $6.8 million in his tournament poker career.
What arguably has been the most significant act of his poker career has been Raymer’s advocacy for the sport of poker. Along with fellow World Champions and Joseph Hachem, “Fossilman” has embraced his position as one of poker’s ambassadors by playing in the top tournaments around the world and online. He has also been a teacher of the game, offering seminars to players around the world, and often can be found online discussing aspects of poker on several forums. His greatest impact, however, may be seen on the political side of the world of poker.
After the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act () of 2006, Greg lobbied extensively in Washington, DC, for online poker to be regulated and considered a skill sport instead of gambling. There has been discussion of Raymer entering the political arena as a Libertarian candidate but, at this point, he hasn’t chosen that path. He is a board member of the (PPA) and, while acting as one of poker’s most outspoken advocates, he continues to ply his new occupation as a professional poker player.
For many players who have won the World Championship in the first decade of the 21st century, the victory has seemingly been a burden. Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, however, has firmly embraced his position as an ambassador of the game and continues to be a strong threat at the poker tables, whether they are live or online and in whatever game of poker may be in play.
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02 2nd, 2010
has pledged to contribute one percent of her poker earnings to The NephCure Foundation, a charitable organization whose goal is to support research to fight two terrible kidney diseases, Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The pledge is part of the “All-In for a Cure” program started by Poker Players International (PPI), a full service poker agency. Other poker players who have pledged a portion of their earnings include Jason Young, who will be giving one percent like Harman, and Frank Vizza, who is donating five percent.
Harman is no stranger to kidney disease, having had two kidney transplants. After her second procedure in 2004, she founded the non-profit organization Creating Organ Donation Awareness. In a press release distributed by The NephCure Foundation, the pro said, “Kidney disease is extremely difficult. It is invisible and it affects kids and adults alike. NephCure is trying to find an answer and I’m here to help by joining ‘All-in for a Cure.’”
As Harman said, kidney disease can affect anyone, even the most physically fit. Both Alonzo Mourning, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and Sean Elliott, a two-time All-Star selection, suffered from FSGS. Both had kidney transplants. Ed Hearn, a former Major League Baseball player, has had to go through three transplants and still has FSGS, which damages the kidneys’ filtering system.
NephCure has committed $6 million towards research of both Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS, but unfortunately, there is still no cure for either disease. According to NephCure’s website, 84 percent of donations are put towards research, education, and advocacy, while 10 percent are used for further fundraising. The remainder pays for management and general expenses.
The cause is also personally important for PPI’s Marketing and Player Development Leader Eric Siegel, as his son has Nephrotic Syndrome. “It is great to have someone with the pedigree and reputation of Jennifer joining PPI’s pledge program,” he said. “Having her involved in this program is a tremendous benefit to everyone and I expect it to lead to more players coming on board. She understands the responsibility to give back. By doing so hopefully we can find a cure for this horrible disease that affects thousands of people.”
Siegel, himself, is a poker player and has pledged one percent of his earnings to “All-In for a Cure.” His wife, Jennifer Geisser Siegel, serves on the NephCure Board of Directors.
Harman has a history of being one of the most philanthropic poker players around. She has hosted the Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament three years running, raising over $450,000 for the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and $111,000 for the National Kidney Foundation.
On the felt, Jennifer Harman is one of the most respected poker players in the world. In her live tournament career, she has earned over $2.3 million and is the only female to own two bracelets. Harman is widely regarded by her peers as one of the best poker players in the world, adept at any game, and a player to be feared in the highest stakes games in Las Vegas.
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02 2nd, 2010
Harman, who suffers from kidney disease herself and has had two transplants, has taken the Poker Players International “All-In for a Cure” pledge and will donate one percent of her earnings to The NephCure Foundation, which funds research into the debilitating kidney diseases Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
“Kidney disease is extremely difficult,” said Harman. “It is invisible and it affects kids and adults alike. NephCure is trying to find an answer and I’m here to help by joining ‘All-in for a Cure.’”
NephCure has dedicated over $6 million to research of FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome, two conditions that affect the tiny filtering mechanisms in the kidney.
Former NBA star Alonzo Mourning suffered from FSGS before receiving a kidney transplant. The cause for these diseases is unknown and there is no cure.
“Having (Harman) involved in this program is a tremendous benefit to everyone and I expect it to lead to more players coming on board,” said PPI’s Marketing and Player Development Leader Eric Siegel, whose son suffers from Nephrotic Syndrome.
“She understands the responsibility to give back. By doing so hopefully we can find a cure for this horrible disease that affects thousands of people.”
Known for playing in some of the world’s biggest cash games, Harman has more than $2.3 million in career tournament earnings, including two WSOP wins and two World Poker Tour final tables.
A number of other players, including 2009 PokerStars EPT London High Roller winner Matt Glantz, have also taken the pledge.
For more information on the organization and how to make a donation, click through to .
Visit
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02 1st, 2010
Although the U.S. may have the most prestigious pool of poker players on a global scale, an argument can be made that the Nordic countries feature a high percentage of the game’s elite as well. To honor these top players from Finland…
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Playing to win was the theme on this record breaking Sunday, which closed out the month. Prize pools were increased across the virtual felt as each of the major online poker sites ran special promotions. PokerStars offered a Sunday Million…
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