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New Record Set at the WSOP Circuit Chicagoland

The 2009/2010 WSOP Circuit began last week with a record-breaking turnout. The initial event registered 1,412 poker players for the $345 buy-in NLH tournament at the Horseshoe Casino just outside of downtown Chicago. Last year’s attendance at this event was a mere 1,187 players, which means times are getting better, at least for poker players.

Up until this new record player field, the standing record for a WSOP Circuit event was a January 2006 tourney in Mississippi, held at the Tunica Grand Resort & Casino with 1,345 registrants.

The 13-event Chicagoland is now one of the most popular WSOP Circuit events, which is running this year through October 25th and serves to kick off the 6th season of WSOP Circuits. Eleven Harrah’s casinos will host the following events, this year marking the 2nd year for the Horseshoe Casino. Last year, the Horseshoe Casino property, which is located off the Lake Michigan shore just 16 miles out of Chicago, underwent a $500 million renovation. Panoramic views of the downtown skyline is just one impressive facet of this hotel, which serves as a somewhat different feel being so close to a major city that isn’t a gambling town, like Vegas.

Actually, the Horseshoe Casino isn’t even located in Illinois, but rather in Hammond, Indiana, only a few miles from state line, and downtown Chicago is only a 20-minute ride, which really makes this venue even more unique. The largest poker room in the Midwest is located at this casino, which typically hosts 34 tables, but they were able to move some things around to accommodate the 112 tables needed for the WSOP Circuit event. Many of these tables are set up in The Venue, a state-of-the-art media and special events arena, which is regularly used to stage some of the biggest music and entertainment artists. Perhaps we’ll see more big-money tournament action at this location in the future.

Sportsbook.com Offers New Promo Code for $1000 Bonus

Sportsbook Poker has released a special promotion code for their poker room offering a 100% bonus up to $1000. To claim this bonus, you need to use an exclusive sportsbook promotion code during your account sign up process. If you do not use the code during sign up, you will not be eligible to the $1,000 bonus. Instead, you would only be able to claim the $650 bonus that is advertised as the standard Sportsbook.com deposit bonus.

The sportsbook poker room offers a unique chance for US and Canadian based poker players to be able to play real money poker by depositing with standard credit cards. The site claims credit card acceptance rates near 100%, for credit cards like Visa and Mastercard!

In addition to a poker room, Sportsbook.com has a very active sportsbook and casino with a very large base of members. This large base of sports bettors seem to love to play no limit texas holdem. Especially now, with football season in full swing, there has never been a better time to use a Sportsbook.com promo code and make your 1st deposit. The tables are full of live and loose players who want to give you their money. If you do not get in there and get it, someone else will!

Take advantage of the combination of the exclusive sportsbook bonus to $1000, the poker tables overflowing with the large percentage of sportsbettors who are inexperienced at Texas holdem and whom love to gamble. Get in there, get the bonus and take their money. Remember, the standard bonus will be applied if you do not use the exclusive promo code when creating your account.

PokerTek Gets Backing

Back in August, ICP had made a first investment in PokerTek when they bought the 565,000 shares of common stock for the price of 85 cents per share. Now, news has it that ICP Electronics Inc. was the one to buy the 120,000 shares of its common stock that were available for the price of 90 cents per share.

ICP Electronics, the company based in Taipei was founded back in 1997. Its company aim is to market and sell its products and services to those companies specialising in electronics and technology.

The software-development company PokerTek markets electronic tables for up to 10 players for the standard Texas Hold ’Em game. Their systems, such as PokerPro work on dealing cards and keeping the statistical information on the games played. They also display them on private screens to their players and showing the general information on a large screen in the centre of the table while enabling the customers to set up accounts for betting.

Such a system is intended to increase the casino revenue by elevating the number of hands made per the hour and thus dropping the overall poker rooms HR and human related costs.

Student loans being gambled away

When it comes to problem gambling, students are the new high on research statistics with many gambling away their student loans in the name of the game. This new research has been drawn up by a charity organisation Gamcare, which has been dealing with various gambling addicts. In fact it seems that more than a third of the people they deal with are actually students and at a young age between 18 and 25.

Director of Student Services at the University of Lincoln, Judith Carey commented; “Students receive their loans and then play games like poker as they think that it is a game of skill, but can quickly get themselves into financial trouble as gambling can often get out of hand.” Carey has stated that she is faced with many students who are suffering from financial problems as a result of gambling.

This trend is definitely on the increase. Gamcare’s Adrian Scarf says; “Young people enjoy the buzz of gambling and over a period of time they might have fun, but the house always wins.” Scarf sees poker as becoming a consistent problem amongst young people, due to the media and constant appealing online promotions.

In fact many are seeing the internet world as being the perfect habitat for these addictions as it fuels the gambling problems, moreover attracting and enticing gamblers to stay home and gamble on their own night after night.

Many students are seeing online poker as an easy way to make money while being at school or Uni. What starts out as a hobby soon becomes an addiction with many of them losing control over their self judgement and not knowing when to stop. With just 10 % of all gambling addicts actually reaping a profit, this becomes a dangerous game of chance with the probability of losing tournaments being the likelihood event. Many of these students cannot keep affording playing online, which results in them dipping into their own students’ loans and wanting more money.

As a result of this, Student Services are now dealing with many people who have reached financial problems after various gambling sessions. Not many students go to GamCare directly asking for help but the need is soon apparent when Student Services get so many requests for the extension of student loans.

According to Gamcare; Gambling in moderation is key and knowing when to stop is essential ut not always easy to practice. In need of help, Gamcare do offer advice on their website www.gamcare.org.uk as well as Student Support who offer help and guidance when in need of managing student finances.

Giancarlo Fisichella acts for PartyPoker in hometown Italy

Party Poker have just entered into an agreement with Formula 1 Italian front man Giancarlo Fisichella. The latter will be representing Party Poker through Italy, together with PartyPoker’s new “pro” poker team of players. This mixed team’s goal is to further establish the game around the world.

Giancarlo Fisichella is not part of the poker pros, but known worldwide as one of the more famous Formula1 drivers. He drives under Ferrari’s branch currently standing in for Felipe Massa after the accident he had earlier on this year.

Party Poker will be promoting their brand as number 1, most recognized online gaming company in the world. Given the way things work in Italy when it comes to poker legislations, Fisichella was the perfect fit to attract the Italian media and promote PartyPoker.

During the Sports Challenge IV filming back in June this year Giancarlo Fisichella had already represented Party Poker with the latter seeing potential in this business relationship. Fisichella is known for his friendly and sympathetic nature but also for his fearless attitude while racing at top gas and while playing poker tables.

Fisichella is not the first sportman who likes his poker game, such as former English national football striker Teddy Sheringham who won some poker tournaments and participated in the the World Series of Poker Europe and European Poker Tour London. This also goes for tennis star Boris Becker, Swede hockey star Mats Sundin, powerboat racer Sami Selio, Dutch Fatima Moreira de Melo and French rugby superstar Sebastien Chabal. All the above have been contracted through PartyPoker to represent their evergrowing brand.

With still many sports legends out there, one is to wonder who will get the next contract with Party Poker, PokerStars or FullTilt. All this sports with poker partnerships means more media coverage and exposure for the poker game with all the online operators reaping on the result.

Fr. Andrew Trapp is the “Poker Playing Priest”

Fr. Andrew Tapp, a.k.a The Poker Playing Priest will be appearing on PokerStars.net in an aim to win the Million Dollar Challenge. He will be showing his poker skills hoping to win in aid of the service of building of new Church building. This building will be the new Church where Fr. Andrew and the Pastor will be celebrating Holy Mass if the plan succeeds.

All his winnings will be donated to the building fund. The show will be aired on Sunday, Oct. 11, directly after NFL on FOX coverage when Father Trapp will be joining the other qualifiers from around the country hoping to win the grand prize of $1,000,000 in the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.

Fr Andrew commented;

‘Even if I didn’t win any money, it would be an opportunity for people across the country to see that there are still young men choosing to be priests, and that one can be joy-filled and have fun as one serves God. Poker is one of my hobbies. I play it with family and friends. It’s a way for people to come together, have fun and enjoy each other’s company. There’s no moral issue.’

When questioned, he quoted that the Catechism of the Catholic Church has addressed the issue of games of chance such as Poker clearly in Par. 2413: “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.”

The locals of the St. Michael Catholic Church parish in Garden City, South Carolina are all supporting and praying for their “Poker Playing Priest” and have come to view him as a local celebrity. They have given him the nickname of “Father Rambo” due to his poker skills as well as in paintball.

28 year old, Father Trapp was ordained to the order of Priest in 2007 and is known for his energy, love for the Lord and joy in his priestly ministry to the faithful. He started playing poker with family and friends and then heard about the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge game show. He then considered entering a specially designated online tournament at PokerStars.net.

This was followed by his entry video, which can be viewed below

The Church Pastor and his Bishop, the Most Rev. Robert Guglielmone gave Father Trapp their blessing and the latter flew to Los Angeles. Armed with his own skill, his prayers and many faithful supporters, the priest will also be coached by four-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu.

The next step is to beat one of the celebrities in an opening round “heads up” match and if that goes well, he would then progress to face off against a Team PokerStars.net Pro for a chance at winning $25,000.00.

News update on Pitbull Poker Scandal

Pitbull Poker, the online poker website has finally released an official announcement following all the rumours and closure of operations. The announcement was a direct call to all their players –

“It is with great sadness that we have closed Pitbull Poker. To cash out your balance, please e-mail support@pitbullpoker.com.”

This triggered off the Pitbull players and the online poker circuit in general. Besides this clear announcement, there was also the following – “Pitbull Poker recommends the following Gaming Websites” and this was followed by a recommendation of five affiliate banners for other online gambling websites and poker networks. These recommended sites include Cake Poker and PokerStars.

Pitbull Poker was viewed by many as the biggest operator on the network with competitors such as BetEd, BetCascade, PlayFast, 5Dimes and Golden Arch Poker.

Many wrote in the forums following this online poker news and even more speculations started off. It started to seem like the owners, Baronowski and CO are doing this with the aim of maybe raising funds through these affiliate referrals in order to pay players. We will know more about this soon…

The independent online poker site monitor, PokerScout had already announced that no action was taking place on the network and Flash Poker Network.com, the host for Pitbull also did not elaborate further on the operation on goings. Flash Poker Network was founded in 2004 in San Jose, Costa Rica and now holds their offices in San Pedro. Unfortunately the future of this network is not secure anymore but hopefully they will get back to business. To their credit, they are the ones who developed the Flash instant-play technology that includes both multi-lingual and multi-currency facilities. 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em.

PartyPoker Bonus Code for October 2009

PartyPoker’s October 2009 Welcome Bonus gives new players a 100% return on all first deposits up to $/£/€100. To get this offer, use PartyPoker bonus code PBSPARTY when you sign up your new account. Once you’ve made a successful deposit, you can start playing real money poker cash games and tournaments to earn PartyPoints. These points will help you clear your poker bonus, which will be released to you in $/£/€10 increments.

If your making your deposit and playing in US$ or CAN$, you’ll have to earn 6 X your bonus in PartyPoints to clear your bonus in full; 8 X for €, and 9 X for £. You’ll have 60 days to earn your required points.

During the month of October, beginning on October 5th, and running through October 30th, 2009, you will have the opportunity to play in the Million-Dollar Hand promotion. All you have to do is play. For every 15 PartyPoints you generate, you’ll receive a card for your hand. The object of the game is to earn cards and then submit your best 5-card hands every day. You can submit two hands per day. Any player who gets a Royal Flush will automatically win $1 Million, and you can do it as many times as possible.

You can also win cash by submitting lower ranking 5-card poker hands. For instance, a Straight Flush will pay you $10,000; four-of-a-kind will payout $1,000; a Full House will earn you $150; get a Flush, and you’ll win $100; a Straight pays $50; and three-of-a-kind will win you $20. You can even win $10 for making two pairs and $3 for one pair. Your first card will be given to you for free on October 5th to get you started.

The last day to reveal your hands is October 31st (23:59 ET), so don’t forget to submit your winning hands daily. It’s free poker money; you can’t pass that up.

Daniel Negreanu bashing UltimateBet on Radio Show

Daniel Negreanu, who is a Team PokerStars player was invited to the Hardcore Poker Show to make a response to a statement by Phil Hellmuth on the show. Negreanu started out with some good old trash talk about Hellmuth’s sponsor UltimateBet.

“Personally i don’t think they should exist anymore considering what happened at UltimateBet. I don’t feel we owe them any favors.”

The statement by Phil Hellmuth that made Negreanu so upset was related to Harrah’s opening their own online poker room.

We at Onine Poker News have to agree with Daniel on the point that a person like Phil Hellmuth should have no right to speak up against Harrah’s trying to get in to the online poker industry while still being part of one of the most shady poker rooms ever.

EPT bans Luke “FullFlush1” Schwartz

The European Poker Tour has reportedly banned out poker pro Luke “_FullFlush1” Schwartz from the remaining season of the EPT. The only initial reason he was in the tournament was because his friend Eddie Hearn had put in a good word for him and got him to enter the event but this did not last long.

Schwartz was participating in an attempt to win the Main Event but only made it to Day 2 play before he lost the tournament. He then proceeded to go and get a sandwich but then complained when it was time to pay. He kept insisting that he was entitled to a free sandwich as he regarded himself as a VIP customer. The casino did not agree to this and the argument progressed till finally Schwartz was walked with security out of the venue and also told he would be banned from all remaining EPT events for this season.

It seems like this was not a first for Schwartz as he was also banned from other multiple poker venues such as the Vic Casino in London because of his controversial attitude and after he refused to take off his hat. He was also banned from using the Full Tilt Poker chat feature after he passed some nasty comments online.

He is known for being very outspoken like when he made snide remarks about poker pro Tom “durrrr” Dwan. Schwartz said he disliked Dwan because he seems ‘geeky’ and ‘gay’. We wonder what is next for Luke Schwartz but we are sure this was not the last time his cockiness gets him into trouble.

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