By Victoria Ward, PA, in New York
A new addiction has gripped Hollywood and celebrities are as unlikely as ever to reveal their hands.
Lucrative poker games have become commonplace in the sprawling mansions of the rich and famous.
Wealthy stars including Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire can regularly be found slapping down £6,000 (10,000 dollars) for a seat at a monthly “Billionaire Boys game”, according to the March edition of Vanity Fair magazine.
Celebs meet at poker professional Reagan Silber’s Bel Air mansion to indulge in a flutter, most likely playing a version known as Texas Hold ’Em.
Vanity Fair writer Duff McDonald cites actors Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, James Woods and Mimi Rogers as the most avid poker players.
“As a player, Maguire is variously described as intuitive, sponge-like and passionate,” he writes.
“Affleck, meanwhile, is said to be aggressive and fearless, traits that can backfire at the table.”
Rogers, an ex-wife of Tom Cruise, reportedly plays poker on the internet for hours every day, netting some £2,000 (4,000 dollars) since last March.
Woods helped establish HollywoodPoker.com so his fellow actors could go head to head in cyberspace.
According to the magazine, play ranges from light-hearted to deadly serious. Friends star David Schwimmer is said to be a bad loser, and cries out “Thank God!” whenever he wins the pot.
Spiderman star Maguire hosts games at his Hollywood Hills estate, which “usually requires a 2,000 dollar minimum buy-in,” McDonald reports.
Stars including Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and Robert De Niro have all recently been linked to the game.
Affleck and singer Robbie Williams are among celebrities who have signed up to the European version of the World Poker Series in Monte Carlo in March.
The singer may have a fight on his hands. Affleck is said to be an expert at the game, having won the £200,000 (356,000 dollars) top prize in the California state poker championship last June.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Women warm to online betting
By John Oates
Online gambling in the UK has grown 566 per cent since 2003 and the fast growth is mainly due to a big increase in the number of women betting online. In the early 90s, women represented just four per cent of gamblers but now 20 per cent of British women visit an online casino or betting site more than once a year.
The survey was carried out by 888.com - an online casino owned by Cassava Enterprises. Gibraltar-based Cassava and PartyPoker are both considering floating on the London Stock Exchange. PartyPoker has appointed Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to look at its options.
Online casinos are seen as a big money opportunity although there are concerns they might suffer from changes to the tax regime in Europe. The US authorities consider cross-border gambling illegal but the WTO recently ruled in favour of such sites.
Earlier this month the Isle of Man changed tax rules to encourage more gambling websites to set up on the island. Gibraltar, with its equally friendly tax regime, has also seen a boom in online bookies and casinos.
Online poker is one of the biggest money pots on the web - sites bring $2m to $2.5m a day. In the course of a year more than $16bn is bet on internet poker games. New technology has helped push Britain up the gambling tables - the UK is now the fourth largest gambling nation in the world.
Poker tournament to be at Marion hall
MARION -- Turning Point and the Marion Evening Lions Club are hosting a No Limit Texas Holdem' Tournament. Two qualifying rounds (100 person limit for each) will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Humane Society Bingo Hall, 1001 S. Prospect St. The top five winners from each round will compete in the finals at 2 p.m. Feb. 27.
The entry fee is $100 ($25 to charities and $75 to the pot) and re-buys will be available the first hour of each qualifier.
For details or to register by check or credit card, contact Carol Kientz at Turning Point, P.O. Box 822, Marion, Ohio 43302; phone 740-382-8988.
The entry fee is $100 ($25 to charities and $75 to the pot) and re-buys will be available the first hour of each qualifier.
For details or to register by check or credit card, contact Carol Kientz at Turning Point, P.O. Box 822, Marion, Ohio 43302; phone 740-382-8988.
Godfather of Texas Hold'Em Joins Craze
DALLAS, Texas – As reported by NBC News: "Many people want to cash in on the gambling craze, including the best Texas Hold 'Em player in the world, Richardson's T.J. Cloutier.
"…'I miss playing in Dallas when there were four killers in the same game,' Cloutier said.
"When it comes to poker, times have changed.
"…'First thing, you had to win the money; then, you had to know you could get out of the joint with the money,' Cloutier said.
"The godfather of tournament poker, Cloutier no longer has to worry about that.
"…One key is to know how to read opponents, even online. Cloutier points out players develop patterns.
"…Thanks to the Internet, thousands of online gamblers can now dream of taking down a poker pro like Cloutier.
"…At pokermountian.com, you may find Cloutier trying to steal a few hands. Why not, he said -- the Internet is filled with dead money…"
"…'I miss playing in Dallas when there were four killers in the same game,' Cloutier said.
"When it comes to poker, times have changed.
"…'First thing, you had to win the money; then, you had to know you could get out of the joint with the money,' Cloutier said.
"The godfather of tournament poker, Cloutier no longer has to worry about that.
"…One key is to know how to read opponents, even online. Cloutier points out players develop patterns.
"…Thanks to the Internet, thousands of online gamblers can now dream of taking down a poker pro like Cloutier.
"…At pokermountian.com, you may find Cloutier trying to steal a few hands. Why not, he said -- the Internet is filled with dead money…"
Gambling dens take wholesome twist at Utah Valley establishments
David Randall DAILY HERALD
Parents and church leaders may not always approve, but poker, popularized in recent years with televised tournaments, seems to be sweeping the country, reaching all the way into the nooks and conservative crannies of Utah County.
A week and a half ago, Utah Valley State College held a No Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament in connection with the school's all-night party, and on Friday, The Flophouse, a Texas Hold 'Em tournament club, reopened in Orem, providing action from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
For those who are still trying to figure out if two pair beats three of a kind, or who are looking to hone their Hold 'Em skills, UVSC and Alpine School District are offering some help in the form of a non-credit, community education course titled "Texas Hold 'Em: Know When to Hold 'Em/Fold 'Em."
The six-week class costs $49 and starts Feb. 1 at Mountain View High School, running Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9. Information on registration can be found at www.uvsc.edu/communityeducation.
The course description explicitly states that "No money will be wagered in accordance with Utah state law" and that students will learn how to play "for fun."
And playing for fun seems to be enough for a lot of the valley's poker players, like Tyler Cardon, 18, a UVSC student from Lindon.
Cardon and his friends started playing over the summer after watching tournaments on ESPN. He said he likes the control he feels at the poker table.
"You have more control with this game than you do with other games," he said.
He said his parents are supportive of the playing, which goes on once a week or so, as long as money isn't wagered.
But he said he isn't opposed to putting a small amount of money on the game.
"Pay five bucks to see a movie, pay five bucks to play poker, it's the same idea," he said.
At The Flophouse, located at 1366 W. Center St. in Orem, players do put money down to play, but after a $20 buy-in ($10 for students), they are betting mostly for pride. Only those who win a table and go on to a championship table can compete for prizes like flat-screen TVs or surround sound systems.
Dave Hansen, a Riverton resident, is one of the partners who helped create The Flophouse. He said he decided to start the club in Orem because he's seen a lot of similar places in the Salt Lake area but none in Utah County. The fliers for the club say it is, "bringing Texas Hold 'Em to the happiest place on earth."
Hansen, like Cardon, has only been playing for six months and said most of the 50 players who have visited his club so far in the same boat.
"I think everyone's a rookie," Hansen said.
The club originally opened in December, but ran into legal problems with the city over zoning and concerns about what was going on at the club. All of these concerns have now been resolved, according to Hansen, who said he hopes to fill the club soon.
"We look at it the same way you would play a golf tournament or ski tournament," he said.
Information on the club can be found at www.theflop-pokerclub.com.
David Randall can be reached at 344-2556 or davidrandall@heraldextra.com.
Parents and church leaders may not always approve, but poker, popularized in recent years with televised tournaments, seems to be sweeping the country, reaching all the way into the nooks and conservative crannies of Utah County.
A week and a half ago, Utah Valley State College held a No Limit Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament in connection with the school's all-night party, and on Friday, The Flophouse, a Texas Hold 'Em tournament club, reopened in Orem, providing action from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
For those who are still trying to figure out if two pair beats three of a kind, or who are looking to hone their Hold 'Em skills, UVSC and Alpine School District are offering some help in the form of a non-credit, community education course titled "Texas Hold 'Em: Know When to Hold 'Em/Fold 'Em."
The six-week class costs $49 and starts Feb. 1 at Mountain View High School, running Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9. Information on registration can be found at www.uvsc.edu/communityeducation.
The course description explicitly states that "No money will be wagered in accordance with Utah state law" and that students will learn how to play "for fun."
And playing for fun seems to be enough for a lot of the valley's poker players, like Tyler Cardon, 18, a UVSC student from Lindon.
Cardon and his friends started playing over the summer after watching tournaments on ESPN. He said he likes the control he feels at the poker table.
"You have more control with this game than you do with other games," he said.
He said his parents are supportive of the playing, which goes on once a week or so, as long as money isn't wagered.
But he said he isn't opposed to putting a small amount of money on the game.
"Pay five bucks to see a movie, pay five bucks to play poker, it's the same idea," he said.
At The Flophouse, located at 1366 W. Center St. in Orem, players do put money down to play, but after a $20 buy-in ($10 for students), they are betting mostly for pride. Only those who win a table and go on to a championship table can compete for prizes like flat-screen TVs or surround sound systems.
Dave Hansen, a Riverton resident, is one of the partners who helped create The Flophouse. He said he decided to start the club in Orem because he's seen a lot of similar places in the Salt Lake area but none in Utah County. The fliers for the club say it is, "bringing Texas Hold 'Em to the happiest place on earth."
Hansen, like Cardon, has only been playing for six months and said most of the 50 players who have visited his club so far in the same boat.
"I think everyone's a rookie," Hansen said.
The club originally opened in December, but ran into legal problems with the city over zoning and concerns about what was going on at the club. All of these concerns have now been resolved, according to Hansen, who said he hopes to fill the club soon.
"We look at it the same way you would play a golf tournament or ski tournament," he said.
Information on the club can be found at www.theflop-pokerclub.com.
David Randall can be reached at 344-2556 or davidrandall@heraldextra.com.
Poker Magazine Deals First Hand
By: Mickey Alam Khan
Senior Editor
mickey@dmnews.com
Senior Editor
mickey@dmnews.com
Don't confuse All In for yet another shelter or lifestyle magazine. It's for readers who want to improve their poker game or reclaim the deed to the house they lost in a game of Texas Hold 'em.
That's the premise for this new national paid-circulation poker magazine.
"The opportunity is to build a major enthusiast title in a niche that has not [generally] been explored before," said All In founder and publisher Bhu Srinivasan in New York. "And one of the primary reasons is that poker wasn't acceptable and wasn't mainstream up 'til now. Television made it acceptable. Television brought it from the backrooms to the boardrooms."
TV networks are said to have generated some of their highest ratings with poker programming. Popular shows include the Travel Channel's "World Poker Tour," ESPN's "World Series of Poker" and Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown."
Online poker playing has added to the game’s popularity. Investment bank Bear Stearns estimates the poker industry's 2003 revenue at $4.2 billion. Ninety-three percent of the poker-playing audience is male.
It is this market, particularly those ages 21-49, that All In vies to reach. But the poker magazine publishing segment is treacherous. Nearly a dozen related titles have disappeared over the past few decades except for Bluff and industry leader Card Player magazine from Las Vegas.
"They go after the professional and semiprofessional tournament players, and we go after mainstream audiences," Srinivasan said.
Launched in December, the bimonthly All In guarantees a rate base of 150,000 starting with its March/April issue. The publisher hopes to increase the rate base to 500,000 by the end of 2006.
The magazine's trim size is 8.25-by-10.75 inches. Paper is 60-pound stock and grade #3. Advertisers include Oakley, Belvedere Vodka, Samuel Adams, Bellagio, Crown Royal, Mirage, ESPN and the Travel Channel.
Time Distribution Services is distributing All In. The magazine sells for $4.99 at retailers like Wal-Mart Stores, Target, Barnes & Noble, Borders and 7-Eleven. A year's subscription costs $17.95 for six issues.
Mail drops, keyword buys on Google and Yahoo's Overture and Amazon are expected to generate interest and subscriptions.
"For a major consumer enthusiast title, 10 to 15 percent of the copies will go through newsstand and 85 percent are subscriptions," Srinivasan said. "To get to the subs level could take three to five years."
All In's editorial is aimed at consumers who play poker for fun, not for a living. The professional poker market is more the province of Card Player, a biweekly with 65,000 copies distributed via newsstands, card rooms and hotels. One-third of the distribution is paid circulation at $39.95 for 26 copies yearly.
Consider editorial from All In's debut January/February issue. Former World Series of Poker champion Chris "Jesus" Ferguson is on the cover. He will contribute regularly. So will poker celebrities like Howard Lederer and "Celebrity Poker Showdown" host Phil Gordon.
Inside that issue is Gordon's take on his charity poker tournament with quarterback Tom Brady of the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Another article features Annie Duke's $2 million victory at the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. And a 25-page spread focuses on the art of bluffing.
Each issue will have poker book reviews, player rankings, a calendar of notable poker events and gadgets.
"There's a reason why Maxim, Stuff, FHM, Esquire and Cigar Aficionado feature some type of poker article or tidbits in every issue," Srinivasan said. "It's because poker is popular for that audience, and what we're trying to do is bring about a complete magazine about poker that simulates those same sensibilities."
Charity Poker Tournament Postponed over Legality
A charity poker tournament, scheduled to take place today in Rochester, NY, has been postponed due to concerns over the event's legality. The benefit's proceeds were to be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Area. The event was to feature tournament-style Texas Hold'em.
Although law-enforcement authorities previously contacted did not seem concerned over the tournament's legal status, the state Attorney General's Office did express concern. According to a state Attorney General spokesperson, the problem lied in a third party benefiting from tournament proceeds.
Although the Attorney General's office allegedly did not pressure coordinators to cancel the event, upon being contacted regarding the event's legality, stated that it could be problematic. An Attorney General spokesperson was quoted as saying that card games are not illegal if all of the money collected is distributed to players in prizes.
Although law-enforcement authorities previously contacted did not seem concerned over the tournament's legal status, the state Attorney General's Office did express concern. According to a state Attorney General spokesperson, the problem lied in a third party benefiting from tournament proceeds.
Although the Attorney General's office allegedly did not pressure coordinators to cancel the event, upon being contacted regarding the event's legality, stated that it could be problematic. An Attorney General spokesperson was quoted as saying that card games are not illegal if all of the money collected is distributed to players in prizes.
World Series Of Poker Changes Hands
Judge Strikes Down County Stripper Law
Rick Garman, Vegas4Visitors.com
It's official -- the World Series of Poker has a new home at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino's brand-new poker room.
The legendary competition had been held for years at Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. But when Harrah's bought the rights to the Horseshoe name, it got the rights to the tournament as well.
The ten-table room features a variety of Texas and No-Limit Hold 'Em games for the rest of us non-pro types. It's located near the sports book and is open 24 hours a day. The first WSoP at the Rio will be held in April.
Rick Garman, Vegas4Visitors.com
It's official -- the World Series of Poker has a new home at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino's brand-new poker room.
The legendary competition had been held for years at Binion's Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. But when Harrah's bought the rights to the Horseshoe name, it got the rights to the tournament as well.
The ten-table room features a variety of Texas and No-Limit Hold 'Em games for the rest of us non-pro types. It's located near the sports book and is open 24 hours a day. The first WSoP at the Rio will be held in April.
Full House Entertainment Launches New Poker Software
(PRLEAP.COM) "Poker is growing at an astonishing rate, we are absolutely delighted to have reached this stage in development and believe that poker will continue to grow exponentially during the next few years" said Jean-Guy Leconte, Full House’s director of operations. “…online poker is the perfect complement to our existing suite of gaming offerings, the demographics of sports betting and casino merge together on the same level as poker…”
Full House Poker offers an exciting poker environment to appeal to all poker players. They will be able to play the most popular poker games today: Texas Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha High, Omaha High/Low and the old favorite, Five Card Stud. Different variations of the poker game may be added by the players themselves. For the competition minded, a choice of expertly designed and managed Tournaments is available, catering to users of all levels. These include Knockout, Add-On / Re-Buy and Multi-Table Tournaments.
At the heart of the new Full House Poker® is (G-Comm. ® V-1.7) an advanced Multiplayer Gaming Engine, in development for two years, which dramatically improves network reliability, is built on a scalable infrastructure, allows for player-customizable games, and supports multiple operating systems such as Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Game security will be handled by Full House Poker Room Management System ®Pit boss, an anti-collusion engine, running independently from the gaming engine and database server. ©Pit Boss will analyze gaming data to aid in the anti-collusion detection; offering players a safe and secure environment in which to play in.
Full House Poker® V-1.3 will be available on February 1st 2005 at http://www.fullhouseinc.com where the Interface will be available for download. Anyone interested in obtaining a preview of what’s to come is encouraged to visit the site and download the software. A feedback system will be available at the site.
About Full House Entertainment N.V.
Full House Entertainment N.V. is a privately held company created by its shareholders and management to build and manage the operations of online gaming websites. Full House Entertainment N.V. initially intended to produce and develop its own software for this purpose.
Note: All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.
Full House Poker offers an exciting poker environment to appeal to all poker players. They will be able to play the most popular poker games today: Texas Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha High, Omaha High/Low and the old favorite, Five Card Stud. Different variations of the poker game may be added by the players themselves. For the competition minded, a choice of expertly designed and managed Tournaments is available, catering to users of all levels. These include Knockout, Add-On / Re-Buy and Multi-Table Tournaments.
At the heart of the new Full House Poker® is (G-Comm. ® V-1.7) an advanced Multiplayer Gaming Engine, in development for two years, which dramatically improves network reliability, is built on a scalable infrastructure, allows for player-customizable games, and supports multiple operating systems such as Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Game security will be handled by Full House Poker Room Management System ®Pit boss, an anti-collusion engine, running independently from the gaming engine and database server. ©Pit Boss will analyze gaming data to aid in the anti-collusion detection; offering players a safe and secure environment in which to play in.
Full House Poker® V-1.3 will be available on February 1st 2005 at http://www.fullhouseinc.com where the Interface will be available for download. Anyone interested in obtaining a preview of what’s to come is encouraged to visit the site and download the software. A feedback system will be available at the site.
About Full House Entertainment N.V.
Full House Entertainment N.V. is a privately held company created by its shareholders and management to build and manage the operations of online gaming websites. Full House Entertainment N.V. initially intended to produce and develop its own software for this purpose.
Note: All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.
Ignoring the Indicators
by Vince Burgio
The Legends of Poker tournament recently concluded, and not without some success for me. Unfortunately, I can't go into the specifics of my success. You see, several years ago when I first started writing columns for Card Player , my wife, who does the first editing on all of my work, continually deleted any mention I made of any successes I might have had.
Debbie, my lovely wife, would make it perfectly clear to me that there would be no bragging, no self-adulation. Always be humble was her motto for me. I always tell her it's a good thing she never married anyone like Muhammad Ali or Phil Hellmuth.
Anyway, knowing how limited I am in that vein, I thought I might go in the opposite direction and talk a little about how badly I can play poker on certain occasions.
Without going into detail, due to the restriction of my "wife-editor," I was having a pretty good Legends tournament and was feeling like I was on a roll. I was looking forward to the main event, $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em. I have always been fond of The Bicycle Casino's $5,000 main event because if I could, I would mention that I won it in 1994.
So, with great anticipation, I entered the "big one." The structure was good and there were lots of players — 667. There was, as they say, a great overlay. Many of the players had won their way into the tournament via a satellite, and some from the Internet.
I started the tournament well. Within a couple of hours, I had built my stack from $10,000 to more than $15,000. It is a terrific advantage to start a big tournament like this by getting ahold of chips early. It is great to look around and realize that no one at the table can bust you, with the exception of maybe one other player.
So, after a great start, I went into one of those streaks in which I started slowly falling backward. I found myself back where I started, at about $10,000.
I hoped I could make a move before the break, because I knew I didn't want to come back the next day with a short stack. When we took the last break of the evening, we were left with only one more 90-minute limit before we broke for the day. About half the players were gone by then.
Halfway into the round, with about 50 minutes left, I still had not been able to make a move. I had about $9,500. I still had enough chips, but I was willing to gamble in order to make some kind of move before the end of the day.
The blinds were $150-$300 with a $50 ante, and I was in the big blind. The first player on my left raised the pot to $600. I did not know this particular player, but I did know that he had raised two or three pots from early position since he had moved to our table, and his raises had always been three or three and half times the big blind.
That's when a little bell went off in my mind; it is what I call an "indicator." I thought there was a good chance that he had a "big hand." Two other people called the $600 bet. This, I liked. It would cost me only $300 to call and I would be getting great pot odds.
As the third player entered the pot, a thought (or, more accurately, a wish) went through my mind. I prayed, "Let me see something like A-K." You remember the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for." Well, guess what I looked down and found? A-K suited.
"Indicator" No. 1 — the small raise up front — had disappeared from my mind. This was the first hand I had seen in an hour. I finally had a hand, so I raised $3,700. The player who originally opened studied for a while, looked everyone over, and then raised the pot about $10,000. The next two players did what I suspected they would do, and passed.
Now, I had "indicator" No. 2. First, a player limps in or underbets the pot up front, and then reraises for lots of chips.
I thought there was a 95 percent chance that this guy had aces or kings. But, wait a minute. I looked down at my stack; I had about $5,400 left. That in and of itself was not significant, but what was significant was that I had one $5,000 chip on the bottom of the stack with 13 or 14 $25 chips on top of it. Maybe, I thought, the player who had raised hadn't seen the $5,000 chip on the bottom. The chip colors were not that different. Maybe he just wanted to shut the other players out and deal with a player who was almost all in.
Nah, I thought. I had gotten two good indicators, so the player had to have either aces or kings. Once again, wishful thinking crept back into my mind. I wondered whether this player would make the same play with queens. If so, I would be a small underdog and would be getting great pot odds.
Nah, he had to have aces or kings. Besides, I would still have more than $5,000 left if I threw my hand away. That little voice that guides me through tournaments told me the correct play was, "Find the muck."
A few minutes later while driving home, I felt like a guy who thinks about taking a shortcut through an alley. He sees that it's a dark alley with a couple of shady-looking characters at the other end of it. He completely ignores these two "indicators" and decides to take a chance and go that way anyway. I think you know how both stories end.
For what it's worth … 
Rap stars will 'Bring It to the Table'
Zap2it.com
If Spike TV's new unscripted drama "Bring it to the Table" had been around in the '90s, perhaps Tupac and Biggie would still be alive today. The series, from prolific reality producer and occasional rapper Sergio Myers, mixes hip-hop culture and celebrity poker.
"Bring it to the Table" pits disparate hip-hop communities -- Spike TV suggests East Coast vs. West Coast and Dirty South vs. NYC -- against each other over the poker table. Instead of using cash as an ante, the players put their bling on the table -- Spike TV suggests platinum pendants and pimp cups -- and in the end, the losing team's loot is auctioned off with the proceeds going to the winning team's charity of choice.
Spike TV hopes to have the show ready to debut this spring.
As his day job, Myers is a busy unscripted television producer. In addition to directing multiple episodes of the "E! True Hollywood Story," he created "Sorority Life" for MTV and "10 Things Every Guy Should Experience" for Spike TV.
Scorsese plans to present at Oscars
Martin Scorsese, nominated for best director for "The Aviator" this year, is scheduled to present at the 77th Academy Awards.
Although he's often heralded as the greatest living American filmmaker, Scorsese has never won an Oscar. He's been nominated seven times for his work, which includes "Gangs of New York," "The Age of Innocence," "Cape Fear," "Good Fellas," "The Color of Money," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver."
His latest film about Howard Hughes has the most nominations this year, with 11 nods, including acting nominations for stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda. Thus, it's going to be tough to find a place for him to present where his movie won't be a nominee.
If Spike TV's new unscripted drama "Bring it to the Table" had been around in the '90s, perhaps Tupac and Biggie would still be alive today. The series, from prolific reality producer and occasional rapper Sergio Myers, mixes hip-hop culture and celebrity poker.
"Bring it to the Table" pits disparate hip-hop communities -- Spike TV suggests East Coast vs. West Coast and Dirty South vs. NYC -- against each other over the poker table. Instead of using cash as an ante, the players put their bling on the table -- Spike TV suggests platinum pendants and pimp cups -- and in the end, the losing team's loot is auctioned off with the proceeds going to the winning team's charity of choice.
Spike TV hopes to have the show ready to debut this spring.
As his day job, Myers is a busy unscripted television producer. In addition to directing multiple episodes of the "E! True Hollywood Story," he created "Sorority Life" for MTV and "10 Things Every Guy Should Experience" for Spike TV.
Scorsese plans to present at Oscars
Martin Scorsese, nominated for best director for "The Aviator" this year, is scheduled to present at the 77th Academy Awards.
Although he's often heralded as the greatest living American filmmaker, Scorsese has never won an Oscar. He's been nominated seven times for his work, which includes "Gangs of New York," "The Age of Innocence," "Cape Fear," "Good Fellas," "The Color of Money," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver."
His latest film about Howard Hughes has the most nominations this year, with 11 nods, including acting nominations for stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda. Thus, it's going to be tough to find a place for him to present where his movie won't be a nominee.
On-premise alcohol ordinance should have been easy vote for Council
Written by Marty Carlson
Just about two months ago, Bossier City Council members adopted an ordinance approving the request of Landry's Seafood House to serve high and low alcohol content beverages at Joe's Crab Shack - a Landry's restaurant soon to open in Louisiana Boardwalk.
The measure had previously moved through the Metropolitan Planning Commission, receiving a “favorable” determination by MPC members. On December 7, 2004, City Council members voted unanimously to grant the request as well.
Now, at the same time that this particular agenda item was before the council, MPC executive director Sam Marsiglia explained to council members that he would, in the coming weeks, bring before the council for consideration an ordinance to allow on-premise alcohol consumption as a conditional use in Louisiana Boardwalk. This action would, according to Marsiglia, streamline the process in Louisiana Boardwalk only for any legitimate restaurant or sports bar type venue.
Marsiglia's plan appeared to make sense to council members – not a single one of which registered the first whisper of a concern, question or objection. Frankly, such a measure is sensible all the way around – it saves the time and effort of both the MPC and City Council in reviewing one-by-one these requests, all of which, as planned upscale tenants of Boardwalk, would be approved in any case.
And just as described by Marsiglia, at last Tuesday's council agenda meeting, was listed an ordinance to “amend Ordinance 126 of 2003 to amend the Unified Development Code to allow on-premise consumption of alcohol as a provisional use within the legal boundaries of (the) project located in the RFD, Riverfront District.”
Already having passed muster with the MPC, this ordinance is scheduled for a “first and final” vote at the council's regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Given the proposal's council reception of eight weeks ago when Marsiglia explained it, council approval of the measure should have been an easy call.
Instead, eight weeks after the process was explained, District 5 council member James Rogers registered his objections beginning with the suggestion that when developers first came to the city with the concept of Boardwalk, it was planned to be a “family oriented” development – ergo, nix the alcohol. Additionally, Rogers suggested that along with alcohol comes video poker machines, and down we go. District 2 Council member Jeff Darby seemed to think the one-by-one application process was preferable, suggesting that denials of some applications could be on the horizon.
For those and the balance of Council members weighing this issue for Tuesday's vote, a little food for thought from an involved and concerned tax-paying, voting citizen ... beginning with the fact that I am offended by last Tuesday's discussion on several levels.
First, the purpose of objective laws versus subjective perspective has been clearly demonstrated for rather a long period of time in this city, state and country. The city's Unified Development Code clearly spells out the requirements and restrictions concerning alcohol sales and on-premise consumption of alcohol. Such levels the playing field and, if adhered to, generally precludes the city from being the subject of costly lawsuits. I submit that I'm not the only citizen cognizant of this fact and since it is likely that all Boardwalk restaurants, sports bars, or other qualifying facilities will meet the UDC requirements, it's bad for business to suggest denial of any of these applications.
And that brings up point two – the city has invested upwards of $40 million in this project as a premier economic development strategy with an expected return of jobs, property taxes, sales taxes, and perhaps even a reinvigoration of old downtown Bossier – bringing more of the same prosperity. As part of this development, upscale national-known restaurants have elected to locate here, and one would reasonable expect Council members to understand that food sales alone do not account for the financial success of these facilities – alcohol sales are a factor in the profit-making revenue stream. While that's a reality, the suggestion that on-premise alcohol sales will lead to video poker is a big leap of logic – and, as just a small example, one might visit several national-chain restaurants in close proximity to Pierre Bossier Mall – none of which feature a single video poker machine — thus discounting that notion.
Finally, and most offensive personally, is this fairly derogatory characterization of those of us who enjoy an alcoholic beverage with our meal, or who would visit an eatery that serves alcohol, as “non-family oriented.” Listening to last Tuesday's discussion had me recalling the 30-minute wait for a table at a Bossier City restaurant a few weeks ago with my family, along with dozens of others, most of whom had children — and this restaurant not only served alcohol - it had a bar right in the middle of the place.
By last Tuesday's inferred definition, I'm not “family-oriented,” but I could order an alcoholic beverage with my meal at a Disney located restaurant.
Any discussion at tomorrow's council meeting on this issue should be confined to the legal aspects of the ordinance to allow on-premise consumption of alcohol as a provisional use within the legal boundaries of the Boardwalk development. While council members certainly have the right to voice personal opinions, the final vote should be based on the legal, economic, and realistic factors related to this proposed ordinance.
Marty Carlson is a columnist for the Bossier Press-Tribune. She also writes for The Forum and Fax-Net Update.
Young poker players taking a big gamble
By Nicholas Leonhardt
WHAT COMMUNITY can oppose a teenage activity that does not involve alcohol, drugs, sex, fast cars or violence? Apparently, quite a few adults object when the pastime is poker. The hobby that stereotypically attracts middle-age men with fat stogies and even fatter beer bellies is now the divertissement of choice for teenage boys.
A notoriously fickle lot, young males have helped to make poker games such as Texas Hold 'Em wildly popular. Yet they are dumbfounded by the parental furor over a diversion that reinforces math, improves reasoning skills, involves social interaction and might even be profitable. Cash-only games at a friend's house are harmless, teens claim, especially when this perennially poor group must limit bets to the cost of a cheeseburger and fries.
For these guppies pretending to be card sharks, the real danger is online poker. Although Internet sites state that players must be 18, youths find it easy to lie about their ages on the keyboard. Armed only with a credit card number and a buy-in as low as $10, children too young to baby-sit can enter a game. Each day, more than $100 million in bets passes through 200 online poker sites, according to Pokerpulse.com.
To attract the naive, Internet poker rooms mimic the Vegas Strip with pulsating letters that scream "Play for FREE!" and "25% Bonus on 1st Deposit." It's not unusual to hear of 11-year-old boys spending an entire Saturday at their keyboards praying for a straight flush, or college students winning several thousand in one night. But their losses are not as publicized.
Teens are enticed by a game that appears to require more skill than it actually does. Math-minded youths can learn the rules in 10 minutes and consider themselves experts by the end of the evening. Buoyed by beginner's luck, many forget that chance, not strategy, determines their fate.
Teens who rack up chips are gambling with something far more valuable than money. They are risking an addiction that may be harder to cure than alcohol or drug habits. About 9 percent of young people already show signs of gambling addiction, according to the 2003 Annenberg National Risk Survey of Youth.
A survey in Maryland reveals that the average gambling addict started playing at age 13. Those most at risk are well-educated, white males who are already highly competitive. The Task Force on Gambling in Maryland found that 89 percent of gambling addicts are male, 90 percent of them white.
Sadly, the dangers don't end when the last player folds. Although players may keep a clear head while their weekly allowance is in the pot, 50 percent of young gamblers are likely to binge drink and 75 percent are prone to smoke marijuana in the future, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Twenty percent of teens who bet consider suicide when their self-esteem plummets along with their winnings, the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling discovered.
Some experts hope gambling is just a fad that will go the way of pet rocks, but many bet that the craze will persist. The problem gambling council reports that four out of five teenagers in North America wagered in the past year.
Teens study the experts in televised poker tournaments on ESPN, Bravo and the Travel Channel, and two new gambling shows, ESPN's Tilt and A&E's Caesars 24/7, debuted this month.
The winners on these cable shows quickly emerge as celebrities in the eyes of penny-ante players. Daniel Negreanu became the Brad Pitt of poker after winning the top money and the Player of the Year title last year.
To attract an even younger crowd, toy stores offer poker sets to kids who should be hankering for a pair of skates, not a pair of kings. Party planners like The Poker Guy offer an expert who brings professional quality tables, chips and cards to birthday celebrations or bar mitzvahs.
Teens who deal cards at home insist that a poker party is far safer than one involving binge drinking, drugs and sex. Even families who object to online poker find it hard to protest when a college student wins the thousands of dollars needed to pay tuition.
But as the gambling addiction rate of youths doubles that of adults in North America, the only hope for teens is to know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em and when to cash in all their chips.
Nicholas Leonhardt is a senior at Loyola Blakefield High School who lives in Lutherville.
WHAT COMMUNITY can oppose a teenage activity that does not involve alcohol, drugs, sex, fast cars or violence? Apparently, quite a few adults object when the pastime is poker. The hobby that stereotypically attracts middle-age men with fat stogies and even fatter beer bellies is now the divertissement of choice for teenage boys.
A notoriously fickle lot, young males have helped to make poker games such as Texas Hold 'Em wildly popular. Yet they are dumbfounded by the parental furor over a diversion that reinforces math, improves reasoning skills, involves social interaction and might even be profitable. Cash-only games at a friend's house are harmless, teens claim, especially when this perennially poor group must limit bets to the cost of a cheeseburger and fries.
For these guppies pretending to be card sharks, the real danger is online poker. Although Internet sites state that players must be 18, youths find it easy to lie about their ages on the keyboard. Armed only with a credit card number and a buy-in as low as $10, children too young to baby-sit can enter a game. Each day, more than $100 million in bets passes through 200 online poker sites, according to Pokerpulse.com.
To attract the naive, Internet poker rooms mimic the Vegas Strip with pulsating letters that scream "Play for FREE!" and "25% Bonus on 1st Deposit." It's not unusual to hear of 11-year-old boys spending an entire Saturday at their keyboards praying for a straight flush, or college students winning several thousand in one night. But their losses are not as publicized.
Teens are enticed by a game that appears to require more skill than it actually does. Math-minded youths can learn the rules in 10 minutes and consider themselves experts by the end of the evening. Buoyed by beginner's luck, many forget that chance, not strategy, determines their fate.
Teens who rack up chips are gambling with something far more valuable than money. They are risking an addiction that may be harder to cure than alcohol or drug habits. About 9 percent of young people already show signs of gambling addiction, according to the 2003 Annenberg National Risk Survey of Youth.
A survey in Maryland reveals that the average gambling addict started playing at age 13. Those most at risk are well-educated, white males who are already highly competitive. The Task Force on Gambling in Maryland found that 89 percent of gambling addicts are male, 90 percent of them white.
Sadly, the dangers don't end when the last player folds. Although players may keep a clear head while their weekly allowance is in the pot, 50 percent of young gamblers are likely to binge drink and 75 percent are prone to smoke marijuana in the future, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Twenty percent of teens who bet consider suicide when their self-esteem plummets along with their winnings, the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling discovered.
Some experts hope gambling is just a fad that will go the way of pet rocks, but many bet that the craze will persist. The problem gambling council reports that four out of five teenagers in North America wagered in the past year.
Teens study the experts in televised poker tournaments on ESPN, Bravo and the Travel Channel, and two new gambling shows, ESPN's Tilt and A&E's Caesars 24/7, debuted this month.
The winners on these cable shows quickly emerge as celebrities in the eyes of penny-ante players. Daniel Negreanu became the Brad Pitt of poker after winning the top money and the Player of the Year title last year.
To attract an even younger crowd, toy stores offer poker sets to kids who should be hankering for a pair of skates, not a pair of kings. Party planners like The Poker Guy offer an expert who brings professional quality tables, chips and cards to birthday celebrations or bar mitzvahs.
Teens who deal cards at home insist that a poker party is far safer than one involving binge drinking, drugs and sex. Even families who object to online poker find it hard to protest when a college student wins the thousands of dollars needed to pay tuition.
But as the gambling addiction rate of youths doubles that of adults in North America, the only hope for teens is to know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em and when to cash in all their chips.
Nicholas Leonhardt is a senior at Loyola Blakefield High School who lives in Lutherville.
Uma back into blockbusters
A few years ago, Uma Thurman was one of Hollywood's classiest actresses. So why is she appearing in gory potboilers like Kill Bill?
Thurman badly needed a blockbuster after going through a down period in which she starred in a series of such forgettable movies as Chelsea Walls, The Golden Bowl, Tape and Vatel . Mindful that 1994's Pulp Fiction had been one of her biggest hits, the 34-year-old actress turned to director Quentin Tarantino, who came up with the Kill Bill concept for her. She has since wrapped a new, less violent thriller titled Be Cool , due March 4, in which she reunites with her Pulp Fiction co-star John Travolta. And she is working on Prime , a romantic comedy in which she plays a career woman who falls in love with the much younger son of her therapist, played by Meryl Streep.
Off-screen, Thurman has kept a low profile since the breakup of her marriage to Ethan Hawke. She has been quietly dating hotelier Andre Balazs and is spending time with her children, Maya, 6, and Roan, 3. She seems to have become philosophical about the failure of her marriages (she was briefly married to actor Gary Oldman in the early '90s), saying, "It's better to have a relationship with someone who cheats on you than with someone who doesn't flush the toilet." Which is certainly an interesting way of looking at it.
Ashanti tries acting
An update, please, on Ashanti. Back in 2002, she was the hottest thing in music. Today, she seems to have become just another pop singer.
After her debut album, Ashanti , sold 4 million copies and won her a Grammy in 2002, the r&b star hit the concert circuit with a hastily produced stage show that disappointed many of her fans. When this translated into reduced sales for her second album, Chapter II , Ashanti decided to back off from stage appearances for a while and has kept busy making movies. One is the current Samuel L. Jackson drama Coach Carter , in which she plays a pregnant teenager. She will also appear in a musical, Bride and Prejudice , due Feb. 11, and as Dorothy in a Muppet version of The Wizard of Oz , due on ABC in May. Her studio work seems to have given her the confidence she clearly lacked as a newcomer, and she's now back with a new album, Concrete Rose , and a more polished stage persona.
Away from work, Ashanti is still very much a family girl. Despite rumors about a relationship with rapper Nelly, she lives at home with her parents (her father is half black, half-Chinese; her mother three-quarters Hispanic, a quarter black) and her 15-year-old sister. The only difference, she points out, is that now she owns the house.
Better luck at poker
All we've heard about Ben Affleck these past two years concerns his romantic life, first with Jennifer Lopez, now with Jennifer Garner. What happened to his career?
Even though his recent run of comedies -- Gigli, Jersey Girl, Surviving Christmas -- have been flops, the 34-year-old actor seems determined to keep trying his luck as a comedian. His next, Man About Town , is a lighthearted caper about a Hollywood agent who discovers that his revealing diaries have been stolen by a reporter. He will follow this with an as-yet-untitled comedy about the World Series of Poker -- which, at least, is good typecasting. Last year, he won $356,000 at the California State Poker Championships.
Hollywood insiders are quick to point out that Affleck's star appeal has fallen a long way since People magazine proclaimed him Sexiest Man Alive just three years ago. "Ben should stick to action movies like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor ," says noted industry analyst Gitesh Pandya.
Fox's blue-collar soap
Is it true that a new soap will be based on the English series, EastEnders? I saw EastEnders on PBS and thought it was dreadful.
Fox is planning a soap titled Southside , which, like EastEnders , will focus on the unglamorous lives of blue-collar families; unlike EastEnders , it will be set in a working-class suburb of Chicago. To ensure that it has the same gritty, down-to-earth feel as the long-running BBC series, the show is being developed by British producer Simon Fuller, best known in the United States as the creator of American Idol .
Many soap executives are predicting that the show will flop.
"American soap fans enjoy looking in on the privileged lives of their favorite characters," says one. "Will they really want to watch a group of drably dressed people worrying about how to pay next month's rent?"
Thurman badly needed a blockbuster after going through a down period in which she starred in a series of such forgettable movies as Chelsea Walls, The Golden Bowl, Tape and Vatel . Mindful that 1994's Pulp Fiction had been one of her biggest hits, the 34-year-old actress turned to director Quentin Tarantino, who came up with the Kill Bill concept for her. She has since wrapped a new, less violent thriller titled Be Cool , due March 4, in which she reunites with her Pulp Fiction co-star John Travolta. And she is working on Prime , a romantic comedy in which she plays a career woman who falls in love with the much younger son of her therapist, played by Meryl Streep.
Off-screen, Thurman has kept a low profile since the breakup of her marriage to Ethan Hawke. She has been quietly dating hotelier Andre Balazs and is spending time with her children, Maya, 6, and Roan, 3. She seems to have become philosophical about the failure of her marriages (she was briefly married to actor Gary Oldman in the early '90s), saying, "It's better to have a relationship with someone who cheats on you than with someone who doesn't flush the toilet." Which is certainly an interesting way of looking at it.
Ashanti tries acting
An update, please, on Ashanti. Back in 2002, she was the hottest thing in music. Today, she seems to have become just another pop singer.
After her debut album, Ashanti , sold 4 million copies and won her a Grammy in 2002, the r&b star hit the concert circuit with a hastily produced stage show that disappointed many of her fans. When this translated into reduced sales for her second album, Chapter II , Ashanti decided to back off from stage appearances for a while and has kept busy making movies. One is the current Samuel L. Jackson drama Coach Carter , in which she plays a pregnant teenager. She will also appear in a musical, Bride and Prejudice , due Feb. 11, and as Dorothy in a Muppet version of The Wizard of Oz , due on ABC in May. Her studio work seems to have given her the confidence she clearly lacked as a newcomer, and she's now back with a new album, Concrete Rose , and a more polished stage persona.
Away from work, Ashanti is still very much a family girl. Despite rumors about a relationship with rapper Nelly, she lives at home with her parents (her father is half black, half-Chinese; her mother three-quarters Hispanic, a quarter black) and her 15-year-old sister. The only difference, she points out, is that now she owns the house.
Better luck at poker
All we've heard about Ben Affleck these past two years concerns his romantic life, first with Jennifer Lopez, now with Jennifer Garner. What happened to his career?
Even though his recent run of comedies -- Gigli, Jersey Girl, Surviving Christmas -- have been flops, the 34-year-old actor seems determined to keep trying his luck as a comedian. His next, Man About Town , is a lighthearted caper about a Hollywood agent who discovers that his revealing diaries have been stolen by a reporter. He will follow this with an as-yet-untitled comedy about the World Series of Poker -- which, at least, is good typecasting. Last year, he won $356,000 at the California State Poker Championships.
Hollywood insiders are quick to point out that Affleck's star appeal has fallen a long way since People magazine proclaimed him Sexiest Man Alive just three years ago. "Ben should stick to action movies like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor ," says noted industry analyst Gitesh Pandya.
Fox's blue-collar soap
Is it true that a new soap will be based on the English series, EastEnders? I saw EastEnders on PBS and thought it was dreadful.
Fox is planning a soap titled Southside , which, like EastEnders , will focus on the unglamorous lives of blue-collar families; unlike EastEnders , it will be set in a working-class suburb of Chicago. To ensure that it has the same gritty, down-to-earth feel as the long-running BBC series, the show is being developed by British producer Simon Fuller, best known in the United States as the creator of American Idol .
Many soap executives are predicting that the show will flop.
"American soap fans enjoy looking in on the privileged lives of their favorite characters," says one. "Will they really want to watch a group of drably dressed people worrying about how to pay next month's rent?"
The Sports Curmudgeon: The Reality of Poker
By The Sports Curmudgeon
There is a story in today's Washington Post about the US Olympic Committee “taking a cautious approach” toward its budget processes under new chairman, Peter Uberroth. It says that money is available but that Uberroth and the newly downsized board – from 123 members to 11 members no less – will probably approve a budget for only 2005 and not a single budget for the quadrennium 2005-2008, as was previous practice. And we wonder how there could have been scandals and loose accounting practices? Imagine if you were the shareholder of a company – National Veeblefetzer to recall the early days of Mad Magazine – and they came to the annual meeting with 123 members of the Board of Directors and a budget projection for 4 years that you were asked to approve on a voice vote. Even the Enron folks wouldn't have tried that.
Meanwhile those noble folks at the International Olympics Committee have also done something sensible in recent days. Some goof at the BBC came up with the idea that it would be useful – and maybe even entertaining? – to have representatives of all five cities bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games engage in a debate that would be televised by the BBC. Before anyone asks, I'd rather watch every minute of every playoff game for the history of the WNBA than to sit through this kind of “debate drivel”. But it isn't going to happen because the IOC was sensible enough to say no to the idea. Dave Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram had the best reaction to this news:
“Did you feel that sense of relief you experienced years ago when Uncle Louis pulled out the vacation slides only to discover that the slide-projector bulb had burned out?”
The Dallas Morning News had a report of a different kind of QB Showdown in Dallas . It seems that QB, Vinny Testaverde, is a 3-handicap golfer and QB, Tony Romo, is a scratch golfer and the two of them are scheduled for the country club version of a Texas-Chainsaw-Steel Cage-Death-Match. I'm sure there is a great potential for some smack-talking here and maybe even the possibility for the outbreak of some “full contact golf”. I hope someone at The Golf Channel is paying attention.
Thinking of NFL quarterbacks, I am reminded of something that has been growing on me for the last month or two. I have had about enough of Dan Marino on the CBS Pregame Show. While I am not about the try to make the case that Greg Gumbel, Shannon Sharpe or Boomer Esiason is the reincarnation of Edward R. Morrow, they are a bit informative and a bit entertaining. Marino is a mush-mouth and the thing he seems to do best is to take offense when the other people on the “panel” poke fun at him. I think that CBS would do well to replace Marino with someone who was an NFL coach to provide another perspective on the program. I do not want them even to consider Mike Ditka or Jerry Glanville or Bill Walsh, but how about Marv Levy to increase the average IQ on the panel by about 30%?
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I read a report saying that ESPN2 will air a new program in the summer called Quite Frankly . It will be a 60-minute news/analysis/opinion program and it will feature – take a deep breath here – Stephen A. Smith. Let me say for the record that I like Stephen A. Smith's columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer and I enjoy his NBA commentaries on ESPN. How-wevah, I think I enjoy his commentaries on ESPN because they come in short bursts/small doses. I don't know how I'm going to be able to take an hour of Stephen A. Smith; I don't know if I can maintain my adrenaline level at a sufficient level for that period of time. I'll surely give the program a try and you can bet that ESPN will give you just a little advance notice about when it will be on…
I hope that this program is better than the ESPN attempt to turn Jim Rome into a 60-minute TV news/analysis/opinion program host. For me, Rome is very much like Stephen A; both are best tolerated in small doses.
Flipping through the channels last night among college basketball games, I did notice that Tilt was on ESPN yet again. I think there is an evolutionary path here and if I'm right and if all of us are fortunate, the evolutionary path is a dead end that will result in the demise of the entire line.
First, we had poker on TV.
Those programs spawned Celebrity Poker and Invitational Poker and reruns – ad nauseum to be sure – of various poker games as the second stage of the evolutionary chain.
Third came Tilt as a primetime soap about poker and the people who play poker in Las Vegas .
Now the fourth stage of the Poker Programming Evolution may be the killer for the genre if it ever springs up. Imagine a Reality Show about couch potatoes who don't play poker but who sit there, watch poker on TV, and play hands on remotes against the TV and the other watchers. That would have all the excitement and entertainment value of watching fruit ripen and may put an end to all this.
And we do need an end to this…
Finally, in the agate section of my paper this morning I learned that Brad Nasato had been named assistant lacrosse coach at Limestone College . Immediately, I thought that it would have been so much better had he been named Brad Rock since this was Limestone College and so I went to the college website to find out if any athletic coach there was named Rock. I got tired of trying to sift through each and every sport and so I went to Google and tried “Brad Rock” just to see if I might get lucky. Guess what. Brad Rock is a sports columnist for the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City .
Memo to Brad Rock: You missed your calling, my man. You need to become a coach or athletic director at Limestone College . It's destiny.
But don't get me wrong, I love sports...
Wisconsin Student Wins $1.51 Million in Binion World Poker Open
TUNICA RESORTS, MS (Jan. 28)--He took a week off from classes at the University of Wisconsin to take in some side action at the 6th Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open. He didn't know he would soon be swimming with some of the most aggressive poker sharks in the world last Thursday night.
i-Newswire, 2005-01-30 - Steve Stoltzman, only 23 and set to graduate from Wisconsin with a degree in philosophy this spring, shocked the growing world of poker with a stunning victory in the WPO named after the legendary Binion.
His victory in the Texas Hold ‘Em championship event, for which a record 512 players competed, came over one of the best final tables in the six-year-old tournament held jointly at GoldStrike and Horseshoe casinos here in the Mississippi Delta.
Only playing semi-professionally in live games and online for four years, Stoltzman had no intention of entering the $10,000 buy-in Hold ‘Em championship event but his dad, Steve, a fireman in Sheboygan, gave him the $1,000 he needed to enter a qualifying satellite event which he won. On the way to the title, he beat Phil Ivey, another championship caliber player. It was precursor of events to unfold.
On the final table eyeing him like live bait, were three of the most feared players in the world. Canadian Daniel Negreanu was the winningest player on the World Poker Tour. Scotty Nguyen and Chau Giang, both post-war escapees from Viet Nam, have won many big money events and live action games between them.
“When I saw those guys looking me over I suddenly realized this was the first time I would compete head on with the best in the game and it sent a shiver down my spine,” said Stoltzman. “I don't think they took me seriously and perhaps this made them over confident because I was so young and inexperienced at this level of play. “There was no doubt in my mind and those of the audience watching that I was the underdog on the table.”
A key to his win, he said, was that he decided not to play their game but would try to hang around by winning small pots rather than the larger ones where they were trying to run over him. His patience paid off and on the way to the showdown with the tough and wily Giang, who once was a cook in a Chinese restaurant, he watched Nguyen go under on an “all in” hand against Negreanu. Stoltzman in turn then knocked out Negreanu, who appeared somewhat stunned by the turn of events.
But Giang was waiting and being the chip leader all night he appeared very confident he would walk away with the jackpot. It was old hat for Giang but new for Stoltzman who appeared calm and ready for the finale. After some fencing and a feeling-out period when both claimed significant ante and blind bets, Stoltzman brought the spectators to their feet when he said “all in” and put his big stack of chips at risk. Giang accepted the challenge and called Stoltzman's king-10 with ace-jack, putting Stoltzman as the underdog.
When the flop, community cards placed face-up for all to see, showed the first three cards, Giang smiled when he paired his jacks and he appeared to be the winner when he picked up another ace on the river card, the last community card. But his two pair was not good enough as the ace gave Stoltzman a straight and he raked in nearly two million of Giang's chips.
With about $5 million neatly stacked up in front of him, Stoltzman easily knocked out Giang with an all in ace-10 that beat his opponents jack-three and moved Ciang's remaining $200,000 to his side of the table.
His father, Steve, and girlfriend Jade Tran, erupted from their seats in joyous celebration as Steve rushed over to hug them. While Steve shouted, “I can't believe it,” his father said he had faith in him all along.
Stoltzman plans to invest his winnings and take off after graduation for about a year to play in various tournaments to see how far his skills will take him and then will probably enter law school after that. ‘We'll see,” he smiled.
A record 8,702 total entrants played in the 20 events and the total prize money record was shattered with $12 million up for grabs. Dave Egleseder was the tournament director and co-tournament directors were Ken Lambert, Jr., of Horseshoe and Robert McGovern of GoldStrike. Lambert said the turnout was very satisfying for all involved and gave praise to the joint-committee and tournament staff for what he called “excellent planning and superb implementation.” He said he expected the field and prize money to be even bigger next Jan. for the 7th annual WPO.
The final table of the WPO will be shown on the Travel Channel's series of World Poker Tour events this June.
FINAL TABLE PLAYERS, CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
NUMBER OF ENTRIES: 512
PRIZE MONEY: $4,832,773
1. John Stoltzman, Madison, Wis., $1.51 million
2. Chau Giang, Las Vegas, $797,369
3. Daniel Negreanu, Las Vegas, $399,208
4. Scotty Nguyen, Henderson, NV, $346,682
5. Mike Mizrachi, Hollywood, FL., $297,156
6. Raja Kattamuri, Irving, TX. $247,630
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Poker Fans get their Own Cruise
Special-interest cruises are popping up everywhere, suited to every lifestyle and hobby and poker enthusiasts are not to be neglected. Such theme cruises are offered on ships from every size and degree of grandeur, from 100-passenger riverboats to mammoth trans-Atlantic ocean liners. Cruises are offered for a wide range of lifestyles and interests, including cruises serving gay and lesbian cruises, nudist cruises, cruises for Harley Davidson lovers, and yes, for poker fans.
This Spring, a cruise liner will spend seven days on the open seas, giving riders a week of sun, good food and of course, a good round of poker. The PartyPoker.com Million IV tournament cruise will offer up Texas Hold'em tournaments, poker movies and poker lectures from professional players.
The Million IV tournament cruise will sail from San Diego to two Mexican destinations, and the cruise's tournament has a prize pot of $1.87 million. Spots in the tournament can either be won at the PartyPoker web site or can be purchased for $10,500 a person (not including other cruise fees, which total approximately $2,200).
This Spring, a cruise liner will spend seven days on the open seas, giving riders a week of sun, good food and of course, a good round of poker. The PartyPoker.com Million IV tournament cruise will offer up Texas Hold'em tournaments, poker movies and poker lectures from professional players.
The Million IV tournament cruise will sail from San Diego to two Mexican destinations, and the cruise's tournament has a prize pot of $1.87 million. Spots in the tournament can either be won at the PartyPoker web site or can be purchased for $10,500 a person (not including other cruise fees, which total approximately $2,200).
Small Town Poker Plans its European Tour
The Small Town Poker Tour is planning the European leg of the competition, with initial stops in the UK, Holland and Denmark. The date for the European tour has been pushed up, allegedly due to the intense interest spawned by the U.S. tour.
The format of the European Tour will be similar to that of the American tour, with its focus on raising charity. The European Tour also promises to make stops in unique locations, and is currently accepting nominations for tour stops on the tour's website. Like the American tour, the European tour will feature the Texas Hold'em brand of poker.
The format of the European Tour will be similar to that of the American tour, with its focus on raising charity. The European Tour also promises to make stops in unique locations, and is currently accepting nominations for tour stops on the tour's website. Like the American tour, the European tour will feature the Texas Hold'em brand of poker.
Poker and blackjack come to the Sooner State
Games legal after feds publish compact
TULSA OK
Native American Times and Associated Press
The day that some tribal leaders in Oklahoma have been waiting for and anti-gambling forces have dreaded finally arrived as some previously prohibited card games including poker and blackjack became legal at a handful of Indian casinos. Four tribes became eligible to introduce the games with the publishing of federally approved agreements between the state and tribes to expand gambling.
The agreements, or compacts, are between the state and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Comanche Nation, Miami Tribe and the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees wasted no time in touting the new games as they invited the local media to observe as the first cards for blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em and other poker game were dealt out at the tribe's casino in Catoosa, which boasts 24 blackjack tables and 35 poker tables
Sixty-percent of Oklahoma voters approved a measure in November that permitted the state to compact with tribes for non-house backed card games and electronic bingo games that work more like Las Vegas slot machines. Voters also approved electronic games at three pari-mutuel horse tracks, two of which are tribally owned.
In exchange for the new games, the compacts give the state a share of the gaming profits and some oversight.
David Stewart, chief executive of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, said the addition of poker and blackjack gaming is the latest step for the Cherokee Nation Casino Resort to develop into a major gaming and entertainment destination for Tulsa and area communities.
Stewart said the expanded casino complex has what is known as a "niche market that combines gaming, conference facilities, rooms and good food all at the same location."
"That is unique to Tulsa," Stewart said.
The tribe reported that casino officials have been training dealers for weeks in anticipation of being able to offer the new games.
"There are two reasons to celebrate today," said Stewart. "First, this day is a symbol of all the hard work put in by educators, state legislators, tribal citizens and horsemen to do something good for Oklahoma and our schools. Second, Oklahomans now have an opportunity to play more of the games they love, right here at home at Cherokee Casino."
TULSA OK
Native American Times and Associated Press
The day that some tribal leaders in Oklahoma have been waiting for and anti-gambling forces have dreaded finally arrived as some previously prohibited card games including poker and blackjack became legal at a handful of Indian casinos. Four tribes became eligible to introduce the games with the publishing of federally approved agreements between the state and tribes to expand gambling.
The agreements, or compacts, are between the state and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Comanche Nation, Miami Tribe and the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees wasted no time in touting the new games as they invited the local media to observe as the first cards for blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em and other poker game were dealt out at the tribe's casino in Catoosa, which boasts 24 blackjack tables and 35 poker tables
Sixty-percent of Oklahoma voters approved a measure in November that permitted the state to compact with tribes for non-house backed card games and electronic bingo games that work more like Las Vegas slot machines. Voters also approved electronic games at three pari-mutuel horse tracks, two of which are tribally owned.
In exchange for the new games, the compacts give the state a share of the gaming profits and some oversight.
David Stewart, chief executive of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, said the addition of poker and blackjack gaming is the latest step for the Cherokee Nation Casino Resort to develop into a major gaming and entertainment destination for Tulsa and area communities.
Stewart said the expanded casino complex has what is known as a "niche market that combines gaming, conference facilities, rooms and good food all at the same location."
"That is unique to Tulsa," Stewart said.
The tribe reported that casino officials have been training dealers for weeks in anticipation of being able to offer the new games.
"There are two reasons to celebrate today," said Stewart. "First, this day is a symbol of all the hard work put in by educators, state legislators, tribal citizens and horsemen to do something good for Oklahoma and our schools. Second, Oklahomans now have an opportunity to play more of the games they love, right here at home at Cherokee Casino."
Poker Nuts and Nudists, Come Aboard
By AUSTIN CONSIDINE
It may be one of the few vacation options upon which nudists, Harley Davidson enthusiasts and economic policy wonks might agree - not to mention gays, and fans of bluegrass music. Name a hobby, a personality type or a lifestyle choice and there seems to be a special-interest cruise geared to serve it. (Though wife-swapping cruises, which could be found on the fringes of the industry during the swinging 70's, have disappeared.)
"You're seeing greater choice," said Terry Dale, chief executive of the Cruise Lines International Association, adding that the cruise industry is always looking for ways to "get new, first-time cruisers on board."
Specialty cruises fall into three broad categories: those for groups big enough (or with a shared interest like walking around the deck naked) or with the financial wherewithal to have a whole ship to themselves; those in which the groups are a significant enough part of the passenger list to influence the itinerary; and those organized by a cruise line with a broad appeal, like food and wine, fitness or personal finance cruises.
The "theme" cruise, as it is often called, has become a staple of the industry. It is offered on everything from 100-passenger riverboats to gigantic trans-Atlantic liners like Cunard's Queen Mary 2. At the same time, cruise ships are getting larger than ever, and inevitably, activities and service are in some cases becoming more standardized and less personal. Hence, the theme cruise is a selling point to passengers who want to avoid feeling that they will get a cookie-cutter experience on their vacations.
"As we've gotten larger and larger ships in the main resort cruise section, particularly in the U.S., what I've found is that people get tired of standing in lines and being highly structured, and then they start to think about smaller ships, and so they want to downsize," said Douglas Ward, president of the Maritime Evaluations Group, based in Britain, and author of the book "Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships," now in its 20th edition.
"I am convinced," Mr. Ward continued, "that if we get larger and larger ships in the industry, it will actually filter off a lot of passengers into the niche market ships of 100 to 200 passengers in the years to come."
Relying solely on the Internet to find a cruise that caters to your own interests or hobbies can be unreliable. You might turn up a group that has put up a Web site to gauge interest but hasn't raised any money or made any connections with a cruise line yet. Mr. Dale emphasized the importance of starting a search by soliciting an educated, certified travel agent. Mr. Ward recommended confirming a group's legitimacy by contacting the cruise line ostensibly providing the ship. Mr. Ward also suggested contacting agencies like Landry & Kling (at http://www.landrykling.com) or Travel Dynamics International ( http://www.traveldynamicsinternational.com), which specialize in organizing interest-group cruises.
Here are some interesting niche cruises set for this spring and summer, with areas ranging from the progressive to the bizarre:
Olivia Cruises & Resorts Olivia charters entire cruise ships for lesbian-only vacations, often with a high celebrity quotient. (Past entertainers include K. D. Lang and the Indigo Girls, and recently Showtime's "The L Word" filmed an episode aboard an Olivia voyage). "We are one of the top fastest-growing companies in the Bay area," said Olivia's president and founder, Judy Dlugacz. "We're going to be taking close to 10,000 people on cruises next year."
Trips include an eastern Caribbean cruise April 3 to 10, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and featuring a performance by Melissa Etheridge; double occupancy prices start at $1,299 a person (port tax and tips are not included). There is also a "six-star culinary odyssey" to the Greek islands and Venice from June 24 to July 1, $4,699 and up, departing from Athens. Information: (800) 631-6277; http://www.oliviatravel.com.
The Apprentice Legend Cruise Yes, it is what you think it is. Expedia.com and Trump World magazine have put together a theme cruise based on Donald Trump's reality show, where fans of "The Apprentice" can party with contestants from the second season and compete for prizes in "Apprentice-type" contests (one day as chief executive of Expedia is among the prizes). Those wishing to see Mr. Trump will have a chance at the send-off party, but, sorry, the Donald won't be joining the cruise.
The cruise sails out of New York for the Caribbean Sept. 26 and returns Oct. 4. Reservations start at $1,199 per person based on double occupancy, mandatory government fees and tips not included. Information: (800) 504-3398; http://www.expedia.com/apprentice/.
Card Player Cruises Attention poker players: This spring, you can play Texas Hold 'Em to your heart's content, watch movies about poker , learn from seminars put on by a number of stone-faced legends and even win a top prize of more than $1.87 million, all while sailing to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán, Mexico, on the PartyPoker.com Million IV tournament cruise. The seven-day Holland America cruise sails from San Diego on March 19. Most spots are reserved for those who qualify online through http://www.partypoker.com, but a limited number are available for those who wish to buy into the tournament for a fee of $10,500 a person; an additional fee for a double cabin for two people, including accommodations, port charges and food, starts at $2,200. Information: (888) 999-4880; http://www.cardplayercruises.com.
History America Tours Since 1991, History America has been taking people "where history happened," as its motto puts it, organizing small-size and informative cruises, often led by guest historian guides. This group doesn't charter entire ships, but signs on with smaller ships that agree to try to accommodate History America's itineraries on their cruises. Groups tend to be around 30 to 40 people. "On average we take up about a quarter of the vessel's passengers," said the group's president, Julia Brown. "Typically the way we work it, is that our historian - the onboard lectures that he gives are open to everyone onboard. But then we have very specific shore tours just for our participants."
Trips include "War in the Pacific: Through the Solomons to Rabaul," March 28 to April 12, led by the historian Edwin C. Bearss. It departs from Sydney, Australia, at rates starting at $6,730 a person in double occupancy, not including onboard charges and tips; "Journey to the Czars: A Cruise Into the Russian Past," June 12 to 25, departing from Moscow, $1,595 and up. Information: (800) 628-8542; http://www.historyamerica.com.
Bare Necessities Tour and Travel The Web site of this group says it seeks to provide a safe, comfortable environment for people to hang out naked, and works to "dispel the misconception that nudity, per se, is sexual or exploitive." Upon clicking "enter," however, after reading the entire moral and legal disclaimer (of course), you had better make sure your boss isn't looking over your shoulder as you glance over the site's images - full of exotic locales and plenty of bronzed bodies that haven't yet suffered gravity's effects too gravely.
From Aug. 3 to 13, the group offers "The Adriatic and the Royal Clipper," a cruise in a real clipper ship - sails and all - beginning in Venice, then proceeding to ports in Croatia, Sicily, Greece and other Italian destinations. Many of the spots are sold out, but of those that are left, double-occupancy cabins start at $2,745 per person, and do not include port charges and tips. Information: (800) 743-0405; http://www.bare-necessities.com.
Legislature deals with gambling laws
Wyoming voters shot down a proposal 10 years ago that would have allowed casino-style gambling in the state.
The initiative failed in the 1994 general election by about 68 percent to 32 percent statewide, with Campbell County showing a greater disapproval vote of about 71 percent.
But a decade later it's hard to wonder if the initiative really did fail. Electronic bingo, slot machine-style devices and poker tournaments that were found at bars and businesses in Wyoming weren't far from games of chance found in legitimate gambling towns.
Although a rise in gaming scrutiny coupled with a recent court ruling that killed video bingo and effectively banned other types of machines has been seen, gambling is far from a dead issue in the state.
Wyoming lawmakers this session are considering a variety of proposed legislation dealing with bingo, joining a multi-state lottery, regulating pull tabs and casino gaming operated by Indian tribes.
"The bingo issue and lottery issue are not casino-type gambling but, yeah, it's gambling," said Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, who sponsored proposals dealing with bingo and its electronic counterpart.
But there's more to the gambling issue in Wyoming than picking numbers.
"It's not just the bingo or the lottery. It's also the poker tournaments going around and to a certain extent the Internet ... and this is all against the backdrop of the casino going up on the (Wind River) Indian reservation," said Sen. Bruce Burns, R-Sheridan, who joined Childers in sponsoring a bill to study electronic bingo.
While lawmakers each year continue to throw in their 2 cents concerning various gambling debates, Wyoming may become more of a betting state.
"Quite frankly it's been 10 years since that issue was put on the ballot," Childers said about the initiative. "I guess I feel like maybe we should have something on the ballot to address that issue again to find out from the citizens what they want."
- For a complete story, see Sunday's News-Record
The initiative failed in the 1994 general election by about 68 percent to 32 percent statewide, with Campbell County showing a greater disapproval vote of about 71 percent.
But a decade later it's hard to wonder if the initiative really did fail. Electronic bingo, slot machine-style devices and poker tournaments that were found at bars and businesses in Wyoming weren't far from games of chance found in legitimate gambling towns.
Although a rise in gaming scrutiny coupled with a recent court ruling that killed video bingo and effectively banned other types of machines has been seen, gambling is far from a dead issue in the state.
Wyoming lawmakers this session are considering a variety of proposed legislation dealing with bingo, joining a multi-state lottery, regulating pull tabs and casino gaming operated by Indian tribes.
"The bingo issue and lottery issue are not casino-type gambling but, yeah, it's gambling," said Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, who sponsored proposals dealing with bingo and its electronic counterpart.
But there's more to the gambling issue in Wyoming than picking numbers.
"It's not just the bingo or the lottery. It's also the poker tournaments going around and to a certain extent the Internet ... and this is all against the backdrop of the casino going up on the (Wind River) Indian reservation," said Sen. Bruce Burns, R-Sheridan, who joined Childers in sponsoring a bill to study electronic bingo.
While lawmakers each year continue to throw in their 2 cents concerning various gambling debates, Wyoming may become more of a betting state.
"Quite frankly it's been 10 years since that issue was put on the ballot," Childers said about the initiative. "I guess I feel like maybe we should have something on the ballot to address that issue again to find out from the citizens what they want."
- For a complete story, see Sunday's News-Record
Oregon Lottery adds slot games to video poker machines
The electronic version of "one-arm bandits" is coming to Oregon bars and restaurants this summer.
Under prodding from Gov. Ted Kulongoski, the Oregon State Lottery Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to allow slot-machine-style games on the state's network of video-poker terminals.
That means more than 2,200 bars and restaurants across Oregon could offer electronic slots as soon as July 1. But first the state must persuade retailers to accept new contracts that reduce their share of video-poker profits as a trade-off.
Bar and restaurant customers have been clamoring for electronic slots since video poker was introduced in the early-1990s, said Mike McCallum, chief executive of the Oregon Restaurant Association, which represents the lottery retailers.
"This is just good business sense," McCallum said.
Now McCallum's group will enter negotiations with lottery officials to protect retailers' $164 million profits earned on video poker last year. It's unclear what monetary concessions the state lottery will demand of those retailers and how many of them will willingly amend six-year contracts inked last year for the chance to lure new customers via electronic slots.
The lottery commission heard extensive testimony Wednesday about how electronic slots will produce more problem gamblers, which can lead to more bankruptcies, divorces and neglected children. And two of the four lottery commissioners lamented that they were being pressured into a quick decision to earn money for the new state budget cycle, which begins in July.
Decision expected
But it was never really in doubt that the governor would get his way. He appoints the lottery commissioners and hired new Lottery Director Dale Penn two months ago.
Kulongoski set the stage for the expansion into electronic slots, also known as line games, in his 2005-07 budget proposal. Kulongoski hopes to raise $120 million from the new games and to dedicate the money to Oregon State Police. The number of state troopers on the highways has plummeted over the past quarter century because of budget cuts.
Kulongoski also made it clear that retailers should make contract concessions in exchange for the ability to woo new customers. Retailers now earn an average of 28.8 percent of video-poker profits with the rest going to the state. Many education advocates want the state to lower retailers' share to produce more money for schools.
Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, unsuccessfully urged lottery commissioners to delay approving line games until retailers accept lower profits from video poker. That would give the lottery more negotiating clout, he said.
Jeff Marotta, who manages the state program that aids problem gamblers, said there's no question slot games will bring more gambling addicts.
In Oregon's tribal casinos, there are 18 slot machines for every video-poker terminal, Marotta said. One study in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia showed one out every 28 lottery players developed problems from gambling.
"Adding line games may produce as many at 8,000 additional problem gamblers," he said. That could translate into 1,000 more divorces, 1,000 more people committing crimes and an indirect cost to society of $47 million, he testified.
"The money made off this game is not worth somebody's life," said Ronda Hatefi, whose brother committed suicide in part because of his video-poker addiction.
Impacts broad
A typical gambling addict has a negative impact on seven family members and others, she said. "That is 560,000 people in Oregon directly affected by gambling."
Phillip Kennedy Wong, who represents the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, also opposed the expansion into electronic slots. "Rejecting this proposal is the morally right thing to do," he said.
Marotta urged the commissioners to consider measures to prevent addiction to lottery games. Video machines could display the dollars players have plugged into the machines rather than credits earned from winning poker hands. Machines could be programmed for an automatic pause after 20 minutes, so a player can assess how much they've won or lost.
Lottery commissioner Lisa Noah said the state should pursue tax reform rather than depending on the lottery to solve its budget problems.
But the "Pandora's box is open" from state-sanctioned gambling, she said. "Until (tax reform) happens, we need to look at alternative sources of revenue."
No rubber stamp
Commission chairman Kerry Tymchuk said the panel isn't a "rubber stamp" for the governor, but must defer to a governor and vast majority of lawmakers who appear to support electronic slots.
"The governor has not asked for a massive expansion of legalized gambling here in Oregon," Tymchuk said. Rather, the lottery will be adding a new game onto the six video-poker terminals at bars and restaurants hosting the games.
In the coming weeks, the lottery will prepare to add the new games and will consider ways to reduce gambling addiction, Penn said.
Tymchuk urged lottery retailers and education backers to "lower their voices" in the coming fight over retailer profits. He also signaled that the lottery won't seek the aggressive reduction in retailer profits that school-funding advocates want. Tymchuk stressed that it's not proper to milk more money from retailers just because the state budget is so tight.
The lottery's relationship with retailers, he said, is a "partnership" rather than a "dictatorship."
World's biggest poker site could be set for £5bn float
LONDON - PartyGaming, owner of the world's biggest poker website PartyPoker.com, could be looking at floating in London, with reports that it has hired financial advisers to look at its strategic options.
The Financial Times reports that the company, based in Gibraltar, has been talking to London banks about the possibility of stock market flotation. The deal could be worth between £2.3bn and £5bn, according to reports.
PartyGaming, which was formerly known as iGlobalMedia, has appointed Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to look at its options.
PartyPoker.com has 5m members and, at times, has as many as 65,000 people playing simultaneously. The market in online poker games is booming, with competitors including Paradise Poker, whose advertising is fronted by the model Caprice, and US operation UltimateBet set to launch in the UK this year.
The news of PartyGaming's possible flotation comes as a survey reveals that almost 4m Britons gamble online, and that 30%-40% of these gamblers are female, compared with a figure of about 5% of offline gamblers.
The figures have been released by uSwitch.com Communications, which said that celebrity endorsement of online casino ad campaigns and increased television coverage is behind the soaring popularity of the game.
The Financial Times reports that the company, based in Gibraltar, has been talking to London banks about the possibility of stock market flotation. The deal could be worth between £2.3bn and £5bn, according to reports.
PartyGaming, which was formerly known as iGlobalMedia, has appointed Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to look at its options.
PartyPoker.com has 5m members and, at times, has as many as 65,000 people playing simultaneously. The market in online poker games is booming, with competitors including Paradise Poker, whose advertising is fronted by the model Caprice, and US operation UltimateBet set to launch in the UK this year.
The news of PartyGaming's possible flotation comes as a survey reveals that almost 4m Britons gamble online, and that 30%-40% of these gamblers are female, compared with a figure of about 5% of offline gamblers.
The figures have been released by uSwitch.com Communications, which said that celebrity endorsement of online casino ad campaigns and increased television coverage is behind the soaring popularity of the game.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Poker hand
PARTYGAMING, the world’s largest online poker company, is considering what could be London’s largest listings since Friends Provident floated in 2001 - estimated to be worth between £3-5 billion.
PartyGaming said it had retained investment banks Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to review options. The company is believed to have had earnings before interest, tax and amortisation of $350 million to end-2004.
PartyGaming said it had retained investment banks Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec to review options. The company is believed to have had earnings before interest, tax and amortisation of $350 million to end-2004.
SportsCrewPoker.com: Poker Takes on New Meaning with the Grand Opening of the Second Annual Poker Tournament, in Benefit of the Shriner’s Hospitals fo
Attention Poker Players: Come join this Grand Tournament, help us raise funds for this noble cause and be a winner of a seat in the 2005 WSOP Main Event and a Chance to win $5,000,000
(PRWEB) January 28, 2005 -- For the second year in a row, SportsCrew.com teams up with the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children to celebrate this memorable event. In 2004, over $90,000 was raised for the cause of these children. The 2005 Charity Poker season kicks off Saturday, Jan. 29th with the $10,000 southeastern shoot out at the North Atlanta Trade Center. Come join about 500 other players -some of which travel thousands of miles to attend-, and play at one of the best live No Limit Hold'em Tournaments around. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and…
The second series of events starts Feb. 7th and culminates on March 29th. The Shriner’s Poker series consists of 56 satellite tournaments with the final winner awarded a seat in the 2005 WSOP main event and a chance to win $5,000,000. Visit www.shrinepoker.org or www.sportscrewpoker.com for further details.
“All of us at SportsCrewPoker.com feel this is a great opportunity to give back to the children. 100% of the money raised at this charity event will go directly to the Shriners.” Says RJ Bergh, SportsCrew Poker Director, he continued to say: “Through our collective efforts with Gaming Club Poker.com our 2005 goal is to raise $500,000 for the childrens’ hospitals.”
Join the cause, register to play and be a part of this tremendous event. Shriner’s Hospitals for Children could not be a more deserving, charitable cause. Help when it matters. For more information and to sign-up for the Shriner’s Charity events, please visit www.shrinepoker.org or www.sportscrewpoker.com.
SportsCrew is a high-traffic sports and gaming portal (8,971 Alexa Ranking) that focuses its resources on the promotion and expansion of the online poker and gaming industry through print media, broadcast media, website marketing, guerrilla marketing strategies and live-event sponsorships. Visit SportsCrew.com today: http://www.SportsCrewPoker.com
(PRWEB) January 28, 2005 -- For the second year in a row, SportsCrew.com teams up with the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children to celebrate this memorable event. In 2004, over $90,000 was raised for the cause of these children. The 2005 Charity Poker season kicks off Saturday, Jan. 29th with the $10,000 southeastern shoot out at the North Atlanta Trade Center. Come join about 500 other players -some of which travel thousands of miles to attend-, and play at one of the best live No Limit Hold'em Tournaments around. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and…
The second series of events starts Feb. 7th and culminates on March 29th. The Shriner’s Poker series consists of 56 satellite tournaments with the final winner awarded a seat in the 2005 WSOP main event and a chance to win $5,000,000. Visit www.shrinepoker.org or www.sportscrewpoker.com for further details.
“All of us at SportsCrewPoker.com feel this is a great opportunity to give back to the children. 100% of the money raised at this charity event will go directly to the Shriners.” Says RJ Bergh, SportsCrew Poker Director, he continued to say: “Through our collective efforts with Gaming Club Poker.com our 2005 goal is to raise $500,000 for the childrens’ hospitals.”
Join the cause, register to play and be a part of this tremendous event. Shriner’s Hospitals for Children could not be a more deserving, charitable cause. Help when it matters. For more information and to sign-up for the Shriner’s Charity events, please visit www.shrinepoker.org or www.sportscrewpoker.com.
SportsCrew is a high-traffic sports and gaming portal (8,971 Alexa Ranking) that focuses its resources on the promotion and expansion of the online poker and gaming industry through print media, broadcast media, website marketing, guerrilla marketing strategies and live-event sponsorships. Visit SportsCrew.com today: http://www.SportsCrewPoker.com
In the cards: Suddenly playing poker is all the rage
There's always that climactic moment. When you look down at your cards and you've got something good. And you look at the chips in front of you and there aren't many left.
And you know it's time.
"I'm all-in," you say, averting your eyes from the competition, making them think. Making them wonder what two cards you like so much. Which two cards you're ready to do battle with.
The person to your left decides to fold, so does the next person. Then you get a caller. He matches your short stack and you now have a chance to double up and get back into it. You throw down your pair of fives. He has an Ace and a two. The race is on.
*
The Texas Hold 'em poker craze has swept the nation, carrying the game out of smoke-filled back rooms and into the recreational lives of men and women young and old across the country.
Millions are being wagered on the game each day, in private homes, casinos, and on the Internet. An estimated $16 billion was wagered online last year alone, according to PokerMag.com.
Talking about that "bad beat" that cost you everything or the hand that saved your night has become the new thing to do at the water cooler.
"It really doesn't matter what your stature is in society, you can play poker," said Bob Behanian, 25, of Philadelphia, playing in a free tournament recently at Bryan Street Pub in Upper Darby.
The game is relatively easy to learn, but difficult to master.
It works like this:
Each player at the table gets dealt two "hole cards," followed by a round of betting. Three community cards are then dealt on the table ("the flop"). And then a fourth ("the turn") and a fifth ("the river"). There is a round of betting between each.
Make your best five-card poker hand with the seven cards. Best hand wins all the chips.
And you know it's time.
"I'm all-in," you say, averting your eyes from the competition, making them think. Making them wonder what two cards you like so much. Which two cards you're ready to do battle with.
The person to your left decides to fold, so does the next person. Then you get a caller. He matches your short stack and you now have a chance to double up and get back into it. You throw down your pair of fives. He has an Ace and a two. The race is on.
*
The Texas Hold 'em poker craze has swept the nation, carrying the game out of smoke-filled back rooms and into the recreational lives of men and women young and old across the country.
Millions are being wagered on the game each day, in private homes, casinos, and on the Internet. An estimated $16 billion was wagered online last year alone, according to PokerMag.com.
Talking about that "bad beat" that cost you everything or the hand that saved your night has become the new thing to do at the water cooler.
"It really doesn't matter what your stature is in society, you can play poker," said Bob Behanian, 25, of Philadelphia, playing in a free tournament recently at Bryan Street Pub in Upper Darby.
The game is relatively easy to learn, but difficult to master.
It works like this:
Each player at the table gets dealt two "hole cards," followed by a round of betting. Three community cards are then dealt on the table ("the flop"). And then a fourth ("the turn") and a fifth ("the river"). There is a round of betting between each.
Make your best five-card poker hand with the seven cards. Best hand wins all the chips.
*
You have a good chance of winning this hand. His two means nothing. But you have to worry about that Ace. If an Ace comes you're gone.
Your night will be over and you'll have to sulk away, wondering if you did the right thing.
The dealer pauses for effect and then throws down three cards.
And things couldn't be worse.
There's a two and an Ace. He's got two pair. You feel the pain - it's like Ralph Wiggum when Lisa Simpson broke his heart. That same wrenching feeling caught in slow motion. But things get better when the turn comes. It's a three. Now, you can make a straight with a four or make three-of-a-kind with a five.
One card left from the dealer; six cards left in the deck that can help.
The card comes out. Not a four. Not a five.
You shake hands with the person that beat you. The man that won the race.
Poor, poor, Ralph Wiggum.
*
Much of the game's newfound popularity can be traced to ESPN.
The cable network began broadcasting the World Series of Poker in 2003 and has turned the 2004 WSOP into must-see TV for poker players.
With new "lipstick" camera technology that allows viewers to see a player's hole cards, Hold 'em tournaments between celebrities or professionals can be found on TV almost every night. From Bravo to the Travel Channel.
A new drama series based on the game, "Tilt," began airing this month. The show was created by the two men who wrote the movie "Rounders," a cult classic for poker players. After newcomer Chris Moneymaker took home $2.5 million at the 2003 World Series of Poker shown on ESPN, it was only a matter of time before things took off.
If this regular guy can win all that money playing a game that's so easy to learn, why can't anyone?
On-line gaming sites were flooded with newcomers ready to make it to Las Vegas, ready to get rich off a card game. With the game getting so much publicity, more and more games have popped up between friends and co-workers. Most players are able to get a game together at a moment's notice. Some people carry poker chips in their cars.
Bars have also gotten into the game, putting up cash prizes for free tournaments that draw plenty of new customers on otherwise dull weeknights.
*
On this night, you're on fire.
You can't lose. It seems like you're winning every hand. You try to hide the wide grin on your face. Wide grins aren't very conducive to good poker faces.
No need to worry about putting pocket fives against an ace. Tonight, you have the ace. Four times you get pocket aces. One time, someone else has pocket kings. Not a good combination for that guy.
You're catching the flushes, making straights, even full houses. This is why you play the game.
The rest of the table looks on longingly. They wish they had your chips, your luck.
You have an ace and a 10. The flop comes up jack, queen, king. You get the top straight, "Broadway" they call it. You check, someone bets. You call. He bets again, you call. You bet on the river, he raises. Poor soul. You call him all-in. He's got a 10 and a nine, the second-best straight. Poor soul.
*
Nick Miller, 25, started playing poker when he was 10. With his family, "you leave your chain on the table until you make it to the ATM machine," he said. "It was really cutthroat. I had maybe five, 10 bucks. I would have my dad or uncle spot me... I did all right. For being 10, I'd win $80 and that would be the world."
Kristin Verity, 27, of Lansdowne, said she learned to play poker from her late grandfather.
"He taught me everything I know about poker," she said, remembering the games played with pennies.
Kids have taken to the game of Hold 'em as much as many adults. High schools across the country have been forced to make new rules to stop teens from playing during the school day.
"It's creating a problem with adolescents," said Jim Pappas, president and executive director for the Pennsylvania Council on Compulsive Gambling. "We're starting to get calls from parents and school counselors." College professors have used the game to teach math theory and Hold 'em has joined keg races as a national pastime among college students.
"I think it's saturated the media," Pappas said. "You see it on three or four different TV stations every day. Kids are attracted to it."
*
You're at the final table of a 60-person tournament. You have the chip lead. Make that the chip mountain. You have double what the next highest person has.
But you start playing too tight. Then you find a hand you like. Someone else likes it better. You lose a quarter of your chips.
The blinds (pre-flop bets) start going up. It'll cost you more to play. Four players are catching up. Your great night is turning into a bad memory, a bad beat that shouldn't have happened.
The momentum has shifted. It's in your head. You have a queen and a nine of the same suit. You raise. Then someone re-raises all-in. You have to reluctantly fold. You ask to see his cards. He obliges. He had a queen and, this is the worst part, a seven.
You had him beat. Odds are, you would have won.
Your brain is a mess of emotion and misplaced adrenaline.
The chip mountain has become a small mound. Then a dirt pile. Then, even less than that.
A few hands later you get an ace and a nine.
There's always that climactic moment.
When you look down at your cards and you've got something good. And you look at the chips in front of you and there aren't many left.
And you know it's time.
"I'm all-in," you say, always ready for what's next. And the race begins.
All in for Texas Hold 'em
Ready to start preparations for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas?
Can't help you with that, but here are a few tips for starting up a game of Texas Hold 'em at your place.
* What you need: All you need are a deck of cards and a set of chips. Plastic chips are available for as little as $3 at the drugstore; casino-style clay chips are available at many stores. You're best bet is at an online auction site, where about $50 will buy a set of 500 chips with carrying case.
* How to play: Each player at the table gets dealt two "hole cards," followed by a round of betting. One card is thrown to the side ("the burn card") and three community cards are then dealt on the table ("the flop"), followed by a round of betting.
Burn another card and then deal a fourth ("the turn"). Burn one more and deal a fifth ("the river"). There is a round of betting between each.
Make your best five-card poker hand with the seven cards. Best hand wins all the chips.
* Where to play: If friends aren't willing to ante up and the trip to the card rooms of Atlantic City seems too far, try your luck online. Popular poker sites include partypoker.com, goldenpalace.com, and pokerroom.com.
Locally, bars that offer free hold 'em tournaments include Bryan Street Pub in Upper Darby (Wednesdays) and Boulevard Bar and Grille in Havertown (Thursdays, starting next week). ¨ Gambling problem?: Call the Council for Compulsive Gambling in Pennsylvania at (800) 848-1880.
DREW GETS LUCKY WITH POKER FILM
DREW BARRYMORE is set to show off her poker face in a new gambling movie.
The CHARLIE'S ANGELS star will play a struggling singer who finds she has got what it takes to become a poker-playing champion in LUCKY YOU.
The new film will team Barrymore up with a new big screen love interest, THE HULK's ERIC BANA, according to trade paper HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Poker holds winning hand in NHL's absence
CHRIS ZELKOVICH
If the deep thinkers responsible for the NHL lockout have accomplished anything, besides keeping Don Cherry's jackets in the closet, it's that they've broadened our horizons.
The highlight shows, no longer able to air endless NHL action, are giving viewers a glimpse of things not associated with ice. At the same time, with hours of prime-time space opened up, some unlikely candidates are finding audiences.
A perfect example is poker, which isn't a sport by anyone's definition. But strong ratings have allowed it to gravitate from afternoon exposure to the prime-time spotlight.
Last fall, TSN's poker coverage averaged 157,000 viewers up against a gripping World Series. That's not a great audience, but it ranks with a lot of pro sports and does a lot better than the average NBA game.
Emboldened by that, TSN is now airing the European poker championships every Thursday night. Last fall's ratings were up 44 per cent over previous poker shows and TSN expects its latest attempt to do well.
``It's not a huge surprise to us," TSN president Phil King says of the ratings rise. ``We've been airing British poker for more than a decade and it's done well."
King says there's no link between the ratings increase and the lack of hockey. Because poker has taken off in the U.S., it's received more publicity and stirred up interest here.
Last summer's World Series of Poker attracted four times the audience of the World Cup of Hockey to ESPN, though ferret-juggling would probably outdraw hockey in the U.S.
``This would be doing well regardless because the publicity it got from the American networks," King says. ``Once that happens, U.S. media talk about it, that leaks over the border and suddenly there's a lot more interest."
That's true, but the lack of hockey has given poker some prime-time exposure and that hasn't hurt.
``Once you see it, you like it," King says. ``It's real, people can lose all that money right in front of your eyes."
That might eventually happen, too, with the X Games. The ESPN-created extreme sports event, which is on ABC tomorrow at 1 p.m., is on a roll in the U.S. Last summer's games showed a 43 per cent ratings increase on ESPN. There hasn't been a ratings explosion here, but the X Games will always get exposure on TSN. Part of the reason is that, like poker, it's cheap programming.
But unlike poker, the X Games are loved by advertisers because they reach that all-important 18-34 age group.
``Extreme sports have a niche audience," King says, ``but they appeal to advertisers because they reach an extremely lucrative and hard-to-reach demographic."
That's pretty much the same reason the NBA graces Canadian TV screens.
ROCKS IN HARD PLACE: Whether somebody at CBC was asleep at the switch isn't clear, but the digital channel Country Canada's licence doesn't allow it to air all of the curling the network had planned. CBC spokesperson Ruth-Ellen Soles says the network is ``in discussions around this issue and working it out." Canadian Curling Association CEO Dave Parkes said yesterday that he's not concerned. In fact, this may work out to the fans' advantage. The CBC may be forced to move some of the prime-time Tournament of Hearts and Brier coverage from the digital channel to the main network. ``That would be great," Parkes said yesterday. It might also reduce the number of complaints from curling fans who haven't realized they'll have to purchase another channel and a digital box to get curling ... Jennifer Hedger, who jumped from a reality show to the overnight desk at TSN SportsCentre, has been promoted to the 10 p.m. slot. She replaces Blake Price, who left TSN last summer.
If the deep thinkers responsible for the NHL lockout have accomplished anything, besides keeping Don Cherry's jackets in the closet, it's that they've broadened our horizons.
The highlight shows, no longer able to air endless NHL action, are giving viewers a glimpse of things not associated with ice. At the same time, with hours of prime-time space opened up, some unlikely candidates are finding audiences.
A perfect example is poker, which isn't a sport by anyone's definition. But strong ratings have allowed it to gravitate from afternoon exposure to the prime-time spotlight.
Last fall, TSN's poker coverage averaged 157,000 viewers up against a gripping World Series. That's not a great audience, but it ranks with a lot of pro sports and does a lot better than the average NBA game.
Emboldened by that, TSN is now airing the European poker championships every Thursday night. Last fall's ratings were up 44 per cent over previous poker shows and TSN expects its latest attempt to do well.
``It's not a huge surprise to us," TSN president Phil King says of the ratings rise. ``We've been airing British poker for more than a decade and it's done well."
King says there's no link between the ratings increase and the lack of hockey. Because poker has taken off in the U.S., it's received more publicity and stirred up interest here.
Last summer's World Series of Poker attracted four times the audience of the World Cup of Hockey to ESPN, though ferret-juggling would probably outdraw hockey in the U.S.
``This would be doing well regardless because the publicity it got from the American networks," King says. ``Once that happens, U.S. media talk about it, that leaks over the border and suddenly there's a lot more interest."
That's true, but the lack of hockey has given poker some prime-time exposure and that hasn't hurt.
``Once you see it, you like it," King says. ``It's real, people can lose all that money right in front of your eyes."
That might eventually happen, too, with the X Games. The ESPN-created extreme sports event, which is on ABC tomorrow at 1 p.m., is on a roll in the U.S. Last summer's games showed a 43 per cent ratings increase on ESPN. There hasn't been a ratings explosion here, but the X Games will always get exposure on TSN. Part of the reason is that, like poker, it's cheap programming.
But unlike poker, the X Games are loved by advertisers because they reach that all-important 18-34 age group.
``Extreme sports have a niche audience," King says, ``but they appeal to advertisers because they reach an extremely lucrative and hard-to-reach demographic."
That's pretty much the same reason the NBA graces Canadian TV screens.
ROCKS IN HARD PLACE: Whether somebody at CBC was asleep at the switch isn't clear, but the digital channel Country Canada's licence doesn't allow it to air all of the curling the network had planned. CBC spokesperson Ruth-Ellen Soles says the network is ``in discussions around this issue and working it out." Canadian Curling Association CEO Dave Parkes said yesterday that he's not concerned. In fact, this may work out to the fans' advantage. The CBC may be forced to move some of the prime-time Tournament of Hearts and Brier coverage from the digital channel to the main network. ``That would be great," Parkes said yesterday. It might also reduce the number of complaints from curling fans who haven't realized they'll have to purchase another channel and a digital box to get curling ... Jennifer Hedger, who jumped from a reality show to the overnight desk at TSN SportsCentre, has been promoted to the 10 p.m. slot. She replaces Blake Price, who left TSN last summer.
Rap artist Pony Boi brings hip-hop poker show to Spike TV.
'Bring It To The Table' Coincides with the Release of Rapper's Album 'Who Woulda Thought' LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest poker show to hit the airwaves brings hip-hop to the table, which makes sense considering its Creator and Executive Producer is hip-hop artist Pony Boi. Pony (aka Sergio Myers) brings a whole new hyphenate to the table; instead of the typical "writer-director," he's a rapper-reality TV producer, with credits including Creator and Executive Producer of MTV's "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life" and Spike TV's "10 Things Every Guy Should Experience". (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050127/LATH042A ) "Bring It To The Table" brings two teams of rap rivals to the poker table, to settle their beefs in a friendly game. This collision course of match-ups includes East Coast vs. West Coast, Dirty South vs. NYC as well as old-school rivals, and they're not just playing for bragging rights. Each team will put up some of their personal bling, ranging from platinum pendants to pimp cups -- the losing team will auction off their item with all proceeds going to the winner's charity of choice. The show is scheduled to debut in Spring 2005 and is being produced by Pony Boi's production company, 7Ponies Productions. Coincidentally, the show's launch will come on the heels of the debut of Pony Boi's new album "Who Woulda Thought," being released in the Summer by 7PM / Bungalo Records / Universal (UMVD). The first single from the album is "Don't Shake It" featuring SoSoDef recording artist Da Brat ("The Surreal Life"). Da Brat also appears in the music video for "Don't Shake It;" Danny Moder, husband of actress Julia Roberts, directed the video just days before their twins were born. The album also includes tracks from Arden Altino, who won a Grammy for producing Alicia Keys' debut album, as well as Charlemain (Black Rob) and Dutch (Ice Cube, Sysco) who produced nine of the tracks. There is a featured performance from Guerilla Black on the title track "Who Woulda Thought". Pony Boi started his career in television as a writer/producer of "E! True Hollywood Stories" (credited as Sergio Myers). He segued to the big screen with "Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story" (1999) using exclusive footage given to him personally by the cult members before their mass suicide. He then took his skills as a documentarian and created "Sorority Life," a reality series that followed pledges of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority on the UC Davis campus from rush through initiation. "Sorority Life" aired on MTV during the summer of 2002 to rave reviews; US Weekly called the show "one of this summer's guilty pleasures". The show ran for three seasons (along with two seasons of "Fraternity Life") and generated enormous media attention, even making it onto Page Six of the New York Post, where Pony Boi was romantically linked to several of the show's female cast members. Pony jokingly refers to the article as the "sorority sex scandal" and snuck a reference to the article into the opening scene of the music video for "Don't Shake It;" a preview clip and more information about the artist can be found at http://www.ponyboi.com . 7PM (7Ponies Music) is a division of 7Ponies Productions; Bungalo Records is also home to artists DJ Quik, Bizzy Bone, Corey Clark, Rodeny Jerkins and Suga Free and most recently partnered with Vybe Squad to create the soundtrack for Activision's "True Crime: Streets of LA" video game. Universal (UMVD) is a division of Universal Music Group. Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 87 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, MTVU, VHI, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide. SOURCE Pony Boi
Web Site: http://www.ponyboi.com
Photo Notes: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050127/LATH042A PRN Photo
Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Poker fever heats up on Shore
By Brian Gilliland
BERLIN -- It's down to the final hand of the evening. It's late, and you're tired, but you're also playing your father-in-law.
So respect is on the line.
Sometimes money is on the line too, but you're family. This time it's M&Ms, Hershey's kisses and Andes Candies. Next time: Cash.
The deal comes, two cards face down. A nine of hearts and the ace of hearts. Not bad. He looks at his cards and stares, giving nothing away.
Your first bet is two M&Ms, a nice safe opener for this game. He responds quickly and without a raise, which means he's playing the hand. It also means you didn't bet enough.
Next comes the flop. Three cards face up that any player can use to make their best five card hand; two more cards will follow if one of you doesn't fold first. A king of spades, a jack of diamonds and a three of hearts are dealt. No help. Looking over at your opponent; the beginnings of a smile play at the corners of his mouth. Is this good news, or is it like the time he asked you to help him move boxes, where the "help" entailed you doing all the work?
You check the bet, passing control to him. It's time to see what he has. He adds a Kiss and two Andes Candies. He's coming in big, but does he have you beat? You call, adding in the candy from your pile.
The Turn card, the fourth community card, is a jack of hearts. You're working toward a flush (five cards of the same suit), but Dad may have three jacks. If the next card isn't a heart, you're probably going to lose. However, dad may have nothing at all, and if you don't bet he'll never show you.
Drama like this is what drives Texas Hold 'Em poker, and can help explain the massive popularity the sport has taken on since networks like ESPN and Bravo started airing tournaments.
It can also explain the many poker tournaments cropping up on the shore.
Steve Foss, who runs a weekly game during the off-season, describes the game as a passion of his.
"What I like best about this game is that the more you learn, the harder it gets. A lot of people think it's about getting the best cards, when it's all about positioning and control," Foss said.
He also describes some of his shared aspirations with other players on the shore.
"Everyone wants to go to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, but not everyone can come up with the $10,000 to enter," Foss said.
However there are other ways to earn a seat. The winner of the Eastern Shore Poker Finals tournament held at Girdletree Volunteer Fire Company will receive airfare, hotel reservations, and a seat at a table in the big game.
Even charities have caught chip fever. This weekend, the Epilepsy Association of the Eastern Shore is sponsoring a tournament at Ocean Downs racetrack in Berlin. Part of the $120 registration fee will go to fund the association's efforts.
Tournaments have become so popular in and around the Eastern Shore that a calendar of local events has been established at the Web site www.espoker.com.
Route 66 Casino to open poker room
By Lance Orr
The Route 66 Casino is opening a new poker room at 8 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2005.
World Series of Poker champion Jennifer Harman will be on hand to sign autographs and play poker with Route 66 guests throughout the day.
One guest will be picked randomly each hour to play a few hands with Harman. She will sign autographs between noon and 1 p.m.
Visitors will also be given, while supplies last, a Route 66 Casino poker room T-shirt.
Games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha High and Low and 7-Card Stud will be played on the room’s 12 tables. Two mini-baccarat tables, two $25 blackjack tables, one Pai Gow poker table and one four-card poker table will also be open.
The Route 66 Casino is opening a new poker room at 8 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2005.
World Series of Poker champion Jennifer Harman will be on hand to sign autographs and play poker with Route 66 guests throughout the day.
One guest will be picked randomly each hour to play a few hands with Harman. She will sign autographs between noon and 1 p.m.
Visitors will also be given, while supplies last, a Route 66 Casino poker room T-shirt.
Games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha High and Low and 7-Card Stud will be played on the room’s 12 tables. Two mini-baccarat tables, two $25 blackjack tables, one Pai Gow poker table and one four-card poker table will also be open.
For college students, poker is becoming a good 'deal'
By JON SCHNAARS, Special to the Times
It's a Friday night at Duke University, and all books and calculators are packed away in exchange for some Natural Lights, a pack of Parliaments ... and a deck of cards.
On any given night, the commons room is bustling as 11 guys crowd around a circular table.
The clicking of chips and the rustle of cards are the only noises to break up the nervous silence. The smell of spilt beer mingles with cigarette smoke. Conversation is light or non-existent as the young men - the group is conspicuously male - utter only what is demanded of them by the rules of the game.
The game is Texas Hold 'em, no limit.
This scene has become increasingly common on college campuses. From Pennsylvania to California, poker has found a new breeding ground at the university level.
A convergence of factors makes the game both popular and highly competitive. Students play to escape, to compete, to socialize, and to make money.
Here at Duke, the popularity of poker has exploded.
Starting in fraternity sections and off-campus houses, a game of Texas Hold 'em can be found in dorms every day of the week.
Alex Guttler, a senior at Duke, has witnessed poker's jump in popularity.
"It's something the (fraternity) brothers had been doing for a couple of years. But then with the games on TV, the popularity of Hold 'em took off and now everyone wants to play," he said.
Mike Guadano, also a senior, got involved with poker as a freshman. For him the game is a release from the stress of academia.
"People like to play because it's competitive. It's no different from kids playing pick-up basketball at the gym. Poker helps get that competitiveness out."
At Bloomsburg University, senior Mike McGrath has seen Hold 'em attract a following.
"It's obviously growing everywhere," McGrath said. After learning Texas Hold 'em in the summer of 2003, McGrath returned to school to find a whole new poker scene.
"Games come together all the time. Usually just by word of mouth. There's a group of us who play a couple times a week, but you can find a game pretty much any night of the week," he said.
The residential structure of college is conducive to poker. In apartments and dorms, people who might not otherwise socialize will sit down for hours to try their luck with the cards.
At Penn State University, seniors Steve Schukraft and Aaron Goldfarb can always find a Texas Hold 'em game.
"We have about eight or nine guys who play together," Goldfarb said.
"The buy-in is never huge; we'll play for $5 or $10, and just have a good time," Schukraft said.
The internet has become a resource for college students looking to play poker. At sites such as PokerStars.com, PokerRoom.com or PartyPoker.com, players can log on and play against people around the country and the world. Fake money tables are popular, but with a credit card account, students can raise the stakes.
"I definitely play on-line the most," McGrath said. "You can log on and get a game in 30 seconds. It's a different game though; you have to play much differently. You can't see your opponent, so it removes a large part of the strategy of the game."
"When you know you can get into a new game right away, a lot of people play different. Players will make different calls then they would if they were sitting at a table," McGrath said.
Duke sophomore Jason Strasser plays on-line almost daily. He got serious about the game while working as an unpaid intern last summer.
"I considered (poker) as part-time work," he says. "I spent between 15 and 20 hours a week just playing on-line." Sitting at virtual poker tables on lunch breaks and at home after work, Strasser's winnings were in the thousands.
Some students venture off-campus to the higher stakes realm of casino poker. At school in Pennsylvania, only a couple hours from the bright lights of Atlantic City, N.J., McGrath estimates that he plays casino poker six times over the course of the semester.
With programming on ESPN, Bravo and the Travel Channel being marketed toward the college-age group, it is no wonder the game's popularity has taken off. Even the institutions of learning are getting on board with student governments, academic clubs and departments sponsoring tournaments. It's definitely become part of the fabric of college life.
It's a Friday night at Duke University, and all books and calculators are packed away in exchange for some Natural Lights, a pack of Parliaments ... and a deck of cards.
On any given night, the commons room is bustling as 11 guys crowd around a circular table.
The clicking of chips and the rustle of cards are the only noises to break up the nervous silence. The smell of spilt beer mingles with cigarette smoke. Conversation is light or non-existent as the young men - the group is conspicuously male - utter only what is demanded of them by the rules of the game.
The game is Texas Hold 'em, no limit.
This scene has become increasingly common on college campuses. From Pennsylvania to California, poker has found a new breeding ground at the university level.
A convergence of factors makes the game both popular and highly competitive. Students play to escape, to compete, to socialize, and to make money.
Here at Duke, the popularity of poker has exploded.
Starting in fraternity sections and off-campus houses, a game of Texas Hold 'em can be found in dorms every day of the week.
Alex Guttler, a senior at Duke, has witnessed poker's jump in popularity.
"It's something the (fraternity) brothers had been doing for a couple of years. But then with the games on TV, the popularity of Hold 'em took off and now everyone wants to play," he said.
Mike Guadano, also a senior, got involved with poker as a freshman. For him the game is a release from the stress of academia.
"People like to play because it's competitive. It's no different from kids playing pick-up basketball at the gym. Poker helps get that competitiveness out."
At Bloomsburg University, senior Mike McGrath has seen Hold 'em attract a following.
"It's obviously growing everywhere," McGrath said. After learning Texas Hold 'em in the summer of 2003, McGrath returned to school to find a whole new poker scene.
"Games come together all the time. Usually just by word of mouth. There's a group of us who play a couple times a week, but you can find a game pretty much any night of the week," he said.
The residential structure of college is conducive to poker. In apartments and dorms, people who might not otherwise socialize will sit down for hours to try their luck with the cards.
At Penn State University, seniors Steve Schukraft and Aaron Goldfarb can always find a Texas Hold 'em game.
"We have about eight or nine guys who play together," Goldfarb said.
"The buy-in is never huge; we'll play for $5 or $10, and just have a good time," Schukraft said.
The internet has become a resource for college students looking to play poker. At sites such as PokerStars.com, PokerRoom.com or PartyPoker.com, players can log on and play against people around the country and the world. Fake money tables are popular, but with a credit card account, students can raise the stakes.
"I definitely play on-line the most," McGrath said. "You can log on and get a game in 30 seconds. It's a different game though; you have to play much differently. You can't see your opponent, so it removes a large part of the strategy of the game."
"When you know you can get into a new game right away, a lot of people play different. Players will make different calls then they would if they were sitting at a table," McGrath said.
Duke sophomore Jason Strasser plays on-line almost daily. He got serious about the game while working as an unpaid intern last summer.
"I considered (poker) as part-time work," he says. "I spent between 15 and 20 hours a week just playing on-line." Sitting at virtual poker tables on lunch breaks and at home after work, Strasser's winnings were in the thousands.
Some students venture off-campus to the higher stakes realm of casino poker. At school in Pennsylvania, only a couple hours from the bright lights of Atlantic City, N.J., McGrath estimates that he plays casino poker six times over the course of the semester.
With programming on ESPN, Bravo and the Travel Channel being marketed toward the college-age group, it is no wonder the game's popularity has taken off. Even the institutions of learning are getting on board with student governments, academic clubs and departments sponsoring tournaments. It's definitely become part of the fabric of college life.
* Jon Schnaars is a 2001 graduate of Penncrest High School and is now a senior at Duke University where he plays Texas Hold 'em in his spare time. He is the son of Debra and Doug Schnaars of Upper Providence.
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