Carbon Poker - Make A Wish Charity Tournament

The monthly 5th Street Charity Ball to benefit Make-A-Wish is this Saturday on Carbon Poker.
The tournament begins at 4pm ET. Buy-in is only $4.40 with $2 going directly to Make-A-Wish.

Name: 5th Street Charity Ball
Site: Carbon Poker
Description: The House of Poker Blue's Special Charity Tournament - $2 of entry-fee going to Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Tab Location: Tournament > Private > Scheduled
Limit Type: No Limit
Game Type: Texas Holdem
Money Type: Real Money
Blinds: 10 minutes, starting at 5/10
Campaign: House of Poker Blues
Custom Table Background: House of Poker Blues
Maximum players per table: 10 players
Starting Chips: 1,555 chips
Break Length: 3 minutes
Break Frequency: 90 minutes
Buyin: $2.00
Entry Fee: $2.40
Schedule Type: Monthly tournament
Start Time: 1st Saturday of the month at 1600 lobby time (4pm eastern time)

Perspectives Weekly for April 25, 2008

In this week's Perspectives Weekly video J Todd discusses John McCain's stance on online gambling and wonders what Calvin Ayre is up to now that he's no longer running Bodog.

Sun Poker News

Sun Poker has just released their new "Instant Play" feature which means that Sun Poker is now Mac compatible. Great news for Mac users and those who prefer not to download the software to play poker.

Sun Poker knows how to treat their loyal players too. How about being able to collect up to $200 a month just for playing. This is not a re-load bonus, this is a loyalty bonus based on the number of poker points you acquire each month.

With the World Series of Poker coming up, Sun Poker is giving away 25 WSOP Prize Packages worth $12,000 each. Qualify for as little as $4. If you've never played at Sun Poker before, this is the perfect time to try them out. Take advantage of the generous $500 deposit bonus and the $10,000 WSOP FREEROLL especially for new SunPoker players. Sun Poker is part of the Cryptologic Poker Network and is not U.S. player friendly.

Doyles Poker Room Bounty Tournaments

Every Wednesday night Doyles Room hosts a special Celebrity Bounty Tournament. This week's celebrity bounties are Nicky Hilton and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In addition to these two hotties, there will be bounties on Mike (the mad genius of poker) Caro, Hoyt Corkins and Doyle Brunson.

Each bounty is worth $500 and if you're lucky (skilled) enough to take out two bounties in the same game Doyles Room will pay you a cool $5000. Get really lucky and knock out three bounties in the same tournament and Doyle will award you $25000.

Haven't tried out Doyles Bounty Tournaments yet? Play the first one for free! Doyles Room will refund your $27.50 buy-in at the end of the tournament. See the website for instructions on claiming the rebate.

The Pokerkeep has named Doyles Room "Poker Room of the Month" for their innovative new upgrades. These upgrades include resizable tables, instant replay and cool new customizable graphics.

Doyles Room has one of the best new player sign up bonuses in the industry. Use our exclusive bonus code ( TPKE110B ) to receive your 110% deposit bonus!

Doyles Poker Room accepts American players except those from the following States; Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nevada, South Dakota, New Jersey, and New York Read our complete Doyles Room Review here.

Perspectives Weekly - April 18/08

This week Jay discusses the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, ePassporte's abrupt departure from funding US players and more......

New Carbon Poker Bonus Offers

Carbon Poker is running 2 new "limited time" bonus offers.

• Option 1: Enter the code GIMME10 to receive an INSTANT 10% bonus up to $100 (max deposit $1000). The bonus cash will be instantly credited to your account! This bonus is available from now until up to and including Sunday April 20, 2008.


• Option 2: Enter the code GIVEME200 to receive a 200% reload bonus up to $2000 (max deposit $1000). This cash will be earned as you play real money games!

I've gotta say, Carbon Poker (Poker.com) has always been one of my favorite sites and this type of promotion is one of the reasons why. Carbon Poker has remained committed to their American players as well, another reason for liking them so much. Loyalty should be rewarded!

Read our complete Carbon Poker Review.

ePassporte Abandons US Facing Poker Rooms

The rumors began floating around late last week that ePassporte had stopped doing business with Cake Poker and Full Tilt Poker.

GamingIntelligenceGroup is now confirming the story on their website;

"ePassporte confirmed to Gaming Intelligence Group yesterday that players would no longer be able to use their accounts to fund gaming transactions, but added that players may still be able to use the ePassporte virtual Visa card as a means of payment."

Virtual credit card option not likely to fly for long though...

"By moving to credit card only transactions, ePassporte has shifted liability away from itself and onto its credit card provider, who in all likelihood would also block any such transactions, effectively signalling the end of ePassporte's relationship with online gaming in the US."

Honestly, when is this going to end? It's becoming more and more obvious that the UIGEA is going to be scrapped or at the very least, re-written to exempt online poker within the next year so why is the U.S. DoJ still harassing everyone involved in the business? They must have better (more important) things they could be focusing on.

Important News From Cake Poker

Yesterday, I received this email from Cake Poker regarding ePassporte....

April 11, 2008

To all Cake Poker Customers:

We have received notice from ePassporte today that they are unable to continue to provide CakePoker with merchant e-wallet services. We have since confirmed that this situation is not unique to CakePoker and is, in fact, industry wide.

While we are disappointed with this decision, we want to reassure all players that there will be no impact to either your account balances or your account status at Cake. We are pleased to have launched earlier this week with a new payment processor and have already secured alternative processors/eWallets that we will be launching in the weeks to come. We are also in discussions with other providers that will be making their services available in the CakePoker cashier soon. Players are welcome to inquire with Customer Support for more details.

As always, we value your business and will continue to make every effort possible to make your poker experience a great one.

Regards,

The CakePoker Team

Doyles Room freeroll and eCOGRA news...

Freeroll Reminder...
Doyles Room has a $1000 poker freeroll tonight at 9pm ET. The tournament can be found under Tournaments, Freerolls... scroll down to "NEW SOFTWARE FREEROLL". This tournament is open to all Doyles Room players - no restrictions or requirements. If you are not already a Doyles Room member, sign up today and join me at the game tonight!

eCOGRA News...
The Pokerkeep has been recognized as a reputable gaming portal by eCOGRA. We are humbled and honored to join the select handful of poker affiliates to be listed by eCOGRA.

What does being an eCOGRA listed Portal mean?

In seeking as wide a protection for the player as possible, eCOGRA has identified a number of portals where we are confident that players can benefit from the integrity and quality of the content, and the commitment to fair play and customer service of the portalmaster.

About eCogra:

eCOGRA, a non-profit organization, is the independent standards authority of the online gaming industry, specifically overseeing fair gaming, player protection and responsible operator conduct. The function that eCOGRA performs protects those who engage in online gaming where it is lawful.

It's hard to believe that in just over one year, The Pokerkeep has been recognized by the GPWA (Gambling Portal Webmasters Association) and eCOGRA for our commitment to the online poker industry and especially to those who play poker online. I will do my best to ensure that we live up to the standards of these important organizations and to the expectations of our players.


And speaking of the GPWA....
I was recently interviewed by the GPWA Times Magazine. The interview will be published in the next issue of the magazine, due to be mailed within the next couple of weeks. I'll post the interview here when it arrives.

APCW Perspectives Weekly for April 11 2008

J Todd pays tribute to the FBI (NOT REALLY). Poker bots... supplier outed! Upcoming legal battles...

Doyles Poker Room $1,000 FREEROLL

Doyle's Room is holding a $1,000 freeroll tomorrow (Saturday) to celebrate the recent upgrade to their software. This is a "no strings attached" tournament. Everyone is qualified to play - no requirements!

This is a perfect opportunity to try out Doyles Poker Room and possibly win some FREE cash!

Play and chat with Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro and Hoyt Corkins.

Registration is already open.

Details:
New Software Freeroll
Saturday April 12
9 pm ET
$1,000 Prize Pool

Download Doyle's Room from this link and use bonus code TPKE110B to receive our exclusive 110% New Player Sign Up Bonus!

Want more info on Doyle's Room? Read our complete Doyles Room Review here.

American players are welcome to play at Doyles Room except those from the following States:
Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nevada, South Dakota, New Jersey, and New York.

Interesting WSJ Article on UIGEA

Time to Fold

FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE
April 10, 2008

A trans-Atlantic spat over online gambling may help rewrite the rules of the game for Internet commerce across borders. For a change, the Europeans stand on the side of free trade, while America dabbles in regulatory overreach.

The European Union last month launched an internal probe into whether the U.S. Justice Department selectively enforces its antigambling laws against European online firms that offer wagers on sports events. Brussels is making a narrow legal point that Washington discriminates against Europeans by simultaneously permitting U.S. Internet horse betting. That's against World Trade Organization rules, and the case may end up there.

The U.S. last year lost a similar WTO online gambling case against Antigua and Barbuda. The island nation argued that U.S. online gambling rules violated Washington's GATT commitments to open its market in "recreational, cultural and sporting services." The U.S. countered that its policies were justified to protect public morals and public order, a legitimate exception under WTO rules. But the WTO panel ruled that America wasn't applying its restrictions equally to foreigners and domestic operators. U.S. online horse-betting sites aren't banned.

Washington could have stood down then. Instead, it is "threatening and pressing criminal prosecutions, forfeitures and other enforcement actions against foreign online gaming operators," according to the London-based Remote Gambling Association, which took the complaint to the EU. In doing so, Washington is also practicing a form of universal jurisdiction by applying domestic law to foreigners beyond its borders – a legal interpretation that the U.S. has, rightly, condemned in other cases.

In 2006, the former chairman of U.K.-based gambling firm Sportingbet, Peter Dicks, was detained in New York. The Briton was wanted in Louisiana on online gambling charges. Then-New York Governor George Pataki declined to sign a warrant extraditing him, and he was released. Many European industry executives now no longer stop over in the U.S., let alone visit the country, for fear of arrest. "There is a list of wanted people but nobody knows who's on it," said Clive Hawswood of the Remote Gambling Association.

Justice has continued to threaten these companies even though the alleged transgressions are all in the past, the association's complaint says. The sites stopped offering their services to U.S. customers after the U.S. tightened its antigambling laws in 2006. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act requires financial institutions to identify and block gambling-related payments.

As it happens, the U.S. ban on online betting is also impractical. At a Congressional hearing last week, the American Bankers Association explained how difficult it is to identify customers engaged in illegal Internet games. The association's Wayne Abernathy said the law makes banks "police, prosecutors, judges and executing marshals in place of real enforcement officers."

We have our differences with House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, but he may have been on to something when he introduced a bill to exempt licensed operators from the ban. Gambling is a vice, and social problems attach themselves to it. By legalizing and regulating the business, however, Washington could more effectively battle such problems as underage gambling and addiction. It would also avoid unnecessary trade tiffs with its leading commercial partners. And it would exempt cyberspace from overaggressive regulators, in America or anywhere else.

Canadian Gaming Association Releases Study Results

Canadian Gaming Association Study:
Employment Impact of Gaming Industry in Canada Much Greater Than Previously Understood

April 8 2008

New research undertaken as part of the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the economic impact of gaming in Canada reveals that the more than 135,000 Canadians are directly employed in the gaming industry, the country’s largest and economically significant entertainment industry.

Factoring in the indirect and induced impacts of economic activity in this sector, the total number of full-time jobs supported by the gaming industry in Canada swells to more than 267,000. For 2006, this translated into more than $11.6 billion in labour income, paid to employees in the form of wages, salaries, and supplementary income.

“Gaming has grown significantly over the past decade to become an essential pillar of the entertainment industry in Canada,” said Mr. Rutsey, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Industry (CGA). “It is now demonstrably clear how the majority of spending in the industry goes directly back to Canadians in the form of paycheques, construction in communities, and revenues for the programs and services and charities that we value.”

Ontario leads the pack with 102,236 jobs created and sustained by the industry, followed by Quebec (51,636), Alberta (43,342) and British Columbia (32,246). The numbers include direct employment in gambling operations, employment in gambling-related government and charity organizations, and employment in professions that service and support the gambling sector.

"The breadth and depth of the industry is significant," said the study’s author Robert Scarpelli, Managing Director of HLT Advisory Inc. "We've always known that employment in gaming operations was robust, but the total impact of the industry surprised us. After validating the results with the Statistics Canada’s Input-Output Model, we now, for the first time, have a picture of the industry's full impact right across the country."

The new research released today marks the first time that detailed analyses of the employment and economic impact of the Canadian gaming industry have been broken out by province. It is also the first time that researchers and policy makers have been able to obtain accurate jobs data generated and validated by rigorous Statistics Canada modeling.

“There are innovative companies generating tremendous economic value and career opportunities in all corners of our country” said Mr. Rutsey. Many of these companies and the individuals they employ have become leaders in the international gaming industry.”

The research released today is the second phase of a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of gaming in Canada and was undertaken by HLT Advisory Inc. is a leading provider of research and information to the Canadian and international hospitality, leisure and tourism industries. The first phase, released last April, outlined the economic contributions of the gambling industry to government programs and services and charities.

Study findings include:

* The gaming industry contributes $15.3 billion to the economy directly, with most of this revenue ($8.7 billion or 57 per cent) going to support government programs and services, as well as to charities. $6.6 billion (43 per cent) was spent to sustain operations, paid out as salaries, and used to purchase goods and services.
* The industry’s investment in current capital construction is approaching $10 billion, with the largest portion of that investment (49 per cent) occurring in Ontario.
* From the perspective of the hospitality sector, gaming is just behind full-service restaurants (at $17.2 billion) and on par with limited-service restaurants (at $15.4 billion) in terms of economic contribution. Gambling also places ahead of accommodation services (at $14.3 billion) and air travel (at $11.9 billion) with Canada’s two major airlines.
* The industry generates approximately $721 million in non-gaming revenue, such as food, beverage and entertainment.

The Canadian gaming industry contributes more to the promotion of responsible gaming than any other jurisdiction in the world, according to the study. Canadian provinces currently spend approximately $74.3 million on problem gambling treatment, research and awareness prevention initiatives. In addition, $16.0 million is spent in the area of responsible gambling initiatives,bringing the total to more than $90 million annually.

The Canadian Gaming Association represents the gaming industry’s leading operators, manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders nation-wide. www.canadiangaming.ca

For more detailed information on the economic impacts by province and on the study methodology:

Media contact
Paul Burns, Vice President, Public Affairs
Direct: 416.304.6870
Cell:416.579.3922
pburns@canadiangaming.ca

© 2008, Canadian Gaming Association. All Rights Reserved.

Sad news in the online poker community

I received the following email from my friends at MPL Poker Forum today and thought it was appropriate to pass the news along to you...

I'm sure many of you have played with Pakara52/willie2trees at one time or another.
He is a moderator over at Blue Lizard Forum.

Many participated in fundraisers for him and his wife, Kate, when she was battling cancer.
It is with deepest sympathy that I report that his wife passed away in his arms on Saturday April 5, 2008.

Maximum Poker League staff wish to pass on our most heartfelt sympathy in this time of sadness.
Paul and his family are in our hearts and prayers.
We pray that he finds his way through the darkness and grabs a hold of all the thoughts and prayers that so many are sending his way.

Please take a moment and say a prayer for Paul and Kate.

Here is a special poem that Chips from PPUS found that I would like to share....

Good-bye to Your Partner in Love

It is so hard to say Good-bye.
The tears pour forth, as we all cry
We want to see that face, that smile.
We won't be ready, for a while

To say Good-bye to one we knew
Who lived and loved and laughed so true.
We realize a broken heart
Is there inside you and: Apart

From all the things, we do not say
We wanted you to know today
That your love was a gentle kind
Of tenderness. So hard to find.

And though we may not say much more
Outside that giant hardwood door,
For it would cause more tears to flow,
We still wanted you to know:

We say good-bye to your Partner in Love...
And pray God saves your place....above.

Poem By M.J.M. ©1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are a couple forums that are uniting to get some fundraisers set-up for Paul to help with the medical and funeral expenses.
Please keep your ears open and be sure to support a fellow poker player in need.
They are working on tournaments on Bodog and Cake right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God bless you Kate, may you rest in peace and fly with the angels!

I will post details on the fundraising tournies as they become available.

UIGEA - Make-A-Wish Poker Tournament and an update from Doyles Room

News analysis of Wednesday's hearing on UIGEA regulations

3 April 2008

By Vin Narayanan

Let's be perfectly clear here. Wednesday's congressional hearing on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act's (UGIEA) regulations exposed the anti-online gambling law as poorly constructed and nearly impossible to enforce. But it did not kill it by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, Congress sent regulators back to the drawing board with the hopes that they could clean up the enforcement mess that the UIGEA has created.

After the House Monetary and Technology Subcommittee heard testimony from six witnesses – two regulators and four representatives from the banking industry – three things became clear:

•The U.S. payment system is not designed to effectively identify and block online gambling transactions.
•Financial institutions need to know what unlawful internet gambling is, but the UIGEA doesn't offer any specific guidance.
•Financial institutions are highly uncomfortable being placed in the role of determining what is legal, and subsequently handing out any punishment (which also aren't specified in the UIGEA) to account holders for attempting to complete an "illegal transaction."
[Continued]

Reminder...

The monthly 5th Street Charity Ball to benefit Make-A-Wish is today on Carbon Poker. Please come out and support this important charity. The children need your help to make their wishes come true! The buy-in is only $4.40 and $2 goes to the prize pool while $2 goes directly to Make-A-Wish. The tournament begins today (Saturday) at 4pm Eastern Time.

Doyles Room

Doyles Poker Room has made some very cool upgrades to their gaming platform. Check out these awesome new features:

* Resizable/Tileable Tables - One size doesn't fit all, so we let you decide which is the best layout.
* Instant Replay Hand History - Relive your favorite smackdowns or review the errors of your ways, instantly!
* Custom Avatars - Bring your personality to the table by uploading your own images!
* Custom Felts and Flooring - Make it your own. Just a few clicks will have your poker den feeling like home.

Doyles Room is currently offering an exclusive 110% new player sign up bonus (maximum $550) if you join through one of our links and enter bonus code TPKE110B.

Perspectives Weekly

J Todd is attending the Casino Affiliate Conference in Amsterdam this week. Wish I was there with him, it promises to be educational and a whole lot of fun...

The April 4th edition of Perspectives Weekly includes Discussion on the Congressional UIGEA Hearings in the US, plus exclusive coverage of the Casino Affiliate Convention in Amsterdam.

Direct link to Perspectives Weekly - April 4

Make-A-Wish Charity Tournament Saturday on Carbon Poker

REMINDER
The monthly 5th Street Charity Ball to benefit Make-A-Wish is this Saturday on Carbon Poker.
The tournament begins at 4pm ET. Buy-in is only $4.40 with $2 going directly to Make-A-Wish.

Name: 5th Street Charity Ball
Site: Carbon Poker
Description: The House of Poker Blue's Special Charity Tournament - $2 of entry-fee going to Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Tab Location: Tournament > Private > Scheduled
Limit Type: No Limit
Game Type: Texas Holdem
Money Type: Real Money
Blinds: 10 minutes, starting at 5/10
Campaign: House of Poker Blues
Custom Table Background: House of Poker Blues
Maximum players per table: 10 players
Starting Chips: 1,555 chips
Break Length: 3 minutes
Break Frequency: 90 minutes
Buyin: $2.00
Entry Fee: $2.40
Schedule Type: Monthly tournament
Start Time: 1st Saturday of the month at 1600 lobby time (4pm est.time)

Carbon Poker is currently offering a 200% New Player Deposit Bonus up to $2,000
Use BONUS CODE: STPAT200

Hottest Girl in Poker

Wicked Chops named Lacy Jones "The Hottest Girl in Poker" for good reason... check her out!

Doyles Room Update

Doyles Room - WSOP 2008 MAIN EVENT SATELLITES
The World Will Be Watching - Ready To Join Doyle's Posse in Vegas?

Take advantage of Doyles Room's continuous $14 + $1.40 Sit & Go Satellites, $9 + $1 Daily Turbo Satellites, and $20 + $2 Daily Satellites, as well as weekly satellites and Bi-Weekly finals, and you could rocket your way into the poker stratosphere.


FAST AND SAFE DEPOSITS
Visit the Bank section of the game lobby for an improved selection of deposit options. New players remember to cash in on our 110% Initial Deposit Bonus using our exclusive BONUS CODE: TPKE110B.


SharpShooter Loyalty Tournaments - Everyone's a Bounty
The format is simple. Half your buy-in goes to the prize pool and the other half to the bounty on your own head! Collect that cash bounty for every single player you eliminate from the tournament. Knock off two of your neighbors and you've already won back your buy-in!

The action is fast and the blinds move quickly. If the cards don't go your way, don't panic - you get five 10 cent rebuys during the first 15 minutes. Got a big stash of Action Points? You can even use them for your buy-in and rebuys and with $10 added to to each game, the value is excellent!

Don't have an account at Doyles Room? Sign up today using Bonus CodeTPKE110B and win your WSOP seat!

Read our complete "Doyles Room Review".

World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC, and are in no way associated with DoylesRoom.