Inside Straight -- News

2009 World Series of Poker Schedule Released
Will Feature a $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em Event
By Stephen A. Murphy

The final-table delay is back. There will be no rebuys. There will be a $40,000 and a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event. There will be more bracelet events than ever.

Those are the highlighted cliff notes for the 2009 World Series of Poker schedule, which was released on Jan. 26.

There will be 57 gold bracelets awarded this summer - two more than last year - including a premiere $40,000 no-limit hold'em event to commemorate the 40th World Series of Poker.

The first event of the Series kicks off on May 27, and the final table of the main event finishes up in November - more than four months after it begins on July 3.

The poker community was widely divided after Harrah's and ESPN decided to delay the playing of the final table four months last year so that it could be played "nearly live" on prime-time TV. But TV ratings for the final table were up nearly 50 percent over 2007, and the positive buzz that the delay created was enough of a reason for Harrah's to bring it back for a second year.

"We are in agreement with some of the criticism that existed," said World Series of Poker Communications Director Seth Palansky. "We'll certainly try to address some of it, if we can, including getting more heads-up scenes."

Card Player first reported that the WSOP was considering removing rebuys from the prestigious Series in December, and that consideration materialized with the announcement of the new schedule. All four of the 2008 rebuy events were done away with.

"I don't see any real purpose in eliminating the rebuy tournaments," said Greg Raymer, the 2004 main-event champ. "To be honest, the people who complain about them the most have a very clueless understanding of what poker is about."

"The purpose is not to win a tournament," said Raymer. "The purpose is to make money."

Palansky, however, offered the reasoning behind the controversial decision, saying, "In simple terms, we want every bracelet to be up for grabs in a fair and equitable manner. Skill should determine the winner, not how big your wallet is."

The world championship $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, a five-day tournament, will kick off on June 26. The $40,000 no-limit hold'em event will start on May 28, just two days before the beginning of the $1,000 no-limit hold'em event, a tournament the WSOP has nicknamed "the stimulus special."

The $1,000 event is the cheapest open, non-rebuy event that the Series has featured since 2006. Palansky said that it's difficult to accurately guess how many people will enter it, but he is hopeful that the number of entrants will reach 5,000 - which would be the most of any non-main-event live tournament.

The $10,000 main event will have four starting days, July 3-6, and play will be suspended on July 15 once only nine players remain. The final table will be played Nov. 7-10.

U.S. Poker Players Can Now Play at DoylesRoom Again
Poker Site Relaunches on the Cake Poker Network
By Stephen A. Murphy

DoylesRoom has moved to the Cake Poker Network and is welcoming American players back to its site.

The poker site that is named after 10-time bracelet winner Doyle Brunson used to cater to American players when it was part of the MicroGaming Network. But once MicroGaming decided to ban American players from many of its sites last November, DoylesRoom found itself looking for a new network. It found its match at Cake.

"We wanted to offer our players a rewarding place to play," said Brunson. "The liquidity and integrity associated with the Cake Poker Network made this an easy choice for our new partnership."

Although the site will once again accept American players, it still will not allow competitors from Washington, Louisiana, or Kentucky, based on local laws and court cases.

The Cake Poker Network launched in 2004, quickly establishing itself as one of the leading poker networks. It now ranks fourth in terms of ring-game traffic - behind only PokerStars, Full Tilt, and Cereus - among all of the poker networks that accept American players.

Dream Team Poker Hosts Tournament at Caesars
The Team Tournament Will Be Open to the Public
By Stephen A. Murphy

Gone are the days of poker being viewed exclusively as a one-person game.

Dream Team Poker will host its second tournament - the first that is open to the public - at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas March 27-29.

Dream Team Poker events feature teams of three players competing in a multitable tournament in which the teams are scored on how well all of their players finish. The organization debuted its first-of-a-kind tournament last November.

"The first event was such an incredible accomplishment," said Daniel Delshad, CEO of Dream Team Gaming, the Beverly Hills company that produces Dream Team Poker. "We are seeing a definite call for this game from the casinos and the players."

To register for the event, go to dreamteampoker.com.

Pennsylvania Judge Rules Poker is a Game of Skill
Ruling Affects Only Two Pennsylvania Counties
By Bob Pajich

A Pennsylvania judge has dismissed a case against a resident who ran a small-stakes poker game out of his garage on the basis that poker is a game of skill and can't be governed under the commonwealth's gambling laws.

Columbia County Judge Thomas James couldn't be clearer in the last paragraph that summed up his ruling: "The Court finds that Texas hold'em poker is a game where skill predominates over chance. Thus, it is not 'unlawful gambling' under the Pennsylvania Code."

The ruling covers only the judge's jurisdiction, which is Columbia and Montour counties, located in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The commonwealth charged two people with unlawful gambling for hosting a $1-$2 no-limit hold'em game in their garage. No rake was taken, but players were encouraged to tip the dealer. State police got wind of the game and sent an undercover officer to it around 20 different times to investigate, and charges were filed.

Pennsylvania's laws governing gambling specifically define gambling games as those that rely predominantly on chance.

"The judge in this case issued a well-researched and reasoned decision which supports arguments the PPA and others have made about poker being a game of predominant skill," said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. "The decision does not have legal precedent outside the two rural counties in Pennsylvania; however, it is a significant victory in the overall battle to demonstrate that poker is not pure chance gambling. The PPA hopes to leverage this win in other trials in other states where we have an opportunity to argue the skill of poker."

Campana believes that the ruling may force legislators to either expand Pennsylvania's unlawful gambling law to include poker or change the law to regulate the game of skill.

Kentucky Won't Quit Trying to Grab Domain Names
Appeals Decision to Dismiss the Case
By Bob Pajich

Kentucky officials will appeal a Court of Appeals decision to stop commonwealth attorneys from attempting to seize 141 Internet domain names related to gambling and poker.

The Court of Appeals sided with lawyers representing the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) - two trade groups representing dozens of the sites - as well as the sites themselves. The panel of three judges voted 2-1 in favor of the poker groups, a ruling that was made public on Jan. 20. The judges heard oral arguments from both sides in December.

"We're not surprised that Gov. Beshear and Secretary [J. Michael] Brown filed their appeal," said Joe Brennan Jr., iMEGA's chairman. "They both invested a lot of political capital in this suit. They likely feel they can't back down."

Kentucky is trying to use a section of its anti-gambling law that allows it to seize devices that are used to facilitate unlawful gambling. It claims in this case that the domain names are the devices.

In September, Judge Thomas Wingate signed a seizure order that was pushed forward by Gov. Steve Beshear. He claims the unregulated online gambling and poker industry is dangerous to children and also undermines one of Kentucky's biggest interests - horse racing, which can be wagered on from anywhere in the state via telephone and computer.

Kentucky is trying to use this seizure order not only to force the companies out of it borders, but also to get some serious money. Kentucky wants the sites to pay collectively around $1 billion for lost revenue and lawyer fees.

Not so coincidently, the attorneys representing Kentucky in this case are from private firms, and they took the case on a contingency basis. They will be paid only if this legal maneuver is successful.

After the seizure was signed, Wingate told the sites that they could get off the hook easily by "geoblocking" Kentucky's residents, which would prevent them from accessing the sites listed on the order. Kentucky attorneys were attempting to appeal this portion of the judge's ruling before the Court of Appeals ruled.

Several sites decided to go this route, including Tokwiro, which owns Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, and MicroGaming, which owns dozens of poker rooms. But the others entered an appeals process fronted by iMEGA and the IGC.

PokerStars Signs Actor Jason Alexander
He Joins Mats Sundin, Orel Hershiser as Celebrity Representatives
By Bob Pajich

PokerStars has signed actor and poker buff Jason Alexander to its team of celebrity spokespeople. He will promote the PokerStars brand in online and live poker events, including the 2009 World Series of Poker and PokerStars global tournament circuits.

"PokerStars has very graciously asked me to sign on as one of their official players," Alexander said. "I am very flattered and happy to be playing for a real quality site, and with the kind of professionals who remind me every day of how truly mediocre I am at this game. But I'm learning. And now I can learn from some of the best."

Alexander joins a PokerStars team of "international celebrity ambassadors" that includes NHL player Mats Sundin, former tennis pro Boris Becker, and former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser.

Alexander is best known for his role as George Costanza on the Emmy-winning TV show Seinfeld.

Eastern Poker Tour Raises Pub Poker Standard
Local Bar League Provides Substantial Prizes and Daily Events
By Bob Pajich

Just about every day of the week in towns dotting Massachusetts and Rhode Island, poker players find their way to local bars to play for money, pride, and a chance to win a seat in the World Series of Poker main event.

The 4-year-old Eastern Poker Tour (EPT) is elevating the concept of free pub poker to a new level, complete with a stunning online site, real nightly prizes, a points system, and an actual TV tourney event that's broadcast locally.

Glenn McCrory, co-founder, owner, and president of the EPT, says his company is determined to give both the players and the bars that host the events a league that will keep the regulars coming back by offering substantial prizes and a chance to play for millions in the WSOP.

"We treat this tour like a legitimate mainstream tournament," McCrory said. "Just because players aren't paying someone to play, that doesn't mean we can't make it work. It's way above and beyond any bar league in the country."

Tournaments are scheduled for just about every night of the week in the following areas: Rhode Island; Southern and Central Massachusetts; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Lowell, Massachusetts.

Every six months, the EPT holds its WSOP qualifier, in which a prize worth $13,000 is awarded. Each qualifier hosts approximately 250 entrants - all of whom are the winners of the season's events.

The EPT also holds charity tournaments weekly throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.