News, Reviews And Interviews From Around The Poker World

Phil Ivey Moves Past Daniel Negreanu in All-Time Tourney Winnings
Second Place in Aussie Millions High-Roller Event Enough to Make Ivey No. 1
By Stephen A. Murphy

Anything you can do, I can do better …

It may not be the last time these two poker pros trade spots, but Phil Ivey moved past Daniel Negreanu in January to officially become No. 1 in lifetime tournament winnings.

“It’s exciting. I’ve been after that for a while now, so it feels good to get there,” Ivey said after his second-place finish in the AUD$100,000 buy-in Aussie Millions high-roller event took him to more than $12.6 million in lifetime tournament winnings, just ahead of Daniel Negreanu, who has approximately $12.3 million. Ivey reached the summit by virtue of receiving AUD$600,000 for his performance (approximately $545,000 U.S.). Dan Shak won the 24-player tournament, and $1.2 million.

It marked a great start to 2010 for Ivey, who just completed one of the most impressive years in 2009 that any poker player has had recently. Last year, Ivey won two World Series of Poker bracelets and made the final table of the WSOP main event, finishing in seventh place. Besides his live-tourney success, he was a beast in online cash games, winning approximately $6.3 million on Full Tilt Poker.

Negreanu, who had captured the top spot on the all-time live-tourney winnings list after finishing second to Barry Shulman in the World Series of Poker Europe main event last fall, had nothing but praise for the man he now looks up at on the leader board.

“It’s my belief that Phil Ivey is the best poker player in the world, and that includes every format,” Negreanu wrote in his blog on CardPlayer.com. “It’s actually kind of fun for me [that Ivey is now No. 1]; I’m glad he did so well, because it motivates me to try to pass him again. … Should be a fun year, from that perspective.”

Prior to Negreanu occupying the top spot, 2006 WSOP Champion Jamie Gold held that distinction, due almost entirely to his massive $12 million payday for winning the main event.

Bodog Sponsors Card Player 2010 Player of the Year Award
Poker Site Will Award $10,000 World Series of Poker Seat to Winner, and $5,000 in Other Prizes
By Card Player News Team

With a recovering worldwide economy and some new poker tours debuting, this year could sport some huge tournaments.

The Card Player 2010 Player of the Year (POY) award will likely be as pursued as ever — and now Bodog Poker is stepping in as the sponsor of the award to provide an extra incentive to win it.

Bodog will award the 2010 Player of the Year winner an entry into the 2011 World Series of Poker main event. That prize is in addition to perks that the winner already gets, including, but not limited to, a Card Player magazine cover and feature article, an invitation to play in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and tons of recognition and sponsorship opportunities.

However, as last year’s POY race proved, the winner isn’t the only one who deserves some recognition, as a lot of incredible poker talent was on display among those at the top of the leader board as the race came down to the wire.

That’s why Bodog is awarding more than $5,000 in Bodog tournament entries, spread among players who finish second through 10th on the POY leader board at the end of the year.

Card Player thanks Bodog for these generous awards and wishes players good luck in this year’s POY race.

New Jersey Considering Legalizing Online Poker in the State
State Senator Introduces Online Gambling Bill
By Stephen A. Murphy

A New Jersey state senator has introduced a bill in the Garden State that would grant licenses to Atlantic City casinos for online gambling.

“There are probably 500,000 online poker players in New Jersey alone,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), the sponsor of the new bill, “and we’re missing out on around $100 million in revenue.”

Introduction of the bill — one of the first in the country to explicitly legalize and regulate online poker and other forms of Internet gambling within the boundaries of a single state — came amid reports that New Jersey casinos had just suffered their worst year since 1997. The gaming industry had revenues of $3.9 billion in 2009, a 13.2 percent decline from 2008.

New Jersey’s gambling situation doesn’t look like it will get better anytime soon without some major changes, especially with the new gambling laws that are being discussed and implemented in nearby states.

Neighboring Pennsylvania passed legislation in January that legalized table games, including poker, in the state’s casinos. Those games are expected to be up and running by summertime. The Delaware Legislature is also considering a similar bill. Delaware is a drive of less than 90 minutes from Atlantic City.

“[Legalizing online intrastate gambling] would be a big boost to the casino industry in Atlantic City,” Lesniak told the Press of Atlantic City Media Group. “It’s a bold move, and in this economy, we need bold moves.”

Lesniak’s bill would allow New Jersey residents to gamble online — and not just at poker. Online blackjack and baccarat also would be explicitly legal and taxed. The state senator also has introduced a separate bill to legalize sports betting in New Jersey, both in casinos and online.

Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan Jr. has spoken out in favor of the bill, saying that he believes poker players in New Jersey would still be able to play on their current favorite poker sites.

“We’re happy that New Jersey has taken this issue into their own hands,” said Brennan. “New Jersey is recognized as having the toughest gaming regulators in the U.S., but as a leading gaming state with a long track record of doing things the right way, Internet gambling will have a great home here and the opportunity to begin normalizing the industry.

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Officially Legalize Table Games
Poker Will Be Offered in Casinos
By Stephen A. Murphy

Spurred on by a threat from the governor that he would have to cut state jobs if the Pennsylvania Legislature did not act, the Legislature finally came to an agreement on Jan. 6 to pass a bill that officially legalizes table games, including poker, in the state. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the legislation the following day.

The chambers had all but consented to the addition of table games in October, when the House and the Senate approved a state budget that allotted funds that were created by the new table games. There was only one significant problem — they hadn’t actually legalized the table games yet.

After months of wrangling over the details, the House approved the hotly contested bill by a 103-89 vote on Jan. 6. The Senate earlier approved the legislation, 28-22.

State Republicans, who hold the majority in the state Senate, originally opposed gambling expansion in the state, but switched their position upon growing concerns over the financial realities of the state.

The new table games are expected to raise about $640 million in taxes over the next two years.

Poker, blackjack, craps, and other table games will be allowed under the new legislation, and casinos may start implementing the new games as early as June.