News, Reviews And Interviews From Around The Poker World

AGA Now ‘Open’ to Online Poker
Major Casino Association Changes Online Gaming Position

The American Gaming Association is now “open to the concept of legalized Internet gambling,” the association’s President and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf told Card Player in a March interview. Its new position marks a significant change for the powerful lobbying group that previously had remained neutral on the issue.

“We now believe that Internet gaming can be properly regulated, so long as there is a tough regulatory framework that is put in place,” said Fahrenkopf. “We would be open to looking at legislation that’s out there to see whether or not it provides the consumer protections that we think are so important.”

The AGA, which actually opposed all forms of Internet gambling as recently as about a decade ago, has some of the most powerful casino companies in the world among its members — including Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM Mirage, and Las Vegas Sands Corp.

The AGA was formed in 1995 to give the commercial casino industry a voice in Washington, DC.

Citing a lack of available technology to properly regulate the industry, it initially came out against all forms of online gambling after Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) first introduced a bill in 1997 that would’ve outlawed Internet gambling.

“That’s really what our state regulators were telling us, that they didn’t think the technology was there and they didn’t think they could properly regulate it,” said Fahrenkopf.

But after MGM ran an experimental gambling site on the Isle of Man in 2002, the AGA moved to a neutral position when it saw that the technology available may indeed be sufficient. The AGA decided to study the major issues, and realized that not only did the technology exist, it probably wouldn’t cannibalize its brick-and-mortar businesses.

However, members couldn’t agree on whether regulation should be done at the state or federal level.

“We had Harrah’s and a number of others who were very strongly supportive of Internet gambling and particularly the Barney Frank legislation at that time (which would provide a federal framework), and then you had MGM and another bunch of companies who were in favor of Internet gambling, but thought it should be regulated at the state level,” said Fahrenkopf.

Even though the association has yet to reach consensus on that issue, it decided to officially change its stance to “open.”

“We are open to the concept of legalized Internet gambling, so long as there is a regulatory regime that is put in place that protects the consumer and protects the integrity of the game. We’re at this point in time open to the question of whether it’s a federal or state regulatory regime, although I must tell you I think a majority of the board would favor the states,” said Fahrenkopf.

The AGA remains neutral on the Barney Frank bill, citing the uneasiness among its members on whether or not it should seek a federal or state framework for online gaming.

PokerStars Launches New Cash-Game Show on FOX
High-Stakes Game Will Include an Amateur Qualifier

Some of the most entertaining poker on TV is the high-stakes cash games that are seen on High Stakes Poker and special episodes of Poker After Dark.

Well, thanks to PokerStars, there’s now going to be another big cash-game show on the air.

In late March, the popular online-poker site announced that it would be producing a high-stakes cash game on FOX called The Big Game.

“The show will feature some of the top names in the poker world playing $200-$400 no-limit hold’em with a $100,000 minimum buy-in,” the site explained. “Here’s where it gets interesting. PokerStars is going to give you a chance to sit with the best.”

Through online qualifying tournaments and an application process, PokerStars will provide one amateur the chance to outplay Daniel Negreanu and others with a free $100,000 buy-in. If that qualifier finishes the cash-game session with any profit whatsoever, whether it’s $500 or $150,000, he gets to keep all of the profit. However, if the qualifier finishes with less than the $100,000 buy-in, he has to give the remainder back.

“Interest in the show has once again been overwhelming, and we are going to have some sick lineups that you are going to love,” said Negreanu in his CardPlayer.com blog.

PokerStars has been very active in getting TV exposure for itself. The company produced the popular poker game show PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge on FOX last fall, and signed a deal with ESPN2 to broadcast its future North American Poker Tour events.

The site has not yet announced when the new cash-game show will premiere.

World Series of Poker Brings Back Tournament of Champions
Fans Vote in 20 of the 27 Competitors

For the first time since 2006, the World Series of Poker will host a Tournament of Champions. The freeroll will feature 27 players and a $1 million prize pool.

“We’re thrilled to reinvent the Tournament of Champions around a model that should elevate the game by engaging millions of poker fans,” said Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment Vice President Ty Stewart, referencing the fact that 20 of the 27 players will gain entry into the tournament via a public poll on wsop.com. “We have received a lot of input from players about their affinity for the TOC, and we are excited for them and the fans, and hope it’s here to stay.”

Only five players receive automatic entries to the event: the past three TOC winners (Mike Sexton, Mike Matusow, and Annie Duke), and the reigning WSOP and WSOP Europe main-event champions (Joe Cada and Barry Shulman). The final two automatic entries will come in the form of qualifiers, for which the details have not yet been released.

The tournament will take place on June 27, with the final table played on July 4 (to avoid other events going on at the World Series). ESPN will televise the event in a two-hour broadcast on Aug. 3.

Pros will undoubtedly be excited to see the return of a TV event with a sizable amount of freeroll money on the line.

“Tournaments like the Tournament of Champions help elevate poker to the level it deserves, and I am honored to participate,” Annie Duke said in a press release announcing the news. “Winning the TOC marks one of the most memorable events in my poker career, and I’m ecstatic that the WSOP is hosting this prestigious event.”

Fans can vote for the 20 players they would like to see in the event at wsop.com. The poll is open until June 15. Only players who have won a WSOP bracelet are eligible to be voted in.

The winner will take home $500,000, while second place will get $250,000, and third place will earn $100,000. Fourth through ninth place will each take home $25,000, while the rest of the field will have to leave empty-handed.

The 2010 World Series of Poker runs May 27 to July 17 at the Rio in Las Vegas.

Steve Gross Becomes Latest OPOY Winner to Join ‘Brunson 10’
Last Two Card Player Online Player of the Year Winners Now Members

One thing seems evident: If you win the Card Player Online Player of the Year (OPOY) award, you’re going to get a sponsorship deal.

Now in its fourth year, the Card Player OPOY award has been bestowed upon three individuals in its history: Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron, Alex “AJKHoosier1” Kamberis, and Steve “gboro780” Gross.

Baron signed with Full Tilt shortly after winning the award, but DoylesRoom was able to snatch the latest two OPOY winners, making them members of its exclusive “Brunson 10” group.

Doyle Brunson, after whom the site is named, said that he couldn’t be more pleased with the recent additions of Kamberis and Gross.

“I’m really excited that Alex has decided to come onboard,” Brunson said of the 2008 OPOY winner after the site announced his signing in February. “He’s a real class act, just a real nice kid. He’s the type of player that makes us all look forward to the next generation of poker players.”

Gross finished runner-up to Kamberis in 2008, but followed up that solid performance with an incredible 2009 to run away with the OPOY title. In his brief career, Gross has nearly $3 million in online poker winnings, as well as nearly $400,000 in live tournaments, including a recent $135,970 win at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Gross is considered one of the best online poker players in the game, and DoylesRoom was ecstatic to sign the New Jersey pro to its team.

“Steve’s record speaks for itself,” said Brunson. “Player of the Year in 2009, on his way to another one this year, the kid is unbelievable.”

At press time, Gross leads the 2010 OPOY race.

The Brunson 10, which DoylesRoom created as a way to promote its site while identifying who Brunson believes are “future legends,” has six young players on its team so far.

Kamberis and Gross join an exclusive group that includes Zachary “Crazy Zachary” Clark, Amit “amak316” Makhija, Chris “Moorman1” Moorman, and Dani “ansky” Stern.