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February 9th Poker news ... Welcome! You have reached the best online forum for poker players. Stick around and chat about everything World Poker Tour

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FEAST OF POKER FOLLOWS CHALLENGE FAMINE (Update)
2010-02-01

Antonius and Dwan clash again

After a famine of 36 days in the Dwan 50 000 hand challenge against Patrik Antonius, the last two days have seen a feast as the duo clashed again not once, but twice in 48 hours. And on both occasions it was Tom Dwan who walked away the winner, bringing his supremacy in the series thus far to over a million dollars.

Following Thursday's clash (see previous InfoPowa report) the two came together online again Friday for around three-and-a-quarter hours of action over 4 virtual tables, completing another 892 hands of the Challenge and taking the total played to date to 31 912 hands.

Once again, Dwan emerged the winner of the session, leading almost the whole way and adding almost $200 000 to bring his overall lead to $ 1 077 932.

The challenge is almost a year old and is now 64 percent complete.

AUSSIE MILLIONS TROPHY STAYS DOWNUNDER
2010-02-01

23-year-old bests a field of 745 to collect A$2 million main prize

The 2010 Aussie Millions main event concluded over the weekend with a local victory by Tyron Krost, a 23-year-old pro from from Bondi in Sydney who qualified via an online satellite on Party Poker, besting a star-studded field of 745 players over 7 days of poker.

The main prize win - worth A$2 million ($1 676 418) - is the biggest of three cashes in Krost's short career to date, and will enable him to concentrate more on poker than on his involvement with his family's furniture business. Krost's previous cashes were in two 2008 WSOP events and were worth a total of $38 536.

The main event final table included two Internet superstars in Sorel Mizzi and Annette Obrestad, along with Krost, Frederik Jensen, Kosta Varoxis, Peter Jetten, Steve Friedlander and Stephen Shelley.

Mizzi started as chip leader by a long way, but in the end managed only a third place finish worth A$ 715 000 as Krost worked steadily through his opponents, eliminating five of them.

The heads up saw Krost, holding a 2 to 1 chip advantage, across the table from Frederik Jensen. It was clearly the Aussie's day and he sent Jensen home with a second placing check for A$ 1 100 000, keeping the main prize of A$ 2 million to himself.

Commenting on his big win, Krost said, “This is totally unbelievable - it is beyond my wildest dreams. If it is a dream, I don’t want to wake up! In total I spent $700 trying to qualify for a package and I have managed to turn that into AUD$2 million! I got some really good spots on the final table. When I needed a hand I seemed to get it.”

“It just hasn’t sunk in at all how much money I have just won. I have no idea what I am going to with it. I cashed at the World Series in 2008 but nothing like this.”

ONLINE POKER NETWORKS MERGE
2010-01-26

Everleaf and Universal joining forces...with a third firm in prospect

Player communication, or the lack thereof, was a criticism levelled at companies involved in an online poker merger this week.

Everleaf Gaming Network, which permits US action, and the Europe-facing Universal Poker Network partnered up on January 19th to offer a larger network with more player liquidity. The merged network has yet to be branded, but it is understood that a third company, Victory Poker formerly on the Doyle Brunson Poker Network, may also be joining the duo on February 1st using a .net domain extension.

It appears that the new network will accept all players from the US with multi-currency facilities and a wider range of deposit options, and that the software has been enhanced with a number of new improvements.

Pokerscout's independent statistics rate Universal's action at around 300 players/day, with Everleaf just under 100 players/day.

The merged network was criticised by players, who claim that they were not advised of the move, and that this created confusion. Answering the criticism, a spokesperson for Everleaf said: "No emails were sent out regarding this, as the date for the merge could have and was delayed.

"We did have a pop up notice on our poker room for the last seven days to ensure everyone was made aware of this merger."

The merged network is home to some 24 skins, among them ThePokerPanther.com, ABDigitalPoker.com, FullKingsPoker.com, PokerDrum.com, MyNamePoker.com, BrasilianPoker.com, 5Poker5.com, Poker4Ever.com, Raider Poker.com, Minted Poker.com, WarriorsPoker.com, PokerKingBet.com and WinPKR.com.

TRIBAL GAMBLING AND ONLINE POKER (Update)
2010-01-19

CNIGA chairman calls for unity as tribes discuss the implications of legalised online poker in California

The 15th annual 15th annual Western Indian Gaming Conference of Californian Indian gambling operators (see previous InfoPowa report) kicked off this week with Daniel Tucker, the chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, urging unity.

The Desert Sun reports that a smaller than usual gathering began discussions on one of the key items on the agenda - the consequences of legalised online poker in California.

The tribes have been polarised since last year, when the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and four Californian card rooms formed an alliance to try to get exclusive legislation introduced legalising Internet poker in the state.

Tucker said the goal of the conference was to build consensus on Internet poker issues, saying the federal push to legalise online gambling in general could threaten the economic livelihoods that the tribes have worked to build over the last 25 years.

"Your involvement is essential,'' he told delegates.

Consensus building began in earnest, prompting former state Sen. Jim Battin to predict an Internet poker bill could be put before California lawmakers sometime this (2010) year.

“It will only work if there’s one front,’’ he said.

Morongo chairman Robert Martin explained why his band had taken the initiative last year. The state-wide effort began as a way to derail a move made last fall when Congress threatened to tack a piece of “damaging Internet poker legislation” onto the federal health care bill, sensing it was “steaming ahead like a greased locomotive.”

With federal lawmakers acting as if they'd "found a $40 billion pot of gold" for the federal treasurer, Martin said the Morongo felt rapid action was needed to keep Congress from robbing tribes of their ability to successfully compete in the online marketplace.

"Steps had to be taken to protect financial interests against erosion from off-shore companies and Las Vegas corporations,’’ Martin said, adding that the threat has not gone away.

"We rushed to Congress to beat back a bill that would have restricted our participation,'' Martin said. "That is why we were simultaneously working in Sacramento on our own California Internet poker legislation."

The Desert Sun reports that despite Martin's explanation, questions loomed large over exclusivity protections for tribes, compact protections, impacts to existing casinos and the relationship struck with California card rooms.

Martin said that the Morongo’s postponement of their initiative to legalise online poker has enabled everyone to "step back to get better acquainted with the issues."

It’s also been flagged as a potential budget bail-out, one delegate commented. “With the budget deficit being what it is, this bill holds potential to advance if revenue sharing strings are attached," he said.

As InfoPowa went to press the discussion was continuing, with some off topic debate on whether the media should be excluded from the deliberations, a suggestion made by the head of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians tribal council.