A Glimmer of Hope for US Online Poker?

Date: Thu, Apr 16, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

R.C. Clark is reporting on the LasVegasVegas news blog that recent changes in the online poker climate may be a good thing for the legalization and regulation of online poker for US citizens. The settling of the Party Poker suit initiated by the US gives Party a clean record and a line pass when legalization finally occurs. Clark also reveals the recent hiring of former Part CEO by Harrah's to run it's online division. What online division?

Should online poker become a legal reality sooner rather than later then thank the greedy bankers for creating the economic atmosphere that makes the profits from online gambling look might good. As early as last year before the sky fell the casino big boys were flush with cash, building brick and mortar edifices that rivaled anything the world has ever seen.

Now that many of those blue sky projects have become wastelands filled with rusting steel, crumbling concrete, and bankers wanting their money the "small change" from online poker is rapidly drawing interest from the major brick and mortar giants in Las Vegas. Maybe they'll wade in with their clout and influence and make it legal.

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WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace Daily Thru April 29

Date: Tue, Apr 14, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

A good turnout of players for the first three events of the 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit now playing daily at Caesars Palace Las Vegas through April 29. The first event, a $1060 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em contest scheduled for two days, pulled in 157 entrants and completed on Sunday to open the 2009 WSOP C at Caesars Palace.

Event #2, $550 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament, attracted a field of 194 players vying for some of the $94,090 prize pool.When the dust settled after a brief, 3 1/2 hour final table, a citizen of Whitehorse Yukon, Canada, James Lopushinsky, walked away with the $24,932 first place money and gold WSOP C ring. Well known poker pro, Eskimo Clark, collected $3,058 for his 8th place finish.

Event #3, $330 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em match, open at Noon Monday with 340 seated players hoping for a piece of the $98,540 purse, Early Tuesday morning 27 players continued with the eliminations.

691 players haved played in the the first three events. Tuesday will find a Noon start of the $550 buy-in 6 Handed No-Limit Hold'em event #4. Another event, $340 buy-in Limit Hold'em, will start at 3 PM and play play down to a winner on Tuesday.

This is a great time to come out to Caesars Palace Las Vegas and pick up some playing experience in anticipation of the 2009 WSOP at the Rio Resort. You may even pick up some cash. Do yourself a favor and check out the tournament schedule with this link.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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2009 Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductees

Date: Thu, Apr 9, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Another event from GreasieWheels, this time its the Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHOL) inductees for 2009. The three women players chosen for inclusion this year in the Hall of Fame are well known for their contributions to the poker industry and their ability to play and win at the highest levels of competition. Without any further fanfare we introduce the 2009 WiPHOL inductees Cyndy Violette, Jan Fisher, and June Field.

WiPHOF festivities will open Thursday evening, June 4, at 7 PM with a $230 Buy-in w/$50 Rebuys Charity Poker Tournament at the Golden Nugget. The proceeds go to Poker Gives, a non-profit organization founded by Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Lisa Tenner.

Mike Sexton will be the emcee for the Friday evening Induction Ceremony and Celebration Dinner/Dance. Tickets for the event may be purchased online from Women in Poker Hall of Fame. This event will sell out so book early to avoid being shutout.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament April 16

Date: Wed, Apr 8, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Jennifer Harman, the most feared woman in the world when seated at a poker table, is holding her Third Annual Jennifer Harmon Charity Poker Tournament at the Venetian Poker Room April 16 at 5 PM. Matt Savage will be co-hosting and calling the event. A great opportunity for poker players to rub shoulders with some of poker's most colorful names while vying for a $10K seat in the 2009 WSOP Main Event plus random seat prizes, rake in pot sweetners and all players will leave with a very nice gift bag.

Jennifer Harman's tournament is open to all players 21 years of age and up. Bring along a $330 buy-in and a stack of Franklins for the rebuys. Be prepared to have a great time while doing a really good thing for our furry companions. The event is coordinated by Greasie Wheels so expect to play with celebrities and some of poker's best known names and faces. Registration begins Thursday, April 16, at Noon and closes Friday, April 17, at 6 PM.

The true winners of this charity tournament are the thousands of homeless animals that will receive vet care, freedom from hunger, and comfort as a result of your participation and generosity to support the Nevada SPCA with donations of money and time. Proceeds from the Jennifer Harmon Charity Poker Tournament go to Nevada SPCA, a nonprofit organization operating a no-kill sanctuary for stray animals in Las Vegas. The Nevada SPCA Organization needs volunteers to accomplish their humane mission. Contact Doug Duke at (702) 873-7722 or email the NevadaSPCA@aol.com and learn about other ways you can help.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Diamond level at Harrah's Las Vegas now achievable by playing poker

Date: Mon, Apr 6, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Harrah's Las Vegas, always fiddling with their poker promotions, now has one that poker players have been clamoring for.

Although it isn't much to the casual player, for locals it's a great one -- the ability to earn Total Rewards tier points.

Previously, Harrah's poker players were given the shaft when it came to points. Rewards points were added every hour, but no tier points. Tier points are what slot and table players earn in addition to rewards points. Tier points aren't worth anything except for tracking your play. Earn a certain amount of tier points in a calendar year, and you'll achieve the next level up the Total Rewards ladder.

In other words, the new system now allows players who solely play poker the chance to get to Diamond level, which opens up things such as access to the Diamond Lounge, a separate line at the cashier, cutting in line at the buffet and other restaurants, priority access at the taxi stand, and other discounts and privileges.

And not only is Diamond good for any of the Harrah's properties in Las Vegas, it's good at any of Harrah's properties across the country.

With every hour of poker you play at Harrah's Las Vegas, you'll receive your regular 100 rewards points (a $1 comp) but now in addition, you'll earn 28 tier points. (This is the equivalent of $140 playthrough in slots.)

Players who sign up to Total Rewards (it's free) receive Gold status.

Earning 4,000 tier points in a calendar year bumps players up to Platinum.

11,000 tier points goes to Diamond.

100,000 tier points grants Seven Stars.

So to earn Diamond, one would need to play 393 hours in a calendar year, or just 8 hours per week. Definitely doable.

Currently, the promotion is only offered at the Harrah's Las Vegas property, but plans are in store to roll out the program at other Harrah's casinos later this month.

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Caesars Las Vegas Hosts WSOP Circuit April 10 - 29

Date: Sun, Apr 5, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Caesars Palace is setting up to host the World Series of Poker Circuit makes it annual stop in Las Vegas at the luxurious strip resort. This year tournament players will enjoy affordable buy-ins and a variety of games during the run of the WSOPC Caesars Palace meet. With buy-in's ranging from a low of $340 up to the $5,150 for a seat in the final Championship event and satellite buy-in's much lower provides all players an opportunity to compete.

Most events are no-limit hold'em; but, 6-Handed No Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, Double Stack Turbo No Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8 or Better, Heads up NL Hold'em, and a Ladies No Limit Hold'em event are also on the play list. For the complete schedule with conditions and details of all 22 events use this link.

A daily 7 PM $200 NLHE tournament and a 11 PM $120 NLHE is offered April 20 - May 01. Both are mega-stack style tournaments with more starting chips and longer blind levels. Single table satellites for all events run daily from 9 AM - 3 AM. Registration for all events begins April 10. The winner of the championship event will also receive a seat in the 2009 WSOP Main Event.

Make your plans now to play in the last WSOP Circuit Tournament before the start of the 2009 World Series of Poker at the Rio Las Vegas. Take advantage of this opportunity to rack up some WSOP play time while honing your game to a razor edge.

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2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship on NBC TV

Date: Thu, Apr 2, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

A few day's back I had dinner at my favorite Japanese restaurant, Sushi Roku, in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. My view of the Strip from the restaurant's windows is the photo above. It's the Strip looking south past a well placed NBC Heads-Up Poker logo on the Caesars Palace sign. The video continued to remind me throughout the meal that we will see 12 hours of Heads-Up TV poker on NBC TV. Follow all of the 65 matches played among the 64 players in the single elimination heads-up no-limit hold'em poker tournament. With a $20,000 buy-in it's high stakes, too.

A half a million in cash, the trophy, and a year of bragging rights to this prestigious event guarantees it's not going to be a walk in the park for anyone. The list of proven, pedigree players invited to compete is well salted with experienced winners.

Now, you can see it all from the comfort of your home. NBC will be broadcasting the tournament every Sunday at Noon beginning April 12, and continuing for five consecutive weeks (check local listings for times and dates in your area). NBC has repackaged the three days of poker into a six week mini-series of poker. Twelve hours of high stakes tournament poker. Watch the pros play for more than a million in cash.

Take a close up look at a few of the characters, celebrities, and pros heading into the poker party. The series of Flipchip photos from the Red Carpet for the Draw Party held at PURE nightclub in Caesars Palace continue after the jump.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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PokerStars' April Fools

Date: Thu, Apr 2, 2009

We had a hearty chuckle out of PokerStars' VIP store items for April 1st.

The selections included products such as an exercise belt (with Stars logo), a lawnmower (e-mowing on the intertubes!), genetically modified fish (to easily find them at the poker table), and a heads-up game of 52 card pickup with a PokerStars Pro.

All April Fool's Day jokes, of course, but interestingly each was an affordable 1000 FPPs. And instead of the items, each one you purchased netted you $16 cash, so you could pick up an easy $64 by "buying" all four.

For the daring, Stars also lists a 1981 Delorean for 1 million FPPs. And the same car plus the Back to the Future option for 10 million FPPs.

Assuming the $16 per 1000 points still holds true, those who've saved up their points could conceivably receive $16,000 and $160,000.

Not too shabby for a joke.

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Dream Team Poker Saturday at Caesars Palace Las Vegas

Date: Sun, Mar 29, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

A stop by the Caesars Palace Poker Room Saturday evening during the Earth Hour of darkness found the lights on and the cards flying. Seven tables of players remained as they worked their way down to 27 players to end the day. WSOP Main Event champions Phil Hellmuth, Tom McEvoy, and Jamie Gold remained among the finalist with chips.

Dream Team Poker sold out the tournament with 170 three man teams registering by last Friday. This should be good news to all poker players because it demonstrates the continuing strong interest in poker and poker tournaments.

While other forms of casino gaming are losing their popularity to the hard economic times, poker retains its popularity and draw power. Another important consideration is the number of big name players that signed up for this $550 buy-in tournament. The action continues on Sunday at 12:30 PM in the Tournament Room at Caesars Palace. Stop by to see poker's latest incantation, Dream Team Poker, is so popular.

More photos from Saturday's first day of the Dream Team Poker Tournament at Caesars Palace Las Vegas after the jump.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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4th Annual Happy House Poker Tournament April 25, 2009

Date: Fri, Mar 27, 2009

For a fourth consecutive year Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, will host the Happy House Poker Tournament and BBQ at her Northridge, California home on Saturday, April 25,2009, 1 - 6 PM. All of the proceeds will go to Happy House and its Mission to Build Better Families. Entry fee for the poker tournament and all of the amenities is $50 prior to April 10th, after that the price goes to $60. The winner of the event will receive a seat in Brad Garrett's poker tournament to benefit Maximum Hope Foundation and the Dream Foundation.

Poker players for the tournament should arrive by 12:30 PM, thirty minutes before the 1:00 PM command of "Shuffle Up and Deal" begins the eliminations. All poker tournament entrants must be 21 and up.

Be sure to bring the kids as there will be plenty of games for the younger members of the family. If you're coming for the party a $15 contribution to this most worthy cause is appreciated. Kids under 12 are free.

For information and/or to reserve seats or attend the BBQ: RSVP (818) 882-7483 or email: adam@happyhouse.org. Address to be provided upon RSVP.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Muck'it Revisited

Date: Fri, Mar 27, 2009

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Dream Team Poker at Caesars Palace March 27-29

Date: Tue, Mar 24, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Plan to be in Las Vegas this weekend for the finish of the NCAA national college basketball championship? Think you'd enjoy watching the biggest stars of professional poker playing in an all new Team format poker tournament? Would it be even better if you could play on one of the teams? You can get on the wait list right now at the Dream Team Tournament site. May I suggest a speedy visit to online registration because this Dream Team Poker Tournament is sold out.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Registration closed when the cap of 170 teams was reached on Monday. Teams not registered may still get in if they get an early spot on the wait list. Successful wait list entrants will be notified Friday at 6 PM. Play begins Saturday and continues though Sunday. Event details are available at the Dream Team Poker site .

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

More than 500 players will be involved in this weekend's play to determine the best team of 3 poker players. Many of the 500 will be well known stars of professional poker. Smart money is saying the team of Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow and Jerry Buss is the favorite to take it all. Both Hellmuth and Matusow played deep in the 2008 WSOP Main Event and continue to play well. Los Angeles Lakers owner and high stakes poker player, Jerry Buss, completes the talented trio. Buss has demonstrated he can play with the best so this team being the odds makers favorite is not surprising.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Another team to watch for is the all female gang of three consisting of Lacey Jones, Mario Ho and Tiffany Michele. Ho demonstrated her card sense in the 2007 WSOP Main Event when she became the last woman with chips. Michele finished 17th in the 2008 WSOP Main Event for a $334,534 payday. Lacey Jones has played major tournament poker for a number of years and knows her way around the male dominated sport.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Even as we watch the somber dismantling of Las Vegas' once unstoppable economy it comes as a small consolation that the sport of poker can still sell out the house. When a $550 buy-in ($1,650 /team) non-televised poker tournament can quickly sell-out to a group that includes many of the games biggest and best players it sends a loud and clear message that poker, casino poker, and tournament poker are here to stay. Maybe someday Internet poker will join the list, again.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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April Fool's Day Charity Poker at the Hard Rock Las Vegas

Date: Mon, Mar 23, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Got any plans for April Fools Day? Want to play some poker and help raise money for a good cause? No matter how you answer these questions you should be at the Hard Rock Resort in Las Vegas for the Howard and Suzie Lederer April Fools Fundraiser. Bring your $200 + $30 buy-in to the Hard Rock Casino Poker Lounge (others have a poker room, the Hard Rock has a poker lounge) before the 3 PM start time April 1.

The winner of the tournament gets a seat in the 2009 WSOP at the Rio All-Suite Resort. That's right, you could parley your lowly $230 investment into a multi-million dollar pile of cash. Last year's WSOP Main Event winner received more than $9 million. The charity event winner will also get a Curtis and Co watch plus a Legacy Alliance designed crystal trophy. Of course, you could always use the $230 to buy 95 shares of Venetian stock (Sands Corp); but, you'd miss all the fun and the complimentary snacks.

All proceeds benefit the Warm Springs Preserve. Click for complete details at the event website.

RSVP: info@aprilfoolscpt.com

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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Venetian Deep Stack Series 2009 Schedules Released

Date: Wed, Mar 18, 2009

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Schedules for the first four Deep Stack Extravaganza Series (DSE) are now available with the release of the DSE III numbers. Click here for all 2009 DSE Schedules with event conditions, buy-in $, dates, and times. The 2009 DSE Series IV event remains penciled in for November 1 - 25, firm scheduling will come later.

April brings the 2009 Deep Stack Extravaganza II running from April 1 - 25. Just in time for the coming of spring. It's a lessor known secret of Vegas locals that a seat in any of the events of the DSE II will renew the hope for happier, more prosperous times ahead.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

$275 buy-in Super Satellites begin in a couple of weeks on Wednesday, April 1, in the plush Venetian Poker Room. Regular events have buy-ins of $330, $550, $1070, and $2,500 for the Championship event. Most events are No-Limit Hold'em; although, players can enter the Deep Stack H.O.R.S.E. event for $330, instead of the $50,000 charged for the horse event at the other poker place, a savings of almost $50,000!

Registration for each event begins at 9 PM the prior day. Most regular events begin at Noon and play for 2 days. Super Satellite registrations open 2 hours prior to each event. Start times for Super Satellites are 12 PM, 4 PM, and 8 PM. Single table satellites made available everyday from 8 AM - 2 AM.

This is the poker tournament series for all poker players to test their mettle. This is the original poker tournament series with affordable buy-ins that plays like the high-dollar buy-in, world famous poker tournaments. Bigger starting chip stacks and blind levels almost twice as long as many comparable buy-in tournaments make up the secret of the Deep Stack Extravaganza's popularity and success with poker players. Of course, playing poker in the world's largest 5 Diamond resort scores high marks in the comfort category.

photo by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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