Daily Poker News Review: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 Daily Poker News Review: Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Main Headlines

NJ Online Poker Revenues for April Follow Seasonal Trends: Decline Over 19%

Warmer temperatures cool off state-wide online poker action.

  • Compared to March, overall revenues for online poker operators in the state fell 19.27% – or $618,824 to $2,591,839.
  • Ultimate Poker, which is partnered with the Trump Taj Mahal, saw its monthly Market Share drop from 3.12% in March to 1.9% in April (a 39% month-over-month decline).
  • According to the New Jersey DGE, “As of April 30, 2014, 322,423 Internet gaming accounts have been created, up 10.6% from the 291,625 accounts as of March 31, 2014.”

Winning Poker Network Halts Real Money Operations in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware

Network bows to licensed, state-wide regulated US market operators.

  • In a sudden move Wednesday, the Winning Poker Network announced that it will no longer be accepting real-money activity from customers who reside within the states of Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey.
  • The new policy takes effect immediately with players in those areas able to access their accounts to make necessary cashout arrangements.

The War on Winning Online Poker Players

Success of skill-based segregation policies trends toward transparency.

  • Opaque skill segregation policies at partypoker and revolution have failed in the past.
  • Recent steps by EPN and Merge roundly criticized.
  • Transparent policies at FTP and Unibet have been better received.

WSOP 2014 Media Conference: What You Need To Know

WSOP parlays regulation into live/online poker combo.

  • An exclusive Grind Room—complete with built-in computers, wifi capabilities, and power banks—will be located inside the Rio Convention Center to accommodate online poker players.
  • Players will be able to qualify for bracelet events via Mega Satellites at 5:00pm and 8:00pm as well as through single table Sit & Go’s.
  • 2013 WSOP Main Event Champion Ryan Reiss—who won $8,361,570 for his victory last year—took questions during the Media Conference and explained that he’s “excited” and “can’t wait” to compete in the WSOP for the first time as a World Champion.

Liverpool Football Star Luis Suárez Signs with 888poker

One of the best strikers in the game signs with 888poker as Brand Ambassador.

  • In April, he was named PFA Player of the Year, and earlier this month the Football Association Writers bestowed upon him the same award.
  • He played an instrumental role in Uruguay’s World Cup campaign in 2010, his three goals helping the team secure a fourth place finish.

Regulations, Technology Thwart Alleged Online Gaming Fraud in New Jersey

Police report a New Jersey woman fabricated an identity theft claim to avoid $10,000 in online gambling losses.

  • New Jersey resident Diana Zolla filed a report indicating that her identity had been stolen and used to rack up nearly $10,000 in online gambling debts.
  • Police were able to use technology put in place as part of the regulatory requirements set forth by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to determine that Zolla herself may have been behind the scam.
  • New Jersey state police pooled information gathered from the defendant’s Internet Service Provider (ISP), banking transactions, and online gaming website and location records to form the basis to pursue formal charges.
  • “The Division of Gaming Enforcement and the State Police are committed to working together to deter fraudulent activity and instill confidence in internet gaming operations for all involved, including players, platform providers, and payment processors,” said David Rebuck, Director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Purple Lounge Update – Media Corporation Creditors Approve CVA

Affected players’ votes not counted.

  • According to a source within the Player Claims Group, the CVA “narrowly passed” in a May 8 vote in which players’ votes were not counted.
  • “A legal challenge is being prepared. It remains the aim of the players to regain their funds and fully expose what they consider to be blatant theft,” the source told pokerfuse.

Picks from F5 Poker:

Sky Poker UK Poker Championships – Episode 2

Day 1b from the Dusk Till Dawn Casino Richard Orford and Sam Grafton bring you all the action from the polished product of the Sky Poker UK Poker Championships.


Daniel Negreanu Offers An Even Money Bracelet Bet…With One Catch

His partner in #bracelethunting – Phil Ivey. Looks like Daniel Negreanu has picked a tag-team partner for the summer. “Kid Poker” is offering even money if you want to bet against him winning a bracelet at the 2014 World Series of Poker.


PokerStars EPT 10 London Main Event – Episode 5

Who will suffer the title of Bubble Boy? Big names like Barry Grennstein and “Devilfish” Ulliott try to fade the young onslaught of aggression that is constantly attacking when the bubble approaches. So, sit back and enjoy another great episode of PokerStars’ hole-card-up coverage of last year’s Season 10 EPT London tournament.


888poker Confuses America, Signs A “Football” Star

Liverpool striker Luis Suárez suits up for 888. Move over Rafa Nadal there’s a new international sports superstar on the poker scene and he plays the European version of “football.” As reported by our big bros over at pokerfuse, Liverpool striker and arguably one of the top 10 best soccer players in the world, Luis Suárez, will be wearing a 888poker jersey – while he’s sitting at the poker table.

Exclusive Articles on pokerfuse PRO:

PartyPoker France: A Quiet Success for bwin.party

Over the last year, PartyPoker France has outperformed the rest of its market by 23%. bwin.party has trumpeted the success of its New Jersey network in achieving the market lead, but the performance jewel in its crown has been its French regulated operation.


WSOP New Jersey Courts Grinders With “Blind” Rake Race

Every week in May, $5k in prizes will go to the players earning the most player points. The latest promotion from WSOP New Jersey targets increased player liquidity with a “Blind APP Dash” that rewards players who can put in the most volume and pay the most rake.


Regulation in Review: Europe and Beyond

A weekly review of the latest developments in gaming regulation outside the US. This week: Norway, Spain, Italy and Mexico. Norway

Poker Podcasts and Training Vids:

Podcast: PokerNews Podcast Episode #215: WSOP News feat. Ty Stewart PokerNews Podcast

The World Series of Poker is less than two weeks away, and the crew has some exciting news to talk about including 10 more confirmations for the $1 Million BIG ONE for ONE DROP, and bracelet bets from Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey. They are then joined by the Executive Director of the WSOP Ty Stewart to talk shop about the recent conference call, what to expect a the Rio, and his Event 1 last longer with the defending champion; Chad Holloway. 


Training Video: QTip Replayer Video 14: Rapid Fire Drag The Bar

I review many hands from February. I don’t spend much time on any hand. The goal is to give some quick thoughts on a couple dozen hands.


Training Video: Ask threads13: NLHE Concepts: Things You Aren't Doing to Beat the Micros – Groupthink Deuces Cracked

Inspired by the thread “winning at the micros”, threads13 evaluates several common mistakes made by players at the microstakes, and how you can learn from those mistakes and improve your play. The first episode in this multi-part series focuses on examples of “Groupthink” — situations where players use “common” sense to dictate play styles that may be incorrect.