- Optimal Push-Fold Strategy for Full Tilt’s Adrenaline Rush Made Public.
- PokerStars Confirms: Players Can be Banned from Live Events for Conduct Online.
- PokerStars Will “Continue to Monitor” Effects of New Mobile Indicator.
We wrap up the week with a rundown of the most read news articles and features from the past seven days on pokerfuse. Never miss a story with our special feature every Saturday.
10. January Traffic Barometer for the Top Five
A look at relative January performance in the top five dot-com poker networks. “So goes January, so goes the year” is an old stock market aphorism that may or may not apply to the online poker market, but an early look at how the top five networks are doing shows up some interesting features.
9. Spanish Socialist Group Proposes an End to Poker Bonuses and Loyalty Schemes
Citing concerns about addictive behavior, the Socialist parliamentary group continues its assault on online poker. The Socialist party in Spain has made a non-legislative proposal to end the practice of offering bonuses and other “inducements” to gamble. The prohibition would cover VIP loyalty schemes, that award points or prizes, and in doing so reward “excessive consumption.”
8. Merge Makes a Quiet Exit from New Jersey and Delaware
Players only became aware of the move when they received “account suspended” messages when logging in. Merge Gaming has quietly left the New Jersey and Delaware markets. Poker players from those states attempting to log on have been met with a message saying that their account has been “suspended for security reasons.”
7. “Poker is Not Gambling” According to Dutch Court Ruling
In the second ruling in four years, a court in the Netherlands rules that poker is not subject to gambling laws. An Amsterdam court has ruled that the organizers of a poker tournament in the Netherlands were not guilty of breaking the country’s gambling laws on the grounds that “poker is not gambling.” The ruling came after seven years and an independent investigation of the roles of skill and luck.
6. Full Tilt’s “In The Money” Promotion Rewards Sit & Go Play With “Flip” Freerolls
More lottery-style prizes on Rational poker rooms. Full Tilt Poker has announced a new promotion running next week which gives players entry into lottery-like tournaments if they finish in the money in three sit and gos.
5. Interview: Phil Payton, CEO of the Winning Poker Network
In a rare interview with a CEO of an offshore US-facing online poker network, pokerfuse sits down with Phil Payton, the man behind WPN, to talk candidly about the business. How do you see the offshore US regulated market evolving as more states come on-board in the US?
4. Suspect Arrested in Borgata “Chipgate”
Christian Lusardi has been arrested after the discovery that $2.7m in fake tournament chips had been flushed down the toilet in his hotel room Poker Pro Christian Lusardi has been arrested by New Jersey State Police on suspicion that he introduced counterfeit chips into the Borgata Winter Open $2 Million Guarantee event. His arrest came a week after the tournament was halted with 27 players remaining after the cheating was discovered.
3. PokerStars Will “Continue to Monitor” Effects of New Mobile Indicator
PokerStars has confirmed that it will continue to monitor the effects of a new indicator, enabled by default in the client since an update last week, which shows whether a player is playing from a mobile device.
2. PokerStars Confirms: Players Can be Banned from Live Events for Conduct Online
A blacklist across all Rational properties is in effect. A representative from PokerStars confirmed recently that players banned from playing on their poker rooms online will also be blocked from playing European Poker Tour live events.
1. Optimal Push-Fold Strategy for Full Tilt’s Adrenaline Rush Made Public
Player posts nash equilibrium ranges for Full Tilt’s new game format. A Full Tilt Poker player has publicly posted a strategy chart for Full Tilt’s new preflop-only push/fold game Adrenaline Rush, introduced earlier this month, calling into question the long-time viability of the format.
