Main Headlines
Aced and Carbon Poker Make Major MTT Changes
Late registration times have been reduced following player consultation—other changes aim to make Merge more competitive.
- Aced and Carbon Poker on the Merge Gaming Network have made major changes to their tournament schedule that take effect March 9..
- Extended registration has been reduced for many tournaments, excluding the Sunday bigs, and guarantees lowered as a result.
- The timings of some events have changed and some events have been removed.
- Alternative poker forms get more events and more tournaments have been added to smooth the schedule.
Equity Poker Network Buys Action Poker
Clive Archer buys the Action Poker brand where he used to be CEO.
- Chico Network brand, Action Poker, has been traded once again, this time it becomes part of the Equity Poker Network (EPN).
- Action Poker returns to its former CEO, Clive Archer, the founder of the EPN.
- EPN uses Chico software, so players should be familiar with their new environment.
GPI Recruits Boris Becker
The youngest ever winner of the Men’s singles at Wimbledon will promote GPI and act as Honorary President of its 2014 European Poker Awards.
- The Global Poker Index (GPi) “newest voice of support” is tennis legend and Olympic gold medalist Boris Becker.
- Boris will also act as the Honorary President of the 2014 Global Poker Index European Poker Awards.
- Becker said: “Tennis rankings have been instrumental in turning tennis players into superstars recognized the world over, I hope to be able to help do the same for poker and poker players.”
Picks from F5 Poker:
Old Times — Meet The Godfather Of Online Poker
50-card deck let oldies sit, spin and win. Sure Doyle Brunson may be the “Godfather of Poker” but some might say that this machine, dating back to 1891, is the “Godfather of Online Poker.” You see, according to QuietLunch.com this little bad boy, invented by Sittman and Pitt, is the precursor to the slot machine and the first virtual poker playing machine on the market.
Chris Moorman Binks An Ace And The World Poker Tour LAPC Title
Current #1 online player sits atop the live scene with WPT victory. Moorman is here and it doesn’t look like he’s is going anywhere anytime soon. Having been recognized as one of the, if not THE best, online grinder in history Chris “moorman1” Moorman is now a World Poker Tour Champion to boot. Last night he successfully finished off the field of 534 runners to take first place in the WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic taking home the over $1 million first place prize.
Shane “Shaniac” Schleger – Former PokerStars Pro Confesses Crack Habit
Lightning rod article in Slate Magazine talks of 15 year recreational use. Writer and one-time pro poker player, Shane “Shaniac” Schleger had an article published on Slate.com last week where he not only talks about having used crack…yes, crack…but that it’s still an occasional recreational habit that find him neither hitting rock bottom nor struggling to stay sober.
Phil Ivey & NBA’s Monta Ellis Promote Boxing, Partner In Entertainment Agency
All In Entertainment backs unbeaten teen welterweight. It seems that Phil Ivey’s Pala, CA personal appearance is part of his new venture into the world of entertainment representation and boxing promoting. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Ivey has taken a stake in unbeaten teen welterweight Dusty Hernendez-Harrison, who is on a boxing card Friday at the Pala Casino through his new venture with Dallas Maverick’s guard Monta Ellis – All In Entertainement.
Poker Podcasts and Training Vids:
Podcast: Rabbit Hunt: 183 Rabbit Hunt
This week's show has Chris and Mark diving into many small stories, from California's iGaming Symposium, to Lindsay Graham's "Fix the Wire Act" bill, to discussion on tournament changes and beyond. They also touch on rumors of PokerStars coming to New Jersey and Boyd Gaming discussing its status in New Jersey.
Exclusive Articles on pokerfuse PRO:
Checking Around
In our industry-focused picks from the discussion forums this week, including: Customer support failures at US poker rooms, a trio of new marketing spends, abusive emails, and re-entry tournaments. LGA back in players’ crosshairs.
Traffic Watch
Pokerfuse PRO’s exclusive review of the online poker market across international, US and regulated European markets. The week ended almost where it started for the global market, with a slight downwards move, but this was offset by a small short term surge on the way. Traffic news has come from the unusual shifts in positions in the ranking table as much as from the cash game traffic data itself.
Promotions Simplified: PokerStars Mission Weeks
Earn some VPPs and wait to see how much you have won—a keep it simple marketing strategy. PokerStars is running its third Mission Week, perhaps the simplest of all the “mission” promotions offered by any operator. During Mission Week, PokerStars is awarding $350k in prize money via three freerolls to be played on March 10 .
