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The Global Poker Index Newsmakers: February 17, 2014

Jungle Wins Joburg

  • A summary of the recent accomplishments of players ranked on the Global Poker Index.

New Jersey Sunday Tournaments: Party’s Party, NO-verlay Overlays

A look at the major guaranteed tournaments in regulated New Jersey online poker rooms on Sunday.

  • partypoker NJ’s refreshed $50,000 Sunday Big again easily surpassed its guarantee thanks to its new player-friendly new structure.
  • WSOP’s two big Sunday tournaments also surpassed their guarantees.
  • Despite the NO-verlay promotion, Ultimate Poker had a $9k overlay on their big Sunday $20k.

Unibet’s “Radical” New Online Poker Room: Exclusive Preview

On Wednesday, Unibet will beta-launch its all-new poker software with a recreational focus at its core.

Jungleman Dan Cates Wins African Alpha 8

The 24 year old online cash game player scores his first major live victory.

  • Daniel “Jungleman12” Cates has won the Johannesburg WPT Alpha 8
  • Cates won $500k after a HU battle with local Kinesh Pather. Jason Mercier managed $200k for his 3rd place finish.

Bodog88 Poker Focuses Exclusively on China, Vietnam

Including the US and Canada, Bodog Poker Network now available in just four jurisdictions.

  • Bodog88 had previously been opened to a restricted set of non-Asian jurisdictions, and was the only way for players in many countries to play on the Bodog Poker Network.
  • Players from other jurisdictions were informed late last week that Bodog88 would cease offering poker in other markets.
  • Players have ten days to use any VIP points for poker; after that time the points would be moved to the casino, with a 10x rollover requirement.

Poker770 to Close Spanish Online Poker Room

iPoker Spain skin to shut March 1.

  • Players assured via twitter that funds are safe.
  • Final payments to affiliates will be made before March 31.
  • Poker770 is a flagship iPoker skin which operates on the top tier of the iPoker network.
  • It is one of half a dozen skins that operate on iPoker’s Spanish network.

Norwegian Minister Proposes Live Poker Tournament Championship

Another step forward in liberalizing poker and gambling in Norway.

  • The Culture Minister in Norway’s recently elected centre-right government has proposed changing regulations to allow live poker tournaments in the country.
  • Thorhild Widvey has said that she is working towards hosting a Norwegian Poker Championship in 2015

Picks from F5 Poker:

Jesus, This Guy Runs Like God

It’s his “One Time” every time. Hitting a one outer on the turn in a Sunday Major will make almost anyone a believer.

Phil Ivey Talks Beal, Booth and Golf Bets

Listen to his revealing interview with Two Plus Two. What does “Phil Ivey” do after winning $4 million AUD? He calls in to talk to Mike Johnson and Adam Schwartz from the Two Plus Two Pokercast.

Jean Robert-Bellande Takes His Aria Winnings To The Bank

These ladies don’t know that JRB is broke. After a “Great night in Iveys Room,” we find perpetually broke poker pro Jean-Robert Bellande doing the only sensible thing a serious grinder should do with his winnings — Bank it. In this case, Bellande decided to take whatever a “great night” worth of earnings is, pay the $40 cover charge and go to The Bank Nightclub at the Bellagio to party with the iconic children’s music group Josie and the Pussycats

“Downtown” Chad Brown Continues To Battle Head Up

Team PokerStars Pro gives us an update on his health. Routinely called one of the “good guys” in poker, Chad Brown is literally fighting for his life. Diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, liposarcoma, Brown has been in and out of hospitals and had numerous surgeries performed – but, as of now, the cancer remains. As he writes in the PokerStars Blog, Brown’s analytical mind and passion for poker persist as he bravely battles the disease hoping to give himself the best possible chance to carry on.

Mancaves Good Enough For Spanky

Bobby’s Room got nothing on these sick setups. There’s nothing sweeter for a family man over the age of 35 than a room of his own. The elusive ManCave.

Sheldon Adelson Plays The Terror Card In New Video

Fear mongering, not facts fuels the Coalition. Let’s not work the FBI too hard, ok guys? If online poker becomes legal in the US, that’s exactly what’s going to happen according to this new propaganda film from Sheldon Adelson’s Coalition To Stop Internet Gambling.

Chip Envy – Stack’em To The Top

Check out this pretty cool pic, shared from PokerNews, of a nicely constructed tower of chips made from, what looks like, $3 Aria chips. Theses two dudes may be hanging loose in the photo, but rest assured when this tower came down, they were likely pretty vigilant in making sure the building blocks got back in the racks.

Poker Podcasts and Training Vids:

Podcast: Druff & Friends – 02/16/2014 – Not That Kind of Support Poker Fraud Alert

Weissman (JustifiedHomicide) co-hosts. Mason Malmuth’s iron fist now lands on Daniel Negreanu. Idiotic WSOP Circuit ring winner steals 25k tournament chip after tournament is over. Pennsylvania bill introduced to make a crime out of playing online poker. Sheldon Adelson’s group launches a new attack ad against online poker. Will it be effective? Druff and Weissman review “Runner Runner”, which was just released on DVD. Editorial: WSOP events & structure need to change. MtGox is looking like the Full Tilt of bitcoins – is huge bitcoin crash coming soon? El Chico Loco has a problem with his computer, calls a scam “tech support” company for help.

Exclusive Articles on pokerfuse PRO:

Players Allege Russian Multi-Accounting Ring Spanning Multiple Networks

The accused deny any wrongdoing, and a PokerStars investigation finds no evidence of foul play. A thread has erupted on both Russian and English-language poker forums with allegations of an organized multiaccounting ring operating across multiple sites.

WSOP, 888 Continue to Chip Away at party’s Lead in New Jersey

Party’s cash game market share down to 40% in the regulated NJ market. The gap is narrowing between the top three online poker networks in the regulated market of New Jersey.

Borgata Offers 100% up to $300 “Winter Storm” Reload to New Jersey Players

It may have caused problems live, but the New Jersey storm prompted a big reload bonus at Borgata’s online poker room. Borgata Poker offered all players a big 100% up to $300 reload bonus over the weekend.