Dan Michalski's blog

Time to Get Your WPBT on

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 21:02:38 +0000

LAS VEGAS--Ahh, it's just like old times. It seems like only ~~yesterday~~ a few months ago the PokerBlog crew was raising some serious ruckus at the WSOP. Now, many of us are back, for some delightful commiseration at the WPBT Winter Classic. I have yet to step foot on the Strip, but am headed that way. So you can expect some SERIOUS hand-by-hand coverage/drinking.

More TK ...

The Numbers Are In ...

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:00:43 +0000

The latest Pokerati poll takes an unscientific look at the effects of bad poker legislation on human behavior. I thought a few PBvians might also find it interesting ... Feel free to discuss:

Since the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, I

Play about the same as before, just on different sites: 32% (48)
Have not played any online poker at all: 16% (25)
[Have engaged in destructive sexual behavior]*¹: 13% (20)
Play more now at illegal cardrooms¹: 11% (17)
Have said "fuck it" and now engage in illegal online sports betting as well: 10% (15)
Play a little, but not nearly as much as before.: 8% (12)
Still playing at Bodog who loves US players.¹: 5% (8)
Played more than usual to grind out the deposit bonus from moving all the money to a site still accepting US players¹: 3% (4)
Still playing at UltimateBet, as always¹: 1% (2)
Have switched to online horse racing / Lotto: 1% (1)

Started: November 10, 2006
Total Votes: 152

¹ added by guest
* edited

Party Poker to Return to the US in February?

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:25:05 +0000

The internet poker forums are abuzz with rumor that PartyPoker is preparing for a surprise return to the United States in early 2007. Though we here at PokerBlog have many good friends at Party (at least for a little while longer, as they gave us the chip you see at the top of the blog), we have nothing resembling confirmation from headquarters.

Take a look at the original RGP post, and you might find it suspect. After all, not only does the poster call himself "Neal the REAL DEAL", but also his email address is daytrader28@... so he could easily be a "day trader" trying to start a little buzz to see if he's capable of pumping up the stock demand over the weekend. He also happens to be the same guy who posted that Sen. Bill Frist is set to be indicted "this week" ... but looking through the political blogosphere, I find nothing mentioned of an actual indictment. Even the political wonks talking about Frist (scroll down to the bottom) mention nothing of legal developments.

But again, the forums sure are chattering ... more here [pocket fives], and here [pokernews forums]. And though I haven't talked directly to any of our good friends at Party (they drink, too, of course, so they've long-started the Euro-weekend) um ... uh ... well, like I said, they drink too. So we should hear something, and we'll let you know what we can.

Circumstantially speaking, it all seems plausible ... even beyond the suddenly amped-up presence of Kirk Kerkorian on the gaming-biz scene, there's bits of gossip about recent Party big-whig canoodling in Las Vegas, so we'll see.

But on the flop, we're saying: coinflip.

Harrah's: 10,000 Players (?!?) in the 2007 WSOP Main Event

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:11:41 +0000

There's been a lot of talk about how big -- or small -- the next World Series main event field will be. Pokerati ran a poll a couple weeks ago to set the over/under at 4,001. And here at PokerBlog, the Shrink reports on a European betting line that anticipates a similar number. Harrah's, however, is being a bit more optimistic ... telling potential vendors at the Gaming Expo (which runs in an adjacent ballroom during the first days of the main event) to expect another record year, with "nearly 10,000" buy-ins. (See page 7.)

Pat the Tablemaker, however, isn't quite buyin' it. He suspects they are more likely trying to justify nearly doubling the price of booth space -- which may or may not be an attempt to compensate for a reduced presence from major online poker sites. Regardless, the questionable numbers have at least some of the "mom and pop" poker bizzers wondering if the 2007 WSOP will be worth their while:

New PR-Team/Rules at the WSOP?

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:18:46 +0000

As loyal readers know, there was a lot of head-bumping between the media and WSOP officials this summer -- as Harrah's set up a bunch of new rules designed with the main event in mind that made things difficult for those of us covering the other five weeks worth of events.

While lots of us bitched, I've contended that the real test will be how they handle the 2007 WSOP -- because so much was new to Jeffrey Pollack and his team in 2006. It appears Harrah's may be making a move in the right direction, as they just sent me (and presumably several other PokerBloggers) a survey asking our opinions on how things were handled. But what I am wondering ... have they already brought on a new media-handling team?

For at least the past two years, everything from credentials to interview requests were handled through a company called TBC -- Trahan, Burden, Charles. But this survey -- and really, it asked some good questions -- came from an email at RDSCypress.com. It looks like RDS (Research Design Specialists) might just be a sub-sub-contractor, but I can't be sure. We'll see if we can find out for you -- and ourselves -- of course. But in the meantime, glad to see Harrah's Entertainment recognizing that having several dozen grumpy old men/women writing about one of their premier events isn't really in anyone's best interest.

Big Poker Raids Going Down in D-Town!

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 09:08:19 +0000

DALLAS--At least three poker rooms in Dallas got raided this evening. Don't know many details yet ... but for you Dallas players reading us, you won't find any action tomorrow at Jackie's, JB's, nor Ace-High.

Normally I would be covering this sorta thing in detail over at Pokerati ... where we've got a very Texas-centric readership ... and maybe would put up a small post here at PokerBlog to let you know about it. But it just so happens, as Dallas Police moved in on rooms in three separate parts of town, the Dallas-based web-site happens to have gone down.

More details about arrests, tickets, and machine guns TK. If not on Pokerati, then here, on PokerBlog.

Oh, also ... WSOP Media Guy / PokerStars expatriate Nolan Dalla happens to be in town, and I can't get in touch with him, as my email is not working either. If any PBvian happens to talk to him in the very near future, please pass on that I am sorry, but one of those great games I mentioned ... up, probably isn't going to make tomorrow, fyi.

RE: 3 Days and Counting

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:04:42 +0000

Reposted for today, Election Day.

Hey Shrink, check it out ... I started putting together an election cheat-sheet a few days ago over at Pokerati with the names of distinctly pro-poker candidates who probably deserve our votes. (We'll bring it back to the top of the blog on Tuesday.)

I started with Texas because that's the ballot I know ... but eventually added other states. Am reprinting it here with hopes that PokerBlog's broader readership might also find it useful and can help fill in some blanks, as I am sure I didn't get everyone who might have an important say on the future of "America's Game":

On the Ballot: Poker Referendum

Election Day is upon us. Don't know about you, but we're still a little on tilt here, politically at least ... so the plan is to vote aggressively. Below are candidates for public office who have affirmatively shown themselves to be on the right side of poker. Remember, it's your duty as a citizen/player to remain mindful of position as you cast your ballot.

NOTE: This is a growing list, so please let us know via comment or email of any other candidates who might deserve either a Pokerati endorsement or electoral scorn for their specific poker-related actions. For a detailed list of those whom you should vote against for their clearly disrespecting the game and/or close ties to known anti-poker extremists, click here. The PPA also contributed to this report.

******************

The Pokerati Voters' Guide

A non-partisan informational reference
for non-felons and legal immigrants in America

November 2006

Speaking of Historic Endings ...

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:53:52 +0000

The Mizpah Hotel & Casino in Reno (Tonopah to be exact) just burned down late last night. Apparently a woman set her mattress on fire, and that led to the total destruction of the historic building. Six dead (so far) and dozens injured. Murder charges pending.

Though I doubt there's a connection, I find it interesting that the hotel was put up for sale on craigslist.org. (The ad has since been taken down.)

More here.

And a little history here. The 5-story Mizpah was built in 1908 and turned into a hotel in 1922. It was the tallest building in Nevada until 1929.

WSOP Leftover: How Was Cheating Prevented with Live Coverage of the Final Table?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:34:43 +0000

Marcus from I'm not sure where wrote in a while back wondering:

Dan,

Long time reader, first time writer. I was reading today about the PPV offering of ESPN of the final table tomorrow. My question is, how are they going to prevent people from watching the coverage and relaying the information to the players in the tourney. I'm sure that this has been thought out, but I have not seen any blogs or news explaining what all will be on the PPV (pocket cams, etc.) or if there will be a delay.

Any inside info?

Thanks,
Marcus

Marcus, that is a great question. And truth be told, I don't really know the answer. But I bet someone here does. I am thinking the live coverage had to be done on a 5- or 10-minute delay, similar to the various "live" events put on by Full Tilt and Fox Sports. I do know that the TV's showing the final table at the Rio simply didn't show what the hole-card cams were seeing.

Actually, if I recall, while listening to Phil Gordon in the media room, I DO seem to remember knowing when Jamie Gold was bluffing, and when Allen Cunningham ran into a very unlucky river. But since we were sitting some 100 years or more away from the action, I am not certain what sorta delay there was. Amy? Shrink? Jen B.? Do any of you have some hard facts on this? It's a relevant question as I expect/hope to see more "live" coverage in the future.

Reseating / Cheating Hubbub at Festa

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:15:36 +0000

Poker Shrink might find this interesting ... apparently there was some Jimmy Sommerfield-esque reseating going on in the main event of Festa al Lago earlier this month. In a nutshell, once they got down to like 99 players, Jack McClelland (whom Jimmy Sommerfield credits with teaching him all he knows about tourney direction) had the players redraw for seats every time they lost nine players. It seemed odd and there was a bit of grumbling ... and eventually Mike Matusow "went ballistic" and received a penalty. This led to the field chanting "Let Mike play! Let Mike play!" -- though they wouldn't join him in his commands for no one to play another hand.

In the end, Matusow was allowed back in the tourney before his penalty was up, and McClelland explained that the extra reseating was an effort to address some apparent collusion going on in this big-money tourney.

I learned about this from poker pro Tom Schneider (who cashed). Click here to hear his retelling of the incident on "Beyond the Table" (starting at 8:14).

InstaParty

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 10:05:53 +0000

POKER STOCKS seem to be coming back, as you can see ... and today the big talk is about a possible merger between PARTYGAMING and 888. [thisismoney.co.uk]

More here. [Reuters]

Estimated merger value: $3 billion. [Forbes]

Add SPORTINGBET to the mix and ... "Such a merger would allow each to bring to the table their own specialisation - Sportingbet (Sportsbetting), 888 (Casinos) and PartyGaming (Poker) - in the process creating an online super group." [bettingmarket.com]

But for now, officially, Party is merely "considering" the merger. Other possible bedfellows include GAMESYS and VICTOR CHANDLER. [BBC]

Meanwhile, the spread of poker to ASIA (semi-direct from Texas) is underway. (Note: AKHIL GUPTA is not his real name.) [Asia Times]

Oh, also, must-click ... an interesting analysis of PARTY ECONOMICS with a particular look at SPORTINGBET'S different approach to weathering the UIGEA storm. [Freakonomics.com]
Thanks, April, for the link!

TOM SCHNEIDER and KARRIDY discussed similar quetions about Party's business decisions with YOUR BELOVED PB EDITOR on "BEYOND THE TABLE" (starting at 3:40). Click here to open the podcast. [HoldemRadio.com]

As always during this era of Poker Reconstruction, more to come ...

Tourney Report:: PokerBloggery Birthday Invitational

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 07:50:10 +0000

PokerBlog at the Final Table: It was good times at Casa de April, site of a $20 No-Limit Hold'em freezeout held in honor of her 30th birthday. Though the event featured no online qualifiers, we're proud to report that (L to R) April, yours truly, and Amy all made the final table(!) -- with April winning the whole dang thing.

AUSTIN, Texas--OK, actually she chopped a $140 prize pool with the second-place finisher. But hey, since it was April's party and we were using her table, chips, and cards, tournament officials awarded her the title and the coveted victory Tuaca shot. Big ups for the impressive PokerBlogger play and festive consumption of our favorite bonus code! Much fun was had by all, even though CardPlayer wasn't there to cover it.

The birthday tourney wasn't the only reason for a Halloween-weekend trip to the Texas capitol, however ...

Also on the Austin agenda were very important ~~meetings~~ drinks with some professional lobbyists, seasoned political advisors, and at least one Congressional candidatate -- part of a continuing effort to figure out where exactly online poker went wrong in the U.S. and what the poker industry might-should do moving forward. While the launch party for a new hipster website (Do512.com) may not seem like the best place to devise legislative strategy, introducing influential politicos to the greatness of Tuaca is probably more important to the future of poker than some might think.

InstaParty

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:47:14 +0000

The PartyGaming stock curve seems to be flattening. Phew -- looks like poker isn't gonna totally disappear after all.

Meanwhile, THE E.U. is looking particularly juicy.

And business analysts credit EUROPEAN MARKET PENETRATION as the reason for Party's latest "up" days.

The Motley Fool takes a look at online gaming stocks (and others that took big hits recently) and concludes: Investors should take REGULATORY THREATS seriously.

InstaParty

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 04:08:01 +0000

As loyal readers know, we love PartyPoker here at PokerBlog ... and even though they've left the United States, the goings-on at PartyGaming are still a major part of the worldwide poker equation. Here's the latest on our good friends at PRTY.L:

Stock price opens in the HIGH 20s today (Tuesday) ... and [UPDATE] starts the day up about 4 percent..

At least one European investment bank -- DRESDNER KLEINWORT EQUITY -- still believes Party to be a good buy.

Here's more on what FINANCIAL ANALYSTS are saying.

Story in The Sunday Times (London) about two PartyGaming BOARD MEMBERS who suddenly can't travel to the United States without FEAR OF ARREST.

The American office that spearheaded this reality claims they are doing a good thing while apologizing for turning more law-abiding individuals into criminals out the other side of their mouths.

The man behind The Agitator has a good piece on FoxNews about why the Republican-led assault on overseas online gaming companies is bad for the GO-Party.

Party released its 3Q FINANCIAL STATEMENT on Friday, spelling out new realities, including the $250 million cost in shutting down American operations.

PartyGaming's CEO MITCH GARBER explains Party's recent moves and his belief that there's a 50 percent chance that Party will be welcomed back (legally) in the United States within three years ... and says to expect more industy changes in the next 30-60 days, all while Party aggressively pursues new acquisitions.

GAMBLING911, however, doesn't share so positive an outlook. (We think they're still hurting in the feelings.)

Meanwhile, PartyGaming's favorite American senator BILL FRIST has announced he's leaving the Senate, has restored the good standing of his temporarily questionable medical license, and has been named "America's Most Outstanding Leader" by an organization that at least 10 million Americans obviously now can't take seriously.

Poker by Numbers

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 07:51:58 +0000

I ran an unscientific poll last week over at Pokerati asking folks (mostly American poker geeks) what changes in the legal landscape mean to them. Click here for the complete results. The important parts ...

In the face of illegal online gambling, I plan to:

Remove all money from my online poker accounts immediately.: 38% (49)
Keep playing like usual, at least until my ISP stops me.: 38% (49)
Do as much research as possible on potential back alleys and loopholes, then open one up in an attempt to criminally profit.: 6% (8)
Move.: 4% (5)
Play only at legal brick and mortar casinos.: 5% (7)

Total Votes: 129

Also found this old one, run back in June, kinda interesting ...

The first year we'll see a decline in the number of entries to the main event of the WSOP is:

2008-2010: 56% (15)
none of the above: 11% (3)
2006: 7% (2)
2007: 4% (1)
2011-2020: 4% (1)

Total Votes: 27