PokerStars’ World Record Tournament Entries Capped – Online Casino News

PokerStars’ bid to beat their own world record and host the largest online poker tournament in the history of the world looks to be successful. The record-setting event, which starts at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, reached its 35,000-player cap early on Saturday, leaving late-arriving hopefuls only the option of watching and waiting to see if already-registered players drop out before the event begins.

This is all part of the world record week which saw 29 pros duke it out in an eight-game tournament and $1,000,000 added to the Sunday Million, bringing the prize pool to a staggering $2.5m.

And of course, Stars is offering some cash giveaways as well. The site has returned with its ‘Milestone Hand’ giveaways as holiday bonuses through the end of the month. Every millionth cash game hand dealt will result in extra bonuses paid, according to the following cash game limits:

Micro $250 ($100)

Low $500 ($200)

Medium $1,000 ($400)

High $2,000 ($800)  

VIP Slots Rewards Players into New Year – 12-30-08

December 30 – Online slots fans continue to flock to one of the most popular sites around, VIP Slots to enjoy the wide range of over 100 slot games and lots of other table games at this Vegas Technology powered website.

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For brand new players to VIP Slots, the site will reward them with a $777 100% bonus on their first three deposits. Each deposit will earn players a 100% bonus where they can get up to $259 free at a time. This is an excellent way to get to know the site, its games and software and to understand why this is considered one of the top online casinos around.

Every time they spin the reels, players are rewarded with points and move up the Players Club ladder to receive higher bonuses and great offers.

In addition, VIP slots has regular weekly bonuses, such as its Thursday offer where players are rewarded with 50% bonuses on their first deposits in the day. The site also invites players to celebrate the weekend with a 100% bonus on first deposits every Saturday.

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International: Kazakhstan doubles efforts to end gambling

Online news site Kazinform reported Wednesday that a bill to increase gambling regulation in Kazakhstan was passed in the nation’s senate during its first reading.

The bill, whose name roughly translates to “Amendments to Legislation Regulating Gambling Business in the Republic of Kazakhstan,” was introduced during a plenary session last week.

According to Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Kairbek Uskenbayev, the bill is intended to close several loopholes in Kazakhstan’s existing legislation. It will also, he added, make the operation of gambling establishments illegal within the its borders.

As the New York Times reported, Kazakhstan began copying Russia’s anti-gambling policies in 2006 when it closed down gambling halls in all but two of its cities, Kapchagai and Shchuchinsk.

To date, Kazakh officials have released no further information on the new legislation.

phill.provance@gamblingplanet.org

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Tournament: Smyth scores at Poker Million VII – SPOILER ALERT!!

Friday, BoylePoker.com pro Marty Smyth left London $1 million richer after beating out six other finalists at Ladbrokes’ Poker Million VII. Smyth’s win crowns two prior final-table attempts at the Poker Million pot and brings his total career earnings to over $3.5 million.

The day began badly for Smyth when his A, K crashed against Liam Flood’s pocket poppas. The loss cleared all but $15,000 of Smyth’s chips, sending him to short stack and instantaneously causing books to offer 100:1 odds against him.

Soon, however, the Belfast native turned the tables on Flood by pairing up kings and sixes against the chip leader’s suited 4, 5. When he then knuckled out Svein Neilsen on a second run of kings and sixes, it was clear that Smyth’s bout of bad luck had broken, and books began scrambling to re-fix their calls.

Heads-up saw Smyth facing Eoghan O’Dea – son of Irish poker god Donnacha O’Dea – with both men going tit-for-tat in a blind-stealing stalemate. Finally, though, Smyth’s date with Fate proved too overwhelming for O’Dea, who called the Belfast native’s shove on Q, 9 (o) only to have his K, J(o) cracked by a pair of queens.

After the match, Smyth was more than willing to credit his fortunate draws with the win.

“I can’t quite believe it still,” he said. “I thought I was gone when I lost most of my chips early in the tournament.

"I like to think I played quite well, but certainly, after that big hand (against Flood) lots of things went my way.”

Yet, whatever the case, the win has definitely clinched Smyth’s position as Boyle Poker’s premier front man – with all that the post implies.

"Marty is a poker legend,” Boyle Poker head Paul Spillane said in a press release. “Boyle Poker (is) proud to be associated with such a unique poker talent."

Poker Million VII Final Results: (Place – Player – Prize) 1st Marty Smyth – $1,000,000 2nd Eoghan O’Dea – $250,000 3rd Ciaran O’Leary – $175,000 4th Liam Flood – $130,000 5th Kevin Allen – $100,000 6th Svein Petter Neilsen – $75,000

phill.provance@gamblingplanet.org

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Poker Players Win Share of One Million Dollars – Online Casino News

Online poker site BoylePoker.com has made 50 of its players very happy by awarding them with a five percent share of the one million dollars collected by Marty Smyth for winning the Poker Million tournament last week.

Smyth is sponsored by the Alderney-licensed site and is also the current pot-limit Omaha world champion. He beat countryman Eoghan O’Dea to lift the million-dollar top prize in his third consecutive appearance at the final table of the prestigious event.

Online player ‘mmcgenius’ will now collect $9,800 for winning the 305-player Marty Smyth’s $50,000 Freeroll competition held on December 11, which offered players the chance to win five percent of whatever Smyth won at Poker Million. BoylePoker.com revealed that the players in the freeroll would have shared just $1,000 had Smyth not made the final table, $200 for the winner down to $16 for tenth spot. But, now the Isle of Man-based site will be paying out the maximum $50,000.

‘There’s nothing better than the feeling of being able to share in my success with the online players at BoylePoker.com,’ said Smyth.

‘I’ve had an incredible year and have had tremendous support from poker players everywhere so it’s great to be able to give something back.’

After the $9,800 awarded to ‘mmcgenius’ for the victory, second placed finisher ‘scartdmess’ will take home $7,350 followed by ‘tcbcurnow’ with $4,900 and ‘BlueJay33’ with $3,430. For fifth spot, ‘coolafoo’ will receive $1,960 while ‘tipladdy’ is in line for $1,470 for sixth.

‘Christmas has clearly come early for our 50 freerollers,” said Paul Spillane, Head of Poker for BoylePoker.com.

“Despite the fact that the $1,000 freeroll ended up costing us $50,000, we’re delighted for Marty, who is a great champion. Hopefully, now the lucky freerollers can go on and emulate his success with some of their new-found wealth.’  

Public commission advises some major changes for Swedish monopoly

Sweden’s state-owned Svenska Spel gambling monopoly may find itself at the centre of some dramatic policy changes if the authorities accept the recommendations of a public commission appointed to study and report back on the subject.

Stockholm News reports that the commission has recommended that the monopoly be disbanded, at least partly. The news will be welcomed by European Commission officials, who have been warning the Swedish government for some time that its monopoly flies in the face of European Union principles of free and fair movement of goods and services between member nations.

Svenska Spel has in the past been an aggressive defender of its privileged position against local media accepting competitive gambling advertising, and against Internet companies from other EU nations seeking to offer their betting facilities to Swedish residents.

The commission has proposed that companies other than Svenska Spel should also have the right to offer sports betting in Sweden. The monopoly should remain in place in respect of poker and casino gambling, the commissioners suggested, because these are thought to be more dangerous for problem gamblers.

The recommendations emphasise that foreign Internet betting sites wishing to enter the Swedish market should be made comply with Swedish regulations and operate in a professional manner. Those that do not should be regarded as illegal and face action by the authorities.

Net Entertainment Software Launches New Online Casino

The latest addition to the online casino scene comes in the form of Victor Chandler casino built by Net Entertainment Software. The Global Victor Chandler Group has been around for more than sixty years, providing its customers with betting services in more than 164 countries. The group employs over 350 people and boasts a turnover of more than six hundred million pounds per year.

The new casino offers players the choice between playing directly online or simply downloading the casino software to play. The graphics are very classy and the gameplay is smooth with some unique sound effects. To attract new players Victor Chandler Casino is offering a nice £100 welcome bonus, which is given to players' accounts when they deposit £100 for the first time.

A very unique feature that Victor Candler Casino offers its players is the option to play your own MP3 tracks during games in the online casino. This helps to add a new level of customisation that is yet to be seen in the current casino market, and enhances their product offering as a whole in the process.

"Given the size of our business, it is crucial for us to work with software that is stable yet flexible." said Michael Carlton, Victor Chandler Casino's CEO. "VCCasino.com is a core part of our product offering and we were very pleased to seal a strategic partnership with Net Entertainment. We are fully expecting significant growth through 2009."

UltimateBet.com Holding Online Poker Tournament

Leading online poker site UltimateBet.com has announced that it has added over $5,000 in prize money to its inter-forum Texas Hold’em online tournament series designed to see which site has the best players.

The Kahnawake-licensed site was designed with the assistance of some of the best players in the world including Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke and provides poker games through the recently-launched Cereus network. Players can download free poker software and take part in ring games and tournaments while also receiving tips from the professionals in order to learn the sport and enhance their playing strategies.

The inaugural competition, the UltimateBet.com Online Forum Challenge Freeroll, starts on the afternoon of December 20 featuring a prize pool of $1,000 in addition to $500 in prizes for the winning forums.

“UltimateBet.com recognises the importance and value of online poker forums to its community of players,” said Annie Duke, Cardroom Consultant for UltimateBet.com. “Not only do they provide valuable information but they’ve also helped countless players hone their game to become champions on the world stage. We’re thrilled to be a part of this exciting series that will determine once and for all which forum is king.”

The second tournament, which has been named Everyone’s A Winner, is set for the afternoon of December 21 and will feature a prize pool generated from the five-dollar buy-ins in addition to $1,000 added by UltimateBet.com. The site revealed that another $2,000 in UltimateBet.com tournament entries alongside $1,000 in prizes for winning forums will also be available on the day.

In addition, players that register for Everyone’s A Winner who have funded their UltimateBet.com account at least once in the last month will receive ten dollars within 48 hours from the end of the competition.

Online Casino Launches Gold Boom

Three-dimensional online casino WinADay.com has launched its new Gold Boom nine-wheel and six-payline slot machine offering free bonus spins and a progressive jackpot for larger payouts.

Anjouan-licensed WinADay.com is an instant-play Flash online casino offering free and real-money slot machines alongside video poker games operated by Slotland Entertainment, the firm responsible for online slots site Slotland.com. The site’s three-dimensional lobby features virtual employees that greet all new players and answer any questions to help customers enjoy their casino experience to the full.

Games at WinADay.com are based on the latest instant-play no-download Flash technology allowing designers to incorporate rich media content. The site launched its Heavenly Reels title in October that, just like Gold Boom, was built using proprietary software and is tied to one progressive jackpot pool.

“Gold miners in the Wild West kept themselves going by believing they could strike it rich any minute,” said Ondrej Tuma from Slotland. “Slot Machine players have that same feeling every time they pull the lever so I think they’re going to enjoy this new game.”

Just as with Heavenly Reels, Gold Boom players can win bonus spins for larger payouts. Every time three diamond symbols appear on a wagered payline, one diamond icon is added to the bonus spin counter. When three symbols have been collected on the counter, a player wins three extra spins. The amount then won on these spins depends on the stake for the last normal spin.

Three gold symbols on a wagered payline with a maximum bet will see a player walk away with the WinADay.com progressive jackpot, which currently stands at just over $130,000.

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