The Nightly Turbo: November Nine Off 2012 WSOP Schedule, Full Tilt Poker News, and More
If you've come here looking for an update about Full Tilt Poker, today is your lucky day. In this edition of the Nightly Turbo, we'll bring you the latest report about FTP and the Department of Justice, as well as an announcement by the World Series of Poker regarding the November Nine, and more.
In Case You Missed It
Is Phil Ivey no longer a fan favorite? In the latest Five Thoughts piece, Rich Ryan discusses the surprising reaction to Ivey's recent win at the Aussie Millions Super High Roller.
Raymond Rahme made the final table of the 2007 WSOP Main Event, but he hasn't been around much lately. We caught up with Rahme to find out what he's been up to for the latest edition of Where Are They Now.
The World Series of Poker Circuit Caesars Palace Main Event was won by Kevin Calenzo on Monday. Find out how he won the coveted gold ring in our final table recap.
Gone Till November? Not Anymore
On Tuesday, the World Series of Poker announced that it will be releasing the official 2012 schedule on Wednesday. If you think that's big, check out the bomb it dropped on us a short while later:
A few hints on WSOP schedule coming tomorrow...you won't find the November Nine returning.
— WSOP (@WSOP)
With the unprecedented near-live coverage of the WSOP Main Event a huge success last year, rumors swirled that the 2011 November Nine would be the last. It appears those rumors have become a reality.
Progress in the Full Tilt Poker Deal?
Until last week, things had been rather quiet on the Full Tilt Poker front. That all changed when Gaming Intelligence reported that the owners of FTP had come to terms on a forfeiture agreement with the Department of Justice. If true, it could allow French investment firm Groupe Bernard Tapie to finalize its purchase of the embattled online poker room.
Groupe Bernard Tapie managing director Laurent Tapie told Gaming Intelligence that the company is working on reactivating Full Tilt Poker's license with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, and that there is still a long way to go to complete the deal. "We need to complete our due diligence and reactivate the license,” Tapie said.
In other Full Tilt news, a class action complaint against the company filed by four plaintiffs was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Leonard B. Sand on Monday. The complaint, which was filed last June by Steve Segal, Nick Hammer, Robin Hougdahl, and Todd Terry, called for the return of players’ funds and for subsequent damages.
Among the plaintiffs listed in the suit were Raymond Bitar, Full Tilt Poker, Pocket Kings Ltd, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren, Chris Ferguson, Erik Seidel, and Patrik Antonius.
More on both stories can be found at PokerNews.com.
What's in a Name?
Following in the footsteps of recently rebranded poker rooms like the Winning Poker Network (formerly Yahatay) and Chico Poker Network (formerly the Action Poker Network), International Game Technology's recently-acquired Entraction Network has been renamed the IGT Poker Network.
IGT, one of the leading companies in computerized gaming development, announced ahead of last week's ICE Totally Gaming expo in London that all Entraction products will be shown under the IGT brand. IGT purchased Entraction for $115 million last March.
"At ICE, conference attendees will see how IGT's poker network is a serious and competitive alternative for existing poker operators," the company said in a press release earlier this month.
The IGT Poker Network ranks 14th in real-money online poker traffic according to PokerScout.com. The company recently applied for a Nevada Gaming license to operate online poker when it becomes legalized in the state.
Visit IGT.com for more information.
888, Caesars Extend Partnership into US
Last March, Caesars Interactive Entertainment and 888 announced a partnership that would see 888 provide Caesars with the equipment, software, and security measures to operate online gaming websites in the United Kingdom. At the time, Caesars said the relationship was meant to build the World Series of Poker brand overseas, but it also had plans to extend the agreement into other markets like the United States when online poker was legalized.
Those plans moved a step closer to completion Tuesday as Caesars and 888 announced they were extending their U.K. licensing agreement to the U.S. Dragonfish, the business-to-business division of 888, will power a selection of Caesars' poker brands once online gaming is legalized and regulated in the U.S.
"Utilizing 888's state of the art poker platform, the agreement will allow the launch of a real money offering immediately as either Federal or state based regulation is finalized and upon licensing by gaming authorities," 888 said in a statement.
Read more at PokerNews.com.
We Are Poker
On Monday, PokerStars unveiled its third ad of its global campaign dubbed "We Are Poker." The ad features appearances from Team PokerStars Pros like Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Sandra Naujoks, Sebastian Ruthenburg and Liv Boeree. Have a look:
Live Poker Could Hit North Carolina
Last November, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue and the state's Cherokee Indians signed an agreement that would allow for live poker and blackjack to be played in the tribe's casino. Now, after two months of negotiations regarding concerns raised by some state officials, the governor's office said this week it is close to a resolution.
The agreement would sanction Las Vegas-style card games and send a percentage of the money from Harrah's Cherokee Casino to the North Carolina education department. The proposal could bring up to 400 additional jobs to the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel — a point that legislative leaders hope can win over concerned lawmakers when they return to Raleigh for a mini-session next month.
The Charlotte Observer has more.
Online Poker Traffic Report
On Monday, PokerScout.com released its online poker traffic rankings for the previous week. The tracking site reported an overall drop of 0.6 percent, with eight of the top 10 sites seeing a traffic decline from the prior week.
Despite maintaining its stranglehold over the competition, PokerStars has seen a consistent drop over the past few weeks. That could change in the near future as the site just unveiled its 75 Billionth hand promotion, which will reward at least 300 players with up to $1 million in prizes. PokerStars is also reportedly set to unveil Zoom Poker, which is expected to be a similar version of Full Tilt Poker's Rush Poker.
As for year-over-year numbers, online poker has seen a worldwide decline of 32 percent since this time last year. Most of that falloff can be attributed to the departure of Full Tilt Poker and the CERUES Network, but the International Poker Network (down 48 percent) has also seen a significant decline. Among the biggest climbers over the past year are the Merge Gaming Network (up 93 percent), 888poker (up 71 percent) and Bodog (up 44 percent).
Read the full report at PokerScout.com.
Greeting From France
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team has touched down in Deauville, France, for the latest stop on the European Poker Poker. On Tuesday, Sarah Grant briefly stepped away from the tournament floor to explore some of the city's historic destinations.
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
