The Nightly Turbo: Black Friday Principal Sentenced to Prison, EPT Sanremo, and More
Which Black Friday principal was handed a five-month prison sentence on Wednesday? We'll cover that story, plus the start of the European Poker Tour Sanremo, in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.
In Case You Missed It
Phil Hellmuth was the chip leader when the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event reached a final table on Wednesday. But while Hellmuth led the way, several notables were still in contention for the €1,022,376 top prize.
Michael Mizrachi climbed back into the top 10 of the Global Poker Index this week. Mickey Doft breaks down the biggest movers in this week's GPI rankings.
The WSOP Europe has provided some exciting moments. Chad Holloway looks at the Biggest Poker Hands from Week 2.
Max Steinberg won his first World Series of Poker bracelet this summer, and followed it up with a runner-up result at the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker. Steinberg joined the Strategy With Kristy podcast to discuss his thought process in a few pivotal hands during his deep WPT run.
Chad Elie Sentenced to Prison
Chad Elie, one of the 11 men indicted by the Department of Justice on Black Friday, was sentenced to five months in prison on Wednesday.
In March, Elie pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and operating an illegal gambling business in the United States. He admitted in court that he acted as a “payment processor” for the PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker, and deceived U.S. banks into processing hundreds of millions of dollars in online poker transactions.
Elie was slated to go to trial April 9 on nine charges including bank fraud, conspiracy, and violation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). He faced up to 85 years in prison, but, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, he'll serve five months in prison and hand over $500,000 in fines.
“I’d just like to apologize to my family and friends for the pain and disappointment I caused them and ask for their forgiveness,” Elie said in a brief statement to the court, according to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg has more.
Poker Festival in Sanremo
The European Poker Tour has made its way to Sanremo, Italy, where many of the world's top talents will compete in the EPT Sanremo Main Event and side events this week.
The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be providing live updates for the €5,300 Main Event beginning on Friday, Oct. 5. Among the pros taking part in the event includeDaniel Negreanu, Eugene Katchalov, Faraz Jaka, Andy Frankenberger, and former EPT Sanremo champs Liv Boeree, Andrey Pateychuk and Jason Mercier.
EPT Sanremo will also be holding a €10,300 buy-in High Roller beginning on Oct. 9. Other side events include a €2,100 eight-handed PLO Turbo, a €2,200 no-limit hold'em single re-entry event, and a €330 Women's Event. The first event, a €5,300 buy-in IPT High Roller, got underway on Wednesday.
Check out EuropeanPokerTour.com for the full schedule, and be sure to follow live updates right here at PokerNews.com.
Arkansas Court Rejects Casino Bill
A proposed bill that would have brought four casinos to Arkansas was rejected Thursday after the state's Supreme Court determined that language in the ballot measure failed to clarify information for voters.
The bill, proposed by poker player Nancy Todd, sought exclusive rights for Las Vegas-based Poker Palace LLC to run casinos in Pulaski, Miller, Franklin and Crittenden counties in Arkansas. The high court ruled in favor of Arkansas Racing Alliance, which challenged the wording of Todd's proposal. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel claimed that Todd failed to inform voters that the bill may prohibit electronic gambling at a horse track in Hot Springs and a dog track in West Memphis.
The measure will still appear on the November ballot, but the court ruled that any votes cast for or against it will not count, according to the Associated Press.
"While we sympathize with (Todd's) view that the revision was ostensibly made as part of a collaboration with respondent and the attorney general, the fact remains that (Todd) altered the text of their ballot measure even though all of their signatures were gathered under a different ballot title," the court said Thursday.
Read the full story by the Associated Press for more.
Ante Up!
Ante Up Magazine has announced the creation of a brand new tour which will see each lucky winner land on the front cover of the popular magazine.
The Ante Up Poker Tour will kick off on Nov. 19 at Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, Calif., and will feature up to 11 more tour stops a year, including the Ante Up Poker Tour World Championship at the Hard Rock Punta Cana. The Ante Up NorCal Classic will run from Nov 19 through Dec. 3, featuring a $100,000 guaranteed three-day Main Event that begins the day after Thanksgiving.
The first season of the Ante Up Poker Tour will also feature the Ante Up Poker Tour World Championship from July 28 through Aug. 4 at the Hard Rock Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and of course the winner of the $1,100 Main Event will be featured on the cover of Ante Up Magazine.
“Just as Ante Up Magazine was created to appeal to the ‘everyday player,’ the Ante Up Poker Tour is doing the same thing,” said Ante Up Magazine's Christopher Cosenza. “Those ‘everyday’ players will now know exactly what it takes to earn the admiration of friends and families by seeing themselves on the cover of Ante Up. Just win an Ante Up Poker Tour Main Event.”
Get more information at AnteUpMagazine.com.
Win Tickets to Manchester United vs. Braga!
PartyPoker has launched a promotion that will see someone — hopefully you — walk away with two tickets to the Manchester United versus Braga UEFA Champions League match on Oct. 23 plus expenses thrown in for good measure!
All you need to do to qualify is play poker at a real money table on PartyPoker between Sept. 24 and Oct. 7, and take a screenshot of anything you think may be interesting. If you are involved in a massive bad beat or cooler hand, take a screenshot of it. Then share it with the world. The owner of the screenshot with the most likes will win the package!
The one lucky winner will walk away with:
- Two tickets to the Manchester United versus Braga UEFA Champions League match
- Travel expenses
- Legendary Treble Suite hospitality
Read more about the promotion here at PokerNews.com.
Tom Dwan on Tilt
Tom Dwan was in Cannes Wednesday for the World Series of Poker Europe €50,000 Majestic High Roller. Sarah Grant caught up with him to talk a little about the tournament and a lot about the recent developments involving Full Tilt Poker.
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