The vice President of Casino Operations for Norwegian Cruise line was quite thrilled to have gone through this merger with pokertek and recently commented that they are eager to showcase the successful pokerpro on one of their newest cruise liners, The Norwegian Peral.He also commented that the ship is offering tremendous options of entertainment and fun such as Bowling, rock climbing and automated poker which is of course one of the more exciting selection. Recently installed with in the ships Casino, Poker pro offers an array of traditional table games including a wide range of slots which are not currently being offered by any of their competitors. Previously the installations that were used on other Norwegian cruise ships proved to be a great success therefore they are expecting an even higher rate of success and salutations by the customers onboard the Norwegian Cruise line.

Pokerteks vice president of Sales Robert Perry commented that Poker pro is a tool used to provide customers of cruise ships with that extra added touch of glamour and new technological facilities in a cost effective manner. Automated poker table related software’s help to efficiently increase casino revenues by plummeting expenses and drawing new players into poker rooms.

PokerPro offers fun, fast and error free interactive poker games. Basically Poker Pro is an electronic poker game that is played without a dealer. Seated around a table the players have screens in front of them and they play the same way they do wait a live dealer. Everything from the dealer to the chips is computerized in poker pro which leads to its unacceptability with certain players. This computerized version of poker is ten times faster than a live dealer as it can deal more hands per hour .Though players prefer to see the cards being dealt in front of their own eyes the response is quite strong towards Poker pro as other casinos are also buying into this idea.

The financial figures of the deal have been kept confidential so far, the cruise line is expected to be a great success among the poker players.

With the best Faculty teaching the poker players the tricks of the trade one set of modules will concentrate on overcoming large field, deep stack, live tournaments the camps structure will allow 60 players to put what they have learnt in their daily lessons to test each evening. Once the lessons come to a halt the players will participate in an exclusive poker tournament to practice their skills.

With the inclusion of Poker 101 the sessions will help the players differentiate between odds and outs. Poker players who have qualified for the PokerStars Caribbean adventure will permit entrance to their guests. Families and friends can also join in this exclusive and grand event and participate in several sessions that will be open to a much wider audience. Also providing sessions for a much wider audience the PokerStars camp is an opportunity of a lifetime, one that may not be available in the market again. So players with the obsession for this game are urged to participate and take advantage of these privileges.

Several other services are also available at PokerStars for players to get their position in the Poker Camp. A much more convenient way of reserving a spot for yourself at this grand Adventure is to buy-in directly using any one of the PokerStars Currencies such as cash, FPPS and W$, or players can qualify through online poker satellites tournaments for as little as $11.

Pokerstars is one of the very few poker rooms that allow US citizens as well as Russian to participate in tournaments.  Running from January 25th to February first the buy in is set to $5000.The Moscow tournament will be initiated between February 22nd and 28th and the buy in for this event will be $10,000.playing against Demidov will be Kravchenko, the first Russian citizen ever to have won a World Series of Poker bracelet. He is also the highest earning Russian ever. From the present date to 30th December The Satellite hosts of this grand event will be Pokerstars.any player can win a seat for as little as $2.22 or 111 Frequent Player Points. The extremely talented local players as well as satellite players can probably make these two events the biggest tournaments to be ever conducted in Russia.  Check for Online Poker Rooms accepting US players.

Up till today, the biggest ever Poker tournament ever conducted in Russia was in 2007, the Moscow Million. With only 50 players as opponents Antanas “Tony G” Guoga won the title and an exceptionally good amount of $200,000.Poker stars offers you a chance to become part of this adventure and that too for a very nominal price, the coming new year has much to offer, a chance to play poker against the best and a chance for you to achieve supremacy over all odds .Taking place in the land of Vodka and the great St. Basilica, Russia awaits your arrival. Get ready for a time of your life and do not miss this exciting chance to play against the best of the best, book yourself a seat now and be part of a historical event in the making.  Visit our live schedule of Internet Poker tournaments.

I am an avid gambler, and I have decided to spend less on my gambling. Now when I go to a casino, I take less money, and I stick to a very tight budget. Also when I gamble online, I tend to either play free rolls or lower limits.

I am not the only one out there who is following this practice, more and more are cutting back on their gambling. This is not something the casinos both live and online really want to see. It’s going to be up to the casinos to do something to entice the players. They need to start looking at the comp aspect. Perhaps offer a free meal or two, or maybe a discount on room. They need to do all they can to get gamblers back

Unless and until the economy gets straightened out, be it either by the government, or by the private sector, then people will be forced to drasticly limit their spending on non-essential items and unfortunately gambling falls squarely into this catagory.  This a simple cause and effect situation, if nothing is done to correct the situation, then the downward spiral WILL continue.

Dec. 31, 2008, 4:11AM

What I’m about to say may surprise you. You might be a cheater and not even know it.

If you are in a poker game for money and are taking it easy on one of your buddies, you are cheating yourself, your friend, and every other player in the game. I realize that’s a bold statement, but it’s absolutely true.

In the poker world, we have a term for this type of play. It’s called soft playing. When two friends, spouses, relatives or flat out cheaters don’t bet against each other, they’re soft playing.

Soft playing destroys the integrity of the game of poker and it’s wrong, flat out wrong.

I realize that many players have no idea that this behavior is so unethical. More often than not, soft playing (not to be confused with slow playing) is done innocently with no harm intended. Perhaps a gentleman doesn’t want to take a lady’s last $20. Or, one player doesn’t want to raise his friend because his friend is losing too much money.

Well, if you are so concerned with your buddy losing money, or if you’re trying to get a date, by not betting against a beautiful woman, try taking them both out to dinner after the game. The poker table is no place for compassion and kindness. I’m sort of kidding, but I think you get the idea.

The unintended byproduct of soft playing a friend is how it affects the action for the rest of the players at the table. For example, let’s say that you and a pal both make the final table of a No Limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament that pays the top five finishers. There are six players remaining and you and your buddy are still hanging in. Remember, the next player out gets nothing. Everyone at the table wants to see someone get knocked out so that they can finish in the money.

How do you think the other players at the table would feel if you are soft playing your friend?

By not playing hard against him, you are absolutely cheating the other players at the table. That may not have been your intention, but ignorance of the rule won’t get you off the hook when you get caught. Soft playing in a tournament can result in severe penalties, including disqualification to both you and your friend.

Poker is not a team sport. It’s every man for himself. It’s perfectly okay to root for your buddies and hope they do well, but when it’s time to play the game, you have to give it your all.

All by yourself, that is.

Soft playing is, more often than not, totally innocent. But you need to be aware that there are snakes out there, and it’s important that you spot them before they team up against you.

If you’re playing online and you smell something fishy, e-mail customer support and have them investigate. At reputable poker sites, a representative will look into your claim by reviewing the hand(s) in question, as well as the betting history of the suspected cheaters. If suspicious betting behavior is detected, the crooks will be banned from the site and you will likely receive a refund for the money you lost due to player collusion.

If you see something strange in a live game, notify the floor man immediately and ask him to investigate

SunPoker.com manager claim they have made the process of playing the new games a seamless transition. If you have any questions you could contact them at migration@SunPoker.com . Here are some of the most common useful FAQ related to the SunPoker.com migration.

When will the new software arrive?
The new software will become available in December 18. The new site will be launched once the new software is available.

Can I download the new software??
You can download the new software by clicking on any download button on the SunPoker.com site or visiting the download page.

What will happen to my current account?
Part of the move to the new system includes moving your account across on your behalf. Your comp points will be transferred over to your new account. Your old account will automatically be closed after your funds have been transferred. Please allow 1 - 3 days for the process to be completed.

Will I have to open a new account?
No, your old account details will be transferred to the new system. To get the new account details you need to log into the new account, visit the My New Account Details section

If you are not yet a registerd player, please Join SunPoker.com Now to become part of the iPoker network.

Andy Hindmarsh stated earlier that when a player is given a chance to play in an exclusive online event where the stakes are high and the prize extravagant, you never know you might just end up producing the next Allen Cunningham. Having someone like him at LTD poker would make them extremely proud. Fundamentally the Rake Race follows a leaderboard format where the players can earn LTD poker points by the rake they have created in at least one of the selected online poker rooms. The only thing that is required of the player is to remember to track an exclusive account in their profile.

With a format as simple as this one you are destined to win exciting prizes, basically the players have to register for a free account at the LTDpoker.com website and then play at any of the desired top online poker rooms through the LTDPoker site. Players can win prizes just for participating in the event. With the action expected to reach feverish heights in January , any player who has pocketed 25 Points and above will be handed a secret tournament pass so that they can put all their concentration towards winning the battle for the Title of Ultimate Rake Race Champion!

Competing for the title of Ultimate Rake Race Champion the players at LTDpoker will be able to leave with an exclusive and exciting prize .The wined of the event will be able to bag away a year of player sponsorship at a top online poker room worth up to $55,000. Although the idea a gaming tournament giving free entries doesn’t really create that much hype but that’s the main highlight of this exhilarating event, it has everything that can entice you into making yourself a part of it. This Ultimate Rake Race has created a real buzz in the online poker community!

During the Validation process, the passport, driver’s license, government ID card or Military ID card is required. A completed and signed affidavit of eligibility as well as a W-9, which is a form required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), must be submitted to Zosoz officials in order for larger amounts to be processed. A copy of these documents must be sent to Zosoz, a Limited Liability Company, at “1247 Gun Club Road, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, 55110.”Zosoz also stated that after the validation process has ended and ceases operations the data stored in the company’s computers will be deleted.

Expected to take six week the refunds final date of issue will be somewhere around the end of January 2009.As opposed to an online gambling site Zosoz.com was a subscription online poker room that charged its members with a fee of $19.99 per month. Zosos emphasized the social networking aspects of its business model which functioned as sweepstakes. The closure of Zosoz leave Pure play and ClubWPT as the two Major subscription online poker rooms available in the market. The former, like Zosoz, charges $19.99 per month. It offers over $150,000 in prize money. . In a world that faces complete economic meltdown several other subscription-based companies have shutdown.  Zosoz.com was owned by two Midwestern entrepreneurs. After the company’s debut, members of the online poker forums revealed that checks form the company were bouncing which led to the shutdown and complete annihilation of the company’s web site.

Find more Online Poker Rooms accepting US Players.

Alexander Kostritsyn Captures 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event

Annually the largest poker gathering in the southern hemisphere is the Aussie millions, with the winner of the AUD $10,000+500 main event instantly joining pokers upper echelon of poker pro players. In the year 2008 that honor went to Russia’s Alexander Kostritsyn, who broke into a grin after achieving his victory over American star Erik Seidel for the title.

Harrah’s Sale Completed

Harrah’s, a gargantuan charisma in America’s brick-and-mortar casino and amusement industry. The buy out that was initially going to be negotiated in December of 2006, wasn’t finalized until January 28th, 2008 due to authoritarian requirements. When 2008 brought a financial-markets crisis, the configuration of the buyout became difficult to manage.

Antigua, Costa Rica File for WTO Arbitration

The World Trade Organization had an ongoing heated discussion about the United States and the rest of the world regarding online gambling .The disagreements finally seized after the WTO issued a final declaration in favor of Antigua & Barbuda, giving way an annual $21 million trade judgment in the process.

Kahnawake Releases Final Audit on Absolute Poker Scandal

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, stationed near Montreal. In 2008 the gaming commission issued its official final evaluation on the Absolute Poker situation. Keeping the name of the principle cheater involved confidential, the existence of the seven different accounts used for the theft was established, and announced a $500,000 penalty placed on Absolute Poker. Thus refunding the online poker players with $1.6 million after the thefts were uncovered.

Bart Tichelman Wins WSOP-Circuit Tunica Ring

From offering several stars to the unknowns the World Series of poker this time has run a different array of tables. With a final that offered reigning WSOP Player of the Year Tom “Donkey Bomber” Schneider including the noted tourney-circuit veterans as Ryan Young, Jordan Rich and Mark Garner .Even thought with all the shimmering champions present it was Atlanta’s Bart Tichelman who overcame an early short stack and surged to the win, worth $482,210

European Union Investigates Germany, Sweden

In regards to online gambling Sweden and Germany are among the dozen or so EU member countries which come under the trading bloc’s guidelines in regards to online gambling. In both cases, the countries had sought to shield lucrative state-run gambling monopolies by efficiently excluding private contests, a practice not allowed under EU trade rules. Continuing with the negotiations the industry awaits to see the future Europe has to offer with regard to online gambling.

Proceeding at a fast clip, the special tourney is also likely to be capped well in advance of its start. Better get your seat now because the advance reservations are on a roll.  Dont miss your chance to witness this exclusive event and win enormous amounts of money. Carrying a modest $10+1 entry the Dec. 28th event will be scheduled for 3:30 pm ET. Formulating it necessary to be run as a “turbo” event the enormity of the number of entrants will be evident with ten-minute levels and ten players per table. By midday on December 17th over 3,500 players had been catalogued for the tournament. This season the players can risk it all and win big bucks but lets not forget

Online poker players that are interested in the internet poker tournament can search for the event by its number (#126551369).By selecting the “Tournaments” and “Special” tabs from the main PokerStars lobby you can look for it. PokerStars is heartening the tribute pool as well, assuring $500,000 for the event, regardless of it being capped at 35,000 players, which will be created with 3,000 chips each. Planning to award the top 8,750 finishers, Poker stars will be defining the following significant ten days as paydays:

1st: $30,000
2nd: $20,000
3rd: $15,000
4th: $10,000
5th: $7,500
6th: $5,000
7th: $3,500
8th: $2,500
9th: $2,000
10th: $1,500

With such hype among the online poker players the days before the internet poker tournament will be as unnerving as the days following the tournament when the official results will be announced. All official Guinness record attempts will be recorded and the tournament results will go through the firm’s verification process. The next six weeks will prove as the most stirring days of the online poker players’ life.