Poker in the News

Absolutepoker.com is offering to pay a semester's tuition to the winner of a massive Texas Hold'em tournament that is taking place on their site.

The site expects 5000 players to sign up to compete.

Our old friend, Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, of course doesn't think this is a good idea--- "This raises serious concerns. If a student had to smoke a carton of cigarettes a day for a year for a scholarship, there'd be a huge outcry."

Keith Whyte--- you're a putz. We're talking about a scholarship for higher learning, given out by an online poker site, to the winner of a FREE tournament.


HoustonChronicle.com - Online poker tournament offers college scholarship

Beginning July 1, organized poker tournaments will officially be illegal under Iowa state law.

The recently passed bill amends current legislation which allowed differing opinions of state law. The previous law dealt with "bona fide contests", legitimizing games like cribbage, dominos, pinochle, and "similar contests".

The new amended subsection specifically states that poker, blackjack, craps, keno, and roulette cannot be considered "bona fide" contests, removing all ambiguity from the current law.

What kind of moron thinks that dominos is more of a bona fide contest than poker? Evidently, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is that kind of moron.

WCFCourier.com | The Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier Online!

Daniel Negreanu, the World Series of Poker's Player of the Year in 2004, will be at Ohio State University for a charity poker tournament to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Negreanu will be giving a brief speech on tips and strategies in the game of poker and about gambling responsibly.

Event organizers expect about 300 people to sign up for the $10 charity tournament.

Top poker player to host games in Union - The Lantern - Campus

Jockey Jeremy Rose, rider of Afleet Alex during the Kentucky Derby, could face a fine for wearing an advertising logo for an online poker site.

Rose wore an advertisement for ParadisePoker.com on his pants during Saturday's race. Churchill Downs spokesperson John Asher said that Rose's ad had not been approved and that track rules bar riders from advertising for competing sponsors. ParadisePoker.com competes with Youbet.com, a Churchill Downs online betting partner.

KRT Wire | 05/12/2005 | Poker logo worn by Afleet Alex could result in fine

Entire *short* article:

Fans of Texas Hold’em and other card games may have more to cheer about. The Alaska State House has approved card rooms for Alaska towns and villages with less than thirty thousand people.
The Bill allows betting on games such as poker, rummy, bridge and cribbage, but ONLY IN regulated card rooms.

Earlier this week, a measure was approved for cities with thirty thousand people or more.

KTVA.com - Home

"The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is trying to decide whether gambling could be allowed on central Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation."

"The confusion stems from a provision of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allows tribes to engage in the same types of gambling that the state allows for other groups. Several judges said Wyoming's law was so tangled they couldn't determine what is allowed and what is illegal. "

Here is the interesting part though----"Crank said the law prohibits "professional gambling," which is defined as when the house keeps part of the betting or when one party in the game has better odds of winning than others. But the law specifically allows pari-mutuel and calcutta betting and other forms of nonprofessional gambling as long as devices are not used and they are part of a social relationship among the players. "

Does any sort of poker count as "professional gambling"? Clearly some parties have better odds of winning than others, depending on skill level.

Wyoming gambling laws stump federal court - billingsgazette.com

Article about problem gambling--- some interesting stats (and some questionable ones)

National Council on Problem Gambling (I'm not a big fan of these worriers) says that 1% of American adults, about 3 million people, are pathological gamblers. Unless, in fact, they are pathological liars pretending to be gamblers.

They estimate that another 2-3% of adults are at risk, with at least two of the symptoms described by the American Psychiatric Association:

Definition of pathological gambling

Pathological gambling involves five or more of the following:

Preoccupation with past, present, and future gambling experiences and with ways to obtain money for gambling.

Need to increase the amount of wagers.

Repeated unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop.

Becoming restless or irritable when trying to cut back or stop.

Gambling to escape from everyday problems or to relieve feelings of helplessness, anxiety, or depression.

Trying to recoup immediately after losing money (chasing losses).

Lying about gambling.

Committing illegal acts to finance gambling.

Losing or jeopardizing a personal relationship, job, or career opportunity because of gambling.

Requesting gifts or loans to pay gambling debts.

Adapted from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, 1994.

All professional gamblers would qualify for at least 2 of these symptoms, in my opinion.

MSN Health & Fitness - Problem gambling

The two men who are suspected on trying to rob World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer last Dec. 20 at the Bellagio were arrested in San Diego today.

The police recieved a tip that Kevin R. Joy and Deem Cassim were selling toy helicopters-- TOY HELICOPTERS!!-- at a Del Mar Fairgrounds gun show.

Raymer had fought off the two men and didn't give up his money even after one of them pulled a gun. Security cameras captured the incident and the men were identified by Las Vegas police.

Newsday.com: Pair suspected of robbing poker champion arrested near San Diego