Poker News 10th December 2009
Hello and welcome to this week’s poker news. I’m Gemma Healey
The European Poker Tour was in Prague this week and there was a dream win for local boy, Jan Skampa, who lifted the trophy in his home city.
Skampa claimed the six hundred and eighty two thousand euro first prize and with it, became the first player since season one to make back-to-back EPT final tables.
The next EPT event takes place on January the twentieth when it comes from Deauville in France.
In World Poker Tour news, The Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic kicks off on Monday at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
The Five Diamond became the World Poker Tour’s very first event when it was showcased in May 2002 and has stayed on as a yearly tournament ever since.
Last year, David “Chino” Rheem took the title – and one point five million dollars – by beating Justin Young heads-up at the final table.
And this year, Chino will look to hold on to his title as he battles against some of the biggest names in the poker business.
In politics news, twenty one year old World Series of Poker champion, Ben Cada, became the latest high profile name to meet the lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Ben and the Poker Players Alliance have teamed up in an attempt to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in 2006, which prevents online casinos from operating within the United States.
The law is reported to have cost legitimate poker sites hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue – and although online gambling is considered a legal practise in America, companies must operate their finances outside the nation’s borders.
The ongoing talks are described as “positive” and an amendment to the 2006 Act is expected to be announced within the first half of next year.
And lastly, Lady Gaga will finally get the opportunity to show off her ‘Poker Face’ as her number one hit becomes the official soundtrack to the Palms Hotel and Casino’s new ad campaign.
The record, which won Song of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards, contains a number of poker references and is seen as the perfect choice for the Palms’ ambitious campaign.
The link-up with Gaga will also see her perform at the Palms Pearl Theatre on December the 17th and 18th as part of the promotion. Well that’s it from Poker News. Join me again next week for all the latest developments in the world of poker.