Bodog Poker Launches New “Instant Play” Mac Software!

With the rise of Mac computers in households all around the world has come an ever-increasingly larger demand for gambling sites that are compatible with the new Mac OS’s.  Poker rooms like Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars were quick to jump on this popular market demographic, as were online casinos such as Club USA and Rushmore.  Well you can add yet another big name powerhouse to the limited family of Mac-friendly gambling websites - Bodog!

The revamped software has attracted thousands of new players to the site, and with the addition of this “instant play” version available for Mac users, there is no doubt that this will trend will continue on for a long time to come.  Right now, new players can open an account and start playing at Bodog right through their web browser, and instantly open up all the available cash games right at their fingertips.

The only downside that I can see so far is that if you want to play tournaments or sit-and-go’s, you will actually have to use some type of PC Emulator or Boot Camp program on your Mac in order to get the full download version of the Bodog software.  Right now, the “Instant Play” browser version of the Bodog client only allows for cash game play at the moment.  It’s a work in process, but at least it’s definitely a start for one of the most recognized names in the online poker room business.

Check out our other top-rated Mac Poker Rooms.

Vote For The Legalization of Online Poker TODAY - Vote for CHANGE Now.

Citizens of the world have been given an unprecedented opportunity to influence the actions of a President Elect’s first four years in office. President-Elect Barack Obama has launched a platform on ‘Change.gov’ where anyone can propose an action (or cause) for the new Presidential administration to take.

Once proposed, people can vote the cause up or down. The promise is that whichever causes get the most votes will become priorities for the incoming Obama administration.

One of the causes getting the most votes is to legalize and regulate online poker to help the economy through tax revenue from online poker sites.

As of this writing, the “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker” is hovering around the 5th - 10th place cause by number of votes.

We, the poker players of America, need every vote. And in this election, every vote counts. Vote for legalizing online poker at the citizensbreifingbook.change.org website.

The “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker” cause is summarized on the Change.org website by the following:

Let online poker players in the United States play legally and without fear of prosecution. Reform the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to exempt poker, a game of skill, from the law. Boost the economy by letting American companies and Ameican players make money and pay taxes instead of sending online poker businesses offshore. Protect online poker players by regulating the industry to ensure that no one is ever cheated.

There are currently over 1,300 comments as well, most of which are in strong favor of legalizing online poker. There is no reason why a free American citizen cannot play their favorite online poker download for a couple of bucks in the privacy of their own home when it perfectly legal to go to the local card club or casino and do the exact same thing in person.

One comment that summarizes the whole of argument rather succinctly is made by “dboy”:

This is win/win, the government can stop attempting to limit the freedoms of americans to spend their time and money as they please, and in return gain billions per year in tax revenue.

Even if you are against poker, no one is forcing you to play, but you will benefit from the taxes collected from those who do.

Poker is a skill game that is NOT played against the house, so there are also many skilled americans who earn additional income from it and the government should not be trying to take that away.

We have to realize that gambling is never going away, and we must also realize that it is better to regulate it than to prohibit it (because prohibitions do not work).

If you care about American freedoms; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and all that jazz, then get over to the Change.org poll and vote Yes! for online poker.

New Multi-Hand Blackjack Now Available at USA-Friendly RomeCasino.

New Multi-hand Blackjack Speeds Things Up for Those That Like Their Cards Fast.

RomeCasino.com welcomes USA Players and Currently has over $166K in Progressive Jackpots!

Players that like the thrill of Blackjack will really love the added excitement of playing up to four hands at one time as they can with RomeCasino.com’s new Multihand Blackjack. RomeCasino.com, one of the most popular US-friendly online casinos, has just introduced the new game to challenge players that like their game to move quickly.

“You feel like you’re in Vegas,” said RomeCasino.com CEO Josh Cartu. “Having a crowd standing behind you while bet every hand on the table.”

Multihand Blackjack plays just like regular Blackjack except that the player is essentially sitting at every seat at the table. This means that once one hand is played the player can quickly move on to another hand – no waiting for other players to play before the next hand is dealt.

“You’ve got more bets on the table so I guess you’re actually risking more than when you just play one hand at a time,” said one avid multihand player. “But you also spend less time waiting for others to play and for cards to be dealt. If you’re a good player, playing quickly and playing more hands actually means you can win more!”

RomeCasino.com’s biggest progressive jackpot is currently at $100,636 and is available on several of their slots and video slots including the extremely popular Red White and Blue slot machine. Between this jackpot and several other smaller ones there is a total of more than $166K in progressive jackpots up for grabs!

>> Download RomeCasino and Earn a 200% Bonus When You Sign Up <<

It’s no wonder RomeCasino.com is particularly popular with the most discriminating online casino players. Their games download faster than any other instant-play US online casino games and the unique multi-tabbed gaming feature enables players to play several different casino games at a time and switch between them instantly. Should a player tire of one game, they don’t have to close it down and re-load another game. They just switch from one game to another instantly by simply clicking on another open tab.

RomeCasino.com welcomes US players and is known for its wide variety of online casino deposit methods catering to the US players. It is one of the only online casinos to accept all three major credit cards easily and reliably.

Dwan Scores $6 Million - Dikshit Loses $600 Million - UB Blows It…Again.

Thank God for 2009, right?

Because those topics in the above headline were just a few of the fun gambling stories to hit the industry in 2008.  It was definitely a great - and controversial - year for online poker….and well, online gambling in general. And while the biggest highlights of my year was being able to launch this site, as well as take on this cool little news section as a little something extra for the reader base that visits, it sure wasn’t as crazy as some of the news stories that popped up during the latter part of ‘08.

I mean my God, Tom Dwan literally ripped through every opponent on Full Tilt Poker this year, turning table “RailHeaven” into his own personal stomping ground.  Final stats from some of the biggest datamining websites in the world show “durrr” clearing over $6,000,000 in winnings from internet poker this year alone!  In addition, it seemed like $500K+ pots were the theme of all the crazy high-stakes cash games that took place on FTP - with many in which had Dwan involved in some way, shape, or form.

Then, there was the sick decision by the US Department of Justice to basically force PartyGaming founder Anurag Dikshit (and no, we really can’t make that awesome of a name up) to pay up $300 million in return for not getting sent to federal prison for apparent violations of the super-outdated and vague Wire Act.  Dikshit recently went from a net worth of $1.6 billion according to Forbes magazine to just barely above $1 billion after the recent drop in Party stock from UIGEA passing in 2006 and the recent $300 million verdict that will be taken from his pocketbook over the next several years.  Yikes!

And to top off those shenanigans, the poker community was once again present to witness Ultimate Bet’s “world-class and newly-improved and MORE secure” software in its finest form when Phil Hellmuth scooped up a $5,500+ pot after LOSING against trip Kings in a Limit Hold Em heads-up match!  When the hand history was posted on a twoplustwo, the poker world was once again up in arms demanding answers - answers which they never got and answers that have left players unsure of UB’s latest debacle.  I really haven’t seen a fall from grace this bad since I read about that whole Lucifer/Satan/devil thing in the Bible back when I was a kid….and one can only hope that their latest programmer has already been fired and replaced by someone just a tad bit better with systems security and software glitches.

But hey - at least it’s officially 2009 and with it comes a new year, new hopes, new dreams, and more importantly - a FRESH start.  Hopefully we’ll be seeing more and more changes for the BETTER in the world of online gambling, especially in regards to UIGEA being overturned - and casino, poker, and sportsbook rooms working around the clock to improve and update their software more consistently so we can make new and existing gamblers feel a little more at ease with our industry.  There’s gonna be some BIG things in 2009….and I’m very prepared to take it all in and give back AS MUCH AS I CAN to the loyal followers of Gambling101.org.

The RGA Comments on the Recent PartyGaming Settlement With the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Remote Gambling Association has released a statement with their thoughts on the recent settlement between the DOJ and PartyGaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit.

As Gambling101.org previously reported earlier in the week, Anurag settled with the DOJ for $300 million recently as he agreed to plead guilty for violating US laws on Internet Gambling.

In the statement the RGA commented:

“This is the first time this Act has been applied to Internet gambling beyond sports-betting. Despite never offering sports-betting and ceasing to accept US customers for its poker and casino games when the still-controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was passed, United States District Judge Rakoff accepted the plea of Mr. Anurag Dikshit and a fine of $300M.”

Clive Hawkswood, the Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association, commented that when the shareholder was pressured into making a deal “a major line has been crossed and it could set a very worrying precedent.”

Hawkswood also criticized the United States authorities for not going after European online gaming companies and their continued breach of the World Trade Organization commitment. Hawkswood stated:

“These events show that the outgoing US administration and the Department of Justice have demonstrated a total disrespect for the legal rights of European online gaming companies and those associated with them and a complete disregard for US international commitments under GATS.”

Hawkswood also stated that the RGA will continue to work with the European Commission for protection and support and stated that the Commissions resolve will be strengthened by the United States continuous breaches of international law.

The RGA represents the world’s largest licensed, and stock market-listed remote gambling companies and provides the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators, and key decision makers around the world.

PokerStars Brings Back Instant eCheck Deposit Option!

The title says it all - PokerStars has finally brought back the eCheck deposit option for USA players. Besides credit cards, eChecks are the most convenient deposit option available, as they allow for instant transfers directly from your checking account. Also, PokerStars doesn’t charge any fees for using the eCheck option, so you’ll save a bunch of money over using a deposit service like Western Union.

To deposit using eChecks you’ll have to provide PokerStars with your 9-digit bank routing number, your checking or saving account number, your social security number, your date of birth, and your phone number. After your first eCheck deposit, you’ll have to wait 48 hours until you can make another deposit using eChecks. However, after you’ve had your first successful eCheck deposit you can make up to 4 deposits using eCheck transactions per 24 hours.

Although this is great news from PokerStars, eCheck deposits won’t work for everyone in the United States. The UIGEA bill attempts to limit financial institutions when it comes to processing gambling transactions, and some banks have followed the regulations. If your bank denies your eCheck transaction, it’s most likely because they won’t process online gambling payments. If that is the case, you’ll have to use another gambling deposit option like Western Union or Credit Card.

If you’re making your first deposit at PokerStars.com, you’ll be eligible for a 100% up to $50 match bonus. To redeem your bonus, sign up using marketing code “PSP7236” and make the deposit. After depositing, the bonus money will be held in your pending bonus account until you release it by earning PokerStars Frequent Player Points. To learn more read our PokerStars.com Review.

PokerStars also gives all new depositors entry into exclusive freerolls. They’re giving away $75,000 in these freerolls between now and Christmas, so make sure to sign up at PokerStars.com today!

PokerStars Announces Russian Poker Tour Events for 2009

PokerStars.com, the biggest online poker site in the world, has announced their plans to create the Russian Poker Tour - the first major tournament series ever for Russia. This news comes shortly after the second place finish of Russian Player Ivan Demidov in the 2008 WSOP Main Event. Demidov is a poker sensation in his country, and claimed multiple times during the World Series that Russia is an up and coming force in the poker world.

The Russian Poker Tour (RPT for short) will kick off on January 25th in St. Petersberg. The Nevskiy pr, Concert Hall Premier will host a $5,000 week long event culminating with the final table on February 1st. The next stop for the RPT will be Moscow, where a $10,000 buy-in event will run from February 22 to February 28.

To help jump start the tournaments, PokerStars is offering a slew of satellites to help players qualify for the big buy-in events. The lowest buy-in satellites are $2.22 buy-ins that qualify players for an $800 direct satellite tournament. There are also other satellite options, including $8.80 tournaments that send qualifiers to a $109 super satellite. Regardless of your bankroll, there is a satellite tournament at PokerStars that will give you a shot at a huge payday in the RPT. To learn more about PokerStars tournaments, or to get a great $50 sign up bonus, head over to our full PokerStars.com review.

PokerStars has also announced the structure of the RPT tournaments, and players will be pleased to hear that the structure is basically the same as most EPT events. Each player starts with 15,000 tournament chips, and levels increase every hour with periodic breaks throughout the day.

This isn’t the first poker series that PokerStars has sponsored. In fact, there are over five different tournament series that PokerStars has a hand in, including the European Poker Tour, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, and the Latin America Poker Tour. Every one of their prevoius tournament events have seen great success, and we expect the same from the Russian Poker Tour.

You can bet that all of the major Russian poker players will show up to both of these events, including Demidov, Kirill Gerasimov, and Alexander Kravchenko. With an improved economy in Russia, many citizens are finding more time for leisure activities such as playing poker, and as a result of that Russia has really had a big impact on the poker world both online and offline. We expect much more from Russian poker players in the future, so keep your eyes out.

Controversial AP/UB Online Poker Scandal Featured on CBS “60 Minutes.”

This past Sunday, the popular CBS program “60 Minutes” aired their investigation into the online poker scandals which involved online poker rooms Ultimate Bet and their sister site Absolute Poker, both of which are owned by Tokwiro Enterprises.

Steve Kroft, a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” traveled to several destinations to uncover parts of the scandal. When the program began it discussed the poker boom, which took place the moment when Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, as well as other facets of the industry that have been thriving ever since that historic day. Moneymaker’s $2.5 million win showed everyday Joes that they too could play poker and win tons of cash in the process - and that he truly cashed in on the best poker bonus possible by parlaying an online satellite into some very life-changing money at the WSOP.

The program then shifted its focus quite intimately on online poker. Steve Kroft stated:

“We should tell you that this $18 billion industry is illegal in the United States, but the ban is almost impossible to enforce since the internet sites and the computers that randomly deal the cards and keep track of the bets are located offshore, beyond the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement.”

Former WSOP bracelet winner Todd Witteles was on the interview block next. Todd is known for his online name “Dan Druff” on most popular poker sites, and he’s one of the owners of the notorious poker forum over at NWP. Todd commented on the “Graycat” superuser account as well, claiming that:

“This ‘Graycat’ person was new and at first he seemed like a live one. He seemed terrible. He was raising just really, really bad hands against very good hands. He seemed to play crazy. He seemed like he was giving his money away, except the only thing was, he wasn’t losing. He was playing in a style that was sure to lose, but he was killing the game day after day.”

There were several other interviews conducted during the course of the piece, 2 of which were affected by the cheating from such superusers like the aforementioned “Graycat,” as well as the notorious “POTRIPPER” account, which also stole countless millions from high-limit cash game players in UB ring tables.

Russ Hamilton, a former WSOP champion, was found implicated directly by investigators of masterminding the $20 million cheating scandal at Ultimate Bet and was named in a report distributed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, who was looking into the claims. Michael Delisle, who is the current head of the KGC, was grilled intensely during the show, asking why there wasn’t more being done to stop what was going on, and why so much was swept under the rug.

Delisle was also asked why Russ Hamilton and the five other accomplices involved in the KGC findings had not been charged with any crime. Delisle stated:

“We’re willing to work with anyone who wants to bring these people to justice. I believe that anyone else, named or not, will be brought to justice if they can be found.”

Steve Kroft had tried contacting Hamilton by calling his home directly, but unfortunately his has since gone unanswered - as have many questions still being asked about this superuser controversy.

Check out the full segment by clicking the Play button below:

UltimateBet and Absolute Poker Form the New CEREUS Poker Network.

On November 25th, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker joined together as one poker network called CEREUS. The transition is complete after many months of hard work and dedication from Tokwiro Enterprises.

It was announced back in July that the two poker rooms would be joining both of their skins into one, but the launch itself was delayed by a legal battle between Excapsa, the former owners of Ultimate Bet.

Cheating controversies have affected both online poker rooms and Tokwiro inherited the scandal when they purchased the business. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission stated in a November press release that Excapsa had to pay Tokwiro $15 million that would be used to “refund players who were affected by the cheating scandal that Tokwiro inherited when it purchased the business from Excapsa.”

This battle had held off the launch but now that it is settled, players can now enjoy the combined power of both poker rooms. CEREUS has a common platform that was built from scratch to offer players from the sites more features, larger scale tournaments, large Bad Beat jackpots, better guarantees and promotions - and most importantly, enhanced security.

Players are sure to be concerned about security measures after the cheating problems both site have incurred in the past. The owners have worked hard to ensure their players safety and meet all of their concerns. In a recent press release by CEREUS, the company stated that the following:

“delivers a secure, responsive and flexible online poker gaming experience to members of the UB and AP communities. The new poker platform is backed by leading technology and a 24/7 Security Center to deliver a watertight gaming experience for everyone at the tables.”

With both poker rooms joining together, CEREUS will become the 3rd-largest online poker room on the internet. Players can still play on their existing sites by simply logging in; the only change that should be seen is the larger number of players online.  You can also get Absolute Poker Rakeback or Ultimate Bet Rakeback through qualifying sites.

MMA Betting For UFC 92 Available Now at Sportsbook.com and BetUS!

Overview - UFC 92 Betting Lines

On the December 27th, 2008, UFC is being broadcast live from the MGM arena in Las Vegas. Dubbed as “The Ultimate 2008” and seen by MMA critics as one of the biggest Ultimate Fighting Championships in recent history, this historic event will be sure to bring the audience an explosive night of ultimate fighting action.

For the first time in a while it’s actually difficult to pick the “Main Event”, although the main fight for UFC 92 is being advertised as Forrest Griffin against Rashad Evans for Griffin’s UFC light heavyweight championship. With Rashad’s last fight at UFC 88 resulting in an impressive win over former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell he is the obvious number one contender for Griffin’s title.

Other fights such as Frank Mir versus Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira could and probably would command center stage at any normal UFC event - but being that this is being billed as the “Ultimate 2008” - this particular stage is far from normal being that the entire card is filled with high-quality match ups in every weight class.

Both of the aforementioned fighters have had impressive showings in their most recent fights. Mir’s first round knock out of Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and Nogueira’s submission of Tim Sylvia. This fight really could go either way although the bookies favor Nogueira with early UFC 92 odds at (-350) suggesting he is a big favourite over Frank Mir (+275).

Another bout from the UFC 92 main fight card includes Quinton “Rampage” Jackson against Wanderlei Silva. Wanderlei will be hoping he can make quick work of “Rampage,” just as he did against Keith Jardine in his last fight at UFC “Ill Will” 84. Quinton is looking to come back after he lost his light heavyweight championship to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.

Fights on the under card (preliminary bouts) include ultimate fighter finalist C.B Dollaway in action against Mike Massenzio and British Mostapha Al-turk making his UFC debut against Cheick “Unstoppable” Kongo.

UFC 92 Preliminary Fights

Yushin Okami Vs Dean Lister

Antoni Hardonk Vs Mark Burch

Matt Hamill Vs Reese Andy

Bradf Blackburn Vs Ryo Chonan

Dan Evensen Vs Pat Barry

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