Peter Eastgate Wins 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event!

It’s been a long 4 months for the members of the “November Nine” to finally get down to business. Well, this past weekend, they finally got to it - each of them with their eyes on the $9 million dollar 1st place prize!

And after it was all said and done, the hearts of 8 other poker players would be beaten down and broken….while the last player standing would prove to make improbable WSOP history with his amazing heads-up victory.

After an exhausting final table that featured some of the sickest beats I’ve ever witnessed in recent memory, super cardrack Peter Eastgate would prove to be unstoppable as he beat the odds-on favorite from Russia, Ivan Demidov, heads up. With nearly 200 spectators crammed into the ESPN area of the Rio to watch the final table wind down, Demidov hit an unlikely two pair (4’s and 2’s) on the turn of the final hand. However, that turn also completed a gutshot wheel draw for Eastgate, who held A 5. The river card bricked out, prompting Demidov to make a very wreckless move in which he moved all-in, where he was instacalled by the 22-year old Danish pro that many nicknamed “the Ice Gate.”

Showing relatively little emotion, Eastgate was engulfed by his hometown crowd as he looked around in pure shock at the feat he had just accomplished. Peter Eastgate was officially the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever, beating the record set by the legendary Phil Hellmuth back in 1989.

Oh yea, he also took home $9,000,000 and change and a shiny platinum bracelet for his 1st place efforts….

Here are the final results from the 2008 WSOP M.E. final table:

1. Peter Eastgate $9,152,416

2. Ivan Demidov $5,809,595

3. Dennis Phillips $4,517,773

4. Ylon Schwartz $3,774,974

5. Scott Montgomery $3,096,768

6. Darus Suharto $2,418,562

7. David (Chino) Rheem $1,772,650

8. Kelly Kim $1,288,217

9. Craig Marquis $900,670

Doyle’s Room Leaving U.S. Market - AGAIN.

I just received a fun little message from DoylesRoom.com Support earlier this evening stating that the mega-popular poker room is leaving the United States market….for a 2nd time! UGH!

After taking a few month hiatus back in 2007 and jumping ship (the first time) due to UIGEA problems, Doyle’s Room furiously jumped back onto the U.S. scene again with revamped software and a lot of great tournaments and cash games. There was much renewed hope they would be sticking around for good this time, and that it might even set a precedent for other poker rooms to follow suit.

Unfortunately, it looks the party is once again over for them as their software provider over at MicroGaming just recently announced earlier in the week that they were exiting the U.S.A. after aggressive actions being sought by the Kentucky court systems to ban online gambling in their state.

The good news is they might be coming back for a 3rd go-around - but most likely with a different software provider and a new look.

The Cake Poker Network is one of the top companies on their list as far as software goes, but also in the mix are Merge Gaming and a handful of other smaller providers. However, only time will tell folks.

The Professor will keep you updated on this interesting story as it develops.

Here’s the official press release they sent out to affiliates of the room like myself, enjoy:

DoylesRoom.com has been informed by its software provider that effective Monday November 10th, 2008; they will no longer be accepting any new players from the United States of America. Existing players from the USA will not be affected by this and will be able to continue playing; therefore, all affiliate revenue generated by these players will be honored. This measure does not affect affiliates located in the USA.

Based on the above, DoylesRoom.com has decided to continue its marketing efforts in the USA and the rest of the world, and to this end we are quickly working towards migrating to a new software platform that will support our efforts to provide security and stability to all USA players and affiliates. Once we migrate to this new platform, our retention department will contact all those new players that tried to join during this transition and help them access the account they attempted to create and by doing so, all affiliate tracking codes will be still attached to each players’ account.

Currently, we are negotiating with multiple software providers. As soon as a decision is made, we will send you another email with all the details.

RedKings Poker Adds Two Swedish Pros To Their Arsenal.

RedKings Poker, one of the hottest poker rooms in all of Europe right now (I know I know, I wish they were in the U.S.A. too, trust me…have you seen their bonuses???!!!), has just made a major announcement with the addition of two new Swedish poker pros to their family.

Here’s the press release in its entirety, so show your love and support for RedKings (come on Canucks and Euros, help the Professor out!) and check out the official RedKings Poker Review on the site today and get familiar with some of the sickest bonuses on the Net right now!

*NOTE: Did I mention I’m giving away $20 free bankrolls to the next 5 players who download the RedKings software by the end of November? Email me at AZGambler83 [at] gmail [dot] com with your username and signup and I’ll make sure to get you hooked up proper!

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RedKings signs Two Swedish Poker Aces (official Press Release)

Jonas “Molle” Molander and Ramzi Jelassi, two of Sweden’s most exciting young poker players have today signed to play live for RedKings Poker, one of the fastest growing Online poker rooms on the Net.

The deal ensures that the two young Swedes will represent RedKings over the following year playing the biggest tournaments both online and Live all over the world. Combined with already very successful online careers these two 22 year olds are both considered poker prodigies in Sweden.

They have played poker on the live circuit with many money finishes and EPT tournaments under their belts and both played this year’s main event in the WSOP.

Commented RedKings Michael Golembo “RedKings is delighted to have Jonas and Ramzi join our team and we welcome them to RedKings Poker. They are both hugely talented and successful poker players and great guys both on and off the tables. They are a perfect fit to the RedKings Brand and we look forward to working with them!

Jonas “Molle” Molander’s biggest win live was at the Helsinki Freezeout where he won over $120 000 and his total live winnings now exceed $400 000. His most recent money finishes include 13th in EPT Barcelona and 20th in EPT London.

Ramzi Jelassi finished 20th in the most recent Barcelona EPT but his biggest win so far was first in a World Championship Heads –Up side-tournament event a couple of years ago. Total live winnings to date exceed $300 000.

In addition to their live successes both have impressive online careers winning more online than their combined live winnings. With this being their first Pro Contracts both players will now be able to focus more on live events and hope to win more live then online under the RedKings banner.

Commented Ramzi and Jonas “We are very excited to get this chance but also very keen to prove that RedKings has chosen the right players to sponsor, it motivates us even more to score that big win in an EPT or WSOP.”

The first appearance under the RedKings flag will take place in the upcoming Amsterdam Classic and maybe we will see the battle of these two newly crowned Kings in the heads up!?

www.redkings.com is the fastest growing online poker room on the Ongame Network and operates in over 17 languages. Established just 2 years ago RedKings has tournament guarantees now of over $15,000,000 with its flagship Grand Tournament providing a guarantee of $1,000,000 later this month. Introducing the online GSOP (Grand Series of Poker) in just over 3 weeks, RedKings is fast becoming the first choice for many of the world’s best poker players.

George Bush Aide Aiming to Push Forward UIGEA in Congress.

It seems like UIGEA just won’t go away…

Or at least in the eyes of us online poker players, just overturned already.

In a surprising twist of events that’s been recently unfolding on Capitol Hill, rumors are swirling wildly that William Wichterman, a close aide of current U.S. President George Bush, is trying to exert “considerable political pressure” to push forward UIGEA.

According to Politico.com, who first reported the story, it looks as if Wichterman has been working very closely with a high-ranking Washington lobbyist to not only to ban online gambling in America, but to also impose harsh penalties on any financial institutions, banks, and credit card companies who allow U.S. citizens to fund such “illegal” online wagering accounts.

The Bush administration is trying to get the process rolling before Barack Obama is sworn in as George Bush’s Presidential successor on January 20th, 2009. Many online poker opponents such as Arizona Senator Jon Kyl are aiming to have the UIGEA guidelines put into place before November 17th, 2008, which is around the same timeframe in which the new Democratic Presidential administration can make things a bit more difficult to pass any new laws or bills.

House Financial Committee leader Barney Frank is hoping to put a stop to any additional lobbying efforts for the implementation of UIGEA, and has vowed to continue working side by side with the PPA to ensure there’s plenty of wiggle room in the next few months to have such a vague law overturned. I’ll try and report on this story as much as possible as it unfolds even more over the next few days.

Giving Up College For Poker?

A new debate has cropped up across college campuses across the nation - especially with the booming popularity of poker amongst young people.

Should college students quit school entirely to play poker full time?

The arguments for and against are both very compelling.

College is just another school to some and to others it is their next step for their future.

Opponents have very clear arguments against quitting college to play poker full time. One of their most interesting arguments is the fact that most people who quit school do not make an adequate income to support themselves. Beginning players often fail to grasp the intricacies of playing full time poker. Not to mention that it takes dedication and patience to make any real money in the gambling world.

A second argument is that poker is a highly addictive sport. It can lead to long periods of non-socialization, lying to supporting family about where they are spending their money, and massive credit card debts. Being is such debt not only harms the individual but also hurts the people who support that person. Read any poker forum on the internet and you will see what I’m talking about. Kids going busto on daddy’s credit cards or not being able to pay their backers when they go on massive downswings.

The last main argument is that dropping out of college now will not led to that obtaining that degree. It can be difficult to go back to college when older, especially when surrounded by everyone who is younger. Furthermore, it means making sacrifices when lifestyles change and now there is a family to support.

Proponents of dropping out of college make the argument that they are financially supporting themselves and no longer depend on their family for support. Easing the burden of paying for costs of college. Also many of them are single and do not need the extra income to support a family.

For proponents, poker is not some addiction but rather a very fun job that many of them find interesting. It is something that they enjoy doing. Work becomes less like a job. Also, they can work this job any time of the day or night, allowing them to set their own schedules.

They also state that they are highly social and not hunched over introverts who live on the computer. They strive to achieve a balance between the computer and their social life. That they interact out on a regular basis and keep friendships among their college friends.

Both sides make a case for themselves but it is up to the individual to make the ultimate decision. Dropping out is not a light decision, it affects not only yourself and your future goals but those who have provide the support necessary to go to school. Remember, playing poker requires skill, a basis knowledge, and an ability to learn. All necessary ingredients required for college as well.

U.S. Economy Woes Hit Harrah’s and WPT Enterprises Hard.

The recent economic downturn in the U.S.A. has hit two of the biggest gambling companies in the industry particularly hard. Analysts knew revenue would be down for Harrah’s Entertainment and WPT Enterprises (home of the World Poker Tour), but they didn’t expect it to be down THIS much.

3rd quarter reports revealed that Harrah’s 2008 revenue was down over 19% compared to the same time in 2007. That calculates out to be nearly $130 million in losses the company has incurred due to the economical crisis the United States has experience in the past few months. Hundreds of layoffs are expected in the coming weeks, and with the slow season coming up for the casino industry, revenues are not expected to get better any time soon.

The same earnings reports also revealed that WPT Enterprises, home of the World Poker Tour, has been hit particularly hard as well from the U.S. financial disaster, with revenue dropping 39% alone in 2008. While it’s nowhere near the revenue-hit that Harrah’s experienced, it was still just another sign that the WPT is still not heading in the positive direction it had hoped to be heading in 2007, when revenue was on the up and up.

FTOPS X Kicks Off Today on Full Tilt Poker!

November 5th, 2008, marks the official opening of Full Tilt Poker’s extremely popular FTOPS events!

Tonight, it is expected that anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 runners will be entering the $216 Shorthanded NL Event #1. With a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool for the inaugural event for FTOPS X, there will no doubt be a ton of entrants hoping to get their share of the pie!

All in all, there will be 25 events that will be running from today through November 16th, where the FTOPS X Main Event will conclude with a $535 buyin and a whopping $2.5 million in guaranteed cash being put up by Full Tilt. The finale will also be hosted a special anonymous pro, which will add even more fun and suspense to the M.E.

To get signed up for FTOPS X, check out our official Full Tilt Poker reviewaments we have here on Gambling101.org.

John Juanda Wins 2008 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event!

Full Tilt Pro Takes Down Prestigious WSOP Title!

This year’s World Series of Poker Europe Main Event finale was definitely one for the ages. The final table would include two of the biggest poker superstars on the planet - John Juanda and Daniel Negreanu - battling it out against “November Nine” Main Event final tablist Ivan Demidov, revered online tournament pro Scott Fischman, and 5 other gritty opponents who played good enough to make it to the end of this £10,000 buyin event.

Demidov, who is the first person to EVER make two WSOP Main Event final tables in the same year, would join his fellow Russian comrade Stanislav Alekhin at the top of the chip standings as play began for the remaining 9 players. However, all the talk in the stands seemed to be pointing to chip leader John Juanda and Team PokerStars ambassador Daniel Negreanu, who between them have a total of 7 WSOP bracelets and countless millions in tourney earnings.

Unfortunately for Negreanu, who had been playing some of the best poker of the year at this particular WSOPE, would not be able to utilize his big chip stack and sick poker sense to push forward with any realistic momentum, came up short in finishing in a disappointing 5th place. He would be steamrolled by the aforementioned Russian Stanislav Alekhin’s pocket Jacks after his A-9 failed to produce a bullet on the board.

From there on out, all the attention would be focused on Juanda and Alekhin, who would eventually meet heads-up and butt heads for the £868,000 1st place prize. They played back and forth and the chip stacks were swinging wildly. At one point, Juanda was down to his final 900,000 in chips but made an insane rally to get it even towards the conclusion. After crippling his Russian rival, the following hand came up to give Juanda his 4th WSOP bracelet (thanks WSOP.com for the live update just now!):

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:33:09

John Juanda Wins the 2008 WSOP-Europe Main Event (£868,800), Stanislav Alekhin Eliminated in 2nd Place (£533,950)

Hand #484 - Stanislav Alekhin has the button. He moves all in and Juanda calls. Alekhin A-9 Juanda K-6. The flop is 6 6 2 and Juanda flops trips to the audience’s elation. The turn is a Q and Alekhin is drawing dead. To put the icing on the cake, the case 6 falls on the river for quads and John Juanda is our champion, winning the 2008 WSOP-E Main Event and his fourth World Series of Poker bracelet! Stanislav Alekhin made a tremendous effort tonight and takes home £533,950 for his runner-up finish.

Sources Confirm Russ Hamilton Behind UB Scandal.

Former WSOP Main Event champion Russ Hamilton has been found by investigators to be one of the main suspects behind the Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker superuser account scandals that robbed players of millions of dollars! Hamilton, who was apparently associated with the affiliate program at UB when they first launched, has now been fingered as a high priority suspect by the KGC and another security firm hired to audit the company.

Frank Catania Sr., president of Catania Gaming Consultants, has been working closely with the Kannawake Gaming Commission to figure out the key figures that were behind the controversy. Their final report includes Hamilton and several others as the main perpetrators of the much-publicized incident. The implication of these individuals carries some serious legal weight, and it is unknown whether they would be tried under international law or taken back to the United States to face trial.

The scandal, which was initially broken by online poker player Nat Arem, has been huge news as of late. The popular CBS program “60 Minutes” is set to air footage of the investigation into both AP and UB, and this will undoubtedly add even more fuel to a fire that has been burning for over a year now at the embattled company.

RedKings Poker Is The Newest Addition To Gambling101.org.

101% Bonus up to $1,001 Offered at RedKings!

Instead of some regular gambling news that’s been going on in the circuit lately, I thought I should tell the G101 faithful about one of our newest additions to the site, RedKings Poker.

RedKings is housed on the world-renown OnGame Network and is one of the sickest new poker rooms out there. It has amazing software, 24/7 customer support, and as I mentioned above offers one the best deposit bonuses on the planet. With tournament guarantees topping out at just over $15,000,000 a month and some of the softest cash game competition anywhere, the site has been really rising in popularity over the entire year of 2008.

Right now, the site is offering the Gambling101 faithful a special 101% deposit match up to $1,001! It is one of the highest in the industry right now and is one of the simplest bonuses to clear. Bonuses on RedKings are cleared once the entire Player Point threshold is cleared, and what ever the initial deposit was that you threw on will be immediately credited back to your player account.

For more information on this special sponsor, please check out our official RedKings Poker Review.

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