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a name up) to pay up $300 million in return for not getting sent to federal prison for apparent violations of the super-outdated and vague Wire Act.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.