Absolute Poker and UltimateBet Claim Deadline Extended The deadline for filing a claim on funds lost to the Absolute Poker and UltimateBet scam was extended to September 7, 2017.  The original date was June 9, 2017.  No explanation was given as to why the date was pushed back 90 days.  It is likely that this […]

All MGM Resorts poker rooms raised rake from $4 to $5 this week.  The move affects poker rooms at Aria, Bellagio, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and Mirage.  The rake cap at the Luxor poker room remains at $4 until it closes on June 18. The rake is not the only money MGM takes out […]

Party Poker Brings Back Rakeback Party Poker has struggled to compete with the world’s largest poker site.  The company attempted to change its way by removing rakeback and going to a rewards system geared towards casual players. That concept must not have worked as now Party Poker pays players cash back weekly based on the […]

The Luxor told employees in a Friday meeting that the poker room will permanently close on June 18.  It will remain in full operation until that date. The poker room is holding a $17,000 jackpot pool.  A Luxor representative reached by phone Friday said that this money would be distributed to players starting May 27.  The poker […]

The World Series of Poker is just two weeks away.  Organizers released information on several changes that will occur for the 48th World Series of Poker, held at Rio just west of the Las Vegas Strip. ESPN Feature Tables Move to Brasilia Room ESPN will move its three feature tables from the Amazon Room to […]

PKR Files Bankruptcy PKR officially filed for bankruptcy protection this week.  The Microgaming Poker Network site closed suddenly last week.  It appears that PKR is unable to pay player balances.  This would mean that player funds were used to cover operating expenses.  There is no other likely explanation since players were not paid in an orderly […]

PKR Closes After 10-Year Run PKR launched in 2006 as the premier 3-D poker site.  It worked the social media angle as well as anyone. That’s why this week’s news that the site shuttered was a surprise.  PKR moved to Microgaming from its standalone site in March 2016.  The 3-D software was integrated into the […]

The Lodge at Deadwood in South Dakota held its Spring Poker Classic last week.  The promotional material related to it did not tell the whole story about what the event actually was. The advertising for the tournament stated that it had a $300+30 buy-in and that the house was adding $5,000, language that gave the appearance of […]

There are hundreds of poker tournaments this summer in Las Vegas.  Buy-ins start from $30 for daily tournaments up to World Series of Poker and High Roller events requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to enter.  Poker players at all bankroll levels will find tournaments within their comfort range. World Series of Poker The World […]

San Manuel Tribe Leaves California PokerStars Coalition The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians announced this week that it was leaving the PokerStars coalition in California.  San Manuel was one of the most powerful parts of the gaming interests that planned on partnering with PokerStars if California legalizes online poker in the coming years.  The […]

Ignition Casino Seating Procedures Changed The Pai Waing Luo Network changed seating rules for cash games this week.  The change affects Ignition and Bodog.  Cash game players must now choose a game, limit, table size and structure to get a seat on the network.  The software will then find the most appropriate seat for the player. […]

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York announced today that U.S. online poker players affected by the fraud at Cereus will have the opportunity to file a remission claim. Cereus was comprised of Absolute Poker and UltimateBet. The company and two of its executives were indicted on Black Friday. Joon H. Kim, […]

Server Issues Affect Winning Poker Network It was a tough week for the Winning Poker Network.  It was not long after the network became the largest U.S.-facing online poker platform that players started experiencing disconnects.  Sit and gos and tournaments were repeatedly canceled.  Winning Poker management moved the games to a different server earlier this week. […]

Australian Senate Bans Online Poker The Australian Senate voted to ban online poker this week.  The bill moves to the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass.  The move would amend existing online gambling regulations to outlaw all forms of online poker no matter where the site is actually operated.  Current law only […]

Black Friday US Attorney Fired By President It is the end of the road for Preet Bharara, the US Attorney behind the Black Friday indictments.  President Donald Trump’s administration asked for resignations from Bharara and 45 other US Attorneys.  Bharara refused.  He was ultimately fired by the Oval Office. Bharara is best known in the […]