REAL POKER MASTERY

Barring a last-minute breakthrough by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), U.S. Treasury, or Federal Reserve, the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will go into effect on Tuesday, June 1st.

In November, the Treasury and Federal Reserve granted a six-month delay in mandatory industry compliance with the UIGEA’s rules until June 1st. In the interim, it was presumed that the muddled 2006 law, which sailed through the Senate after being attached to an unrelated port security measure, would be clarified. However, with groundbreaking health care reform and a sagging U.S. economy taking center stage, Congress has been concerned with everything but internet poker.

Enter Tuesday’s compliance deadline. On May 25th, PokerTime officials distributed an e-mail to affiliates that succinctly read, “Due to legislative changes in the USA as of June 1st, 2010, PokerTime will no longer be accepting bets from U.S.-based players. All players’ balances in excess of $20 will be cashed out on the 31st of May 2010. We thank you for your support and patronage and look forward to continued success with you in other marketing territories.”

The UIGEA prohibits deposits from U.S. financial institutions to “unlawful internet gambling” sites. Despite being the U, I, and G in UIGEA, the three-word phrase was never defined by Congress. Instead, the law defers to a web of federal, state, local, and tribal laws to determine what is permitted. All attempts to clarify the law, including a petition from the PPA to exclude peer-to-peer games, have not yet come to fruition.

On the TwoPlusTwo forums, an 11-page thread that popped up in mid-April and was still going strong inquired as to what the lay of the land will be in the internet gambling industry come June 1st. One poster gave his two cents on what may occur: “My prediction is that, absent any legislative or legal relief, it will get incrementally more difficult for U.S. players to make deposits and withdrawals over time.” The UIGEA only affects deposits; however, online poker affiliates have noted that wire transfer minimums from major sites have increased in recent months.

In the background of the June 1st deadline is testimony from the recent House Ways and Means Committee hearing on internet gambling. Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), one of the architects of the UIGEA, admitted that it was up to the 50 individual states to decide whether internet gambling should be permitted. A decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals last September declared that the UIGEA, in and of itself, had not made any new activity illegal. Accordingly, states like California have been exploring legalized online poker as a way to curtail major budget shortfalls.

In a video posted on the PPA’s website, Executive Director John Pappas forecasted, “We don’t expect [June 1st] to be a doomsday scenario for online poker. To be clear, it is not going to be unlawful for you, the poker player, to play internet poker… Nothing should stop you from getting money off of an online poker site.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest UIGEA headlines.

Tweet This Post

In my last blog, I shared some of the Las Vegas locals’ secrets regarding food establishments. In this blog, I’ll be filling you in on some of the locals’ favorite things to do after busting out of a tournament.

The Las Vegas Strip is a major attraction in itself. If you don’t have a car, you can see it all on the Deuce, a double-decker bus that runs up and down the Strip from Mandalay Bay to Fremont Street. The Deuce costs $2 one-way or $5 for an all-day pass and runs every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours per day. Another form of public transportation is the Las Vegas Monorail. The Monorail costs $5 for one ride or $15 for an all-day pass and operates from 7:00am to 2:00am every day. The monorail stops at seven stations from the MGM Grand to the Sahara.

If you feel like you’ve been eaten up by the sharks at the table, you might want to venture over to the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef where you will come face-to-face with some real sharks and more than 2,000 sea creatures including rays, sea turtles, piranha, and schools of fish. For those really adventurous (and highly bankrolled) players, you actually can pay $650 and swim with the sharks if you are a certified scuba diver.

If you prefer a tamer form of entertainment, I highly recommend taking in one of Las Vegas’ many production and headliner shows. We are lucky to have six Cirque du Soleil shows in town. Five of them get a huge nod from me, with the sixth (Zumanity at New York, New York) getting a thumbs down. Here’s my personal preference: Love (The Mirage), O (Bellagio), Viva Elvis (Aria), Mystere (Treasure Island), and Ka (MGM).

If you want a great show featuring outstanding music, Jersey Boys at the Venetian is terrific. I saw Jersey Boys on Broadway and actually think the show at the Venetian is better. Le Reve at Wynn is another of my favorites and of course there are many great comedy shows around town.

If budget is a big concern, you should probably go to one of the Tix 4 Tonight or other discount show ticket kiosks and purchase half-price tickets. Note that they also carry tickets for some of the most popular shows, although the discount may not be 50%. The selection of shows varies from day to day and hour to hour.

If romance hasn’t been dampened by your bustout, I recommend the gondola ride at the Venetian. I was in Venice, Italy recently and the gondola experience at the Venetian is better in my opinion since the gondoliers are friendlier there and the price is less (approximately $50).

If you manage to sneak in a proposal as you go under the Rialto Bridge and are looking for a place to get married, Las Vegas has lots of quaint and unique chapels, each with a separate appeal. One of my favorites is the Graceland Chapel. It’s the original home of the “Elvis wedding” with packages starting at just $199. Little Church of the West is another great option.

If you want to blow off some steam and get out of the city, there are lots of “nature” things to do within a short driving distance of Las Vegas. Among my favorites are Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire. Red Rock is a national conservation area and located 17 miles west of the Strip with easy access by going west on Charleston Boulevard. It has a beautiful 13-mile scenic drive, a visitor’s center, more than 30 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, and picnic areas.

Valley of Fire is 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via I-15 (Exit 75). It’s aptly named for the red sandstone formations created by shifting sand dunes during the dinosaur ages. I recommend renting ATVs for a great ride through the area.

My favorite tourist attraction is Hoover Dam, which is 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona boarder. The tour of the dam is interesting and tells about how this engineering marvel was built with more than six million tons of concrete, enough to pave a highway 15 feet wide from San Francisco to New York City.

My favorite local park for picnicking is Sunset Park at 2601 East Sunset (near McCarran Airport). During the Christmas holidays, it becomes a winter wonderland lit up with holiday décor.

I was born to shop and love the Las Vegas swap meets. In the summertime, I recommend the Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet at 1717 South Decatur Blvd. as a great place to escape the heat. I prefer Broadacres Swap Meet at 2930 Las Vegas Blvd. North when the weather is nice enough to be outdoors. For malls, I think most locals and tourists prefer the Fashion Show Mall on the Strip.

Want to go to a movie? If you have a car, you will probably prefer the Rave Theater on the southern end of the Strip. It has 18 theaters, 18-inch stadium risers, and lots of legroom between aisles. The Brenden Theater at the Palms and the movie theater at the Orleans are also on my list of favorite places to watch a movie.

I love dancing, so will clue you in on some of my favorite local spots to cut a rug. For a special night out, the Fontana Bar at Bellagio has live entertainment and a nice dance floor. Plus, if you get too hot, you can always go outside and enjoy the fountain show from the Fontana’s balcony. The lounge at the Orleans has a small dance floor, but great entertainment. Other spots for dancing are the lounge at the Sahara, Mandalay Bay, and Cleopatra’s Bar in Caesars Palace.

If you are really adventurous, a new zip line has come to the area. Check out Bootleg Canyon Flightlines in Boulder City, about a 30-minute drive from Las Vegas. While in Boulder City, you could also try skydiving. If you’re a bit nervous about making the leap, Las Vegas has an indoor skydive facility at 200 Convention Center Drive.

For bowling alleys, there are lots of places to choose. I prefer the lanes at the Gold Coast and the Red Rock Casino.

One of my favorite pastimes is getting a massage. There are many massage and reflexology parlors in the Chinatown area of Las Vegas near Spring Mountain and Arville. The rates are reasonable, starting at about $35 for an hour of reflexology.

If you’ve really blown all of your dough at the poker tables, Las Vegas has many free attractions. Some of the best are the fountains and the conservatory at Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, the lion habitat at the MGM, the aquarium at the Silverton, the Fremont Street Experience, the show in the sky at Masquerade Village in the Rio, the Ethel M factory tour, and the laser show at Sam’s Town.

After my last blog about favorite locals places to eat, I got an e-mail from my buddy Hojo asking how I could have omitted his favorite spot, the 24-hour Fuddruckers at the Orleans. Hojo said they take phone-in orders and have great ribeye sandwiches, ostrich burgers, wild boar burgers, and elk burgers. It’s great for late-night bustouts!

I hope I’ve provided you with some great choices for things to do in Las Vegas. Now play well and get lucky so you aren’t on the rail looking for something to do!

Tweet This Post

Over the course of the weekend in the Twitterverse, poker players were naturally discussing the start of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). With the $50,000 Players’ Championship starting on Friday for the high rollers and the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament picking up action on Saturday, the top pros on Twitter kept their fans informed of their status in the events.

Railing boyfriend David Baker was PokerStars sponsored player Maria “Maridu” Mayrinck, who was torn between his deep run in the $50K and her contractual obligation to attend a Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) event. “I keep changing my flight to Peru, now I leave at 5am. We’re going all the way in the 50K 8 game, DAVID BAKER FTW!,” Maria tweeted late last night. Once the chips were bagged at the end of play, Mayrinck gave a last report before heading to the airport, “End of day 3, David finished with 725K, 21 players left, 16itm.”

Another player who was railing people close to his heart was Eric Mizrachi, who hustled between his brothers Robert and Michael to inform his followers of their status. “Both my brothers still in @WSOP event #2 50k buy in,” Mizrachi was pleased to report Sunday night. “22 players left, @TheGrinder44 is chip leader with 1.5m and @PokerRob24 with 1m!” Other players reporting their success in the $50K included John Juanda (“End of Day 3. I’ve got $788K and we are 5 players away from the money.”), Erik Seidel (“End of day 3. 374k. 21 left”), and Andy Bloch (“Ended day with 418k, about half average. We restart the 50k tomorrow at 3pm with 21 players remaining.”).

One of the best exchanges over Twitter during the $50,000 Player’s Championship developed between Daniel Negreanu and Lex “RaSZi” Veldhuis. “Earlier @texdolly tasted a piece of my Seitan,” Negreanu Tweeted after Doyle Brunson tried some of Negreanu’s Vegan meal prepared by his personal assistant. “You know it’s gotta be alright when a BBQ eatin’ Texan says he likes it.” This led Veldhuis to admonish, “@realkidpoker stop trying to convert people!” Negreanu replied, “@RaSZi ya cause Doyle is totally going Vegan now, right.”

Of particular interest in the $1000 No Limit Hold’em tournament was a battle between Gavin Griffin and Terrence Chan. “Out, my AA v @tchanpoker QQ, Q on river,” Tweeted Griffin after the particularly bad beat, which led Chan to respond, “First time in my life I’ve been genuinely unhappy to win an all-in in a big tourney.” Chan then chirped, “The seat of the departed @nhgg has been replaced by one Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture,” recognizing the arrival of one of the best MMA fighters in the world. The former UFC champion didn’t last long at the tables as, two hours later, Chan reported his demise: “Randy is out. Got it in drawing dead on the turn, J7 against AT on KJQx.”

Not surprisingly, many poker players are having sleep issues as the WSOP gets up and running. “So bummed. bad time for insomnia,” Phil Laak Tweeted early Monday morning. “I hear the birds chirping. need to sleep. had it all timed. oh no! 4 hrs now past bedtime. need to sleep!” Victory Poker’s Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little was another player battling sleep issues when he Tweeted, “Ugh. I am up way too early. Good thing I have business to attend to. Going to work out after that. Wsop day 2 of $1000 event later.” Devin “TranquilChaos” Porter was having trouble getting his WSOP clock worked out also: “Up since 6 am Vegas time… Safe to say I’m not on the right sleep schedule for WSOP yet.”

Jeff Madsen asked a particularly interesting question though the Twitterscape about the banners of previous WSOP Main Event champions that hang throughout the Rio. “So I want to get to the bottom of this, why is Bill Smith the 1985 world champion the only one without a banner around Amazon room?,” Madsen inquired about one of the most obscure World Champions the WSOP has crowned. Noted poker reporter B.J. Nemeth solved the mystery for Madsen when he Tweeted, “@JeffMadsenobv Nobody has any photos of Bill Smith to use for the banner. Binion’s won’t let Harrah’s use the pic from the Wall of Fame.”

Absent from the start of the WSOP was Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, who apparently was taking some time to spend with family before she comes to Las Vegas. “Visiting aunt and cousin. Goin home in a bit. Just gonna watch tv tonight and go to bed early,” Obrestad stated yesterday on Twitter. Obrestad did Tweet that her arrival was forthcoming: “Shooting for the documentary all day today, then Vegas tomorrow weee!”

Another player noted by their absence was David Williams. The former Bodog sponsored pro and current World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship titleholder let his followers know that he is deep in preparation for the WSOP: “Been gone a while. Resting up for the WSOP in Puerto Rico playing Magic. Finally home tomorrow. First event Tues. 5k NL shootout.” Williams also alluded to some big news over the next couple of days when he chirped, “Will be tweeting again and have should have some HUGE news to announce in the next day or so. Life is great!”

On the humorous side of poker players on Twitter, Annie Duke asked a philosophical question: “Here’s a weird but semi serious ? If an alien culture found a VHS tape, would they be able to reverse engineer a way to play it? CDs too?” Michele Lewis was preoccupied with her workout when she Tweeted, “Clearly my medication has worn off.. I watched the Braves for ten minutes before realizing it was the Twins. On stairmaster-doesn’t count.” Finally, UB.com pro Bryan “badbeatninja” Devonshire asked a pertinent question to users of iTunes: “Why in the hell would anybody pre-order an album on iTunes? I mean Dierks Bentley is dreamy and all, but they’re not gonna run out.”

Tweet This Post