2009 World Series of Poker Schedule

Harrah’s released the 2009 World Series of Poker schedule, and now we can answer the question on everyone’s mind.

Yes, the final table delay is back! The final table will be played November 10, four-plus months after its July 3 start date. Although much of the poker community was skeptical about Harrah’s and ESPN deciding to build in a four month delay last year, it allowed ESPN to show all the preliminary events leading up to the main event and then televise the big Kahuna nearly live on prime-time TV. The near real-time showing of the main event sent ratings through the roof—they jumped last year by nearly 50 percent—which made a strong and compelling argument to follow suit again this year.

Rebuy events will be done away with in 2009. That’s new, and will strike a responsive chord in the hearts of most poker players.

Fifty-seven gold bracelets will be awarded in 2009, more than ever before, and new this year is a $40,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event. That’s Event No. 2, slated for May 28—a four-day event. The $40,000 buy-in celebrates the fact that 2009 is the WSOP’s 40th anniversary.

But it’s not the most expensive event on the calendar. That’s Event No. 49, the world championship $50,000 HORSE event, a five-day affair beginning June 26.

WSOP registration opens May 26, and the $10,000 main event has four starting days, from July 3-6. Play ends July 15 once nine players remain, and the final table runs from November 7 - 10.

You can access the schedule online at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/tourney/tourneydetails.asp?groupID=607
1 May 27, noon Casino Employees Event no-limit hold’em (two-day event) $500

2 May 28, noon 40th annual no-limit hold’em (four-day event) $40,000

3 May 29, noon Omaha high-low split eight or better (three-day event) $1,500

4 May 30, noon No-limit hold’em (four-day event) $1,000

5 June 1, noon Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $1,500

6 June 1, 5 p.m. World Championship seven-card stud (three-day event) $10,000

7 June 2, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

8 June 2, 5 p.m. 2-7 draw lowball (three-day event) $2,500

9 June 3, noon Six-handed no-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

10 June 3, 5 p.m. Pot-limit Omaha/hold’em (three-day event) $2,500

11 June 4, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $2,000

12 June 4, 5 p.m. World Championship mixed event (three-day event) $10,000

13 June 5, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $2,500

14 June 5, 5 p.m. Six-handed limit hold’em (three-day event) $2,500

15 June 6, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $5,000

16 June 6, 5 p.m. Seven-card stud (three day-event) $1,500

17 June 7, noon Ladies no-limit World Championship (three day-event) $1,000

18 June 7, 5 p.m. World Championship Omaha high-low split (three day-event) $10,000

19 June 8, noon Six-handed no-limit hold’em $2,500

20 June 9, noon Pot-limit hold’em $1,500

21 June 9, 5 p.m. HORSE (three-day event) $3,000

22 June 10, noon No-limit hold’em shootout (three-day event) $1,500

23 June 10, 5 p.m. World Championship 2-7 draw lowball (three-day event) $10,000

24 June 11, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

25 June 11, 5 p.m. Omaha/seven-card stud high-low $2,500

26 June 12, noon Limit hold’em $1,500

27 June 12, 5 p.m. Pot-limit Omaha high-low split $5,000

28 June 13, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

29 June 13, 5 p.m. World Championship heads-up (three-day event) $10,000

30 June 14, noon Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $2,500

31 June 14, 5 p.m. HORSE (three-day event) $1,500

32 June 15, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $2,000

33 June 15, 5 p.m. World Championship limit hold’em (three-day event) $10,000

34 June 16, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

35 June 17, noon Pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $5,000

36 June 18, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $2,000

37 June 18, 5 p.m. World Championship seven-card stud high-low split (three-day event) $10,000 TBA

38 June 19, noon Limit hold’em $2,000

39 June 20, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

40 June 20, 5 p.m. World Championship pot-limit Omaha (three-day event) $10,000

41 June 21, noon No-limit hold’em shootout (three-day event) $5,000

42 June 21 , 5 p.m. Mixed event (three-day event) $2,500

43 June 22, noon Seniors World Championship (three-day event) $1,000

44 June 22, 5 p.m. Razz (three-day event) $2,500

45 June 23, noon World Championship pot-limit hold’em (three-day event) $10,000

46 June 23, 5 p.m. Omaha high-low split $2,500 TBA

47 June 24, noon Mixed hold’em (limit/no-limit, three-day event) $2,500

48 June 25, noon Pot-limit Omaha high-low split (three-day event) $1,500

49 June 26, noon World Championship HORSE (five-day event) $50,000

50 June 26, 5 p.m. Limit hold’em shootout (three-day event) $1,500

51 June 27, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

52 June 28, noon Triple chance no-limit hold’em (three-day event) $3,000 TBA

53 June 28, 5 p.m. Seven-card stud high-low (three-day event) $1,500

54 June 29, noon No-limit hold’em (three-day event) $1,500

55 June 29, 5 p.m. 2-7 triple draw lowball (three-day event) $2,500

56 June 30, noon Six-handed no-limit hold’em (three-day event) $5,000

57 July 3 -- July 15 No-limit hold’em main event $10,000

Bodog Hosts Two Special Tournaments Super Bowl Weekend

Bodog is hosting two special tournaments this weekend. One is for entry into the Latin American Poker Tour event in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. The other is a Super Bowl tournament.

The LAPT tournament is set for Saturday, 4 p.m. EST, and features a $135 buy-in. Bodog is awarding one $6,000 prize package that includes a $3,700 seat in the LAPT main event plus $2,300 for traveling expenses. One $6,000 prize package will be awarded for every 48 players in the event, and one prize package is guaranteed. The LAPT is scheduled for March 18-20.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Bodog will replace its $100,000 guarantee with a $20,000-added, $109 buy-in tournament, beginning at 4 p.m. EST.

Shari Geller Talks Poker and the Law on "Keep Flopping Aces" this Thursday, 6 p.m. PST at www.roundersradio.com

Poker writer and attorney Shari Geller (pictured right) will be my guest this Thursday on Keep Flopping Aces, the Internet radio show I host each week at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST) at http://www.roundersradio.com/. If you can't listen live, you can listen on demand by pointing a browser to the site and clicking your way to the show you want to hear.

Shari was my guest on October 16 , when we discussed the case in which the Commonwealth of Kentucky attempted to seize 141 poker-related Internet domain names. recently the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the seizure should be set aside. But Kentucky's governor is not one to go quietly into the night. Instead, this case looks like its headed to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Shari, who writes for http://www.pokerlistings.com/, will also discuss Clonie Gowen's suit against Full Tilt, the good news that two trial courts--one in Pennsylvania, the other in Colorado--recently ruled that poker is a game of skill (could it be that we're finally beginning to see some sanity in court cases involving poker?), and the fact that Obama's choice for Attorney General, Eric Holder, is dead set on enforcing the provisions of UIGEA. He said as much to Senator John Kyl during his confirmation hearing--and that's scary news for poker players.

If you want to talk about any of these topics, or anything else about poker, you'll need to listen live in order to call in. From the US, the call-in number is 810.496.3428, in Canada, it's 519.913.2250, and in the UK you can call in at 0207.993.6143.

Please join me and special guest Shari Geller this Thursday at 6 p.m. PST on http://www.roundersradio.com/ for Keep Flopping Aces.

There's Something Happening Here ...

Last Friday I walked in the Agua Caliente Casino poker room in Rancho Mirage. It’s where I usually play … only six miles from my house. It wasn’t a holiday, or a three-day weekend, and there wasn’t anything special going on.

But it was mobbed. All the tables were filled to capacity and long lines existed for the majority of games. And here we are in a recession, which made me wonder.

Earlier that week I heard a local radio interview with Richard Milanovich, chairman of the tribe that owns Agua Caliente as well as Palm Springs’ Spa Resort and Casino. Milanovich is a savvy guy who seems to have his fingers accurately on the pulse of the local economy. He said that while the tribe was feeling the economic pinch the same way everyone else was, the numbers for Agua Caliente Casino were a lot better than the numbers he was seeing for casinos in Las Vegas.

He made the point that it’s less costly for locals to play here, as well as less costly for weekend visitors from Los Angeles, and that Agua Caliente is only about 110 miles from LA, while Las Vegas was a good 250 miles from City of Angels.

I guess I didn’t really buy it at the time, but having witnessed it in person, it sure made sense to me. Of course it was impossible to tell how many poker room patrons were locals and how many journeyed there from Los Angeles or San Diego, but the room was packed and Milanovich’s assessment seemed spot on.

But I’m still a bit confused by how busy the poker room was. After all, if someone from LA is looking for a poker game, there’s no need to drive out here to find one. There are plenty of poker games right there. On the other hand, if it’s a small, weekend getaway vacation, then Agua Caliente is a less costly alternative to Las Vegas that provides full casino gambling in addition to poker—so non-poker playing family members can have their fill of slots and other games, take in shows and play golf, in addition to poker.

Now I’m wondering if this is a local phenomenon, or whether Native American casinos in your part of the country are showing better number than their bigger Las Vegas counterparts.

Lemme know … even if you’re just citing anecdotal data or subjective assessments. I’m just curious about whether local casinos seem to be surviving this economic malaise better than their major-market brethren in Las Vegas and Atlantic City?

Strong Legal Victory for Online Poker In KY Domain Seizure Case

Yesterday, in what amounts to a stunning victory for online poker, civil libertarianism, and Internet freedom too, the Kentucky Court of Appeals issued a ruling prohibiting the Franklin Circuit Court from enforcing its seizure order against the 141 domain names in the domain seizure case.

The Court found that Internet domain names are not a “gambling device” under Kentucky law and that the Franklin County Circuit Court’s ruling that these domain names constituted gambling devices that were subject to forfeiture was erroneous.

Groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the ACLU of Kentucky, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation all provided strong and compelling arguments from a variety of legal perspectives for the appellate court.

In case you haven’t been following this story—we covered it initially on September 26—Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear seized 141 internet gambling domains, including those belonging to several major online poker rooms such as Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and other sites that included absolutepoker.com, bugsyclub.com, cakepoker.com, doylesroom.com, fulltiltpoker.com, pokerstars.com, pokertime.com, royalvegas.com, truepoker.com, ultimatebet.com, and microgaming.com.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky’s court order for the seizure and forfeiture of 141 internet domain names was predicated on the rationale that these sites were “…used to promote illegal gambling within the state.” Back in September, the Franklin Circuit Court found probable cause to believe the domain names were used in connection with illegal gambling within Kentucky, and found sufficient basis to order their seizure.

“This is a tremendous victory for Internet freedom and the rights of Kentucky residents who enjoy playing online poker,” said John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance. “We are pleased that the appeals court has forcefully reversed Judge Wingate's earlier ruling and confirmed many of the arguments that have been raised in opposition to the seizure effort. The Court of Appeals has agreed with the PPA's position that Judge Wingate did not have jurisdiction to issue the order that he entered against these domains and that Secretary Brown has no legitimate right to deprive the citizens of Kentucky of the legal right to play poker online.”

“On behalf of the thousands of PPA members who live in Kentucky, we hope that Governor Beshear and Secretary Brown will abandon this misguided effort and focus new energies into regulation and taxation of Internet poker,” said Rich Muny, Kentucky State Director for the PPA, who resides in Union, KY. “This common-sense approach would benefit Kentucky's poker enthusiasts and the revenue will benefit the state as a whole. Rather than spending hard to find dollars on this case, the Governor could actually turn this into a much needed new revenue stream for the Commonwealth.”

Judge Rules Poker a Game of Skill

Late last week Pennsylvania judge Thomas A. James Jr. ruled that poker was a game of skill, not luck, in a case involving a couple standing trial for running a home poker game.

Will this set a precedent for future cases involving poker games—including online games? Is Judge James’ decision a wedge that can be used to derail the UIGEA? Will it motivate online poker sites to consider returning to the US market?

One never knows. We’ve seen cases where poker was ruled a game of luck, and now this one, where it was judged to be a game of skill.

While this is a good ruling for poker in general, for the future of online poker in the US, and the Poker Players Alliance was overjoyed by the decision, it’s only a small step on the long road to allowing adults to play poker in the privacy of their own homes without oversight and control by the government.

This war is a long way from being won even though this battle was a nice step in the right direction.

Eric 'Rizen' Lynch is my guest on "Keep Flopping Aces" this Thursday on Rounder's Radio

This Thursday my guest on Keep Flopping Aces will be online whiz and poker author Eric "Rizen" Lynch.

Eric is a professional poker player from Olathe, KS. He placed 24 in the 2006 WSOP main event and has made three WSOP final tables in addition to numerous online winnings. He recently published his first book, Winning Poker Tournaments: One Hand at a Time.

Keep Flopping Aces webcasts live, worldwide, every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (9 p.m. EST) at http://www.roundersradio.com/. The show is rebroadcast Friday and is also available for listening-on-demand following it's live broadcast.

Listeners can visit Rizen online at http://www.rizenpoker.com/, and read past articles at http://www.bluffmagazine.com/.

If you have questions for Eric, or want to talk with him about anything poker related, listen to the show live and call-in during the program.

The Chips Are Down: Hotel Casinos Revenue Predicted to Decline in 2009

According to IBISWorld, which publishes gaming industry research, hotel-casino revenue is forecast to decline 2.9 percent as rising unemployment erodes household earnings.

"Players who have incurred major losses from financial investments over the past 12 months may pass on the high-stakes tables for the next couple of years," explained George Van Horn, senior analyst with IBISWorld. "The current 'stay-at-home' mentality and low consumer confidence will hit casinos particularly hard, making some Las Vegas gambling establishments likely casualties."

Gross gaming revenue for Nevada was $12.85 billion in 2008, or - 1.8 percent below the previous year. It’s expected to decline by 3.2 percent in 2009 due to fewer international and domestic visitors, as well as a reduction in corporate spending.

Las Vegas, which historically attracts high-stake gamblers from around the world, is facing tougher competition from the UK, Hong Kong, Macau, Eastern Europe, and developing areas in the Middle East. IBISWorld predicts that some US. casinos may opt out of chasing high-rollers altogether as the costs and incentives to attract them increase significantly.

Non-hotel casinos are predicted to decline 2.1 percent in 2009. While racetrack casinos (racinos) have been on a growth trend in recent years—they are inexpensive to build compared to traditional casinos—many future development plans have been shelved in response to the economic climate.

The only growth area appears to be slot machine gambling on Native American Reservations, and large casino operators will continue pursuing agreements with tribal leaders to open more establishments.

World Poker Tour Season VII Airs on Fox Sports Net

WPT Enterprises and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced that the World Poker Tour (WPT) Season VII television schedule has found a home on FSN.

"FSN is pleased to be the new home of the WPT, the foremost brand in televised poker," said George Greenberg, FSN Executive Vice President of Programming and Production. "This season promises the biggest names, the highest stakes and the most drama and we are very excited to watch all the action unfold."

Season VII's new one-hour, two-part format continues to provide sports-style analysis and high-stakes hands from WPT's world-renowned tournaments. Season VII also gives viewers a front-row seat to watch poker history, anticipating such milestones as the $400 million mark for prize money awarded and the 100th WPT Poker-Made Millionaire crowned. Fans will also see many familiar faces back at the final table, including WPT Season IV Player of the Year Gavin Smith, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow and David "the Dragon" Pham.

Hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten return to call the action, while a new face—WPT Live Updates Hostess Amanda Leatherman—conducts sideline interviews.

WPT will launch a channel finder on www.WorldPokerTour.com, giving fans easy access to the full World Poker Tour schedule on FSN, including local show times and channels.

Where's Calvin?

Calvin Ayre, who developed his Internet gambling firm Bodog into the world's largest online sports betting company, is under severe and increasing pressure from US authorities, including the Internal Revenue Service.

Bodog, which began operations in Costa Rica before moving to the Caribbean island of Antigua, never paid taxes on its US earnings. And Ayers probably doesn’t score any points with US authorities by playing up his glamorous, now-you-see-me, now-you don’t image.

The Malta Independent newspaper states that IRS investigators filed court documents describing how Bodog used a string of companies in Malta to circumvent U.S. regulations so it could make payouts to American players, who are the bulk of its customer base.

The IRS already seized $24 million of Bodog's funds from US payment processors and wants more. The once conspicuous Ayre, who was the print advertising face of Bodog and it’s glamour-personifying, high-roller lifestyle, has seemingly vanished into thin air, and unsubstantiated reports have him residing in various Asian countries that do not have extradition treaties with the U.S.

White -Listing Causes Boom in Antiguan Online Gaming

Following approval by the British Internet casino regulators, the now white-listed Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is enjoying a boom in its online gambling industry.

White-listing is a process that applies stringent regulatory measures on Internet gambling operations in Antigua, which include safe-guarding for age verification, money laundering prevention, and honest, reliable games and payment systems that meet standards promulgated by the United Kingdom. White-listing is the dominant factor behind the surge in Antiguan online gaming, and Internet gambling sites that subject themselves to Antiguan regulation can now advertise in the UK.

The Antiguan economy was dealt a crippling blow by the US government when it enacted UIGEA and banned these operations because of worries about uncontrolled gambling sites. It’s ironic, but US patrons now face an increasingly unsafe environment for online poker, while Antigua offers a regulated and protected market.

Pamela Anderson—Our Favorite—Back in Poker

You can’t keep a good girl down, especially if she’s a poker player—and particularly if she’s actress-turned poker player and fav orite of this blog, Pamela Anderson.

Pam will reportedly take part in this year’s Aussie Millions Poker Championship as a celebrity player.

Anderson was scheduled to appear last year, but couldn’t fit the tournament into her schedule. She’s been in and out of poker since launching PamelaPoker.com in 2006 as a sister site to Doyle’s Room. Her site shut down when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law later that year.

Anderson was married to poker player Rick Salomon for three months. They got together when Salomon promised to pay off $250,000 in poker debts in exchange for a dalliance with Pammy. That night of play-for-pay turned into love, and they were married in Las Vegas while Anderson was working there as a magician’s assistant. Before marrying Pam, Salomon’s claim to fame was his starring role in One Night in Paris, the now infamous Paris Hilton Sex tape.

The 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event kicks off January 18 and concludes a week later. At last year’s event, Alexander Kostritsyn bested 778 players for a first place prize of $1.4 million beating Erik Seidel after two hours of heads-up play.

Poker News Acquires Online Poker Staking Site

PokerNews recently announced their acquisition of the online poker staking site www.ChipMeUp.com, which gives players access to poker staking, where they can now buy or sell shares of themselves at the tournaments throughout the world.

Poker News owner Tony G. has is selling a piece of himself for the 2009 Aussie Millions. To launch their online staking feature, PokerNews is offering a satellite tournament that features one guaranteed $12,500 Aussie Millions Package with all the perks.

If the package winner cashes in the 2009 Aussie Millions main event, he is only entitled to 50 percent of the winnings. The remaining 50 percent is distributed to other Satellite finishers.