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PokerStars Readies for the 75 Billionth Hand

Last year, PokerStars celebrated its 70 billionth hand and the 72 billionth hand along with their 10th anniversary, and it’s time to celebrate yet again. This time, Stars will be honoring the 75 billionth hand, as they continue on the “Road to 100 Billion.” PokerStars anticipates this milestone hand to be dealt sometime within the next two weeks, and they’re giving away up to $1 million.

To win this promotion, all you need to do is be at a cash game table when a millionth hand is dealt between 74,700,000,000 and 75,000,000,000 (for example, 74,902,000,000). If you win the hand, you will earn a cash prize worth thousands. If you find yourself dealt into the 75 billionth hand and win, you will win at least $20,000 automatically.

The current hand number is displayed at PokerStars.com and is currently at 74,797,598,578.

PokerStars offers some tips on its website to up your odds of being dealt into a milestone hand. First of all, play on more than one table. The more tables you play at, the more likely you’ll be dealt a millionth (or billionth) hand. Secondly, play longer sessions. The prize amount is dependent on the VIP Player Points (VPPs) points you earned during the session that the milestone hand was dealt to you. The more time you’ve spent at that table, the more money you will have contributed to the pot, and the more VPPs you will have earned. By sitting down at a table long before a milestone hand will drop, you’ll have more time to vamp up your VPPs, and thus increase your prize value if you do happen to be in the right place at the right time. And finally, Stars recommends that you play an action game, such as Limit Hold ‘em or Pot Limit Omaha because they generate VPPs at a faster rate.

All you have to do is be there. If you win, you will of course earn a bigger prize, but all participants will win something.

2012 Australian Poker Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

In honor of the Aussie Millions going on right now, the new inductees for the Australian Poker hall of Fame have been announced. The 2012 additions to the APHOF are Jason Gray and David Gorr, both longtime Australian poker old hands, who have earned their spot in this prestigious club.

Both Gorr and Gray have earned more than $1 in career tourney winnings and have been loyal to their country, making a majority of their bets in Australia, Gorr winning the 2011 Aussie Millions and Gray winning the 2007 Victoria Poker Championship.

Like the Poker Hall of Fame, the Australian counterpart requires that nominees meet certain criteria before they are considered for induction. First of all, the candidate must be a current or former resident of Australia or New Zealand. Also, he or she must have demonstrated outstanding and extended service to poker, bringing credit to Australian Casino Tournament Poker and/or having displayed significant player excellence.

Gorr found out about his acceptance into the APHOF just five minutes before receiving the exclusive title. Past inductees include Tony G, Joe Hachem, Lee Nelson, and Jeffrey Lisandro. The first inaugural class was in 2009 and included eight poker pros who met the criteria of the APHOF. The 2010 class consisted of one woman, Marsh Waggoner, and the 2011 class included Leo Boxell and Danny McDonagh.

Karina Jett to Make an Appearance in Vegas

Pro poker player Karina Jett is scheduled to help promote the Ante4Autism charity poker event in Las Vegas next week. The poker community has long been associated with charitable causes due in part to the benevolence of poker players in general.

The event will take place on January 31 at 7:00 p.m. at Binions in Downtown Vegas. Ante4Autism is sponsored by home furnishing execs and raises money for autism research.

Co-host and PMD Furniture Direct exec Jerry Williams says, “We are very excited to have Karina Jett help us at our event. She is one of the top professional poker players in the world.”

The event will also include a silent auction carried out by the Pacific Auction Co.

Co-host and PMD Furniture Direct exec Scott Graham says, “We will have approximately 30 fine art, sports, celebrity and other collectibles, photography, antiques, jewelry and ladies accessories and travel and leisure items. We encourage everyone to bring their checkbooks and credit cards to bid and buy these incredible items.”

This event is open to the public and Las Vegas Market attendees. Interested parties may register online and/or make donations at ante4autism.com.

Karina has more than $140K in tourney winnings and has placed 4^th in two WSOP events—the 2003 Lades Stud and the 2004 Ladies Limit Hold ‘em events. She has also appeared on GSN’s Poker Royale Battle of the Sexes, and in London at the 2005 London Open, Karina and her husband, also a poker player, Chip Jett, became the first married couple to make the same televised final table.

Eastgate’s Charitable Bracelet Buyer Identified

Back in 2010 when Peter Eastgate auctioned off his WSOP gold bracelet for charity, many people thought he was nuts, but he did it anyway. The bracelet listed on eBay with a starting bid of $16K. One hundred and sixteen bids later, the bracelet sold for $147,500 to “7***l.”

The winning bidder was later identified as William Haughey, who recently granted an exclusive interview to PokerNews. In the interview, Haughey explains that he’s interested in organizing a charity event with the WSOP in which he will match raised funds up to $1 million. He also admitted that the reason he bought Eastgate’s bracelet was because it was for charity, as he himself has donated more than £5 million to various charities.

Haughey and his wife, who made their money via his refrigeration company, became fascinated by poker, so it only makes sense that he would combine his love for charity with his passion for poker. Using the WSOP bracelet he bought on eBay, Haughey hopes to raise about $2 million for charity ($1 million from the said event and $1 million matched by Haughey. He wants to give the bracelet back to the WSOP in hopes that they would put it in the Hall of Fame in an effort to “protect the integrity and the worthiness of the bracelet.”

His idea is that if an agreement can be made between himself and the WSOP, Haughey would like to donate $1 million to a cancer hospital in the UK and $1 million to a charity chosen by WSOP. He has a lot of good ideas and is very excited about raising money, though he is clear that he is not doing it for exposure. In fact, that’s why he’s remained unidentified as the buyer of the bracelet for two years now.

Keep an ear out for more on this exciting venture. Poker has always been a great vehicle for raising charitable funds, and it is because of the benevolent nature of poker players in general, like Haughey.

Yatahay Poker Undergoes a Name Change

The Yatahay Poker Network, made known by its stint hosting Doyles Room (now acquired by Americas Cardroom), has announced that they will now be known as the Winning Poker Network, effective January 12^th.

A spokesman for the new WPN says, “It’s more than a name, it’s a mantra. Our promotions are better, our guarantees keep getting bigger, and our software delivers everything players ask for. Players who love to win are hitting our network in record numbers and the entire poker world has good reason to be excited about what’s ahead.”

The Yatahay Poker Network grew after DoylesRoom took up residence on the network, but after the Black Friday meltdown of online poker as we know it, the network formerly known as Yatahay was able to reposition itself for the US market as a safe place for US players to play online poker without the risk of losing their accounts to the feds.

The Winning Poker Network is home to TruePoker, Americas Cardroom, BetCris, along with others and is thriving with tourney prize pools growing larger every month, especially over the past six months.

Yatahay was originally established in 2001, so only the name is new. They still offer industry leading online poker software for Internet poker, as well as online casino games with impeccable customer service offering a full-service online gambling operation.

PokerStars CEO Resigns

Come February 1^st, the CEO of PokerStars, Gabi Campos, will step down from his position, following John Duthie, European Poker Tour founder, who recently left the online poker site. Other recent departures from PokerStars include Team PokerStar Pros Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer.

Campos joined PokerStars in June of 2010 after leaving 888.

A short statement from Stars said, “Gabi Campos has decided to step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2012, to pursue other opportunities.

“The company thanks Gabi for his hard work and commitment and wishes him the best in all his future endeavors. A search for Gabi’s replacement is underway.”

Players Speaking Out Against PokerStars Changes

Since PokerStars made the decision to edit its VIP program and rake structure, the online poker community has not been understanding. Poker players are now protesting the new adjustments in two ways. First of all, they are boycotting the online poker site and choosing not to log into their accounts; secondly, they are logging into active cash games and then not playing.

PokerStars traffic has also been low in comparison to other big online poker sites. For instance, while PokerStars has had a 5% increase in traffic over the past couple weeks, PartyPoker has had a 25% increase and iPoker a 12% rise in online poker traffic.

Other effects of the boycott can be seen in the PokerStars.fr traffic results. Whereas PokerStars was the top online poker site in France, and it saw a 10% rise in traffic, Winamax.fr is now getting more player traffic by French poker players. In addition, more than 100 high-stakes players, many of which were Supernova Elite players (the highest level of VIP), have organized a protest of PokerStars.fr via ClubPoker.net. This protest is based on the alterations of the VIP Player Points (VPP) system. The new terms reward players on a weighted contribution basis, where they receive rewards based on how much they contribute to rake. Before the changes, anyone dealt into the hand would receive equal parts rewards based on the size of the pot.

Tighter players, who don’t contribute as much to the pot as loose players, are now earning less rewards than players who contribute more money to the pot. Online poker analysts say that in the long run, this change will not be beneficial to PokerStars. Whether or not PokerStars will amend their decision to change things will be seen. After all, in any business model, if the customers (the players) aren’t happy, then the business will suffer.

AGCC Releases Statement Regarding Full Tilt Poker

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), former licenser of Full Tilt Poker, released a statement to former Full Tilt Poker players that they no longer provide a license for Full Tilt and furthermore has no authority to arbitrate or intermediate regarding Full Tilt players and issues they have with the online poker site. The statement also confirmed that all complaints will continued to be forwarded to the police and advises any players who are still owed money to also contact the police.

If they so believe that they have been the victim of a crime, the AGCC has advised these players to contact law enforcement officials to take further action.

While the statement from the AGCC did not mention anything regarding the buyout of Full Tilt Poker by French investment group Groupe Bernard Tapie, it is still believed that GBT will acquire the online poker brand and assets from the US Department of Justice in exchange for one $80 million payment. Upon transfer, the US DOJ will drop all charges and civil complaints against the Full Tilt name. It is still unknown whether or not players will ever be reimbursed for their confiscated accounts, though many are still hopeful that once the takeover is finalized, the new owners will make their best effort to pay back some or all that is owed to the disgruntled US players.

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in Full Swing

The 2012 edition of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, also known as the PCA, is underway and will run through January 14th at world-renowned Atlantis Resort & Casino located in the Bahamas on Paradise Island. The Main Event will be held January 7 through 13th. Millions of dollars will be won in what is the biggest live poker tourney outside the US.

Last year’s PCA Main Event winner, Galen Hall, won a $2.3 million cash payout, Eugene Katchalov won the $100K Super High Roller event with a $1.5 million payout, and the $25K High Roller event title went to William Molson, who won more than $1 million after coming in second in the same event for the two previous years. This year promises to be just as rich. Hall is currently in the lead once again in the Super High Roller event this year, at the time of this writing. Jonathan Duhamel sits with the second biggest chip lead and Negreanu in third, followed by Viktor Blom. Humberto Brenes is also still in the action. Play to resume tomorrow.

And in light of the successful live feed of the 2011 WSOP, the PCA will also be viewable via live feed on PokerStars.tv with a 40-minute delay, hole cards showing. Broadcasts will be available in English, German, Spanish, and Russian. Broadcasters will be Big Game host Joe Stapleton and James Hartigan. Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu will also be hosting if and when he’s eliminated.

Watch live PCA coverage here.

Ben Lamb Ranks First in Card Player’s POY

Ben Lamb, who came in third place in the Bluff Magazine Player of the Year Award, did a little better in the Card Player Magazine Player of the Year rankings—three places better-coming in first place. Lamb also won the 2011 World Series Poker Player of the Year award. Thanks to his superior run in the WSOP in which he landed his first bracelet and cashed an addition four times, not to forget his third place finish in the Main Event Championship.

Only one other player, Daniel Negreanu, has won both the WSOP POY award and the Card Player Magazine POY in the same year. Chris Moorman, from the UK, took the second place spot on Card Player’s POY list. Eugene Katchalov, who took first place in the Bluff Magazine Poker Player of the Year rankings, placed ninth in Card Player’s rankings. The reason for a variance in players across the various POY lists is the formulas used by each to determine points for tournaments won, final table finishes, and cashes. There are a couple main players though who managed to make both the Card Player list and the Bluff Magazine list.

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