The Poker Lab Rat

CryptoLogic has brokered an exclusive three-year contract with Betsafe, one of the fastest-growing poker sites in Scandinavia.

The agreement, made through CryptoLogic’s wholly-owned subsidiary WagerLogic Limited, will introduce Crypto’s poker software to Betsafe players later this year.

CryptoLogic’s reputation and market-leading strength in Betsafe’s core European markets were key factors in Betsafe’s decision.

Britain’s culture secretary on Friday compared the U.S. crackdown on online gambling to the failed alcohol ban of the Prohibition as she prepared to host an international summit on Internet gambling next week.

Tessa Jowell warned that the U.S. ban on Internet gambling would make unregulated offshore sites the “modern equivalent of speakeasies,” illegal bars that opened in 1920s America when alcohol was banned.

U.S. Congress caught the gambling industry by surprise earlier this month when it added to an unrelated bill a provision that would make it illegal for banks and credit-card companies to settle payments for online gambling sites.   

The decision closed off the most lucrative region in a market worth $15.5 billion this year in “spend” value — the amount gambling companies win from their clients, or the amount gamblers lose.

Several London-based Internet gambling companies and a handful in Europe and Australia subsequently sold off or shut down their U.S. operations, losing around 80 percent of their combined business in the process.

U.S. officials have declined to participate in Tuesday’s gambling summit in London, where lawmakers from 30 countries will discuss ways to regulate the industry, including the protection of minors and keeping the industry free of crime.

Officials from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Malta, Costa Rica and Antigua and Barbuda are expected to attend.

Poker legend Doyle Brunson has always been a straight-up player - and now he has stepped up to bail out US players who have been left high and dry by recent events.

Doyles Poker Room continues to accept ALL players based in the USA without restrictions - and now he’s also decided to also honour all the Rewards Status being offered by other poker rooms if you switch to Doyle’s Room

(check the Doyle Brunson press releases that have been posted onto respected gambling site GoonersGuide.com)

We reviewed Doyles Room on the main PokerLabRat.com site and rated them highly as a safe and secure place for all players to play - and this move simply shows the class of the operation and the man behind it all.

If you’re currently looking for a place to play poker online - after being kicked out by your old poker room - then we heartily recommend you take up Doyle Brunson’s offer.

RELATED LINKS :
Visit Doyles Poker Room now
Read the Doyle Brunson press releases 
Read our Review of Doyles Poker Room

The weekly $250,000 Guarantee event at Full Tilt Poker brought 1,726 players to the virtual tables, with a total prize pool of $345,200 and 153 players making the cash.

‘Jennez’ had a huge lead as final-table play began, sitting on a stack of over 1.8 million chips that was three times the second-place total of ‘Tourbillon.’

‘oldtimerxc’ was first one out when his pocket tens fell to the A-Q of ‘dinosaurjr,’ when a queen flopped and no other help arrived. A double knockout occurred next, when, with blinds of $12,000/$24,000, Jennez opened for $74,000 from under the gun with Q-J of clubs, ‘baller11782′ pushed over the top for $223,000, with A-Q, and Tourbillon, who had dropped a sizeable portion of his chips a few hands earlier, found pocket kings and pushed his last $252,000 in as well.

Jennez made the call and flopped a flush draw when the flop came 8c-Ac-4h, and a club four on the turn made Jennez’s flush. A heart five on the river missed Tourbillon’s redraws, and Tourbillon was out in seventh, with baller11782 claiming eighth.

Jennez’s hot streak continued, when he found a three-out nine of the river to knock ‘JOSEYY’ to the rail in sixth.  Jennez stayed aggressive, and though he doubled up ‘Evode’ a few hands later after getting involved with 10-8 on a 9-9-A board, he knocked out Evode a few hands later with winning quad 5’s.

‘MisterNiceGuy,’ who had managed a five-out river survival of his own earlier at the table, lasted until fourth, when he pushed all-in on a flush draw that never made it home which meant three players remained.

Four hands later, that became two, as Jennez again worked his magic. With blinds at $20,000/$40,000, dinosaurjr pushed a last $226,000 in, backing K-Q of hearts, and Jennez called with an unsuited 8-7. A seven flopped, the final board read 4-7-9-3-4, and Jennez entered heads-up play with a 2:1 margin over cardno. 

The heads-up battle lasted nearly 90 hands - and about 60 minutes - before the final hand saw each player throw repeated tease bets at the other, and after the turn the board showed 8-3-9-6 with three clubs.

Finally, Jennez raised enough to induce cardno’s all-in call, with cardno holding 9-8 for top two pair. However, Jennez had the A-8 of clubs for the nut flush, leaving cardno dead to three outs on the river. The spade three that arrived wasn’t one of them, and Jennez claimed the wire-to-wire win.

Final standings:
1st ($74,218): Jennez
2nd ($48,328): cardno
3rd ($34,951.50): dinosaurjr
4th ($28,047.50): MisterNiceGuy
5th ($21,160.76): Evode
6th ($15,534): JOSEYY
7th ($10,010.80): Tourbillon
8th ($7,249.20): baller11782
9th ($5,133.13): oldtimerxc

If you want to get in on the online poker action then play at FullTilt Poker or read our onsite review of FullTilt Poker at PokerLabrat.com.
(Note : American players are welcomed at FullTilt no matter what the US senate says)

Here’s a stand-out Poker offer we though needed to be shared.  Not only do we like this Poker room - Doyles Room - but we also like this promotion as it really is a ‘no lose’ offer with no playthrough requirements etc for you to benefit.

With a $55 rebate on your first weekly Bounty Tournament buy-in and the chance to win $500 (and bragging rights!) by taking out a pro, Doyles Room is hard to resist. 

When you enter the weekly Pro Bounty Tournament as a new member of Doyle’s Room - you pay the $55 buy-in - and try to win the cash - and when you’re finished you get to claim your first $55 buy-in back !!

How cool is that?!

You’ve actually got nothing to lose and the bragging rights you’d gain would be worth entering for!

You can also claim the usual joining bonuses available at Doyles Room. [A 25% first deposit match to $100 or to receive a Deluxe Leatherbound Poker Super System 1&2 Book Set when you earn 25,000 Action Points].

As you’d expect, Doyles Room is a busy poker site - part of the Tribeca Poker network and licenced offshore in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Doyle Brunson welcomes players from all countries and is still happily welcoming USA Residents who want to play poker online - so what are you waiting for?

Here’s some links:

GO TO Doyles Room

READ a Review of Doyles Room Poker  (it’ll tell you about payments methods, currencies, rake, and site security stuff you might like to know)

Wishing you the best of luck at the tables!

Elle

By Erick Lindgren via FullTilt Poker

In tournaments, I play lots of hands. I’ll put my money in with all kinds of connected cards, especially when in position. I might limp, I might min-raise or raise a little more than the minimum, depending on the circumstances. I’m looking to keep my table off balance so they don’t know where I’m coming from.

My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots without a lot of resistance. I might raise in position and hope for a call from one of the blinds. If I raise pre-flop with something like 6-7, I might miss the flop entirely, but the raise puts me in control of the hand. On the flop, I’ll likely bet if checked to, even if I miss. That small bet on the flop will usually win me a small, but helpful pot.

Of course, sometimes it won’t work out. I’ll bet and get check-raised on occasions. But that’s okay, because I actually don’t lose much in the hands that I have to surrender. Overall, I get to gradually add to my chip stack by chopping at small pot after small pot.

The other major advantage to my style is that, occasionally, I will hit a flop hard. If I do happen to flop a straight, it’s difficult for other players to put me on something like 5-7 or 6-8. If one of my opponents also gets a piece of the flop, I’ll get paid off in a big way.

By adding to my stack early, I have a real advantage over players who play a cautious, tight game. The extra chips that I accumulate allow me to survive some tough spots. So, if I happen to get involved in a race with A-K or a pair of Tens, I can withstand a loss. An opponent who’s playing tight will likely be on the rail after losing a single race.

New players often ask me how they can learn to play more pots. I always suggest that they drop down significantly in stakes and practice. If you’re playing $2-$4 no-limit, drop down to $.50-$1 - a level where some losses won’t hurt you.

Once you’re at that table, try to play eight hands out of 10. Play everything but 2-8 or 3-9 - hands that are entirely unconnected. When you get yourself involved with this kind of frequency, you’ll have to concentrate more on your opponents than on your own cards. You’ll have to be on the lookout for opportunities to take down pots with well-timed stabs. You’ll also learn how to proceed in situations where you flop a good, but dangerous hand.

By dropping down and playing a lot of hands, you’re going to learn a lot about poker. You’re also going to have a lot of fun. In my opinion, playing 50% of the hands is a whole lot more entertaining than sitting around waiting for Aces.

If you look at the success that Gavin Smith, Daniel Negreanu and myself have had over the last couple of years, you’ll see that being active can be an excellent way to score big in tournaments. It takes practice to play this style, but it can lead to great results and be a lot of fun.

RELATED LINKS :
Read our FullTilt Poker Review at PokerLabrat.com
Or Go Directly to FullTilt Poker now.

(Note : FullTilt poker are still accepting US poker signups - all American states welcomed)

Online poker networks Tribeca Tables and Tain have agreed on a merger that will see all Tain poker players and brands, including poker customers from its parent company Expekt, migrating to the Tribeca platform.

The agreement, which is for Tain’s poker sites only, will see the company join the growing list of high profile names at the Tribeca network, which includes among others Paddy Power, and Victor Chandler.

Tain’s parent company Expekt will continue to operate its European-focused sportsbook and casino platforms.

Steve Cook, European managing director at Tribeca, commented, “We have been working for some time to reach into the lucrative Scandinavian poker markets, and we are very pleased to complete a significant deal with Tain.”

Cook continued to explain that Tain’s poker partners would now be in a position to take advantage of the higher liquidity that both companies consider as the critical component to offer long term competitive online poker.

RELATED LINKS :
VC Poker Review (rated 88%) at PokerLabrat.com

by Paul Wolfe … via FullTilt Poker

During this year’s World Series of Poker, I talked with a number of pros about the problems that so many online qualifiers had playing Big Slick during the early blind levels. It seemed to us that a huge percentage of the field - we estimated as much as 70 percent - was more than willing to go broke with this hand if they hit a pair on the flop.

But many pros, myself included, feel that Ace-King is a very difficult hand to play in the early levels of big buy-in tournaments, when the stacks are deep compared to the blinds. The fact of the matter is, top-pair/top-kicker is probably no good if another player is willing to risk all of his chips. This isn’t always the case - you may find an extremely weak player willing to go broke on K-Q, but that’s the rare exception.

The real problem with A-K early on is that it’s very difficult to get an idea of where you’re at in a hand. Even on an innocuous looking flop of something like K-9-2, you may think your hand is good. But you can’t be sure.

Say that you raise pre-flop with A-K and a late-position player calls. The two of you see a K-9-2 flop. You bet strong on the flop and then again on the turn. He calls on both streets. What now? Do you bet the river and pray that you’re not raised? Or do you check and hope that your opponent does the same? It’s a difficult spot and there are no great options.

Playing the same hand in position is a little easier, but it’s still tough.

While the blinds are low in a big buy-in tournament, I’m actually looking to see flops against the players who overplay top-pair/top-kicker. When I’m in position, I’m happy to call a raise with something like a small pocket pair, 5-6 suited, or even 8-T suited. I’m looking to flop a big hand or a big draw.

If I flop a set, I have a good chance of wiping out the guy with top pair. If I flop a draw, I have a chance to see if my opponent will give me a good price to hit my hand. The beauty of a suited hand like 5-6 or 8-T is that there’s no way I’m going to get in serious trouble playing them. If I flop anything less than two-pair or a quality draw, I’ll fold, having lost very little.

I think there are two major reasons many players over value Ace-King.

First is that in online tournaments, where the stacks start relatively low, Ace-King is usually worth playing aggressively. Players who win online satellites do so by playing Ace-King fast, so they come to big tournaments feeling good about this starting hand.

The second reason is that many people have seen TV commentators crow about Big Slick, calling it a “huge hand.” At a six-handed final table, Ace-King is a very big hand, but you need to realize that short-handed final-table strategy differs greatly from early tournament play.

When you’re playing in deep-stack games, learn to play A-K cautiously. The pros don’t like to go broke with this hand and you’d do well to follow their example.

RELATED LINKS :
Read Our FullTilt Poker Review at PokerLabRat.com
Or Go Directly to FullTilt Poker now.

The US Bill is all about enforcement - ie enforcing an existing law through changes in banking practices. “Online gambling” is not illegal under the existing law (non US-based sports betting is illegal, courtesy of the 1961 Wire Act).

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act contains no provisions that make it illegal for a person residing in the U.S. to bet with an online gambling company. All the Bill’s provisions are directed at trying to stop the flow of US money to offshore gambling companies.

Understandably the banking industry is frustrated. “The bill sets up banks to police a social issue,” said Laura Fisher, spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association. “It’s not something we want to encourage.”  The banking industry has also stated that it is not capable of enforcing restrictions on Internet gambling transactions. Implementing any form of credible monitoring system will cost billions of dollars, take potentially years and is unlikely to achieve its objectives as alternate payments solutions emerge.

Use of Credit cards for gambling has reduced considerably over the last few years - many poker players have been using other payment methods to get money into and out of gaming sites. Blocking credit card transactions will have little or no long term impact on poker play. Non-US companies like Moneybookers and other secure, confidential e-wallet / e-check services are the best bet for US players.

The following is an official statement recently released by FirePay (an e-check service provider):   “The Act does not define ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ nor does it make unlawful any activities by financial institutions that are not themselves gambling businesses. The Act directs the United States Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury to develop regulations that would direct financial institutions to identify and block certain types of financial transactions connected with unlawful Internet gambling”.

The team at PokerLabRat.com will keep all our reviews and site content up-to-date to reflect the current legal stance adopted by each online poker room we promote. Some poker rooms have in our view over-reacted to the US ’situation’ and withdrawn all services from all US residents - for many other sites it is ‘business as usual’. We are also confident many will revise their stance as the situation is clarified.

All of the sites we recommend are closely monitoring the situation but here are some official statements:

The Palace Group (owner of top Prima Poker site Spin Palace Poker): US anti gambling law changes mean that players in the following states can not bet at Spin Palace Poker: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington & Wisconsin. Spin Palace will continue to allow players to play from the remaining states.

Coral Eurobet Group (owner of Eurobet Poker, an Ongame Poker Network site):  Due to the recent actions by US regulators, Eurobet has regretfully decided to no longer accept Internet transactions from US residents.

Bet365 Group (Operates our top rated Prima Poker room Bet365Poker): Following the passing of the Safe Port Act, bet365 have decided to no longer accept customers who are resident in the USA. bet365 regret any inconvenience that this decision may cause & strongly retain the view that proper regulation rather than prohibition is the right way forward in respect of the gambling industry.

International All Sports Limited (”IAS” - operates Ongame-based Canbet Poker) issued a statement saying that the company “….is disappointed that the USA Government is passing laws to circumvent its commitment under the General Agreement of Trade and Services to the World Trade Organisation to allow free international trade in an effort to protect USA gaming companies that operate in the USA.”   Canbet Poker - No USA Poker Players.

Play in Full Tilt Poker’s Hummer Freeroll tournament  and you can win hundreds of dollars and great prizes for free. And, if you’re a UK resident, you and four friends can roll like the pros in your very own Hummer for the weekend.

Play in Fulltilts Hummer Freeroll tournament at 3PM ET (8PM GMT) on Sunday October 29th for your chance to grab the keys to some of the baddest wheels around. Of course, they throw in some petrol money - $500 to help cover expenses.

Gotta include an image here; (all the best Hummers are ‘maximum offence’ yellow BTW)  

Even though the first place finisher has to be a UK resident, other great prizes are open for everyone:

2nd Place - $400, a Full Tilt Poker chip set and a T-shirt
3rd Place - $300, a Full Tilt Poker baseball cap and T-shirt
4th - 7th Place - $100 plus a Full Tilt Poker baseball cap and T-shirt
8th - 10th Place - $50 plus a Full Tilt Poker baseball cap and T-shirt

So, if you want to spend a weekend riding in high style or win free cash and prizes, download the free poker software and open a new Full Tilt Poker player account. 

To enter this Freeroll tournament, use the following bonus code to play on October 29th - HUMEDGE

Here’s a link to FULL TILT POKER

(or you can read our PokerLabRat.com review of Full Tilt Poker here.)

See you at the tables!

Mike