Contrary to previous reports, California Assemblyman Jerry Hill is not championing an intrastate online poker bill proposed by the Poker Voters of America (PVoA). Seems all Hill did was submit the 32-page draft bill to the state’s Legislative Counsel for review and to rewrite it into a form more suitable for the Legislature’s eyes. Hill says he did not do this on behalf of the PVoA, but merely to ensure the bill’s intentions could be clearly understood when it comes up for consideration. Perhaps the Legislative Counsel ought to review the PVoA’s press releases, too?
CTXM has struck a deal to provide another seven sites on the Cake Network with instant play casino games. The deal expands the existing relationship with Cake to include client sites Broadway Tables, Kakuy Poker, Wingnplay, Poker XRC, Unleashed Poker, Poker 4 Green and Poker Player Café. Clearly trawling for even more Cake, CTXM CEO Udy Yosha reminds everyone that “going live with our casino can take as little two weeks.” Hear that, people? Avoid the rush.
Finally, the first major event of the 2011 tournament poker world is underway at the Atlantis Resort & Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure launched Thursday with 38 deep-pocketed players buying-in to the $100k Super High Roller event, creating a prize structure that will see the winner get $1.5m, while second through fifth place finishers will receive $1m, $643k, $400K and $200k respectively.
Among the usual suspects taking their seats were Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak and Bertrand Grospellier. Cirque du Soleil founder (and notorious party hound) Guy Laliberte also tried his luck, but couldn’t stay aloft long enough to make it to Day 2. Joining him on the rail were Viktor “is I or is I not Isirdul1” Blom and 2010 WSOP champ Jonathan Duhamel (who was probably already depressed by the fiasco that was the 3rd period at the Canadian World Junior Championship gold medal game). Twenty-three players remain for Day 2, with Tobias Reinkemeier holding a slim edge in chip count over Negreanu and Bryn Kenney.
