Good news from across the Atlantic, the French government is yielding to pressure from the European gaming community. The federal entity has become a paladin for free trade and the legalization of cross border gaming.

According to a statement by the European Commission (EC), France used one of the safeguards of free trade regulations to allow its state owned gaming monopoly to survive. The French government said it did not license other European companies in order to protect its citizens from online fraud.

The French government changed its position and will gradually reopen gaming to local and foreign investors. However, poker is not part of the piñata, at least in the short run, instead more traditional types of online gaming such as horseracing and lottery which will be part of the first step towards liberal online gambling.

Complementary laws will be presented to the parliament and are expected to establish a regulatory authority by the end of 2009.

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By: Andrés Vargas 

A lot of bull has been argued about the subject of whether or not poker is a game of chance. However there was something extremely peculiar about these arguments. No one had ever developed a single piece based on scientific research to answer the damn question! Until now…

Michael DeDonno, a psychology doctoral student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland had the brains and the balls to get the Q’s an A’s sorted out, at a time in which the future of gamming is being discussed in the nutz of Capitol Hill.

Now, how can you possibly prove poker is about skill and not luck? Well folks, simple statistics and a little experimenting did the trick. DeDonno worked with 2 groups of students with no previous poker experience, one of the groups was given strategy tips while the other received a lecture on poker history.

The results showed two things that are obvious for us poker players: First, people who knew about strategy did much better at the table than those who knew squat. And second, there is a learning curve and players eventually improve their level as they play.

So for those of you who are about to strip a white rabbit of his limbs in your quest for luck. Drop the knife and improve your skills at our PokerSchool now! Knowledge is free; loosing your money at the table is not.

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By: Andres Vargas

For those who know little more than nothing about soccer, FIFA is the organism governing all soccer organizations around the globe, and now it seems like poker will finally have its own world wide ruling institution: the World Poker Association.

For years the World Poker Organization has made an attempt to standardize poker tournament rules around the globe. The time has finally come and the WPA has announced the release of their long expected set of rules on their annual meeting in Vegas, right before the start of the WSOP 2008.

So what’s the point? Even tough we are all versatile players who can quickly adapt to any type of game, it’s always a good idea to share a set of rules we are all familiar with; before we start breaking chairs on each others back’s after the first disagreement takes place.

WPA’s rulings have already had an effect on the world’s hottest gig as the WSOP’s organization will apply some of the new regulations, including a strong prohibition against splashing the pot, potsplashers are to be cut to pieces and fed to the pigs (you wish).

Some other rules like a ban on cursing and foul language are still held under discussion. In regards to this matter I like things just the way they are, if you can’t trash talk a player out of balance by using your top 500 yo’ mama insults poker will lose some of its essence.

Members of the WPA will play by the new book on their mega satellite on May 29th and from that point on the organization will encourage players and tournament directors who play provide them with feedback to achieve their goal of professionalizing international tournaments.

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Valdemar Kwaysser entered the final table clad in 594k worth of chips. He sat along with the last 8 survivors, including online pros Ashton Griffin, Alec Torelli and Steven Silverman, who led the chip count with 831k.

Luck smiled on Kwaysser who was armed to the teeth with bullets as he went all in against Max Steinberg’s J 9 on an 8 8 9 flop, K turn and a 7 river. Thus bringing an end to the final’s heads up match.

Were internet players underestimated? The truth is the final table was filled with them, including two guys who were playing their first live tournament ever: Pawel Sanojca from Poland, who had only played cash games and Costa Rican’s Steven Thompson, who was the only Latin American sitting at the final table.

Poker giants such as Andre Akkari, Humberto Brenes, Isabelle Mercier, and the winner of the LAPT Rio event, Julien Nuijten, were all buried by the end day 2.

Who says online players can’t mop the floor with favorites to win? Uruguay’s LAPT event is your chance to prove them wrong. For only $10 play our League of Champions tournaments and make your way to glory in the LAPT at Punta del Este, Uruguay.

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This is the stuff dreams are made of! Imagine getting a 2009 WOSP seat just for pulling an ice cold beer out of the fridge. Milwaukee’s Best Light and Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth have made it happen.

Milwaukee’s Best is now launching 3 limited edition can designs, bearing Hellmuth’s image on them. Phil wrote on his blog “Seeing the can was like winning a bracelet! … I’ll have to watch my ego, if it was big before…Now it may blow up! 12 million cans like this one will hit stores all over America”

Written on the cans you’ll find an entry code for a contest giving you the chance to win a 2009 WSOP main event seat. But there’s an even cheaper way to get to the WSOP than buying a beer, and that is by playing our daily satellites, for as low as $1! Check our promotions page now!

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Is there anything manlier than poker? I guess we can think of a few activities… can’t we? Now the most important event of this testosterone driven game: the WSOP is being sponsored by Gamma Labs.

The company manufactures Gamma-O a product which not only increases strength and energy, but it can also stimulate concentration. It never crossed my mind that a beverage made out of rice could help me win at a poker table! Now I’m wondering if it can boost my Kamasutra! I definitely won’t keep you posted on that matter.

But seriously, in a shark pool like the WSOP you need all the help you can get. Clifford T. Morgan, Gamma Labs CEO said it was an exciting opportunity and that Gamma-O was a “natural tie-in for an event like the World Series of Poker.”

Remember it must be every poker player’s objective to be at the WSOP’s main event, don’t forget to catch up with our online satellite tournaments Saturdays and Sundays at 9pm EST. Get a chance to beat the poker legends at Sin City.

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The hottest, most explosive poker show on the tube is now likely to get cancelled. Even tough high stakes was the number one show on GSN. The suits on the game network decided to take another direction and stop producing their finest product. Good call guys!

High stakes was the place where true titans met. We’re talking about living legends, the likes of Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow. It was a true no limit $500.000 buy-in battle, which resembled poker at its purest: a game where men could risk it all on the basis of skill.

Some say the reason for this decision on GSN’s behalf is the departure of Rich Cronin, GSN’s former president and a true defender of poker. And things did change after Croning left! The guys at Pokerati quoted host AJ Benza saying “They’re treating us like shit. All we ever did was make them a bunch of money.”

But that’s not nearly it! Some people say WPT could also disappear, a rough financial situation, the departure of bootylicious host Layla Kayleigh and a network that no longer cares for poker could jeopardize the existence of the show. Let’s just hope WPT goes on long enough to get Kim Lansing on a Maxim photo shoot.

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The Netherlands implemented their own version of the UIGEA. Unlike the U.S., online-gambling is legal in most European countries. However, legal gambling takes place only in strongly protected state owned monopolies.

The Dutch law pretends to stop players from gambling online on foreign private sites, by keeping banks from processing transactions towards a list of sites, which was elaborated by the ministry of Justice.

The measure is but an example of a tendency, in which most countries are challenging the European Union’s official position: To put an end to protectionist measures favoring state companies in the EU.

In Sweeden, State owned monopoly Svenska Spel presented a lawsuit against Ladbrokes. The company used a logo with a remarkable resemblance to Skvenka’s in its recent advertisement campaign in Sweden.

Ladbrokes has systematically challenged the legitimacy of Svenka, by offering themselves as a cost effective alternative that will eventually become beneficial for customers.

Finally on Denmark the poker community cheerfully received news that the supreme court as accepted to examine an appeal which attempts to derogate a 2007 law restricting poker tournaments in clubs across the country.

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Julien Nuijten, an unknown 19 year old from Holland, took the tournament’s $222,940 first prize back to Amsterdam. Nuijten is a former World Champion in an entirely different card game, “Magic: The Gathering”.

The $2,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament sat 314 participants on the tables at the Intercontinental Hotel in Rio. After three days, the only known player sitting at the final table was the renowned Costa Rican player, Alex Brenes, brother of Humberto Brenes, who finished 4th.

Nuijten went heads up with 47 year old Russian-American Vitaly Kovyazin. The chip lead went back and forward due to the players aggressiveness. After a 7♦7♠Q♠ flop and 2♠ turn vitally went all in, Julien called showing 8♠7♣, Vitaly showed Q♥5♠. The flop was an irrelevant A♦. Julien took the victory with three magnificent sevens.

The Latin American Poker Tour has two more events; Action Poker can take to the final event in Punta del Este, Uruguay. All you have to do is play in the League of Champions Tournaments, running Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9pm EST until July 26th. The winner takes an all inclusive package to an unforgettable adventure in South America.

LAPT Results

1 Julien Nuijten                  $222,940
2 Vitaly Kovyazin               $117,750
3 Nikolai Senninger            $86,350
4 Alex Brenes                    $62,800
5 Eduardo Henriques         $47,100
6 Oliver Kugler                   $31,400
7 Rafael Pardo                   $23,550
8 Juan Carlos Burguillos   $15,700
9 Severin Wasler                $11,775

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It’s been confirmed, after months of rumors Harrah’s Entertainment announced the delay of the main event’s final table for the World Series of Poker until November 9-10. ESPN will broadcast the event on the 11th in a two hour special.

As expected, the early stages of the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Series will still take place in July, is until nine players survive that is. On July 14th the remaining 9 players will be paid the prize amount corresponding to the 9th place, thus receiving a portion of their payout in advance. The event’s organization will pay for air tickets and accommodations for the final table in November.

For a period of 117 days, while players wait for the final table, they should expect media exposure like never before, sponsors will pay fortunes for a spot on their shirts, and future bets will be posted on every sports book around the globe. In short, poker players will get the attention they deserve.

Remember to play Action Poker’s WSOP satellites where you’ll get a chance to become a legend!  The $14.000 packages includes: $10.000 main event buy-in, accommodations, airfare, and spending money for your sin city adventure.

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