Virgin Poker Renews Contract with GTECH G2’s International Poker Network

British Poker site has been part of IPN since 2005 – signs up for another 3 years

GTECH G2 has renewed its contract with VirginPoker.com to supply the online poker site with its games software and player management system. VirginPoker.com is part of the Virgin Group and has been one of the most popular poker rooms in the International Poker Network (IPN) since it joined 2005.

With well over three million poker players, the International Poker Network is the world’s largest independent poker network. It is operated by GTECH G2 and managed by GTECH G2 St Minver, one of the four igaming companies acquired by lottery industry giant GTECH to form its
interactive gaming division.

One of the world’s most recognized brands, Virgin Poker has been part of the IPN since 2005. Attracting players from around the world, Virgin Poker offers seven different poker games including multi-table and Sit&Go tournaments and is also the host of the annual Virgin Poker Festival.

"Having a blue-chip client like Virgin renew their commitment with us is a terrific endorsement of the investment we have made in our product and, together with our partners, our success in building further liquidity on the IPN," said Atul Bali, CEO, GTECH G2.

Simon Burridge, Chief Executive of Virgin Games, says “Virgin Games is very happy to extend our partnership. Since our launch in 2005 we have seen good growth in the UK poker market and we look forward to continued progress, moving forward with GTECH G2 and the IPN´”

The IPN recently awarded a Bad Beat jackpot of nearly half a million dollars and hosts a €100,000 Guaranteed Freeroll Tournament every Sunday. At any given time there are nearly 10,000 players on the network playing at more than 1500 tables.

“There are many advantages in a large network like ours,” said Tony Ure, Head of IPN, GTECH G2.  “With so many players, there’s a table for every kind of player and they’re always busy.  Our liquidity allows us to provide big jackpots and to host €10,000, €100,000 and even €1,000,000 guaranteed free rolls.”

GTECH G2 IPN Poker Network Player Wins €210,000 Bad Beat Jackpot

Europe’s largest independent poker network takes the sting out of losing with a good hand

The International Poker Network (IPN) Bad Beat Jackpot has hit at an amazing €601,370 (almost $900,000), meaning a fortunate player won over €210,000. The hand in question was Quad 8’s beaten by Quad Queens, on a €0.50/€1 No Limit Table. “Roger2010”, the loser of the hand but winner of the Bad Beat Jackpot, won €210,508.50, whilst “(o1nfl1p”, the winner of the hand, won €105,254.25. The other players at the table each got €15,036.32. With a Jackpot requirement starting at Quad 6's, this is the easiest Progressive BBJ to hit on any poker site. The new Jackpot is already over €120,000.

“We boosted the Jackpot last week so that the next winner would get at least €100,000,” said Per Karlsson, Head of Poker GTECH G2. “As the total Jackpot went over €600K we had a feeling it was about to be hit!”

The IPN Bad Beat Jackpot was last hit in August for $412,000. That winner wasn’t even aware he’d won it until someone else at the table pointed it out to him. He thought he’d just lost the pot despite having a great hand, which is frustrating for any poker player.

To qualify for the Bad Beat at IPN poker rooms, players must be at a designated Bad Beat table and use both pocket cards in their winning or losing hand. The losing hand must be four-of-a-kind sixes or better, the lowest qualifying requirement of any poker network. Four or more players must be dealt into the hand.

GTECH G2 is the igaming division of lottery industry giant, GTECH. It combines the software development and customer management expertise of Boss Media, Finsoft, Dynamite Idea and St Minver and operates the International Poker Network and International Bingo Network.

IPN Bad Beat Jackpot Boosted Again, Now Over €500K

Paradise Poker, Poker Heaven, Virgin Poker Among Poker Rooms Offering Staggering Jackpot for Hands That Really Should Have Won

Last week GTECH G2 announced that the Bad Beat Jackpot on its International Poker Network (IPN) was approaching €400,000 thanks to a couple of boosts they'd given it. They've just boosted it again today to push it to €500,000.

Paradise Poker, Poker Heaven and Virgin Poker are all on the IPN, the largest independent poker network in Europe.

“A Bad Beat Jackpot takes the pain out of losing even when you’re dealt great cards,” said Per Karlsson, Head of Poker GTECH G2. “Ours only requires a Quad 6s to win.”

To qualify for the Bad Beat at IPN poker rooms, players must be at a designated Bad Beat table and use both pocket cards in their winning or losing hand. The losing hand must be four-of-a-kind sixes or better. Four or more players must be dealt into the hand.

The IPN Bad Beat Jackpot was last hit in August for €412,000. That winner wasn’t even aware he’d won it until someone else at the table pointed it out to him. He thought he’d just lost the pot despite having a great hand, which is frustrating for any poker player.

To qualify for the Bad Beat at IPN poker rooms, players must be at a designated Bad Beat table and use both pocket cards in their winning or losing hand. The losing hand must be four-of-a-kind sixes or better. Four or more players must be dealt into the hand.

GTECH G2 is the igaming division of lottery industry giant, GTECH. It combines the software development and customer management expertise of Boss Media, Finsoft, Dynamite Idea and St Minver and operates the International Poker Network and International Bingo Network.

Ladbrokes Player Wins Top Prize in €1,000,000 Grand Slam of Slots Tournament

A Ladbrokes Casino player from South London has won the biggest online slots tournament ever. The player, known as Stefan, qualified for the tournament in July after placing a bet of just €2. Stefan is the second player this year that Ladbrokes has made a millionaire. “Mr C” won £1,031,985 on the King Cashalot progressive jackpot slot machine earlier this year.

Thousands of players entered qualifying games and competitions between July and October 2009 to win the chance to play in the final round of the Grand Slam of Slots which was held last week. The tournament was played on the extremely popular Lara Croft Tomb Raider slot machine. Over 8000 players competed for the €1.4 million prize pool so it took 10 days of spinning reels for the final jackpot to be won.

“This tournament was always going to be exciting  with one million Euros up for grabs and it is a great honour to be involved in creating the first online slot tournament millionaire,” said Charlie Goodenough of Ladbrokes Casino.  “The Tomb Raider game is one of our most popular games because it is simple yet fun to play. It is part of a portfolio of over 450 thrilling games including numerous variants of roulette, blackjack and Slots.”

The Grand Slam of Slots tournament had a prize pot of 1.3 million Euros and along with Stefan, 482 players overall walking away with winnings.   Ladbrokescasino.com managed to rank a further 83 players into these paid places, with the total payout from the casino reaching €1,039,400. Players under the aliases of Embalu and Gundam00 were other sizeable winners picking up a healthy €5k each.

The Grand Slam of Slots wasn’t your last chance to become a millionaire at Ladbrokes Casino. Their Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot currently stands at £1,072,000!  

Source: GuideToCasinos.co.uk

Play Free for the Biggest Ever Online Jackpot – £8.88 Million on Offer at 888

Yes, you read it correctly. Not only is the biggest online jackpot EVER currently on offer at 888.com, it won’t cost you one penny for three chances to win it. When I received the news release about this big promotion I didn’t believe it either. But I've verified it with 888 Casino On Net and it’s true!

This amazing promotion coincides with the launch of 888’s newest slot machine, the Pirates Millions. Pirates Millions is a 5 reel, 25 pay line video slot machine. The scatter is a pirate ship and the wild is a treasure chest and Polly the Parrot triggers the bonus.  You’ll be taking your free spins playing the new Pirates Millions slot machine.

All you have to do is register with 888.com and you automatically get your free spins. Some lucky slots player could win millions without spending a penny, and it could be YOU!

“This is the biggest ever online slots jackpot,” said Itai Pazner, Senior Vice President COO 888.com.  “And everyone who visits 888 will be allowed three free spins the first time they play the game, without having to deposit any money or enter card details!”

You may have seen the adverts on telly for this promotion. They started this week and feature Trigger Happy TV star Dom Joly donning diving gear then drowning in a sea of money.

There’s only one catch to this fabulous online casino offer. You have to be a resident of the UK.

If you’re like me and you don’t see the Pirates Millions icon in your 888 casino lobby then you need to update your casino software. Download at 888.com or contact 888 Customer Support through live chat (accessible from the casino lobby) or at support@888.com if you need help with that.

Go to 888 Casino now and try your luck. You have nothing to lose and millions to gain!

Source: GuideToCasinos.co.uk

GTECH G2 Releases Major Casino Software Update

Sportingbet and GVC first to upgrade to the new casino software which includes 7 new games, integrated networked games, multilingual capacity and improved gaming management system 

GTECH G2 has just released the most significant upgrade to its downloadable casino product ever. The new player-centric Casino 4.10 software includes seven new games, integrated networked games, an enhanced tournament engine, new multilingual capacity and an improved gaming management system. In November, Sportingbet and Gaming VC (which operates Casino Club), will be the first operators to update.  

“Our acquisitions of Dynamite Idea, Finsoft, Boss Media and St. Minver have added a group of stand alone games to the existing Boss Media core casino products,” said Dominic Mansour, Head of Casino at GTECH G2. “One objective for this year was to package up those four offerings into one product that operators could easily gain access to. The GTECH G2 Casino product combines all those companies’ assets in one package.” 

New slot machine and video poker engines that are part of this comprehensive software update power the seven new games. Hells Bells is an IVT slot machine built on the new slot engine and a true Synot performer. Luxor Temple has an ancient Egyptian mythology theme, three jackpots and a bonus game.  A street race theme, progressive jackpot and a final race in the bonus game make for Hot Pursuit. Players can double or quadruple their winnings on the new Spot of Luck Video Poker, Spielo video poker game. Rockin Fruits is a classic fruit theme with a bonus wheel and a pick ´n click game.  Burning Ocean is another IVT slot with a jackpot and double up game. Rainbows and pots of gold await in the new Irish Magic video poker game. 

The new casino client is available in more than 20 different languages and supports the standard world currencies -- Dollar, Euro, and Pound Sterling -- or other currency on demand. Even with all the new features, the improved format of the new download casino has fewer files to be downloaded and validated. 

Casino 4.10 also allows smaller operators to benefit from increased liquidity by connecting to a games network. Networking brings more players to the game tables, leading to a more attrac­tive social community, and more compelling promotions, prizes and tournaments.  

Its flexible Gaming Management System back end has allowed GTECH G2 to aggregate content and supply it as a single package. A diverse range of content, sometimes utilizing disparate technologies, plugs into a single backend platform. This system also allows GTECH G2 to present player data in a single aggregated form, an essential tool for operators looking to maximize their gaming revenues. 

The GTECH G2 Gaming Management System (GMS) gives operators maximum control and the ability to continually optimize their offering to cater to different players throughout their customer life cycles.  It enables operators to present unique bonus offers, comps programs and in-game promotions and use free games to attract new players. It encourages responsible gaming by giving players the ability to set their own loss and wager limits.   

GTECH G2 is the igaming division of lottery industry giant, GTECH. It combines the software development and customer management expertise of Boss Media, Finsoft, Dynamite Idea and St Minver and operates the International Poker Network and International Bingo Network.

Retired Grandmother Wins $175,812 Jackpot

Winner prefers the quiet and comfort of playing at home over the noise and smoke of Las Vegas casinos

A retired grandmother who prefers the quiet comfort of online casinos to the noise and smoke of Las Vegas recently won a progressive jackpot of $175,812 at her favourite online casino, Slotland.com. The player, known as QAZMLP, won the massive prize playing Jacks or Better, one of Slotland’s most popular video poker games.

The avid slots player said she used to enjoy going to casinos in Las Vegas but nowadays prefers the comfort and convenience of online slot machines.

“Maybe I am just getting too old, but within thirty minutes of getting inside a casino, I get a headache with all the noise and music blasting around me,” said the lucky winner. “For over five years, Slotland has been one of my little pleasures.”

The night of her big win was lucky from the start when the first hand she was dealt was a Full House in the first round. Although she’d started with small bets she took this as a good sign and increased her bets to $10. After a few more good hands she’d turned her $200 deposit into $500 in no time at all.

“In the next five hands, I ended up with a straight, 3 of a kind (twice), a dead hand, and a beautiful four of a kind,” QAZMLP recalled about the night that changed her life. “With some nice music in the background, and my drink on the desk, and breathing smoke-free air, who wouldn’t be happy?”

“I honestly lost track of time with the best winning streak I ever had at Slotland but by the time I was dealt out the ultimate hand (I got the Ace, Queen, Jack and 10 of Spades and pulled up the King of Spades), I was almost at $1,300. With the $175,000 jackpot, I ended up with over $177,000.

QAZLAP plans to pay off the last $30,000 on her house and then take a trip-of-a-lifetime to Japan via Hawaii.

“Don’t tell anyone yet, but each of my seven grandchildren will get wallets this Christmas, each one filled with ten $100 bills!”

Slotland.com now offers fifteen one-of-a-kind slot machines and video poker games. They are all instant play casino games so there is nothing to download or install. Six of the most popular games, including Jacks or Better video poker, are also available on mobile phones and PDAs. All of Slotland’s slot machines, including the mobile versions, are tied to one progressive jackpot which was reset to $50,000 after the last win and is now almost $70,000.

Slotland’s 3D casino, WinADay.com, has a separate progressive jackpot of its own. The jackpot there, where the new video poker game “Deuces Wild” was just launched, is currently over $125,000.

Bad Beat Jackpot Over €330K at GTECH G2 IPN Poker Network

Europe’s largest independent poker network takes the sting out of losing with a good hand

The Bad Beat Jackpot on GTECH G2’s International Poker Network (IPN) has just gone over €330,000. The player that actually wins the hand will get more than €50,000 and another €50,000 will be split between the other players at the table.

“We boosted the jackpot last week so that the next winner would get at least €100,000,” said Per Karlsson, Head of Poker GTECH G2. “The last time our Bad Beat jackpot was hit was shortly after it topped €400K so I have a feeling it won’t be long before we’re making another player feel better about losing with a winning hand!”

The IPN Bad Beat Jackpot was last hit in August for €412,000. That winner wasn’t even aware he’d won it until someone else at the table pointed it out to him. He thought he’d just lost the pot despite having a great hand, which is frustrating for any poker player.

To qualify for the Bad Beat at IPN poker rooms, players must be at a designated Bad Beat table and use both pocket cards in their winning or losing hand. The losing hand must be four-of-a-kind sixes or better. Four or more players must be dealt into the hand.

GTECH G2 is the igaming division of lottery industry giant, GTECH. It combines the software development and customer management expertise of Boss Media, Finsoft, Dynamite Idea and St Minver and operates the International Poker Network and International Bingo Network.

Details of the IPN Bad Beat Jackpot are available at participating online poker rooms. There is a list of International Poker Network poker sites at http://www.ipnpoker.com/ipn_poker_rooms/area-52.html.

Intertops Adds 2 New Games as Biggest Jackpot for US Players Tops $1.5 Million

Super Bowl Contest continues in sportsbook currently featuring NFL football bets

Intertops Casino has added two new slot machines to their incredible selection of casino games just as their Jackpot Pinatas jackpot – the largest online progressive jackpot open to US players – goes over $1,500,000. The two new games from RTG feature free games and bonus rounds.

Shopping Spree II is a sequel to the hugely popular Shopping Spree progressive jackpot slot machine. It recreates a lavish shopping experience catering to both the bargain seeker and the high-end shopper. Free games and bonus rounds give players maximum playing time for their money.

The tornado-themed Triple Twister, where Weather Vane symbols trigger free games, has a Win Win feature that gives players a special bonus if their win from the main round is less than ten times their betting amount.

Nearly two years since its launch and no big jackpot winner yet, the Jackpot Pinatas progressive jackpot went over $1.5 million on Tuesday. It continues to be the largest progressive jackpot available at online casinos that accept US players. There are two other million dollar jackpots begging to be won at Intertops Casino. The Aztec’s Millions jackpot was hit for $1.2 million just over a month ago but since it was reset to $1,000,000 it is already over $1.2 million.  Meanwhile the jackpot that both the Midlife Crisis slot machine and the original Shopping Spree game are tied to is quickly approaching the million dollar mark.

Intertops may be one of the world’s first online casinos but it was their sportsbook that took the very first online wager more than eleven years ago.  Intertops sportsbook is currently running a Super Bowl Contest and featuring a wide range of NFL football betting propositions.

Intertops Casino features more than 300 instant-play and download games including 3 and 5 reel slots, multi-hand video poker, and traditional casino favorites from 3-Card Rummy to Blackjack, Roulette and Keno. Intertops is known as one of the most reliable and trustworthy online casinos in the world and they continue to earn their reputation for quick, hassle-free deposits and withdrawals and excellence in customer service.

Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies to Play OFC Winner in Heads Up Match

$17,000 in Cash & Prized Added to Tournament Series by PowerPoker.com

High stakes Finnish poker champion Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies will cap off a series of Online Forum Challenge (OFC) Tournaments to be held at Power Poker (www.powerpoker.com) over the next three months.

Each month, a set of Online Forum Challenge Events will be played at Power Poker, consisting of one big freeroll, and one buy-in with cash and prizes added. Prizes will also be awarded in each tournament to the best performing forums.

At the end of the three-month series, all players that participated in all 3 buy-in tournaments will be eligible to play in the Heads Up With Ziigmund Bonus Freeroll. In addition to a general prize pool and a bounty on Ziigmund, the winner of this bonus tournament will receive the package of a lifetime. The OFC Power Poker Challenge Grand Prize will see the winner of this tournament meeting up with Ziigmund, and playing him heads up for $1,000.

In 2008, Ilari Ziigmund won $1.6 million, and from August 2008 to January 2009 he made a profit of $2.6 million.  In January 2009 he made his best tournament score to date, cashing €125,000 for 2nd place in the Helsinki Freezeout. His total tournament cash-ins are $327,000.

The first set of OFC Events features a $2,000 freeroll on Saturday, October 24th, followed by a $5 buy-in with $2,000 cash and prizes added to the prize pool on Sunday, October 25th. Both tournaments start at 3pm Eastern.

Players that wish to compete for the chance to play against the Finnish poker pro are required to pre-register at Online Forum Challenge (http://www.onlineforumchallenge.com). The preregistration period for the first set of OFC Events at Power Poker closes on Wednesday, October 21st at 3pm Eastern.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Ziigmund and the entire Power Poker Team. Our events have awarded players with over half a million dollars in added prize money in the last few years, but this is probably the coolest prize so far,” commented Global Gaming Events (GGE) President, Jason “Wolf” Rosenberg. GGE owns and operates Online Forum Challenge.

Complete details and pre-registration is available at Online Forum Challenge (http://www.onlineforumchallenge.com).

WinADay.com 3D Casino Jackpot Getting Bigger, Faster -- Currently Over $100K

More games and more players than ever mean jackpots are being won more frequently

The progressive jackpot at 3D casino WinADay.com has just gone over $100,000 and players at the unique slots and video poker site are getting the feeling that the next big jackpot win could happen any day.

There aren’t a lot of statistics to base that feeling on. Although it’s operated by one of the oldest online slots sites (Slotland.com) WinADay.com just celebrated its first birthday this summer and has only had four major jackpot winners to date.

So far, the jackpot at WinADay.com has been rising to about $150,000 before someone gets lucky and wins it.  There’s also usually been about three months between wins, too, and it’s only been a month and a half since the last one. So it may be a bit premature to expect the next win to be imminent.

“Gamblers often go a lot by hunches,” said Ondrej Tuma of WinADay.com.  “Of course we have no idea when the jackpot will be won but in the past when a jackpot gets to six figures that’s when we really start to see a lot of players betting max and going for it. Of course, that makes the jackpot grow even faster!”

The last jackpot winner at WinADay.com was Marlieska won $153,977 in August playing the new Vegas Mania. Monica68 won WinADay’s very first big jackpot, ($148,724 (€116,200), on the Wheeler Dealer slot machine. Then, right after the single-payline Slot-O-Matic was launched, “123jaki” played it to win $159,660 (€123,620). In May BONDGIRL won $100, 224 (€73,970) – the second big jackpot to be won on the Wheeler Dealer.

A video preview of WinADay.com’s newest game, the colourful Bonus Poker video poker, is on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huAHN1g9e4M

There’s nothing to download or install at WinADay.com. It’s an instant-play casino so players can go straight to the three-dimensional games lobby where animated casino staff will help them decide which of the eight one-of-a-kind games to try first and be playing in minutes.

The progressive jackpot at WinADay’s parent site, Slotland.com, has risen to over $160,000 and is also teasing players with the prospect of a very big win on the very next spin.

Slotland Jackpot Tempts Fate as it Soars Over $160,000

Online Slots Site Has Paid Out $8,456,375 in Progressive Jackpot’s in 11 Year History

As Slotland continues to celebrate its 11th birthday this month, its progressive jackpot is still begging to be won. Since the popular pioneering slots and video poker site first introduced the world to online slot machines 11 years ago this month, the company has had 87 big jackpot winners and has paid out a total of $8,456,375 in progressive jackpot winnings.

“Our jackpots might not reach millions of dollars before they are won, but since they are won so regularly and so frequently for six-figure amounts, players feel more like they actually have a chance to win, I think,” said Ondrej Tuma of Slotland.com.

One of the reasons Slotland’s jackpots hit 100,000 so quickly is that the site very generously resets them to $50,000 each time they’re won. The progressive jackpot option is very popular with Slotland’s many loyal players so a high proportion of them bet max to be eligible to win it. With so many players contributing, the jackpot pool grows rapidly.

Slotland recently launched it’s 14th original online slot machine, the Reel Riot. The kitchy Reel Riot is a single payline slot machine that Slotland has revved up to the max by including a “Double Wild” bonus symbol and by making it possible to hold any reel for the next spin.

Slotland.com now offers fifteen one-of-a-kind slot machines and video poker games. Six of the most popular games are also available on mobile phones and PDAs. All of Slotland’s slot machines give players the option of placing a maximum bet for a chance at winning the progressive jackpot.

Slotland’s 3D casino, WinADay.com, has a separate progressive jackpot of its own. The jackpot there, where the new video poker game “Deuces Wild” was just launched, is currently over $100,000.

Slotland Marks One-derful 11th Birthday with 11% Bonus and Draws for $11, $111 and $1111

Six-figure progressive jackpot could even be hit during anniversary celebrations

11 is the lucky number at Slotland.com this week as one of the internet’s first online casino’s celebrates its 11th birthday with random draws for $11, $111 and $1111 and an 11% bonus on every deposit October 1st to 7th.

Both new and regular players will get birthday bonuses to mark the occasion. Beginning 1st October, new players will get an extra $10 credited to their accounts and regular players (that have deposited at least $50 prior to 1st September) will receive $50 free birthday money.

“What would really make this a birthday to remember,” said Ondrej Tuma of Slotland, “Is if someone hit our jackpot during our birthday celebration week!”

The Slotland.com progressive jackpot is currently over $134K. Throughout its history, this jackpot has been well known not only for its frequency but its regularity. It is hit, on average, about every six weeks and the last big win was $80K on 14th July. Although it has gone to $200K, it seldom gets this high before it’s won. Sensing it has to be due for a win, a lot of regular Slotland players will be spending a few extra minutes at their favourite games next week hoping to be Slotland’s next six-figure winner.

Slotland was a pioneer back in the early days of online casinos and was one of the first to offer real money casino games on mobile phones. By constantly developing new and better games, they’ve kept that pioneering spirit alive. The newest addition is the Reel Riot, a kitchy single payline game with stunningly animated traditional fruit machine symbols.

Slotland.com currently features ten unique slot machines and five video poker games. Four of the most popular online slot machines and two video poker games are also available on mobile phones and PDAs. All of Slotland’s slot machines give players the option of placing a maximum bet for a chance at the progressive jackpot.

Phil Hellmuth Set to Make Grand Entrance Fit for a King at World Series of Poker Europe

Phil Hellmuth prepares for another memorable grand entrance tomorrow in London

You don’t have to wait outside of Buckingham Palace to spot royalty in London. UltimateBet’s Phil Hellmuth, arguably one of the kings of the poker world, will make his grand entrance to this year’s World Series of Poker Europe on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at The Casino of the Empire, located at 5-6 Leicester Square.

While it’s not yet clear exactly what Phil Hellmuth will do, if this summer’s WSOP entrance in Vegas is any indication, his London entrance will be one of the biggest highlights of the tournament.

Dressed as Julius Caesar, Hellmuth made his way to the Rio in Las Vegas for the WSOP protected by Roman guards and surrounded by muses throwing rose petals, all of who were outfitted only in body paint. The over-the-top entrance was in keeping with UltimateBet’s 2009 WSOP theme. Celebrating its 10th anniversary dealing cards online, the online poker site invited poker players to join its empire in Vegas and compete for a $10 million Main Event bonus.

Phil Hellmuth doesn’t reserve his grand entrances exclusively for Las Vegas. In 2008, UltimateBet held a Phil Hellmuth lookalike contest and invited London locals to show up to the WSOPE dressed as the 11-time WSOP bracelet winner.

In 2007, Phil Hellmuth grabbed the European media spotlight once again as he toured London’s most famous sights aboard a Hellmuth-branded double-decker bus, accompanied by 12 models.

Poker fans in the UK are invited to join Phil Hellmuth for his grand entrance at 12:30pm on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at the Empire Casino, 5-6 Leicester Square. Those who are unable to attend can read about Hellmuth’s entrance on UltimateBet’s blog, which can be found at UltimateBet.com.

WinADay.com 3D Casino Launches Colourful New Video Poker Game

Multi-hand 'Bonus Poker" has Bonus Round that can double the winnings

WinADay.com has launched another one-of-a-kind video poker game making nine unique slot machines and video poker games at the three dimensional online casino site operated by Slotland.com.  The new Bonus Poker game gives players a chance to double their winnings after any winning hand. Its design is colourful, unique, and fanciful. The strobing plastic colours are reminiscent of toy shops and candy stores but this multi-hand game is anything but child’s play.

Players can play 1, 3, 5, 10, 25 or even 50 hands at a time on the new Bonus Poker video poker game. Jacks or better returns the bet, two pairs pay double, and three of a kind triples it.  Four of a kind payout is disappointing on many Jacks or Better games but in Bonus Poker it pays up to x40. 

After every winning hand, players can collect their winnings or choose to play a Bonus Game where they can double the winnings on that hand if they can predict which of 4 hidden cards is greater than the one that’s dealt face up.

“We don’t do comic book characters or super heroes – we let our in-house designers come up with original ideas and sometimes their imaginations really run wild!” said WinADay.com manager Ondrej Tuma.  “When they first showed me what they’d come up for Bonus Poker I almost wanted to take a bite of it – I thought it looked almost like candy. Anyway, it feels FUN which is what a game is supposed to be!”

The kitchy retro look of the new Vegas Mania is definitely fun and certainly not traditional game design.  And you won’t find anything like the frolicking cherubs and flying pigs that adorn the Heavenly Reels slot machine on any other game anywhere.

WinADay.com has a variety of games to appeal to all levels of players. The simple single payline Slot-O-Matic is a good one for beginners whilst more experienced and strategic slots players enjoy more complex games like the 20-payline Vegas Mania.

WinADay.com now has 6 one-of-a-kind slot machines and 3 unique video poker games. All of the slot machines are tied to the WinADay progressive jackpot which recently went over $83K and could be won at any moment.

WinADay.com is an instant-play, no download casino. Players can walk straight through the casino’s decadent entrance to the three-dimensional games lobby. There, animated casino staff can help them choose a game and be playing within seconds.

Slotland Celebrates 11th Birthday of Online Slot Machine Site

A lot has changed but great games, great customer service are still the key to pioneering online casino’s success

Next month, pioneering slot machine and video poker site, Slotland.com, celebrates its eleventh year of spinning reels, new games and six-figure jackpots. In the last year, the online slot machine site has added three new one-of-a-kind slot machines and video poker games, there have been another four six-figure progressive jackpot wins, and thousands more slots players around the world have discovered why Slotland.com continues to be the most popular online slot games site.



When Slotland.com first went online, there was no YouTube or Facebook. People didn’t pay their bills or book their vacations online. To play slots for real money on their personal computer was certainly a revolutionary – and exciting – new idea. A decade ago, the Internet was in its infancy – Slotland has been there since the very beginning.

Hundreds if not thousands of online casinos have come and gone since Slotland launched its first unique online slot machines more than a decade ago. Prompt and attentive customer service has earned their players’ loyalty and a list of new games, each more entertaining than the last one, keeps them coming back.

“I am a mother of 4 children and enjoy my quiet time to play slots,” said a player known as ‘Wrighthere’ who’s been playing at Slotland for eight years. “I’ve pretty much played everywhere and tried to find a place I can call home. I found my home – it’s Slotland. I love the fact after playing at so many sites that Slotland has my best interest, and I can count on them to follow thru. This week I won and withdrew a wonderful $1638, right before school starting which was a great surprise.”

Since day one, the company has been known for its integrity. Even after eleven years of service, there are virtually no negative comments about Slotland on any player or affiliate forums. Its management has earned and kept the trust of its customers and business partners.

“We’ve always used server-based, instant play, no download games,” said Ondrej Tuma of Slotland.com. “That hasn’t changed – although our designers are coming up with more and more amazing games all the time. Our new 3D casino, WinADay.com, is an example of that! The basic design of Slotland.com hasn’t really changed that much though. Our players like to try new games, but they like the comfort of such a familiar site.”

Another choice that Slotland made from the beginning was to provide only one-of-a-kind games. While other slot machines can be found on hundreds of online casino sites, Slotland’s 11 slots and 4 video poker games can only be played at Slotland where the company can guarantee the very best customer service.

Special birthday offers for new and existing players will be announced on the site October 1st.

Swedish Media Company’s Hem Bingo First of Many to Launch GTECH G2’s New Bingo Software

This week, Swedish media company United Media was the first to launch on GTECH G2’s vastly improved Bingo 2.2 network with their Hem Bingo site (www.hembingo.com). G2’s Bingo 2.2 software upgrade, unveiled this week at EiG in Copenhagen, incorporates a suite of mini games that provide a supplemental revenue stream for bingo operators. 

“GTECH G2 has made a multi-million Euro investment in its Bingo product,” said Atul Bali, President of GTECH G2. “With the combined resources of Boss Media and St Minver, two of the companies acquired last year to form our interactive gaming division and with ongoing investment in key products like our bingo network, we will continue to lead the way in terms of product innovation and services.”
Bingo 2.2 allows clients to pool liquidity and maximizes the jackpots in the bingo rooms through its linked games and multi currency functionality. In addition, it offers a fantastic suite of multi lingual mini games launching from the game window including mini progressive slots, table games, video poker and scratch cards. The Bingo software and mini games portfolio will be updated quarterly with innovative new feature functionality, to ensure that G2 Bingo remains at the cutting edge of bingo front and back end development, catering to the needs of both the Bingo player and licensee.
“In early 2010, we plan to merge Boss Media’s bingo partners with St Minver’s International Bingo Network to create one large combined network using G2 Bingo software and operated from our Bingo hub in Gibraltar,” said Alison Digges, Group Head of Bingo for GTECH G2. “Pooling the liquidity of over 80 bingo partners will make the GTECH G2 Bingo network one of the leading networks in 2010”.

The European iGaming conference (EiG) in Copenhagen this week is the first time since lottery industry giant GTECH announced the creation of its new igaming division that the four companies acquired to form the group are exhibiting under their one new brand name, GTECH G2. Boss Media, Finsoft, St Minver and Dynamite Idea, now backed by the world’s leading supplier to the lottery industry, are showcasing their comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for igaming operators.

Jadestone and The World Series of Backgammon Support the Japan Open

Jadestone Networks, through its partner the World Series of Backgammon (WSOB), has completed online qualifiers in backgammon for the Japan Open.  Jadestone is the Nordic-based owner and operator of multiplayer gaming networks GamArena and DiceArena.

Online backgammon qualifiers for the Japan Open were run on September 5 and 12 with seats available for the offline event scheduled for September 20 - 22. The qualifiers were open to Japanese players that registered to play via the WSOB website, as the tournament sponsor, and that contacted the host of the event Mochy Mochizuki (the reigning Backgammon World Champion and Team WSOB member) to confirm their participation. These qualifying tournaments were exclusively available in the new backgammon network run by Jadestone.

“We’ve already seen that backgammon is a highly popular game around the world,” said Andrew Pegler, UK Director at Jadestone. “With our partnership with the WSOB we are growing the online backgammon base significantly and in Japan we have an excellent figurehead in the current World Champion who plays exclusively in our network.”

Andy Bell, Managing Director of the WSOB, said that: “We launched online qualifiers for the main WSOB tour at the event in Cannes at the end of July and we have already seen terrific interest in qualification for our upcoming events in Prague and London. To add the Japan Open now shows our dedication to the game and underlines the flexibility of Jadestone’s backgammon product. The WSOB is proud to work with Jadestone and to sponsor the Japan Open and our Team WSOB member Mochy.”

On September 5th and 12th, 2009 the WSOB and Jadestone ran two online qualifying tournaments for this year’s Japan Open. The winners gained seats at the Japan Open worth approx €375 each. The Japan Open will be played offline from September 20 – 22 in Tokyo.

GTECH G2 Unveils Player-centric Product Updates and Hosts Executive Gala at EiG

New bingo, poker, casino and minigames released this month as GTECH introduces its interactive gaming group to the igaming industry

GTECH G2 will feature major software releases for its bingo, poker, casino and minigames products when the four igaming software developers that comprise GTECH’s igaming division – Boss Media, Finsoft, St Minver and Dynamite Idea – exhibit together under one brand, GTECH G2, at the European iGaming conference (EiG) in Copenhagen this week. Upholding the tradition started by Boss Media, G2’s executive gala on opening night will be the social highlight of the conference.

“We’re looking forward to introducing our new interactive gaming division to the igaming industry,” said Atul Bali, CEO of GTECH G2. “We are already providing interactive gaming products to some of our European and South American lottery customers and, with the combined resources of our interactive gaming acquisitions and GTECH’s global market leadership of the lottery industry, we will be leading the convergence of the igaming and lottery industries."
“We’re really excited to be showcasing our products as a group in Copenhagen,” said Dominic Mansour. “EiG marks the debut of our Games Studio, our internal innovation and game creation centre. It brings together founding members from Dynamite Idea and Boss Media to ensure the highest level of creativity and new concepts and is responsible for creating ideas from scratch into innovative market leading games.”

GTECH G2 provides an end-to-end solution for igaming operators, providing bingo, poker, casino and minigames accessible from one account, one wallet and managed through one Gaming Management System. This month, GTECH G2 is releasing a series of major software releases.

An addition of seven new minigames and slot games (Hot Pursuit, Luxor Temple, Rockin´ Fruits, Irish Magic, Hells Bells, Burning Ocean, Spot of Luck) have been added to the already extensive GTECH G2 games portfolio.

“Operators are finding that minigames, or side games, provide an excellent additional revenue stream,” said Simon Caddy, founder of Dynamite Idea and now Head of GTECH G2’s Games Studio creative think tank which will be launched during EiG in Copenhagen. “As part of GTECH G2 now, we have more resources to develop new games and more operators have access to them.”

GTECH G2 will present a major update to its bingo software at EiG this week as well as the launch of the Games Studio and the latest casino software update which integrates tournaments with the Gaming Management System.

“We are very much looking forward to launching our dynamic portfolio,” said Mery Blomqvist, Head of Marketing and PR at GTECH G2. “And we’re really looking forward to socializing with our VIPs at our Executive Gala party which this year will be held on site at Tivoli Gardens.”

Intertops Celebrates NFL Season with Free Trip to Super Bowl XLIV Contest and No-Juice NFL Lines

Intertops, the first online sportsbook, is giving away a trip to Miami and is taking zero margin on one NFL game per month

The American football season kicks off tonight and Intertops.com, the first to ever take an online wager and still the most trusted online sportsbook anywhere, has a complete line-up of NFL odds and props, as well as a deluxe trip to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami to give away. Monthly No-Juice NFL lines begin with Thursday’s league opener.

“When we took the very first online sports wager back in 1996, we sure didn’t have all the betting propositions that we do now!” said Michl Posch of Intertops.com. “Today, we have lists of NFL odds and props, from ‘Most Wins in the Regular Season’ to ‘Players With the Most Passing Yards’ and ‘Most Rushing Yards’ and, of course ‘Super Bowl Winner’. The NFL is incredibly popular with both American and European bettors.”
Throughout the regular season, players at Intertops.com will be automatically entered in a free contest to win a dream trip to the Super Bowl in Miami, Florida next February whenever they place a wager on any NFL bet offer. The prize includes flights to Miami, four nights at a top hotel, and top tickets for Super Bowl XLIV. Intertops will also send two more football fans to the college football BCS Championship.

Apparently seriously struck by Super Bowl Fever, Intertops is also forfeiting its margin and offering one NFL No-Juice line each month. After tomorrow’s Tennessee Titans vs Pittsburgh Steelers game, the next No Juice NFL Lines will be when the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings on October 5th.

Super Bowl is always the biggest sports betting event of the year and the excitement starts building with the first kick-off each September. Anything can happen as the NFL season unfolds, but right now Intertops oddsmakers seem almost certain the New England Patriots will be going to Miami next February, favoring their opponent to be the New York Giants (20.0) or the Philadelphia Eagles (23.0). Complete and current NFL betting propositions are always available at: www.sportsbook.intertops.com.

Intertops.com, which also offers poker and casino games, takes pride in its long record of quick, hassle-free deposits and withdrawals and excellence in customer service.

Chance Affiliates Hosts Festive BAC Opening Night Party

Casino, poker and sports betting site offers 50% commissions to new affiliates

ChanceRoom.com, the new casino, poker and sportsbetting site powered by GTECH G2, will host the opening night party at the Budapest Affiliate Conference to celebrate the launch of their new site and introduce their affiliate program, Chance Affiliates, to igaming webmasters. The event will take place at Budapest’s trendiest night club, White Angel, 11 September from 8 pm onwards.

ChanceRoom.com is a new igaming site with online casino, poker and sports betting all accessible with one account and with one wallet. ChanceRoom.com has just launched French and English versions of the site and will be focusing most of their acquisition towards the French market. Affiliates that are targeting that market will do well with this all-in-one igaming product, especially with Chance Affiliates offering 50% commissions for new affiliates’ first three months.

“We want our guests to understand that ChanceRoom is all about fun and entertainment,” said John Benjamin of ChanceRoom.com. “We’ve got lots happening all through the night and guests stand a chance to win free gifts.”

Throughout the evening, ChanceRoom hostesses will be inviting guests to play games -- Basket Football Shoot, Wheel of Fortune and Football Goal Shoot – in which they can win keys to enter the Chance Zone area where they can win special prizes.

Poker icon Doyle Brunson is among the confirmed guests.

“Many months of planning have gone into the development of our sportsbook, poker room and casino,” said Louis Harang whose LGH Ltd. owns and operates ChanceRoom.com. “We have a lot to celebrate in Budapest!”

Free Drinks Passes will be available at the ChanceRoom.com stand at BAC (B48/52). Affiliates can also rsvp online at http://www.chanceaffiliates.com/budapest/. ChanceRoom has also arranged for the cabs that will be on stand-by at the White Angel club, to ensure that the guests do not have problems going back to their hotels late in the evening.

GTECH’s Digital Gaming Companies to Exhibit As One Brand, GTECH G2, for the First Time at EiG

Boss Media, Finsoft, St Minver and Dynamite Idea Combine to Provide the Most Complete iGaming Product Line Available

For the first time since lottery industry giant GTECH announced the creation of its new digital gaming division, the four companies acquired to form the group will exhibit under their one new brand name, GTECH G2. Boss Media, Finsoft, St Minver and Dynamite Idea, now backed by the world’s leading supplier to the lottery industry, will showcase their comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for interactive gaming operators at the European iGaming conference (EiG) in Copenhagen next week.

Providing lottery games, casino, poker, sportsbetting, casual, instant games and a player-centric management system, GTECH G2 will showcase the group’s latest software updates including new games in their download casino, innovative instant side games, and major improvements to their bingo product. Representatives will also be available to talk about recently announced partnerships with Yahoo and PayPal.

“Our new partnership with a large South American lottery, where we will be providing sportsbetting products online and on retail betting terminals, is an example of the kind of convergence of the interactive gaming and lottery industries that GTECH G2 is leading,” said Atul Bali, President of GTECH G2.

William Scott, Vice President Business Development GTECH G2, will join a panel of igaming executives to assess the impact of offline/online convergence, consolidation and M&A, and private vs. state-run monopolies during Thursday 17 September.

GTECH G2 will continue the Boss Media tradition of hosting an exclusive gala dinner for igaming executives gathered for EiG. “Our parties are a great opportunity to enjoy the company of our clients and partners,” said Mery Blomqvist, Head of Marketing & PR GTECH G2. “We’ve got a great event planned for Copenhagen!”

ChanceRoom.com Launches Sports Betting, Poker and Casino Site Powered by G2 in French and English Markets

New site offers full range of igaming entertainment choices and generous player incentives

ChanceRoom.com, a new G2-powered gambling site with sports betting, poker and casino games, has launched in French and English. The site features a complete range of entertainment, all with the convenience of one account and one wallet, as well as some unique and generous VIP rewards.

ChanceRoom.com players can play poker in the poker room that’s part of the largest independent European poker network, enjoy state-of-the-art casino games, and even place a bet on the ponies or footies without having to logon to separate accounts.

“We’ve come up with some great ways to reward our best players,” said John Benjamin of ChanceRoom.com. “Players are automatically enrolled in our VIP Club which gives cash bonuses based on reward points earned by wagering and depositing. And, every month, we‘ll award bonus cash to the winners of our Points Race – the top point-scorers in each casino game that month.

ChanceRoom.com is launching in both French and English. Customer Support staff fluent in both French and English will make sure that players are well taken care of.

“Both sites will offer the same wide selection of games and betting options,” said Benjamin. “But the French site will likely focus more on French horse racing while the British site will emphasize football wagers more.”

“We’ve assembled a management team with many years experience in igaming,” said Louis Harang, Director of LGH Ltd. which owns and operates ChanceRoom.com. “We’ve designed unique incentives for regular players, and we’ve chosen one of the most innovative and reputable software providers to make sure our players enjoy the best experience possible.”

“We congratulate our newest licensee on the launch of their site. They’ve got a very good selection from our games portfolio, including our most popular big progressive jackpot games like Aladdin’s Lamp and Fortunes of Egypt, and we’ll have lots of new games for them in coming months,” said Mery Blomqvist at GTECH G2. “I’m sure ChanceRoom players will appreciate the convenience of having one wallet for the sportsbook, casino and poker room.”

ChanceRoom.com is encouraging players to try their new site by offering some of the most generous deposit bonuses available anywhere. Casino players can receive up to 1200€ and poker players get a 200% bonus (up to 1000€). The sportsbook offers a 25€ First Bet Refund.

Rounders House Launches New Poker Reality Show

Contestants to learn from Poker Pros in Las Vegas, win prizes for charity


Rounders House, a new poker reality show, begins taping in Las Vegas this fall. Sixteen contestants will compete live to win prizes for themselves as well as their favorite charity. This weekend, the winner of the Online Forum Challenge at Reefer Poker will be the first contestant to be awarded a place in the house.

Dennis Brown, co-founder of the show, is very excited about the launch. “Rounders House brings reality TV to your house. Rounders House will have multiple LIVE 24/7 cams in the house so you never miss what these poker players are doing,” commented Brown.

“The show will have some great daily challenges for the contestants. Each winner will win some great prizes, while donating to their favorite charity,” said co-founder Jason “Wolf” Rosenberg. “Combine that with some top notch instruction from some A-List Poker Pros, and we think these players will have the time of their lives.”

All Rounders House contestants will qualify to appear on the show by winning online poker tournaments. Each package won will provide the winners with airfare, food, four days and three nights lodging at Rounders House, instruction from top Poker Pros, and a buy-in to a land based tournament in Las Vegas, NV.

The first Rounders House package will be given away as a bonus prize in this weekend’s Online Forum Challenge at Reefer Poker. All details for this give-away and pre-registration are available at the Online Forum Challenge website (http://www.onlineforumchallenge.com/) . The other fifteen contestant packages are up for grabs via online qualifiers.

This new poker reality show will be available free at http://www.roundershouse.com/ where a complete list of satellites and finals tournaments on select online poker sites is currently available.

Annie Duke Invites All to Play in OFC Ante Up For Africa Charity Poker Tournament

Pro Bounties and WSOP Academy Package To Be Given Away

Annie Duke, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, and other poker pros will be playing in the OFC Ante Up For Africa Charity Tournament to be held at UltimateBet.com on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 at 2pm EDT (GMT -4). The $1 + $10 tournament aims to raise money and bring awareness to the Ante Up For Africa organization.

“I am so excited that the poker community is embracing this cause,” said UltimateBet Pro, Annie Duke. “The OFC Ante Up For Africa Charity Tournament is a great way for players of any level to get involved.”

The winner of this tournament will receive a World Series of Poker Academy admission courtesy of WSOP Academy, along with $500 for airfare expenses courtesy of UltimateBet.

Bounties will be placed on Annie Duke, Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon, and other UltimateBet Pros. Players who eliminate any of the poker pros will win a one year PPA Online Premium Membership to the Poker Players Alliance.

“We are honoured to be working with the entire UltimateBet Team and WSOP Academy. They have all been so supportive in our efforts to bring attention to this very special cause,” commented Jason “Wolf” Rosenberg, President of Global Gaming Events (GGE) which owns and operates Online Forum Challenge.

The charity event kicks off the Online Forum Challenge Ultimate Aruba Experience, in which one player is guaranteed to win an $8,500 Aruba Classic Package. Full details for the Ante Up For Africa Charity Tournament and the entire tournament series are available at http://www.ofcaruba.com/.

Vive La France! PKR Qualifier Turns US $5 into Over $HK3,000,000!

23-year-old Adrien Allain from Rennes, France, is the 2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau Festival Main Event Champion! He scooped HK$3,035,000 - a fantastic return on his investment of US$5 through an online satellite on PKR!


Allain, who recently turned professional said: “I’m overwhelmed, this is so wonderful. I qualified for this tournament through a $5 lottery tournament on PKR and end up beating all these top players. Vive La France!”

Allain, known by many as ‘zlatan35’ online, now aims to use the winnings as a bankroll to push forward his poker career. He impressively dominated the final table that included the likes of Poker Pack star JC Tran, Casey Kastle and David Steicke. No mean feat when this is your first major event and your biggest previous win is online and US$8,000! The runner-up was Inwook Choi from Korea. Choi got his money in with the best hand after pushing with AQ but Allain spiked a 3 on the flop and his A3 was enough to take the title. That said - Allain had been like a train since the first card was dealt and had Choi dominated 2,182,000/1,078,000 at the heads-up stage.

As Asian Poker Tour CEO Chris Parker expressed his congratulations, Adrien’s delighted group of supporters waved French flags in celebration as the Asian Poker Tour closing ceremony at the Starworld Hotel and Casino drew to its customary colourful conclusion. The crowd of supporters grew throughout the afternoon after the now legendary Asian Poker Tour Macau Party in the Presidential Suite the night before.

There were five small stacks on the final table and after shuffle up and deal was called by the world’s leading tournament director Matt Savage, the action was fast and furious. First out was Casey Kastle, who departed after the third hand on his third consecutive Asian Poker Tour final table appearance! He was followed very shortly by Winifred Yu, who came to the Starworld Hotel and Casino as a member of the crew for Chinese poker language film ‘Poker King’ and left with a HK$26,112 final table payout.Christer Hallberg was next to exit, followed by Michael Woo. By this point Allain was making all the play and could do no wrong and had built himself a significant chip lead. In the background, dangermen JC Tran and David Steicke were lurking but the young Frenchman’s stack was continuing to tower. Next to go and out in fifth was Chris Chau, followed by Steicke – whose fourth place finish caps a memorable Asian Poker Tour Macau Festival for him which saw him also take down the Poker Pack High Rollers event.

What followed was a long session of small ball poker with Allain continuing to dominate, Inwook Choi holding up well and poker superstar JC Tran seriously short stacked but fighting back. In the end Inwook Choi’s queen high straight saw off Tran’s challenge, much to the disappointment of the large group of Poker Pack supporters on the rail. It has been a fantastic 12 day festival for The Poker Pack. Tran won The Poker Pack headhunter event and Korea, featuring Steve Sung, David Chino’ Rheem and Brandon Wong, won the inaugural JBET Battle of the Nations event. Quinn Do took down ‘The Poker King Movie’ Celebrity Charity event, while David ‘Chino’ Rheem won the HKGC No Limit Hold ‘em R+A side event.

JC said “It has been a great 12 day festival for The Poker Pack - it is disappointing not to take down the Main Event but congratulations to Alain, he played good poker and is a deserving champion. To take down such a major tournament for just $5 is quite something – there’s no doubt he has great potential.”

Day 1B marked the start of filming of ‘Poker King,’ the first Chinese language poker film. Many, including the legendary Johnny Chan, predict the movie could have the ‘Rounders’ effect on the growth of poker in Asia. Five of the crew entered the Main Event with Hong Kong’s Winfred Yu making the final table! It would be fair to say that Poker King nearly had its own Poker King!

There was an encouragingly large regional contingent taking part in the event, with over 50% of the Day1A field from Asia. There were also plenty of well known names at the StarWorld Hotel and Casino including ‘The Poker Pack,’ John Juanda, Johnny Chan, Liz Lieu, James Akenhead of the WSOP Main Event November Nine, the in-form Stewart Scott, David Chiu, Ian Frazer, Praz Bansi, JP Kelly, Young Phan, Amnon Filippi, Casey Kastle, Steve Yea, David Steicke, Cecilia Nordenstam, Liv Boeree, Mel Judah, Karl Mahrenholz and Kim Wooka. Chan, Frazer, Scott and Wooka were amongst those that cashed. Last year’s champion Yevgeniy Timoshenko was also in attendance and failed to cash in the Main Event.

Tournament Director Matt Savage confirmed that there were a total of 326 runners, 133 on Day 1A and 193 on Day 1B. The total prize pool was HK$10,919,040 with first place HK$3,035,000. The buy-in for the Main Event was set at HK$34,400. Last year’s event attracted 257 runners.


The Asian Poker Tour Macau hosted over 20 events with 15 official side events. Amongst the online networks which sent players were The Ongame Network, the iPoker Network and PartyPoker.com. In addition, online rooms BWin, PKR, Dafa Poker, JBET Poker, Betfriends, 888.com, Titan Poker, RedKings, 32Red, ChiliPoker, Winamax, BetSafe, PafPoker, The Asia Poker, JPL and PokerLoco are in on the action which guaranteed the significant online qualifier contingent.

GTECH G2 Renews Agreement to Supply Bingo, Poker & Games to Yahoo!

GTECH G2 will continue to provide bingo, poker and games to search and entertainment giant Yahoo! for at least another two years. New instant win games will be added to the state of the art games powered by GTECH G2.

Yahoo! Bingo, first launched in 2005 by St Minver for Yahoo! UK & Ireland (http://www.yahoobingo.net/), includes bingo and a selection of more than 60 instant-play games including arcade games, scratch cards and number games which have been extremely popular at the entertainment portal. The top games include Monopoly, Cluedo and Dynamite Idea's market leading Triple Chance High Low.

Yahoo! will now be among the first to feature GTECH G2’s new “instant win” games channel through St Minver. This exciting new “Instant Win” channel combines best of breed arcade games, scratchcards, table games, progressive jackpots and branded content aimed at casual gamers. The Instant Win solution offers a fully outsourced, white label solution for brands and gaming companies wishing to extend life time values whilst offering entertaining content.

Yahoo! will also now launch download poker to complement its current Flash poker offering. Yahoo!’s poker room (http://uk.poker.games.yahoo.net/) is part of the International Poker Network (IPN) powered by GTECH G2. One of the largest independent poker networks in Europe, the IPN recently celebrated its three-millionth player. Yahoo! provides interactive tutorials and presents free poker tournaments.

“We have worked with Yahoo! for over 4 years now and have built an excellent relationship together.” said Leigh Nissim, Commercial Director at GTECH G2. “The decision to extend their bingo contract with us, whilst adding download poker and our new Instant Win channel is a great choice as they seek to offer more entertainment to their visitors.”

Asian Poker Tour Bigger and Better Than Ever

2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau Confirms Growth

With Day 1B now underway at the 2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau Festival, Tournament Director Matt Savage has confirmed that there are a total of 326 runners, 133 on Day 1A and 193 on Day 1B. The total prize pool is HK$10,919,040 with first place due to scoop HK$3,035,000. The buy-in for the Main Event is set at HK$34,400. Last year’s event attracted 257 runners.

Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour said: “One year ago we projected that we would get 300 runners for the Main Event so we are delighted with the turnout, especially in the current economic climate. It vindicates our decision to transform The Asian Poker Tour Macau into a 12 day festival. What is hugely encouraging is the growth of Asian players in the field, which bodes very well for the future. For example, on Day1A just over 50% of the field was from Asia. We have also significantly increased the online qualifier contingent in comparison to 2008.”

As well as the large regional contingent there are plenty of well know names at the StarWorld Hotel and Casino. Leading the field are The Asian Poker Tour’s Ambassadors ‘The Poker Pack’ comprising of JC Tran, Nam Le, Quinn Do, David ‘Chino’ Rheem, Steve Sung and Kwang Soo Lee. Also in attendance are John Juanda, Liz Lieu, James Akenhead of the WSOP® Main Event November Nine, the in-form Stewart Scott, David Chiu, Ian Frazer, Praz Bansi, JP Kelly, Young Phan, Amnon Filippi, Casey Kastle, Steve Yea, David Steicke, Cecilia Nordenstam, Liv Boeree, Mel Judah and Kim Wooka.

Live reporting can be found at: http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2009-apt-macau/
Day 1B also marked the start of filming of ‘Poker King,’ the first Chinese language poker film. As players entered to take their seats for Day1B the cameras were rolling for the movie which has an all star cast. Many predict the movie could have the ‘Rounders’ effect on the growth of poker in Asia.

‘The Poker Pack’ is on an amazing run at the Starworld Hotel and Casino in the side events. Team Korea, featuring Steve Sung, David Chino’Rheem and Brandon Wong, won the inaugural JBET Battle of the Nations event (side event #9). Quinn Do took down ‘The Poker King Movie’ Celebrity Charity event, while David ‘Chino’ Rheem won the HKGC No Limit Hold ‘em R+A side event #4. Most recently, JC Tran took down ‘The Poker Pack’ headhunter side event #10. Sixteen players failed to take the bounty of the star player as he crushed all opposition in front of him to scoop HK$76,000 plus HK$10,500 in bounties. In addition, last night there was a special invitational event sponsored by DafaPoker.com, which hosted 34 invited guests and players with the winner taking home $HK12,600.

The Asian Poker Tour Macau hosts over 20 events with 15 official side events. Amongst the online networks which sent players were The Ongame Network, the iPoker Network and PartyPoker.com. In addition, online rooms BWin, PKR, DafaPoker.com, JBET Poker, Betfriends, 888.com, Titan Poker, RedKings, 32Red, ChiliPoker, Winamax, BetSafe, PafPoker and PokerLoco are in on the action which guaranteed the significant online qualifier contingent. Sponsors of the side events and collaterals include the Hong Kong Game Club, DafaPoker, Dafa888, The Poker King Movie, JBet, PartyPoker.com, BWin, Zipang Casino, 777babycasino and PKR.

Full details can be found at http://www.asianpt.com/

Videos capturing the action and atmosphere at the festival can be found at: http://www.asianpt.com/videos