Video Poker Forum 

PartyGaming Releases Trader Update

Report Shines Light on Some Interesting Numbers PartyGaming, the publicly owned company that operates PartyPoker.com, released a two-month report to its traders on Friday. PartyPoker.com is averaging a gross poker revenue of $2.7 million a day, which is a 14 percent increase over last quarter. The increase has a lot to do with the October launch of blackjack on its poker tables. Excluding the first week of the launch, blackjack revenues have ranged between $800,000 and $1.2 million a day. The report says that about 40 percent of the real-money players on PartyPoker.com play blackjack. Although this has reduced the poker revenue generated by these players, the “overall revenue generated by them during the period has increase dramatically,” the report says. During the last two months, new-player signups have averaged 2,455 a day, and PartyGaming remains confident that it will achieve its goal of signing up 800,000 players this year. The number of unique active players increased from 443,000 in September to 487,000 in November and the daily average number of players increased from 131,000 in the third quarter to 138,000 the last two months. PartyGaming will release its full fourth quarter report at the end of January.

FSN Will Hold $60 Million Tournament

Players Will Buy In for $10 Million Fox Sports Network has teamed up with soon-to-be-launched Mansionpoker.net to sponsor the largest single-table tournament in the history of poker. The 43-week Mansionpoker.net Pokerdome Series is slated to debut on Sunday, May 15, 2006. A few weeks later, a six-person winner-take-all tournament takes place at the series’ first “mega-event” on July 12 in which the winner receives $60 million. Each player will buy in to the event for $10 million. Phil Ivey is the first person to sign up for the event. FSN will release a name of a participant a month until the entire field is set. But that’s just the beginning. The series will go on for the next three years and will be played in the soon-to-be-built “Pokerdome” arena. The Pokerdome will contain a poker table, complete with an automated card tracking system, integrated chip counting capabilities, hole card-cam, and robotic cameras focused on each player's face. It will also come equipped with special cameras and card technology that allow viewers to see the burn cards before dealers flip the active cards, plus a rabbit-hunting camera for each hand, letting fans know what would have happened if each hand went to completion. The first event will take place at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. The next two “mega-events,” which will be held in 2007 and 2008, will have prize pools of $75 million and $100 million. Mansionpoker.net will be launched sometime in 2006.

Americans Say U.S. Should Allow Internet Gambling

Internet Poll Shows a Large Majority Say Companies Should Be Based Here An online polling company recently asked Americans if they think U.S.-based casinos should be granted the right to run online casino gaming websites and the answer is an overwhelming yes. When Scooop.net, a next-generation media site based on democratic voting principles and active participation of its members, asked people if the federal government should legalize online gaming so that U.S. companies can participate, 67 percent of Americans polled said yes. When surveyed about how people personally feel about online casino gaming, the responses were mixed. Of those surveyed, 33.7 percent said that they wouldn’t play an online game themselves but it should be legal for U.S. companies to compete with foreign casinos. An additional 33.9 percent said that they like online casino games and would like to play them if they wanted to. A majority of those surveyed feel that the federal government should allow online casino gaming but stay out of the oversight of the industry. Of those polled, 53.7 percent say that the U.S. government should stay out of regulating Internet activity by U.S. citizens, including online gaming, since the Internet is really a borderless community that crosses international lines.

LG Electronics Using Poker to Introduce New Phone

Hollywood Stars in Invited to Play With Moneymaker and Chan Poker is once again being used as a backdrop for a Hollywood-slash-consumer event and once again proves that it's good to be famous. LG Electronics will also show off its new phone, the V, at a poker event held at the Palms in Las Vegas this Sunday. Model-turned-comedian Jenny McCarthy will host the LG Mobile Phones Poker Showdown, featuring professional poker stars Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker, who will provide poker lessons for the group of Hollywood stars LG invited. The pros will also play with the stars in the tournament, which will take place in the Hardwood Suite at the Palms. The winner of the tournament will receive a complete home technology makeover from LG Electronics. Music will be provided by celebrity DJ AM and everything from a unique wet bar to thoroughly relaxing chair massages will be available throughout the evening.

Poker One of the Most Popular Search Terms in 2005

It’s Near The Top of the Lycos' Annual List Poker is as popular as Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, and Britney Spears and it blows away 50 Cent and Howard Stern. At least that’s the case with people trolling the Internet at Lycos. “Poker” was the fourth-most popular term searched for in 2005 at Lycos.com, falling behind the beautiful Hilton, Anderson and Spears. Each year, Lycos releases the “Lycos 50,” a list of the most searched terms for the year. Last year, “poker” was tenth on the list. Lycos also named poker as the number one “fad” in 2005, even though poker received that accolade in 2004. “Poker” has been in the top 50 terms searched for at Lycos for 86 weeks, and has sat at the second spot for the last two weeks. Poker is by far the most popular search term for a sport, game or hobby this year. The professional wrestling league “WWE” was the seventh most searched term; “NFL” was at 23; “XBOX,” 24; “NBA,” 32; “NASCAR,” 69; and “golf,” 98. 50 Cent sat at 51, and Stern fell 20 spots to 80.

MyCapper.com Picks Rose Bowl Favorite

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Rose Bowl, which will take place on January 4 2006, features the two top-ranked college football teams in the country: the Texas Longhorns and the USC Trojans. The winner of this game will be crowned national champions. "In terms of the total amount wagered and the number of people who will place a bet this will be the single biggest college football game in years," according to a Mycapper spokesman, Warren Aronson. The media attention surrounding this game will be frenetic, and thousands of casual fans are expected to have a bet on the outcome. But who will win the Rose Bowl from a sports betting perspective? Mycapper.com, a new sports handicapping service that is redefining the very nature of the industry, believes that they have the answer. "At the moment the Trojans are favored by 6.5 points, and we have asked one of our top handicappers to predict the outcome, and make it available at no charge to everyone who visits the site," said Aronson. Mycapper offers a unique interface enabling its members to purchase credits in advance using either PayPal or a major credit card, and to use those credits to purchase individual picks. Mycapper is an honest and straightforward sports handicapping service that does not charge members subscription fees. Instead of signing up for a season or even a month, members can now purchase sports picks individually using their credits. In addition, Mycapper.com guarantees every sports pick that it sells, so in the event that a pick loses the client receives a full credit refund immediately. "The handicappers we feature are motivated to work harder and more diligently, and clients know that if we don't win for them we don't earn a penny either." Aronson also noted that "no high-end sports handicapping service gives away as many free picks as Mycapper, and certainly none will give away a pick as valuable as which side to bet on for the Rose Bowl!" If you bet on the USC Trojans they will need to win the game by 7 or more points. If you bet on the Texas Longhorns you will "cash in" if the Longhorns win outright, or if they lose by a margin of 6 points or less. This is based on the current sports betting "line" that originates from Las Vegas sportsbooks and is generally mirrored by online sportsbooks. The line may change by the time of the game next month, but Mycapper is so confident about their selection that they are not worried about any line changes in the interim. "Our top college football handicapper believes that one side offers exceptional betting value, regardless of line moves." We're inclined to agree with the sports experts, and you can't argue with the price tag - it doesn't get any better than free!

BetByInternet.com Auctions Membership

(PRESS RELEASE) -- BetByInternet.com, an online sportsbook and casino, has announced that it is auctioning a pre-paid membership online gambling account valued at $100,000. The auction is being held on the popular auction site EBAY for a total of 7 days. The winning bidder will have access to the account as soon as the reserve price is met and full payment is received by BetByInternet. "A pre-paid membership valued at $100,000 would make an excellent gift for the holidays", said Lee Samuels, Director of Promotions for BET by INTERNET.com "If bought at the right price, the account can be worth thousands almost immediately," he concluded. BetByInternet is mostly known for its soft promotional such as giveaways, free tickets and hats. This is a huge step for BetByInternet in the sportsbook promotional arena. Most online sportsbooks and casinos offer bonus for signing up and depositing, we are offering the chance to bid on a $100,000 account for thousand less than the face value. The EBAY Item # is 564 406 0061. BetByInternet currently offers sports betting and casino table games online. The organization plans to launch poker rooms and real-time horse racing in 1st quarter 2006. BetByInternet.com, an online entertainment company offering casino games, sportsbook gambling, sports wagering and betting is powered by WorldGaming PLC, a leading international e-gaming solutions provider that has been in business since 1997 and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) and NASDAQ (OTC.BB).

Empire Online Sues Partygaming

GIBRALTAR – As reported by the BBC News: "Empire Online, which promotes internet poker and casino sites, has started legal proceedings against former ally Partygaming in Gibraltar High Court. "The legal action follows Partygaming's move to separate its online poker system from that of its 'skins'. "Skin sites such as Empire directed users to online poker operators, such as to Partygaming's Party Poker site, and were paid commission for doing so. "…Empire has lost more than half its market value since it floated in June. "'The company seeks substantial damages and injunctive relief from Partygaming,' Empire said on Tuesday. "…However, a Partygaming spokesman said the legal action by Empire could be considered as the first 'pantomime' of the season…"

Bodog.com Launches Tournament Leader Board

COSTA RICA – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Bodog.com, a favorite site for online poker players, announced the launch of its Tournament Leader Board, a feature that allows players in all Bodog tournaments to win weekly and monthly prizes when they come out on top. Bodog.com poker players will compete against each other to be the king of the board. The player who has the most points for the week will win a weekly prize of a $1,000 heads up, Sit-N-Go against either Josh Arieh or David Williams, the Team Bodog poker pros. The others who finish in the Top 10 receive a varying amount of tournament credits for use in the World Series of Poker/World Poker Tour semifinals or the $100K Sunday guaranteed tournament at Bodog.com. The player who finishes on top of the board at the end of the month will win a weekend at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and entry into the legendary Bellagio $1,000 Saturday night tournament. More tournament credits are available for the other players who finish in the monthly Top 20. "Our point system is very popular for its flexibility in our tournaments, now our players can win even more when they come out on top," said Calvin Ayre, Bodog.com Founder and CEO. "What poker player wouldn't love to play in the Saturday night tourney at the Bellagio?" Bodog Poker continues to be an industry leader with features like the Tournament Leader Board, an aggressive tournament schedule offering $1.8 million in guarantees a month – including a weekly $100,000 guarantee tourney – and WPT and WSOP qualifiers. Bodog.com will have a number of other exciting poker announcements coming soon.

Hollywood Sportsbook Offers NFL Game Odds

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Hollywood Sportsbook features odds on the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 11th 2005. So far, the Colts have worked very well to win the AFC South title, and now they just have to wait until next Sunday at Jacksonville for a chance to not only wrapping up their third straight AFC South title, but clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, the Jaguars have a chance to do something unique, they will be attempting to do what no other team has even come close to doing, to end Indy's dream of a perfect season and Hollywood Sportsbook proudly features odds on the event. The game is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm (ET), at Alltel Stadium. Hollywood's Media Relations executive, Alejandro Gomez, was quoted saying – "The Unbeaten Colts are galloping to Alltel Stadium, they are the fifth team in league history to go 12-0. If they continue to do what they do on offense and with the speed they have on defense, they are going to have a chance to earn the first 16-0 regular-season record in NFL history". "But that means that they first have a game against an opponent that always have played them close games. The Jaguars 9-3 are a good football team; they are as hot as anybody. Expect a great game, with a lot of intensity – added Mr. Gomez". Hollywood sportsbook is eager to provide you with a convenient and secure environment through which you can enjoy your recreational sports betting; they are currently offering sports betting lines for the game mentioned above. It's really easy to contact them via phone or internet from anywhere in the world. You can get started by opening your account within 5 minutes of verification of your funds. Three easy steps: Register, Deposit and Play. It's that simple!