Video Poker Forum 

Noble Poker Tournament Upgraded

(PRESS RELEASE) -- In what is being billed as the World's Best Online Freeroll ever, a $100 Million Jackpot Tournament will be staged in April, 2006, by Noble Poker $500,000 in guaranteed prizes will be distributed to the top players at this exciting tournament, in addition to the $100 Million Jackpot Prize already published by NoblePoker. Noble Poker will host its Online Poker Final Tournament on April 30, 2006. When the Online Final tournament narrows down to ten final players, the action will be suspended. The Final Table will be held in a secret location in May, 2006, and it will be at this amazing Final Table that one player will have the chance to win a $100 Million Jackpot Prize. The $100 Million Jackpot Prize, the largest prize ever awarded in any sporting event, will be awarded if one of the players hits a Royal Flush of Spades at the Final Table. The $100 Million Jackpot Prize is re-insured by National Indemnity Company, which is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRKA) -- one of the world's biggest insurance companies. Seven other jackpot prizes, totaling more than $3 Million promise to make this Final Table one of the most exciting ever. Entry to Daily Freeroll Qualifiers, each awarding five seats at the Online Poker Final Tournament, will be given free of charge to players based on their game play, Noble Poker announced. Players can enter as many Daily Freeroll Qualifiers as they want, but can only win one seat at the Main Event, where they will vie for the $100 Million Jackpot Prize. The $100 Million Freeroll Tournament is the latest innovative step by Noble Poker as it continues to improve its wide range of online gaming action. Players are drawn to Noble Poker's popular daily, weekly and monthly huge cash tournaments, and to Noble Poker's special jackpot sit 'n' go tournaments with progressive prizes and jackpots as high as $100,000.

eCOGRA Named Top Watchdog

LONDON – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The online casino and poker room standards authority eCOGRA was voted the gold medal for Top Watchdog by over 27,000 players voting in the 2005 Gambling Online Magazine annual awards this week. Announcing the award, magazine manager Lisa Gregory said: "The readers of Gambling Online Magazine have voted the award of a gold medal to eCOGRA in the Best Watchdog category for 2005. "Throughout the year eCOGRA has set admirable benchmark standards for player protection and operational efficiency at its "Play It Safe" seal casinos and poker rooms, benefiting players and the industry alike. The work of the Fair Gaming Advocate in particular has been an inspiration in terms of transparent, fast and fair resolutions and highly professional communications." Resolving player disputes with the casinos and poker rooms under its authority is a key aspect of eCOGRA as an international non-profit body which offers the free Fair Gaming Advocate mediation service to players who have been unable to resolve disputes at casino or poker room level. Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA said that the board of directors was delighted with the accolade. "Player protection is the primary goal of eCOGRA around which our requirements and standards are framed, so it is very rewarding that players have recognised our efforts in this way," he said. Disputes involving eCOGRA's 56 "Play It Safe" seal operations are a miniscule percentage of the large number of wagers placed every day, Beveridge noted. "Every case is assessed independently on its merits. On average, our Fair Gaming Advocate has been able to resolve the majority of issues within 48 hours. That's a standard we are proud of and will strive to maintain."

Sportsbook.com Bettors Back Colts

NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- After trouncing Tennessee on Sunday the Colts are continuing their quest to complete the perfect season. Faced with a tougher opponent in Jacksonville this week, bettors at Sportsbook.com believe that the Colts will continue their winning ways, that is, until the Super Bowl. Betting sentiment bucks the favored odds on both propositions. Despite being listed at -160 to lose a game before the end of the regular season, almost 78 per cent of bettors are backing the Colts to finish 16-0. When it comes to the SuperBowl, however, bettors don't share the same enthusiasm. Only 30 per cent of wagers have backed the Colts to win the big game, in spite of the fact that the odds favor the Colts at -150. In fact, only 32 per cent of fans are backing the Colts to even make it to the Super Bowl, as witnessed by the betting trends on whether Indianapolis will win the AFC Conference. "It's really an interesting trend and one we would not have expected. Some people around the league feel Dungy may rest some of his players in the last few games of the regular season to make sure they are ready for a run at the Super Bowl," said Peter Childs, Sportsbook.com oddsmaker. "Clearly fans believe that this is a team built for regular season success but not necessarily playoff success." The Colts are at Jacksonville on Sunday. Two more challenges lie ahead when Indy hosts San Diego and then pays a visit to Seattle, in what Sportsbook.com lists as the most likely Super Bowl match-up. Odds on those two teams facing each other on February 5, 2006 in Detroit are 5-2. Indy caps the regular season with a game at home against Arizona.

BetUS.com Offers Xbox Odds

UNITED STATES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Canada and Costa Rican-headquartered gambling website BetUS.com has announced that it has released odds on Xbox 360 sales for this holiday season, allowing consumers to bet on the amount of consoles that will be sold before the end of the year. Apparently, analysts and oddsmakers at BetUS.com, which recently hired former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura as its spokesperson, favor anything up to 2.5 million Xbox 360 units as being the likely figure. The company has posted 1-1 odds that 2.5 million or less Xbox 360 units will be sold this holiday season. Indeed, recent analyst reports, even before the apparent launch shortages, have suggested a much lower amount than the cited 2.5 million, and Microsoft itself is predicting 3 million units in the first three months, a period that extends into the New Year. Nonetheless, BetUS.com is offering further odds for those adventurous enough to believe that more Xbox 360 hardware will materialize, with, among others, a 5-1 bet available on 2,500,000 - 2,749,999 units becoming available, a 3-1 bet on 3,000,000 - 3,249,999 units, and 7-1 on a significant 3,350,000 - 5,000,000 units. "We're betting that most gaming geeks will wait for after-Christmas sales before buying their Xboxes," said BetUS.com spokesman, Eddie King. "Steep pricing and supply issues will help keep pre-holiday numbers lower than expected."

Colts a Worry for Bookmakers

COSTA RICA – (PRESS RELEASE) --With many experts proclaiming the 2005 Indianapolis Colts as potentially the greatest team ever, Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is certain to be one of the highlights of Week 14 of the NFL season. Bodog.com bookmakers have posted the odds. NFL opponents aren't the only ones concerned about the Indianapolis Colts' drive for perfection. In an article to be published on Thursday, online gamblíng magazine BodogNation points out that bettors who wagered $100 on the Colts to win every game this season would have profited by $519. "Sportsbooks that depend on the uncertainty of wagering on the NFL are at risk by a Colts' team that looks more and more like a sure thing," says Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog.com. "With four games left and bettors jumping on board in droves, there may be lots of sleepless nights for the bookmakers." The Colts (12-0) are 8.5-point favorites as they head to Alltel Stadium to face the Jaguars (9-3) in hopes of clinching the AFC South and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Will Peyton Manning turn on his "A" game and put the inexperience of Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard to the test? Another key game this weekend is the NFC South battle between the Carolina Panthers (9-3) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-4). Tampa will be seeking revenge after a defeat at the hands of the Panthers on Nov. 6. With such a tight race in the NFC this year, neither team can afford a loss. The Panthers opened as 6-point favorites for what's likely to be a defensive matchup. In a game with big playoff implications, the Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys (7-5). Both teams are aiming for a wild-card berth and whoever loses will suffer a serious setback. Kansas City and Dallas both must win at least three of their final four games to realize a chance to play in the postseason. Can the Chiefs rely on running back Larry Johnson to lead the charge? Cowboys opened as 3-point favorites.

FullTiltPoker.com Offers Gift Certificates

UNITED STATES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- This holiday season, FullTiltPoker.com is making it possible for you to share the gift of poker with your friends and family. FullTiltpoker.com is pleased to offer poker enthusiasts the opportunity to give their friends and loved ones Gift Certificates that can be immediately redeemed for use on FullTiltPoker.com. With prices as low as $25, FullTiltPoker.com's Gift Certificates are perfect for both casual and serious players alike. Delivered in .pdf format, each FullTiltPoker.com Gift Certificate is available with one of three custom backgrounds, and can be personalized with the message of your choosing. Once redeemed, a player can join any of FullTiltPoker.com's real money tournaments and ring games, where they can Learn, Chat and Play poker with members of Team Full Tilt, including Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Jennifer Harman. What's more, by playing in FullTiltPoker.com's real money ring games, players will also be eligible to win a share of $10,000 a day in free money that FullTiltPoker.com is giving away through its "$10K A Day" promotion between December 9th and December 31st. During the "$10K A Day" promotion players are awarded with entries into a daily drawing based on every real money pot they win. The more hands a player wins, the more entries they receive, and there's no limit to the number of entries they can receive per day. FullTiltPoker.com is awarding 156 individual cash prizes per day totaling $10,000. During December, this means that more than 3,500 players will have the chance to share in almost $250,000 in free money, just for playing at FullTiltPoker.com. Normally, to win this kind of money, players need to play in large, multi-player tournaments or high-limit ring games. But now at FullTiltPoker.com, players participating in real money games with blinds as low as a 5 and 10 cents per hand can win an individual prize worth as much as $1,000 simply for winning a pot. "The people at Full Tilt Poker are passionate about the game, and they want to share that passion with their players. The new Gift Certificates and the "$10K A Day" promotion are ways that Full Tilt Poker can make the game more accessible to new players and give something back to everyone at this special time of year," said Tiltware LLC CEO Raymond Bitar. By creating innovative programs like its Gift Certificates and "$10K A Day," FullTiltPoker.com is pleased to share the holiday spirit with all of its players.

Gordon Favored in Daytona 500

FLORIDA – (PRESS RELEASE) -- As NASCAR fans count down the weeks to the start of the 2006 season, Sportsbook.com lists Jeff Gordon as the early favorite to repeat his winning performance from last year's Daytona 500. Tied with Gordon is reigning NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, both with odds of 9- 2. The top five is rounded out by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5-1), Jimmie Johnson (8- 1) and Martin Truex Jr. (12-1). "Daytona is the Mecca of the American auto racing world. It's the biggest race of the year for NASCAR, and it's the biggest race for Sportsbook.com," says Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com. "Everyone loves to bet on Sportsbook.com and we expect to see a lot more action on the race before February." Carl Edwards, coming off his first full season and third place points finish in 2005, is listed at 25-1 odds to take this year's Daytona 500.

Who Else Will Fire Drew Rosenhaus?

ZAPOTE, Costa Rica – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Could we be seeing a shift in the way sports agents are viewed? Power agent Drew Rosenhaus could have witnessed just that when one of his biggest clients, Green Bay Packers WR Jevon Walker, unceremoniously fired him. Some of the biggest news over the summer in the NFL was the potential hold out of two of Rosenhaus' premier clients, Walker and the Philadelphia Eagles' WR Terrell Owens. We all know how the Owens saga ended, but Walker, who hurt himself before the season even began by firing Rosenhaus, sent shock waves through the entire industry. There even is a website called FireDrewRosenhous.com , which advises current clients to fire him for the good of the game. Rosenhaus' client list contains some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Bengals' WR Chad Johnson, Bills' RB Willis McGahee, Raiders' DL Warren Sapp, and Dolphins' LB Zack Thomas. However, no client is bigger than Terrell Owens, and if Owens ends up firing Rosenhaus after the circus show they both created this season, several more clients could follow. "Drew Rosenhaus basically helped make Philadelphia Eagles' Terrell Owens look like a bigger fool than he made himself look, which is a hard thing to do," said WagerWeb.com CEO Dave Johnson. "It takes agents like Rosenhaus to give athletes a bad name, making them look like all they care about is money and self-promotion. I think it might help the NFL if many of Roesnhaus' clients dropped him as their agent, and our customers see that the first to do so is his biggest, Terrell Owens"

Sportsbook.com Bettors Win Big

NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Huge payouts have become commonplace at Sportsbook.com, and this past weekend was no exception. Two NFL fans both hit 13 team parlays and rolled their initial $25 bets into $100,000 in winnings. This capped an incredible week for bettors that also included a reprieve for fans who bet the money line on the Eagles on Monday night's game. Thanks to Sportsbook.com's NFL Shut Out Rule, those fans were refunded their bets. "Our loyalty to our customers is one of the reasons we're the largest online sportsbook and casino in the world and it's why everybody bets at Sportsbook.com," said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com. "Every sportsbook took a hit this weekend with the NFL, but because Sportsbook.com is part of a publicly traded company, customers know that they can trust us to pay out when they win." This weekend really caps an incredible year for bettors at Sportsbook.com, a year in which the company has paid out more in winnings than any other year in its history. The winning started when two players hit 13 game parlays for a combined $200,000. Parlays are very popular, especially for fans wagering on NFL games. However, for two people on the same weekend to hit 13 team parlays is a spectacular and rare achievement. The winning continued on Monday night when the Philadelphia Eagles turned in a turkey of a performance against Seattle, losing 42-0 at home. Sportsbook.com's NFL Shut Out Rule stipulates that all money bet on any team that is shut out will be refunded. Sportsbook.com is the only online sportsbook to offer such an incentive to its customers. Thousands of bets, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were refunded. "The popularity of online gambling continues to sky rocket. Because we offer the best customer service and betting options we're leading the industry with more customers, more customer retention and more new registrations than any of our competitors," added Czajkowski.

Sportsbook.com Offers World Cup Odds

NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- With the draw for the 2006 World Cup taking place today in Liepzig, Germany, Sportsbook.com has posted its odds on the largest event in the world. The United States, a quarterfinalist last time around, is only a 90-1 long shot to win the title, the same odds as Paraguay and ahead of only 13 other teams in the 32 team field. Defending champion Brazil is the clear favorite with 3-1 odds followed by their South American arch rivals Argentina at 13-2. Despite recent success on the global scene, including a strong performance in the 2002 World Cup and a top ten FIFA world ranking, the USA is still considered a small player in world soccer. The United States felt slighted not to be one of the eight top seeds in the tournament, which would have meant a guarantee that they would not be drawn in the same group as traditional powers like Brazil, France, Argentina or Germany. Mexico, who the US defeated in the second round in the 2002 World Cup, and who the US finished ahead of in the qualifying tournament for Germany 2006, is one of the top eight seeds. "The US is a strong team and one that can pull off a rare upset, but it still lacks the pedigree and talent that the European and South American teams bring to the table," said Peter Childs, Odds Maker, Sportsbook.com. "Sportsbook.com is proud to be the only online sportsbook in the world focused on American soccer fans. No one else provides such comprehensive odds for the US team," added Childs. Other favorites for the title include England (7-1), hosts Germany (8-1), Holland (9-1), Italy (9-1) and France (10-1). As for the other CONCACAF qualifiers, Mexico is the pick of the crop at 50-1, while Costa Rica (500-1) and Trinidad and Tobago (1,000-1) bring up the rear. The Ivory Coast has the top odds among the African contingent at 80-1, while Japan at 150-1 tops the list of Asian contenders. Australia, representing the Oceana region, is a 200-1 bet.