02.07.08
Online Poker Room Is Live
Our poker room is now live please visit www.pokerrouge.com and sign up to enjoy 50% rake back poker.
Tags:03.13.07
Registerfly.com: Get Your Authorization Codes Now! (… before Titanic Sinks)
You may have noticed that this post may differ a little from our usual topics of poker and online gambling. The reason for this is that we were also affected by the soon to be extinct RegisterFly.com.
… However we have found and an emergency solution …
This solution exploits the loophole in their system and gets you your authorization codes quickly. This will work on all domains that have used the ProtectFly feature and the Domain-Lock feature and up until now have not been able to get the codes they need to transfer their domains to another registrar.
We were hesitant to release this information before we transferred all of our domains. And as of 10 minutes ago we have full access to our domain names & they are safe in another registrar.
The following processes, if followed to the letter, will give you the codes and start the domain transfer. If you’re lucky, you may get off this titanic in time.
1. Create A New Register Fly Account.
2. Login into the Old RegisterFly Account.
3. Click on Manage Domains
4. Click A Domain Name
5. Click On Change Ownership
6. Click On “Push your names to another user”
7. Click Continue
8. Enter The User ID of The New RegisterFly Account
9. Verify The User ID of The New RegisterFly Account is Correct
10. Click Continue
11. Select Each Domain Name to Push
12. Check the Check Box Marked “Change the Whois/Contact info on the names being pushed”
*** Check This Box Only if your Domains are Showing ProtectFly Information on a Whois Database, If it’s Showing your Real Information with Working Email Then Continue Without Checking the Check Box ***
13. Login into Your New RegisterFly Account, Your Recently Transferred Domains Should Be All Unlocked.
14. Click Change Whois Information And Get Authorization Code for Each Domain.
15. Begin Transfer to New Registrar.
Our Experience took 5 Days (3 Business Days) and has gone through fine. Good Luck with your efforts, and if you have any questions post a comment.
We will try to answer the comments ASAP.
Tags: Domain Authorization Codes, Enom, Enom.com, ICANN, John Naruszewicz, Judge Peter Sheridan, Kevin Medina, ProtectFly, RegisterFly, RegisterFly.com, Registrar Fraud03.06.07
PPA On the War Path…Are they going the right way?
Ending a dry spell of interesting news in the build up to the Bridge Nationals in St Louis (starting on Wednesday March 8th), we have some good news to share about the rumblings with the PPA and the general lobbying effort to put an end to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006, fondly referred to as UIGEA.
We mentioned in February, like most other poker sites, that the former senator, Alfonse D’Amato, was set to be the chief lobbyist for the PPA; a voice for the online poker interests in the United States.
Despite receiving the news with something less than enthusiasm, major newspapers have started to run with the story, giving it yet another touch of truth. The New York Times, for example, commented on D’Amato’s rise to become the major online poker advocate; perhaps the first advocate with power in his punch.
Although the PPA is criticized for being pretty tightlipped about their battle plans, they are expected to organize an exclusive interview with D’Amato, for some poker journalist who’s also a member of the PPA Board.
Despite this anticipated unveiling, the PPA president, Mr. Bolcerek, is “inexplicably tight-lipped about the PPA’s anticipated savior and mum as to its next major steps”.
The only circulating quote from former-Senator D’Amato “John Smith, maybe he doesn’t have the financial means or the ability to travel to a casino…The poor guy at home can’t bet $50 because we pass this law.”
Although the Poker Players’ Alliance reports 160,000 members, there’s still a lot of work to be done before John Smith will be safe to bet his $50 online.
What seems to be going on in Washington is a subtle game of dissembling. While plenty of Congressmen and women are apparently happy to say they have nothing against online poker, they also point out that the so called “brick and mortar operations”, casinos and such like, aren’t all that keen about online poker and gambling efforts. These activities draw punters away, or at least that’s the feeling.
One strategy the PPA might consider: ally with the casinos and make online poker produce income for them. Money talks and it’s money that ultimately runs the country.
And why the cynicism? Take the new details in the already bizarre story about the girl who was apparently ‘lost’ in a poker game. Hmm. The uncle of the girl – the primary culprit named by the girl and her mother – has said that no such poker game ever occurred. Ok, so what else is the guy going to say? But nothing is every as simple as it seems.
If you want to play poker, you have to accept that everyone’s in it for the money.
Tags: Poker Law, Poker News, Real Money, US Gambling Law, Us Poker Industry03.01.07
Poker Rules!
In the news over the last couple of days there’s been plenty of talk about the World Series Poker rules announced by Harrah on Wednesday morning (that’s Wednesday, Feb 28th). While it’s pretty dry stuff, it’s worth repeating if only because worth storing away somewhere in the dark recesses and some of the rules have a baring on the current legal battle between the US government and the online poker industry.
Ok, we have detailed logo restriction for players and there has been a specific ban on the use of third-party registrations for gaming sites conducting business with US residents. The World Poker Series will now not allow third-party registrations from Internet poker rooms that have allowed US players to gamble with real money for the last two years.
Another ruling stipulates that third-party registrations will only be accepted from WSOP sponsors or so called, “land-based entities officially licensed to conduct satellite tournaments”. What a blow.
Well, if these rules mean anything to anyone out there, you may be interested to know that the word on the grapevine is also that these rules are going to be “difficult” to enforce. As always, cash is king. Money talks and…um…bullshit walks!
The tournament’s commissioner pointed out the following: “If a player shows up with $10,000 and wants to register for the tournament, we will allow them to play,” WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said. “It’s nearly impossible for us to tell where the money came from. Just because someone is wearing a dot-net or dot-com shirt doesn’t mean they qualified for the tournament online. People wear poker related clothing for more than one reason. I wear a L.A. Kings jersey all the time. I don’t play for the Kings.”
The World Series Poker tournament will begin on June 1 with two fairly big cash events: the World Championship Mixed Hold’em for $5,000 and the Casino Employees event for $500.
All the events of the tournament will be held in their usual spot, the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, which will have up to 300 tables available for the tournaments, satellites, and cash games. A testament to the growing popularity, that’s 100 more tables than last year.
Several new events have also made their way onto the schedule: $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No Limit); $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better; $5,000 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em; and $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better.
Tags: Poker News, Us Poker Industry02.28.07
Weird…
Well, maybe not so weird, but definitely a lesson in bankroll management. As has become my (almost) daily habit, I was googling poker news on Monday evening and came across this insane post. Although the connection to this particular blog is perhaps a little tenuous, nonetheless, there is a strong poker theme to this story and a lesson to be learned.
In the news on Monday was the story of a teenage girl from south Pakistan whose father gambled her off in a poker game. The girl’s father lost her in a poker game when she was two years old and she’s in the news because she has been asking authorities in Pakistan to prevent her from being handed over to the middle-aged relative who apparently won her.
The girl’s mother said her husband amassed debts of 10,000 rupees to the family relative, Lal Haider, by playing poker.
“My husband didn’t have money to pay, and instead he told Lal Haider that he could take Rasheeda when she grows up,” she said.
Despite receiving the money he was owed last year, the mother also said Haider still insisted the girl should be given to him because of tribal customs.
Ok, so what lessons can we learn from this?
Well, um, let’s see. Don’t ever gamble more than you can afford to lose. And that includes not only the apparently obvious monetary items…savings, retirement funds, college funds for your kids, etc. It also includes your kids, your wife, your immediate relatives, friends, family pets, cars, house, and wardrobe.
Don’t ever put on the table something you can’t afford to lose, and if you think that you can afford to lose any of those items we’ve just mentioned, put down the cards or walk away from the computer. Seek out professional counseling and avoid playing poker or gambling in any other way, shape, or form until you have resolved what most definitely is a gambling problem.
Lucky for this particular gambler, his wife and daughter had the presence of mind to contact the police. After ten men tried to pressure them into following through with the deal made so many years ago, police have both the mother and daughter in protection.
Apparently the winner of the fateful poker game, Lal Haider, was intending to marry the 17-year old girl to his eldest son. Both were among the ten men who are now being sought by police.
Look, we’ve all thought about it…gambling our spouse/significant other…definitely our children…but at the end of the day, it only leads to trouble. Practice proper bankroll management and save yourself additional headaches!
Tags: Fund Managment, Gambling Tilt, Poker Game, Poker News, Uncategorized02.26.07
Rallying ‘Round the Table
Other news today brings the ‘ray-of-hope’ motif to light once again. In the aftermath of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 – in the immediate aftermath – the Poker Players Alliance has done much to generate popular and powerful support for the online poker industry. The most recent development in the fight to restore or at least confirm the legality of online poker, former New York Senator, Alfonse D’Amato has been tapped to sit as PPA Chairman.
Reports indicate that the PPA courted the three-term New York senator to represent the interests of deep-pocketed online poker businesses.
When the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act was passed at the end of last year, its purpose was clearly to put an end to the online betting of American-based poker players. Shortly after it was passed, lawyers across the United States began fielding enquiries from online gaming entrepreneurs whose activities, taking and recording bets fro American-based players, put them in real danger of prosecution by an increasingly combative Department of Justice.
Enter Alfonse D’Amato on behalf of the PPA, his nomination for PPA Chairman recently nominated by the group’s board of directors.
The PPA united leaders of several major online poker sites in the face of well-founded fears of anti-gaming legislation. The purpose has been very precisely explained: theirs was a bid to convince Congress to separate poker from proposed legislation that had labored in both Houses for years, without resolution. During the 2006 World Series of Poker, for example, the PPA hosted a reception for a number of important figures to promote the interests and the legality of online poker playing.
The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act was signed into law by the President on October 13, 2006. Since then, numerous online gaming businesses determined with their counsels that they were on the ropes. The US-based players who continue to navigate the online gaming world are tails-spinning in the face of the new legislation. Related businesses are also struggling to evaluate the economic fallouts as pressures mount for them to abandon the American market.
Enter Alfonse D’Amato playing the best advocate for the poker industry. If he and the Federalist Group with whom he will collaborate are able to succeed in their efforts, the benefits will be felt far beyond the interests of big online gaming companies. Senator D’Amato is well known for his commitment to the little people among his constituents. His support for big business and his interest in poker are equally sincere and well-known. He has been an avid poker player in home games for years.
Most important of all, the senator brings to the table his credentials as a mover and shaker in Washington. He’s also expected to bring sincerity to the more global cause of the estimated 140,000 members of the PPA. With Alfonse D’Amato on board, PPA chances of attracting a million-plus members, may exponentially increased. Who could be a better pick to advocate for the right to play poker in your pajamas if you are so inclined-in the privacy of your home?
02.25.07
Tournaments! Tournaments! Tournaments!
Well, it’s Sunday again and poker players are waking up late, racing to the Sunday afternoon game. This doesn’t mean they sleep less than the conventional eight hours…Saturday night games go well past midnight, then there’s hours spent after, re-hashing success and catastrophe from the previous night.
Of course, there’s a lot of truth to that old, old saw: The winners tell jokes and the losers say, “Deal!”
So, for the winners, here’s a joke:
A poker player walks in to a bar. He sees a soft game in the back, takes the empty chair. On the second hand he gets wired aces and goes all in. Three players call. No one draws out and as our hero reaches for the pot, one player puts his pistol on the table and says, “Hang on one second.”
“Tough beat, he made a lollapalooza,” the dealer says, and shoves the chips to the big blind.
“Yup, nine-seven-four-three-two, he drew a gut-shot lollapalooza, tough beat,” the players commiserate.
“What the h—?” our hero complains. “A lollapalooza?”
The dealer points to a small sign behind the pool-table: “Lollapallooza (9-7-4-3-2) beats any hand.”
Our hero figures that between the pistol and the sign he better not argue, so he re-buys (the game was really, really soft), and two hands later he’s Big Blind with a nine-seven suited. He limps in before the flop and then the flop comes 2-3-4.
“Nice,” our hero thinks, and he pushes in all his chips.
Fold, fold, call, fold, fold. Burn, turn, burn, turn, runner, runner, the caller turns over his set of trip fours, our hero turns over his 9-7 and reaches for the chips.
Once more the pistol smashes down on the table as the dealer pushes the chips to the trip fours.
“What about my lollapalooza?” our hero demands.
“What are you, an idiot?” the three fours reply. “Everyone knows the lollapalooza is good only once a night.”
* * *
Lollapalooza:
And here we are with the round-up of poker news for Sunday in the am, and yes, it’s tournaments, tournaments, tournaments! And, um, celebrities?
First of the bat we have the actress best known for her stint as the scantily clad foreign exchange student in the first installment of American Pie. Shannon Elizabeth is on her way to New Zealand to try her hand at the Celebrity Poker Challenge for Charity in April according to Christchurch Casinos.
Elizabeth signed up to compete in the main tournament, for the grand prize of $500,000, and believe it or not, you American Pie fans out there, Shannon Elizabeth is celebrated, not only as one of the most attractive women in the world, but also a poker champion of the highest caliber.
Last year, for example, the actress won the first Nicky Hilton Caesars Palace New Year’s Eve poker tournament. According to the spokesman for Christchurch, who seems to know his poker, “her opponents will have to be wary though…if they underestimate her, they will get burned.”
Stay tuned for our next installment…coming later in the day…we’ll take you to LA for a run-down of the 2007 Poker Classic Tournament Updates and Round-offs.
All right, now shut up and deal.
02.22.07
Belgium Chocolates and a New Book…Yes, It’s About Poker!
A dash of novelty news to start the day. It was announced yesterday in online poker news that the specialty chocolatier, Images in Chocolate, is about to release the first ever custom imprinted chocolate poker chip. These cute little novelty items will be made available in the US and for the first time, it seems, casinos, hotels, and Las Vegas trade show exhibitors will have a great way to increase their corporate brand awareness.
The chocolate poker chips are designed to be 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and yes of course, they’re designed to resemble poker chips.
“Until now, there have been generic chocolate casino chips in the market but never one that could be custom imprinted for promotional use,” said Tim Dugan, company CEO. “Not only can our new chocolate casino chips be custom branded, they are the first to use 100% Belgian chocolate and also feature a much more authentic casino chip design than available before.”
“Although this product was designed with the corporate client in mind, we’ve seen tremendous interest in the consumer market as well, primarily from individuals having Las Vegas weddings or other gambling-themed events,” said Dugan.
Now for some very different news…
Well, I was trawling the news pages today for something to couple with this short but sweet (pun intended) story about the chocolate chips (pun again intended). It seems the best they can come up with is, oh goody, “The Rules of Poker”. A new book on the ins-and-outs of the game is now in bookstores and online for $13.95 ($19.95 Canadian).
It’s being hailed as: “a much needed book that covers every aspect of poker and its various intricacies, including games outside of Texas Hold ‘Em such as Stud games, Omaha and Lowball variations”.
The authors, Krieger and Bykofsky, have done extensive research on the running of poker tournaments. In particular, they are being praised for their efforts to speak with, not only tournament directors, such as WPT Tournament Director, Linda Johnson and famed Tournament Director, Matt Savage, but also the floor managers and personnel that work on the front line at these major events.
“The Rules of Poker” is a must-have reference book for every poker player, no matter what level of play they are at; the 276 page tome covers virtually every aspect of the game, including all of the rules for the different variations of the sport. Even if you only ever plan to play home games, this book is still worth getting so you can land on your feet in a tough situation. The thoroughness of the research behind this book is, sources say, “very necessary in the world of poker” because of the extent to which rules deviate from place to place, casino to casino, and of course, home to home.
Poker enthusiasts will particularly enjoy this book, unless they are masochistic in their poker reading. The tone of the book isn’t at all dull. The writers make every effort to be snappy and quirky. They use anecdotes to spice up rule after rule. Having fun while learning something…what a novel idea!
Tags: Poker Gameplay, Poker Law, Poker News, Poker Rules, Poker Theory02.21.07
Real Money Poker For Online US Players: Part 1
You’re going to be reading a lot of posts on this subject. It’s symptomatic of the times we live in. Yes, many online poker sites are no longer allowing US-based players to play with real money thanks to the recent legislation passed by the government that notionally outlaws internet gambling of any kinds.
Many online poker sites reacted to the news with ever dramatic shifts in policy. Others, which we will mention here, have implemented policies to help US players keep doing what they love. The problem isn’t so much where you can and cannot play at the online money tables. The real issue is all about the bankroll. How do you fund it? How do you get your hands on it?
There is one definite rule on this subject: No personal checks. Other than that, there are many ways for US-based players to continue moving money to play online real money poker.
After the loss of Neteller, things looked a little hairy, but now the storm has passed and the waters have calmed, plenty of options are presenting themselves.
First of all, Poker Stars (www.pokerstars.com) is now offering three ways to fund bankrolls for US-based players. The first choice for their online e-wallet service is ePassporte; second choice is using Visa or Mastercard credit-cards to make relevant deposits, although one potential problem with this method for US players is blocking from the issuing bank. Third choice for funding: cashier’s checks, bank drafts, and old fashioned money orders.
Withdraws from Poker Stars are easiest using an ePassporte account, however, PokerStars also has a well established paper-check system that’s still in operation and very much everything you need. The minimum withdrawal amount is $50 and all checks for more than $1,000 are sent via courier service.
Second we have Full Tilt (www.fulltiltpoker.com) who has recently caused an uproar with their introduction and then swift withdrawal of Wire Cards as a means of adding and withdrawing from accounts. Their new method, MyWebATM, allows you to deposit and withdraw from one account. It’s fairly convenient but for the person who plays online money poker only every once in a while, the monthly account fee ($3.95) and small flat rate fees for individual transactions.
Full Tilt also accepts ePassporte and Click2Play for withdraws and deposits; credit cards and MoneyGram cash transfers are also accepted for deposits.
Not that unless you are withdrawing more than $300 from Full Tilt using MyWebATM, you will be required to register either an ePassporte or a Click2Pay account anyway.
The third and final stop for today is Bodog (www.bodog.com) who have actually maintained a good variety of funding channels, including the usual suspects, credit cards, Click2Play, NUcharge, and direct money transfers. Nucharge is a very indirect and thus very good way to load your account. It involves buying a phone card and basically selling the minutes you’ve bought to Bodog. For withdrawals, you can transfer from Bodog to Click2Pay and direct money transfers by prearrangement.
Part 2 Coming Soon!
Tags: Bankroll, Bankroll Managment, Fund Managment, Online Poker, Poker News, Poker Providers, Real Money, US Gambling Law, Us Poker Industry02.20.07
A Hard Life Lesson: Students Struggle with Poker Debts
It’s the second time a search through the poker news archives has brought up specific accounts of college students and high school students struggling with debts turned in from gambling.
According to one recent online report, the director of the Prevention and Recovery Center at Mount Auburn Hospital has been fielding reports from college students who have massive debts from gambling and playing online poker. The report said that the debts claimed by students were as high as fifteen thousand dollars and cited as responsible were, of course, the latest trends and years of “poker-pumped television”.
Well, at the risk of being too harsh, it looks like it’s time for everyone – but young people in particular – to learn a little about money management. One U-Mass student spilled his guts and told the whole story of the onset of his gambling problem. What happened? Basically, he started playing for free and then started playing for fast cash. He let the winning go to his head. There was nothing business-like about his thinking and money management. Behaving like he won the lottery, the student in question started using his credit card to buy food and meet other living expenses. All so he could carry around several big bills and feel good about his winnings. Big mistake. He was gambling, putting money on the table that he really couldn’t afford to lose. Hmmm…definitely time to review money management strategies.
Instead of rallying for the end of poker, it seems far more constructive to implement programs like Poker 101 that’s offered at the University of Richmond, which is apparently offering a college course for students that want to pursue a career in poker. Well, not exactly. The course is offered as “no credit” and it meets once a week for three weeks using Monopoly money as a teaching aid.
For $69 students are introduced to the basics of poker: the math behind poker probability, the psychology of poker, and poker strategies. It’s the second year that the course has been offered and it is apparently very popular and, although there’s no formal test, class participants demonstrate what they have learned at the end of the course, working out the general lessons and strategies picked up as part of a demonstration.
The poker world doesn’t bring doom and gloom to every high school and college age enthusiast, not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, one student has virtually been able to give up on studying law (which, let’s face it, is generally appealing because it leads to high paying jobs) simply by playing poker. Despite swings, the student apparently won enough money to build a house (from scratch) worth several hundreds and thousands of dollars playing on his laptop in the school library. He also managed to amass a six figure buffer in his bank account to protect against even those most violent, natural downward tilts.
What lessons should we learn from this, from the ups and the downs of youngsters playing poker? Basically, money management is key.
Golden Rule: Don’t Ever Bet More Than You Can Afford To Lose!
Tags: Bankroll, Bankroll Managment, Fund Managment, Gambling Tilt, Play Money, Poker and Psychology, Poker News, Real Money