The Poker Blog

Big Bet Poker has been added to the poker rooms section at the Betting Directory.

Big Bet Poker is the latest addition to the Merge Gaming Network.

They  allow US players and it comes with all the features that you will find on other Merge sites. The software downloads quickly and updates regularly.

They offer a wide range of tournaments (includinga Feeroll starting every two hours) and promotions including The Big Bet Rewards programme, which is a unique Vegas-style rewards program, that rewards players for their loyalty. To join, you must have a real money account at the website. Once enrolled, Big Bet Rewards members earn Rewards Points for their Poker play, which can then be redeemed for cash and great prizes.

Furthermore, all new players can get up to $500 free, when they sign up.

Thursday, April 2nd - 9:30pm ET

Quadruple Celebrity Bounty Starring Mickey Rourke, Eve, Nicky Hilton and Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

True Hollywood Legend Mickey Rourke headlines a mega celebrity Doyle’s Bounty this week.
Most recently awarded a Golden Globe and Oscar nominated for “The Wrestler” and soon to play the arch villain in the upcoming “Ironman 2″, Mickey is spending the evening at DoylesRoom and taking on all comers!

Grammy-winning singer and actress, Eve. With over 7 million records sold and plenty of movies under her belt, this hip hop legend is ready for a showdown on the poker table.

Returning to the bounty are two of our fan favorite Bounty veterans. The stunning hotel heiress, fashion designer and model,
Nicky Hilton and Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

No bounty would be complete without the Legendary 10-time WSOP winner Doyle Brunson and the world’s foremost authority on strategy and statistics, Mike “The Mad Genius” Caro. Last week’s bounty tournament winner river_robin also joins the bounty mix with a $500 prize on his head.

Remember, all first time players can get a bounty rebate where we’ll return every penny of your $27.50 buy-in win or lose!

Register from the poker lobby:
Tournaments > Scheduled > Beat the Brunsons

Spend Easter weekend in Brighton for just $1!

This Easter, Ladbrokes Poker will be staging the very first Ladbrokes Easter Rendezvous Festival to be held at the Rendezvous Casino. The Casino is located on the spectacular Brighton Marina www.brightonmarina.co.uk, where you can dine, shop, take in the sea air whilst taking part in a first-class poker tournament. Just a short ride away is Brighton town centre which is hip, cosmopolitan and relaxed all at the same time, making it the perfect location for your Easter break.

The Festival has a week long schedule with tournaments starting Monday 6th April, including the £100,000* Main Event (£550 buy-in) which kicks off at 16:00pm on Sunday 12th April and will be held over two days. (*based on 200 runners).

Added Value

• Ladbrokes are adding five $5,000 Vegas Dream Packages to the Main Event.
• Ladbrokes are adding three €1,000 Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival Packages to side events.

Make a weekend of it!

You can take part in all the action by winning a $1,000 Easter Rendezvous package:

• £500 + £50 ($770) Main Event Buy-In
• $230 expenses

Qualify Today for a credit crunching $1!

Weekly online qualification is available exclusively at Ladbrokespoker.com. You can buy-in directly to the Monday Weekly Finals for $110 or make your way there by registering for the $11 Daily Finals which are fed by our $1 daily satellites.

All Ladbrokes Rendezvous satellites can be found via the Tournament section and then Offline Events within the lobby.

POKER TIP from Mad Genius Mike Caro

As you may know, I teach that it’s usually wrong to call the big blind early with small pairs, such as 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4. Many things work against these hold ‘em hands, such as (1) you can make three of a kind and lose to a larger three-of-a-kind, (2) if you get lucky enough that your pair might matter, a bigger pair (or bigger two-pair when there’s a major pair on board and your second pair isn’t large enough) might beat you, and (3) two bigger pairs might show up on the board, leaving you with essentially no hand at all.

But if this argument — and the simulation of millions of hands which I’ve done by computer — doesn’t convince you, here’s some more bad news: You usually can afford to call a single raise after you call the blind with a small pair, but not a double raise. So, if you call, and there’s a raise, and then there’s a re-raise, you should usually fold. But in folding, you’re surrendering a first bet without any shot at the pot whatsoever.

When I talk to people who are trying to analyze whether these small pairs are profitable in an early position, they seldom mention the fact that you might have to throw the hand away without seeing the flop. So, even if you can argue that the small pair is a close decision without the forced-to-fold factor, it is not a close decision when that factor is correctly considered. Once again: Seldom play small pairs from an early position, unless you’re in a very loose game with very timid opponents who don’t raise aggressively AND you can outplay those opponents on later betting rounds.

You can chat and play with the “Mad Genius”, Mike Caro, every Wednesday night at 9:30pm ET in the Bounty Tournament at Doyles Room.com.

Tower Gaming is the fastest growing online poker site on the Ongame Network. With their claim to fame being their popular Player’s Club and their one of a kind first time deposit bonuses. It’s what keeps players coming back for more!

Because of Tower Gaming’s tailored design and flexibility to meet each player needs – Tower Gaming has developed a strong reputation amongst players for being the best online poker site to date.

Software

Tower Gaming is apart of the Ongame Network, offering the best options for download and a Mac compatible no-download version; it will support all OS platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux. The program offers a secure, detail and reliable atmosphere, even in multi table play. As well as sharp graphics, a quick download time and a fresh look that is rarely found in other rooms. All of these details means a great choice for all players!

Customer Service

The Customer Service Department at Tower Gaming has been praised by players and is a major reason why players continue to come back – no question is too small for the Tower Support Team. Tower Gaming offers 24/7 online casino and poker support and one of their professional Support Team staff can be reached by email at anytime. Customer satisfaction is a high priority at Tower Gaming so their Support Team makes every effort to ensure that their players are happy.

Games

The games offered at Tower Gaming are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. The games vary between No-Limit, Pot-Limit and Fixed-Limit for both real money and play money.

Bonuses & Promotions

There is always a bonus that will meet your style. The poker bonus structure that Tower Gaming offers is the key to their success and it what draws so many players to them. Tower Gaming offers an extensive variety of the first time deposit bonuses ranging from $30 to $2,000 – which means making money is that much easier.

Keep your eyes open because there are always new promotions happening at Tower Gaming. With their renowned Player’s Club, Weekly $1000 Freerolls, weekend tournaments and Monthly Point Races – it won’t be hard to find something to suit you.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

No Fees! Tower Gaming does not charge players any deposit fees – meaning more money for players to take to the table. Tower Gaming accepts the following deposit methods; NETELLER, MoneyBookers, Click and Buy, Click2Pay, Web Money, Visa and MasterCard. Cashing out is as easy as choosing one of the withdrawal methods that Tower Gaming provides; NETELLER, MoneyBookers, Click2Pay, Web Money, Check and Courier Check.

Overall, Tower Gaming offers more opportunities to win then ever, some of the best promotions and great action. Become a Tower Gaming member and see why Tower Gaming players continue to come back!

paddypowerpoker.com have announced the European Championship of Online Poker IV (ECOOP IV), scheduled from May 25th to June 7th 2009. ECOOP IV features fourteen tournaments and a guaranteed prizepool of $4.55 millionover the 14 tournaments in ECOOP IV. This is over HALF A MILLION MORE than was guaranteed for ECOOP III!

The tournaments include Holdem, Omaha and 7 Card Stud events with buy-ins ranging from $100 + $9 to $2,500 + $100. For those who are after an even more affordable option, satellites are currently running with buy-ins as low as $1 + 10c.

The ECOOP IV $1,500 + $80 Main Eventtakes place on Sunday, June 7th and features a $1.5 million guaranteed prizepool.

Last year, a paddypowerpoker player, Eoghan “Intruder123″  O’Dea, took down the main event so here’s hoping to a repeat performance!

It’s not too early to begin planning for the summer; check out the qualifier options at Paddy Power Poker and plan your assault on the ECOOP IV!

Live Events specialist poker room RedKings announced today the scheduling of an extra three online Finals for packages to the eagerly awaited next round of the European Poker Tour in San Remo.

Said a RedKings spokesperson “We have experienced a huge demand for San Remo packages since our qualifiers ended last week so we have added more Finals to satisfy the many requests we have had from our players interested in playing with Team RedKings”

For the first time at any poker room RedKings is offering players a choice. In the first Final a chance to win a ticket, some travel money and wear a Team shirt or in the second Final extra benefits on top of the ticket and travel include full participation in the Team RedKings experience , namely appearing on the RedKings website, blogging at http://blogs.redkings.com , interviews , extra RedKings clothing , help with organizing and arranging travel and hotel plus  personal contact with our reps in San Remo.

The full schedule which is exclusively for RedKings players is as follows:
Final 1 – 5TH April 19.00 (CET) San Remo EPT Final - $200+$15
Final 2 – 5TH April 20.00 (CET) San Remo EPT Final - $200 + $40 (extra benefits)
Final 3 – 12th April 20.00 (CET) San Remo EPT Final 2 - $500+$40

Commented Jerry Land RedKings Live Events Manager “Team RedKings will be in full force in San Remo headed up by Ramzi Jelassi, Jonas Molander and Toni Ojala and we know that there are a lot of players wanting to enjoy the many benefits of being in a Team environment. They would also feel a lot more comfortable knowing they will be well looked after at what could be their very first Major Event and their efforts will be reported on live. For an extra premium of only $25 the winner will get all that plus more by winning the $8000 package in the Second Final.”

Along with smaller satellites to the first Two Finals running most days at 19.00 CET RedKings is also staging an exclusive $500 buy-in for its bigger players who want a smaller online field to contend with. This will kick off just 6 days before the start of the main Event in San Remo and will probably be one of the very last chances for players to win a package.

For further information about Team RedKings visit http://blogs.redkings.com

RedKings.com is one of the most recognizable brands with a white label EU Poker license through software supplier Ongame issued in Gibraltar. Following their meteoric rise since the company’s inception in 2007 Redkings.com continues to offer high quality Tournaments to the online poker community throughout the world.

Genting Stanley who operates CircusCasino.com and CircusPoker.co.uk has announced the opening of its doors to international players from outside the UK. This announcement is expected to greatly benefit members of the Genting Stanley affiliate program “Genting Affiliates”, which is part of the Income Access affiliate network.

Having previously been open to UK-based players only, Circus Casino and Circus Poker now accepts players from around the world, excluding certain countries such as China, the U.S., Malaysia and Germany. Genting Stanley Alderney is offering affiliates up to 45% cross-product revenue share. This tiered revenue share structure starts at a minimum of 30%, with no negative monthly rollover.

“Circus Casino and Circus Poker have just given Income Access affiliates some excellent news,” said Nicky Senyard, CEO of Income Access. “This development will significantly increase the earning potential of Genting Stanley affiliates. Also backed by dedicated support and an extensive range of tools and reports offered by the Income Access affiliate marketing software, these affiliates should really be able to boost their revenue potential.”

Circus Poker and Circus Casino were the first Genting brands to launch its affiliate program in the Income Access network. Circus Casino is one of the world’s largest igaming communities, featuring over 150 casino games, including the classics such as Roulette and Blackjack. New players at CircusCasino.com can avail of a £150 casino welcome bonus, £400 poker welcome bonus, up to £75 free every month and 10% deposit bonuses on Mondays.

The same software that power the Income Access network is also available for white labelling. Completely brandable and customizable, it provides iGaming operators the ability to extend their brand experience to affiliates. In a constant state of development and updated regularly, it features a variety of in-depth tracking reports and marketing tools that help both operators maximize their online marketing campaigns.

About Genting Stanley Alderney
Genting Stanley Alderney ltd which operates Circus Casino.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genting International plc. It places the same high level of importance on social responsibility as Genting Stanley and operates to the same high standards of care as the land based casinos. It is incorporated in Alderney and regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. The Genting Group is one of Malaysias leading multi national corporations which has more than 27,000 employees and has a combined market capitalisation of more than US$17Billion.

About Income Access
Since 2002, Income Access has helped both operators and affiliates succeed in the igaming space by leveraging affiliate marketing. Working closely with its partners to provide them with affiliate marketing solutions, tailored to their unique needs, Income Access offers a blend of four services: (1) an affiliate network of over 17,000 gaming affiliates, (2) affiliate management services, (3) white label affiliate marketing software, and (4) an SEM agency specifically for the igaming industry. Partnered with over 60 operators across all gaming verticals, Income Access works with some of the most trusted names in online gaming, including Bingo.com, Sportingbet, tombola, Ladbrokes, and Centrebet.

William Hill Poker are offering the Poker trip of a lifetime – an all expenses paid trip to the superb Rocks $500,000 Grand Prix Tournament, taking place from May 9th to May 10th 2009.

The satellite qualifiers will be whisked away to Cyprus to spend five nights in the luxury Rocks Hotel, ready to take aim at the huge prizepool.

The Rocks Hotel has a wealth of services, including a fully equipped health spa, WiFi facilities, a world class Casino and a selection of fine bars and restaurants.

Each package on offer is worth a substantial $4,500 and includes:

· $2,500 buy-in to the Main Event.

· $1,150 for 5 nights at the Rocks Hotel (May 6th to May 11th 2009) located in Kyrenia, North Cyprus. Accommodation is for two guests on a full board basis and includes transfers to and from the airport.

· $50 for a half-day excursion of historical sites, with lunch and refreshments (including beer and wine), planned for May 7th 2009.

· Invitation to a Welcome Party, planned for May 8th 2009.

· Complimentary drinks (excluding Champagne) and buffet for players throughout the tournament.

· Up to $800 for flights and spending money (subject to currency fluctuations).

Standard Satellites to the Rocks $500,000 Grand Prix are available now from $2 + $0.20

The last Super Satellite will run on April 25th 2009 – see below for full details, and see how you could find yourself at the tables in Cyprus for as little as $2 + $0.20!

At DoylesRoom, it doesn’t matter if you’re Irish, a Leprechaun or chasing the rainbow for that pot of gold. Everyone is entitled to their 25% Reload Bonus this St. Paddy’s Day!

Deposit and get up to $100 FREE!

Pots of Gold, Green Beer, Lots of Poker…FREE CASH. This St. Paddy’s Day and they are thanking their players with loads of bonus cash!

Reload your poker account before Thursday at Midnight ET and receive a 25% bonus, up to $100.

From the game lobby, click on Cashier and then Deposit.

Lock in your bonus by using promotion code: PADDY25 when you deposit into your account using one of their fast and easy deposit methods. Bonus code is valid for 1 transaction.