tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83537012114549558772023-11-16T08:11:23.030-08:00This Poker WeekPoker News and ViewsErik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-60504084371398779842013-11-14T13:50:00.001-08:002013-11-14T13:51:18.737-08:00Disappointing News as Vegas Trends Towards Not Accepting European IDVeteran poker writer and player and lead writer here at This Poker Week, Erik Savage aka 'FasterMule' and 'Towels' has covered in a recent trip report from Vegas that a number of establishments including Planet Hollywood and The D have stopped accepting European Drivers' Licenses and in some cases National ID cards despite the homogenised design and ease of acceptance.<br />
<br />
Most Vegas establishments are still able to use their common sense, especially when it comes to those who are clearly old enough to play and drink but with corporate nonsense coming to Vegas more and more all the time it would be a shame to see this trend worsen.<br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://fastermule.com/ridiculous-rules-see-many-european-ids-banned-in-vegas/">http://fastermule.com/ridiculous-rules-see-many-european-ids-banned-in-vegas/</a> Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-82060665784096751932013-03-05T14:00:00.002-08:002013-03-05T14:00:37.754-08:00Shocking Video Claims to Reveal Party Poker Player SegregationA shocking video has been released on Youtube showing different Party Poker player accounts unable to see the same players. This means that a certain winning player account is unable to see, sit down, or play against a certain juicy fish available in the other game. This segregation means that the winning player can only choose from certain tables filled with other less juicy games. What's more Party Poker announced to the markets that they had 'lobby' based technology to reduce bum hunting and other efforts to target fish so this would seem to tie in nicely.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_At1H1fDnss?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
This kind of step by poker rooms is not surprising given that the poker economy has declined significantly following the effective removal of most of the American market from the game. The remaining rooms are fighting over a smaller and smaller player pool. When you look at a table at 25c/50c blind 6-max on a lot of rooms the tables are full of tight Eastern Europeans. It doesn't take a genius to figure out they aren't depositing much money because incomes aren't that high in those countries. There simply aren't enough 'fish' depositing from the USA and other similar countries for tighter players to feed on. Now if only there was a way you could force those players to stay together and play each other and leave the fish hidden in the lobby... oh wait... it could be on Party Poker? Only time will tell.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-51558841725894156052013-03-04T14:39:00.001-08:002013-03-04T14:59:33.361-08:00Everleaf Looks Set to Fail As Minted Seek To Move NetworkThe announcement below was sent out this week by Minted poker to their players letting them know not only that they planned to move networks but that it was unclear if player funds would ever be released by Everleaf Gaming. For such a big step to be taken by a skin on a network is indicative of some serious issues at the network.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua7_P7drAeN9Dm1lv-tuk5Zi8wtrzaWtiWBPggHux7YsYSOPWtsBA5BGshNg5mSbIg1_bi1lwkC6I4avQGH4_b9p9lFhuy0p3OEDVgvMIs4N3zsQKGEjH5N_hENsFPDL4knBjMi8FMKk/s1600/Screenshot+from+2013-03-04+22:35:25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua7_P7drAeN9Dm1lv-tuk5Zi8wtrzaWtiWBPggHux7YsYSOPWtsBA5BGshNg5mSbIg1_bi1lwkC6I4avQGH4_b9p9lFhuy0p3OEDVgvMIs4N3zsQKGEjH5N_hENsFPDL4knBjMi8FMKk/s640/Screenshot+from+2013-03-04+22:35:25.png" width="640" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8353701211454955877" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8353701211454955877" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8353701211454955877" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br /><br />
<br />
For many reasons a skin that suspected trouble at a network would keep quiet until they were absolutely sure there were no other options before outing the network as doomed. Any sudden outflow of player funds or end to deposits across the network would only endanger their players more so there must have been a great deal of 'hard discussion' at the Minted offices before they made this call.<br />
<br />
Having said that all we can hope is that players do indeed get their funds back and that the ineffectual regulation in these smaller jurisdictions can be brought up to standard before it's too late.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-13873948946032301262011-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:002011-04-15T15:34:12.949-07:00USA Government Indicts PokerStars, Full Tilt and Cereus<object id="wsj_fp" width="512" height="363"><param name="movie" value="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/main.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars" value="videoGUID={4B79C73A-F670-4A94-81FA-087E75398CFB}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/"name="flashPlayer"></param><embed src="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/main.swf" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashVars="videoGUID={4B79C73A-F670-4A94-81FA-087E75398CFB}&playerid=1000&plyMediaEnabled=1&configURL=http://wsj.vo.llnwd.net/o28/players/&autoStart=false" base="http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/" name="flashPlayer" width="512" height="363" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-2822106021443832622011-04-06T00:08:00.000-07:002011-04-06T00:20:00.942-07:00Victory Poker Waves White Flag at Successful Future and Become Defeat Poker on CereusAn alliance of the weak was formed this last few weeks as Victory Poker - formerly the flagship poker room on the growing Everleaf Network joined the home of the rooms involved in the <a href="http://www.thispokerweek.com/2010/12/ultimate-bet-domain-dropped-in-attempt.html">Absolute and UB Poker Scandals</a>, the Cereus network. With a roster of well reputed pros one has to wonder how they will feel about being associated with a network even Phil Hellmuth eventually severed ties with.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Victory Poker had briefly tried to move to the Cake network from the Everleaf Network - a bizarre move after spending a fortune advertising based on the soft, growing Everleaf platform. The Cake network has been relatively stagnant and the quality of the poker games not as soft as they once were. No doubt this move led to some loss of player pool - something had to be done.<br /><br />With a player pool largely based on twoplustwo readers and other experienced poker players I doubt a move to the Cereus network will be a strong one for them. Many of their player pool have deliberately not opened an account with Cereus because of the history. Surely a move to Merge Gaming where on <a href="http://fastermule.com/black-chip-poker-35-rakeback-vip-payments-and-rake-chases-the-best-usa-friendly-rakeback-deal/">Black Chip Poker 35% Rakeback, 7% VIP</a> on top and bonuses not deducted would have made more sense for them? A growing network, with a great repuation and great games would have been ideal instead of forging an alliance with a third network in such a short time.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-3156502872542959792011-03-21T10:30:00.000-07:002011-03-21T10:42:55.190-07:00No Poker Without Representation! - Why Eastern Europe is Destroying PokerBulgarians, Slovenians and Polski's are many on what used to be the fishiest poker sites of the world. They prefer the sites with high rakeback to allow for their 'grinder' mentality where 10 hours a day of $5/hour is perfect melon for their juice. However it's not perfect melon for the game like it used to be. In the past they used to be so tight that a typical TAG could beat them easily just by stealing and the fish didn't find them annoying - probably barely noticed their presence. Now, however, the Bulgarians can play and that poses a unique problem.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />In the past part of the reason everyone loved the Eastern European guys is that simply they always had a hand. No semi-bluffs and certainly no 3-betting light preflop. Now they play an aggressive game. Their grinder mentality on many tables doesn't lead to playing pots with fish it leads to lots of aggression regardless - better to 3-bet and get that night's dinner paid for (yeah a Polski can eat for a 3x raise at $25NL!!) than to play a pot at the same time as 10 other tables.<br /><br />The problem here is not only is the edge in games reduced to the point where Westerners have little incentive to play the microstakes and building a bankroll is like getting ridden by a goat if you compare it to the riding a hot 18 year old chick of years gone by. On top of that the fish leave the tables pretty quickly when there's a lot of aggression. Especially if their favourite situation is ruined. They love to limp in and call a raise then play the flop. If that raise is then reisolated they leave the table pretty quickly. The Bulgski's and Polski's immediately break the table and we're back to square one.<br /><br />My solution is simple - if your country doesn't produce more poker fish than you provide winning players then you simply shouldn't be allowed to contribute. I used to think the French had it wrong with their isolationist system but I tell ya - imagine playing TAXED in France or playing with a bunch of nits who will keep adding themselves into the ecosystem until the income from the game is $3/hr or less (because with rakeback that's a living to these guys). I choose playing my French Fish if I'm a Frenchman for sure.<br /><br />This is a tongue in cheek shock-jock style piece not anything more serious. If you don't have a sense of humour and are offended then you need to try being a Western European. We're sat on First Class Trains after our real jobs not caring about the hundo we chucked yesterday at the tables. You'd be wondering which one of your sisters was the most valuable or the most useful with plough!Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-26834302879580325292011-03-13T23:12:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:13:00.897-07:00Exclusive: JTodd Interview With Harrah's and More Poker/Gaming News<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aJKnQgHmTZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-86883486758859273822011-03-04T10:55:00.000-08:002011-03-04T11:18:29.334-08:00PokerStars Takes the Action as Durrrr Challenge Brings the Yawns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oQ3mD3fslmM7Rcj-4BnOlsTCjDEWqpWZIWV3-DQohpFqpRZ_k-KLKKfP_EwVPqlYgTg6AIf8AREvgM3BIJpzwhJkz4IaxEqVJP4rdcAG4mLLabCnjurQCDbfwxAKlRLML_8464JwyaY/s1600/chips.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oQ3mD3fslmM7Rcj-4BnOlsTCjDEWqpWZIWV3-DQohpFqpRZ_k-KLKKfP_EwVPqlYgTg6AIf8AREvgM3BIJpzwhJkz4IaxEqVJP4rdcAG4mLLabCnjurQCDbfwxAKlRLML_8464JwyaY/s200/chips.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580305245808722978" /></a><br />The Worlds largest poker room (by PokerScout cash game statistics) continued to extend it's lead in the market by bringing exciting action Isildur1 beating Jungleman12 for $51,000 according to durrchallenge.com.<br /><br />Viktor Blom captivated the poker world when he rocketed onto the scene and rocked Tom Dwan to the core with some amazing heads up, high stakes No Limit Holdem Action.<a name='more'></a> Full Tilt in my opinion then dropped the ball as they allowed a scandal over Brian Hastings and his Card Runners buddies to dampen the enthusiasm of Blom for their site and PokerStars quickly capitalised with a pro signing.<br /><br />The Durrrr challenge was meant to be the saviour of the very quiet high stakes poker action on Full Tilt but the first challenge still has thousands of hands to run and Junbleman12 seems much more interested in the only big game action going down at the moment - playing Victor "isildur1" Blom on PokerStars. So with tons of hands left to play and not a lot of action going on at the moment the Durrrr challenge has me yawning and my eyes are very much focussed on the high stakes action on PokerStars.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A Word From Our Sponsors...</span><br /><br />That said if you want <a href="http://fastermule.com/black-chip-poker-35-rakeback-vip-payments-and-rake-chases-the-best-usa-friendly-rakeback-deal/">35% Rakeback on Black Chip Poker</a> and special deals for high rakers (50% rakeback is available on some sites) head on over to <a href="http://fastermule.com">Free Poker Instruction: FasterMule Poker</a>.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-63981661615434569412011-02-20T06:57:00.000-08:002011-02-20T06:58:27.496-08:00Shock: Latest PartyGaming Rumours!!!With J Todd in a holding pattern somewhere in Seattle, industry news focuses on PartyGaming rumors and the World Series of Poker. Also, a special musical tribute to Senator Jon Kyl as he announces his retirement.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zxVMy3tdKwo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-77006372933505568012011-02-13T01:46:00.000-08:002011-02-13T01:47:55.920-08:00APCW: London Poker Affiliates Conference Update<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5j1ZVAMvJkk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-91363646214304552782011-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:002011-01-25T09:42:45.171-08:00Don't Listen to Phil Hellmuth: Is He a Fish? Surely not....An exciting new e-book has been launched by one of the most famous online grinders of all time - Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt. He has done everything from <a href="http://www.thispokerweek.com/2010/06/dusty-leatherass-schmidt-american-poker.html">charity poker events</a> to <a href="http://fastermule.com/">Poker Instructional Videos</a>. His first poker book was a great success and can be purchased online where he discussed how to run your poker as a business and maximise your profits. This new book is set to be something of a mythbuster going over the fallacies of out of date poker advice.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Before the Curve!<br /><br />Forget ahead of the curve, many of the 'top pros' we watch week in and week out on TV started their careers before there even was a curve in the poker education/study world. All kinds of unusual ideas are meted ot as if they were the gold dust that got them their success. For example Hellmuth the master of advising a fold getting about 40/1 for your last chip if by then it is obvious you are beat - your 'tournament life' has value etc.<br /><br />The Future<br /><br />Many of these old and outdated theories have been rubbished by the monster success of the maths based strategies the new internet millionaires of internet poker have mastered. Leatherass and his team plan (according to comments made on a recent DTB video where he coaches) to uncover dozens of such fallacies and expose the reasons why you shouldn't 'Listen to Phil Hellmuth'.<br /><br />I think it' a controvertial title designed to sell books which just goes to show it's not just his poker he runs like a business, Leatherass runs his business like a business too. I look forward to reading and reviewing his book in due course!Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-22795361603881120412010-12-31T05:13:00.000-08:002010-12-31T05:31:12.128-08:00Annie Duke & Hellmuth to Quit UB - Rats Leaving the Sinking Ship?Annie Duke posted on her Twitter this week that her time at Ultimate Bet Poker the home of the endless allegations of Ultimate Bet Scandals and often weird software bugs and security holes that have drifted out over the last few years. Despite optimism that the future was bright for the room and they were putting some of these things behind them they have been blasted by the departure of one of their most senior pro team members.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Posters on <a href = "http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/annie-duke-phil-hellmuth-leave-ub-948521/index16.html">Two Plus Two</a> reported that Hellmuth - one of the most successful tournament players of all time with multiple World Series Bracelets and more TV appearances than a Ford commercial - was likely to follow suit and sign for another room.<br /><br />With a string of high profile spats with Daniel Negreanu under her belt many in the poker community wonder if Annie has enough time to restore her reputation and goodwill amongst her peers. Ending this association is definitely a good first step, many were quite pleased when a noted PokerXFactor pro made the decision to quit promoting UB tournaments and this initial good press gives both her and the room she signs for a great opportunity to move things forward for their reputations.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-85709791288694272372010-12-27T16:32:00.001-08:002010-12-31T05:44:38.501-08:00Ho! Ho! Ho! It's an Online Gambling Christmas! APCW Perspectives Weekly for December 17th<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SEcYuBahFmg?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SEcYuBahFmg?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-76330011130400706702010-12-05T03:15:00.001-08:002010-12-05T03:23:01.127-08:00Ultimate Bet Domain Dropped in Attempt to Move on From ScandalNot ones to be long out of the headlines for their scandals, security holes and general poor software (not that all those stories are true of course but many are and they have started to pay compensation for the main scandal) Ultimate Bet has dropped the use of that domain to focus on UB.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />At first it caused great confusion in the internet poker world as the site initially redirected to a full copy of another affiliate site. UB also appears to own a number of domains (one can only assume for SEO purposes) and many on the 2+2 forums have alleged these contain duplicate/stolen content. Of course proving the ownership/theft would be impossible so I won't be passing judgement on that element of the story here.<br /><br />On the face of it this makes sense. It's like Accenture no longer is associated in many people's minds with the Enron/Arthur Andersen debacle. A new brand/name etc will gradually ease them away from those stories and also people searching UB will less often come across "ultimate bet scandal" type posts. I guess we have to rewrite some of our old articles as UB scandal, UB scam and UB security flaw so as to ensure people stay informed about the history of this business.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-21351516490142148222010-10-30T02:11:00.000-07:002010-12-05T03:24:02.299-08:00Play Poker on an iPhone, iPad, Android, Tablets and Most Other Mobile Devices<a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">Switch Poker</a> is a brand new poker room which got off to a flying start two weeks ago by being <a href="http://www.pokeronthephone">the ONLY poker room in the world to fully support iPad, iPhone, Android and most other browsers and mobile devices.</a>. You can play on almost anything from poker on your phone to poker on linux, Apple Mac poker and all the other devices and systems which are poorly supported by the major poker rooms.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4a21yo0qY4Kch1m8eXDGS91-_E8jMbQz2B2m1AabdxBP4kpmvuyM6oTtGJysSH40HZ8AHpVcJb1Ftffcx57zX01e2_bzZjrgXd8YIQi7nCrsZ1pbMhnUQqCGFEmr533jDPjBgK51C8Q/s400/pokeroniphone.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533767359681955378" /></a><a name='more'></a><br /><br />As you can see above it has a clean stylish look taking advantage of all the space on your iPhone screen to play poker. You can play for real money or for fun against real players from all around the world (although players in the USA cannot currently deposit so you may have to swap funds with a European buddy!).<br /><h4>Special Offers</h4><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtABmCIbDQUXjdxmmbbAS6dR3H1Kso8eLXD-olhNBLrr2Q2tiIXS0qjp2ByQeA5RNEFEY0WsyllRNkJQoln7-jlVa35-HddhJEOsbd_tPj8WGoAuaKYYYGXI_BvyAeJSXOIbzFIZk2GFg/s200/ipad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533770676167890674" /></a><div style="float:left"><a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">Click Here and Deposit €150 and get a free iPad</a> after clearing some easy minimum play requirements.</div><br /><div style="clear:both"></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl9p3K9PV5uittiW0YBcgJwuMcYvbELwF_XB9Q5e1Fsg4Eu6AM3__D5ueglj6wWHtlZI20WYZ-jVBwXBQEx2j9r5hyphenhyphenawjcZjlhcaTC-oKETOvgzRx9Ho18ulT_yym07szKw4Z4H8Y8Y8/s200/ipod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533770570760476770" /></a><div style="float:left"><a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">Click Here and Deposit €50 and get a free iPod Touch</a> after clearing an easy minimum play requirement.</div><br /><div style="clear:both"></div><br /><h4>The Gameplay</h4><br />As with most newer and smaller poker rooms there isn't enough action for mass multi-tablers and hardcore professionals to grind out millions of hands. There is no support for the multitude of software they use to gather statistics on players trying to play for fun. This means that smaller poker rooms are perfect for recreational players and perfect for players using mobile devices! Nobody has an advantage over you no matter what system they are playing on and most of your opponents are recreational players too having fun!<br /><br /><blockquote>The prevalence of recreational players on Switch Poker makes it one of the best places for recreational players to join, learn the game and play for real money for the first time. I cleared my iPod in no time - wish I'd gone for the iPad!!<br /><a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">FasterMule: Professional Poker WebMaster and Amateur Poker Player</a></blockquote><br /><br /><h4>Summary</h4><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pros</span><br /><ul><br /><li>Easiest Poker Games Online Anywhere</li><br /><li>Good Fast Interface Which Works Well on iPhone and iPad devices</li><br /><li>Support for Poker on Most Devices Including Android (although not officially supported yet</li><br /><li>Get a Free iPod or iPad as a Special Sign up Bonus!</li><br /></ul><br />So why not <a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">Sign Up Now!!</a> and start earning points towards your <a href="https://www.switchpoker.com/?rid=725&link=1">Free iPad</a>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-55307601650122341812010-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:002010-10-28T14:27:25.919-07:00Canadian Poker Battles Continue!<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXJbA1-AWG0?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xXJbA1-AWG0?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-88224236970887583562010-09-08T02:23:00.001-07:002010-09-08T02:23:31.307-07:00Hot Talk Online Poker: The Latest From Nevada and California<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sp2ZVjmUd2M?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sp2ZVjmUd2M?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-9389512706095049112010-08-21T04:39:00.001-07:002010-08-21T04:39:33.625-07:00French Poker Ban Gets Worse - All International Sites Banned<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FuwPHxGif9A?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FuwPHxGif9A?fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-30152214947692477962010-08-07T12:12:00.001-07:002010-08-07T12:12:43.908-07:00Allan Leonard Tribute Episode: APCW Perspectives Weekly<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2rou1vqVxEI&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2rou1vqVxEI&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-61661253221700753172010-07-23T18:36:00.001-07:002010-07-23T18:36:42.332-07:00Online Gaming Regulation in Canada - Perspectives Weekly<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6wUiTKY8yso&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6wUiTKY8yso&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-81205757312829658872010-07-18T09:50:00.000-07:002010-07-18T10:09:34.078-07:00Poker Bot Scandal Rips PokerStars to the CoreTheir slogan is "Find the Poker Star in you" but this week things have taken a much more disturbing turn on the World's largest poker site - It's more like "Find the Bot at your table." This is exactly what Poker Table Ratings the largest online collector of information about online poker hands played at the big sites found playing as high as the $200 buy in tables and winning big, big money.<br /><br /><blockquote>By not having invested in the necessary resources to have already detected these bots or possibly having already detected them and chosen to take no action, Stars has failed once again.</br ><a href="http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=20293229&postcount=120">AKingdom (Adept 2+2 Poster)</a></blockquote><br /><br />So what's next? How many undetected bots are out there? What are the experts in the industry saying? Is it safe to continue to play?<br /><a name='more'></a><br />First let's look at the evidence. You can view the whole Poker Table Ratings Security Alert but basically it's summarised as follows:<br /><br /><blockquote>As you can see, these 10 players are clustered in the lower left of the chart. They are virtually identical. The biggest distance within the bot group is Daergy at 2.39. The next closest player has a distance of 32.94.<br /><a href="http://www.pokertableratings.com/blog/2010/07/bot-ring-discovered-on-poker-stars/">PokerTableRatings</a></blockquote><br /><br />That's right, they raised and called almost the EXACT same percentages preflop, had almost identical winrates and playing styles postflop. What's even more scary for the future of online poker is they were WINNING, and big money at that. The same PTR article points out:<br /><br /><blockquote> they have played at least 8,320,121 hands at the $.25/$.50, $.5/$1 and $1/$2 NL levels, generated $186,572 in rake, and made $57,839 in profit (not including VIP benefits).</blockquote><br /><br />The simple fact is that PokerStars have a site that's too big for their security to fully monitor (even if they would believe or plan otherwise this case clearly demonstrates there are gaps). Short buy in tables allow a place where simpler strategies and bots can survive profitably. PokerStars again encourages this. Smaller sites with less opportunity for Bots to mass table and rathole their profits (leave if they get a double up so as to continue playing short) might just be the way to go for now.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-61105981070039821072010-07-17T04:36:00.001-07:002010-07-17T04:36:32.219-07:00APCW Video News From Sweden to Las Vegas<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gLvyNRWiDag&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gLvyNRWiDag&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-8907736476814910182010-07-14T16:13:00.001-07:002010-07-14T16:21:14.447-07:00Poker Prohibition Will Fail - The Economist Rails on US Attempts to Block Online Poker<blockquote>PROHIBITION destroyed America’s once-robust brewing industry, made smugglers rich and did nothing to curb drinking. Outlawing drugs has been a similarly spectacular failure. There is little reason to suppose that the latest line in American prohibition—an effort to ban online gambling—will fare any better.<br /><a href= "http://www.economist.com/node/16539402">The Economist: "You Bet"</a></blockquote><br /><br />Whilst I don't agree that America's brewing industry is still destroyed - the vast number of amazing microbrews (mmmm IPA anyone?) is testament to the recovery that is possible post prohibition. Those who doubt the veracity of claims that legalisation or removal of restrictions in America would lead to a mini poker boom are borderline deranged.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Of course that's hardly the whole story. As defenders of online gaming we face allegations that the whole system itself is an attack on the weak and somehow it's the state's responsibility to protect us all from our weakness. What happened to free will and I'll drink if I want to? Ah well...<br /><br />The ridiculous situation in France where the <a href="http://www.thispokerweek.com/2010/07/french-poker-stars-strike-succeeds-more.html">Tax on poker has led to strikes on PokerStars</a> is unfortunately likely to follow regulation. Hopes of returning to true free worldwide poker become slimmer by the day and we can only hope that the market in our countries is strong enough to survive as eventually I fear we all face segregation from the 'world' of online poker. It's probably not a case of if but when unless we make a stand now. Write to your politician. Especially if you're in a free country like England with a big gaming lobby. Let's encourage our government and big gaming organisations to stand up against protectionism and anti-competitive moves by countries like France.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-66818201198117177722010-07-12T17:07:00.000-07:002010-07-12T17:12:12.343-07:00Full Tilt to Ban French and Ignore PokerStars StrikesNot even the mass organisation of strikes by disaffected French players was enough to discourage Full Tilt Poker for applying for a segregated poker license and a .fr domain. This means of course their French players will in due course be BANNED from the major tournaments on Full Tilt Poker and from playing the worldwide field they have come to love playing.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Various sources on the internet have suggested the French licensing authority had brought it's considerable weight to bear on sites like FTP who have been in their view illegally operating without a license.<br /><br />The simple truth is these companies are INTERNATIONAL trading businesses who are now having an unfair LOCAL levy imposed on them. On top of that the very essence of international poker is being destroyed by these rules. If this was any other business or trade it would be left alone - but of course because it's something people enjoy our slave masters choose to regulate it and tear it down in front of us. Back to the grind and generate some more tax for our overlords people.Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353701211454955877.post-83179940589330529902010-07-10T07:36:00.000-07:002010-07-10T07:38:35.907-07:00APCW Video News: Casinos Seizing Money and the World Series of Poker<object width="419" height="261"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RAjtoqw7-G0&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RAjtoqw7-G0&hl=en_GB&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="419" height="261"></embed></object>Erik "Towels" Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00053277499942929386noreply@blogger.com0