In what has been one of the most enduring relationships in the online gaming world Winmedia are sad to report their relationship with leading Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has come to an end.

What began in January 2002 with the filming of the world’s first commercially sponsored poker tournament – made into a seven part TV series broadcast on SKY Sports – developed into a 13 year affiliation which reached dizzy heights.

Ian Langstaff, director of Winmedia which has specialised in the filming and broadcast of poker for over a decade, explained:  “Paddy Power unquestionably helped put our company on the map with their boldness of vision to sponsor a televised poker tournament long before online poker was on most people’s radar.  True to the company’s legendary sense of humour that event was actually filmed at the Divine School of Worship Studio, Maynooth, Ireland!

“In the subsequent years we have enjoyed some great times broadcasting and webcasting both the Paddy Power Irish Open and Winter Festivals.  The highlight was probably the 2006 Irish Open when we broadcast the final table of the tournament live on both SKY Sports and national broadcaster RTE.  In 2007-2009 we recorded the day’s action, edited it during the early evening, and broadcasted it as part of a live presentation from the venue that night.   I believe this is the only way to broadcast poker on television.

“Whilst in later years our joint activities have amounted to simply webcasting a single feature table, it is still with a heavy heart that our relationship has come to an end.  We take away some great memories which include working with Liam ‘The Gentleman’ Flood, Doyle Brunson, Kara Scott – amongst other great presenters – and some very deserved winners.”

Winmedia maintain its logistic and streaming contact with the World Poker Tour.  It is also developing the World Series of Baccarat, the opening rounds of which were recently filmed in Macau – the footage is now in post-production.

Controversial celebrity steals reality show spotlight while EastEnders smashes The X Factor in markets as the search for exclusive regional betting partner begins.

Last September amid her 2014-winning streak, FlashBitch accurately predicted the winners of Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother and The X Factor, scoring her first hat trick.

FlashBitch tipped Katie Hopkins as winner but latecomer Katie Price, survived the final eviction despite the bookies comments on this being a two horse race. Coral’s Nicola McGeady noted: “Calum Best’s odds were slashed over the days preceding the final eviction… it’s a two horse race between Calum Best and Katie Hopkins.”

Despite failing to score her second hat-trick to re-establish the position of UK’s leading celebrity tipster, sources close to the mystery TV tipster confirmed today that FlashBitch is delighted with her score-card.

Eastenders Smashes Novelty-Betting Box Office

The mystery ‘whodunit’ storyline “Who Killed Lucy Beale?” has smashed UK novelty betting records, overtaking even the most established markets including The X Factor and Big Brother.

“EastEnders is about to reach its conclusion and we’re expecting BBC TV to crank up the hype machine as we move into the last two weeks before the killer’s identity is revealed. BBC EastEnders’ Facebook page has 3,565,831 likes, it’s a part of the UK’s psyche, most of the nation are sat on the edge of their seats.” – Paul Reilly – Media Skunk Works

Coingaming.io, the leading platform provider which specialises in the provisioning of Bitcoin cryptocurrency solutions for the iGaming sector, today announced that it is the first ever licensed Bitcoin only gaming platform to offer Microgaming Quickfire games.

Integration with Quickfire, powered by Microgaming, provides operators that use the Coingaming Bitcoin only casino platform with access to over 400 games, which include games like Avalon II, Thunderstruck II, and branded content titles such as, The Dark Knight™, The Dark Knight Rises™ and Playboy™.

Mark McGuinness, Communications Director of Coingaming, explains: “Microgaming are leaders in providing first-class software and their comprehensive and innovative portfolio of casino games is available in over 20 languages. Coingaming is focused on providing the best gaming experience to the rapidly growing Bitcoin casino player community. Our agreement with Quickfire, powered by Microgaming, shall see Bitcasino.io our biggest B2B partner going live first, shortly followed be our full network of online operators allowing player’s access to the finest and most exhilarating games possible. ”

Neill Whyte, Head of Product Channels, at Microgaming comments: “Coingaming is well-respected when it comes to Bitcoin gaming platforms and white label services. We are delighted that they have chosen Quickfire, powered by Microgaming, to amplify their casino games offering. By joining the Quickfire platform, they are demonstrating their passion to providing their customers with the highest level of gaming entertainment.”

For further information, please contact:

Coingaming.io

Dan Bilzerian will not be spending time behind bars, for blowing up a tractor in a Nevada desert, after the judge allowed him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to put out the fire Bilzerian’s home made bomb created.

Dan Bilzerian – the self proclaimed most successful poker player of 2014 – has just proven that although money can’t buy you happiness, it does come in handy when you want to avoid a 12-year prison sentence.

You may remember that Bilzerian, and his buddy Jeremy Guymon, were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, on 11 Dec 2014, after the fuzz used every ounce of their Sherlock Holmes detection prowess to link the pair with the explosion of a tractor in a stretch of Nevada desert.

Bilzerian had boasted about it through his social media channels; not exactly a smart move when a million airheads follow his every move.

The pair were said to have bought an old tractor, rigged it with explosives, and then blew it up by shooting the detonation device with a high-powered rifle. Nearby hikers had to duck as pieces of the tractor flew into the air. The incident happened on 4 Nov 2014.

Friday was judgment day for Bilzerian and Guymon, but they were so confident they didn’t even turn up to face the Nevadan beak. Instead it was left to Bilzerian’s lawyer, David Chesnoff, to tell the judge that his clients would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of negligently failing to extinguish a fire in the open, and also make a public service announcement, on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management, urging people not to buy tractors, rig them with explosives, and then shoot the detonator with a high powered rifle, when not on your land.

I guess doing it in your own backyard is fine then.

The Brazilian Series of Poker has inked a deal with the Global Poker Index that will see their ranking system used to determine the Season 2015 Player of the Year.

When 2,446 players entered the 2013 Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) Millions in Sao Paolo, an understanding was reached. Poker is huge in Brazil. Although that number has not been breached since, Ronaldo’s dazzling run at the 2015 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event, would have added to the clamor to be a true Brazilian poker star.

The BSOP is one of the most exciting tours in Latin America, and this week, they have strengthened their brand by agreeing a deal to use the unique ranking formula of the Global Poker Index (GPI), to help identify the winner of the 2015 BSOP Player of the Year.

The GPI has an estimated 370,000 players on its books, and analyses results from over 300,000 tournaments worldwide. In 2014, Rodrigo Garrido Portaleoni won the BSOP Player of the Year award after cashing an incredible 15-times.

GPI CEO Alex Dreyfus is delighted with the news:

“I am very happy to put the mark of GPI in Brazil, the most active poker market at the moment. Poker in Brazil is booming thanks to BSOP’s efforts and its partners. We share the vision of ‘esportificar’ poker (#SportifyPoker), which has been the BSOP precursor and, I believe the GPI can definitely support this vision. ”

BSOP Tournament Director Devanir Campos shares that enthusiasm:

Phil Hellmuth will be joined by the likes of Chris Harrison, Kim Coates and Dean Norris as he hosts a pre-Oscars charity poker tournament to aid the One Heart Source and Wounded Warriors foundations.

Poker has had its moments under the spotlight. Beads of sweat have fallen. The red carpet stained with hard work. But it never outstays its welcome. It’s a flitter. In, out, shaking it all about. But when it’s there, it looks mighty fine. Not a hair out of place.

The problem with poker is it can’t keep still. It doesn’t like the heat. Headlines are for some other hog. This baby prefers life in the shadows. It retreats into the murky mist. It never really gets a good run. If it were a show, it would be cut after the first season.

Kim Coates and Dean Norris know a thing or two about staying IN the limelight. Coates entered the fucked up mind of Tig Trager and played it to perfection. Sons of Anarchy lost more members than the Harlem branch of the Ku Klux Klan; Coates made it through all seven seasons.

“I’m gonna dunk my balls in your mouth. You’re gonna gag, I’m gonna laugh. We’ll be best friends forever.” Tig Trager.

If Sons of Anarchy was the Rolling Stones of TV shows, then Breaking Bad has to be The Beatles. Many people believe it’s the best TV series ever to air, and the role of Hank Schrader was one of the reasons why. Dean Norris was amazing. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Tig Trager’s longevity. He dies. Sorry for the spoiler, but if you haven’t seen Breaking Bad you deserve it.

“My name is ASAC Hank Schrader and you can go fuck yourself.” Hank Schrader.