Lee Davy continues his Pokertherapy series with a look at how the quality of our relationships can affect our poker game with help from If The Buddha Married author Charlotte Kasl.

When Libratus beat the humans, I imagined ’emotion’ was one of our primary leaks. We can tilt. The computer can’t. But if you pull this thread what does it reveal?

Imagine we have two poker players of equal technical ability locked in a battle over many months designed to reduce the element of luck as much as possible. What will be the defining factor in that match?

Emotion.

Absolute Poker founder Scott Tom has returned to US shores to resolve his lingering federal charges stemming from the April 15, 2011 Black Friday online poker crackdown.

On Thursday, Reuters reported that Tom (pictured) had appeared in a Manhattan federal court, where he entered a plea of not guilty on charges of illegal gambling and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tom was released on $500k bail following Thursday’s hearing.

It’s not clear why the 37-year-old Tom chose to return after all these years on the lam, but prosecutors said Tom returned voluntarily to the US from Barbados to face the music.

While Tom pleaded not guilty, his attorney James Henderson told the court that he expected to reach a deal with prosecutors in the near future. Henderson said “there’s going to be a resolution in this case quickly” because Tom “just wants to get this behind him.”

The Champions League Round of 16 first leg ties are done and dusted with Leicester grabbing a priceless away goal in Spain, and Juventus defeating 10-men Porto.

The Champions League Round of 16 produced a record 34 goals.

Who said football had gotten boring?

Actually, I think that was me.

The US Department of Justice could be preparing to crack down on states that have legalized medical marijuana, which doesn’t bode well for the three states that have legalized online gambling, or for any other state that hoped to join that trio.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Melissa McCarthy, sorry, Sean Spicer told reporters that the DOJ would be “looking into” the question of whether to take action against the eight states (plus the District of Columbia) that have legalized recreational marijuana use.

Federal law makes recreational marijuana use a crime but President Barack Obama’s DOJ opted not to enforce these laws. On Thursday, Spicer said “I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement” against pot-friendly states, although he hedged by saying that decision was ultimately up to new DOJ boss Jeff Sessions.

At his confirmation hearing last month, Sessions played coy when quizzed as to his view of the marijuana situation, saying only he would use “good judgment” in deciding how to act. However, Sessions proclaimed last year that marijuana “is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized… it is, in fact, a very real danger.”

Casino operator Donaco International saw its fiscal fortunes fade due to reduced VIP activity at its Cambodian casino.

On Thursday, the Australian-listed Donaco reported its revenue in the six months ending December 31 falling 14.3% to A$59m, while earnings fell 14.8% to A$33.3m but net profit after tax rose 5% to A$14.1m thanks to a A$1m reduction in corporate costs during fiscal H1.

Donaco’s flagship Cambodian property Star Vegas had a rough ride in H1, with revenue down 16% to THB 1.2b (US $34.3m), as average daily visitor levels dropped 15% year-on-year. The company pinned part of the blame on last October’s death of the king of Thailand, which kicked off a 100-day mourning period that kept some Thai gamblers from making the trek.

Star Vegas’ VIP turnover fell 17%, in part due to the previous year’s H1 having an additional “VIP event” but also due to some VIPs shifting their business to Star Vegas’ main gaming hall. Compounding matters, VIP win fell 0.26 points to 2.75%.

Central and Eastern European sports betting and lottery operator Fortuna Entertainment Group has bolstered its regional presence while also expanding its geographical reach through the acquisition of Hattrick Sports.

On Thursday, Fortuna announced that it had reached a deal to acquire 100% of Hattrick Sports Group Ltd., Ireland. Terms of the sale weren’t disclosed but Czech media reported that the deal involved an €85m upfront payment with a maximum possible top-up of €50m if the Hattrick brands meet certain performance benchmarks.

Fortuna cautioned that the sale remains subject to regulatory approval and the companies will continue to operate as separate entities until this approval has been granted.

Hattrick’s holdings include Casa Pariurilor, the leading betting operator in Romania. Hattrick’s brands also include Prva Sportska Kladionica (PSK), the second largest operator in Croatia, and Hattrick is also a joint venture partner in Spanish online and retail betting operator Luckia.