Lee Davy takes a gander at the shortlists for the inaugural American Poker Awards, and takes a punt at who he thinks will get lucky on the night.

On February 27th 2015, at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the Global Poker Index (GPI) will take another baby step towards their ‘sportification of poker’ when they host the inaugural GPI American Poker Awards.

Kara Scott will host the event that will recognize the achievements of the main players in the North American poker industry during 2014. I counted at least a dozen awards, and nine of them will have been selected via a nomination process involving a 60-person strong nomination panel and select jury.

Here are my winners.

Media Person of the Year

1. Nolan Dalla

2. Chris Grove

The poker software analysis tool, Hold’em Manager, and a series of Hold’em Manager 2 apps, are now available to buy, using Bitcoin, after the company set up a Bitcoin transaction method in their online store.

Whether you want to purchase apps on Apple’s app store, book an inter-galactic flight on Virgin Galactic, or buy yourself a pair of stockings and suspenders from Victoria Secret, you can do so buy using Bitcoin.

The value of the cryptocurrency may be continuing to drop (at the time of writing one Bitcoin is worth around $230. It once exceeded $1,000) but that hasn’t stopped some of the largest companies in the world giving customers the opportunity to purchase products using the cyber stuff.

The poker industry has also gotten into the act. And whilst we are used to discussion centered on Bitcoin online poker rooms, it’s refreshing to now hear that poker software companies like Max Value Software has also thrown their hat into the ring.

Max Value Software is the parent company of Hold’em Manager and PokerTracker – the two premier online poker analysis software products, and over the weekend, Hold’em Manager posted news on their forum that they are to allow customers to use Bitcoin to buy Hold’em Manager 2 (HEM2) and a series of non-subscription based HEM Apps.

The adoption of cryptocurrency now means there are six ways to purchase HEM products: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, Neteller and now Bitcoin.

HEM products: NoteCaddy Premium, Leak Buster 4.0, SitNGo Wizard 2, Tilt Scanner, and most of the Table Scanner 2 services can all be obtained using Bitcoin. TableNinja II and Table Scanner 2’s Insta-Scan service is still off limits, according to PokerSoftware.com.

Phil Ivey has once again won the Aussie Millions $250,000 LK Boutique Challenge. The third time he has done so in the past four years.

There are plenty of reasons to love Australia. There is the wonderful wildlife, amazing people, and for Phil Ivey: the Aussie Millions $250,000 LK Boutique Challenge!

The great man has just defeated Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald, in heads-up action, to take the first prize of AU$2,205,000, and leapfrog over Daniel Colman to take third spot in the All-Time Hendon Mob Live Tournament money list.

[Image Credit: PokerAsiaPacific & Kenneth Lim]

It’s the third time in four years that Ivey has won this title. Sam Trickett’s 2013 victory against a German onslaught the only blot on Ivey’s Melbourne landscape. In truth, you could sense it was coming. The great man sharpening up his weapons of mass destruction with a 23rd place finish in the $10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event just days earlier.

25 entrants created a total prize pool of AU$6.1m, and only five players would walk away with a profit. Actually, that’s inaccurate because one of the five cashers didn’t make a profit. Scott Seiver bought in for AU$750,000, and must have been extremely grateful to end up in fourth spot for a $15,000 loss.

Erik Seidel, himself an Aussie Millions specialist, finished fifth after running A3 into the pocket kings of Doug Polk; Scott Seiver would be flushed out in fourth by Timex; and Polk would cash in third after his A5cc ran into the AQo of the Canadian.

Tom Marchese has banked himself a tidy profit of $600,000+ after winning back-to-back $25,000 High Roller events at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Did you know that there is an event called The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake? It’s an annual event held in Gloucester, over the Spring Bank Holiday, and it’s a race to catch a 9lb round of Double Gloucester cheese as it’s rolled down a hill.

Did you also know that there is an event called The Aria $25,000 High Roller? It’s a poker game where men, and women, who can afford a $25,000 buy-in, sit down and play cards.

What do the two have in common?

They both involve Big Cheese on a roll.

Tom “BigCheese_Poker” Marchese has just finished at the top of the pile of both the Aria $25,000 High Roller II and III in Las Vegas. It’s a perfect start to a year that follows on from his most successful.

In 2014, Marchese banked over $4.4m, including three seven figure scores, one of which came in September when he was victorious in the $100,000 Super High Roller event also at The Aria. He begins 2015 with over $600,000+ in profit after topping fields of 41 & 42 entrants, in what is fast becoming THE place to be in Vegas poker.

Sri Lanka’s new government said that the country does not need investment from Australian billionaire James Packer, after the gaming mogul pulled out his luxury resort development.

“Packer says he will not come. Who asked you to come?” Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a statement. “Please don’t come, not in this lifetime.”

“We need only good investors. We don’t want an economy relying on casinos,” Wickremesinghe added.

James Packer’s Crown Group abandoned plans for the $350 million resort-casino development on Friday, after the new administration had decided to ban approval for casinos and withdrew significant tax concessions granted under the previous regime in efforts to turn Colombo into a regional gaming hub.

Sri Lanka’s new government came to power on January 9 and Sri Lanka’s new President Maithripala Sirisena had reportedly pledged in his manifesto to cancel the new casino projects.

Aside from Australia’s Crown Resorts Ltd’s proposal, two other Sri Lanka casino schemes—the US$300-million Queensbury resort by Sri Lanka’s Vallibel One Plc. and the US$850-million Waterfront Properties development of John Keells Holdings Plc were affected by the latest Sri Lankan government announcement.

With a local joint venture partner, Crown had proposed the development of a resort with a 400-room hotel, with shopping, entertainment and convention facilities and a casino but after receiving cabinet approval in 2013, its plans faced strong opposition from Buddhist leaders who were angered by the tax concessions approved for the project and feared that an enlargement of the casino gaming industry would damage community values and culture in the mainly Buddhist nation.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

If you still need to catch your breath after what is without question the most dramatic Super Bowl finish in history, I can’t blame you. I’m still at a loss for words myself, having just been part of a dramatic sequence of events in the closing stages of the game that will be talked about for years to come.

A lot of you saw it the same way I did. A go-ahead touchdown with a little over two minutes left put the New England Patriots ahead of the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24. The defending champs had one last drive to answer the bell and up until the last play – I’ll get to that later – Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense put on a thrilling comeback attempt, highlighted by a seemingly inconceivable twisting-on-his-back catch by Jevon Kearse. Words really can’t do justice to the catch; it was that incredible.

With the Seahawks on the Patriots goal line, underrated Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler managed to overshadow Kearse’s acrobatic catch with a fantastic interception to clinch the win for the Pats. Incredible.

The entire game was a nip-and-tuck affair that featured the Patriots going up by 7 late in the second quarter before the Seahawks answered with 17 straight points to go up by 10 in the fourth quarter. Just when it seemed like Seattle was on its way to win its second Super Bowl title in a row, Tom Brady and the Patriots came to life just in time to post 14 straight points of their own to go up 28-24, setting up the amazing sequence of events that will define the greatest Super Bowl ever played.

Say what you will about Tom Brady, but he proved for the last time that he belongs in a completely different discussion in the pantheon of greatest quarterbacks to have ever played this game. With this win, he not only won his fourth Super Bowl title to put him even with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, but he did so while also setting numerous Super Bowl records. Tom Brady is the GOAT, ladies and gentlemen. There’s no denying that now.

On the flip side, what the hell happened on that last play, Pete Carroll? 2nd down on the New England two-yard line with two timeouts left and you call an inside slant when you had Marshawn Lynch in the backfield? I’ve never been the type to question a football coach’s acumen, but I’m making an exception this time.

Online gambling appears in the cards for the Canadian province of Alberta after the government-run gaming monopoly launched a tender for a technology provider. In January, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commissiion (AGLC) said the concept of a government-run online gambling site was “actively under review” after determining there were “expectations from consumers that [online gambling] be available to Alberta players.”

On Sunday, Metro News reported that the AGLC had set a “late February” deadline for would-be “turnkey solutions” providers to make Alberta a pitch. CEO Bill Robinson said the AGLC was “going out into the market place to see what types of programs exist and would be best for us.” Assuming they see something they like, provincial finance minister Robin Campbell would make the final call.

Alberta’s opposition parties are already decrying the move, saying the resource-dependent government was trying to close budget gaps caused by the recent plunge in the price of oil. Campbell spokesperson Kevin Zahara rejected this accusation, saying online gambling wasn’t part of the minister’s budget process although the government was interested to see what types of bids the tender attracts.

Alberta and Saskatchewan are the last two major Canadian provinces yet to hop on the online gambling bandwagon, although Saskatchewan has flirted with the idea. Alberta’s interest comes just one month after Canada’s largest province Ontario launched its PlayOLG.ca site.

C-YA C-290 AS ELECTION LOOMS

Meanwhile, the country’s long-stalled single-game sports betting bill is back in the news. C-290 sailed through the House of Commons with all-party support nearly three years ago but has been stalled in the Senate ever since. Senators returned from their holidays last week just as the Super Bowl betting hype was reaching fever pitch, allowing the usual suspects another opportunity to make the usual complaints.

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa joined the pro-C-290 choir, saying the debt-laden province and communities with casinos like Windsor and Niagara Falls could use the extra jobs and revenue that sports betting could provide. Sousa told the CBC that the Senate “should move on it, and that’s been the wishes of the federal government and all parties at the federal level.”

A major operator in the marketplace is soon to join the MPN thanks to new technology known as ‘Babelfish’ according to an MPN press release.

188Bet, 32Red, Betsson and the likes are soon to have a new roommate according to a press release issued by Microgaming recently.

Microgaming’s Head of Poker, Alex Scott, has indicated that a ‘major operator in the poker marketplace’ will soon be joining the MPN, and it would have been built from scratch courtesy of their new ‘Babelfish’ technology.

Babelfish?

Where have I heard that word before?

Fans of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will remember that the Babelfish was a leech-like yellow fish, that when inserted into your ear, was instantly able to translate any language known to man, robot or scary alien.

Scott isn’t planning on raiding the fairground’s stock of goldfish quite yet, but he is very excited about the potential of their new Babelfish technology and what it can bring to the MPN party.

Coingaming.io, the leading platform provider which specializes in the provisioning of Bitcoin cryptocurrency solutions for the iGaming sector, today announced that it is the first ever provider to integrate Endorphina casino games for Bitcoin enabled gaming operators.

Under the agreement Coingaming.io are able to supply Endorphina’s full range of 24 HD premium casino games, which include the popular “Safari”, “Geisha” and “Blast! Boom!

Bang” to their international client base of Bitcoin casino operators.

Tauri Tiitsaar, COO of Coingaming, explains: “Coingaming is focused on providing the best gaming experience to our customers. Our partnership with Endorphina ensures our network of online Bitcasino operators and players from over 80 countries has access to the finest and most exhilarating HD revenue generating games possible.”

Jan Urbanec, Sales Manager of Endorphina, comments: “Coingaming is a respected player when it comes to Bitcoin gaming platforms and white label services. They continue to demonstrate their passion for providing their customers’ with the highest levels of responsibility, transparency, and trust in the Bitcoin casino gaming industry. We are confident that Bitcoin casino gaming players shall welcome the introduction of our Endorphina games.”

For further information, please contact:

AskGamblers has just made another revolutionary step in the world of online gambling by creating the prestigious Certificate of Trust – an exclusive club only the best and the most trusted casinos have access to.

While gambling at any online casino players might run into some problems and when that happens AskGamblers is there to help. Just a few years ago they started dealing with disputes between players and online casinos as an independent and transparent third party via the unique AskGamblers Casino Complaint Service.

Today AskGamblers introduces Certificate of Trust which will single out the best quality and most secure online casinos in the industry. Moreover, it will prove that these carefully chosen casinos are transparent, customer oriented and willing to solve any issues as quickly as possible.

Igor Salindrija, CEO of AskGamblers, explains: “The main idea of this certificate is creating a new standard in the industry to promote truth, honesty and integrity. We try to break away from the trends of the gaming industry and take it to the next level with each new breakthrough that we make.”

By being accepted in this exclusive club, online casinos will become visible on “Certified Casinos” page on AskGamblers and the Certificate of Trust badge will be added to their review page.

In order to receive a Certificate of Trust, online casinos need to meet the following criteria:

● Have CasinoRank Score above 7.5

Malaysian businessman Richard Yong has won the Aussie Millions $100k Challenge after defeating the German star Ole Schemion, in heads-up action.

How many players can brag that they had Phil Ivey and Sam Trickett in their winner’s photo?

Richard Yong can.

The Malaysian businessman defeated a stellar field of 70-entrants to capture the first prize of AU$1,870,000 in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.

[Image Credit: PokerNews & Kenneth Lim]

It was a sweet victory.

Not only was it the first of Yong’s poker playing career, but it ended a nightmare 12-months where he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of ‘accessory after the fact to transmission of wagering information,’ for his role in the Caesars Palace World Cup illegal sports betting ring that has seen fellow high stakes player Paul Phua also make the headlines.

[Image Credit: PokerNews and Kenneth Lim]

Manny Stavropoulos is the new Aussie Millions Main Event champion after beating the young German Lennart Uphoff in heads-up action in Melbourne.

Melbourne was the home of two great competitions today: the Australian Open tennis final, and the 2015 Aussie Millions Main Event. One event saw an established favorite take the top honors, and another saw an underdog do the same.

Whilst Novak Djokovic was racking up his fifth Australian Open title, after victory over the Brit Andy Murray; Manny Stavropoulos was earning the first title of his career with victory over Lennart Uphoff.

It was a stunning victory for Stavropoulos. The mug shot of the final seven players contained a lot of unusual faces. Brian Rast and Richard Lyndaker the two that would seem familiar to most.

Rast was the star of the show. With over $7.6m in live tournament earnings, including close to a million in Dec 2014 alone – after great performances in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Alpha8 and the Aria High Roller. Lyndaker was a former Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Main Event winner, and multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tablist.

Stars fade out, eventually, and Rast’s light was extinguished in fifth place courtesy of the young German Uphoff. Rast failing to find his flush draw against the might of the over pair. He’ll be happy with his performance though. He banks another decent six-figure sum, and it’s his first Aussie Millions score. Lyndaker also had a disappointing day running aces into Uphoff’s flopped set of sixes to feel the axe in seventh.

Betclic Everest Group has refused to allow their sponsored pros, Benjamin Pollak and Fabrice Soulier, to play in the upcoming Global Poker Masters due to clashes over the use of their logo.

Fabrice Soulier and Benjamin Pollak will not compete at the 2015 Global Poker Masters (GPM).

The first-rate Frenchmen have been told by their sponsor, Betclic Everest Group, that they cannot be involved in the tournament, due to be held March 21/22 as part of the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Malta, due to restrictions placed on the wearing of sponsorship logos.

The news reached the ears of the poker community after Dreyfus spoke about the conflict in a blog post posted on the French poker website ClubPoker.net. In that blog post a clearly frustrated Dreyfus indicates that perhaps Betclic Everest should be given an award for ‘absurdity’ at the next France Poker Awards.

“Once we announced the players that would represent #TeamFrance it appeared that some players may have contract issues. I have spoke to the poker management team of EverestPoker.fr to ask if they were keen for their players to represent France in this event and they declined.” Dreyfus told CalvinAyre.

The difference of opinion has come about because Dreyfus is keen to keep the stream free of gaming sponsorships in a bid to lure non-gaming sponsors into the business. It’s all part of the master plan to ‘Sportify’ poker – a plan that Betclic Everest doesn’t seem to be on board with.

The entrepreneur said he was ‘shocked’ at the attitude of Everest, and all further communication with the online gambling outfit had failed to produce a different outcome.

The London Affiliate Conference 2015 went off with a bang today at the Olympia London, a new venue for the ever-growing LAC.

This is the biggest event of the year for the iGaming Affiliate industry, with almost three thousand people expected to attend over the two days its open.  Running alongside the LAC is the Financial Partners Expo, the largest event dedicated to the retail finance sector, an industry with significant crossover to iGaming.

The LAC expo hall has been divided into two floors this year, the first floor featuring iGaming affiliate program booths and the second floor featuring binary and forex.  Without a doubt, the first floor was the busier and more garish of the two, but there was a decent amount of activity upstairs as well.

As per usual, a good percentage of the iGaming Affiliate program booths featured free alcohol, Paddy Power with their pure Irish Guinness on tap, Caliente.mx with their lively open bar and music, 666Bet with their custom brewed 6.66% “Bullet” beer named after their new brand ambassador Roberto Carlos…you get the idea.

One of the more unique booths this year was Coral’s, where they featured a burger stand (sans burgers, unfortunately) manned by Coral TV personalities Carly and Farley.  The duo appear on Coral’s TV commercials with Carly representing the type of girl all men wish they had on their arm and Farley carrying out impersonations of famous football celebs such as Harry Redknapp and “Stevie G”.

In addition to the expo, there were three session tracks taking place simultaneously during day one of LAC- “New Markets and Opportunities”, “Financial Partners Expo” and “Acquisition Zone”.

Over at the “New Markets and Opportunities” track there was a Bitcoin session during which the panelists discussed opportunities in this sector for affiliates.

Aaron Mermelstein has become the latest member of the World Poker Tour Champions Club after defeating Eugene Todd, in heads-up action, to take the crown at the Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City.

Aaron Mermelstein has prevented Shawn Cunix from becoming the 21st player to win two World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event titles, with a life altering tournament performance in Atlantic City.

[Image Credit: WPT]

The 27-year old from Philadelphia was playing in only his third-ever WPT event, when he walked away from the Borgata Winter Poker Open as the only remaining contestant from 989 entries, and $712,350 the richer.

It was a tough final table.

Season X WPT Jacksonville winner Cunix was joined by the likes of Season 6 WPT Borgata final tablist Eugene Todd, former Deepstacks Tour winner Randy Pfeifer, and World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tablist Justin Liberto.

Mermelstein came into the final table second in chips. Cunix had the chip lead. The next nine hours of play would see 181 hands splayed across the table; 17 different lead changes, and four different chip leaders. It was like a game of pass the parcel with the WPT trophy playing the role of parcel. When the music stopped it remained in Mermelstein’s hands.