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We at Bluff are inconsolable this month, following
the news that our dearest little bird has flown the
nest. Yes, this is Amy’s final column for Bluff
as she takes on the editorship of that upstanding organ
of poker patter, PokerPages.com. Take care out there
in the big bad world, Amy. And be sure to write…
(sniff)…
WPT: No Dildos and No Deodorant
The World Poker Tour has recently revised its logo policies.
Starting with The Borgata Poker Open in September, players
will be allowed to wear sponsor logos. But it will not
be a logo free-for-all. The World Poker Tour limits
the size and placement of the logo. They forbid more
than two players at a final table from wearing logos
from the same company. And they also specifically forbid
logos representing “illegal activity of any kind,
pornography, firearms, tobacco, personal hygiene, sexual
aids, or hard liquor.” As someone who had to stare
at the WSOP Levitra Final Table for 45 days, I’m
a little relieved on the sexual aid front. But personal
hygiene? What am I missing?
Best Poker Polls:
When it comes to irreverent online poker content, it’s
hard to beat www.oddjack.com. Nothing is sacred; not
the pros, the media or their readers. And I love their
polls. This month’s polling opportunities included,
“Which poker player would you not want to get
into a bar fight with?” and “Which professional
poker player is the biggest dickhead?”
They're Still Opening 'Em:
I remember when they were closing poker rooms left and
right to fill them with slot machines. And it’s
been a real joy to watch the reversal of that trend.
And they’re still opening poker rooms, bless their
hearts. The Las Vegas Hilton opened its new poker room
inside its sports book in September. The room features
plasma screens showing daily sporting events and a display
system used for player waiting lists and tournaments.
The poker room contains 11 tables
and will offer daily No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments.
Clooney Taking it Upscale:
It was announced that actor George Clooney has a piece
of the action on the proposed $3 billion development
called Las Ramblas to be built just east of the Las
Vegas Strip. The plans call for more than 4,400 condominium
and hotel units in 11 highrise towers, along with shops
and a 48,000- square-foot casino. This is a small casino
by Vegas strip standards, but they are shooting for
something of an upscale boutique, potentially sporting
a James Bond-esque dress code. Clooney wants it to be
“like old Vegas and old Hollywood.”
“It’s going to be a classy joint,”
he says. There are rumors that Brad Pitt and more of
Clooney’s Hollywood cronies may also ante up.
And of course, everyone has inquired whether Clooney
has plans to knock it over, à la Ocean’s
Eleven.
The Beard Thing:
Barry Greenstein’s got one. Tom McEvoy is sporting
one. The beard is apparently the newest trend on the
felt. I’m not sure what is precipitating this
phenomenon, but considering the cooler climate of most
poker rooms, it can’t hurt on the comfort front.
And there has to be the added benefit of only having
to worry about half a poker face. But whatever the reason,
my prediction is that poker tournaments are going to
get furrier.
Party Pooper:
PartyGaming had a stunning IPO in June, in which, according
to The New York Times, Party founder Ruth Parasol, and
her husband, J. Russell DeLeon, cashed in stakes worth
$370 million each, and the company’s group operations
officer, Anurag Dikshit (yeah, yeah, we all would have
changed our name), sold shares worth $720 million. Well
just three months later, Party may be spoiling the party
for their competitors in the IPO pipeline.
Last month, PartyGaming forecasted slower growth for
its online gaming site in the coming quarters. They
also announced a decline in player retention rates and
player yields, although they were within expectations.
Following the announcement, Party lost more than $4
billion of its market value, taking other industry related
equities along for the ride.
Maybe Party’s cautionary announcement was just
an exercise of its newfound public fiduciary responsibility.
And maybe we shouldn’t be too skeptical about
a company that displayed a spectacular 36% profit margin
and an 81% climb in revenues only to wring its hands
on earnings announcement day. While all seemed bright
and rosy pre-IPO, and even with spectacular earnings,
maybe Party was suddenly hit with a shark-jumping revelation.
But when I read the earnings announcement, I found
myself thinking of something my father used to say.
When I was young and had done something particularly
selfish, he would bellow, “Pull up the ladder,
Chief. I’m in.”
I’m not saying that Party isn’t exactly
spot-on with its assessment. And maybe the Poker Emperor
is wearing a few less layers these days. But I’m
guessing he didn’t lose his clothes overnight
in a game of strip poker. The timing of Party’s
public revelation smacks a little of pulling up the
IPO ladder just as competitors PokerStars and Cassava
Enterprises (Pacific Poker) are about to climb onboard.
So I don’t know whether to congratulate PartyGaming
for finally leaking a little air out of a potential
bubble, or to wonder whether they are just trying to
pop their competitors’ balloons. Maybe I’ll
do both.
FSN Goes Full Tilt:
In June, Fox Sports Net teamed up with FullTiltPoker.Net
to broadcast a live tourney from the Wynn Las Vegas.
Everyone must have felt the love, because FSN and FullTiltPoker
have just inked a deal for a 26 episode series entitled
FullTiltPoker.Net: Learn From the Pros. This educational
series, cohosted by Howard Lederer, will feature many
of FullTilt’s stable of pros. Personally, I’m
hoping for a spin-off, featuring Perry Friedman’s
talking hand.
Still in the Grey Zone:
We Americans have been living in the grey zone when
it comes to the legality of internet poker. The dated
(1961) and somewhat narrowly constructed US Wire Act
seems to offer a lot of wiggle room for online poker
players. Primarily focused on the scourge of the time,
sports betting, the law is vague relative to little
else, which seems to be holding back any prosecutorial
action on the poker front. The most recent attempt to
move US internet gaming law out of the grey zone was
made by U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl. But Kyl’s efforts to
amend an appropriations bill to include language prohibiting
internet gambling met with defeat in the Senate on September
15, 2005. Play on.
CIAO BABY:
And the last bit of gossip is that this is my last bit
of gossip. I have loved my time here at Bluff. But I’m
afraid it’s time for me to move on and let someone
else have a turn at the rail. I’ll be reading
every issue and listening in on the great programming
at Bluff Radio. And if you should take home a bracelet,
I’ll know. Y’all play well out there. Bird
out.
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