Le Monde du Poker.

January 25 2012, Brett Collson

While all eyes are on Phil Ivey at the Aussie Millions Main Event, the Nightly Turbo is here to bring you some of the other big stories in the world of poker. In this edition, we'll cover the upcoming online poker hearing being held on Capitol Hill, the announcement of the World Poker Tour television schedule, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Phil Ivey was second in chips after Day 2 of the 2012 Aussie Millions Main Event. Find out who he's trailing in our daily Aussie Millions recap.

Is Pennsylvania overtaking New Jersey as the East Coast's gaming leader? Inside Gaming has the latest on why the country's second and third largest gaming markets could switch places this year.

What does it feel like to make the final table of your first Aussie Millions Main Event? Randy Dorfman explains his experience in the latest edition of My First.

Senate to Revisit Online Poker Next Month

A recent decision by the Department of Justice to reverse its position on the Wire Act of 1961 will be one of the topics discussed during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Feb. 9, 2012.

The hearing will be the second of its kind in less than three months. On Nov. 17, a Senate hearing titled, "The Future of Internet Gaming: What's at Stake for Tribes?" focused on testimony from representatives of various tribes and tribal groups. Poker Players Alliance Chairman Al D'Amato was one of the witnesses that testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

In regards to the hearing next month, Poker Players Alliance VP of Player Relations Rich Muny made the following statement in an e-mail sent to PPA members on Tuesday: "These continued hearings are hard evidence of the great work the poker community has been doing to ensure our elected representatives hear from us. I thank everyone for taking the steps necessary to ensure our elected representatives understand that we poker enthusiasts will not back down and will not simply go away!"

A list of witnesses for the upcoming hearing has not yet been announced. PokerNews will provide that information to our readers as soon as it is released.

Information on next month's hearing can be found at indian.senate.gov.

Thor Hansen Diagnosed with Cancer

On Tuesday, the poker world was devastated to learn that Norwegian poker legend Thor Hansen has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Hansen, 64, was told by doctors at a Los Angeles hospital that the cancer is untreatable and he likely has less than two years to live.

Poker player Andreas Høivold broke the news on Twitter Tuesday evening:

AndreasHoivold Andreas Høivold It is a very sad day for Norwegian poker. The world's best Thor Hansen has terminal cancer. He is now in a hospital recovering from surgery. January 24 2012

Hansen, nicknamed "The Godfather" in Norway, is one of the most respected poker players in the world. He has amassed more than $3 million in live tournament earnings to go along with two World Series of Poker bracelets, one coming from a seven-card stud event in 1998, and the other in deuce-to-seven lowball in 2002. He was named the Norwegian Poker Player of the Year in 2005.

The news hit the poker community hard on Tuesday. Fellow Norwegian poker player Annette Obrestad said the following in a thread at TwoPlusTwo: "I seriously cried when I read [about] this. I don't know anyone like him. He truly is one of a kind. All the best Thor, ur an inspiration for us all."

Check out the full thread at TwoPlusTwo.

Watch the World Poker Tour on FSN

Season X of the World Poker Tour is still going strong in the U.S. and across Europe, but the action is already set to hit television screens beginning next month. On Wednesday, the WPT announced that all-new episodes will air on Fox Sports Net beginning on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time.

Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten will be back in the booth for the tenth year providing commentary for all 37 episodes of Season X. They will be joined by WPT anchor Kimberly Lansing, Raw Deal analyst Tony Dunst, and the Royal Flush Girls from the sidelines.

“WPT Season IX redefined poker programming and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Season X will see more new elements that we expect the audience will love and will further enhance the timeless appeal of our show,” said WPT CEO Steve Heller. “World Poker Tour’s sustainability is not only a testament to continual innovation, but also to co-hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, who have been the best in the business for an incredible ten years.”

Read more at PokerNews.com.

More TCOOP Winners

The inaugural PokerStars Turbo Championship of Online Poker passed the halfway point on Tuesday as winners were determined in events 24 through 27. Only 23 tournaments remained going into Wednesday, which featured four more events on the slate.

Here's a look at the results from Tuesday:

Event #24: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo($50K Guaranteed)

A large turnout for Event #24 resulted in a prize pool that almost tripled its guarantee. The UK's "Mongy," who won TCOOP Event #4 last week, reached another final table on Tuesday. However, the cards did not fall in the Brit's favor as he hit the rail in eighth place. Switzerland's "Sir_Don_John," who final tabled TCOOP Event #14, went on to win this one for $22,127.

Event #25: No Limit Hold'em ($500K Guaranteed)

One of the largest events on the TCOOP schedule attracted more than 3,500 players, leaving $717,800 in prize money up for grabs. A four-way deal at the final table saw all four players walk away with at least $63,600. Mexico's "wcsquad3" claimed victory and the top prize of $85,653.

Event #26: Stud ($25K Guaranteed)

Thayer "THAY3R" Rasmussen weaved his way through a field of more than 3,000 players, but the online poker legend fell short of his first TCOOP title, finishing sixth. Canada's "Poker Own U" claimed victory and a prize of $10,327.

Event #27: No Limit Hold'em 2x Turbo w/ Rebuys ($300K Guaranteed)

Nearly 8,000 players combined to generate a prize pool of $542,780 after the rebuys and add-ons were settled. Brazil's "Mcolombo" cruised through the final table to collect $82,562 and the commemorative 24k gold-played card protector.

For more details on each event, check out the PokerStars Blog.

A Gift From Tony G.

We reported last week that Shane Warne was having problems with cyclists on the road in Melbourne. As a solution, Tony G. presented a special gift to the legendary cricketer during the Aussie Millions Main Event on Wednesday.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

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AppId is over the quota
September 14 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

It's Wednesday, and all we can think of is getting to the weekend so we can partake in some good old fashioned pizza eating and football watching. Luckily we're halfway through the week and pretty much through with our work day. Don't worry, we won't leave you before delivering the news. Read on to see what Full Tilt Poker didn't say said in it's latest press release, find out why you won't be happy with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, and more.

In Case You Missed It

Kristy Arnett, Chad Holloway, and Rich Ryan discuss the Epic Poker League, World Poker Tour, and WCOOP, then they're joined by Michael "Timex" McDonald. What did he have to say? You're going to have to listen to the PokerNews Podcast to find out.

The PokerStars.net Russian Poker Series concluded last weekend. The event attracted 322 entrants and created a prize pool of $718,000. Check out our recap of the RPS event to find out who won.

Three bracelets were awarded on Day 10 of the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker. We'll tell you that Noah Boeken won one, but two find out who else did, you'll have to read the daily WCOOP recap.

ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker continued Tuesday night. Daniel Negreanu, Allen Cunningham, and Jean-Robert Bellande were featured on the Day 5 broadcast.

Casinos in Ecuador have six months to shut their doors, following a law that was passed prohibiting gambling in the country. Inside Gaming has that story and you'll find out how much more Wynn Macau is willing to pay for a lot on the Cotai Strip.

The PokerNews Live Reporting Team is gearing up for the World Series of Poker Europe in Cannes, France. If you are too, then you'll need to check out the PokerNews Jet Set, if you're not, check it out anyway — it'll probably make you book your ticket immediately.

Full Tilt Poker Statement

On Wednesday, Full Tilt Poker released its latest statement to PokerStrategy.com. The statement touches on the the financial issues the company is facing and how it is positioning itself to deal with them. According to the press release, approximately 250 positions at Pocket Kings Ltd. could be affected by the new cost optimization program.

Here is the statement in its entirety:

"On April 15th 2011 the United States Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment against a number of individuals employed by major online poker operators. After the issuance of that indictment and a related civil case brought by the United States government, Full Tilt Poker withdrew from the US market. Then in a related action, on June 29th, 2011, Full Tilt Poker had its operating licenses suspended by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission."

"As a result, Pocket Kings Ltd. (provider of marketing and technology services to Full Tilt Poker) has adopted a cost optimization program and estimates that they need to reduce their costs by approximately €12m. This program is intended to streamline the company’s operations in order to better position itself for future growth and profitability in Full Tilt Poker’s markets outside of the U.S."

"If all of the required cost savings were to be achieved through redundancies, approximately 250 positions could be affected; however the exact number cannot be confirmed until the conclusion of a consultation process with its workforce."

"Notwithstanding the foregoing, Pocket Kings firmly believes it has a very strong future in Full Tilt Poker’s Non-US Markets, and is fully committed to ensuring Full Tilt Poker restores the site and repay players in full. To this end, Full Tilt Poker has retained Sea Port Group Securities, LLC as its financial advisor with regard to raising capital and/or assisting in securing a strategic partner in order to fund continued operations of Full Tilt Poker's non-U.S. business. The Company is in active discussions with several parties and will provide a further statement in due course."

Behind Closed Doors

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission will hold its hearing regarding Full Tilt Poker on Sept. 19 — four days after its "deadline." The public may have been allowed at the first hearing in July, but there will be no such luck this time around. The AGCC released a statement today announcing that the hearing will take place "in camera" which we guess is a fancy way to say "behind closed doors." We're pretty sure the public is a little fired up about this, but there's also someone else who doesn't agree with this decision, executive director of the AGCC, Andre Wilsenach.

“I am pleased that the FTP hearing will continue as scheduled, as was argued on my behalf. However, I am disappointed with the tribunal’s decision that, notwithstanding my arguments to the contrary, the hearing will be held in private. I believe the public has a right to know the reasoning behind the decisions to suspend FTP’s licences and call a hearing, and to hear the evidence that will be put forward on my behalf," Wilsenach said in the press release.

"It is my understanding that the tribunal conducted a difficult balancing exercise of the interests of the various parties, taking into account the legal arguments for and against further postponing the hearing, and for and against allowing the public to attend the proceedings.”

GamblingControl.org has more.

Partouche Poker Tour Update

Of the 333 players who entered Day 1b of the Partouche Poker Tour, only 182 survived. Chino Rheem, Olivier Busquet, Freddy Deeb, Tobias Reinkemeier, Jason Mercier, Sam Trickett, Antonio Esfandiari, and Daniel Cates were among those who made it to Day 2. Those 182 combined with the Day 1a survivors bring the Day 2 starting field to 322.

Soon after the dinner break on Day 2, Jason Mercier was eliminated when, according to PartouchePokerTour.com, his failed to get there versus his opponent's nines.

Many of the notables were eliminated on Day 2 of the Main Event, but that didn't stop them from getting in on side-event action. The €1,500 side event attracted a field of 285, including Phil Laak, Vanessa Selbst, Fabrice Soulier, Guillaume Darcourt, Matthew Waxman, and Jennifer Tilly.

Here's an interview with Mercier right before his bust-out.

Check out PartouchePokerTour.com for more.

Poker Traffic Update

It's that time of the week again — you know, when we bring you the latest online poker traffic numbers. According to PokerScout, online poker traffic saw a 1.3 percent increase this week, with seven of the top 10 sites booking increased week-over-week numbers in traffic.

PokerStars, PokerStars.it, and PokerStars.fr were the three sites in the top 10 that saw decreases in traffic. As for the second and third place spots, Both PartyPoker (6 percent gain) and the iPoker Network (3 percent gain) saw solid increases in traffic, but PartyPoker is still sitting in third but is slowly gaining on the iPoker Network.

PokerScout's ACES indicator shows that year-over-year, online poker traffic has decreased 29 percent. Year-over-year gainers include 888poker (118 percent), Bodog (55 percent), and the iPoker Network (21 percent).

Everest Poker, the Microgaming Network, and the Ongame Network have all seen 20 percent decreases in year-over-year traffic.

There is plenty more data where this came from, and you can find it at PokerScout.com.

Another Free-Play Online Poker Site

The Barona Resort and Casino in San Diego announced the launch of its beta free-play online poker site.

"Barona free-play online poker is one more way that we make fun happen for our Barona players," said Rick Salinas, general manager of Barona Resort & Casino. "We are always looking for new and inventive ways to bring excitement to our players and our new free-play site gives us the opportunity to provide more fun for our players while they are at home."

Barona's online poker site is only in beta release but is expected to fully launch in the next few months. The entirely free-play site will allow Club Barona members to play poker for free from their homes with the opportunity to win prizes like accommodations at Barona's hotel, rounds of golf on its championship golf course, gift certificates to the casino's restaurants, and Barona-branded apparel.

Find out more about the launch at MarketWatch.com.

You should be following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook. There's really no reason not to.

Follow Elaine Chaivarlis on Twitter — @LaneyLV

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