PokerWorks

Poker News Nuggets are presented on PokerWorks three times per week to give readers a glance at some of the big news stories in and around the poker industry. From international poker tournaments to player prop bets, from political happenings to sponsorship deals, game enthusiasts can stay informed with these tri-weekly tidbits of information.

What They’re Playing

ANZPT:  The Queenstown, New Zealand stop of the PokerStars-sponsored Australia New Zealand Poker Tour was a welcome change for those coming from the WSOP and the heat of Las Vegas, as winter weather greeted the players. Season 2 of the ANZPT brought them to Queenstown, though some of the players qualified in another location and joined in on Day 3 to compete for the title. And it was on July 25 that the champion was crowned, after an exciting final table that found Julian Cohen defeating Andrew Watson. The PokerStars qualifier won $73,630 for his efforts and will be in Darwin, Australia for the Grand Final in October.

Who’s Playing

Tom Dwan:  Since the World Series of Poker ended in mid-July, Tom Dwan has been back at the tables on Full Tilt Poker in high gear, seeking out the big games and possibly a contender for the “Durrrr Challenge." After losing almost $200K to a player named “jungleman12,” the two had a discussion in the chat box that involved Dwan asking his opponent if he’d take the challenge. He indicated that he wanted to try to do two of the challenges before traveling to London for the September events there, and the two agreed to discuss in a private chat.

Michael Cera:  Actor Michael Cera is best known for his long-time role on television’s Arrested Development as well as movies like Superbad and Juno, but he claims to be a solid poker player as well. Commenting to People Magazine about his upcoming movie Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, he noted that downtime on the Toronto set was often occupied by poker games, and he always won money there. He also commented that he plays in a regular home game in Los Angeles. His movie co-stars corroborated his story, saying that he’s a “damn good poker player.”

Andy Bloch:  When not playing poker tournaments, Andy Bloch can be found playing in charity events or promoting online poker through speaking engagements or lobbying efforts. Just after the WSOP, Bloch participated in Netroots Nation, an internet conference in Las Vegas, as part of the Internet Freedom panel. In the discussion about protecting rights in the digital realm, he discussed the invasive nature of the UIGEA as well as new laws that could be passed in Congress to ensure Americans’ rights to play poker on the internet as they wish. He shared the stage with James Rucker of Color of Change, who spoke on internet neutrality, and Amelia Donoley of the Center for Media Justice, who talked about the importance of internet freedoms for migrant communities.

Where They’re Playing

Congress:  Members of Congress are again playing with the idea of repealing the UIGEA through Rep. Barney Frank’s bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, better known as H.R. 2267. The bill was put up for debate in a Financial Services Committee hearing on July 21, 2010, and it was then made known that mark-up was scheduled for the following week. The full committee will meet to discuss and make changes to the bill on Tuesday, July 26, and the piece of legislation will then be put to a vote. Should it pass the committee that Frank himself chairs, the bill could be on its way to the House of Representatives for a vote. The PPA is using every avenue to encourage poker enthusiasts and supporters to contact their members of Congress to ensure passage through the committee.

Pennsylvania:  It seems that since the state of Pennsylvania decided to allow tables games in their casinos, revenue has jumped higher than expected. But moreover, the state’s revenue from all of its casinos neared the $1.1 billion mark for the fiscal year ending June 30, which was higher than that of Indiana in second place and Nevada in third. Though tables games like poker have only been on the table - so to speak - for about one month, patronage at casinos has increased and look to add another $320 million per year to overall casino revenue.