PokerWorks

Poker News Nuggets are presented on PokerWorks each 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 weekly tidbits of information.

What They’re Playing

Macau:  They’re not playing it yet, but the recently-announced new PokerStars-sponsored event is set to start on August 4 and run through the 8th. It will be the first Macau Millions, a festival of poker at the Casino Grand Lisboa in Macau. The Macau Millions tournament is set up for players to enter on any of the first five days, and no matter how the $2,200 HKD buy-ins add up, there is a $1 million HKD prize pool set up for the players. Players who bust on the first starting day can enter again, and the top 7 percent of the field each day will be assured of a cash in the tournament. There will also be a $5,000 buy-in NLHE tournament for players seeking additional action.

Who’s Playing

James Dempsey:  English poker pro James Dempsey had a stellar year at the World Series of Poker, grabbing a bracelet for his win in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event, cashing two other times, and finishing in second place in the $10K Omaha hi/lo split event to Sammy Farha. Not only was Dempsey more than $500K richer after the summer in Las Vegas, but he was offered “red pro” status at Full Tilt Poker. The newest addition to the FTP lineup commented, “I couldn’t be more excited. This is such a dream of mine.”

Celebrities:  The first annual Shawn Marion Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament took place over the weekend at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. A number of celebrities and poker pros turned out to support the NBA all-star player in his efforts to raise money for the Shawn Marion Foundation and for scholarships for single parents attending the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Marion’s mother attended the event as well, illustrating Shawn’s inspiration, as she raised him as a single mother.

Where They’re Playing

Congress:  The last few News Nuggets columns have featured Congress as a place to watch poker, and this week is no different. Rep. Barney Frank’s H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, has finally been gaining traction, and after its July 21st hearing, it was scheduled for mark-up in the Financial Services Committee on July 27. That date was changed, however, to Wednesday, July 28, and mark-up is underway as this is submitted. A vote on the bill will follow, and should it pass, the House of Representatives could put it up for a vote in its chamber in the future. Updates on the bill’s progress can be found at The Poker Players Alliance.

Cake Poker:  In truth, they might not be playing at Cake Poker. According to online poker watchdog site Poker Table Ratings, a serious glitch in Cake’s security system allows those with technical know-how to decode and view player accounts and their hole cards during online play. PTR compares it to the glitch it found in the Cereus Network only months ago, and it claims the vulnerability exists on every network skin as well as the site’s new client currently in Beta. PTR recommended that Cake upgrade its security system to the industry standard, which is OpenSSL, and it urged players to take care when playing on Cake at the moment, especially from an unsecured wireless connection.