Lightning Poker’s™ Electronic Table Ushers In New Era At World’s Largest Poker Casino
For the first time ever, “Sit-n-Go” poker has been added to the multitude of table games already available at the World’s Largest Poker Casino. Commerce Casino Sit-n-Go’s won’t be your run-of-the-mill event, however, because the latest electronic poker table will be the home for these single table poker tournaments at Commerce.
Tim Gustin, Commerce’s Casino Manager, said two new electronic Lightning Poker Tables were installed in the poker room early in July. The digital tables do not require a human dealer, but instead utilize a highly dependable computer processor to track the game, distribute chips, and handle shuffling and dealing; resulting in quicker games and the chance for players & women poker players to see a lot more hands.
Lightning Poker Table Sit-n-Go’s operate much the same as games held online, except players have the chance to interact with each other in person and make visual “reads” on opponents. There are no tangible cards or chips. Instead each player has a 12-inch, touch-screen monitor in front of him or her to review hands and place bets. Built in to the center of the table is a huge, 45-inch, high-definition monitor that shows bets placed by opponents and displays community cards. Action is augmented with the authentic sounds of chips clacking together and riffling of cards.
Ron Skotarczak, president of Lighting Poker, said the electronic tables were carefully designed to be intuitive for players, thus making game play easy. The touch-screen action buttons closely mimic those that people have become accustomed to with online poker, and the computer even keeps players from acting out of turn. Additionally, the Lightning Poker computer shuffles and deals much quicker than a human, meaning games progress faster. All tolled, the Lightning Poker system makes Sit-N-Go play fun for long-time aficionados and inviting to novices becoming comfortable with live play.
According to Commerce’s Casino Development Manager, John Griffo, the Lightning Poker Tables at the casino are set for not only Hold’em Sit-n-Go’s, but will also be used for live action $2-$4 and $3-$6 Limit Hold’em games, as well as $40 No-Limit Hold’em play. For No-Limit Sit-N-Go’s, there will be both $40 and $80 buy-in options at the Lightning Poker tables. Patrons interested in competing at the tables simply visit a casino cashier to obtain a special debit card similar to those used at slot or video poker machines. Simply slide the card into a scanner located at each of the table’s seats and you’re ready to go. While the tables seat 10, games can be started with fewer players. The starting chip count is 500 with varying blinds. Limits go up every 15 minutes. The current payout structure for the $40 game is 60 percent to the winner, 40 percent to runner-up. The $80 competitions pay 50 percent to the winner, 30 percent to second and 20 percent to third. Download poker wallpapers.
Feedback has been positive from patrons using the Lightning Poker Tables during the testing period at Commerce Casino. Gustin said the tables have proven to be an attractive alternative for players of all ages and skill levels. In fact, many players have been recruiting their friends to join them at the digital Sit-N-Go games.
“Overall, the reception has been quite warm for the Lighting Poker Table,” Gustin said. “We are excited to be the first casino in Southern California to provide Lighting Poker to our patrons, and extremely pleased to offer Sit-N-Go games that are very much a favorite of poker players.” Play route 66 poker.
Located in Commerce, California, Commerce Casino is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than 200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker: Texas Hold ‘em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Lowball, Pot Limit, Mexican Poker, Pineapple, Draw, Low-Ball and many others. Also offered are Pan and California games. Additionally, Commerce Casino runs satellite tournaments for World Poker Tour events throughout the year, which anyone can enter. Stay tuned to our poker blog for latest updates.
1 Would you rather finish second in the WSOP Main Event or finish first in a lesser bracelet event? Probably finish second in the Main Event. There’s so many bracelets that you can pick one up if you play right. To have a chance of beating 7,000 or 8,000 people and make the final table in the Main Event, that’s pretty strong. And of course, the second-place money is really good, better than any bracelet. Some of these bracelets matter, like the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament. But I’m tired of playing the smaller poker tournaments, I wouldn’t care much about winning those.
2Who’s more snake-bitten: Gus Hansen against you, or you against Ted Forrest? Well, Gussy’s not getting unlucky against me, I’m just running over him, getting a little lucky to get the cards I’ve been getting. With Ted, whether he’s behind or in front, he just comes back and bites you, bites you in the ass. Gussy is Gussy and I love him to death, he plays kind of like me, a little looser maybe, he gambles. And when you gamble like me and him, our matches are always the fastest matches. It’s really quick. With Ted, it’s a grind-job. You gotta play good, and you gotta get lucky, and with me, he’s got my number, and I just can’t overcome it, it seems. Teddy’s a great player, though. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great player.
3If we count poker as a sport, rank these three sports movies: Rounders, Rocky, and Field Of Dreams. Just the way you said it, Rounders, then Rocky, then Field Of Dreams. Rounders is pretty realistic; people are always going broke, trying to borrow money to get back into the games, get back into action. They want to play the best players—that was me back in the day. I used to sit there and play heads-up with Johnny Chan myself actually, like eight, nine, 10 years ago. Actually, one time I was playing with Johnny, Doyle [Brunson], and Chip [Reese], we were playing high-limit, like $2,000/$4,000 or $1,500/$3,000, and I was winning, and then after I won a couple of pots, I said something like, “Wow, I’m playing the greatest players of all-time.” I shouldn’t have opened my mouth—I didn’t win a single pot after that. As soon as I opened my mouth, I changed my mood basically, I relaxed, and I lost every pot I played after that. Play $500 match poker bonus.
4What’s your favorite poker room in Vegas and why? Right now it’s the Bellagio, because they have the biggest games in town. It’s famous for the poker games, so when people come into town and want to play big, they know that’s where you go. I play mixed games, so the games that I play, they’re usually being played over there. From $300/$600 to $2,000/$4,000, Limit mixed games. Download poker wallpapers.
5You’re one of the more physically imposing poker players out there. Name one top poker player you wouldn’t want to get into a scrap with. I’ll name two: Ted and Gus. Both of them. Ted is a feisty little bastard, I’d have to beat on him with a bat. And Gus, I’ve seen Gus roundhouse kick above my head, so I wouldn’t mess with him.
Harry Potter's latest adventure is great read, but can it help you win money?
Another popular summer release, Michael Craig's Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide Tournament Edition, can do just that - without all the wizardry.
Craig takes his readers to the magical land of Full Tilt Poker, where professional card sharks play for thousands of dollars, some of whom have gold bracelets attached to their wrists.
From theories on betting leverage to pre-flop statistics to an entire chapter devoted to online tournament play, this guide has a section for everyone. And it's written by players with proven records, acute poker minds, and PhDs to boot.
Craig, author of The Professor the Banker and the Suicide King and the Full Tilt Poker Blog, gathered the musings of Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, Andy Block, Ted Forrest, Huck Seed, Gavin Smith, Phil Gordon, David Grey, Richard Brodie, Rafe Furst and Keith Sexton to help redefine tournament poker strategy.
An enthusiast of the game himself, Craig edited this collection while applying some of its lessons during marathon online poker sessions. The result was more than $50,000 in online tournament winnings last spring and a bankroll that translated into two live final tables at this year's World Series of Poker.
"I found I was spending more time online because of my work and I definitely wanted to try the things I was learning," Craig said. "I was playing a lot while I was writing and good things were happening. I was playing and winning. The more I thought about the things I was reading, the better I did."
The sections on Omaha, Razz and Stud contain deep essays with detailed analysis on how to translate drawing-game theories into tournament success, but the strength of the book is No Limit Hold'em, where the experts detail pre-flop, post-flop, different size stacks and online tournament differences. Play $500 match poker bonus.
Andy Bloch's treatment of pre-flop play is a must read for the intermediate player. Today's poker enthusiast is too familiar with the basics of starting hand selection, so Bloch goes deeper, adding elements of math and probability that allow for a greater starting-hand understanding and better insight on when to call big pre-flop re-raises.
"Play before the flop in No Limit Hold'em can be studied like chess openings, even though no one looks at it that way," Bloch writes.
The stack-size sections are excellent for beginning to early-intermediate players & women poker players.
In these chapters, Gordon and Smith detail the differences between small stack and big stack play. Gordon emphasizes his never-give-up attitude, writing about the right time to sit back and the right time to push your remaining chips towards the middle. Smith on the other hand, reveals the power of the big stack, teaching the reader how to give off the maniac image while dominating a table with calculated aggression.
"The traditional tournament strategy in poker tournaments has been to play ultra-tight until you get to the antes," Smith writes. "My philosophy is that if everyone else is playing that way, those blinds are out there every hand and no one wants to fight for them. I want to build up chips before the antes. That way, I'm the guy with the power at the table."
Another of the book's strengths is the differences in strategy between the contributors. Ferguson and Bloch advocate a tight-aggressive style that confounds opponents because of its lulling monotony. Forrest and Smith differ, relying on their ingenious reading abilities, relentlessly aggressive styles and "any two at any time" table images.
Both strategies have returned millions of dollars to their owners. The beauty for the readers is the ability to pick the style that compliments his or her game. Download poker wallpapers.
If the book has a downfall, it's in the details. Beginning players not familiar with basic starting hand requirements and overall tournament structure might get lost in chapters detailing multiple street leverage and pre-flop-starting-hand statistics. But that doesn't mean the book will not have value to newbies who go out and play a little bit then want a fallback tutor for increasing their level of sophistication.
Bottom line – This is an absolute essential for all intermediate to advanced tournament players.
Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide $29.95 – Suggested retail 438 Pages
The anxiety is starting to fade for NETeller's U.S. customers.
After a six-month wait, characterized by mostly silence from the major players and rampant Internet rumors from decidedly non-major players, NETeller finally began the process of returning seized funds to its U.S. members on Monday. Women poker.
But apparently NETeller CEO Ron Martin wasn't satisfied was just an impersonal e-mail or bank transfer to repair the damage.
So to start re-building some much-needed customer faith, he took the unusual step of posting a video on YouTube last week, giving a brief synopsis of the last half-year and assuring customers NETeller is a brand they can still trust. Play $500 match poker bonus.
Dressed casually and looking a little Bush-esque, with a vase of flowers behind him on one side and a computer with the NETeller logo on the screen on the other, Martin walked through a short 3.5 minute pre-written speech addressing some of the key issues.
Here's what he said:
"Hi, I'm Ron Martin, CEO of NEteller. I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few things to our U.S. customers who have shown a lot of patience in relation to the return of their funds. Download poker wallpapers.
As a global financial services business, the trust we build with our customers is absolutely critical. You need to feel you can rely on our integrity and the fact that we deliver what we promise.
Our customer service ethos, regulated status and public listing all contribute to this trust. As a result, we've earned the confidence of millions of people in over 160 countries to manage and move their money online. Online poker.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice stepped up investigations into the legality of online gaming services provided to U.S. customers. As a part of these inquiries, they've issued subpoenas, laid charges, filed indictments against - and in some cases settled with - a number of companies and individuals.
These include banks, payment processors as well as online gaming companies. Many of these institutions are well-known and respected global brands, such as ourselves.
Because of these actions, and due to the possible impact to our non-U.S. business, we voluntarily suspended our service to U.S. residents at the time. As we took this action, U.S. financial institutions began declining transactions to and from online gaming companies and payment processors. Play route 66 poker.
The U.S. authorities also seized money, including that being sent from NETeller to U.S. customers, and vice-versa.
Even though our service to the rest of the world customers is unaffected today, since January we've been unable to return our U.S. customers' funds until we reached a resolution of the investigation with the U.S. authorities. However I can assure you it has always been our highest priority to get these funds back to you.
We know that many of you have expressed concern over the length of time it's taken us to reach this point, but as you may know, by now, we've reached a resolution with U.S. authorities.
That means on July 30th we began the process to return funds. I'm sure you're all relieved to hear this good news. All the details are provided on our Web site. I'll provide a link at the end, but here are some of the key points of the plan:
We started the processing of returning funds to U.S. customers on July 30th. On the first day alone, we processed over $40 million in withdrawals. For those who haven't requested funds yet, you'll have to sign in to your secure NETeller account to request your withdrawal.
You'll need to complete this activity online within a 180-day time frame indicated on our Web site. Your money will be delivered by electronic funds transfer to your bank or by check that we'll mail to you.
We have a total of $94 million to return, to hundreds of thousands of U.S customers in total, so it'll take a little time for all payments to be processed. All withdrawal fees will be waived. It will be free to you.
Importantly, please beware of any phishing scams out there. Only log-in to the NETeller.com Web site to request the return of your funds. Remember, it must have the NETeller.com as the top level domain - nothing else.
I've read many of your e-mails, poker blog entries and Web site posts over the last few months. I've also spoken to our staff and our contact center. I know that for some of you, the lack of access to these funds has been very frustrating.
It's been difficult for our staff too. There's been little we've been able to say as we've worked through the process. We're not accustomed to be unable to give the customers the service they expect.
Clearly, the situation has strained the trust we've built over the years. For that loss of trust, I'd like to apologize and thank you sincerely for your patience. I'd also like to re-assure you again that we've been working very hard to ensure the return of your funds.
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Delivers a Gaming Experience Unlike Any Other Currently Found in Chicagoland, Indiana or Michigan
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is pleased to announce the grand opening of its Four Winds Casino Resort, which sets a new standard for gaming in the Midwest. Paying homage to the heritage of the Pokagon Band, the Four Winds Casino Resort is situated on a beautiful landscape off of I-94 at Michigan Exit 1 in New Buffalo, Mich. and offers 130,000 square feet of gaming space including 3,000 slot machines and 100 table games. It also features a 165-room suite-hotel, six restaurants, entertainment bars and retail shops. The doors will open to the public at noon on August 2nd. Online poker.
"This is a proud day for members of the Pokagon Band," said John Miller, chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and president and CEO of the Pokagon Band Gaming Authority. "On behalf of the Pokagon Band, I would like to thank the members of our Tribal Council, members of the Pokagon community and Lakes Entertainment for helping to make this vision a reality."
"It's an absolutely spectacular property. It has the look of a Northwoods lodge with all the amenities of a modern casino," said Matt Harkness, General Manager, Four Winds Casino Resort. "Our staff will offer a level of guest service that has not been seen before in the region. We encourage everyone to come out and experience the difference." Download poker wallpapers.
Upon entering Four Winds from its main entrance, guests enter an expansive rotunda which includes two stunning fireplaces. These fireplaces pay tribute to the Potawatomi Indians, who are known as the "Keepers of the Fire." Over the course of the next year, renowned Native American artist Mike Larson will paint four murals in the rotunda that symbolize significant moments of Pokagon Band history. Materials such as copper, cedarwood and stone can be found throughout the property, which are utilized in many tribal ceremonies.
Players & women poker players of all games are encouraged to join The W Club, the ultimate player loyalty club, offering greater flexibility and control of earned points and complimentaries. Club members are also entitled to exclusive slot jackpots. Unique to Four Winds Casino Resort is the Midwest's only World Poker Tour® Poker Room, where players have a chance to participate in special promotions with a chance to win a seat at a World Poker Tour satellite event, valued at $10,000. The room holds 19 PokerPro® tables with seating for up to 158 people at a time.
In addition to its gaming attractions, the Four Winds Casino Resort also offers six restaurants including Swimm, a gourmet seafood restaurant and The Copper Rock Steakhouse, a white table cloth gourmet dining experience. Other restaurants include The Willowbrook Café, serving comfort food in a relaxed and casual twenty-four hour environment, Timbers Fast Food and Deli, conveniently situated to offer a view of the casino floor and The Buffet, with seating for up to 500 people. The property is also home to Silver Creek Bistro, a cafe serving a full line of Starbucks® products as well as an eclectic variety of fresh pastries, artisan sandwiches and specialty salads.
"If the Four Winds Casino Resort were located in Las Vegas, it would be the second largest casino in terms of gaming positions," said Lyle Berman, CEO, Lakes Entertainment (NASDAQ: LACO), which was retained by the Pokagon Band to develop and manage the property. "It offers a full complement of slot machines, including progressive slots linked to other Native American casinos, ensuring the highest jackpots in the region. Also featured are approximately 100 table games including Blackjack, Craps, No Way Craps, Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Crazy Four, Let It Ride, Mini and Midi Baccarat, Rapid Roulette and Roulette. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Pokagon Band on this first class property."
Players at Four Winds can also experience the excitement of three entirely new categories of slot game play from Chicago-based WMS Gaming. Slots such as Monopoly Big Event, Top Gun and Super Money Grab provide unique player experiences and represent the next-generation in casino entertainment. In addition, WMS is supplying dozens of other favorites at Four Winds including Life of Luxury, Hot Hot Super Jackpot and Hot Hot Penny. Play route 66 poker.
Connected to the casino is a 165-room, suite-hotel featuring some unique amenities. Every room features granite counter tops, leather wrapped headboards, a flat screen high-definition television, and complimentary Starbucks coffee. There are 98 suites available at Four Winds which include the Junior, Deluxe and Celebrity Suites, and feature curved walk-in showers, whirlpool jets and a wet bar with refrigerator and microwave. The six Celebrity Suites are created in three distinct themes, the Chicago Suites, the Harbor Suites and the Dunes Suites. They feature 60-inch high-definition TVs complete with five-speaker surround sound, which provides the best in audio visual entertainment.
The hotel lobby, designated hotel rooms, certain areas of the gaming floor and the poker room are non-smoking. Retail outlets include the Four Winds Outfitters as well as a jewelry and sports memorabilia store. Hourly child care services are available in Kids Quest, a supervised child care center for children six weeks to 12 years-old, as well as Cyber Quest, a supervised arcade for older kids. Complimentary parking is available through the casino's valet and in the outdoor lot or in the enclosed parking garage, which is connected to the property. Guests must be 21 years or older to gamble. Play $500 match poker bonus.
A portion of funds generated by Four Winds Casino Resort will be donated to a Michigan non-profit corporation, The Pokagon Fund. The mission of The Pokagon Fund is to benefit communities surrounding Pokagon Band trust land, where the Band is now conducting Class 3 gaming as defined in the Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), and the New Buffalo region. Contributions can be made to support government, charities, school districts, non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
For more information about the poker tournaments, please visit Poker tournaments.
For more information and to make reservations, please call 1-866-4WINDS1 or visit www.fourwindscasino.com.
In-house poker games are gaining popularity, with thieves as well as card sharks. Incidents of poker game robberies are on the rise around the country and today Loudoun experienced its first such robbery in Ashburn. Play $500 match poker bonus.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office investigators say the poker game was the apparent target of three suspects, who burst through the door brandishing firearms at a group of unsuspecting card players & women poker players.
The incident occurred at 12:15 a.m. Sheriff's deputies responded to Wild Meadow Court for a report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, deputies learned that the masked suspects had entered a residence through a basement door. Once inside, two of the men brandished firearms. One grabbed a 30-year-old victim and ordered the other two victims to get on the ground. The suspects then stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the poker table and fled the scene in what may have been a small light-colored SUV. Download poker wallpapers.
The suspects were described as younger black men.
This is the first poker game robbery reported in Loudoun County, although the sheriff's office is familiar with home invasion-style robberies, said sheriff's office spokesman Kraig Troxell. Play route 66 poker.
"Most home invasions have a specific target that the suspects are looking for," Troxell said. "They're not random targets. They're specific targets, where the suspects know there's a large amount of cash or something of value in the home. The apparent target in this incident was the poker game." Play online poker.
Anyone who has any information about this robbery is asked to contact Investigator S. Coderre at 703-777-0475. To remain anonymous, call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information leads to an arrest and indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
When it comes to online poker legislation that looks to make the game legal and regulated, Florida Congressman Robert Wexler's Skill Game Protection Act is right up there with Barney Frank's legislation and it's approved by the Poker Player Alliance's outspoken chairman, Alfonse D'Amato.
Online-Casinos.com reports that Since Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson signed up as Wexler's first co-sponsor in June, 11 more Representatives have put their weight behind the Wexler proposal, which now lists the following: Play $500 match poker bonus.
Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) John Larson (D-Conn.) James Moran (D-Va.) Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)
Wexler somewhat quietly offered up his HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act last month. His legislation looks to exempt games "where success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players & women poker players involved" from being considered gambling.
Wexler and others consider online poker a game of skill even though a judge in England ruled poker to be a "game of chance". Great Britain, which has for the most part embraced online gambling, more so in terms of sports betting, obviously does not see eye-to-eye with the US government when it comes to the activity. The US Justice Department has aggressively gone after those alleged to facilitate online gambling with its citizens. Principals in both BetonSports Internet gambling house and Neteller, a primary hub for processing online gambling payments, have been indicted over the last 12 months. Play route 66 poker.
Robert Wexler's legislation does not expand beyond online poker as it applies to gambling. Stay tuned to our poker blog for more updates.
Lightning Poker’s™ Electronic Table Ushers In New Era At World’s Largest Poker Casino
