The three $10,000 guaranteed events run on 13th February, 24th February and 6th March and you have 10 days prior to every tournament in which to qualify. But that’s not all, because bet365 is increasing the quantity of merit points you can make in the process, with 20 merit points, up from 15, for every $1 you pay in tournament fees. So this is additionally a big opportunity to enhance your merit points at an amplified rate.

With big money poker events, a whole host of ways to qualify and improved merit points, bet365’s $50,000 Freeroll Frenzy is the poker event of the year so far and one you won’t want to neglect!

Sign Up With Bet365 To Get In On This Action

First of all you can always organize a poker night at your house, talk to your partner and allocate a special poker night for you and your friends. Ask each of them to bring their own drinks and snacks and you can always start off a kitty for takeaway food so that you don’t have to fork out every week. This is a great way for you to play poker for fun and have a good catch up with your mates over a cold beer. You don’t need to play for money and many people use old casino chips or even pennies when they are placing their bets. This way you are able to learn more about the game of poker with delving into your holiday fund.

Of course with the invention of the internet you have the added bonus of being able to play poker whenever you like and wherever you have an internet connection. You can sit in the comfort of your own home and wear what you want. Playing poker online means that you don’t have to spend money to get to a casino or pay almost double the price for an ice cold beer.

Online casinos and bingo halls compete with each other for your business so don’t think that you need to fork out money to play on this websites straight away. Many online poker sites will allow you to have a practice and try out the different games they have on offer.

This where you can just play poker for fun and not worry about losing any of your hard earned cash. Of course many of these websites will offer bonuses for when you register and will continue to ask you to deposit money thereafter to be able to play for cash prizes. A lot of the bonus credits you are offered when you initially register cannot be transferred into cash prizes. Remember that if you really can’t afford to do this then don’t be tempted. Don’t ever bet money that you can’t afford to lose as it’s just not worth it. Even if you think you are having a lucky streak try to remember that certain websites will set the cards this way to make you think you stand a greater chance of winning. There are plenty of interactive free and fun poker games online that will allow you to enjoy the game whilst chatting to your fellow players. Additionally there are also downloadable poker games that you can have on your computer without the need of being online. This is a great way for you to practice.

Started in 1970 by Benny Binion at the Horseshoe Casino, the World Series of Poker is going into its 41st year this year. The tournament is highly televised on ESPN and has sponsors like Miller Brewing and Jack Links Beef Jerky, and it’s known for its large prize pulls. What is the World Series of Poker, how does one qualify for it, and who runs the show?

What is it?

The World Series of Poker is a tournament played around buy-in, no-limit matches of Texas Hold ‘Em as of 1972. This tournament serves as the main event for the World Series of Poker Tournament, but as of 2011, there are 58 events. Over half of the 58 events are variants of Texas Hold ‘Em. In 2006, a $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event was added to determine the world’s true “best player”, as the high buy-in seems to deter amateurs from participating and raises the level of skill needed to play at such high odds. The events are usually played for one day or over several day consecutively, but in 2008 the Main Event final table was moved to November. At the end of every event, winners are awarded a bracelet to symbolize their victory.

How to Qualify

Qualifying for the WSOP is fairly simple. Instead of having to play through other minor tournaments and qualify through a points and rankings system, a potential player only has to ante up $10,000 to buy his or her seat in the tournament. If a person cannot afford the $10,000 buy-in, he or she can compete in a qualifying tournament at Binions, the site where the first WSOP was held. Whomever wins the first place spot wins a set to compete in the World Series of Poker.

Who Runs it?

In 2004, Binion’s Horseshoe was purchased by Harrah’s Entertainment, giving them the rights to the World Series of Poker and Horseshoe brands. Harrah’s chose to sell the Horseshoe Hotel and the World Series of Poker brands to MTR Gaming Group. As a result of the Harrah’s ownership, the WSOP now has a tournament circuit at properties owned by the casino chain, allowing players to participate in the $10,000 buy-in tournament and to become eligible for the Tournament of Champions.

“Isle of Man-based online gaming firm PokerStars has made an appointment which looks geared towards the American market”

“The move came just a week after an internet gaming bill was introduced in the Nevada legislature which, if approved, would force the United States Gaming Commission to create regulations allowing online poker in the country.” – (Country, are they sure??)

Contrast that to the views of the Las Vegas Sun:-

“The world’s largest online poker site, facing big obstacles in winning congressional approval of Internet poker, has set its sights on a smaller target: getting Nevada lawmakers to approve online poker for state residents.” – (Note, only state residents)

“But the effort may be doomed because casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment — and presumably many other casinos — oppose the proposal.”

“Licensed in the Isle of Man and a growing number of European countries that have developed regulations, PokerStars does business in places that haven’t taken a position on Internet gambling. Some growth has come because competitors dropped out of the U.S. market after Congress in 2006 outlawed processing online wagers. By flouting the federal ban, calling it legally flawed, PokerStars grew its U.S. business into a brand advertised on television and endorsed by celebrities.”

E-gaming is becoming an ever more important part of the Isle of Man’s small ecomony with Pokerstars being the jewel in the crown. You’ve got to question though do they realise how Pokerstars are seen in other parts of the world, especially in some US states? Then again why should they care as long as Pokerstars is helping grow the local economy?

Manx Radio – Full Story

Las Vegas Sun – Full Story

(Please note that this is just a look at how things are reported differently depending on how they affect different people. From a personal point of view I love Pokerstars, in fact I’ve played more hands of online poker with them than anybody else!)

The first iPhone application that is ideal for the “real” poker player is “Mega Poker Online Texas Hold ‘Em”. This application is ideal for anyone that wants to play live poker against other people from across the world. With this application, you can log right in and play in a live poker tournament or sit and go table. The application has a variety of different games including the ever popular Texas Hold ‘Em, you can sit up to 10 people at one table. The game always moves very quickly and fluidly and can be played whether you are in a 3G, Edge, or WiFi location.

The next great iPhone app for poker lovers is “World Series of Poker Hold ‘Em Legend.” This poker application is similar to other poker applications in that it allows for online game play from a wide variety of locations. What is different about this application is that it allows for more long-term competition. A player starts with chips, and after leaving the table can retain the chips that they earned. While these chips may not have any actual currency value, players can use the chips to earn certain achievements and climb the global rankings. Game play options range from head to head to larger tournaments. This game allows you live live out your virtual poker career. I probably shouldn’t say this but my wife is addicted to this game. Not only that but her playing style has translated well from the fun no money game to play for money online poker. Seriously, she’d never played a real game in her life before going online and has already done very well for herself! (The cow!)

Something of a novelty and a bit more fun is the poker application “Dogs Playing Poker.” Similar to the famous painting of dogs playing cards, this application uses dogs as the avatars on the play screen as opposed to the typical human being. While this application uses the friendly dogs playing poker theme, it is also ideal for people who want to start playing the game. The game offers players a free tutorial that helps them understand how the game is played, table etiquette, and new strategies that could improve their game play. Overall well worth a go.

One of the most popular poker applications is “Texas Poker.” This application does not come with as many frills as some of the other applications, but its poker game play is unrivaled. The game allows a user to set up an account and participate in live head-to-head matchups or larger tournaments. While playing the game, a player can also research their opponents by reviewing their statistics and try and determine their strategy for playing the game. Most players like to use the same table name wherever they go, surprisingly enough you might just pick up a few tips about some real cash players from this app.

So there you have it. Apple like to keep things kiddy safe so whilst you’re not going to get rich playing iPhone poker games they can be good fun all the same.