No proper checks on chronic gambler: court

June 30, 2008 at 2:25 pm · Filed under Online Gambling

A SUSPENDED lawyer who placed bets of more than $14 million in five years was a "chronic" gambler who should never have been given access to a credit betting facility, a court has heard.

Christopher Fitzsimons, 62, is suing the NSW Government, the TAB and Tabcorp Holdings for more than $4.7 million, claiming he was invalidly approved for the $5000-a-week facility after providing his daughter's credit card as security.

His lawyer, Todd Alexis, SC, told the Supreme Court that Tabcorp had not checked whether the credit card, which had a $20,000 limit, was in someone else's name.

He said Tabcorp had also accepted an agreement signed by Mr Fitzsimons to direct debit from an account he held jointly with his wife, Maria, a former lawyer, and daughter Louisa Roberts, without requiring the signatures of all account holders.

Mrs Fitzsimons and Mrs Roberts, who are also seeking damages, did not know about his involvement in the scheme and continued to deposit money into the account to pay the mortgage on a holiday home in Cairns, the court heard.

"The facility should never have been offered in the first place," Mr Alexis told the court. "Mr Fitzsimons was a chronic gambler. If the facility was not made available to him then the enormous volume of betting pursuant to this facility would not have occurred."

Fitzsimons had gambled an "extraordinary amount" of money from year to year, some of which he had taken from his clients' trust accounts, Mr Alexis told the court. As a result he was suspended from practising law in 2005.

Mr Fitzsimons bet about $14 million between 2001 and 2005, including $4.5 million in the 2002 financial year.

Between April 2003 and June 2006 he placed more than 7000 bets under the credit betting scheme, worth almost $4 million.

He was one of only three people approved to take part in the now defunct scheme, which was approved by the then NSW gaming minister, Richard Face, despite a general government policy against credit betting, the court heard.

The TAB also installed computer facilities in his house and holiday home, the court heard.

Mr Alexis said Mr Fitzsimons had maintained a "facade of some prosperity" for years.

As part of his claim, he agreed to repay Tabcorp almost $1.5 million in money won under the scheme.

The court heard that Tabcorp had allowed Mr Fitzsimons to bet more than $3 million while his account was in overdraft, despite a TAB code of conduct that said the credit betting facility would operate in accordance with responsible gambling guidelines and that gamblers would not be able to overdraw their betting accounts.

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Online Slots Player Wins $200,000 Jackpot

June 28, 2008 at 2:23 pm · Filed under Online Gambling

It was a day like any other in the Bodog Casino for 55-year-old Howard G. of Houston, Texas, playing 'Victory' slots like he'd done many times before, but that all changed when the reels spun and revealed four 'captains' and a 'ship'. Acting as a wildcard, the 'ship' gave Howard the equivalent of five 'captains', which paid out 10,000 credits and, at $5 a line, earned Howard an impressive $50,000. Not a bad win, but lady luck must have really been smiling on Howard, as he happened to make his big score on a free spin which turns any 'ship' into a four times multiplier, turning his impressive $50,000 win into an incredible $200,000 jackpot!

The winner recounted his moment of victory, saying, 'It just happened pretty fast. I barely reacted. I just saw all those dollars start to pile up there really fast.' When asked about the entire experience, Howard said, 'It was pretty amazing,' adding, 'It kind of got my blood pressure to rise a little bit. I'm 55-years-old so I can't get too excited. (laughs)'

Howard isn't the only lucky Bodog Casino player to strike it big in recent months. In May, Joseph V. of Florida hit the 'Let 'Em Ride' monster hand, a royal flush, cashing in on the progressive jackpot worth an amazing $196,468. In April, Rosemary D. of New York nailed the 'Pinatas' slots progressive jackpot, which paid out $133,112. In March, Richard M. of South Carolina took down two huge wins, including $115,219 in Caribbean Stud Poker and $17,438 in Tri-Card Poker, earning him a total payday worth $132,657. Bodog's biggest Casino jackpot winner of 2008, Thomas R. of California, hit the mother load in February, cashing in on the progressive jackpot for the 'Food Fight' slots, earning Thomas a staggering $473,595!

The Bodog Casino's random number generator is certified by both Technical Systems Testing and Gaming Associates, guaranteeing Bodog's players the safest, most secure and enjoyable online gaming experience possible. Bodog Casino also offers players both in-browser flashed based and downloadable client based games, including traditional table style games such as Blackjack, Craps and Roulette, as well as myriad slots and video poker games.

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Around the WSOP: German college student outshines WSOP star Seidel

June 28, 2008 at 2:00 pm · Filed under Online Gambling

Klaser, who is making his first appearance at the WSOP only because it's the first year he's old enough to compete, entered the finale on Thursday night in third place. With a stack of 337,000, he was only slightly behind the leader Jon Maren (377,000) and Seidel (340,000). It didn't take long for the student from the University of Applied Sciences in Rheinbach, Germany to make his presence felt. In fact, Klaser and longtime tournament veteran Casey Kastle, who came into the final table sixth on the chip leaderboard, began taking down opponents left and right before meeting in a heads-up battle.

Once the field was down to two, Klaser got red-hot, winning 15 of the next 20 hands to win his first bracelet and cash in for $216,249 in just his third WSOP start. At age 21 years and four months, Klaser ranks as one of the youngest WSOP gold bracelet winners in history. He also becomes the third German to win at this year's WSOP and only the seventh to ever win a gold bracelet, following Matthias Rohnacher (1997), Eddy Scharf (two wins in 2001 and 2003), Michael Keiner (2007), Katja Thater (2007), Jen Voertmann (2008) and Sebastian Ruthenburg (2008).

Klaser is a Full Tilt pro who won the 2007 Million Euro Challenge in Germany, after earning his seat via a freeroll on Full Tilt. On his way to that victory and the €350,000 that came along with it, Klaser knocked off Gus Hansen and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson at the final table.

As for Seidel, while he missed out on an opportunity to win a ninth bracelet he did manage to place fourth and win $68,304. He now has 52 in-the-money finishes in his WSOP career, which ranks him sixth on the all-time list.

Four other former bracelet winners cashed in the event. Brent Carter placed 22nd and now has 45-career WSOP cashes, putting him in a tie for eighth on the all-time list. Joe Hachem took 35th, while Berry Johnston (39th) and Ferguson (50th) each recorded their 56th-career WSOP cash, tying them for third on the all-time list.

Noteworthy exits from $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
David Singer, Hoyt Corkins, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Eli Elezra, Gus Hansen, Mike Sexton, David Benyamine, Howard Lederer, Greg Raymer, Patrik Antonius, Freddy Deeb, Jennifer Harman, Johnny Chan, Dewey Tomko., Mike Matusow, Ted Forrest, TJ Cloutier .

What do they have in common? They were all on the "bust-out" list from Day 2 of the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship.

There were 148 entrants when play began on Wednesday night. When the cards are dealt for Day 3 tonight just 67 players will be alive.

Leading the pack is three-time bracelet winner Lyle Berman, who has 14 WSOP cashes in his career, but just two in the last seven years. The Minnesota native has 507,000 chips and is followed by Patrick Bueno (485,500), Barry Greenstein (473,000), Minh Ly (451,000) and Chris Reslock (435,500).

Other players to note: Daniel Negreanu is in ninth place with 374,500, Doyle Brunson is 10th (366,600) and Andy Bloch is 11th (362,500). Day 1-leader James Mackey dropped to 41st place and has 175,500 chips, just behind Phil Ivey (177,000), John "Miami" Cernuto (190,000) and Tom "durrrr" Dwan (195,000).

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Around the WSOP: Players to watch in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

June 26, 2008 at 6:49 am · Filed under Online Gambling

For an event that has been around for just two years, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship has certainly made its mark on the World Series of Poker. And this year's third-annual edition of the event – which begins on Wednesday evening – will carry even more reverence for a couple of reasons.First and foremost, the inaugural winner of the event back in 2006 was David "Chip" Reese, who passed away suddenly in December at the age of 56. Shortly after his death, the WSOP announced that this year's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship would be played in Reese's honor and that all future winners would receive the David "Chip" Reese Award.

Secondly, the event has increasingly become known among the professional players as the one that clearly crowns the most complete poker player. The first two $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championships drew 143 and 148 entrants respectively, and this year's is expected to have just as with a purse in excess of $7 million.

The event requires participants to play a rotation of five popular forms of poker – (H)old'em, (O)maha High-Low, (R)azz, Seven-Card (S)tud and Seven-Card Stud (E)ight or Better. It truly takes an all-around player to win because it demonstrates he or she can outplay the competition in a wide range of game variations with high stakes on the line.

Harrah's Entertainment decided to include the event in the WSOP in response to repeated player requests to add a high entry fee H.O.R.S.E. game to determine the professional poker player's true champion. And the massive buy-in pretty much guarantees that only true professionals will be in the field. It is the most expensive of the 55 events at the World Series of Poker and is the richest entry fee for a poker event in North America. Freddy Deeb won last year's event and cashed in for $2,276,832. Deeb, a native of Lebanon, is a perfect example of the type of player it takes to win an event of this caliber as seen by his more than $5 million in career earnings and 24 WSOP cashes.

Reese, who finished on the bubble last year, had to beat out an impressive final table back in 2006, one that included Andy Bloch, Phil Ivey, Jim Bechtel, T.J. Cloutier, David Singer, Dewey Tomko, Doyle Brunson and Patrik Antonius.

As for players to watch in this year's event, Casino City has three choices, all of whom were sitting at that infamous final table in 2006.

Andy Bloch: If we were to start a list of "The Best Players Who Have Never Won a WSOP bracelet," Bloch would be at the very top. And wouldn't this year's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event be a perfect place for the MIT whiz to relieve him of that title? Bloch finished second to Reese in 2006 and he's obviously on top of his game, as seen by three WSOP cashes this year already, including second place in the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em event. And if a complete player is what you're looking for, Bloch fills the bill. His 16-career WSOP cashes have come in seven different games (Razz, No-Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Limit 2-7 Draw).

David Singer: This is an obvious choice considering he has placed sixth in this event in each of the last two years. He also has four WSOP cashes this year, including his first-career bracelet in the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em event.

Doyle Brunson: Go ahead, call us sentimental fools. Or maybe this is the journalist in our blood because Brunson winning the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event just six months after the death of his long-time friend would be quite a story. The soon-to-be 75-year-old, 10-time bracelet winner hasn't won one since 2005, but he placed eighth in this event in 2006 and was 22nd in the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. event last year. He also won the $2,000 H.O.R.S.E. event back in 2003. Let's put it this way: If Chip is pulling any sort of strings from high above this year, Texas Dolly will be in contention.

Phan becomes 2008's first two-timer

It's been a pretty good week for John Phan. After years of close finishes at the WSOP (including three Top-10s), but no bracelet to show for it, Phan finally broke through and won the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em championship last week. The momentum from that victory carried over to this week as "The Razor" quickly added a second bracelet to his jewelry box on Tuesday night when he prevailed over a final table that already had plenty of bracelets of its own in the Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball championship.

Overall, eight of the last 12 players in the event were former WSOP gold bracelet winners. Four of the six final table finalists had previously won an event at the WSOP. The finale of six players included renowned poker author David Sklansky, as well as two bracelet winners from a year ago (Robert Mizrachi and Ben Ponzio). In addition, there was Shun Uchida, who had already added two WSOP cashes to his resume this year.

Phan, who cashed for $151,911, was demonstratively more excited about the second win as compared to his first and when asked about it said that he is on a mission to set new records. He cited a new goal to become the first three-event winner in a single year since Phil Ivey's accomplishment back in 2002.

"I'm going to go after all of Stu Ungar's records," Phan boldly stated in reference to the three-time Main Event icon.

Phan also revealed after his victory that he intends to donate some of his cash prize to charity, and specifically the hometown in Vietnam where he still has relatives. He did the same after his first win last week.

With the victory, Phan's two wins at this year's World Series means that the WSOP has had multiple event winners every single year since 1999. In addition to Phan, this multi-winner list includes: Tom Schneider (2007); Bill Chen (2006); Mark Seif (2005); Ted Forrest (2004); Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (2000, 2003) , John Juanda (2003); Phil Ivey (2002) and Scotty Nguyen (2001).

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Around the WSOP: Players to watch in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

June 26, 2008 at 6:49 am · Filed under Online Gambling

For an event that has been around for just two years, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship has certainly made its mark on the World Series of Poker. And this year's third-annual edition of the event – which begins on Wednesday evening – will carry even more reverence for a couple of reasons.First and foremost, the inaugural winner of the event back in 2006 was David "Chip" Reese, who passed away suddenly in December at the age of 56. Shortly after his death, the WSOP announced that this year's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship would be played in Reese's honor and that all future winners would receive the David "Chip" Reese Award.

Secondly, the event has increasingly become known among the professional players as the one that clearly crowns the most complete poker player. The first two $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championships drew 143 and 148 entrants respectively, and this year's is expected to have just as with a purse in excess of $7 million.

The event requires participants to play a rotation of five popular forms of poker – (H)old'em, (O)maha High-Low, (R)azz, Seven-Card (S)tud and Seven-Card Stud (E)ight or Better. It truly takes an all-around player to win because it demonstrates he or she can outplay the competition in a wide range of game variations with high stakes on the line.

Harrah's Entertainment decided to include the event in the WSOP in response to repeated player requests to add a high entry fee H.O.R.S.E. game to determine the professional poker player's true champion. And the massive buy-in pretty much guarantees that only true professionals will be in the field. It is the most expensive of the 55 events at the World Series of Poker and is the richest entry fee for a poker event in North America. Freddy Deeb won last year's event and cashed in for $2,276,832. Deeb, a native of Lebanon, is a perfect example of the type of player it takes to win an event of this caliber as seen by his more than $5 million in career earnings and 24 WSOP cashes.

Reese, who finished on the bubble last year, had to beat out an impressive final table back in 2006, one that included Andy Bloch, Phil Ivey, Jim Bechtel, T.J. Cloutier, David Singer, Dewey Tomko, Doyle Brunson and Patrik Antonius.

As for players to watch in this year's event, Casino City has three choices, all of whom were sitting at that infamous final table in 2006.

Andy Bloch: If we were to start a list of "The Best Players Who Have Never Won a WSOP bracelet," Bloch would be at the very top. And wouldn't this year's $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event be a perfect place for the MIT whiz to relieve him of that title? Bloch finished second to Reese in 2006 and he's obviously on top of his game, as seen by three WSOP cashes this year already, including second place in the $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold'em event. And if a complete player is what you're looking for, Bloch fills the bill. His 16-career WSOP cashes have come in seven different games (Razz, No-Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Limit 2-7 Draw).

David Singer: This is an obvious choice considering he has placed sixth in this event in each of the last two years. He also has four WSOP cashes this year, including his first-career bracelet in the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em event.

Doyle Brunson: Go ahead, call us sentimental fools. Or maybe this is the journalist in our blood because Brunson winning the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event just six months after the death of his long-time friend would be quite a story. The soon-to-be 75-year-old, 10-time bracelet winner hasn't won one since 2005, but he placed eighth in this event in 2006 and was 22nd in the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. event last year. He also won the $2,000 H.O.R.S.E. event back in 2003. Let's put it this way: If Chip is pulling any sort of strings from high above this year, Texas Dolly will be in contention.

Phan becomes 2008's first two-timer

It's been a pretty good week for John Phan. After years of close finishes at the WSOP (including three Top-10s), but no bracelet to show for it, Phan finally broke through and won the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em championship last week. The momentum from that victory carried over to this week as "The Razor" quickly added a second bracelet to his jewelry box on Tuesday night when he prevailed over a final table that already had plenty of bracelets of its own in the Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball championship.

Overall, eight of the last 12 players in the event were former WSOP gold bracelet winners. Four of the six final table finalists had previously won an event at the WSOP. The finale of six players included renowned poker author David Sklansky, as well as two bracelet winners from a year ago (Robert Mizrachi and Ben Ponzio). In addition, there was Shun Uchida, who had already added two WSOP cashes to his resume this year.

Phan, who cashed for $151,911, was demonstratively more excited about the second win as compared to his first and when asked about it said that he is on a mission to set new records. He cited a new goal to become the first three-event winner in a single year since Phil Ivey's accomplishment back in 2002.

"I'm going to go after all of Stu Ungar's records," Phan boldly stated in reference to the three-time Main Event icon.

Phan also revealed after his victory that he intends to donate some of his cash prize to charity, and specifically the hometown in Vietnam where he still has relatives. He did the same after his first win last week.

With the victory, Phan's two wins at this year's World Series means that the WSOP has had multiple event winners every single year since 1999. In addition to Phan, this multi-winner list includes: Tom Schneider (2007); Bill Chen (2006); Mark Seif (2005); Ted Forrest (2004); Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (2000, 2003) , John Juanda (2003); Phil Ivey (2002) and Scotty Nguyen (2001).

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Weike Gaming Launches ‘Around the World’ Series of Slots

June 25, 2008 at 11:45 am · Filed under Online Gambling

Weike Gaming, Singapore and Malaysia only licensed game manufacturer, is set to take the slot gaming world by storm with the launch of its latest series of games, 'Around the World'. Consisting of 4 different cultural theme based games namely Uniquely Singapore, Truly Malaysia, Yokoso Japan and Discovering Macau, it aspires to evoke the excitement and allowing players to embrace into the different countries’ culture whilst having big winnings.

The first game to be released from the 'Around the World' series is Uniquely Singapore which is powered by new Weike platforms, available in two different sleek cabinets, Triton 3.0 and Cytron 3.0. These two cabinets support bill acceptor, coin acceptor, electronic cash transfer and printer, providing the flexibility for operators to choose from an upright or slant top views depending on casino needs. It is also going through BMM approval to obtain full SAS6.02 capability and will support leading third party, system, link and ancillary equipment, like MEI, Paltronics, Acres, and ACSC etc.

Uniquely Singapore, PC embedded, comes with dual monitors displaying two independent high resolution 32 bits graphics, touch screen functions promoting player interaction and convenience, enticing lively graphics, dynamic stereo sound system, SAS compatibility, multi languages and multi denominations all cater for the slot gaming markets. Its comprehensive records of game information and transactions support the ease of tracking and analysis.

This sophisticated 25 lines, 5 reel slot game consists of a main game, free games and a showhand feature. Three, four or five 'Merlion' symbols will trigger 10 free games. Whilst inside the free games, there are higher winning icons which mean higher winning amount for player once the combination is formed. There are chances that players can trigger up with 20 free games and win up to 20,000 credits when the biggest icon 'Singapore Girl' is formed. This game is available in any Weike Mystery Progressive Jackpot and guarantee slot lovers will definitely come back for more!

This is the first game in the 'Around the World' series to launch as it represents the company’s origin. Coming soon is Truly Malaysia which targets to launch very soon. This signifies Weike Gaming's foothold into the International and Asian markets with enhanced graphics resolution, improved sound and better maths.

About Weike
Incorporated in Feb 1998, Weike is now an established worldwide manufacturer and distributor of slot machines, progressive jackpot link systems, electronic table games and thrilling games.

Having a strong market presence in the South East Asia region and emerging into Africa, Macau, Mongolia, Northern Europe and South America, Weike embraces technology and innovation. We are committed to deliver the best products designs, best games and best services to all our customers.

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US Ban on Online Gambling Threatened?

June 25, 2008 at 11:16 am · Filed under Online Gambling

The United States House Financial Services Committee Tuesday will hold a markup of legislation aimed at halting regulations which prevent banks from accepting payments from Internet gambling companies. The move comes as part of two-part strategy by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Ma., chairman of the panel, to regulate rather than ban outright internet-based gambling.

He is trying to put a hold on the 2006 law (UIGEA) that instructs the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to draft regulations preventing financial institutions from processing payments from online gambling sites. The measure has been opposed by the gambling industry, which argues there is no reason for the federal government to ban outright online gambling.

It has also been opposed by banks and credit unions, as well as their regulators -- the Treasury and Federal Reserve -- which say the current law is too vague.

"We want to make sure the regulations are not overly burdensome and are workable," said Floyd Stoner, chief lobbyist at the American Bankers Association. "At present they are both."

For John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players' Alliance, winning congressional backing for a suspension of the law already on the books would be an important first step.

"The bill that passed in 2006 was tremendously failed public policy," said Pappas. "The reality is Internet poker is not going away, so the question is what is the responsible role of government in licensing and regulating online poker."

The Poker Players' Alliance was founded in 2005, but after the 2006 law was passed by Congress, its membership surged from around 100,000 to over 1 million people, said Pappas.

Even this first step may not be simple. Despite the widespread disquiet about the language of the 2006 legislation, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would oppose any effort to "water down" its intent, said a spokesman. Kyl has fought for banning online gambling since the mid-1990s.

Ultimately, Frank wants to replace the 2006 law entirely, with a new law that would regulate rather than ban online gambling. He is supported in this by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., a Republican lawmaker and former presidential candidate, who is seen as being the standard bearer for the libertarian movement in Congress.

At this stage, it is unclear whether is sufficient support in Congress for doing so.

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US Ban on Online Gambling Threatened?

June 25, 2008 at 11:16 am · Filed under Online Gambling

The United States House Financial Services Committee Tuesday will hold a markup of legislation aimed at halting regulations which prevent banks from accepting payments from Internet gambling companies. The move comes as part of two-part strategy by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Ma., chairman of the panel, to regulate rather than ban outright internet-based gambling.

He is trying to put a hold on the 2006 law (UIGEA) that instructs the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to draft regulations preventing financial institutions from processing payments from online gambling sites. The measure has been opposed by the gambling industry, which argues there is no reason for the federal government to ban outright online gambling.

It has also been opposed by banks and credit unions, as well as their regulators — the Treasury and Federal Reserve — which say the current law is too vague.

“We want to make sure the regulations are not overly burdensome and are workable,” said Floyd Stoner, chief lobbyist at the American Bankers Association. “At present they are both.”

For John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players’ Alliance, winning congressional backing for a suspension of the law already on the books would be an important first step.

“The bill that passed in 2006 was tremendously failed public policy,” said Pappas. “The reality is Internet poker is not going away, so the question is what is the responsible role of government in licensing and regulating online poker.”

The Poker Players’ Alliance was founded in 2005, but after the 2006 law was passed by Congress, its membership surged from around 100,000 to over 1 million people, said Pappas.

Even this first step may not be simple. Despite the widespread disquiet about the language of the 2006 legislation, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would oppose any effort to “water down” its intent, said a spokesman. Kyl has fought for banning online gambling since the mid-1990s.

Ultimately, Frank wants to replace the 2006 law entirely, with a new law that would regulate rather than ban online gambling. He is supported in this by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., a Republican lawmaker and former presidential candidate, who is seen as being the standard bearer for the libertarian movement in Congress.

At this stage, it is unclear whether is sufficient support in Congress for doing so.

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Pair of vice presidents announces resignations from Harrah’s Entertainment

June 24, 2008 at 6:56 am · Filed under Online Gambling

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Two vice presidents for Harrah's Entertainment have resigned their positions within a week of each other to take similar positions with other companies.

Grant Ashley, vice president of security, gave notice last week that he is taking a similar position with Merck & Co. in New Jersey.

Ashley, a former special agent with the FBI who ran the bureau's Las Vegas office, joined the gaming company in 2006.

Terry Meistering, vice president of design and construction for the western region, gave notice Monday that she would be taking a similar position with the United Auburn Indian Community outside Sacramento, Calif. The tribe owns Thunder Valley Casino, which is operated by Station Casinos, which opened in June 2003.

Meistering first joined Harrah's in 1986 as member of an executive training program. After spending time in Atlantic City at Caesars, she rejoined the company in 1993, joining the construction and design division three years later.

She was promoted to her current position in 2006. Meistering's responsibilities were reduced during the past year as projects in the region were slowed or shelved due to the slowing economy.

Jan Jones, Harrah's senior vice president of communications, said Meistering was not linked to the troubled remodeling work on the Strip or the shuttered subsidiary, Roman Empire Development.

Meistering's departure comes less than five months after Kirk England, vice president of design and construction for the company, left Harrah's Entertainment to join his family in Colorado.

Ashley's and Meistering's departures also come after many executives cashed out lucrative rewards at $90 per share with the company's buyout by TPG Capital and Apollo Management.

Jones said both vice presidents are leaving the company on good terms.

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Around the WSOP: Benyamine adds to an already impressive resume

June 24, 2008 at 6:53 am · Filed under Online Gambling

Not that David Benyamine's career needed any validation, but the 35-year-old Frenchman's victory in the $10,000 Omaha High-Low Split World Championship helped make what was already an impressive resume even more daunting.

While Benyamine has long been known as one of the world's best high-stakes cash game players, he has carried the label as one of the greatest players never to win a WSOP bracelet. That is until he prevailed against a tough field and broke through on Saturday to earn the coveted "world champion" title and bring home $535,678 in the process. The overall prize pool of $2,209,000 was the largest in Omaha High-Low Split history.
david_benyamine

David Benyamine's already impressive resume just got even better after the Frenchman won his first bracelet by prevailing in the $10,000 Omaha High-Low Split event. (photo by IMPDI for the 2008 WSOP)

"Winning is always important to me," he said when asked about the importance of becoming a gold bracelet winner. "But I never thought I had anything to prove."

Benyamine was the chip leader heading into a final table that consisted of six players with WSOP bracelets already in their jewelry box (Mike Matusow, Ram Vaswani, David Chiu, Tony Ma, Berry Johnston, Toto Leonidas). The final three at the table – Benyamine, Greg Jamison and Jason Gray – all had never won one. The star-studded finale lasted 10 hours, but the heads up match between Benyamine and Jamison was over in about 75 minutes.

Jamison, who won the Omaha Split championship in the Tunica Grand Series in 2006, also made it to the final table and finished sixth at the $1,500 Omaha High-Low Split event last week and last year he was fifth in the World Championship, giving him three final table appearances in the last four WSOP Omaha tournaments.

Benyamine, who like his girlfriend Erica Schoenberg is a Full Tilt pro, was one of the top-ranked French tennis players in the world before a back injury ended his career. He moved on to billiard where he became one of the top players in France, before concentrating on his professional career in poker. His biggest win, prior to this weekend, came in 2003 when he won the Grand Prix de Paris, a victory that earned him $411,000 as he outlasted a final table that included Erick Lindgren and Daniel Negreanu.

Year of the 'First-Timers'
While the 2008 WSOP has been dubbed the Year of the Pro as professional players have won 30 of the first 38 events, this could also be called the "Year of the First Time Bracelet Winners."

Incredibly, the first 17 events were won by players who had never won a WSOP bracelet before this year. Overall, 33 of the first 38 winners are "first timers." The list includes: Nenad Medic, Grant Hinkle, David Singer, Erick Lindgren, Michael Banducci, Thang Luu, Matt Keikoan, Anthony Rivera, Ralph Porter, Farzad Rouhani, Phillip Tom, Jimmy Shultz, Duncan Bell, Eric Brooks, Svetlana Gromenkova, Andrew Brown, Jason Young , Vanessa Selbst, Scott Seiver, Jens Voertmann, Blair Hinkle, Kenny Tran, Vitaly Lunkin, Philip Galfond, John (Razor) Phan, Rob Hollink, Dario Minieri, Luis Velador, Michael Rocco, Jesper Hougaard, Benyamine and Davidi Kitai.

Matusow, Negreanu, Max Pescatori, Barry Greenstein and Layne Flack represent the only player to win bracelets this year who have earned one before this year.

Former table tennis star prevails

Of those first-time winners, Jesper Hougaard may be the one with the most intriguing background. The 24-year-old from Denmark, who was victorious over the weekend in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em championship, became a professional poker player after playing for and eventually coaching the Danish National Table Tennis team.

He credits his experience as a table tennis player for his ability to quickly refocus. "You have to regroup," he said. "That is something we do (in table tennis). You have to always get ready for the next match."

Hougaard's father was an official with N.A.T.O. and was stationed in London as Jesper was growing up. During his heads up match against Cody Slaubaugh, Hougaard, who had dominated play during most of the final day, called his father and brother in Denmark. When play resumed he put on his headphones and listened the Survivor song "Eye of the Tiger," which was made famous from the Rocky III movie soundtrack. The musical motivation worked because 15 minutes later, Hougaard was being crowned champion and hauling home $610,304, much to the delight of his raucous cheering section.

With Hougaard's win, Denmark becomes the seventh nation to produce a gold bracelet winner at this year's WSOP. This list now includes Canada, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Italy, Russia, and the United States. Hougaard also became only the second WSOP gold bracelet winner in history from Denmark. The other is Jan Sorensen, who has two wins to his name.

Fernandez, Benyamine in position for Player of the Year Through 38 events, Jacobo Fernandez and Benyamine have separated themselves from the pack in the race for the Milwaukee's Best Light "Player of the Year" award. Fernandez is in first with 222 points, closely followed by Benyamine, who has 220. Greenstein is in third with 190, with Lindgren in fourth (185). Negreanu, who is trying to become the first player to win the award twice, is in fifth with 170.

The Fossilman is lurking

Three tournaments stopped play before coming to a conclusion on Sunday and with many of the big name pros resting for the beginning of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament on Wednesday, some lesser known names are in contention in all three events.

One former Main Event champ is in the hunt for a second bracelet, however, Greg "The Fossilman" Raymer, who won the 2004 Main Event, is in fourth place with 30 players remaining in the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event.

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