Archive for May, 2010
Northampton Community College (NCC) recently announced a blackjack table games course, which could mean jobs for trainees at Mount Airy Casino Resort. Accordingly, 32-year-old Regina Miller, one of the NCC graduates, has received a job offer from Mount Airy.
Miller is not the only NCC table games’ graduate who has received a blackjack dealer job. Mount Airy has hired 112 NCC graduates and plans to recruit 400 more before it launches new table games this July. A total of 180 gaming graduates are expected to receive jobs from Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem too. In fact, Mount Airy and Sands plan to recruit more than 300 graduates who have learned the art of playing blackjack, poker, craps, and roulettes for six weeks or more. The new blackjack dealers will receive an annual salary of $50,000 in addition to benefits.
The NCC gaming program, organized in collaboration with Mount Airy, which is providing the instructors, will provide the staff required to manage 73 table games that the casino will launch this July. The Sands Casino has similarly collaborated with NCC’s Bethlehem campus to hire 400 dealers to manager its 89 table games.
Vice President of Community Education at NCC has expressed his joy that things have turned out so well.
If this Memorial Day takes you inside for some online casinos, consider the action at Millionaire Casino (www.millionairecasino.com).
The site is offering special bonuses this weekend for the players who are interested in earning or winning even more money. These players will likely be happy with their options. As always, the site will offer double rewards on Friday, but Saturday is where the promotion gets interesting. While the site usually offers 100% bonuses on Saturdays, this Saturday the site will offer 125% bonuses.
Even better, these bonuses are for existing players only so if you deposit $100, for example, you will receive a bonus worth $125.
Keep playing, because as the weekend goes on the casino bonuses will increase. On Sunday, players will receive 150% bonus on deposits, and on Monday the bonus increases to 200%. These bonuses are also only for existing players, which is unique because often the bigger bonuses are reserved for new players making first-time deposits.
Millionaire Casino offers a number of gaming options for players. The site offers slots, craps, blackjack, roulette, and video poker. Players can also join in any number of tournaments, of which there will be several to choose from this weekend.
Young players who plan to participate in the World Series of Poker starting Friday might end up on the radar of none other than Doyle Brunson.
Brunson, a name himself in the poker world, is planning to add a new player to his prestigious Brunson 10, the name for his pro poker team that play behind Doyle’s Room, Brunson’s poker room.
The newest member of the Brunson 10 will be chosen during WSOP play, and will be plucked by Brunson himself, after the site tracks how specific players are doing at the WSOP. Those who show the most gumption, and who it seems would be a good for the site will be considered to become a member of Brunson’s posse.
Two young players who are on the radar already include Daniel “DJK” Kelly and David “Doc” Sands. Both players have been making a name for themselves over the past couple of years in online poker rooms and both have amassed millions of dollars in wins.
The members of Brunson’s prestigious team include Zachary Clark, Amit Makhija, Dani “Ansky” Stern, Chris “Mooreman1” Moorman, Alex Kamberis and Steve Gross. Whichever young gun makes an impact during the WSOP will be considered for the 8th spot as part of the Brunson 10.
Officials behind the World Series of Poker are asking players to donate just one percent of their winnings to the Nevada Cancer Institute.
Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., the owner of the WSOP, are encouraging all players in the tournament to donate just that small amount to the local charity that is the state’s largest cancer research institute. Harrah’s officials say that the donations could total nearly $2 million for the charity.
“Poker players are among the most generous and charity-conscious people on the planet,” said a statement from Harrah’s. “They continually use the game of poker to help raise awareness and funds for many worthy causes throughout the calendar year. The WSOP will again use its platform in 2010 to bolster their efforts.”
The WSOP kicks off Friday and will end on July 17. The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (a Harrah’s property) is hosting the big event.
Tournament officials will make it easy for players to donate the small amount; they simply must let a payout clerk know they plan to donate the 1 percent and Harrah’s will arrange to transfer the money after all donations are made.
Another big charity event slated to run during the WSOP is the third annual Ante Up for Africa charity celebrity tournament. This tournament will be held on July 3 and anyone willing to pony up $5,000 for the buy-in can play. This event has raised more than $1.5 million over the years for charity groups working in Africa. It will be hosted by actor Don Cheadle and professional poker player Annie Duke. Top celebrity and poker names often drop by to play in the event.
If you are intrigued by Phil Laak’s attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Records for the most hours of poker played in a single sitting, you have a chance to participate as well.
Laak, also known as “The Unabomber”, will fly three winners to Las Vegas to play against him as he attempts to break the world record.
Laak will award the winner three nights’ accommodations at the Bellagio and a chance to play against him in a heads-up cash game.
There are three ways to win. The first method involves playing in the Unabomber freeroll on Thursday. The buy-in for this tournament is $50, but there will be no prize pool, so all players who do not win will receive a refund to their player accounts. That event takes place at 6 PM PST Thursday.
The second method that might win you a trip to Vegas involves writing an essay about why you should get to play against a sleepless Laak. You can send your best 100 to 250-word essay to Laak at blog@umabomberpoker.com.
Finally, the third chance to win involves a random drawing. All real money Unabomber Poker players will be entered into the random drawing. If you’re new to Unabomber Poker, you should have an active real money account by Thursday in order to be entered into the contest.
Laak announced last week that he would attempt to play poker for a record more than 78 hours straight. Laak is trying to break the World Record set by Paul Zimbler in late 2009. Zimbler played for 78 hours. The event begins on June 2 at the Bellagio Poker Room and Casino in Las Vegas.
Blackjack switch is gaining popularity in casinos online and offline as the new version of an old favorite. Similar to traditional blackjack, “switch” presents card players with two hands to work with, giving them the option to swap the top cards. If the cards fall in your favor, the switch can help lean you towards a win.
Geoff Hall conceptualized the format for switch in 2000 while playing with two hands at the same blackjack table. “I could see I would be getting better hands if I could swap,” said Hall, the managing director of Las Vegas-based Customized Casino Games.
Hall brought his idea to several Las Vegas casinos, including MGM Grand, Bally’s and Wynn Las Vegas. So far, customers like the new game and the demand for it is increasing. Blackjack switch is expected to be available via Internet within the year.
Apple iPad users can now access 21 Blackjack Party, an iPad gaming application created by Spin3, an associate of Microgaming and provider of mobile gaming solutions. According to Spin3, 21 Blackjack Party is the only application with community features and is available free of charge at Apple’s App Store for both iPad and iPhone.
21 Blackjack Party’s community feature includes a leader board where live scores are recorded, enabling players to not only track their progress, but also enjoy the thrill of competition by comparing their scores with those of other players. Players can view this scoreboard at the microsite of 21 Blackjack Party. The app also notifies users whenever a new player exits or enters the game.
A spokesman of Spin3 said that the company is now optimizing its portfolio of 9 mobile casino game apps for iPad users. These games, which are especially created for smartphones such as Apple iPhone, will soon be launched. Spin3 customers can soon expect state-of-the-art interactive gaming with superior graphics on the fabulous 9.7 inch touch screen of the iPad.
Matti Zinder of Spin3 says that the company loses no time in supporting the latest mobile devices, giving customers quick and easy access to their favorite casino games.
A movie about online poker sites could be coming and none other than Leonardo DiCaprio might star in it.
The movie, which was recently optioned by Paramount Pictures, is about a South American casino operation. While details are slim, it’s said to feature online poker playing in some major way.
“I used to enjoy a little online gambling before it came illegal in the United States,” DiCaprio was recently quoted as saying. “It will be interesting to see this subject in a film.”
Though DiCaprio admits to enjoying an online game or two, he also says the concept is odd to him. “There’s something very strange about people trusting their money to a website that may or may not pay out,” he said.
It’s believed that Costa Rican online poker and online casinos are the focus of the movie and that the writes who wrote “Rounders” and “Oceans Thirteen” will head up the project.
Of course, because details are slim, it’s not known how online poker playing will be characterized. Poker opponents hope, of course, that it will be featured in a favorable light. It’s said that the featuring of the poker game Texas Hold’em in the movie “Rounders” was partly responsible for the incredible popularity that the game now has.
Legendary poker player Phil Laak is planning to break a world record starting June 2. Those who Twitter will be able to follow his efforts as they happen.
Laak, also known as “The Unabomber”, plans to set a world record for playing the most hours of poker in a single sitting. Though poker players often sit and play for long periods of time, even Laak admits that doing it for many hours on end could be a challenge.
“I have played many (long) sessions of poker, but never anything of this magnitude,” Laak was quoted as saying. “I know this will test my limits but I love a good challenge and am excited to be trying to beat this record in Vegas’ top poker room.”
Laak is seeking to break the record set by Paul Zimbler in the fall of 2009. Zimbler played poker for a record 78 straight hours then.
Laak’s effort will begin on June 2 at the Bellagio Poker Room in Las Vegas. Laak is an internationally known player who is called “The Unabomber” because he is known for wearing a hooded sweatshirt (with the hood pulled over his head) and sunglasses at poker tables. This causes him to resemble the famous sketch of Umabomber Theodore Kaczynski.
Half of all the money that Laak wins playing poker during this endurance session will be donated to Camp Sunshine, he said in his blog.
Fans can stay informed of Laak’s attempt at world record greatness by following him live on twitter at www.twitter.com/realphillaak.
The debate over legalized online gambling is taking a hurried turn as legislators are engaging in a heated debate as a deadline looms.
In two weeks, a federal law will take effect that essentially makes it illegal for banks to allow players to fund online poker and casino real money accounts. Currently, many online gambling companies operate offshore and accept U.S. players; the law, set to take effect on June 1, will make it completely illegal for American banks to allow any form of payment, such as a credit card or bank transfer, to play in these online games.
But Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has been fighting for the passage of his bill, which would legalize online gambling. The legalization of these activities could bring in as much as an estimated $6 billion in revenue.
But as the full implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act nears, the debate is heating up.
“Internet poker is the crack cocaine of gambling,” Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) told ABC News this week. “Young people are particularly vulnerable – we don’t want to put a casino in every dorm room in the country. Compulsive gambling, by many accounts, is a very serious, growing problem.”
Bachus, the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, said he would work tirelessly to prevent passage of any bill that will legalize internet gambling.
Frank’s bill, which has seen a good deal of support on Capitol Hill, is called the Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The bill would help to establish a framework and method for legalizing online poker and other types of online gambling. Frank says that with some structures in place, online casinos could be harmless to U.S. citizens, but greatly beneficial in a financial way to the country as a whole.
