Top 10 best and worst hallmarks of the poker boom Published: 2006-04-27
Like it or not, poker's boom has spawned a number of high and low water marks since Moneymaker won the World Series, according to the Poker Prof's Poker Blog. With all the good poker's popularity has brought for the average player, there's plenty of reasons to rue the day the average Joe figured out Hold 'Em would be a great way to spend a Saturday night. After the jump, we'll give you the definitive Las Vegas Vegas take on the good and bad that's come out of the last three years of poker's incredible rise...
LAS VEGAS VEGAS' TOP TEN BEST - AND WORST - THINGS TO COME OUT OF THE POKER BOOM
10. Blogs
Best: At its core, poker is a solitary pursuit. Online, it's got the potential to turn a slight social misfit into a full-fledged hermit. So not only have some of the great poker blogs chronicled the rise of the sport and offered excellent strategy advice, they've also served for many as places where that disconnect is narrowed by a sense of community and places to exchange ideas.
Worst: If we have to read one more ******** hand history on your navel-gazing LiveJournal whining for the umpteenth time about your Aces getting cracked, we're going to make it our business to chase you down with nothing but two-gapped off-suited connectors every time you log on to play. Don't mess with us, we know the special code to type in to catch our gutshots.
9. The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel
Best: Ignoring for a minute the technology that made this show possible, you can't ignore the impact a weekly televised high-stakes poker tournament had on poker. The WPT shows nurtured the ember of this cultural phenomenon, and gave rise to the cult of personality following many of poker's big names today. It would not be surprising if the growth of the player base in online poker correlated directly with the rising ratings of the WPT on TV.
Worst: Vince Van Patten, Vince Van Patten, Vince Van Patten. Jesus, back up the hyperbole wagon kids, there's plenty here to go around. If he's not breathlessly "anticipating" (remember, this is all post-mortem commentary - nothing live happening here) Men Nguyen's call of a pot-sized bet after flopping an open-ended straight draw, he's working himself into a lather over Phil Ivey's pre-flop action when he "looks down at a monster! Pocket Queens! His palms are sweaty and his heart is racing on the inside!" We always thought Adam Rich from Eight is Enough would have been the Van Patten spawn (fictional or biological) most in need of electro-shock therapy. Now? We're not so sure.
8. Kids
Best: Anyone who takes poker semi-seriously online has got to love the influx of youth coming into this game. Like any player demographic, there are kids who can play, kids who can't and a whole bunch in-between, and they're filling up ring games from UltimateBet to FullTiltPoker.net Poker. Better yet, they're just learning their love for the game and should keep these sites and the tables in Vegas full of competition for years to come.
Worst: If there's any one single thing that will keep online poker from legality, it's the same old argument that keeps vintners from shipping wine across state lines - What about the children? What the hell are these kids doing with their parents' credit cards anyway? Hell, our dad kept a stash of quarters in a Crown Royal bag in his top drawer, and god help us if that bag had shifted an eighth of an inch from on top of his Playboys due to our need to buy a Slurpee or some Fun Dip. If we had bought a box of '88 Donruss with a pilfered credit card? We don't even want to think of the consequences. Maybe the real warning should be Why can't mom keep her Visa in her purse?
7. The Mainstream Media
Best: Look, we owe this entire poker boom to the mainstream media. Were it not for the WPT getting picked up, were it not for ESPN's WSOP coverage and were it not for Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown poker would still be relegated to ninth-tier backroom games with guys named "Lefty" and the fourteen tables that were running in Vegas at any given time prior to the boom filled with America's craggy-faced elderly gruffly awaiting their door cards.
Worst: Children are getting hooked on gambling thanks to online poker! World Poker Tour crowns 21-year-old Nick Schulman champion! Poker's popularity is dying! Poker's popularity is growing! Come on guys, can we settle up on this stuff?
River Belle Sets Another Industry Standard by Merging Flash Casino Games into Poker Software Published: 2006-04-25
River Belle Online Poker now offers players the chance to play casino games
and poker all with one download
GIBRALTAR, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Further separating itself from the
competition, River Belle Online Poker now offers its players the
unprecedented ability to play poker and any one of 19 different casino
games within the same software. With one download, players are now able to
use one account to play the full variety of online poker and casino games,
taking the gaming experience on River Belle to a whole new level of
convenience and excitement.
With the new arrangement players looking to compete on the challenging
poker tables of River Belle will be able to use their poker winnings on
casino games and vice versa. As an added benefit the casino games available
to River Belle poker players are Flash games, which do not add to the size
of the software download and have no adverse effects on the player's
connection or system performance. Those that would say that you can't get
something for nothing, evidently aren't playing poker at River Belle.
The list of Flash games available at River Belle Online Poker is as
follows:
* 4 Kinds of Blackjack * 6 Kinds of Video Poker
-- Vegas Strip -- Joker Poker Power Poker
-- High Limit European -- Deuces Wild Power Poker
-- European -- Deuces Wild
-- Atlantic City -- Deuces and Joker
* 2 Kinds of Roulette -- Aces & Faces Power Poker
-- European Roulette -- Aces & Faces
-- American Roulette * Baccarat
* 3 Slots * Craps
-- Tomb Raider * 3 Card Poker
-- Thunderstruck * Cyberstud Poker
-- Ho Ho Ho
"At River Belle we don't just listen to our customers, we also try to
anticipate their demands and be the first to market with the features that
become industry standards," said Tim Johnson, Chairman of Carmen Media
Group, owners of Belle Rock Entertainment. "This extended variety of games
is a huge step toward creating a one-stop gaming experience that makes a
world of difference for our players."
About River Belle River Belle (http://www.riverbelle.com) is the fastest growing online
entertainment brand in the Belle Rock Entertainment group, which is owned
by Carmen Media Group Limited based in Gibraltar. River Belle Online
Casino, River Belle Online Poker and River Belle Multiplayer Casino make up
the successful River Belle portfolio accommodating thousands of players
every day. Part of the Prima Poker Network -- a global card room network
where players from different card rooms play against each other, River
Belle Online Poker is designed to bring players the ultimate poker
experience. Incorporating state-of-the-art software powered by Microgaming
and rich interface features, River Belle brings the best online games to
life. As the most trusted name in online gaming, River Belle continues to
set the standard in fair play, transparency initiatives and the promotion
of responsible gaming.
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