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Know when to hold, know when to fold
Published: 2006-04-26
 By Jennifer Quam
Marty Kelly of McBride will be leaving tomorrow for the 2006 ‘Degree’ Poker Championships at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Kelly took part in the 2005 championships for western Canadians in Vancouver last year and never thought that his name would be picked again this year.
“Anyone can enter online,” he said. “It was insurmountable odds that my name would be picked again.”
The Texas Hold ‘Em style tournament will consist of 3000 players taking part on either May 3, 4, 5, or 7 in a qualifying round. Each player will receive $2000 worth of chips and will play until the number of players is reduced to 240. Those players will then go on to the playoff round on May 8, which will then whittle down the field to 36 players. Those players will receive $500,000 worth chips to play from May 9 to 11 to find six final players for the championship game on May 12. The first place winner will be awarded $100,000 and a trip and seat to the 2006 international poker tournament in Las Vegas. The total value of first prize is estimated to be $118,000.
Second place will receive $10,000, third will get $5000, and fourth place will earn $2,500.
“After finding out that my name was picked for one of the seats,” said Kelly. “I have gone through a roller coaster of emotions.”
Kelly said he was excited to earn a spot at the tournament but realized there would be a huge expense in getting to the tournament.
“Players have to pay all of their own costs to get to the tournament,” he said. “I was really down when I realized the tournament was in Ontario. After talking to my wife, we decided that since we had never had a honeymoon we would use some of our savings and just go. So then my emotions were high again.”
Kelly said he hit another low after learning that the tournament could go on for nine days if a player makes it to the championship round.
“Again I was bummed out because of the cost to get there and the amount of lost wages in missed work would be too great,” he said. “I then decided that I really wanted to go and I have since been able to find a sponsor who wants to remain anonymous. He will pay for my traveling expenses. We have worked out a deal to share any of the winnings.”
Kelly said he is excited to know that he is going to the tournament for sure. “I have been playing poker for 20 years and Texas Hold ‘Em for about 3 years,” he said. “I love the money in poker, the rush, and the adrenaline. You don’t necessarily have to have the best hand to win, but it does help.”
Kelly said poker is about 50 percent luck but you have to have skill to make up the other half.
“Last year in Vancouver I placed 67th in my group of 250,” said Kelly. “I learned a lot and I know I made a mistake in my last hand. This year I have more experience and plan to do better. I am pretty stoked about making it to what I consider my round two.”
The championship round of the 2006 Degree Poker Championship will be broadcast on TSN.
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Bodog.com Sponsors eGaming Review's Power 50 Summit
Published: 2006-04-24
 London, England - Bodog.com, the leading US facing online gamblíng web site, is further establishing its leadership role in the booming egaming industry by sponsoring eGaming Review's Power 50 Summit. The summit will be attended by the top 50 movers and shakers in the online gamblíng world and is set to take place April 23-25 at the Brocket Hall estate, outside of London.
eGaming Review is widely known as the industry bible, and Bodog.com was called the "most innovative site" in the Power 50 list last year. Of Bodog.com, eGaming Review said:
"Its mass-market-friendly branding is combined with a slick behind-the-scenes operation that has full control of the crucial areas of software development and payment processing. It is one of the best risk managed operations in its sector, with a strong trading team and extremely strong casíno revenues mitigating against sports results. It has also become a powerful player in the poker sector and is spending huge amounts to push its brand in the poker arena with a new software upgrade due in September. It has become the business model to follow in the US, with several sites aping its brash media-friendly strategy. Its vision as an entertainment brand is evident with offshoots such as its new music label and it remains the most innovative site in the US egaming space. As a result it scored more highly this year for influence than most of its rivals."
Bodog.com's sponsorship of this year's Power 50 Summit is another piece of the strategy in maintaining the most recognizable brand in the online gamblíng and entertainment markets.
"We are looking forward to the summit," says Calvin Ayre, Bodog.com's Founder and CEO. "It's a great opportunity to network with our peers and take the online gaming industry to a new level of quality and entertainment value for the players."
Later this summer, Bodog.com will bring industry leaders together again at the 2006 Bodog.com Marketing Conference. Scheduled for July 23-25 at the Wynn Las Vegas, the conference attracts the top names in online sports betting and poker including the major online gamblíng operators, handicappers, affiliates, advertisers and suppliers.
The 2006 Bodog.com Marketing Conference features the theme Seduce, Induce, Ignite. Seduce = Get new customers - always a goal of any successful business. Induce = keeping customers loyal. Ignite = how to grow a business venture to its fullest.
In addition to keynote speaker Magic Johnson, the 2006 Bodog.com Marketing Conference will include industry leaders from the worlds of online gaming, online marketing, public relations, technology and the mainstream corporate sector.
Keep checking the Bodog.com Marketing Conference web site at www.bodogconference.com for the unveiling of more of this year's speakers. The roster is shaping up to be even bigger and better than before!
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