Featured Articles Archive - Page 324

"Grinder" chews up opponents to win Poker Players title again

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi of Miami became the first two-time winner of the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship on Thursday night at the Rio in the World Series of Poker, dominating the field to earn $1.45 million.Mizrachi, 31, who won the event in 2010, collected his third career World Series of Poker individual event championship bracelet, and ran his career earnings at the tournament to almost $7 million over 29 in-the-money finishes.The event, considered the tournament's second-most coveted title after the Main Event, drew a field of 108 competitors...read more

States drive poker action

Poker players will receive an update from their top lobbying organization on legislative efforts to license and regulate online poker in the United States during a special town hall-style meeting Saturday at the Rio.When it comes to federal efforts, however, it might be a short conversation.The Poker Players Alliance is using the World Series of Poker, which has attracted thousands of players to Las Vegas, to update the poker community on what's taking place in various states.John Pappas, the alliance's executive director, said he expects to hear from players who have been sidelined from Internet play since the April 15, 2011, crackdown on Internet poker by the U.S...read more

"Sluggish" U.S. gaming worries Moody's Investors Service

Moody's Investors Service expressed a cautious view of the U.S. casino market Wednesday, warning that weak gaming revenues and downward consumer trends could place several companies, including Caesars Entertainment Corp. and CityCenter Holdings, "at great risk." Officials from the companies didn't dispute Moody's assessment that the U.S...read more

Shuffle Master scraps acquisition of European online gaming provider

Shuffle Master, Inc. abruptly dropped a planned $28.5 million acquisition of a European-based online gaming provider Wednesday and expressed concern about the slow pace for legalizing Internet poker in the U.S. Shuffle Master said it was pulling out of a deal to purchase Ongame Network Limited, blaming a decline of business conditions in Europe since February, as well as "uncertainty surrounding the timing of legalization and the rollout of online poker" in the United States. Shuffle Master Chief Executive Officer Gavin Isaacs said the decision came "after careful consideration" and a realization that the company "will not achieve the near-term results we initially expected and will require a larger ongoing investment than anticipated." Analysts, who had praised the purchase when it was announced in March, gave Shuffle Master credit for backing away when it became clear it didn't make financial sense. "The decision not to acquire Ongame is certainly a setback for Shuffle's interactive growth strategy," Roth Capital Partners gaming analyst Todd Eilers told investors...read more

Delaware Senate OKs online gambling

The Delaware Legislature has passed a bill that would allow table games, video lottery games, and traditional lottery games to be offered online. The legislation would also allow bars and convenience stores to sell NFL teaser and parlay cards.Gov...read more

Macau gaming stocks fall after reports of visa, Chinese credit card restrictions

Worries that China will limit the number of times citizens from the mainland can visit Macau, coupled with new government restrictions on credit card spending, caused gaming stocks to nosedive on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Tuesday. Macau-based subsidiaries of Las Vegas Sands Corp...read more

Have it your way: personalized video poker on tap

Slot machine maker WMS Industries, Inc. is launching a video poker machine in Las Vegas that allows customers to customize the games with different settings and appearances.An unspecified number of the My Poker games, which include multiple selections of video poker and pay tables, are to be installed by the end of the year at all 18 Station Casinos properties in the Las Vegas Valley...read more

Reno's Boomtown Casino changes hands, but keeps its name

A company operated by a former Station Casinos executive was expected to assume ownership of the Boomtown Casino in Reno this morning.M1 Gaming was approved as the owner and operator of Boomtown Casino & Hotel Reno last week by the Nevada Gaming Commission...read more

WMS Industries hires longtime IGT executive Ron Rivera

Slot machine maker WMS Industries, Inc.'s expansion of its U.S. sales and marketing division includes hiring a longtime gaming equipment sales executive who spent two decades with rival manufacturer International Game Technology. WMS said Monday that Ron Rivera will join the company as vice president of western division sales and national accounts on July 9...read more

Queen trumps kings at World Series of Poker event

A decade ago, Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman wouldn't sit at a Las Vegas poker table without her handy "cheat sheet" that listed the game's best hands."It told me that a flush beat a straight, which I needed since I was always trying to figure everything out mathematically," she said.It's an understatement to say that she no longer needs assistance.Jaffrey-Shulman became the first female poker player in four years to win a mixed-gender World Series of Poker event June 15 at the Rio, topping a field of 4,128 entries to capture the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em Seniors Championship for players age 50 and older.She earned $603,713 and her first individual event championship bracelet in 10 years of play in the World Series of Poker.Jaffrey-Shulman also earned family bragging rights, at least for 2012.The Shulmans - husband Barry and stepson Jeff - are giving the Mizrachi family a run for the ranking as poker's first family.The four Mizrachi brothers finished in the money during the 2010 World Series of Poker's Main Event.The Shulmans made history this year as being the first husband-wife-son trio to each make a final table appearance in the same World Series of Poker.The Shulmans own Card Player Media, which publishes Card Player magazine and produces CardPlayer.com...read more