Category: Pokerstars

Poker Stars Selling Main Event Passports For $2

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PokerStars is now selling passports into the main events of the World Series of Poker and an assortment of live poker tours sponsored by the site for as little as $2.

Win a PokerStars Main Event passport into the WSOP, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), the European Poker Tour (EPT), the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT). When you win a main event passport, you get a prize package worth $13,000 into the main event of your choice from the above mentioned tours. Prize packages into some events are worth even more than $13,000, when you add in hotel accommodations and spending money.

Poker Stars is holding several satellite tournaments awarding these passports between now and July 3, 2011: cash satellites, FPP satellites and Steps satellites, all in a variety of buy-ins.

All qualifying main events are in No Limit Texas Hold’em. Choose the European Poker Tour and you’ll be entered in the EPT London main event, worth $13,700. The 2012 PCA main event prize package is worth $14,500. If you elect to play in the APPT or LAPT, you can choose which event from those series’ you wish to enter. APPT main event by-ins are usually $8,000 and LAPT main event buy-ins are usually $5,000.

There are 5 main event prize packages in all in the Poker Stars Main Event Passport promotion, You can win one prize package to a main event in each tour. If you manage to win a seat in all 5 tours, then your subsequent prizes will be credited to you in tournament dollars (T$).

PokerStars SCOOP is Underway

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The Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) is an annual online mega tournament hosted by PokerStars, which is a leading poker room. It is modeled after the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which is the biggest land based poker tournament extravaganza. The objective of SCOOP is to give online poker players an experience of a mega poker event. SCOOP 2011 has begun on May 8. It will span 38 events and run till May 22.

There is one major difference between SCOOP and WSOP. Each SCOOP event is actually three independent events with low, medium and high buy-ins. This allows low rollers to participate and also ensures that players are not forced to play at stakes that do not suit them. All events have a guaranteed prize pool that will be shared by the winners in the declared manner. The total prize pool across all 114 events (38 x 3) is $25 million.

As in WSOP, there is a declared Main Event, which is the most prestigious, has the largest prizes and enjoys the greatest participation. At SCOOP 2011 the Main Event is Event #38, which is the last event. The poker variant is Texas Hold’em and the betting structure is No Limit. The combined prize pool for this event is $4.75 million. The low buy-in event gets $750,000, the medium buy-in event gets $1.5 million and the high buy-in event gets $2.5 million. Some of the other notable SCOOP 2011 events are Event #20 No Limit Hold’em and Event #35 No Limit Hold’em Heads Up Match Play. There are events in Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Razz and H.O.R.S.E. as well.

Apart from a major slice of the prize pool the top winner of each SCOOP event will be given a swank Movado gold watch with the PokerStars spade and SCOOP Champion on the face. The winners of every high, medium and low event will receive the watch. PokerStars has also announced a SCOOP Leader Board. Players will receive points based on how they perform in the various SCOOP events. The player who finishes on top of the leader board will receive the Player of the Series trophy, a seat at the main event of WSOP 2011, a prize package to the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, a seat at the Grand Final of the European Poker Tour and a special edition PokerStars chip set.

Players can enter the SCOOP events by paying the designated buy-ins. However, satellites to SCOOP events are running round the clock at PokerStars. The buy-ins to the satellites are much lower and this is a great way of winning a seat at the SCOOP events. Some of the buy-ins are as low as $0.25.

When the SCOOP 2011 schedule was first announced earlier this year it was with a much larger prize pool base. The sum total of the prize pools was then $45 million. After the seizure of the American domain of PokerStars, it was evident that there would be no participation from American players. Therefore the prize money had to be reduced considerably.

Raid on Pokerstars Costa Rican Offices a Mistake

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Following up on our earlier story about raids on the offices of Pokerstars, Absolute Poker and UB we have learned from our source in Costa Rica that today’s raid on the Pokerstars office was a mistake. They were apparently led to the wrong offices by a reporter who is know for sensationalistic news coverage.

Dr Pauly also confirms this from his sources on Tao of Poker. According to Pauly the police officers looked around, had some coffee and left with taking anything.

We’ve also learned that the Costa Rican authorities are chasing down 3 owners of Absolute Poker and UB. Olman Rimola, Scott Tom, and Brent Beckley have been hiding from authorities since they were named in a US DOJ indictment on April 15th.

Click Here for Poker Sites Accepting US Players

We’re sure there is much more going on here that we don’t know yet and will keep you posted on everything we learn including a post we came across on 2+2 that claims there was a group of investors that made an offer to take over  Absolute Poker and UB.

Is Lock Poker the new Pokerstars for US Players?

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It’s now been three weekends since Pokerstars shut it’s doors to players from the US and the question on everyone’s minds is what online poker site will become the new Pokerstars. The answer seems to be poker sites on the Merge Poker Network.

Merge Poker has increased it’s cash game traffic by 70% since Black Friday and ranks #10 for cash game traffic in the world and #1 in the US.

Leading the way for the Merge Network is Lock Poker because of their huge first deposit bonus and their monthly promotions. Lock Poker is also 100% Mac compatible and has a sleek black look.

Lock Poker is not the only Merge Poker skin making a splash.  Another skin, Hero Poker, (No longer Accepting US players) has signed former Pokerstars Pro Gavin Griffin as well as a few other poker pros. P5’s and Holdem Poker Chat members received a special invite from them this past weekend to play in an exclusive 15k freeroll. The CEO for Hero Poker explained why he set up the unpromoted freeroll by saying “I set this up for traumatized US players”.

The Merge network is one of the last major poker networks available to US players and there have been hundreds of thousands of new sign-ups on those sites within the past three weeks.

Other skins that we like on the network are Carbon Poker, RPM Poker and Feltstars. There are many poker sites on the Merge Poker Network but we do not recommend most of them.

You may be asking yourself, How do I decide which Merge Poker Site should I play on? Our recommendation is that you try out several of them and see which one you like the best. Download them and sit at a play money game or play in a freeroll while you get accustomed to the software. If you like the overall feel of the site then make a deposit. If you don’t like it, move on to another one and try that one out. According to out sources Merge is working hard on a major software upgrade that we’re told “Will have all the features that Pokerstars has” That upgrade is expected sometime next month.

Update: Lock Poker along with all other Merge skins have halted NEW US player accounts.

Best USA Online Poker Sites – Pokerstars and Full TIlt Poker Alternatives

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With the departure of Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker from the US online poker landscape you may be left wondering where everyone is playing these days. A handful of poker sites have begun to stand out and make a name for themselves. We’ll break down a few today and let you know why they’re on the rise and what the best alternatives are for former Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker players.

The Merge Poker Network is growing the fastest but you may be surprised to know that it is not their flagship site Carbon Poker that is leading the way. The rising star for the Merge network is Lock Poker due to unique promotions, an ultra sleek design and a 200% up to $1200 deposit bonus. Another Merge skin that is growing rapidly is RPM Poker. If we were to list the top Merge skins in order it would be Lock Poker, Carbon Poker and RPM Poker. Keep in mind that while all three share most of their tournaments and all the cash game tables. Each also runs their own unique promotions. These poker sites are all 100% Mac compatible.

Also on the rise is Bodog Poker. This is no surprise as Bodog is an established site with a great reputation for customer service and successful deposit methods. They not only offer a Poker room but also a full casino and sportsbook. The 110% up to $1100 deposit bonus on Bodog is great as well. If you’re primarily a cash game players, there are two things to keep in mind if you decide to play at Bodog Poker. First, their Mac version is not a full version of the software. Second, Bodog limits the amount of tables you can play.

If you’re looking for a no download instant play poker site then there is only one we can recommend and that is Luvin Poker on the Everleaf Network. Everleaf is a small network that is also growing rapidly as of late and may by the end of the year be a real contender. While there are several sites on the network we at Holdem Poker Chat only endorse Luvin Poker because we love their customer support and they offer players a nice 100% up to $1000 deposit bonus.

Last week we came across a real gem of a poker site on the Cake Poker network. Sports Interaction Poker is a cake poker skin that accepts eChecks as a deposit method. As far as we can tell they are the only online poker site serving the US that has this as a deposit option. If you’re a former Pokerstars or Full Tilt Poker players, I’m sure this is great news for you. Our top poker sites on the Cake poker network are Intertops Poker and Cake Poker.

You can find more information on all these poker sites and full reviews by visiting our USA Poker Sites page.

We’ll continue to monitor which online poker sites continue to serve the US and adjust our rankings accordingly. For now we feel that the poker sites listed above are the safest and most promising for all US poker players.

What about our Pokerstars FPP’s

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Much to the delight of US players Pokerstars started processing withdrawals for their US customers again. Players are allowed to withdraw their balance by cheque and Pokerstars even gave 100% cash refund for all tournament tickets or tournament dollars a player had in his account. With the cash outs functional again this leaves only one issue unresolved for the US Pokerstars players. What happens with all the frequent player points (FPP’s)?

Pokerstars has one of the most rewarding VIP scheme’s in online poker awarding FPP’s for real money play. FPP’s can be used for playing tournaments, cash bonuses or buying items in the Pokerstars VIP Rewards store. The VIP store is unique because more expensive items in the VIP store have a better FPP/dollar ratio then the inexpensive options. This means a lot of players were saving their FPP’s for big purchases rather than spending them whenever they could. For some the value of saved FPP’s runs into the thousands of dollars. When the VIP store closed to US players on Black Friday many players wondered if their FPP’s should be considered lost.

A manager of Pokerstars VIP team made clear today that Pokerstars is currently working with the US government on an agreement on what can be done with FPP’s. Pokerstars aims at opening the VIP store again for all their players so FPP’s can be spend on goodies and bonuses. Nothing is certain yet so it is very well possible a different agreement will be made with the DoJ. Making the cash outs possible for US players was top priority for Pokerstars for the last two weeks. Now that cash outs are functional again resolving the FPP issue will be Pokerstars next high priority.

A lot of players are wondering if they should withdraw now or if they should wait for the FPP issue to be resolved. According to Pokerstars VIP manager it makes no difference and the choice is up to the player. The cash out option on Pokerstars will remain open and players will be able to cash out twice or as often as necessary. When making a withdrawal you do have to cash out all your funds which means you are not allowed to have a remaining balance. However, if after that you get new funds in his account from the FPP store, you are allowed to cash out that as well. But for this cash out the same rule applies, you need to withdraw your entire balance.

Holdempokerchat is impressed with the way Pokerstars has handled the events of Black Friday till so far. Of all three sites that were affected, Pokerstars has been the first to give their players access to their frozen funds and keeping their customers as first priority.

Pokerstars now Processing Withdrawals

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Pokerstars is now processing cashouts for all US players with a savings or checking account. Just log into your account and you will be greeted with a popup message with instructions.

They are giving 100% value for T$ automatically when you go to withdraw (for US players)

A Direct Bank Transfer is a cashout method that allows you to receive your winnings by having them credited directly to your bank account.

Please make sure you provide the information below on the previous screen:

Your Bank Account Number: This is the number of your bank account.
Your ABA routing number: The ABA routing number is a nine digit bank code, used in the United States, which appears on the bottom of negotiable instruments such as checks identifying the financial institution on which it was drawn.
Your Checking Account (C) or Savings Account (S) This is your bank account type. Enter “C” (without the quotes) for checking accounts or “S” (without the quotes) for savings accounts.

No word yet on how players without bank accounts will be paid.
If you run into any problems you can send them an email @ cashier1@pokerstars.eu

PokerStars Questions Answered

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This is a compilation of information from PokerStars on the recent withdrawal from the United States market.

Statement from PokerStars on why USA players can no longer play for real money:

On 15 April 2011, PokerStars ceased providing real-money poker to residents of the United States and related territories. Real money play and deposits by US residents are strictly prohibited.

An agreement has been reached with the US Department of Justice to allow United States PokerStars customers to cashout their funds. PokerStars will work diligently to expedite those withdrawals. All PokerStars player deposits are completely safe.

Players from the United States can continue to play on our site for play money only. New players who wish to create an account will need to do so using our play-money-only software.

Why USA players could not access the web page or support email

The Justice department seized all the .com name including access to the .com support address. As part of a deal with the Department of Justice, USA players can now, again, access any of the .com sites including the support email address.

Can I get my Money?

PokerStars has reached an agreement with DoJ to refund players their money. Because the recent issue removed all of the old processing structure, at this time, the cashout option in the cashier is disabled.  It will be enabled when a new system is put in place. PokerStars says that getting funds to players is their top priority.

Cashouts that were requested before April 15, 2011 will be cancelled and returned to players accounts. Players can view the cashier, but US players cannot transfer to other players. Any tournaments tickets or T$ will be converted to cash, though PokerStars stresses that this will not happen immediately and asks for patience. At this time, PokerStars has yet to work out a fair plan for monetary consideration in exchange for FPPs.

All US Players who were registered in future tournaments have been unregistered and their buyins have been refunded to their accounts.

Trying to get around the restrictions

I am sure many of you are scheming or hoping there is a way to get around the new order of things. PokerStars has answered some of those common thoughts.

Players thinking they can just change their address to a new country need to know that just changing their address does not allow them to play for real money again. PokerStars needs copies of photo identification as well as a recent utility bill showing your new physical address.  If you can prove that you have left the USA, your account balance will be restored to you, including VIP status and your FPP balance.  You cannot play for real money by just taking a trip outside the country. Accounts are blocked until you show proof of new address.

If you cook up some IP rerouting scheme like a VPN, PokerStars says they will revoke your privileges for trying.

Foreigners traveling to the United States will not be allowed to play on PokerStars while in the US.

US players can buy into PokerStars live events using their real money account balances, providing they have the money already in their accounts. They cannot deposit the money and then use it to play the event.  PokerStars live events like European Poker Tour will proceed as planned. Players from the United States who have won packages to these events will still be allowed to play.

US players are welcome to play for play money if they so choose but will need to set up a new .net account.

PokerStars processing US Withdrawals

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From statements just released by PokerStars, it appears that they will start immediately processing US withdrawal requests. “Returning US players’ funds is a top priority for PokerStars and the company can now start the process of returning money to its former US customers.”  Holdem Poker Chat cautions that the sheer volume of requests may slow the process and players should probably expect a lengthier process than they are accustomed to.  I am sure this is great news for all with substantial portions of their bankrolls on PokerStars.

Click Here for Poker Sites that are Still Accepting Players from the US

PokerStars gives a little more info in their comments regarding the recent developments.  Right up front they state their innocence and desire for their day in court:

“The company categorically denies the allegations brought by the US Department of Justice on 15th April 2011 and is taking all steps necessary to robustly defend itself, and the two named individuals. Meanwhile, the company has stopped offering real money poker services in the United States.”

They continue by stating that player funds are always kept separate from operating funds.

“All PokerStars player deposits are completely safe. The Isle of Man’s strict licensing laws (similar to other jurisdictions where PokerStars holds licenses) require all funds to be held in accounts that are segregated from company assets. PokerStars has always complied with this requirement and continues to do so. This money is readily available to meet withdrawal demands, indeed the company continues to comply with withdrawal requests from players based outside the US as normal. Outside the U.S., PokerStars continues to operate business as usual.”

Good news for everyone.  However, remember that because your government went after a reliable, stand up company like PokerStars, players now no longer get to do business with a company with integrity and class.

Answers to Pokerstars Questions

UPDATE: Shortly after making this announcement Pokerstars put a stop on all withdrawals. Those who managed to process a withdrawal later had the funds returned to their accounts along with an email stating that Pokerstars was still working on the logistics of cashouts to US players and that players would be notified when they were ready.

 

 

Pokerstars has Suspended Real Money Play in the US

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Pokerstars has finally issued an announcement to last week’s indictment and their leaving the US poker market. Several big name pros have come out and said that players should give the poker sites some time to get things worked out and that they would get their money as soon as possible.

Poker Sites that Accept Players from the USA

“As you may have heard, we have had to suspend real money poker services to people based in the U.S. due to legal developments there.”

“The developments are confined to the U.S. and do not have any impact on your ability to continue using our services. Please be assured player balances are safe. There is no cause for concern. For all customers outside the U.S. it is business as usual.”

“Please be aware that we are currently experiencing a very high volume of emails, so our response times are delayed. We will answer player emails as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.”

April 17, 2011 Update:

  • Both the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge and PokerStars.net Big Game have been cancelled.