1999 saw predictions of worldwide computer crash and calamity, as software was thought to be unstable, not recognizing the calendar change from 1999 to 20– in the billions of computer codes around the globe. As you all recall, absolutely nothing happened, and there was virtually no change in our lifestyle or on the internet as a result of 1999 becoming the year 2000. But what was happening was a massive change in the outlook of thousands of young male college students, who were anxious to cash in on the exploding online poker scene. Many college attendees quickly became college dropouts as their get-rich-quick mentality began to pay off. ‘Ship It Holla Ballas’ is a new book that describes the rise and fall of one of the youngest and most successful crews in online poker history. Read Full Article

Rafael Nadal is inarguably one of the greatest male tennis players of the past few years. The Spanish tennis legend and heartthrob has earned more than $50 million in career tennis earnings, not to mention much more than that through his many endorsements. You may recall that we reported in June of last year in this column that Nadal had joined forces with PokerStars as one of their high profile celebrities, and he even kept an online diary of his poker education and progress. Proof of his poker growth came quickly, during Nadal’s impressive run at the Spanish Championship of Online Poker (ESCOOP) €200 main event, before his A-K was out-flopped by an opponent’s pocket Jacks. Read Full Article

As if they understood what was going to happen a full five months later, in June of 2011 the state of Nevada in the US legalized its online poker gaming industry. At that time the federal government in the United States still considered online poker illegal, but Nevada has always been at the forefront of gambling in the brick-and-mortar casino industry, so they decided to push the envelope and position themselves at the forefront of any possible federal legislation which allowed for interactive gaming for money in the US. Read Full Article

In what appears to be a move to cash in on a very favorable atmosphere in New Jersey regarding online poker, one of the giants in the industry recently made a substantial move. PokerStars became a veritable white night when they bailed out the failing Full Tilt Poker franchise, appeasing millions of account holders by replacing their frozen funds, as well as making the United States Department of Justice happy. Their parent company recently agreed to buy the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, a once thriving brick-and-mortar casino in New Jersey that is arguably now one of the weakest physical casinos in that state. Read Full Article

Many casual online poker players have for years now expressed the feeling that they are playing with a built-in deficit. To give every player more tools at their disposal to help them win, many online casinos offer software which keeps statistics and profiles of your competition, such as their betting tendencies, their win percentage, and deposit frequency. While this may sound like a great thing, the average player who just wants to log on at the end of a stressful day and enjoy some online poker is placed at a disadvantage. Tracking tools, data miners and stats trackers are employed by serious online poker players, and make it harder for the casual player to finish a session in the black. Read Full Article