To that end, in October of last year they entered into an agreement with the world’s largest listed online gaming company, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc. The Gibraltar-based online gaming giant will own 65% of the new venture aimed at delivering online poker in Nevada, with Las Vegas casino management firm Boyd Gaming owning 10% of the new business, and MGM Resorts International claiming 25% ownership. In the past, brick-and-mortar casino management firms and resorts looked at online poker operators as a threat, but now companies such as Bwin.Party are being wined and dined as real world casino and resort owners realize the massive potential profits that are rapidly materializing through the inevitable regulated and legalized online poker play.

With ties to legalized phone sex and pornography, Bwin.Party may not be the cleanest kid on the online gaming block, but they are certainly the biggest. And having paid $105 million for illegal banking, wire fraud and gambling operations in 2009, Bwin.Party understands exactly how close Nevada regulators and banking administrators will be watching any future online poker enterprise they run. Why would a well respected corporation like MGM Resorts International choose a partner with unseemly and previously illegal character traits to accompany them on their virginal online poker voyage? Simply put, it’s all about the Benjamins.

Both parties bring massive bottom lines and financial backing to the deal. MGM Resorts International is also banking on the fact that Bwin.Party understands the financial rewards of getting in on the first US online poker licensing, and is not prepared to jeopardize their position in any way. And all the pieces are in place. Boyd Gaming can manage the venture, Bwin.Party knows the software and online side of the equation inside and out, and MGM Resorts International brings class and cachet, as well as much-needed respectability, to the partnership.

But what does this mean to you, the United States-based online poker player? It is a great sign if you want regulated and legalized US-based online poker player sooner rather than later. And from what we have seen so far, the old saying that “wars and politics make for strange bedfellows” appears to be true for online US poker play as well, and more interesting partnerships are probably headed our way.

In the mean time, learn more about existing online poker action at ThePokerGrind.com, where you will also find detailed poker room reviews.

When Hinkle pocketed more than $1 million in that online poker tournament, he was only the 11th player to win that much money from a single online tournament. When Poker News Online spoke to Blair Hinkle on April 15, 2012, the first anniversary of what was definitely a Black Friday for him, the poker professional who moved to Missouri to continue his ongoing education concerning live play cash games was incredibly upbeat discussing the traumatic events from a year ago.

After the WSOP, Hinkle said he was bowing out of entering poker tournaments for a while. And in a rare move for a professional poker player, Hinkle admitted that his career performance so far as a live poker player pales in comparison to his past accomplishments and abilities as an online poker player. Unbelievably, Hinkle said he kept his cool when he first heard that the Department of Justice was shutting down PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and UltimateBet/Absolute Poker. He said he was naturally concerned, but really didn’t begin to worry until he was unable to log in to his accounts at both PokerStars and Full Tilt.

Many online poker professionals in the United States immediately moved their base of operations to some country other than the U.S. when Black Friday hit and they couldn’t access their accounts, but Blair Hinkle said that was never an option for him. Obviously well grounded and realizing that life is about more than playing poker, online or off, he said he did not want to leave the United States, not wanting to “give up his life for poker.” As can easily be imagined, Hinkle admitted that Black Friday had a definite impact on his life, but not as drastically as some people may think.

At the time of his $1 million win, he was more of a recreational player, in his own words playing only “a couple of days per week.” In the Poker News Online interview, he openly admitted that he doesn’t miss playing online poker that much, but also that live cash games do not hold his interest as much as the online poker tournaments did in the past. It would certainly be understood if Hinkle was bitter concerning Black Friday, since Full Tilt Poker has still not paid him even one penny of the $1 million plus he rightfully earned finishing second in the 2011 Main Event of FTOPS XIX. He credits a “positive attitude” that helps him move on, and says he has come to terms with the fact that he may never see any of his historical winnings.

Thankfully there are still some high quality online poker rooms accepting USA poker action.

Citing the Illegal Gambling Business Act of 1955, and the more recent 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), United States authorities named 11 defendants associated with those three main US online poker destinations. The charges claimed that those three companies and 11 individuals intentionally employed fraudulent account funding and withdrawal methods to step around the law, and even went as far as to deceive United States banks into processing their payments, which were deemed illegal. 75 bank accounts, several payment processors and 5 Internet domain names were restricted or entirely frozen.

The day became known as Black Friday because unwitting account holders at those three revered online poker destinations slowly but surely became locked out of their accounts, and that means they could not withdraw any funds that were rightfully theirs. Only a small number of those account holders ever received their money back. Currently however, many states are making an effort to legalize poker online. New Jersey, California and Nevada are at the forefront of passing legislation that would allow for legalized US online play and banking options, and New Jersey Senator Ray Lesniak says he feels confident his state will see real money online poker by the end of this year.

The long arm of the United States Judicial System is a scary competitor to say the least. So if that was the end of legal online US poker play, it would certainly be understood. However, online poker room owners and payment processors went back to the drawing board, and found legal banking and payment processing options that had been overlooked, allowing United States players legal online poker playing once again.

Several major players in the online poker industry, like Bovada and Intertops Poker remain open for US players. Since the new legislation only makes US banking and payment processing illegal for online gambling transactions, US players are free to legally play poker online. The only thing that has changed are the deposit and withdrawal methods which can be used, but the good news is that one year after Black Friday 2011, we can once again “Shuffle up and deal” online.  Lear more from our information on USA poker sites. 

The Kentucky Derby race only measures approximately 2 minutes in length, but is one of the most anticipated events of the year. It is surrounded by rich tradition, and weekend long celebrations at the lovely Churchill Downs, and all over the country where Kentucky Derby fans are found. You’ll find Kentucky Derby parties happening in homes all across America, with more than a few fans celebrating with a special poker game in honor of the Derby. Yes, the Kentucky Derby is exciting, thrilling, and can be more than a little rewarding if its your favorite horse that comes flying out of the gate to win the race, but lets face it, with a short 2 minute duration, there’s got to be some extra activity on the agenda, and poker is the perfect way to spice up that party.

Online poker enthusiasts are making a day of it on Kentucky Derby day which is this coming Saturday, May 5, and they’ve got their online gambling account all lined up and ready to go. Because of the convenient and flexible 24/7 access that online gambling sites offer, you can enjoy thrilling poker tournament action while wagering on the Derby favorites, watching the action in real time while managing multi-hand poker rounds. Now that sounds like a weekend to remember!

The best way to make this all happen in one fail swoop is to find a top rated gambling site that delivers a first rate poker room and a high quality sportsbook all under one virtual roof, with the operative word being quality. Gambling sites with multiple platforms are a dime a dozen, but the elite, first class sites are a little fewer and far between. There are a handful of these types of gambling sites that we can recommend to you as active players, based on personal experience and extensive testing. We take the business of referring players to reputable spots for online gambling very seriously, and are exceptionally careful about where we place our vote.

Players who want to enjoy exhilarating poker play and all that the Kentucky Derby has to offer will enjoy any of these online gambling brands that offer a full service poker room and sportsbook, and some of them also including casino action.  They each offer welcome bonuses to new players, so we recommend comparing the bonus offers in their poker room vs their sportsbook and taking advantage of the most lucrative option.  If you’d like more information on these sites, you can visit our Poker Reviews or our Sportsbook Reviews for a window into what to expect from each of these featured gambling sites.

Bodog Casino, Poker and Sportsbook
Bovada – Casino, Poker and Sportsbook – USA Friendly
Intertops – Casino, Poker and Sportsbook – USA Friendly
BetOnline Casino, Poker, and Sportsbook – USA Friendly
Bet365 Casino, Poker, and Sportsbook, also with Bingo, Skills Games, and Financials Betting

Starting with Bovada, sister site to Bodog and launched in late 2011 exclusively to accommodate Bodog’s USA player traffic, you’ll find an exciting WSOP 2012 series of qualifiers that really does give anyone who’s interested a fighting chance. Up for grabs is the 2012 Main Event Prize Package worth $12,000. The prize package includes the $10,000 entrance fee, $2000 for travel and accommodations, an invite to the Bovada Party, and access to the Bovada Suite. No, its not the most extravagant prize package we’ve seen, but it gets you there in style and gives you that once in a lfe time shot at becoming the WSOP 2012 Champion.

Bovada’s path to get a lucky winner to the WSOP Main Event is comprised of multiple path options. The shorter paths get you there faster, but cost more also. For example, you can play all the way for as little as $1 registration per game, or you can short your path astronomically by guying into a satellite tournament qualifier at $470. Play all the way requires that you play daily, while the shortest path is a weekly commitment. The options include Play All The Way cheap seat daily qualifier, Quarterfinal daily $5 – $10 daily qualifier, Buy into a daily Semifinal for $25 – $100, and finally the weekly satellite tournaments. The cost and length of time required are up to you. Learn more at Bovada Poker.

Intertops is also offering a chance to make it to the WSOP Main Event in Vegas through a 5 step process that is available in a multi-table tournament structure. Step 1 is a satellite qualifier that takes place every 2 hours with a thirty cent buy in. One player will advance to Step 2 for every $3.30 in the prize pool, thereby keeping things exponential to the number of players involved. Steps 2 through 4 are satellite qualifiers that take place every 4 hours, with buy ins ranging from $3 in Step 2 up to $60 in Step 4. One player advances from each game for each designated increment of the prize pool for that step.

The Main Even final step event in the Intertops Poker WSOP promotion is is a satellite qualifier that takes place every Sunday at 5pm ET. Buy in for this final step qualifier is $200, and one $10K Main Event Vegas prize package will be awarded for every $10,000 in the prize pool. Since there is no ceiling on the number of winners that can head to Vegas, the Intertops promotion might be especially appealing to some players. Learn more at Intertops Poker.

If you’re new to online poker and would like to find an exciting, trustworthy and rewarding online poker room, or even learn how to play poker for the first time, you can visit our Online Poker Room Reviews, where you’ll get details on each of our featured poker rooms including what their current welcome bonus is, as well as one click access to each of them.

Some of the cool new features you’ll find at Bovada include Anonymous Tables, the Rabbit Cam, in-client Blackjack, and the capability to play up to 20 multi-table tournaments simultaneously. Previous Bodog clients will find that they are already registered at Bovada, making the transition streamlined and seamless. You’ll find their website user friendly and intuitive, offering an innovative and savvy gaming environment. Unlike Bodog, Bovada Poker is download only in nature, but once you see the smooth, fast, and bug-free performance, you won’t mind!

You’ll also find access to the Bovada casino, sportsbook, and racebook, ensuring a well rounded and versatile gambling experience. We definitely recommend that you take this new online gambling platform for a spin, discovering how pleasantly familiar Bovada is, while also bringing some fresh new concepts and features to the game. Learn more about this new poker site in our detailed Bovada Poker Review.

Visit Bovada Poker today.

Laak was not only in it for the record and the fame, he used this opportunity to raise money for Camp Sunshine, an organization that meets the needs of children with life threatening diseases and their families. As promised, Phil donated half of his winnings, $6766, and also raised money through selling hoodies and t-shirts, including the ones he wore during the game, some of which sold for up to $500. There was a challenge at the 58th hour for Phil to do 30 push ups for a $1000 donation to Camp Sunshine, a challenge which he met head on and beat!!

The 115 hour poker excursion took place at the famous Bellagio Poker Room, and was big news around the world with 4700 following him on twitter, and his live video stream being viewed over 177,000 times. For those who would like to get in the game and try out their poker prowess, try checking out Sportsbook Poker for some sensational, and sizzling hot online poker action! Their current welcome bonus is a juicy 100% match up to $650. You can learn more about this online poker hot spot by reading our Sportsbook Poker review.

Visit Sportsbook Poker today!!

One of the most exciting features of UseMyWallet Poker Rooms, is a feature that they now offer called Instant UseMyWallet Poker Cash Outs!! No waiting 4 weeks for a check to come in the mail, and no waiting for lengthy approval process. When we say ‘instant’, we mean instant. Players will be able to select the option of Instant UseMyWallet Poker Payout on the cashier page, and can enjoy their winnings within moments.

For those who are new to UseMyWallet, registration is handled through Quicktender via invitation only. To obtain an invitation, visit the cashier section of Full Tilt and request to be send one. Once you are registered and your UseMyWallet account is funded, you can proceed with funding your online poker account, winning lots of money, and then taking advantage of the sensational option of Instant UseMyWallet Poker Withdrawals at Full Tilt Poker. Sound like a plan?

Learn more about this sensational online poker room by reading our Full Tilt Poker Review!! Visit Full Tilt Poker today!!

Daniel’s Room consists of several exclusive high stakes cash game tables, where you can play against other high stakes players, and even the legend himself! He uses screen name ‘KidPoker’, and is rather involved with the sizzling hot poker action in Daniel’s Room. The games in Daniel’s Room are an intense test of your poker skill prowess, with lots of exciting cash and prizes at stake. Should you play impressively enough, you could find yourself with an invite to appear on a future PokerStars TV Show.

For those who are more interested in just watching the drama unfold as these high stakes poker buffs go at it, no problem. Daniel’s Room features observation functionality that allows fans to enjoy watching the games, and even chatting with Daniel when he’s online.

The focus of Daniel’s room is a limited set of high stakes cash game tables at which you can play against other poker enthusiasts, or Daniel when he’s online. You can find these sensational poker game opportunities by finding the DR symbol in the Hold’em > No Limit/Pot Limit > High section of the PokerStars lobby. For those interested in observing only, there is a ‘Show only Daniel’s Room’ option in the Hold’em Ring Game Filter.

PokerStars is one of the largest poker sites in the world, and a favorite among the online gambling community. Find out more about this incredible online poker room by reading our PokerStars Review. Visit PokerStars today!

Laak has indicated that while he recognizes the magnitude of the challenge, he’s up for having his limits tested in this contest, who began his training on Jan 1st of this year.  Not only is he ferociously training for this exciting event, he’s not wasting a chance to raise some money for one of his favorite charities, Camp Sunshine.  Camp Sunshine raises money to help children, and the families of children with life threatening illnesses.  Laak will be donating half of all of his winnings from the event to Camp Sunshine.  This certainly puts us in his corner!!

The highly anticipated contest will take place on June 2nd, at the world renowned Bellagio in Las Vegas.  Can Laak beat Zimbler and become the new champ?  We know Camp Sunshine, and the Poker Grind is rooting for him!!  Good luck Laak!!  For those who want to see how long they can play poker in a single sitting, try your hand at Players Only Poker, a kick ass poker room that offers excellent, high quality online poker.  New players can take advantage of their generous 100% match bonus up to $650!!  Learn more about this sensational online poker site with our Players Only Poker Review.

Visit Players Only Poker today!