32Red Poker Blog

32Red Poker News Round-Up

Stay up to date with the poker world with the 32Red Poker Blog. Check out poker’s headlines this week…

Mike Sexton Defends US Players in Court
Micheal Phelps to change his game to poker?
Recession? What recession?
Poker Stars in Swimwear…

Mike Sexton takes to the stand to defend poker:
Poker legend and face of the World Poker Tour, Mike Sexton, has defended the legality of poker in a South Carolina court, USA.  Sexton took to the stand late last week as an expert defence witness in a trial against five poker players accused of running an illegal home game.  Sexton argued that poker was a game of skill and very different from other pastimes which are considered games of chance.

The judge in the case quickly decided that poker was indeed largely a game of skill, leaving many predicting a change of law in the state when a verdict is returned later this week.  The decision could have huge ramifications on the overall legality of poker, including the online poker, in the United States.

Michael Phelps considers a switch to poker
Eight times gold medal winning Olympian swimmer, Michael Phelps, is rumoured to be considering a switch of sports to poker.  Phelps was recently the subject of a recreational drugs scandal resulting in the loss of an endorsement deal with Kellogg Co.  Phelps has some past association with poker thanks to a long standing friendship with poker legend Doyle Brunson.

Online gambling ‘recession proof’ say experts
The dreaded ‘R word’ is the staple diet of most news reports these days and here at 32Red Poker we like to keep up with modern trends!  However, our report regarding the global recession is very much a positive one.  The financial big wigs at Ernst & Young have announced that online gambling (including online casino gambling) is one industry that is set to do well during the recession.  They argue that as people stay at home more, rather than venturing out to offline casinos, bingo halls and bookmakers, they will take part in a more cost effective way of gambling on their home computers. 

…and finally
If you needed proof that poker was still sexy then look no further than the latest issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.  Sports Illustrated is a magazine that won’t usually attract poker fans, but this time poker professional Vanessa Rousso has adorned their pages.  Rousso  has a string of respectable results in large poker tournaments around the world to her name and is a regular on many poker TV shows. 

Fortunately 32Red Poker pro, Stuart Rutter, has declined to appear in his Speedos for the next issue.