32Red Poker Blog

Poker News Round-up: 18/03/09

Catch up on the latest in poker with the 32Red Poker Blog. Making the news this week are the following stories:

Poker Sites Feature on Leaked Australian Blacklist
London Poker Circuit Gets Lukewarm Reception
Lady Gaga: A Poker Fan?

Poker sites feature on leaked Australian blacklist
Just as authorities around the world seemed set to legislate in the favour of online poker, last week, a leaked document from the Australian government threw a spanner in the works.   In what could only be described as a list of “very dodgy” websites sat a number of high profile online poker room operators.    The document was apparently a list of sites due to be added to an Australian “blacklist” of online businesses which would ban Australian users from accessing the domain names of the sites in question.

How valid the leaked document is remains unclear.  Aussie authorities were quick to settle the nerves of their online poker players, though, as Australian Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, decried the list’s publication.  Conroy said; “This is not the ACMA blacklist.  The published list purports to be current at 6 August 2008 and apparently contains approximately 2,400 URLs whereas the ACMA blacklist for the same date contained 1,061 URLs.  The leak and publication of prohibited URLs is grossly irresponsible. It undermines efforts to improve cyber-safety and create a safe online environment for children.  ACMA is investigating this matter and is considering a range of possible actions it may take including referral to the Australian Federal Police. Any Australian involved in making this content publicly available would be at serious risk of criminal prosecution.”

London Poker Circuit gets lukewarm reception
The hype surrounding the recently launched London Poker Circuit failed to materialise into player numbers last week.  A mere 18 players turned up for the £1000 main event at the Kensington Close Hotel.  Despite the lack of quantity, there was a lot of quality of on show.  32Red Poker’s Stuart Rutter main the trip to West London alongside Joe Grech, James Akenhead and eventual winner Sam Trickett.  Trickett took away an £8,500 pay day for his efforts.  Across town the GUKPT at The Victoria Casino was taking place which, perhaps, explains the low turn out at the LPC.  Thomas MacDonald took the spoils in the £500 buy-in event with the in-form Sunny Chatta running him very close in second place.

And finally….
Poker went ga-ga this week as Lady Gaga’s hit single made it to number one in the UK music charts.  “Poker Face” may not strictly be a poker song despite a number of lyrics referring to poker terminology but it certainly brings the game to the general public’s attention, once more, from a relatively famous personality.