Poker News: 24/06/09

32Red Poker News Round-Up 24/06/09

The WSOP rattles on over in Las Vegas, with big buy-ins and people getting rich quick, or richer in some cases. The UK representatives are doing exceptionally well this year, as reported last week, but the run continues as they battle well over in the desert. The battle continues elsewhere and off the poker felt too, with two poker hotties squaring up in the ring…read more.

WSOP: Duthie almost claims Bracelet no.3 for the UK
Following the quick-fire double WSOP bracelet success for the UK last week, the Brits have gone close to claiming bracelet number three for the Series in the last seven days.  None have come quite as close as European Poker Tour supremo John Duthie.  Duthie made the final of the $10,000 World Championship Heads Up event and only Leo Wolpert stood in the way of another UK success as the best of three match up got underway.

It wasn’t to be for Duthie, though, as the poker gods took a shine to Wolpert on this occasion.  The former Poker Million champion took $386,636 for his pains but it was clear that Duthie would’ve swapped every last cent to wear the illustrious bracelet.

Pretty Poker about to turn Ugly
Regular poker blog readers will remember we reported on a boxing match between poker pro’s Gus Hansen and Theo Jorgensen earlier this year.  Gus took a pounding from Theo, as many predicted, and we thought that would be an end to the boxing/poker prop bets.

How wrong we were!  News has hit the wires today that two of the prettier faces in poker are to take each other on in the squared circle.  Liv Boeree and Melissa Castello are set to do battle in the boxing ring at a small venue in Las Vegas.

The match up doesn’t appear to be a grudge match, though.  Melissa and Liv are not betting against each other either.  Instead the duo are giving $1500 to selected charities ($1000 to the winners choice and $500 to the losers choice).

Poker in the Park returns
Poker in the Park is to return for a third year, later this year, as the event once again heads to London’s Leicester Square.

The two day event starts on August 13th and an expected crowd of 15,000 amateur poker players are due to take each other on.  Several amateur pub leagues are due to attend including; Red Tooth Poker, The Nuts Poker League and London Pub Poker.

Big screen will be erected to allow fans to watch the action unfold.  Play starts at 17:30 GMT on Thursday and will end late on Friday night.

Danish Supreme Court rules Poker a game of Chance
The Supreme Court in Denmark has ruled that poker is largely a game of chance.  Following several positive stories on the legality of poker from various countries, the news will come as a body-blow to Danishoffline and online poker fans.

The ruling means only organisations with a state gaming licence may legally offer games of chance to the public.  Privately held games will be illegal.

Following the ruling Frederik Hostrup-Pedersen, head of the Danish Poker Federation, was found guilty of arranging gambling poker tournaments and fined 5,000 Kroner.

Hostrup-Pedersen hit out at the ruling by saying; “It’s an unfortunate ruling because we wanted to show Danes that poker is a thinking man’s sport comparable to chess or backgammon.”