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The Microgaming Poker Network has announced important new changes that include the use of the Euro as the sole currency for its poker tournaments, and a fresh approach to poker tournament action.

The network is taking a fresh approach to tournament poker this summer with the launch of Survivor Tournaments, a new and exciting format for tournament poker play; it is also introducing two additional daily poker tournaments this month, called Breakfast and Bedtime Bounty. A company spokesman said this week that the moves are designed to deliver more playability.

The new Survivor Tournaments are fast paced with nail biting finishes. Players must battle against each other and keep one eye on the clock, as a percentage of players with the lowest chip stacks are eliminated from the tournament at each level.

Players are provided with a survivor status indicator on the table, stating the crucial information that they need to know to survive the next round of elimination. Players can see their status – SAFE, WARNING or DANGER – as well as the target needed to avoid elimination, the time left in the elimination level, and the number of players to be eliminated. All the information needed to make those quick decisions is available at a glance.

All tournaments offer equal payouts to all survivors. To get a share of the winnings, all the player need do is survive.

Mark Pinan, Microgaming’s Poker Network Channel Lead says: “The Microgaming Poker Network is proud of this new and unique tournament offering which is designed to provide the most entertaining network poker competitions available. We predict that July is going to be a big month for tournament poker.”

Also introduced this (July) month is the Breakfast and Bedtime Bounty Tournaments. In both games, half of the player’s buy-in is paid into the prize pool, while the other half forms the bounty on their head. Every time a player is eliminated from the tournament the personal bounty is awarded to the player with the winning hand. Bounties can make a significant boost to the prize money but also means that players are rewarded for eliminating their competitors, even if they don’t win the pot.

Along with the new games, the network has introduced the Euro as the sole currency for its poker tournaments, giving more guarantees, more variety in game play, more chips and longer blinds.

The move from US Dollars to Euros will be applied to all network guaranteed tournaments, freerolls, satellites and regular Multi-Table Tournaments. This move will bring more of the network’s software features into play, including the ‘double buy-in’ option which will be available in all re-buy and second chance tournaments, along with an auto re-buying and topping-up feature. The option to end tournaments early when all remaining prizes are the same will also be available – starting with satellites to the new weekly €100,000 GTD tournament.

Jorg Peisert, a hitherto relatively unknown poker player from Dusseldorf in Germany, is the latest bracelet winner at the World Series of Poker, having triumphed in event 52 – the $3,000 buy-in Triple Chance No-Limit Hold’em.

Peisert survived an original field of 854 players that included names like James Van Alstyne, Kathy Liebert, Michael Mizrachi, Sandra Naujoks, Jeff Lisandro, and John Juanda and generated a prize pool of $2,357,040. The Triple Chance format has an interesting twist – players receive their initial starting stack plus two other special chips that can be redeemed at any time through the first three levels for another starting stack of chips. The result is a final table groaning with a superabundance of chips allowing for aggressive and exciting play.

Three long and stressful days on, the final table in the event was headed by Peisert on 1,650,000, who had played to a disciplined strategy, keeping his action close and safe and picking his opportunities and targets. His closest rival was Jason DeWitt (1,620,000), who was soon ‘contributed’ to Peisert’s stack in a bigway, increasing the German’s lead. Following the two leaders came Michael Katz (1,164,000), Benjamin Gilbert (960,000), Michael Noda (730,000), Karga Holt (635,000), Jason Somerville (400,000) and William Erickson (375,000).

Benjamin Gilbert’s departure in third place for $205,180 just before 10pm Vegas time on Tuesday opened the heads up phase of the competition, with Peisert facing Jason DeWitt across the table. By then Peisert – thanks in part to big pots taken off DeWitt and Michael Katz earlier – had amassed a huge chip lead and by 11:15pm it was all over – Peisert had his first WSOP bracelet and a check for $506,800, and DeWitt was left with a none-too-shabby second placing reward of $313,227.

Event 53 – the $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better, also concluded, with New Orleans attorney and restaurant owner David Halpern earning the respect, his first bracelet and the $159,390 first prize.

“We had fun the whole time,” said a delighted Halpern. “What’s funny about this game is you look around and it’s mostly old-timers. All the young guys are playing No Limit Hold ‘em, since I’ve got grey hair and I’m over 50 maybe this is more my game!”

There were 467 entrants for the event, building a prize pool of $657,455. Halpern entered the registration list on a whim, being at a loose end having earlier missed out on a cash game, and his last-minute decision certainly paid a handsome dividend.

The final table consisted of David Halpern, leading on 427,000, William Kohler of Cincinatti (310,000), Brian Swinford (305,000), Chad Brown (235,000), Max Stern (210,000), Allie Prescott (200,000), Matt Savage (193,000) and Zak Gilbert (184,000), which came down to a Halpern vs. Kohler heads up early evening on the last day.

It was the start of another see-saw heads up marathon that went on for over 4 hours, ending minutes before midnight when Halpern finally managed to gain the upper hand and relegate his opponent to a second placing with $98,550 for his time and trouble.

The win is Halpern’s biggest to date, although he has cashed in 9 previous tournaments.

Latest World Series of Poker stats reveal that as this year’s poker epic enters its final few tourneys (excluding the still active HORSE Event 49 and the Main Event), 49,064 players have participated in some 51 competitions to date, with $101,000,605 being paid out in prizes.

Highlights have been multiple bracelet wins by Jeff Lisandro, Phil Ivey, Brock Parker and Greg Mueller, with most winners understandably coming from the United States (33) Canada and the UK (3 each) and Australia (2). Nine other bracelets were taken by nine nations ranging from Russia to Mexico.

Professional players have won the most bracelets so far (37), with semi-professionals picking up 7 and amateurs the balance of the 51 awarded so far.

With seven cashes in this 40th WSOP, Daryll Fish has been a busy man, whilst Mark Gregorich, John Juanda, Jeffrey Lisandro, Greg Mueller, Phil Ivey and Ville Wahlbeck have each managed to get through to 3 final tables this year.

But the most energetic player is probably Nikolay Evdakov, who has managed to find the time to enter and play in 33 different events!

Many Gambling911.com readers in the United States have been emailing us asking what time the USA vs. Brazil Confederations Cup start (the air time).  The answer is:  2 pm EST airing on ESPN.

"This is going to be an exciting game and many in the US have been caught by surprise that their soccer team has made it this far," says Alistair Prescott of Gambling911.com.

USA’s appearance in the semi-finals was a bit of a fluke in that two big favorites to win ended up losing, including Italy.

"So USA essentially got in by default," says Prescott.  "But they are not in the Final by default," he added.

Team USA stunned a heavily favored Spain this week, paying out $900 plus for every $100 bet.

This time around they would pay out $525 for every $100 bet.  The problem is USA plays Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final Sunday.

The United States has beaten Brazil only once in 14 tries, and that 1-0 victory came in Los Angeles in the semifinals of the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Just last week, Brazil routed the Americans 3-0 in group play at the Confederations Cup. The loss left them on the verge of elimination, and had some critics calling for Bradley’s job.

USA is getting the most action of any side of any sport at the US facing online sportsbooks.  This is the most wagered on soccer game in the States in ages.

We should also note that Spain is getting the most action in the second of the two Confederations Cup showdowns, this one against host South Africa.

Betting is permitted right up to the start of USA vs. Brazil, however, because of the popularity of this particular game, Gambling911.com suggests having an account open prior to Noon Eastern Standard Time on Sunday. 

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher 

The 2009 Canadian Football League season kicks off July 1 and betED.com has odds to win the Grey Cup championship.

The defending champion Calgary Stampeders are +175 favorites to repeat in CFL Betting Odds.

The Edmonton Eskimos, who lost to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final last season, are not far back at +200, while Montreal is at +375.

Six decades after winning their first Grey Cup, the 2008 Stampeders finally picked up another CFL championship when they defeated the Alouettes 22-14 last November.

Head coach and general manager John Hufnagel, who was offensive coordinator with the NFL’s New York Giants before joining the Stampeders in 2007, will once again rely heavily on 2008 Grey Cup MVP in Henry Burris.

A product of Temple University more than a decade ago, Burris started every game for Calgary in 2008 and set personal highs for pass attempts (591), completions (381), passing yards (5,094) and touchdowns (39).

The Eskimos, who finished 10-8 last season, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the division semifinals before losing to Montreal.

There are some significant changes in Edmonton, as Richie Hall takes over the head coaching reigns for Danny Maciocia, who moved into the role of General Manager and Director of Football Operations.

But it’s status quo at the most important on-field position as quarterback Ricky Ray, who many consider the best overall pivot in the CFL, will again be running the offense.

In 2008, Ray completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts with 26 touchdowns and 17 picks. He also added five scores on the ground in what was a highly successful season.

Even though they lost the Grey Cup game, the Alouettes have been the most successful CFL team in recent years; Since 2000, they’ve made six appearances in the Grey Cup game.

Last season, the club finished 11-7 during the regular season, the only Eastern Division team to post a winning record.

Some Grey Cup longshots at betED.com include the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at +1600 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders at +1300.

Check out betED.com for Grey Cup Betting.

American Idol held its version of a disco party last night, but most of the contestants took upbeat disco songs and slowed them down to fit today’s style of pop. Now, it is time for the results of their efforts.

Tonight, the American Idol results show will be live on FOX, and there are definite expectations coming from fan message boards around the country. The popular opinion is that a combination of Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud, and Lil Rounds will be heading home.

“Even though Matt (Giraud) received praise from the judges, I think his time is up,” said AI fan Bridgette Resno, “He was voted off last week, and was saved, but this week I think he leaves with Lil Rounds.”

Those two, along with Desai had the longest betting odds coming into last night. If two of the three expected to leave do so, the betting odds will most likely stay similar to what they were before yesterday.

Adam Lambert has been the betting favorite since early in the live shows, and he did nothing last night that would indicate a change at the top. Danny Gokey was the gambling favorite coming into the live shows, but is now the second choice.

Chris Allen has odds that have fluctuated from 3000-1, all the way down to 500-1. The judges loved his performance on Tuesday night, which might bump his odds back up over Allison Iraheta, who was the third choice heading into last night.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  (AP) Police in Puerto Rico’s capital are searching for a lone man who robbed $340,000 from a popular hotel and casino by threatening a supervisor’s family.

A police statement says the robber approached the supervisor at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino before dawn Sunday and showed a note threatening him and specific members of his family.

The supervisor, Denny Ciprian Correa, told detectives he emptied a safe of cash and gave it to the man because he was scared for his life. Police have not said if the supervisor reported seeing a weapon.

Police say surveillance videos show the middle-aged suspect walking out of the casino with several full bags. The statement says the man apparently fled in a dark-colored Toyota Yaris.

Will Daniel Negreanu be named "2009 WSOP Poker Player of the Year"?  Doyle Brunson thinks so.

"Every time I look, Daniel is deep in a tournament," Doyle commented.  "Looks like he will be Player of the Year at the WSOP…Congrats (Daniel)..Good job!!"

Good job indeed.

The PokerStars pro has already made a major impact on two WSOP tournaments over the past week with a Top 50 money finish in another.  Negreanu finished 10th at Event #6 – 7 Card Stud World Championship on June 1.  He finished 2nd at Event #14 – Limit Hold’em Six Handed.  That even won Negreanu a sweet $138,280.  He’s closing in on a very profitable $200,000 at the 2009 WSOP and was still enjoying great success heading into mid-week.

Negreanu seems to be picking up where he left off last year.  A first place finish at the British Columbia Poker Championship won Daniel $366,656.  He also came in 5th at the World Series of Poker Europe, which resulted in a $431,209 payout.

For some lucky gamblers, a Daniel Negreanu win at the 2009 World Series of Poker main event would mean a massive payout.  Negreanu would pay $450 for every $100 bet at BetUS.com if he were to make the final table of nine.

Ace King, Gambling911.com 

Super Slots The Vegas Technologies network of online casinos is banking on the summer months to become some of the best for online slot players. Already Golden Casino is running all slot tournaments with free entries for the entire month of June.

Now, SuperSlots Casino, another online casino using the Vegas Technologies software, is holding a slots extravaganza of their own. The casino is beginning their Summer Slots Series on June 10th, and it will feature over $700,000 in cash to be won.

There will be four parts to the Summer Slots Series. Part one will begin on June 10th and run through June 30th. It will be held on The Right Prize game, and will have $200,000 in the prize pool.

The second part of the Series will be held on the Wheel of Chance slot, and will run from July 1st to July 31st. The third part will be August 1st to August 31st on The Reel Deal. Parts two and three will have the same payout structure as part one, with $200,000 on the line.

The last part of the Summer Slot Series will be a culmination of the first three parts. The highest combined balance over the first three tournaments will win $50,000. The second place finisher will win $20,000, third will receive $15,000, fourth $10,000, and fifth will win $5,000.

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Magic vs. Lakers NBA Finals betting odds had The Lakers as -6 favorites everywhere except for betED.com.  If you like the Orlando Magic to win Game 1, betED.com is definitely the place to bet them at +6 ½, though this number was likely to change prior to game time, so Gambling911.com advises locking in these odds immediately.

For the gambler, these are some important things to consider when it comes to the Magic vs. Lakers matchup trends:

Both teams have split the last 10 Against The Spread.  Not a very helpful trend there.

One big plus for this improved Orlando team is that they beat Los Angeles both games this season, even in LA.  The idea that Orlando can cover here certainly should be considered.

The focus should be on recent performance where the Magic are concerned.   This is a much improved team from years past when the Lakers dominated.

The Magic are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning Straight Up record.

Now here are some truly scary stats that do not exactly favor LA:

They are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 vs. the NBA Southeast.  They are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following an SU win of more than 10 points.  And they are 1-10-1 ATS in their last 12 NBA Championship games.

Of course, the Magic vs. Lakers NBA Finals betting odds for Game 1 reflect the notion that Orlando has not been in the NBA Finals for well over a decade.

Then there’s the avenging factor, a need to make up for last year’s embarrassing loss to the Celtics in the Finals.

Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will be seeking atonement — and a 15th championship — when they face the resurrected Orlando Magic in Game 1 on Thursday night at the Staples Center.

For Bryant, the game’s greatest late-game closer since Michael Jordan, it’s a second opportunity at shutting up some of his loudest detractors. He has won three titles, but hasn’t been able to get No. 4 since Shaquille O’Neal was traded after the 2004 season to Miami.

Bryant was asked Wednesday if he needed a post-Shaq championship to enhance his legacy.

"Not at all," Bryant said. "It means nothing. To me, it’s about winning another one, just because I want to win another one."

Before catching his breath, Bryant, who had been loose and relaxed earlier this week, then took a verbal swipe worthy of a flagrant foul at O’Neal, his former teammate with whom he famously feuded.

"People think Shaq would have won a championship without me on that team," he said. "They’re crazy."

This is Bryant’s chance. He doesn’t want to waste it.

The Lakers have won 14 titles. Orlando, 0.

The Lakers have won 61 finals games. Orlando, 0.

Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson has nine championship rings. Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy 1 — but he got it as an assistant and doesn’t know where it is.

betED.com has all your 2009 NBA Finals betting odds on the Magic vs. Lakers here

Tyrone Darnell Black, Gambling911.com 

As first reported on Gambling911.com, Harrah’s will be launching a new online unit. Its mandate is to take the World Series of Poker brand online and to look for new partnerships with brick-and-mortar casinos around the world, according to Lynn Moore of the Montreal Gazette, but the company will also look to jump head first into the global online poker market through a partnership with an already established Internet poker network.  PartyGaming has been widely rumored as the company that will join forces with Harrah’s.  That’s because Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment has employed Mitch Garber, a former executive with Party, as its CEO.

And Garber apparently wields enough power to influence Harrah’s decision to set up shop in Montreal.  

"I’m really happy to bring Harrah’s to Montreal," Garber said.  He is a native of the city.

Harrah’s agreed that he could manage the World Series of Poker teams already in Las Vegas and England out of a Montreal office and still focus on growing the 40-year-old Vegas-based competition, according to the Gazette.

"There is a hunger for World Series of Poker events, like PGA golf, with events taking place everywhere, whether it is Moscow, Montreal, Rome. Our intent is to deal with government and licensing authorities in every jurisdiction to grow the World Series of Poker," he said yesterday.

From the Gazette:

The business plan has two main goals, said Garber, who has invested "substantially" in the privately held Harrah’s.

The first is "to offer online gaming in the U.K. and potentially elsewhere in Europe where it is legal and government-licensed."

Harrah’s already has an interactive gaming licence issued in Alderney, a British Channel Island, he said. But no decisions or commitments have been made in that or any other jurisdiction, he said.

In the U.S., a bill was introduced this month to overturn a 3-year-old ban on Internet gambling. Harrah’s is among the entities supporting the legislation that would allow Americans to gamble online for money, instead of playing the current "for fun only" games.

The second part of Garber’s game plan is "to explore partnerships with governments that will offer online poker in their lotteries or … would invite the World Series of Poker and Harrah’s" to their poker operations.

This could, for instance, translate into a World Series of Poker tournament managed by Harrah’s but run out of a Loto-Québec casino.

Harrah’s, like many casino companies, is looking for that competitive edge.

The company last month reported a loss of $127.4 million for the first quarter of 2009 compared to a $275 million loss in the same quarter of 2008.  Its competitors have fared much worse, however.

Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com